Vantaggi
Showrooms are a unique environment to work in.
Svantaggi
The entire premise of Alton Lane was difficult for me to embrace working in a client facing role. The whole operation borders on deceptive practice. They want you to leverage a body scanner, which plays no role in the construction of the garments, as cutting edge and special. The reality is that clients are getting their garments made by adjusting the pattern of the sample garment size that they try on via hand measurements. While the results can be good when executed properly, the expectation is that you “play the part” and talk up a technology that has no bearing on the process. It’s very slimy. There are endless manufacturing issues due to inconsistencies in sample patterns. Training is rushed and poor. The factory, possibly the largest suiting factory in the world, has noted that Alton Lane adjusts sample patterns more than any other company they work with. This is not a badge of honor. The company has been around for 10 years yet remains virtually invisible in the marketplace while competitors are growing leaps and bounds around them. Too much of the focus of has been placed on the bourbon and body scanner. While it’s “cool” for the client the first time around, the novelty wears off quickly. This is evident in their struggle to retain customers and their consistently declining year-over-year comp sales. Compensation wise, you will be lowballed at every turn and the benefits are below average but will cost you a fortune. You should not put all of your eggs in their basket. The hire and fire people constantly and blame company failures on the the showroom staff instead of the process and leadership. You will be put through endless, mindless conference calls, ted talks and podcasts with a management team that wants so desperately to be seen as progressive and forward thinking. None of it moves the needle or has any relevance to selling a guy a suit.