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[MrAngryFace]

YoDandy:

Force you to push warantees? They force you to ASK, they force you to ask people to reconsider, they dont force you to push. We arent even comission.

I dont get forced to do anything at the store I work at.


Dig:

Ive been with staples four years or so, worked in three stores, remodeled six or so, and ive seen it the same way in every store. Since Staples operates on such low staff it seems to work on a model of Core associates/leads surrounded by 'the rotation'. Kids who are part time/early on full time who are there to do everything else in between.

I started as a seasonal back to school hire, then did 1.5 years of part time school with near fulltime/part time in arizona. They've transfered me cross country twice and have always been great about scheduling around classes, but im currently lead and hopefully working towards management soon. While the first few years felt overwhelming and uncertain, once I set my eyes on where I wanted to be in the company they did nothing but help me train to do that.

Ive found that if they are uncertain where your immediate future lies its harder for them to devote precious training.

Sure, its retail, but there's something about Staples that ive sorta come to respect. Plus it pays nice and they treat me well

 

[RegularMK]

I'm a night stocker. I'm not sure if that's even retail, but its pretty hard. In a good way, though.

 

[MrAngryFace]

I did mostly freight when I was in arizona and while it was sorta single minded in its efforts it kept me in shape and was steady work while I was in school.

 

[The Interrobanger]

MAF, what position are you?

I've never been "formally" trained in any retail position I've had, but I can handle myself OK. I just went to the Canada wide vendor's symposium on Friday/Saturday for some product knowledge I didn't need. Getting paid to stay in a hotel for 2 days and watch vendor's spew BS wasn't bad though.
I was an hourly associate for less than a month before I was promoted to the Jr. Tech Consultant, now I'm the Sr. Tech Consultant and I've only been there 6 months or so.

 

[brocke]

I didn't want to make a seperate topic for this, but this is along the same lines.

I was wondering how effective a store like Sharper Image or any gadget type store would be if you had insanly hot girls working there and that was it. They had basic product knowledge. Oh wait then you would have like 1 dude who knew what he was talking about working with him. Do you think that a male customer between 18-40 would be more likely to buy an extended warranty if a really hot girl was pushing it?

 

[MrAngryFace]

Woah youre Canuck branch? I think you guys have different names for your positions. Associate is general, but beyond that is the three Department Leads, then up to management. I WAS Office Supply lead for a while now they moved me over to Business Machines (tech) lead for some extra cross training involving some sales stuff.

I woulda moved up faster if I wasnt doing that dumb school thing for 2 years which ended up being nothing I wanted to get involved with. In any case yeah im tech lead right now, im hoping a move up someday soon

Tech Consultant Sr must be a Dept Lead position UNLESS you are part of the Mobile Tech service. Not clear on the Canuck branch.

 

[Tarazet]

Most of my jobs, including my current one (Subway baker/prep), have been part-time sub-retail shit, and they're back-breaking chores. But I did work as a car salesman for one summer, and that was harder. Even though I was selling a brand with a rock-solid reputation, it was still just rejection after rejection after rejection. I was expected to sell 12 cars a month, but I only managed three in the 6 weeks before I quit.

They were all new cars, by the way - just like with a certain other retail job, used cars generally produce higher profit margins. Fortunately two of them were hybrids, and they sold at $2000 over sticker, so I was paid pretty well for suffering in the heat and getting pushed around.

 

[mj1108]

I worked at the hellhole known as WalMart for 5 1/2 years (3 of which as a Dept. Mgr in Electronics). It sucked -- horribly. Management sucked, expectations were unrealistic (how the hell were we supposed to sell the numbers that every other store did when we were half the size as every other one in our district???) and even if you did accomplish something they'd change their mind and "it wasn't good enough".....or if you had an idea that was great, it was shot down for any and every bullshit reason they could come up with. Overtime? Being late? If you clocked out 1 minute over for OT or came to work 1 minute late you were talked to, coached, reamed, etc.... Thank god I'm out of there...and have been for 3 1/2 years.

I worked at Staples From May 2004-October 2004. Really a kick-ass retail job. Everyone was great, management was great... yeah, pushing the warranties suck, but the bonuses were alright. Very cool, laid back...nice people...and the customer base was a huge step above what WalMart attracts. I left there in Oct. 2004 since I got in with my current job in IT w/ the local school district.

 

[The Interrobanger]

MAF, we recently changed our management structure, so the names have changed.

I guess lead = consultant, but we have 2 tech consultants, myself being the higher of the 2.

Old Business Machines Consultant Title = Jr. Technology Consultant
Old Computer Consultant Title = Sr. Technology Consultant

I'm not a mobile tech...I basically run the entire computer department myself with help from my Jr. Consultant and a few part timers.

 

[MrAngryFace]

Ok so youre in my position. I have a second myself but he's still an associate. Is your jr fulltime? I dont think I can get a fulltime but he's pretty close anyway so oh well.

 

[The Interrobanger]

Yes, both of us are fulltime.

My Jr. is an idiot, but she works her ass off so it's all good.
She knows jack-shit about computers, but I think you can vouch for me when I say you don't need a shitload of product knowlege to be effective at working retail. If she gets a customer that knows more than average...which isn't often, she asks me to help.

I've gotta open tommorow (7:30AM) and I'm sick so I'm heading to bed...

 

[ghostmind]

I used to work the night shift "security" at a golf resort... not exactly retail, but the job consisted mostly of watching late-nite pay-tv, cruising around in the security golf kart (the one with the headlights) and raiding the restaurant kitchen...

 

[Taichu]

Sorry, but I just don't get how hard retail jobs can be, especially compared to a factory job. I've never worked retail, but my impression is that you put out new products in the morning, keep you department organized/clean, answer phonecalls/customer questions, sell at a cash register, and do inventory at the end. Nothing physically demanding, and a nice work environment (clean/air-cond or heat). I've only worked factory jobs, and those are awful. 12 hour night shifts of physically demanding tasks at a constant rate of work (conveyor belt line). No air-conditioning. You *have* to get a certain number of product out, not *try* to. Unless you are on break, you are working.

 

[TheQueen'sOwn]

I worked Business Machines at Staples and that was pretty easy :lol. It was disgusting though when an (and we just call them this) "Aisles" guy came over and would outright lie his way to a sale. A few of them had no clue what they were doing and I would always have to be the one to deal with their customers when they came back and were mad that they didn't get everything they were promised.

*shakes fist*

Anyway I've moved my way up to desk jobs (I love having my own cubicle ). Comparatively, retail is a hell that I'd never want to go back to.

 

[MrAngryFace]

Taichu:

Im not here to tell you how easy a factory job is because I havent worked one. Ditto for you buddy.

Its easy for someone to point around and say 'that doesnt look like much' then list off what needs to be done and can be done under ideal conditions and kick back having passed judgement.

That being said I have no idea what working in a factory is like, but I do know what working retail is like.

 

[RaySpencer]

holy shit, lots of Staples workers here


Staples 47 in the house !! ....Canadian one, up here in Edmonton, and i know at least 3 other people there lurk these boards, soooo awesome job really ...were just a bunch of GAFers talking shit all day when people arent around...

Great job though, im getting cross trained all over the place there, mostly great coworkers, great managers, doing aisles is kinda boring ...but selling people shit in the computers is lots of fun.


It really ranges from Easy to hard, depending on whats going on, somedays i got shit all for out of stocks, no new planos to do, and no one in the store ....otherdays i got all that and it gets really hectic. You get some really asshole customers sometimes, but shit assholes are everywhere, no matter what you do .... and the nice people thatreally appretiate what your doing all make up for it.

 

[MrAngryFace]

Yeah I didnt know so many Staples employees posted here either haha.

 

[Dragmire]

God, I hate Staples viral marketers.

I'm a sales floor 'team lead' at a new Target (5 months old), and it sucks because of the upper management. Hypocritical, out of touch, lazy, clicky morons. I also hate the corporate philosophies, which treat people like robots. Then there's the lingo (aka brainwashing). Apparently words like 'customers' and 'returns' are now derogatory (we say 'guests' and 'reshop' ffs). But in the end, at Target everything has to say, "We're not Walmart." It's basically where Walmart customers shop to feel fancy. The difference is, a lot of them adopt this philosophy that Target is supposed to be better, so they're more demanding. Assholes.

I despise the job and am currently looking elsewhere for employment. God pls, no more retail! *applies at Staples*

 

[MrAngryFace]

Haha, JOIN USSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssss...............*

 

[Cold-Steel]

I'm in the Future Shop (think Best Buy redux) category.

Used to be a full-time supervisor, my job consisted of walking around the store all day talking to whomever I wanted to and assisting the sales people (giving them keys to locked up stuff or solving their problems because they couldn't solve them by themselves).

Wicked job. Got paid well to do it.

The best part was this - one time I was stuck half the day in the Home Theatre department talking to people about speakers. Because no one looked after me (I more or less managed my own time and schedule), I could do whatever I wanted. If I felt like helping a hot girl, I could. If I felt like not helping someone, I wouldn't (unless they asked in which case I don't say no to a customer).

I would pass on their problems to an associate and keep moving on. I loved my job.

Didn't have responsibility for anything or anyone yet people kept thinking I was responsible for everything! No blame, all game!