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ASDA Stores
by Mildly Disgrunted Employee? Hah
I work at an ASDA Superstore in Scotland, UK - I won't say more than that as, sadly, for the time being, I'm stuck with them for a little longer. (If you're discovered to say bad things about them, as an employee, it's an immediate sack - they won't even try to understand your viewpoint, apparently.)
I've read a lot of reviews ... concerning ASDA since finding this site - and, I have to say, almost EVERYTHING you read is TRUE.
But some things - at least in the store I work at, are not so true.
To my experience, the 'standard' ASDA colleague - Kiosk Operators, Checkout Operators, Porters and Cleaners (I really can't say about any other kind except managers, that I'll write about in a moment) are quite nice. From politely dealing with abusive customers to handling abusive psychotic managers that seem to enjoy making us feel worthless and pathetic, we're all in an unanimous, unspoken agreement, that we REALLY don't want to go around and start upsetting one-another too.
However in my eyes, the main issue is, like many of my comrades on this site, the managers.
Imperfection, is, SIN. The learning process is a load of shit - the other reviews are correct in that retrospect as well. Yet, there's SO MUCH that ISN'T included in the learning process - and if you don't know it? They insult you, belittle you, and coarse you into feeling pathetic without even explaining WHAT was wrong in the first place. Hell, I've had so much of it the past few days, it's what's pushed me to writing this review in the hopes someone won't need to go through what I am. After all, when the managers and GSM(General Store Manager) are the problem, who are we meant to complain to? This kind of question has been raised to them before, and nothing has been done about it.
They're meant to be given the same amount of breaks as the rest of us - they sometimes take TRIPPLE the amount of time off the rest of us are allowed. They bend the rules to suite what they want, what, in my experience, isn't always what the CUSTOMER wants. They do their jobs, I can't complain about that, but their methods leave a lot to be considered and improved upon.
In fact, (Within the store I work in) there's only a single manager I can even consider as being fair and polite. Who is kind, explains things without snapping and insulting us, and, in my eyes at least, is the only person truly fit for her position, who doesn't break rules and doesn't mind flexing them(Providing it's nothing dangerous of course) to accommodate the customers, and the employee's individual requirements and requests. The other managers just throw mutual respect out the window and expect you to turn into a mindless drone.
We don't have any unions. If you're a student, don't expect to be able to have time for uni, work, AND life afterwards - you'll probably not be making enough money for your monthly rent, let alone a night out.
1. During your interview stage, you'll be told that there are 'no managers' at the ASDA store - that we're all colleagues working together. That, is, a, lie. Don't fall for it.
2. This place can be bitch-central - colleagues will talk about you behind your back, guaranteed. You'll know if you're going to fit in within the first few months - good luck.
3. Make friends. Students form groups to chat during breaks, just as the middle-aged do, as the individual departments do - it's like 'an asda family' I suppose. Get them on your side, and you won't be so much of a dead-corpse waiting to be chewed upon by rotten-egg managers and dead-beat colleagues.
4. Don't expect equality here... People (Managers included, trust me, It's happened to me numerous times because they hadn't memorized my job description) ARE going to insult your intelligence, they ARE going to call you names - and god-forbid if you're not native British - you are going to find some disgusting people that will insult you because of it. This is public retail, after all, you'll be expected to sit there and just smile through it all.
Doom-and-Gloom aside, I would recommend them - that is, depending on how desperate you need money! No matter the job there - it's a doddle, worth laughing at - it is although, ninety percent of the time, a thankless job. I've done a lot of charity work - free work to help others before I joined ASDA, easy, unpaid work that looks good on your CV that wasn't as easy as the things I'm asked to do here. Although a knowledge of the eeeenGelIsh language is required - as they test it during the interview stage.
Two stars, purely because SOME customers can be bloody-fantastically kind and good to speak with (You know who you are :P), SOME managers CAN give a shit and do their jobs properly.
Either way, although it was a bit of a rant, I hope my review has given you something to think about. Good luck in whatever it is you're aiming for from now on! ^^
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