The Woolworths Thread (22 Viewers)

[bensneddon]

Take a look at Ziggy's latest blog on the AllYours site. It has several pictures and a video walkthrough of the pilot Project Recharge store.

It will be interesting to see how meat departments handle becoming a service department though ;-)

 

[nanakid12]

Question to other supervisors: I'm 17, and if you havent gathered I do one supervision shift of a week night (4:30 to 9:30). The day-time operators, who are usually the grownups usually finish around 5:30-6:30. There is a lady who is in her 60s doing fulltime checkouts, and I can tell she hates my presense as a supervisor, and especially the fact that she "may" have to take orders from a 17 year old, though I never do tell her to do anything.

I'm never bossy, I never tell her to do anything, and I don't give her other jobs to do because of her age, and her back is a bit sore at times, so she just generally serves customers. Usually we have a nuetral (spelling???) sort of way of doing things, just not really talking or anything until I close her up 5 minutes before she finishes.

Lately however, she has been quite rude to me. I had to serve on express, and once I finished she dinged her bell. I went down to her checkout and she said "I've been waiting here for ages, and no one came, go get me some big bags". She said it in front of customers as well, which is slightly embarassing.

Ok, so not really that big of a deal but her attitude to me is very rude, and there have been a number of other similar occasions like this. She also doesn't really consult me on whether to use the P.A or not, she'll just waltz up there whenever she pleases and call for someone instead of asking me to do it (in my store, its more of a supervisor privilege for this).

Yeah, a lot of whining I know its nothing I can't handle, but do any of you guys have stuff like this in your stores? How do you/would you deal with it? Cheers guys.

EDIT (25/5/2012): Just so you know, she must have been in a bad mood, because she is being really nice to me and everyone on service lately. Hard to remember her being cranky like this

It will be interesting to see how meat departments handle becoming a service department though ;-)

Dunno whether this is relevant, but our store's meat has a big area cut in the side where the customers can see inside the meat department, and probably get service from the butchers as well. There's a button there as well, which says "Press for service", though I don't think it ever gets used... except that one time when they filmed a 2008 ad in our store, where the little girls asks for lamb shanks

 

[Jolyon]

Question to other supervisors: I'm 17, and if you havent gathered I do one supervision shift of a week night (4:30 to 9:30). The day-time operators, who are usually the grownups usually finish around 5:30-6:30. There is a lady who is in her 60s doing fulltime checkouts, and I can tell she hates my presense as a supervisor, and especially the fact that she "may" have to take orders from a 17 year old, though I never do tell her to do anything.

I'm never bossy, I never tell her to do anything, and I don't give her other jobs to do because of her age, and her back is a bit sore at times, so she just generally serves customers. Usually we have a nuetral (spelling???) sort of way of doing things, just not really talking or anything until I close her up 5 minutes before she finishes.

Lately however, she has been quite rude to me. I had to serve on express, and once I finished she dinged her bell. I went down to her checkout and she said "I've been waiting here for ages, and no one came, go get me some big bags". She said it in front of customers as well, which is slightly embarassing.

Ok, so not really that big of a deal but her attitude to me is very rude, and there have been a number of other similar occasions like this. She also doesn't really consult me on whether to use the P.A or not, she'll just waltz up there whenever she pleases and call for someone instead of asking me to do it (in my store, its more of a supervisor privilege for this).

Yeah, a lot of whining I know its nothing I can't handle, but do any of you guys have stuff like this in your stores? How do you/would you deal with it? Cheers guys.


Dunno whether this is relevant, but our store's meat has a big area cut in the side where the customers can see inside the meat department, and probably get service from the butchers as well. There's a button there as well, which says "Press for service", though I don't think it ever gets used... except that one time when they filmed a 2008 ad in our store, where the little girls asks for lamb shanks

Best thing would be to talk to your CSTM or your 2IC about it. There is a reason you supervise and she does not so they may be able to fix it for you =)

 

[nanakid12]

*edited, no longer here

 

[Jolyon]

Take a look at Ziggy's latest blog on the AllYours site. It has several pictures and a video walkthrough of the pilot Project Recharge store.

It will be interesting to see how meat departments handle becoming a service department though ;-)

All those signs will really get to me if they have this at my store. So many large colours and bold print

 

[bensneddon]

Question to other supervisors: I'm 17, and if you havent gathered I do one supervision shift of a week night (4:30 to 9:30). The day-time operators, who are usually the grownups usually finish around 5:30-6:30. There is a lady who is in her 60s doing fulltime checkouts, and I can tell she hates my presense as a supervisor.

I'm never bossy, I never tell her to do anything, and I don't give her other jobs to do because of her age, and her back is a bit sore at times, so she just generally serves customers. Usually we have a nuetral (spelling???) sort of way of doing things, just not really talking or anything until I close her up 5 minutes before she finishes.

Lately however, she has been quite rude to me. I had to serve on express, and once I finished she dinged her bell. I went down to her checkout and she said "I've been waiting here for ages, and no one came, go get me some big bags". She said it in front of customers as well, which is slightly embarassing.

Ok, so not really that big of a deal but her attitude to me is very rude, and there have been a number of other similar occasions like this. She also doesn't really consult me on whether to use the P.A or not, she'll just waltz up there whenever she pleases and call for someone instead of asking me to do it (in my store, its more of a supervisor privilege for this).

Yeah, a lot of whining I know its nothing I can't handle, but do any of you guys have stuff like this in your stores? How do you/would you deal with it? Cheers guys.


Dunno whether this is relevant, but our store's meat has a big area cut in the side where the customers can see inside the meat department, and probably get service from the butchers as well. There's a button there as well, which says "Press for service", though I don't think it ever gets used... except that one time when they filmed a 2008 ad in our store, where the little girls asks for lamb shanks

Luckily I have rarely encountered resistance from other staff during my time with Woolworths, but this is what I would do:
- Have a quiet (ie. where nobody can overhear you) word to the staff member and let them know that the action they took was inappropriate. Tell them that you are more than happy to discuss any issues that they may have, but it must not be done in front of customers. Remind them that as you are the CSM on Duty, they are accountable to you during this time and as such they should be treating you as they treat their department manager.
- Let your line manager know what happened (and your Store Manager if you'd be comfortable with talking to them about it). However, tell it how it happened, do not embellish the story.
- Make a record of the incident in your department's communications diary

Apparently I'm known as a fairly 'strict' manager, so I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions.

 

[Jolyon]

Haha true, I have told them about it... our relief CSTM says she may put in a complaint about her. She's rude to most of the operators, I've even had customers talking about her! Apparently she refuses to sell Paracetamol to under 18ers, even though its perfectly fine to do.. hmmm

Yeah we "had" someone like that until they got moved to a less customer oriented department. She now stacks shelves =D

 

[nanakid12]

Luckily I have rarely encountered resistance from other staff during my time with Woolworths, but this is what I would do:
- Have a quiet (ie. where nobody can overhear you) word to the staff member and let them know that the action they took was inappropriate. Tell them that you are more than happy to discuss any issues that they may have, but it must not be done in front of customers. Remind them that as you are the CSM on Duty, they are accountable to you during this time and as such they should be treating you as they treat their department manager.
- Let your line manager know what happened (and your Store Manager if you'd be comfortable with talking to them about it). However, tell it how it happened, do not embellish the story.
- Make a record of the incident in your department's communications diary

Apparently I'm known as a fairly 'strict' manager, so I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions.

Thanks for the advice I'm thinking of saying something to her, though I don't really know how to approach it. Maybe if she does something like this again, I'll be a bit more firm and try and stop the attitude with the way I talk, but apart from that I don't really know how to approach it.

I sort of want to be a strict supervisor over time, not to make people miserable, but to ensure that the customers are satisfied and don't have to queue up forever, if that makes sense. I'm a bit quiet though, and shy to people. I am pretty good with the people on now at the moment, and am starting to not be so much of a pushover.

Yeah we "had" someone like that until they got moved to a less customer oriented department. She now stacks shelves =D

Lol, I'm thinking that might happen. I had some customers mocking her (to me, when she wasnt there) the other day, which I ignored, and I've heard about a few complaints from both other staff and customers regarding her rudeness.

 

[iMatthew]

Thanks for the advice I'm thinking of saying something to her, though I don't really know how to approach it. Maybe if she does something like this again, I'll be a bit more firm and try and stop the attitude with the way I talk, but apart from that I don't really know how to approach it.

I sort of want to be a strict supervisor over time, not to make people miserable, but to ensure that the customers are satisfied and don't have to queue up forever, if that makes sense. I'm a bit quiet though, and shy to people. I am pretty good with the people on now at the moment, and am starting to not be so much of a pushover.



Lol, I'm thinking that might happen. I had some customers mocking her (to me, when she wasnt there) the other day, which I ignored, and I've heard about a few complaints from both other staff and customers regarding her rudeness.

Hmmm, interesting situation.
Next time you work with her, or next time it happens, pull her aside and talk about it. You might actually notice a huge change, by confronting people, you would be surprised as to how much their attitude changes. Some people just need to know that you won't sit and take it. Once they know that, they might even be really nice to you.

 

[quick90]

As I've said previously, I'm doing my managers relief at the moment. I'm on a 38 hour contract and I've been told I have to stay till my job is done, with any over time paid out in TOIL. Do I have a choice of TOIL or being paid the over time? Or is it up to the manager?

 

[spilla2003]

As I've said previously, I'm doing my managers relief at the moment. I'm on a 38 hour contract and I've been told I have to stay till my job is done, with any over time paid out in TOIL. Do I have a choice of TOIL or being paid the over time? Or is it up to the manager?

From what I was told by the SDA, they can choose to give you TOIL, but they have to give it to you within 4 weeks of accrual, then it should be paid in overtime. I had 10 hours of TOIL for about 6 months, they wouldn't pay me the overtime and never had time to take TOIL

 

[rhan90]

Just a quick question:

Who do I speak to about my uniform order? I take it that the company will send it to the store, but how I do find out when it's arrived? I ordered it just over 2 weeks ago, so I expect it will come sometime soon. Having only one workshirt really sucks, I can't wait to get the others.

Thanks

 

[iMatthew]

Just a quick question:

Who do I speak to about my uniform order? I take it that the company will send it to the store, but how I do find out when it's arrived? I ordered it just over 2 weeks ago, so I expect it will come sometime soon. Having only one workshirt really sucks, I can't wait to get the others.

Thanks

It should be in the cash office, speak to somebody when you go in next and they will have a look for you.
BTW: They usually take more than two weeks. Allow up to a month.

 

[Jolyon]

Open tomorrow. One hour less sleep for me =(

 

[Harry778]

I miss woolies but then so glad to be the fuck out of there. anyway, thats all i wanted to say..have fun in hell..fuck we where gay back in the day of the old BoS..well most of you still are. hehe later losers

 

[_be]

All Yours, "Natural Redheads" WTF?

Also, about a month and a half ago I told my CSTM I needed yesterday, and next Saturday off - I'm a casual.

Apparently she didn't write it in the diary, then went on leave, leaving the 2IC to handle rosters.
The 2IC rostered me on yesterday 3:30 - 6:30, which I only found out by chance when a colleague said that they would see me at work later on (I found this out at about 3ish that day - then checked the Online Rosters)
So I pushed my plans back and - not wanting to piss off whoever was there - I went in for my 3 hour shift.
Midway through my shift, I get told to go to break. But hang on, you don't get a break for a 3 hour shift?! Someone had extended my shift without telling me.

So anyway, we call our 19 year old duty manager up to the service desk, who basically has the opinion of "meh, figure it out yourselves" - but then suggests I should go home at 6:30 as I should have, which the supervisor-on-duty agreed to.

So then this other supervisor who was there decides to go and ring the 2IC to ask her what was going on, and apparently someone rang me during the week and asked to extend my shift. This I have zero recollection of, if I had actually been called, I would have told them I wasn't meant to be working anyway and to replace my shift.

So, mini-argument ensues with this rude supervisor who goes and whinges to the duty manager that I knew I was meant to be there until 8:30, and now I have to have a "meeting" with the store manager, and the SSM-or whatever you call it these days (who is the duty manager's mum)


So, thoughts of what could happen at this meeting? I get the feeling they're going to try and pin some sort of shit on me...

 

[nanakid12]

I miss woolies but then so glad to be the fuck out of there. anyway, thats all i wanted to say..have fun in hell..fuck we where gay back in the day of the old BoS..well most of you still are. hehe later losers

I totally remember reading that you wanted to drop school to do supervising how long ago did u finish at woolies and why?

@_be: Just tell it how it is. You did nothing wrong. Tell them that, no, nobody called you through the week and that you had asked for it off ages ago.

I remember one time I was supervising at work on a Friday night, and was excited about what I was doing for my Saturday with everyone the next day (which I had off). Half-way through my supervising shift, the 2ic calls up to check something with me and drops "so you excited for tomorrow - whole day with me here!". I stopped and said no, I wasn't rostered on. She told me to check the grids down the front... and there you have it, I was replacing someone who had been crossed out - apparently, someone had called me up through the week, which never happened. (I worked it anyway, just cause i cbf to change it ) But yeah, if you couldn't have done it, and you told them about it... then seriously, tell it how it is. Not your fault.

 

[iMatthew]

All Yours, "Natural Redheads" WTF?

Also, about a month and a half ago I told my CSTM I needed yesterday, and next Saturday off - I'm a casual.

Apparently she didn't write it in the diary, then went on leave, leaving the 2IC to handle rosters.
The 2IC rostered me on yesterday 3:30 - 6:30, which I only found out by chance when a colleague said that they would see me at work later on (I found this out at about 3ish that day - then checked the Online Rosters)
So I pushed my plans back and - not wanting to piss off whoever was there - I went in for my 3 hour shift.
Midway through my shift, I get told to go to break. But hang on, you don't get a break for a 3 hour shift?! Someone had extended my shift without telling me.

So anyway, we call our 19 year old duty manager up to the service desk, who basically has the opinion of "meh, figure it out yourselves" - but then suggests I should go home at 6:30 as I should have, which the supervisor-on-duty agreed to.

So then this other supervisor who was there decides to go and ring the 2IC to ask her what was going on, and apparently someone rang me during the week and asked to extend my shift. This I have zero recollection of, if I had actually been called, I would have told them I wasn't meant to be working anyway and to replace my shift.

So, mini-argument ensues with this rude supervisor who goes and whinges to the duty manager that I knew I was meant to be there until 8:30, and now I have to have a "meeting" with the store manager, and the SSM-or whatever you call it these days (who is the duty manager's mum)


So, thoughts of what could happen at this meeting? I get the feeling they're going to try and pin some sort of shit on me...

Tell it like it is and if they refuse to accept the fact, then walk out and say fuck you.

 

[nanakid12]

*edited out

 

[_be]

Tell it like it is and if they refuse to accept the fact, then walk out and say fuck you.

Unfortunately, it's these little things that have been mounting up to me wanting to call it quits with Woolies.

The only problem is, I love Woolies as a company, and as a retailer; but the staff at my store drive me absolutely fucking bonkers!