I'm a current woolworths employee working across most departments in the store, ask me anything you want and I'll respond in the best way I can :)
[AMA] I'm a Current Woolworths Employee
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I really smelt this comment.
Can you/ or the manager, mark down goods heavily as a store special so that you can buy it cheaply for afternoon snacks?
Yes technically anyone can do a markdown, however (officially) it is against employees rules to do that.
How much care do you put into choosing the best fruit/veg for customers?
Any particular process for choosing substitutes? Is there training or does it rely on common sense?
I always make sure fruit/veg is fresh and will last whenever doing online.
Regarding subs, we have an algorithm which gives us suggested subs, however it’s not very good/accurate and we’re supposed to override with our common sense it if it isn’t suitable. Though some people don’t do this which means we end up with some really weird ones (I.e. dog meat in place of mince meat)
dog meat in place of mince meat
What’s your favourite recipe for the dog meat? Asking for a friend
What's your favourite department to work in?
Fruit and veg is always my favourite :)
Not the deli? I only had one rule when working there, always go to work on an empty stomach!
Haha yeah deli is pretty fun too, but overall fruit and veg is best
Fruit and veg is always my favourite
Yes, that's were you find all the berry packs that often have mould growing in them…
Nothing like sitting in the cool room on a hot day, enjoying a crisp apple. Ahh the memories.
Any bargains?
Yeah sometimes…
Is there really robust competition in the supermarket sector? Asking for a friend.
Who do you think would win in a fight to the death, Jamie Oliver or Curtis Stone?
Ooh tough one, gotta stick with my man Jamie Oliver on this one though
Haiyaaaaaa!
I noticed during the evening mark downs a WW employee will rock up with a basket of perishables she hoarded and whispered to the staff doing the reductions to get the goods marked down by 90%. Just wondering if this staff collusion is common practice and allowed by the company or they just closed a blind eye to it.
Doesn’t happen too much at my store, but yes, some staff do this. Try not to blame them too much though, many staff are struggling to make ends meet and this can be the only way they can get by.
One of the most profitable business and doesn't pay their staff more than necessary. It really is tough world out there.
Do staff hide the gift cards for their own family/friends to buy (e.g. recent EFTPOS ones) as I found none in any of my local stores :(
No I personally don’t see this happening, yet I don’t really know too well as I don’t really work around that area.
What time is best to get the markdowns?
Honestly depends on the store and their need to meet markdown quotas. Most stores will have a markdown routine, however (ie first at 10am and last at 5pm), if you ask the staff nicely they’ll likely let you know :)
What quotas do you need to meet for markdowns?
Are the results of customer feedback and complaints passed on to staff? Are there changes as a result?
Depends on the feedback, though if it is a recurring problem, it is more likely to be fixed.
How's management to work with? I've noticed at my local Woolworths some of the supervisors / managers speak to the staff quite poorly.
My experience has always been positive with management. Everyone at my store is really supportive and nice so it is a great environment 🙂. Though I have heard about some other stores, so it really depends on where you are.
What makes you think that Op is into robots?
What is the best time to get the most markdowns on meat? I've seen some people on reddit get porterhouse steaks for $2
Are they reduced 20%, 50%, 80% over a period of time?
Usually before closing a final markdown is applied, the percentage can vary depending on the store
What's the biggest one you've done?
I think around 60% or so
The times vary. Most stores near me are either 2pm or 4pm with stuff discounted up to 90% off.
What is your favourite thing about RT3?
It’s not a too bad system, only that I feel personally the hours don’t currently align to stores needs, we do get decent hours but they should be changed to meet times of higher demand.
Im gonna need you to take this one all the way to the top 😂
Why does woolies often try to make bulk buy or multiple purchases req on their sales?
An example (although not current) would be like cadbury chocolate 180g being $5 at coles or 2 for $10 at woolies.
It just puts me off shopping there.
There are usually greater incentives to sell a larger amount of stock, so probably why they push bulk sales more.
How many people who said they will boycott Woolies over the Australia Day stuff are still secretly shopping at Woolies?
There’s definitely a few that’s for sure…
Do u still use the overstock report?
Yeah I believe so
Any idea why I often receive 4 or 5 bananas in my Woolworths delivery when I only ordered 3?
Is that a compliment or complaint?
I'm only charged for three, so I'm not complaining, just wondering why it regularly happens.
Online sells by quantity, but when picking in store it is sold by weight. Therefore the ‘weighted’ quantity may be different to what’s ordered.
That makes sense - thanks for the reply!
What are your estimated shrink and theft rates and how do you mitigate them?
Looking for some 100% off deals?
/$Not 100% sure, though it definitely has increased recently. Usually these days we have to do more bag checks just to make sure they aren’t stealing
And what do you do if you do a bag search and see someone has some high priced cut of steak in there?
What do you do if they say “yeah nah, I’m not opening my bag…”?
What’s the best way to get a casual store packing job to earn some extra dollars?
Don't do it .. you'll be taxed out the arse and have to owe ATO at the end of the year…. Happened to me two years in a row. Not worth it.
I think it would serve you well to familiarise yourself on how our marginal tax brackets operate
Yeah if you apply online or hand in your resume in store then they’ll most likely be happy to hire you. There’s always positions going in nightfill/grocery.
Not too sure on tax requirements but if that’s okay then you should be fine :)
Do you shop at Aldi like many of your colleagues?
Honestly depends on specials and where I can get the better price
What are your tips/hacks to get the most Disney wonder cards? Beyond the obvious spend / bonus products?
There aren’t really any tricks, I’d just try to look out for a kind cashier who’ll give you more :)
What is the policy on fresh products that disappoint? It doesn't happen very often but bought some mandarins on Saturday that are very hard to peel and tasteless (very dry). Can I just report this next time I visit Woollies and get a refund or do I need to carefully store them and return them?
Woolies have a fresh or free guarantee, so if you take a photo/video or take them back and show them they should give you the money back
Hi,
I’m trying to apply for a job at woolies in Liverpool and Parramatta as a shelf stacker however i can’t seem to get any job. I’ve tried going personally to the store staff with my resume but the staff refuse to let me meet the manager. I’ve given the resume to the store staff however i don’t get any calls. I prefer to do a simple job for a lady.
Thanks in advance,Yes i have also tried applying online but still no responses for the last nearly 6 months.
Id say keep on trying in store, they will take you eventually, just depends on when they need staff/are hiring
Why woolie stores is always under staff and messy with tracks and stacking trolleys in alleyways?
I can find assistance in Coles immediately and they go out of their way to assist me to find my item, whereas in WW they just point the finger ( don't even say) where the item I am looking at is.
Is this the WW cultural issue?
Also, why WW don't accept returns if we have made a mistake with my purchase?
Mostly due to cost cutting, we may not have time to do all tasks
Majority of items we do return, it just depends on whether or not there’s a hygiene or health risk.
Is there a general policy change throughout WW stores to mark down perishable goods like chicken on day of expiry by only small amounts (eg: 10%), rather than the once common practice of marking down 40-50% 2 days out from expiry, and maybe 70% or more on day of expiry?
That's certainly how markdowns have changed in the last few years in our local store (the manager of which is despised by staff who have confided in me). Seems a cynical exercise made in the knowledge that customers are desperate to reduce spending and pounce on markdowns most of them once used to ignore unless it was around 50% or more.
Not really, these days it’s down to store discretion, but yeah I think it has definitely gotten less over the past few years
At my local store I use the scan n go on the app.
Generally it’s great but occasionally on existing it won’t let you through the gate until someone picks 5 random products in your bag to make sure you have scanned and paid for them.
That’s fine but I shouldn’t have to wait 5-10 minutes until a manager comes out to check, why can’t anyone check without the wait.
Yeah scan and go is pretty great, though unfortunately just to stop theft we have to do this sometimes. Hopefully as it gets expanded further they’ll be better technology in place
What percentage is the staff discount these days?
5% for most things, 10% if it's a Woolworths branded item.
It might not seem like a whole lot, but it adds up as we get 3x points from Everyday Extra and some team-exclusive boosters every now and then.
We also get 10% off at Big W, and a further 10% off on clothes and apparel, 30% off travel insurance, etc
Can you do a price match?
Don’t think we can do price match at woolies
Coles still do raincheck, how come Woolworths get away from not doing it anymore?
Yeah it’s not ideal, probably just changes in business practises since then
Why do I keep having recurring dreams about my time working Nightfill? It's always me going in for a shift, then realising I'm not rostered on after a few hours of working for free.
How often do you take a shower?