The Woolworths Thread (5 Viewers)

[iMatthew]

Well I don't have any permanent supervision shifts yet. I usually do between 1 and 2 per week though. Sometimes during the day with the manager, sometimes weeknights and weekends. It really depends on what happens.
I might be getting Tues/Weds perm though

 

[BSammy]

Yeah, I have three fridays and two saturdays permanent supervision close. Also tickets on wednesday morning and self serve/office thursday evening.

plus one other random shift on one of the other saturdays.

 

[nanakid12]

.

 

[quick90]

Our store is having tremendous cutbacks. Our weekday grids are half a page and we're in a major shopping centre. We have 2 staff at night and that is all.

We have two checkout operators on during the day + basically every priority 1 from the other departments. Kinda hard to get anything done atm...

 

[aussie92]

The major event is june 18th apparently woolworths is being relaunched which involves a new campaign, back to basics and stores to close early 17th reopening with the new campaign on the 18th. Ive heard of a new uniform and other things as well. If anyone has more specific details is be glad to hear them, this is what i read off a bit of paper left on the printer.

 

[quick90]

A new uniform? Again? I just bought more shirts lol. Oh well I guess nothings fresher than a new uniform!

I've been hearing that some coles stores have been rolling out the 'paypass' 'paywave' options on their self serve machines.

Side note: Looking at getting a transfer down to melbourne, Frankston area. Hope I get a job offer

 

[iMatthew]

A new uniform? Again? I just bought more shirts lol. Oh well I guess nothings fresher than a new uniform!

I've been hearing that some coles stores have been rolling out the 'paypass' 'paywave' options on their self serve machines.

Side note: Looking at getting a transfer down to melbourne, Frankston area. Hope I get a job offer

Ewww why Frankston? . Wonder what shit uniforms we end up with this time.

 

[nanakid12]

The major event is june 18th apparently woolworths is being relaunched which involves a new campaign, back to basics and stores to close early 17th reopening with the new campaign on the 18th. Ive heard of a new uniform and other things as well. If anyone has more specific details is be glad to hear them, this is what i read off a bit of paper left on the printer.

I think it's safe to say that Woolies are genuinely worried about Coles currently being in front. Seriously, in the city near me there are three Woolies stores, and Coles have just opened yet another store in the same center as a woolies, and are currently redeveloping an IGA store that closed down... which also has another woolies store in the same center.

They also had like six full pages of advertising in the local paper (including the whole back page). The competition is heating up... still doesn't change the fact that Coles is gross

EDIT: also, who else is loving the new spot check policy? Apparently we only have to spot check each of the registers once throughout the whole day, randomly during quiet periods, and then that's it. No more mad rush to spot check at the end of the night, and it's also official that you don't have to have a second person doing it (though we never followed this anyway)

 

[BSammy]

wait what?

spot check thing?


EDIT: Also, at this point in time, What quiet periods?

 

[iMatthew]

I was browsing StoreNet under some directory that had 'trial' policies or something and came across this spot check policy. I didn't really understand it but also forgot to ask my CSM.
It will certainly be interesting. We already have huge amounts of money go missing, I don't see how reducing spot checks is going to help that.

You also raise a valid point BSammy lol.

 

[quick90]

Ewww why Frankston? .

This is becoming a regular reaction haha! Basically I have accommodation their whenever I'm ready to move, So I gotta grasp it with both hands lol

 

[nanakid12]

Well we usually have quiet periods right as soon as we open, then its sorta constant all morning, dies off at lunch time, then busy all afternoon until like 7, then dies down completely after 8. It will be handy for us, our staff are pretty trustworthy it started for us Friday night, so we did all the jobs and had nothing to do for the last hour.

Oh and forgot to mention, at the end of the week (us- Saturday, you guys- Sunday) they still have to all be counted at the end of the night like usual, for settlement reasons, or whatever.

 

[BSammy]

yeah the final end of the week counts need to be accurate because the monday morning office people Zero all the draws and then base the new amount on the last counted amount. so it's like the only night where you have to recount after any pickups or everything.

tonight was a struggle but i got there i think. two people called in sick for tomorrow but the duty manager said there was a 'no replacements' note tomorrow so i didn't have to waste time trying to call people for the shifts, i'll let the 2ic in tomorrow deal with it.

 

[nanakid12]

Haha yeah, that is crazy about you guys not replacing staff! We're allowed to, but that's probably because we're still waiting for our relief store manager to arrive.

Question about discount cards: I'm not 18 yet, but one of my friends wants to borrow it to buy some alcohol from BWS, if I give it to him (cause all the staff never bother with ID), will it be ok? Will it raise any red flags, cos of my minor-ness? Or should I be in the store with him when he buys it and present my own discount card? (I have a suspicion they might not serve him if I'm in there, based on that whole Woolies policy of refusing the sale if it's suspected for an underage person.)

 

[bensneddon]

Haha yeah, that is crazy about you guys not replacing staff! We're allowed to, but that's probably because we're still waiting for our relief store manager to arrive.

Question about discount cards: I'm not 18 yet, but one of my friends wants to borrow it to buy some alcohol from BWS, if I give it to him (cause all the staff never bother with ID), will it be ok? Will it raise any red flags, cos of my minor-ness? Or should I be in the store with him when he buys it and present my own discount card? (I have a suspicion they might not serve him if I'm in there, based on that whole Woolies policy of refusing the sale if it's suspected for an underage person.)

No matter which way you do it, this has the potential to end badly.

Scenario 1: you go into the BWS store with you mate, and present your discount card. They ask you for ID because you (presumably) look under 25 (ID 25 policy). You can't present ID, service refused.

Scenario 2: your mate presents your discount card without you present. They ask him for ID (either because he looks under 25, to check that the discount card is being used appropriately, or both) and realise that the discount card is not his. Discount card gets confiscated, and other implications may be handed down.

Scenario 2 is fairly unlikely unless your mate looks under 25 and the staff member is paying attention and cares, whereas Scenario 1 is highly likely if you look under 25.

Also, it's not a stretch to assume that this situation might be flagged as part of data mining. All activity on Woolworths systems (including POS) is logged and analysed. Given that they know your Date of Birth from when you were employed, and can link you to your discount card, it's feasible that this might raise suspicion. Because service of alcohol to minors opens Woolworths to potential legal problems (fines, removal of license for that store etc.) they might take it pretty seriously.

My two cents...

 

[nanakid12]

Yeah, I'm thinking it's a bad idea... haha, it got me thinking. But if I was just there with him, would it matter (legally)? Technically, I am not actually buying the alcohol, I would just be using my card to discount it... I wouldn't actually be paying for it.

Whenever I check people for ID for cigarettes, I never look at their name, even if they're using a discount card.
I do remember a few years ago, one of my co-workers (who at the time was under 18) let her mum have her discount card, and she often used it to buy cigarettes from me with nothing happening. I guess they'd probably take sale of alcohol more seriously in a dedicated place (with processes of checking and analysing).

Thanks for your reply i think it is too much of a risk. BWS has cheaper booze than anywhere else here anyways, with or without a discount card

 

[JJP]

I've been with my parents to BWS, and the lady actually asked for my discount card. Has anyone else seen that managers no longer wear uniforms?

 

[john-91]

I've been with my parents to BWS, and the lady actually asked for my discount card. Has anyone else seen that managers no longer wear uniforms?

Yes! My ASM was my duty manager today and she was wearing "business attire". Why the change?

 

[bensneddon]

Yes! My ASM was my duty manager today and she was wearing "business attire". Why the change?

Output of customer focus groups. Apparently "the manager" isn't easily identifiable by customers.

A good change I think. I wonder how long it will be until the CSM wears business attire also...

Regional/Area teams who previously wore uniform have also changed to business attire.

 

[Jolyon]

Yeah, I'm thinking it's a bad idea... haha, it got me thinking. But if I was just there with him, would it matter (legally)? Technically, I am not actually buying the alcohol, I would just be using my card to discount it... I wouldn't actually be paying for it.

Whenever I check people for ID for cigarettes, I never look at their name, even if they're using a discount card.
I do remember a few years ago, one of my co-workers (who at the time was under 18) let her mum have her discount card, and she often used it to buy cigarettes from me with nothing happening. I guess they'd probably take sale of alcohol more seriously in a dedicated place (with processes of checking and analysing).

Thanks for your reply i think it is too much of a risk. BWS has cheaper booze than anywhere else here anyways, with or without a discount card

Guess who is now a Customer Service Team Manager! :S