Job Responsibilities
* paper work about the department, the contents of the dept.,
ordering, contacting sales reps for new items for customers...
* keeping stock current on shelves, neat and orderly or teaching
a helper to do so.
* customer service - often in dept. close to yours as well as your
own.
* meetings, meetings, meetings!
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Job Requirements
* Unfortunately there are no acedemic classes. There is no
direct training for new people to learn how to operate their
department with the telxon, etc. and most new people are
overwhelmed.
* There are the general requirements of some retail experience,
but if desparate for a "body" they will hire anyone off the street
and expect the other det. managers to train the newbie! No time
for this, but we do it anyway! It is not our job by definition
though. The company is responsible on paper.
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Uppers
* satisfaction of knowing you did a good job no matter that a screaming store
manager might may not agree! In general this happens at all stores!
* having customers be happy about the services you provide - often going that
extra mile for them is satisfying.
* the general business - as long as one can accept that not everything can get
done in one day - it can be fun!
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Downers
* being interrupted for meetings that are of absolutely no value.
* being screamed at by over-worked, extremely frustrated managers
who have to cover their butts with the higher management.
* busybodies who try to cause trouble for other workers for
various reasons.
* the odd customer who is a royal pain - being rude, allowing
children to run wild, yelling and making huge messes!
* young (16 - 20) staff who were brought up with no idea of
politeness, caring, sensibility and work ethic toward the store,
the other workers or customers.
* customers and staff stealing anything they can...annoying!
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Lifestyle
* plan to work hard, be polite, have fun, and don't take any crap
from anyone - if someone starts screaming at you ask them to come
back when they can be calm and polite. They have to do so or
their job can be in jeopardy - especially if you have witnesses.
* never go into a meeting with management without someone with
yave seen too many people get int trouble for something they did
not do because they don't have a witness. You have that right
and they have to respect it or you can go out of the room and call
the Head Office for assistance.
* Remember to call someone at the head office (there is a list
that must be posted in the lunch room or above the time management
machine) for any questions about anything - our store had a
manager that was not management material, although they thought
she was at first - she was rude, told stories about staff to other
staff and made fun of people or was rude to those of different
nationalities (Staff and customers.) We continually called our
management from outside the store, explaining things over and over
- we often put it in writing and sent it to the top of the
management...finally they gave her atime to decide to take a
lesser job in another store or quit. We hear she is dong great
where she is now! Not all problems have to mean firing - but they
should be dealt with so there isn't a dread of going to work
every day.
* The most important tool that Dept. managers was to keep track,
in a journal, of what they did each day - at least an outline -
then when they had to answer to someone they could go back and
find it in the book and give it as evidence. This was very
helpful in many instances.
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Compensation
* this job started out at a reasonable wage for this area of
Canada, with raises once a year for the first 4 years, but what
they don't tell you is that in the fourth year you get a raise
which is paid out for an entire year (one cheque). Then the rest
of the year they don't have to pay overtime on the new amount -
just what you made in the 4th year.
* the health benefits are ok, if you need them, which I do, and
the payment per cheque is minimal
* the mandatory life insurance should be paid by the company as it
is mandatory - a lot of people have their own insuranc already.
* we have a little stock put away for us, but can have it deducted
off your check if you want more.
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Advice to Jobseekers
* plan to work hard, be polite, have fun, and don't take any crap
from anyone - if someone starts screaming at you ask them to come
back when they can be calm and polite. They have to do so or
their job can be in jeopardy - especially if you have witnesses.
* never go into a meeting with management without someone with
yave seen too many people get int trouble for something they did
not do because they don't have a witness. You have that right
and they have to respect it or you can go out of the room and call
the Head Office for assistance.
* Remember to call someone at the head office (there is a list
that must be posted in the lunch room or above the time management
machine) for any questions about anything - our store had a
manager that was not management material, although they thought
she was at first - she was rude, told stories about staff to other
staff and made fun of people or was rude to those of different
nationalities (Staff and customers.) We continually called our
management from outside the store, explaining things over and over
- we often put it in writing and sent it to the top of the
management...finally they gave her atime to decide to take a
lesser job in another store or quit. We hear she is dong great
where she is now! Not all problems have to mean firing - but they
should be dealt with so there isn't a dread of going to work
every day.
* The most important tool that Dept. managers was to keep track,
in a journal, of what they did each day - at least an outline -
then when they had to answer to someone they could go back and
find it in the book and give it as evidence. This was very
helpful in many instances.
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