Should i take this job with Costa Coffee?

SoDizzy

Hey there everyone, way back in february i asked for tips for getting a job in Xtravision, and out of 280 applicants, i got it. Thing is, i hate it (the store i work in is of the most busy in all of ireland and the pressure to meet targets is immense, and just too much for me with all my other problems at the minute. Don't get me wrong, i ALWAYS meet my targets, but that doesn't get rid of the stress to meet them. It even gives me nightmares all the time), and have been looking for another job. So, i applied for a job in Costa Coffee as a team member, but they offered me a "team leader" position, which i think is just another word for supervisor (can anyone confirm this?) and i turned it down, insisting that i couldn't do the 35 hours they wanted (i'm in my final year at university and want LESS responsibility. While i'm just a sales assisstant in xtravision i still have a lot of responsibility). Anyway, two days ago Costa phoned me AGAIN, offering me the Team Leader position i already turned down, but they reduced the hours to 20 to accommodate me (they seem to really want me for this position, even though i didn't think i was qualified... I've only ever been a sales assistant and catering assisstant in a school kitchen). On top of that, they want me to come in on tuesday (directly after another interview for another job) to get introduced to the team and they said i could either accept or decline the position after that. Again, this seems like they really want me.

Thing is, i really don't know if i should take it. They said it's 20(+) hours plus one sunday every 3 weeks (or something like that...). They also want to discuss this with me to make it suit me. At my current job my hours range from 8-20 (it's normally about 15ish which suits me fine), and while the pressure is high in my current job, i at least don't think Costa has targets to meet (it's not like people can pre-order muffins lol). So i'm guessing that while i'll have more responsibility as team leader in costa, there will still be less pressure, Like i wouldn't need to meet targets or do nearly as much paper work. Plus, the wages should be higher for team leaders, right?

So what do you all think? What should i do? I'm just lost.

Gavin "shels"

I work in Xtravision (probably one of the smallest in Ireland but can be mad busy), can't see where the pressure is coming from, comparing it with my last retail job it's much easier and the targets are fairly easy to meet imo.

Look at it from this point of view, which is handier to get to? Which would be easier to work around college work, etc...? After all it's most likely a part-time job you don't really care much about and just want a few bob for getting through college.

Lady

Was gonna say the same bout Xtra-Vison as I also work in one and I dunno where you get pressure from targets etc from, especially since the new system came in, up-selling and the like is gone. Life is far easier in XV now.

If you really dislike it then why stay? You obviously applied to other places for a reason, why not go in for the trial and see how you feel, if you don't like it or don't click with the other staff then there is your answer. Sure give it a shot, what have you go to lose Good Luck

SoDizzy

Our store doesn't yet have the new systems, in fact i was only just trained in them two days ago, we don't even know when we're getting them. And since our store is the busiest in northern Ireland our targets are higher than those in every other store (or so my manager says). And even though i always get my targets there's always the threat of disciplinary if i don't. It just hangs over me.
And up-selling is gone? It isn't in my store. We still have to ask customers to rent more dvd's, pay more of their balance and buy our confectionary offers. Is up-selling seriously gone in your stores??? I don't like acting as debt collector. Our customers can be really rude about it too.

They're both easy to get to, but i'm unsure about the hours in costa. But they can be just as high in xtravision. For example, this week i worked 27 hours
The other staff in the store, with the exception of one, are lovely too... They make it easier to work there. But sometimes, when it's just me and that one person working together, i'm literally on my own. He just leaves me to do all the work. For example, last week he literally spent the ENTIRE time in the toilet or out smoking. And i'm not one to misuse the word "literally".

Also, i found the new systems really buggy and complicated in training... it kept freezing and half the things were just stupid. Example: in the training system, we could only do ONE rental offer at a time

Lady

Ah if you were just trained in you will be getting it pretty soon. Ye it's a bit buggy but it makes life far easier then the old system.

When I say up-selling is gone I mean it is for us in terms of meeting targets. We dont have to ask anymore, there are no more lists on the wall of how you are doing etc. System sends everything back to Head Office.

I suppose then it is down to personal choice at the end of the day. I think it would be no harm to see how you feel in Costa Coffee, remember you still don't have to accept the position but you may love it.

SoDizzy

The target sheet is gone? Then how do you know how you're doing? Surely you still have targets? You can stop asking people to buy more? I find that hard to believe... it's the FOCUS of our store... If the targets were gone i'd be happy to stay! Though the new systems are a but daunting.

My family think costa is a great opportunity, that it would look great on my C.V for the future, but i'm just so confused about the whole thing...I really really don't know what to do. I said that i hate the job earlier, but i don't HATE it. It's just hard with all the pressure. This might be because i have a lot of stress at my house, but i don't see that diminishing any time soon...

If i wasn't at university i don't think i'd have such a hard time deciding

xtradel

Get out of Xtra-vision....it will wear you down and as you said no matter how hard you work or how well you do it will always never be good enough. Took me 11 years to realise that! Would Carmel be your DM by any chance?

SoDizzy

Nah, Carmel isn't my DM but i heard she's very strict and hard to work under... even my manangers say that haha. I have Eamon who is fairly nice, if a little too particluar lol