I've been working as a cashier (customer service team member) for Woolworths for the past year and a half. I am a student so have been working on a casual basis. Ask me anything, but please nothing too personal.
Edit: Thanks for all the questions y'all, they were all fun to answer. From now on, I'll probably check this once or twice a day, so keep on posting anything you may want to ask me, I'll respond when I can.
I mostly pay with e-giftcard
No, I am not.
You should join your union
They should join raffwu and not the sda though
Not sure whether to LOL
what weird shit have you seen
My weirdest experience would be the one time when a kid spilt a few bottles of baby oil through the cosmetics aisle and then used it as a slip-n-slide.
What does it mean when someone announces “priority one” over the PA?
We call priority one when a large queue has formed near the checkouts, and we need to open more checkouts to get them out quickly.
If an item is marked at 3 for $5. Normal price $2 each.
If I buy 4 of them will I be charged $6.67 or $7 ?
$7 If you buy 6, then you'll be charged $10
How much for to buy 4 of them ?
I already said above, $7
@Omk4r123: I’ll try it tomorrow and report back.
I am referring to a ‘running special’ is what they call it at Coles.
Woolies doesn’t have something similar to make it $6.67 ?
@Eeples: Is this a genuine question or are you trolling?
The items are $2 each, or $5 when you buy multiples of 3. It’s no more complicated than that.
The deal isn’t pay $1.67 each when you buy 3 or more. :)
@ClawShrimp: It's genuine.
I would be interested in any evidence for your claim and the claim of the OP.
Even anecdotal will do; as long as it actually happened in real life; not opinion.
@ClawShrimp: For example.. at coles… (I know this thread is about woollies)…
https://shop.coles.com.au/a/a-national/product/lipton-drink-…
The price of the 3rd one is at the special price for 2.
(You see I KNOW it is the case for Coles and NW but I don't know for sure with Woollies).
EDIT: Although it is hard to believe that an employee of 1.5years wouldn't be aware of how the 2for or 3for works.
@Eeples: Oh, I found an example from Woolworths.
If you buy 3 you get charged at the 'special 2for' price.
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/search/products?searchTer…
@Eeples: To use your example (3 for $5), you would pay $6.67 for four. Once you exceed the multi buy, it’s charged per item.
@Eeples: Couldn’t tell you, but I suspect many cashiers either wouldn’t notice or wouldn’t care.
I worked as a service supervisor for a number of years so often had to answer those sorts of questions.
@agentsmith: Same situation. You'd be surprised how little many checkout operators know and the claims they make to customers. Worse when you had to dig yourselves out of a hole they'd create.
I particularly found it hard supervising much older people (those in their 40s and 50s, and had worked for Woolies for >15 years) whilst being very young (18-19), this is even after working there since I was 14. They would argue things that were not worth the effort or were incorrect.
It was much easier to defend the younger ones as an honest mistake.
@Omk4r123: I see now that you said $7. I was tricked by your punctuation and the incorrect answer you gave.
@Eeples: Okay, you just blew my mind - I had no idea the 2for/3for specials allow worked like that.
So let me get that straight with an example:
Arnott's Monte Carlo's are 2 for $4 and $3 each normally. I'll pay $3 if I buy 1, $4 if I buy 2, and $6 if I buy 3 and NOT $7?
@BillyG687: Pretty sure that's right.
But not according to the OP.
I supposed it's not 'advertised' to encourage ppl to buy (more) in groups of 2 or 3 in order to get the offer each time. But, it seems buying in groups not necessary to get the 'special' price for additional items (except of course for the initial buy).
You got me :).
All jokes aside, she is clearly not thinking straight
Lol one year
One and a half :)
What’s the youngest / oldest customer you’ve seen for contraceptives? Anyone actually try return them if too big/small?
Haven't actually seen that many people buying them, but those that I remember were mostly middle-aged.
Checks out.
Hi, what is the biggest amount of grocery bill you've seen?
Probably the one time I had a lady buy 3 large trolley-fulls of items. The total was like $750.
What's the weirdest combination of items you've seen someone buy?
KY and a continental cucumber.
Sounds complimentary
50 2L bottles of tomato sauce in a single transaction.
My wife would like to work within the supermarket industry. She is new to the country and has limited local experience. How can she get an opportunity to interview for the position?
I don't have a lot to say about that as I didn't go through the conventional interviewing process.
So Year 10 students in Victoria (don't know about other states) have to do at least 1 week of 'work experience' ideally in an industry they want to work in in the future. Now, I don't want to work in retail for the rest of my life, but I started to search for placements a bit too late and couldn't find anything in the industries I wanted to work for.
So I approached my local Woolworths and asked them if they accepted work experience students, and did my experience there. They paid me $50 for the one week of 9-5 work, and I enjoyed it so much that I did a 2nd week with them (this was in the mid-term holidays).
Towards the end of those 2 weeks, I asked the store manager if they had any vacant positions and she offered me a job on the spot. No training, no interviews, nothing like that.
Wow that store manager must've been delighted when they found out they could hire someone for $1.30/hour though she's a good sport for offering you a job at the end of it :)
Well my friends that did it at other places got paid max $5 per day, so I didn't complain :)
What are the important things you have learnt from working here?
How much do you guys get paid in the heirachy and do you get more pay the more years of experience you have?
Someone may have asked this - what are the benefits you get for working there?
Thanks for taking to shed some light and your experience + insight. Happy new year :)
What are the important things you have learnt from working here?
How much do you guys get paid in the heirachy and do you get more pay the more years of experience you have?
Well, since I am not yet an adult, I am paid only a part of the adult wage. Yes, I imagine that pay would increase the higher you go, I definitely know that supervisors get paid more than ordinary team members. I don't know if it increases with the amount of experience you get.
Someone may have asked this - what are the benefits you get for working there?
5% discount at Woolworths, 10% discount at Big-W and Woolworths branded products. Don't use much of the others, but we have access to a portal which allows us discounted movie tickets, gift cards etc. [Here's a full list of all the benefits](https://www.wowcareers.com.au/page/Careers/Come_and_work_for…
Thanks for taking to shed some light and your experience + insight. Happy new year :)
No worries, I enjoyed it too. Happy New Year to you too :)
Supermarkets don't pay well, but you can boost your pay packet a LOT by working undesirable hours eg. early morning/late night, weekends.
Once a team member hits adult wage they don't really get paid any extra for "experience" unless they move into supervisor, management positions etc.
Haha Sundays are the most desirable because of the high pay rate
yeh lol, I should have said "non business" hours instead
Can you please detail your training in the Woolworths Scanning Code of Practice?
In particular, are you trained to "if possible, ignore it"?
I watch for price errors, and almost every time there is one the staff will say "Oh, sorry, I'll correct the price". They NEVER say "oh, sorry, the first one is free". On applicable items, obviously.
I watch for price errors, and almost every time there is one the staff will say "Oh, sorry, I'll correct the price". They NEVER say "oh, sorry, the first one is free". On applicable items, obviously.
Pay for the item first, then tell the staff.
From my experience, we're always told to give it for free if we are able to verify that the item was incorrectly priced.
Why do Woolworths (and other retailers for that matter) allow children to ride in the basket of shopping trolleys? Child seats are there for a purpose and of the child is too big to fit in one it should walk.
We can't do much to stop them; we can't physically lift up the children from the trolley. In the end, it's up to parents to enforce this and care enough for their children's safety.
Why aren't these people asked to remove their children from the trolley basket?
I think the bigger question here is why does it bother you so much?
Do you plan on having kids (fair assumption that you dont have any now)?
Yeah OP is a freshie in my books. Wait until you've been there for almost a decade. Then you wonder what you're doing with your life..!
Oh shoosh you.
I’m sure you’ve never said “I/we’ve been here forever”, when you’ve been waiting for 30mins or something.
Poor kid is referencing the time spent in that specific role. Something that is monotonous and boring would certainly be “too long” much sooner than a role that is enjoyable and rewarding.
Yup. And service is probably the most boring of all the departments.
Ok boomer
I only worked at a large Woolies for just over 2 years, didn't take long to get bored from the repetition.
Manager let me help out in other sections like the meat department, Dairy, even the BWS.
Otherwise I wouldv'e quit sooner I think.
Yeah, it gets very repetitive. I sometimes get rostered shifts in produce or long-life, breaks up the monotony a little.
I've found registers is the most repetitive boring job in a supermarket. At least in most other departments you're doing a variety of things, and you're not "on display" 100% of the time.
What's the bagging policy these days. The 3 or 4 Woolies I go to around Brisbane are getting worse and worse in terms of the check out person not bagging my groceries in my Woolies re usable bags.
Normally they ask for the bags if they see you holding them, but the past year I've noticed that they start scanning straight away and put your groceries at the end for you to bag.
I've noticed some customers in front of me get caught off guard and I assume have now resorted to placing their bags on the conveyor in front of their goods to ensure that it get bagged.
Has there a change in policy or have the service level gone down?
This in addition to turning the scales on have made the shopping experience worse and I am comtemplating changing to Coles or Aldi.
After greeting the customer, I usually ask if they have their own bags with them, and if they don't, I ask whether I should use the 15c ones.
I reckon it depends on the cashier, but there hasn't been a change in policy, we're still very much obliged to pack your bags. But to be safe, I always leave my bags at the beginning of the conveyor belt so the cashier can see them.
About the scales, they've been turned on to stop people from accidentally scanning the same item twice, just a safety net to stop consumers unnecessarily spending on what they haven't bought.
About the scales, they've been turned on to stop people from accidentally scanning the same item twice, just a safety net to stop consumers unnecessarily spending on what they haven't bought.
That sounds like what they want you to tell us… never in all o my years have I been pinged for double scanning, but I’ve certainly been pinged for not scanning (through error, not theft).
Anyway, I can see how the former is certainly a benefit to the customer, but I’m not sure woolies is more interested in stopping accidental double scanning as much as “accidental” missed scans
I went to woollies today and bought a cantaloupe melon. Unfortunately I didn’t check in store but the girl put it through as papaya and by kilo :( . Will I need to go into store with the melon tomorrow to get refunded?
So annoying…..
If you want your money back, then yeah, go get it refunded. You might need the receipt though.
I personally don't think it's worth the hassle though, you'd probably spend more on fuel than you'd save.
It’s $2 difference, ozbargainers go further than that for $2 lol. That teaches me I should always check the receipt
It's also the principal I think - why does Woolworths deserve to keep the money for a mistake they made? However, I usually check the receipt as I'm walking back to the car to double-check everything scanned properly.
@BillyG687: I agree, unfortunately this time I forgot! Anyway I have receipt and will take a photo and see if I manage to pop by in the next few days or leave it.
This is a twofer.
I frequent Crows Nest woolies in Sydney, they have friendly staff on the checkouts from all walks of life, some look like they’ve been on the checkouts for years, others for weeks or months. Most times I go through, all staff are so friendly and ask how my day has been or something, it’s so refreshing! Often I just want to get my groceries and get out, but I remember not too long ago I was working at Maccas and you get so many tossers through your register it makes it monotonous and boring… it’s not hard to have a 30second chat about going to the cricket tonight, or having a quiet one with the fam… more staff should be like them, and more customers should be like me, everyone would be happier! Ok not a question but a comment!
Do you try to guess what people are having for dinner, as a way to pass the time? I so often think, “man, the checkout staff are going to know I’m having simple spaghetti for dinner tonight” haha
Do you try to guess what people are having for dinner, as a way to pass the time?
Nah
What type of engineering? I studied mechanical, but now working in software.
Still deciding, but hoping to do aerospace or maybe mechatronics.
@Omk4r123: My advice is to consider where you will be able to work once you've finished your degree.
I studied Mechatronics but don't work in that field.
@bmerigan: So what were some of the things that you learnt about in mechatronics. And what are some of the job opportunities in the field?
@Omk4r123: It's a blend of several engineering fields. Off the top of my head some topics were:
analogue electronics (like an electrician knows),
digital electronics (like designing and making computer circuit boards),
physics,
lots of hard maths (like calculating the spread of heat through a 3D solid by hand),
programming (C and microcontrollers),
drafting (by hand and with AutoCAD),
materials (like how metals break),
industrial design.
I never got a job in engineering. I applied to places like Ford and Holden. Think big factories, maybe aircraft maintenance. I ended up working in a different field.
@bmerigan: I also studied Mechatronics along with IT and now work in Software. I would describe Mechatronics as an equal way split between Electrical, Mechanical and Software. You do subjects of each along with the purists up until 3rd year and then you get a few electives to lean in a particular direction. The opportunities in the field in Australia are not extensive but I had friends go to work for Solar companies (utilising lower level software, electronics and materials science), Mining companies for creating immersive training software for big trucks etc. (utilising all three disciplines) and a good friend who went into Industrial Weighing solutions (utilising primarily electronics with a little mechanical and lower level software).
There will be more opportunities as these disciplines slowly leak into other industries where they haven't traditionally been - think home automation, software and electronics in automobiles, more advanced prosthetics etc.
All of that being said, I work in Software and it's really good and I would argue a much more opportunity filled industry at the moment here in Australia.
@sakurashu: Good info.
I'm in web development - absolutely loved the programming and robotics at Uni but robotics jobs were hard to find, so took up a different type of programming.
@bmerigan: Sorry mate I did mean to direct that to @Omkar2 - I'm sure you know what Mechatronics is about :)
Do you consider working at Woolworths a career, or are you studying while you work at Woolworths? If so, what are you working towards?
No, I'm only working at Woolworths to get a bit of workplace experience and more importantly, $$$. Yeah, I'm studying while I'm working here, hoping to work in Engineering in the future.
Engineering will be an eye opening experience if you think 1.5 years as a cashier is a grind.
Who hurt you Caped Baldy?
Don't punch me
@sakurashu: No one hurt me at uni but there were some less than helpful professors at UNSW and I guess other universities.
Definitely had some shit managers at my time at an engineering firm (10k+ employees globally) but you can get that anywhere.
What's the best way to get a night fill job (I want some extra work in addition to my day job)? Or are there any suggested roles I could take outside of the 9am-6pm?
I'd say ask around in stores near you and you never know, one of them might have a vacancy.
What time of day is the meat discounted and how do I get to it before a pensioner elbows me?
Towards the end of the day would do it.
What's your opinion on the following: "The customer is always right"
There are times where the customer is actually right, for example when a cashier has incorrectly scanned an item. But more often than not, this saying is rather inaccurate. I've had heaps of customers who look youngish try to tell me that they don't need to produce ID when buying cigarettes.
Well said.
Legal arguments are the best, being shitty and argumentative aint getting you cigarettes or liquor if you are not of age….THE END!
When it comes to freebies like plants and ooshies.
Why are the staff always so eager to hand them out to parents with kids?
A few times ive been next in line after a mum and kid. The checkout chick pretends like she forgot or doesnt exists. Makes me feel like i have to beg for them.
my guess they just assume you don't need them if you don't see kids with you
Seeing how this guy avoided the question, i can only assume woollies management has something to do with it. As it doesn't happened to me with coles.
ill have to see on next Coles promo, thought it'd just depend on cashier
I agree! I had to work hard for my 'bananas for scale' from the Coles mini shop!!!!
We get the odd few, maybe 3 or 4 a day.