store manager

support worker

shop manager

sales assistant

shop supervisor

Age UK

Be aware that the job advert is very misleading. This is 100% a call centre job. You will be on the phone all day and that's it! If your face fits and you suck up to management you might be considered for a promotion to one of the other teams but they don't come around often.

Be aware that management will act like they're there to support you but they aren't. They are there to weed out the weak ones and keep the compliant ones. Don't complain about anything or confide to them because it will be used against you. They'll pretend to be nice in the beginning but don't fall for it. They lull you into a false sense of security. 

I was in this role for 2 years so I've seen it all. Be prepared to feel like a number and not an individual. You're only important if you attend the social gatherings outside of work. For some reason this matters most to the management team and it doesn't matter how hard you work. As long as you like to have a few drinks and play silly games you'll fit right in and become a team leader in no time. If you like a good gossip and stepping on people to get ahead you'll find your way into their clique very easily. 

Your colleagues on the same level as you are all lovely though and you're all in the same boat. They'll provide more help and support than the team leaders will. But you'll also find there are other teams who are more valued. You're level 1 (this is literally what the department is called) and bottom of the food chain. Level 2 are seen as more important for some reason even though your job is much harder and you're the one triaging the calls to them in the first place. You also have more pressure piled on you than any other team and the amount you're supposed to remember is astonishing. Your calls will be reviewed periodically and scored, but you're set up to fail as they make it almost impossible to pass with perfect scores. 

Because this is an entry level job, be aware you'll be talked down to and treated like you don't matter. It's nice if you enjoy the job because you are doing important work and that's what matters overall, but you'll never be acknowledged or praised for it. They want you to be dumb enough to be able to do the job but not think too deeply about anything else. If you have ideas or suggestions for any changes that would make things better for yourself and your team it will just get a shrug or eye roll, particularly from the main manager as he doesn't want you to create more work for him and he doesn't want to think of you as a real person with thoughts and feelings. The job comes before your needs and work/life balance. 

All the Level 1 customer advisors are jumping ship and that's why they're always advertising. Stay away from this job for your own sanity. 


I started working as a volunteer and whilst doing so I've obtained a Customer Service Certificate. They always encourage their employees/volunteers with further training, they pay volunteers milage or travel expenses. AgeUK treat you like your a member of staff I have learn't how to answer the telephone and deal with customer inquiries or Bookings for the hire of Electrical Mobility Scooters and Manual Wheelchairs, How to Process new and renewal registrations for the clients to be able to hire the electrical mobility scooters they have to be registered for insurance purposes, I also know how to add these to the AgeUK Database Spreadsheet this is so they can keep on track to know when Individual Clients Membership is due for renewal. I've also learn't how to do the Check & Send Service for Centro for the Bus Pass Applications obtaining necessary ID to send with the customers application. I now have shown how Reliable, Honest & Trustworthy and Flexible I am and most recently I have been employed as a Ad Hoc worker covering a shortfall for them whilst members of staff have been off due to holidays or sickness, this entails myself holding a set of keys for the shop, arriving for duty when on rota, being the first there to open up the store, Manage the daily running of the services whilst encouraging Sales on behalf of the Shop Mobility and Straits Mobility whom AgeUK sell disability aids on behalf of such as walking sticks, walking frames, Also Managing/Supervising other volunteers when available to offer their services. AgeUK also have had regular volunteer meeting in order to obtain feedback on how we think they could possibly improve the services for the better. The most challenging part of the job is dealing with individual customers whom try to haggle on the price they are to pay for the hire of the equipment and trying to explain why AgeUK have to enforce the applicable charges. The most Enjoyable part of working for AgeUk for me is maintaining my skills amongst gaining new skills whilst working within a friendly environment.

I enjoyed working at Age Uk and over the 5 years that I was employed I worked under 4 Managers. They all had different ideas how to run the shop and how to make money, but the most important factor about all of them was that they loved their job and had a great desire and dedication to make as much money as possible for the charity to help vulnerable people.

I learnt how to deal with all different sorts of people of all ages and backgrounds and how to work as part of a team and to delegate where possible.  I also learnt how important a charity shop is for raising money and awareness of peoples plights and difficulties.

A typical day would be arriving at the shop and putting the float in the till ready to open up. I would then put the kettle on and wait for the other paid members of staff to arrive and the volunteers who were on duty that day. We would open the shop door to welcome in customers and then proceed to sort through donations bags. We would find suitable items for selling, then label and price them for the shop floor. Any things not suitable to sell would go for recycling.
I would then check the stock what was on display and order things in
which the Charity bought to make sure we had enough availability.

In the afternoon I would cash up the till and do all the relevant bank paperwork and then go to the bank and deposit the takings.

My co-workers were people who generally had a passion for the charity and raising money was just as important as being paid.

To me the hardest part was not being able to sell certain items because of regulations, which meant they would have to be recycled or thrown away and very little profit was made.

The most enjoyable part was meeting the volunteers and customers and also trying to encourage people to sign up for 'Gift Aid' which I think is a marvellous idea. We would also have competitions to see who could make the most money on a Saturday and was given a certain free hand at reducing stock to encourage people to buy.

I enjoyed my time working for age uk. I loved getting to know all my customers and what there daily needs were, personal preferences and also creating friendships along the way with both customers and collegues. although this was the case it was very hard to get to know customers on one to one basis as we were often very short of staff leaving us with no time at all for breaks or customers full call times and although bringing this up to management several times before as my duty to care I felt I was getting know where fast I found myself and other staff felt this strain so much so we could not wait to leave at the end of a shift! this should not be the case as it should be a nice friendly working environment and everyone should be welcoming and easy to talk too. I found parts of my job challenging for example when staff shifts weren't covered, and we have customers who depend on double up calls and there are only 3 of us to a building of 31 and there are 4 double up calls some lasting up to a hour and only am calls, when customers aren't well they add additional care but don't check were they can fit customers extra care calls in place causing work over load.Also for what myself and collegues do on a day to day basis the hourly pay is bare minimum it is a very rewarding job but when you consider no breaks, on 7-4 shifts for customers always answering the handset to pullcords even when u do get a break housecleanings, and customers care packages varying from end of life.. to basic medication I think this is worth more than 6.70. My most enjoyable part of my job is each day was a challenge but I learnt something new each day I met new people each day I was welcomed by the same customers and I new I made I difference to them in my jobrole and will take that with me to a further job in care. I would highly advise changes to be made for customers and collegues.

The shop works on a constant and usually fixed rota of volunteers and staff; which is ideal for workers and the business as there is rarely any confusion about who is working on which day from either end. Usually there are between three and four people working in the shop at any one time, lunch breaks are staggered so there is at least one person on the shop floor and another person working upstairs. This system works quite seamlessly and keeps the shop running throughout the day.

I am usually stationed on the shop floor where I am face to face with the public, which is quite fun because you get to deal with all kinds of different people and enquiries. It also presents a reasonable deal of responsibility as I am money handling, ensuring that the shop is tidy, safe and continues to look professional throughout the day. I must also bear in mind that the way I present myself must be professional, polite and consistent, as the customers' impression of me will affect their view of the company. 

Also, there is a large element of time management as I often have to juggle moving stock, tidying the shop and serving customers. It can be quite challenging, however it makes the job more interesting. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is probably interacting with the customers and staff, there have been a lot of interesting and memorable people to come through the shop and it's always those interactions that I end up remembering with a great deal of joy. I also enjoy feeling as if I've given someone a good service and find a sense of satisfaction in helping others and completing tasks to a high standard.

Overall, it is a lovely place to work and I always feel welcome and comfortable in the workplace, which I think greatly contributes to how smoothly the shop runs on a day to day basis.

A typical day would involve coordinating volunteers and the delivery of courses for a project on digital inclusion within 3 libraries and AgeUK headquarters. Teaching short ICT course, enrolling learners, inducting and supporting new volunteers and course administration as well as administration of volunteers expenses.

I appreciate the range of services provided by the organisation and their mission.

I learn to organising and conducting meetings as I was coordinating a team of 20 volunteers and would organise regular meetings with the team of volunteers to discuss changes/update on the service, to introduce new volunteers. I also learn to organise social events for the volunteers.
After a year my original manager moved to another site/project and for a period of 6 months in collaboration with the course administrator and our stakeholders we manage the project without a manager; the new manager, although a very kind person, lacked of leadership and experience regarding the sector as he was coming from a background in care (The project I was working on was about Education), but to be fair, he was in charge of managing 4 different projects and understandably often seemed overwhelmed by the various projects to manage and information to take in. 

I met some great people and stayed friendly with several co-workers.

The hardest part of the was travelling between 4 sites and spending 3 hours daily in public transport.
The most enjoyable part of the job was the service delivery and contact with service users and volunteers, creating new courses and being able to take initiative.

Volunteers just simply aren't appreciated enough, and lot of hard work goes without praise or recognition.

Geniune honest mistakes go harshily punished, and you're rediculed to a demeaning degree.  With informal record of conversations that feel like run ups to a disciplinary hearing.

Wages are processed using the iTrent system are unnecessarily awkward to access. Email's regularly needed to be sent to HR to get your password reset from no fault of your own, meaning wages are difficult to access and check.

Any tasks that need to be completed via the backoffice and till systems are slow, taking up precious little time you have during the day, meaning more unpaid time closing up. Even the simplest of till processes, such as serving customers and processing card payments is overly long and very time consuming.

Quite possbiliy the most paperwork, and self contradictory amounts of backoffice tasks I've ever experienced within an retail environment.

Only paid from 9-5. Yet, you're expected to setup the shop beforehand, unpaid;
*Check the float
*Log on the email system, check for new messages,
*Do a daily morning checklist on paper
*Do a digital morning checklist on the archaic PC, backoffice systems

Closing the Shop;
*Only allowed to count and cash up the till AFTER 5.
*Cleaning up the store AFTER 5, Hoovering, moping, etc.

Between opening and closing the store, you'll have a constant flow of donations from the kind general public, but never enough staff to process it.

I am a conscientious committed enthusiastic honest worker. I have excellent organisation and time management skills. I possess good verbal and written communication skills, together with the ability to listen and respond appropriately. I am hard-working, flexible, reliable, and I am dedicated to getting tasks and assignments completed in a timely manner.

I have gained a good knowledge and understanding of business working on a voluntary basis for a National Charity Age UK & Youth Music.
What i have learned from working at Age UK Northamptonshire: reception dealing with the general public taking enquires and messages electronically and passing them onto relevant departmental managers.
Also I am a writer for Youth music as a Volunteer providing monthly publications of DJ/Producers & Vocal Artists in all genre of Music in Rasing awareness for the care of children and young people,supportiing those with Disabilities and Vulnerable groups within the Socitey

The relevant skills and Attributes I do currently posses:

Excellent organisational
Planning and time management skills
Logical thinking skills with creative problem-solving ability
Great attention to detail
Good communication and negotiation skills
Understanding of budget control
Adaptable – readily accepts changes and new directions
Leadership skills – supportive and team focused
Effective team-player
Technical skills relevant to projects
Good IT skills
Direct Care of children,young & Elderly People

The most Rewarding & enjoyable part of being a volunteer for Age Uk Northamptonshire & Youth music is just helping and supporting to create a difference Rasing awareness for the care of children,young & Elderly people,supporting those with Disabilities and Vulnerable groups within the Socitey.

While I met a few great co-workers, the overall environment was frustrating and, at times, demoralizing. The biggest issue, Management. Hands down.

A lot of the people in leadership roles simply aren’t trained or suited for the job. Many lacked basic people skills. Poor communication and very little interest in supporting their teams. It often felt like they were more focused on protecting their own image than doing what was right or even remotely helpful.
There’s also a strong “yes person” culture. Push back even a little and you may find yourself side lined, maybe labelled as “difficult,” or just ignored entirely, especially when it comes to Safeguarding training. 

The lack of consistency made it hard to trust the system.
It’s the kind of place where leadership talks about values and openness but doesn’t model either one as you may find it backfires on you. What the Advice line really needs is proper management training across the board and a serious rethink of who they put in charge of people.

Additionally, the job role description provided during the hiring process was misleading. Many of the responsibilities outlined turned out to be very different from the reality of the role, including an expectation to be on the phones nearly all day. This was never clearly communicated upfront and proved to be another source of frustration. Such misrepresentation only adds to the sense of distrust and disillusionment with the way things are run here.

If you’re looking for a job where you can grow, be heard, or even just feel respected, I’d think VERY carefully before working on the Ageuk National Line. 


I would of planned my days work three day in advance, if I am to bag out , i would plan my route and ensure I had all i needed for that day, maintain vehicle make sure that is clean and in good working order for the day ,i had build up my own round/areas that i had made good contacts with , helping and getting to know the general public was the most enjoyable part of the work, knowing that I was able to help them more so if I was doing a house clearance more so if it was at a time of sorrow . if my day was to deliver stock to shops I would of had a plan route of where I was going and a time slot for each area. If my day was to pick up from the areas that I had bagged out, I would park the van in a safe place where i can see it at all times , pick the bags up deliver a thank you card if over two bags or more left, i would ensure the bags are loaded in van in a safe way. when going to shops I would unload the van in to the shop (parking was a issue at times in some areas ) I would communicate with the staff and volunteers building good relationships with them.
I learnt a lot about myself that i enjoy working with the public,I also learnt a lot about how a charity runs and the work behind the senses.
when I first started working for AGE uk , i had a very good line manager , he was a good listener and gave me a lot of support however after a year they changed the management with those who didn't have the same passion or ethos for the charity which meant I had no support never had supervision, communication was very poor and unclear.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Store manager 39 salaries reported	£25,658 per year
Support worker 84 salaries reported	£12.63 per hour
Shop manager 10 salaries reported	£13.34 per hour
Sales assistant 193 salaries reported	£12.21 per hour
Shop supervisor 271 salaries reported	£12.40 per hour

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