sales assistant

sales consultant

store manager

assistant manager

delivery driver

Bensons for Beds

A typical day at Bensons For Beds starts with an understanding of what is needed to have a successful day and or week which is manly talk about store targets. Now I have worked in retail for some big companies and understand the process of company expectations very well but Bensons have a very distorted idea of whats important.

 Due to a very low footfall (sometimes I speak to maybe two people on a decent day, no kidding!) it can be very hard to meet these unrealistic targets. Work is all about feeling like you have achieved something but its a very hard thing to do in Bensons due to it' s unreasonable expectations. My manager is a very slow and un-motivating boss, it's a shock to me that this company expects anything from us with such low enthusiasm in the shop. I have been personally insulted and cussed out by my boss for selling and speaking up. Also this company expects us to not work with customers once they leave our show room then come back with a complaint. Basically I have to pass them over to our customer service team which they have to phone from home! What?? Come on, we shouldn't be making such mistakes but they happen no matter how big or small and customer service doesn't end once they leave the shop. Very hard to stay motivated in a company that only talks figures and doesn't do anything for the staff or customers. The basic pay is sickening at £10,500. Now of course this is a commission based role but even Dreams start their sales advisor basics at £15,500 plus commission. Bensons again forget that human beings work for them. So bad management, terrible after care service, useless head office and very arrogant directors. Awful pay structure and unrealistic hours. Put it this way I am working on Boxing Day from 9:30am till late in the evening and this will be for at least 12 days straight. I will be missing family and friends and other fun times just to fill the pockets of directors who treat their staff and customers horrible. 

I have learn't about beds which you would expect but I had figure it all out myself. No encouraging help from my lazy useless insulting manager. I have made some mistakes and have been told off (I am 30 being treated like a stupid kid) even though said mistakes where due to bad training and no answers when questions are asked. On a positive though learning about beds is actually very interesting and does feel good when you pass the right info over to clients who then purchase.

Management is the worst I have ever experienced, I can not express that more. I honestly wouldn't find coming to work the worst thing in the world if my manager was a supportive happy encouraging influence. Even though the company is as frustrating as a massive traffic jam I would grin and bare it if I had a better manager. Working with the right people can make a dull day seem worth it and it's upsetting that an easy job like this is made so hard by it's own manager.

There is three of us at the store. My colleague has a very successful history in the bed and furniture business and has worked for Dreams and DFS. Without his support I would no doubt have cracked under the frustration of the situation. Coming into work just the two of us is both fun and actually we get our best work and sales done because for one we smile and laugh at the annoying aspects of the job. He too doesn't get on with the manager because anyone who is more successful then the management gets a lot of disrespect and made to feel like they are stealing sales and clientele. It's that bad.

The hardest part of the job is the system for which we input customer orders. Basically the system looks like it was developed in the early 80's. As a very heavy discounted store you expect the system to be set up for a quick sales transaction. Nope!! You have to for the most part input all calculations manually which if you struggle with maths and computers your going to struggle and be in trouble for it once the mistake has been noted by head office and your manager. Also the pay process has left some customers frustrated as it means them having to sit for ages waiting for the sales advisor to work it all out and input the info. Now there has to be an easier process then this. Get one thing wrong and you have to start over again or if you realise the mistake after the customer leaves the store then tuff on them cause it's going mess the whole order up. 

The most enjoyable part of the job? Well I have essentially just rubbished the company and I am guessing your reading this thinking I am either bitter or this company is just horrible. I am bitter haha, with this company. But if my colleague was to become the manager and we hired a like minded enthusiastic person then coming to work wouldn't be so bad. It's a very easy job made hard by bad management, terrible owners and directors, awful hours and working expectations, no real training and just an insulting pay structure. Also if you don't want to work weekends then tuff cause they expect everyone in Saturday and Sunday. 

Just to note that I have no intentions in working for this company much longer. My self and my colleague are only working here due to personal reasons as we both have bigger goals and other career prospects. Iv only been with the company just over three months and I am in the process of applying for other jobs.

Best bet is Dreams if you want to work in beds, better basic and training. Even though they have a more tighter grip on expectations they at least know how to manage people. 

Cheers!

I worked in customer services at their Huncoat office most people are pleasant it is definitely the people in the office that make the job worth coming in for
now lets move on to the role the customer service role is at the least " intense "  it's all inbound calls using a calling system call handling this is the system to where every second of your eight hour day you devote to Bensons is monitored say you log on a 9am prompt every second is taken into consideration the calls are literally one after the other  80 percent of the call are all off screaming angry customers customers who have had a poor experience or an issue with delivery such as a item arriving damaged. in the call you have to manage the customers expectations replace or advise using a 1990's teletext text based system which is difficult to navigate the training they provide is not in depth enough  no long enough to give you a reasonable enough understanding of how you use the systems before you go live on the contact centre so a lot is learned doing but as I have mentioned the calls are intense you don't get the opportunity to learn no will a high rate customer understand you being " new " if they want big issues sorted for instance a broken bed replacing on a plus side there is a lot of support from certain trainers and some of the Team leaders but again expectation from the company is very high and they are pushed from their leader to  get the best out of you so for example you been on a call a while that call be listened into and every call is monitored and of course after you have found your feet but quickly within a short space of time they're on you doing call observations and what codes you're in when you need for example two minutes to write some notes up you only get thirty seconds between calls then back in the queue so you have to put your self in another status for example admin but this then flags up on the managers and TL's computers and again they're on you. through my very brief time  at Bensons in Customer service I worked with some nice people we had to be nice with each other or you'd literally cry the role though is a very different kettle and Bensons expect a lot out of a person it is emotionally destroying and as you would expect the company do not seem to value you as is the case with most big employers these days in these type of roles the roll pays a wage unfortunately does not get a lot better than that

Do not be fooled by the "commission" that you are promised. You have to sell an unachievable amount of products to even get anything. There is no praise from any management, you are constantly being told to do better and sell more and more.
They fail your probationary period even if your sales are excellent if you do not sell enough of their Care and Protection service. Customers do not want this service a lot of the time, but if you do not sell any of this service you are singled out and told constantly that you need to sell more.
KPIs and targets are constantly monitored, and you are feeling constantly stressed trying to please management and customers at the same time.
Three out of four staff members left this job in the same month because they were all fed up of the constant criticism, long hours and hard selling without any motivation or praise.
There is no understanding from management that if there are no customers in the store- you cannot sell anything!
It's very quiet a lot of the time, when customers do come in they are approached instantly by any staff member who jumps at the chance to earn some money. Management earn commission, the sales below them do not seem to get anywhere near this.
Greedy managers steal a lot of the sales and quotes and are unfair with their system of grabbing customers whenever they can. They have a way of manipulating you to believe they are trying to help you improve, when they are just taking your sales away.
When you do finally get the chance to leave this business- they will tell you you will not get any commission at all. This is a lie. I never got paid any commission the whole time I worked there, despite my sales being good, however as soon as I left they paid me my commission.
Please- save yourself the stress and don't apply for this job.

Do not recommend working here. My manager was very accommodating with my days/hours etc but in reality the company do not care. No chance of climbing the ladder unless your face fits. Commission scheme ?? Ah yes that’s the one that when you work hard to get that £3000 sale with all the extras that you have to to keep your KPI’s high, when it gets delivered damaged, after customer has waited then they complain and receive £xxx back which then comes off your weekly figures !! Absolutely shocking ! One particular sale of mine had problems from last January up until I left In December, she was still waiting for it to be rectified and after 2 x failed deliveries due to damages and the fact the product when re ordered had to be price matched to the offer that was on when the customer bought ! Well that looked like I’d discounted it so my commission went where ?? You guessed it right out the window ! Even though they mess up, the poor sales staff get penalised at every turn. It’s a joke ! Such a shame as I enjoyed my time there except for the commission structure, the late nights (even during COVID 5 nights a week) and the fact I’d never progress in the company. My manager was great I can’t fault that even though we had our moments, but who doesn’t. All in all I’d say avoid avoid avoid, they are making that many cut backs from uniforms to watching how much is being ordered for the store whether it’s bulbs or leaflets that they are losing the good hardworking staff that really are just a number in a long line of nobody’s to them. They are a disgrace.

If you want to go to a glum office full of disgruntled workers and lots of lazy managers, & if you want to do the bare minimum and go home then apply now.

There are practically no benefits, and as for the 'culture' of the place there isn't one. The majority of my colleagues were lovely as they are in the same situation as you, but most of the managers are lazy and cliquey who have managed to wangle there way to their position and they have no intention of moving or helping you progress. You're just a number, trapped on a conveyor belt. Its grim.

There's no communication or openness about the company, your told what you need to be told and thats on email. You dont feel a part of the company. If you want to clock watch and keep your head down Bensons is right for you.

There's no encouragement for social activities, there's not really any company activities either. For a big company they still operate so small and with a disregard for staff. They seem so obsessed with greed and keeping every penny to themselves, there is a massive pay gap between managers and everyone else. And considering the salaries are so low you would expect some kind of staff benefits even if its just free fruit or planned team sport activities like football matches.

Moving on was the best thing i did and it really opened my eyes further to what a disappointment the company has turned into over the 9 years i was there. I think its too late for them to change but they really need to start looking after people better, you dont need to throw money at it just compassion.

This company has a massive staff turnover due to the fact that they do not care about their staff and would rather them leave and re-train new hires.
They are a typical "hire and fire company" and have a revolving cycle of trainees due to how many staff they have leave the business.
They also state that they offer internal progression but this has never been the case with management preferring to hire externally than provide growth and training to their existing staff.
The role is "customer service" which is a nicer way of saying that you'll be working in a complaints department.
They let you have the "choice" of picking your hours to work but a few weeks later, completely changing these and stating that it's in our contract so it is compulsory.
Management are cold hearted and you will simply be nothing but a statistic to them.
You will be offered no assistance from management during difficult calls as they often do not want to deal with you and will just fob you off 
The company have tried to do "morale boosting" as they understand that nobody enjoys working for them and this often results in poorly planned "party's" I'n which management will be applausing and cheering advisors... Advisors which wernt allowed off the phones and the commotion can be heard by the angry customer who is on the phone, often making escalated calls more difficult and is really embarrassing 

Do not apply ! Worst company to work for !

Selling beds is easy but they expect so much from you. You're treated as a number not as a person.

It's a small team and if your store is understaffed, a work life balance does not exist. In your contract it says you're only supposed to work 3 weekends out of 4, however you work every weekend.

You do not get a christmas break, they give you 3 days off usually 23rd 24th& 25th dec and after that you are expected to work 9-8 for 14 days straight with no break. 

Half the management think they are the best thing that's ever happened in this world cause they earn a decent wage & they cry if book off a bank holiday and try state you are not allowed, when you most definitely are.

The company has been sold multiple times and been in and out of administration, so you can never truly feel safe in your job. 

The only positive I have is I worked with 3 people who were amazing, who made it worth it going in every weekend and working constantly over christmas ! 
 
If you're going to apply, which I wouldn't even wish upon my worst enemy to work for that company. Stick to everything that is in your contract and ensure they do not breach employment law. Do not let them take p*** out of you and always stick up for yourself because majority of people that work in bensons are sharks and steal your sales. 

Sales can be so two faced, so be careful because everyone speaks about everyone behind each others back. The managers can be the worst ones sometimes. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
There are no best parts working for this company. They make you work over your contracted hours without paying you for it. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
You’re not a human being at this company you’re just a number they make you do a lot more drops than you should. They have no respect for your safety or well-being. The vehicle are mostly loaded to the back door.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The worst working environment I have ever come across. They have their favourite drivers who work very less. Rest have to work more hours with out pay because you’re on a salary.
Management constantly lie to you it’s very toxic your voice will be heard but nothing will be done.


What is a typical day like for you at the company?
You go to work you start at 06:00 hours and they don’t care if you’re back at 21:00 hours they want all deliveries done. They don’t care about you. They have the worst driver telematics system ever that rates driving performance. They say jump and you say how high. That’s it for this company you’re just a slave you really don’t have a voice. They don’t really care about you and they make you lift heavy beds up to 4 floors and they only give you 5 to 10 minutes to do it in. Which is impossible you’re always behind on your time window which puts you under pressure all the time.

Duties:
	Receiving, moving, checking and storing incoming goods.
	Checking and inspecting goods received and ensuring they are of accurate quantity, type, and also acceptable quality.
	Packaging and labelling products before they are dispatched.
	Helping to ship out over 500 lines every day.
	Picking and packing products.
	Selecting space for storage and arranging for good to be placed in the designated areas.
	Making sure that all inventory processes are completed on the same day.
	Loading and unloading lorries, vans and other vehicles.
	Maintaining and servicing warehouse tool, machinery and trucks.
	Labelling goods that have arrived at the warehouse.
	Operating a forklift
	Welcoming and helping clients who visit the branch.


	Preparing deliveries for the van drivers.
	Moving and organising stock.
	Supervising the work of junior staff.
	Ensuring a clean and safe workhouse for staff to work in.
	Storing stock away safely.
	Removing hazardous products from the warehouse.
	Occasionally selling goods over the trade counter.
	Signing off and replenishing stock.
	Using Mechanical Handling Equipment i.e. fork lift trucks  to move goods around.
	Monitoring stock levels.
	Moving items through the warehouse from receipt to despatch to customers.
	Occasionally delivering stock to shops and retail outlets.
	Accurately updating all data into computer and manual recording systems.

This company is just a joke! Forced to work every weekend, forced to work 22 days without a day off over Christmas and are not able to book holidays in the"red weeks" ( which happens to be 26 weeks of the year). Managers and staff in the stores are not paid anywhere near enough for what they deal with on a day to day basis. Managers unable to sell to customers as they are dealing with problem after problem caused by the warehouse or customer service team. Staff getting penalised in their targets and commission through no fault of their own due to failed deliveries or missing orders, damage etc. Higher management are just disgusting bullies making everyone at store feel so unappreciated and worthless.

Treat your employees with respect!!! Realise that they want a family life too!!! Pay them a fair wage!!! You are the ONLY retail company out there that forces people to work every weekend, every bank holiday, the whole of the Christmas holidays. You are forcing loyal managers and members of staff that have been with the company for years out, because they don't want to move stores which you are forcing them to do and want to be treated as a person, not a number. 

Re evaluate what you stand for. You need the loyal members of staff that work so hard in the stores and care about the customer experience because without them you would not have a business.

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Sales assistant 1 salary reported	£28,698 per year
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