Debenhams Thread

Maybe you'll do account training too? Or maybe they give you loadss of breaks haha

I think my till training must have only been an for an hour was because there were only 5 of us at the induction - a few of us were asked to start a few weeks earlier than the other christmas temps cos there were a few vacancies from people leaving/going on maternity leave etc. I was on the till for the first 3 hours of my first shift, and hardly any customers wanted a simple cash or card transaction so I was thrown in at the deep end really lol.

hi there, i have my interview tommorow at the oxford store, did yu get the job? and can u pls run with me what happens please?
King regards x

Oxford street induction on the 12th anyone?

Gosh, my induction was so long and a bit boring :| It's nothing important just health and safety and basic things they have to go over with you for legal reasons. Got shown where the stock room was, where the loading bay was and other parts of the store. Got told the code to a few doors. We had a pack we had to fill in as we went along but nothing hard. Just very boring haha. Our induction was supposed to be 8:45 - 5:00 but they got all the times mixed up and gave out the wrong times to people so we had didn't even start until 10ish -_- and finished about 5:15.

Got my till training on Wednesday 9:30 - 5 and got my first shift on Saturday. They did mention account training on Tuesday and Thursday but I haven't been told to go to it. So guess my department doesn't need account training or may be they'll tell me about it on Wednesday.

Got my little name badge at the induction as well haha and got my first 'rude' customer. I was in a group and we were following one of the managers to the stock room where he was going to show us around and explain a few things and a woman came up to me and asked where the till point was for that department and I honestly didn't know so I said I'm not too sure because I'm actually being trained at the moment and she made a scoffing noise and looked at me funny! Rude bitch.

Oh and oh my god I got on SO well with this 1 girl at the induction and we spent all the breaks together in the staff room and walking around town and just talking and she brought up at the end of the 7 hour induction that she couldn't work the last week of December because of a holiday she has booked. So they said she just needs to go talk to the manager and they told her they couldn't employ her because that week was the busiest week :| They may be could of brought up at the begining of the induction if any one had any dates that they couldn't work. I felt so, so sorry for her and it's rubbish I won't be working with her Just made a friend and probably won't see her again

Any way good luck with your induction

Hi hun,
hope your all good, hows work? sorry just replying now ive just been so busy!!
right i want to ask you something please, when i went for my induction, i was mostly avaliable, now ive just noticed i cant do thursday aswel, when i sit with a manager to sort my shifts, can they be alright when they dont scheldue me for that thursday? i just dont want them thinking im not avaliable when im still flexiable apart from wednesday & thursdays.. how many days u work now? and how many hours in those days?

I haven't started yet, I have my till training tomorrow morning 9:30 - 5 -_- and my first shift is Saturday, I'm only working weekends but apparantley I might be asked to do more hours thoughout the next 7 weeks.

At the end of the induction they start sorting out till training and account training days and will ask you if you can work certain days of that week. If you can't just say no and bring up the days you won't be able to work in the future. That girl I was talking about only got 'fired' because the last week of december going into January is their busiest time and they of course hire xmas temp to help with the busy xmas days.

oh ok thanks, i was getting worried there, so when i go and they ask me again what days can i not do ill tell them yeah, did u ask for the weekends? or they jus gave it to u.. so u work from friday to sunday or just sat sunday? is this like this every week? and wat time u start hun?

Xxx

Just say to them - regardless of whether they ask you again about hours- 'When I originally was asked about availabilty I said the only time I wouldn't be able to do was ___ but I've realised I won't be able to do Thursdays either' and apologise and they should be okay about it. They'll have enough part timers and other xmas temps to be able to switch shifts around.

oh ok thanks hun, so have you started yet? or waiting to be trained?
X

Started about 4 weeks ago - they asked me and a few other Christmas temps if we could start early as they had vacancies on a few departments due to people leaving/going on maternity leave etc.

oh thats good well done hun, how you finding it? and how many days a week do you work? what is your position and what department do you work at? if you dont me asking how much are you getting an hour? xx

oh ok thanks, i was getting worried there, so when i go and they ask me again what days can i not do ill tell them yeah, did u ask for the weekends? or they jus gave it to u.. so u work from friday to sunday or just sat sunday? is this like this every week? and wat time u start hun?

Xxx

Haha, she just happened to book a holiday for the wrong week. Nope didn't ask for weekends they just gave them to me and it's Saturday and Sunday as far as I know but i'm just assuming, I haven't been given my rota yet but I'm not fussed what days I work, doesn't matter to me and as far as I know it's every week Never heard of not working every week in retail. And I start at 1:10 and finish at 6:10 the store closes at 6 but she wants us to stay behind for some reason think it's to see how we've gotten on on our first shift xxx

Probably to cash up. Sorry I keep butting into your conversations, I'm acting like a little know it all and I've only been there 4 weeks

I'm getting £5.53 an hour but on the application and at the interview I was told I would be getting £5.95 an hour...still need to get that sorted out. I'm on womenswear casual as a sales adviser, we've got one of the biggest womenswear departments in Debenhams in the North apparently so it's usually very busy. I'm contracted to do 12 hours a week (which would be 4hour shifts over 3 days) but I've usually been doing 16 or 20 hours, they've normally been four hour shifts although done a couple of 6 hours shifts. Then next week I'm doing 26 hours I think cos they've got a massive sale on and apparently it's madness so they need loads of staff in, and I'm working a couple of 8 hour shifts during that.
I generally enjoy it and it's normally busy so the shifts go by quickly, and the staff and really friendly and helpful and make you feel welcome. Only had an hours till training before I started so got thrown in at the deep end really, I still sometimes get a bit unsure if a customer comes to the tills with something really complicated but I just ask a member of staff nearby if I'm unsure and they are happy to help and patient with me. It can be very busy and fast paced especially on weekends, so you need a lot of stamina and to stay calm under pressure. Also every department is under a lot of pressure to open accounts so make sure you ask everyone you are serving - if you open an account you get loads of praise lol.
Had alot of problems with supervisors changing/adding to my hours at the last minute without telling me and expecting me to magically know when to turn up, or adding to my hours at the last minute or asking me to stay an extra few hours and they really put the pressure on you to do the hours. Got a call the other week saying 'where are you?' and I said I wasn't supposed to be in that day, and was told 'you were supposed to be in from 2', but I had checked my rota the day before and I knew I wasn't supposed to be in. They pressured me into going in for 4, and when I got there I asked my supervisor and he was like 'oh I added them into the rota last night before I went home'...a phone call would have been nice . They also change the rotas without telling anyone they've changed them, hopefully your store is more organised but my advice is to check the rota every time you are in and sign your name next to your hours, that way it is less easy for them to mess you about (although they still do ).

Sorry I've written an essay lol, don't be put off by what I've written about the problems with hours as I'm sure every store is different, and I do really like the job apart from that.

Lmaoo! Yeah butt out you little know it all :P Only joking, it's fine butt in all you like She said something about keeping us behind a little longer because she wants to see how we've gotten on.

DIVa!!
hows everything babe? how much do you get an hour? because it seems like im getting told differently LOOL xx

Thanks hun, its cool about the essay LOOL. woow it look slike your store is unorganised, glat to hear ur enjoying yurself. i jus cannot wait to start work woohooo, i want to see if they can give me 2-3 days a week i wouldnt mind, my store finishes late it never shuts at 6 so for u ur lucky, mine closes like 11pm or 10pm so more hours for me in a day i wuldnt mind meaning more money hehe. about the pay i heard we would be getting 6-7 pounds an hour?? hmm we woul dhave to see sat, did they tell you when youll be getting paid because i know we get paid for the training and till training aswel.
hows the uniform like? ust a plain tshirt sayinf 'debenhams'.... im working in the childrenwear and cant wait to hehe, do you just use the till and restock item? and so far since you've been there have you been asked to do over time? or is there aboard where you can say your avaliable for this day they have for over time??
kings regards, & thank yoou so muchxx

I'll be getting £6.08 an hour. The Stockport store is open longer than the rest of the shops in Stockport I think the latest all week it shuts is 6 not sure because I know for 1 day a week it's open quite late nothing near 10pm though. There's one in the Trafford Centre an that's open until like 10pm. Just different everywhere I think and the uniform I have is just plain black with 6 rows of pink writing saying 'Debenhams Design in Every Department' or something like that It's different from regular staff. xxx