customer service representative

warehouse supervisor

stocker

sales lead

general manager

WHSmith

I loved going to work for smiths and I enjoyed working with my co-workers as they were brilliant to get along with.

Management was so-so. There seemed to be times when they didn't have a clue how to fix a situation or deal with one, or times when they made an error and blamed someone else for it. I believe that they management could have been better if it was composed of people who had been supervisors and sales assistants before instead of have qualifications but no proper experience.

The responsibilities that I had were numerous and taught me a lot. Sadly there seemed to be no chance of career progression and they didn't look after their staff or reward them. When I was trying to get more hours they would just take on new staff who needed training instead of taking a few of us on for more hours.

I worked with WHS for many years in both part-time and full-time roles. First thing: the company has had to restructure it's high street stores since the pandemic, meaning that there's more 
emphasis on employee flexibility but less set hours. Some weeks you'll be busy and work a good amount of overtime, others you'll just do your set hours.

I've worked with colleagues who needed a second job and were unable to be flexible. You're unlikely to find a role for anything more than 20 hours, with 12 being the average.

Despite this WHS has good progression prospects: I started part-time in school and worked to become a supervisor before that role was merged with the restructure. I've worked with colleagues who've worked their way to cluster managers: it's not about seniority but hard-work and attitude.

Fabulous co-workers, lots of laughs and great customers although constant complaints about prices and the up selling of sweets at the till, unfortunately as is the norm in retail some customers can be rather rude but there are also some amazing ones who make you feel appreciated.
Reducing the staff hours created issues, the obvious being satisfactory cover of the shop floor and the time to complete the various tasks and office work. I understand that money needs to be saved but it can also be detrimental to business and staff morale.
Training was practically non existent, the attitude being train yourself sometimes a bit hard to do when being stuck behind the till serving customers or trying to constantly restock the displays.

A typical day is around 6 hours long and consists of spending time serving customers on tills or stocking shelves on the shop floor which can become very repetitive. Management was a very varied, some days they were great but other days but other days it was difficult to approach them with questions especially if it was something that I was supposed to already know. Shift patterns were very varied and it was impossible to predict when I'd be working since there were some weeks where the schedule wouldn't be published until a few days before the shift. Overall it was a stressful environment to work in at times but the shift times are manageable and some of the other staff made it worth it 

A typical day at work would include working on the tills, putting new stock on to the shop floor and helping customers. I have learned how to speak to customers with confidence. The manager at WHSmith was great, knowing what needs to be done etc. but at the same time being a genuinely nice person.

Some co-worker's wasn't very nice (the reason why I left), although most of them were the nicest people I've ever met.

I wouldn't say there was anything that was particularly hard about this job other than carrying heavy boxes etc.

The most enjoyable part about this position was the satisfaction you left after helping a customer find what they needed or any other enquiries that they had.

No two days alike. No training given.
Learnt a lot about being a manager.
Management don’t help you at all, left on your own. Complained at when something goes wrong even if you’re not there. And even when you do ask for help, you’re dismissed as you are not a concern to the area manager.
The staff was the only reason I stayed as long as I did.
Hardest part is no support, no guidance, poor communication from higher ups. Expected to work more than 39hrs, cancelled multiple plans for home life. No home life, no balance. Rung to cover more hours than possible, sometimes worked more than 7 days a week, illegal!
Enjoyable : the people, my staff were lovely I was sad to leave them all.

A typical day at work in WHSmith involves serving the public by either working on the tills, processing customer orders or answering general questions about the store. Twice a week there are store deliveries in which most employees are involved in. The local management can occasionally be disorganised and I don't always agree with the decisions made. My co-workers are great to work with and I have gained some life long friends working in the store. The hardest part of the job is trying to complete the allocated tasks in the time given, which is often unrealistic. The most enjoyable part of the job is when I am given the freedom to manage my own project as well as working with people.

The new general manager is so unprofessional she always use abusing language and targetting employes. 
She has zero knowledge skills.nd there is no job security. 
This company doesnot know how to respect their staff .
they keep hiring new people nd disrespecting old staff
Their policies change every week .
They ask for full availability nd in return gives u less hours .

Worst place to work. Manager treated me like dirt and left me in the shop alone and expected me to do everything myself she would just sit upstairs and act like she was doing things when she wasn't. Would forget about my lunch from 8:30 till 3.00. Constant problems with customers. Constantly understaffed and always call you on your day off too work. The only good thing about working there was the pay. Wouldn't reccomend wasting your time.

Very flexible with scheduling. Would recommend it as a first job to students. Very fun place to work for people who like to keep busy and moving, also to talk & you get to develop a lot of new skills. Since the company will train you even if you don't have experience in retail. There is support when you ask for it, and asking questions even as a senior staff is encouraged and welcomed; I advise to ask questions a lot. 
 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Customer service representative 17 salaries reported	$17.50 per hour
Warehouse supervisor 1 salary reported	$18.25 per hour
Stocker 2 salaries reported	$19.40 per hour
Sales lead 2 salaries reported	$18.63 per hour
General manager 1 salary reported	$76,500 per year

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