Coles management (1 Viewer)

[synthesized]

is there something about coles which turns people into useless managers? or is it just my particular store? i started in nightfill at coles a couple of months ago and the way everything is run there makes it a tremendously shitty job.

my managers never make it clear to me what the heck is going on and why i am even there. they have never really explained anything to me, the rules, processes, anything. it's never clear cut what i am supposed to be doing at a particular time in my shift, i have to push them really hard to make sure they have me doing something useful.

my co-workers are getting arsey at me because my managers often asks me to stay on for hours beyond my rostered time and then won't tell me when to go home. so, like today, i'll sometimes be working 45 mins past the time that my manager decided, and didn't tell me, i was meant to leave. so i'm often accidentally cutting into other people's shifts because nobody tells me whats going on.

on the upside though my manager is giving me more shifts than anyone else there (except one guys whos been there for ages) which is useful but when i'm there it's like i'm invisible. it just feels really bad when you work somewhere for > 20 hours a week yet you still have to keep asking to find out what you're meant to be doing because noone explains it to you beforehand. i feel like a child when i'm there

 

[UnIqUe_PrInCeSs]

just quit, and start working at woolworths

 

[PatG]

I had a similar problem when I worked at Coles. They were overstaffed so as a result I would be lucky to get a shift once a fortnight.

Then when I applied for a transfer as I was moving house, it took them 3 months to actually process the transfer. When I went to see if I had a job at my new store I was told that my manager at the previous store had said that I was unreliable - even though I hadn't missed a shift once nor been late once.

Now I work at Woolworths which are better managed but I don't really like my job.

 

[enva]

I would love to be invisible at my store, being invisible beats being the one who gets blamed about for shit that everyone else does all the freaking time. There is such a double standard towards me by other staff members who bitch behind my back yet i dont do it when they do things wrong as its just not nice, well F*** that. It is up to managers to tell inform you of finishing time if you are asked to stay back ( also make sure you about any break you are to have or if you opt out of them make sure you get paid!!!!! ).

If your fellow employee's are being arses towards you do to the fact your willing to stay back and do your job then thats their problem. Your simply being a good team member and this is what managers look at when it comes to rosters, promotions, etc.

 

[*Ninny-mole*]

I'm a check-out operator and I kinda agree with what everyone is saying, though my store has pretty good managers.
There have been occasions when I have been given the wrong shift times, and they still expect me to work them even though I have made other plans. And we are sort of overstaffed at the same time as being understaffed. We have lots of new year 9 and 10 kids working at coles, but we don't have many over 18 year olds, especially when we need them. When it gets busy and the supervisors off doing something else, I get yelled at by customers because there is no-one there to serve them (many assume I'm 18 years old). One guy even threw his groceries at me - the mayo hit me in the head. But then my supervisor yelled at him and threw things back.
So yeah, I often find the customers worse than the managers. Plus we have a new manager who is really nice - alot better than the last one anyways.

 

[ReneeM]

I agree that Coles is the worst place to get a job. Like many other people in my town, i applied for the local Coles. I got called back and had an interview at Tugun (40 min drive) and then had another one at Nerang (1.5hr drive), only to find out 3 months later that they had changed the system since I applied and they had lost my files!
I applied to Big W which is about 30 mins away from where i live, and I got the job almost instantly. I have been working there now for 2 years and they are extremely lenient in regards to taking time off for study, or if you want to work more, they will generally give you more shifts.
If anyone wants a part time job, i would definetly recommend a Woolworths company over Coles Myer.

 

[SerBSPeeD]

Just thank your lucky stars your not working at Pizza Hut

I've also tried to get into the Coles-Myer stores. I went to the interview and they said i was successfull, then they sent me an e-mail and a link telling me there was an opening at Kmart. So I applied there and havent heard from them since. This was like a month ago.

 

[enva]

Synthesized, i would strongly recommend you discuss this with your stores Union delegate and your line manager. Ask to speak with both of them together and address any problems/questions you have, but its not advisable to have this meeting in staff room/aisles etc but in managers office to avoid interuptions or people listening in (which does happen ALOT). I assume your in the union so its good to utilise the union delegates in your store to assist you and provide clarification, the delegate will probably point out that if you have issues or questions that they may be able to help.

But always make sure in this situation that the line manager/union delegate keep the conversation private and confidential. Recently Bi-Lo stores recieved a Coles Myer Code of Conduct handout you may have gotten or there may be one in staff room, its necessary to read and understand your rights/responsibilities and those of fellow team members.

 

[*Minka*]

It is exactly the same at Target - Coles Myer stores are poorly run with incompetant manmagers chosen (seems the only requirement is to be there a while and not go to University/TAFE) with all employees treated like worthless little tin spilders. I have a reputation for having a 'bad attitude, unreliable nature and lack of work committmentr' now because all I did a few months ago was say that I couldn't stay back late because I had to go to University. Yep, thats it. Oh, and another manager hates me because she once heard me spewaking Croatian on the phone to my Great-Grandmother. "We speak ENGLISH in this country Miroslava'. I know that fuckface, but excuse me if a 89 year old women hasn't picked up English terribly well and feels more comfortable speaking to me in Croatian when asking me to stop at the pharmacy and bring home something for her.

Aigh. HATE IT.

 

[Scanorama]

Yep whats what I felt like when I was working for Kmart last year around Christmas (December 2004 - January 2005). The store was fucked. I was hired as Christmas casual. All I did was just put the new plastic strip up on the shelves.... for the whole 10 weeks I was there. Nobody told me where stuff were. The back dock was (probably still is) a zoo, shit everywhere. We were obviously overstaffed.

At the end, they stopped giving me shift due to budget problems. I remember the bitch manager told me if she needed me, she would call me. I was so happy when she said that, finally out of that shithole. Oh not to mention during the whole time I was there, not a single staff talked to me, I could fully feel that hostility lol.

Now I'm at Woolies, as much as I hate the job, it is a far better workplace than Kmart.

 

[colonial1770]

retail is a bitch of an industry to be in

 

[dodgyfilokid]

management at kmart bondi is alright i guess....only one i dont really like is admin manager....ive only worked with her or in her presence during holidays when i do morning shifts but apart from that its ok..although i miss my old service coordinator/manager..damn he was d reason y i got hired in the first place and i always get shitloads of shifts specially durin public holidays...my new one is alright but she wont ever replace my old boss in terms of rapport with staff