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.