The Woolworths Thread (18 Viewers)

[pokerchoker]

1) YEah, people who have a little square mettalic thing on the front of their card (the 'chip') now have to insert their card into the bottom of the pin pad instead of swiping - technology been around quite awhile overseas, but Woolies is one of the first retailers to finally accept it in Aus.

That's funny i've been using my card that way in mom'n'pop liquor stores and drive thru's for the best part of a year now, just the liquor store i actually work in at woolies that suddenly changed yesterday, so I wouldn't say the first more like one of the last

Not like it even matters, all its provided is even more confusion for stupid customers. Swipe wrong way, bzzzzt. Swipe it the right way, bzzzt you need to insert. Insert wrong way, bzzzt. Finally inserts right way, yayyyy. Then pulls it back out while the transaction is processing, bzzzt. Put it back in. Ok leave it there now. Type in his pin-number and insta pulls his card back out, bzzzt. At some stage he'll get it right and then right at the end of the transaction mention he needed cashout or wanted to swipe his everyday retards card etc. Queue is now a mile long, Service 20 in liquor plz. Of course noone comes. FML.

 

[ekul444]

That's funny i've been using my card that way in mom'n'pop liquor stores and drive thru's for the best part of a year now, just the liquor store i actually work in at woolies that suddenly changed yesterday, so I wouldn't say the first more like one of the last

Not like it even matters, all its provided is even more confusion for stupid customers. Swipe wrong way, bzzzzt. Swipe it the right way, bzzzt you need to insert. Insert wrong way, bzzzt. Finally inserts right way, yayyyy. Then pulls it back out while the transaction is processing, bzzzt. Put it back in. Ok leave it there now. Type in his pin-number and insta pulls his card back out, bzzzt. At some stage he'll get it right and then right at the end of the transaction mention he needed cashout or wanted to swipe his everyday retards card etc. Queue is now a mile long, Service 20 in liquor plz. Of course noone comes. FML.

hmm interesting, ive never encountered a machine that accepts cards the chip way before, but obviously i was wrong and it is out there, so turns out its not totally new to australia.

Haha yeah, I know how u feel, its even worse on self serve, the customer just stands there continually swiping over and over with the machine bzzzzting away, and they totally ignore the animated instructions on the screen telling them to insert card. I found it quite amusing today watching how many times they were actually gonna trying swiping before realising, or asking for help. lmao.

 

[babikakez]

I'm surprised that it wasn't more difficult for customers to understand, hehe.

But do agree on the having to bang on the screen to sign on. Although some of our registers were like that beforehand anyway.

 

[babikakez]

12:30 3rd operator

Christ, you are in a small store.

By 12.30 today we had 16 registers open, haha.

Hmm i feel blessed now. It would suck being the only person on from 7-7.30.
But I thought your store was much busier than ours, we do 750k-ish a week?

Our store would be busier than 750k per week. Its just that our managers tend to avoid spending big on wages.
I have noticed a significant difference in the last year, having our current store manager to the one previous. He only allows two hours for tickets now, :burn:, whereas previously I've had up to 3.5 hours.

 

[yoddle]

I was at work today and it obviosltyt hasn't been introduced here.

Although about a month ago I was telling all my customers they would have to insert their chipped cards from the next day onwards cos I got confused between the store release and the new mobile phonje recording system. Thankfully none of them mentioned my name when they were like 'Hey, this boy said we have to insert niw??"

 

[babikakez]

I was at work today and it obviosltyt hasn't been introduced here.

Although about a month ago I was telling all my customers they would have to insert their chipped cards from the next day onwards cos I got confused between the store release and the new mobile phonje recording system. Thankfully none of them mentioned my name when they were like 'Hey, this boy said we have to insert niw??"

ahaha thats kinda funny.

I hate the new AMTA system, it works okay when you've got bulk supervisors on, but otherwise its awful.

At least before it could be palmed off to the s/s operator.

 

[iMatthew]

I noticed everyone was wearing black jackets (wool?) at the checkouts last night.
Is Safeway/Woolworths lenient when it comes to that, as long as they are black or something?

EDIT: Oh and, is there any staff benefits towards Everyday Rewards/FF points?

 

[LIQR7]

congrats!

EFT chip card launch yesterday! seems to work quite well, nice new animation on self-serve and instructions on all pinpads. most customers didn't have any problems, apart from not knowing that they could do it now. shouldn't be too much of a problem once everyone knows, it will be fine. only problem is they have to remember that we take chip cards, just gotta wait for everyone else to catch up

we have been using it in the supermarket inside Norwest for 5 weeks now. I have not seen anyone with issues there. worked fine with my card.

 

[T 360]

I noticed everyone was wearing black jackets (wool?) at the checkouts last night.
Is Safeway/Woolworths lenient when it comes to that, as long as they are black or something?

Yep. As long as they are black,they don`t care! I wish they would bring out a Company Jacket!

 

[danberg]

OMG! We just got the upgrade today....its THE most annoying thing since Kyle Sandilands!!

OUr idiot buffoon of a produce manager still uses the manual RTC stickers on everything, so every 10 seconds we get a service 10 because RTC's only in SVR menu now! PLus deli uses the manual stickers on everything too.

CC chip worked OK tho, customers pretty good about it. but im really not looking forward to another day of service 10s every 10 seconds!

 

[babikakez]

OUr idiot buffoon of a produce manager still uses the manual RTC stickers on everything, so every 10 seconds we get a service 10 because RTC's only in SVR menu now! PLus deli uses the manual stickers on everything too.

Yep this is our biggest issue now - think its time that deli and seafood came around.

 

[danberg]

Yep this is our biggest issue now - think its time that deli and seafood came around.

not that there was a problem with manual reduction previously, don't they trust us?? I can understand it would be really annoying in deli having to get the manager to print an RTC for every time its needed

 

[babikakez]

not that there was a problem with manual reduction previously, don't they trust us?? I can understand it would be really annoying in deli having to get the manager to print an RTC for every time its needed

But for reducing things like Hot Chickens and Sushi, its not really a big deal because they normally do quite a few at a time.

 

[yoddle]

OUr idiot buffoon of a produce manager still uses the manual RTC stickers on everything, so every 10 seconds we get a service 10 because RTC's only in SVR menu now! PLus deli uses the manual stickers on everything too.

CC chip worked OK tho, customers pretty good about it. but im really not looking forward to another day of service 10s every 10 seconds!

Service 10...but who calls a service ten? Surely people just ring their bells?

But for reducing things like Hot Chickens and Sushi, its not really a big deal because they normally do quite a few at a time.

You sell sushi?! I want!

If any of you care my open went super. Very organised. Except both me and the other supervisor only got two hours sleep max and almost lost our voices. When I raised my voice to speak on the microphone I sounded like a grimreaper.

On another note, we have had really really bad sales lately. Like Friday was down on last Friday by 36 000 which was down on the Friday before that and so and so forth for like four weeks. We are making on a Wednesday/Friday what we would normally make on a busy Sunday. So wages are really tight and each senior casual gets 4 hrs a week max and we're never allowed to call them in. For the last three Sundays they have cut the senior supervisor out completely and left the other two to it. And if people call in sick we just don't replace them. But then it's hardly an issue because it's so quiet we don't even notice we're down on staff

I was thinking this is a GFC thing (finally hitting Woolies)?? Have sales been depressed in other stores or generally going OK?

 

[T 360]

Service 10...but who calls a service ten? Surely people just ring their bells?

We only have a couple of bells in the whole frontend. We just have to put our lights on,and,if there are no bells nearby, wait until a supervisor sees the light!

Annoying!

 

[yobob]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how much the biggest stores in Australia make a week?

Any get past $1.5M?

 

[Jeee]

Sings: Woolworths...the fresh food peopleee.

 

[yoddle]

We only have a couple of bells in the whole frontend. We just have to put our lights on,and,if there are no bells nearby, wait until a supervisor sees the light!

Annoying!

Sounds like your CSM needs a good hiding.

 

[babikakez]

You sell sushi?! I want!

I didn't realise that other stores didn't sell sushi. Its not the best, so don't worry.\

On another note, we have had really really bad sales lately. Like Friday was down on last Friday by 36 000 which was down on the Friday before that and so and so forth for like four weeks. We are making on a Wednesday/Friday what we would normally make on a busy Sunday. So wages are really tight and each senior casual gets 4 hrs a week max and we're never allowed to call them in. For the last three Sundays they have cut the senior supervisor out completely and left the other two to it. And if people call in sick we just don't replace them. But then it's hardly an issue because it's so quiet we don't even notice we're down on staff

I was thinking this is a GFC thing (finally hitting Woolies)?? Have sales been depressed in other stores or generally going OK?

We've actually been picking up lately. Last saturday we were up about 35k, yesterday we met budget. But we still have to ask permission from the SM before we can call anyone in.

And hours are still pretty bad. I have no hours next week (although I did need Saturday off). Not complaining though.

 

[iMatthew]

Is there any staff benefits towards Everyday Rewards/FF points? I'm guessing not.