sales assistant

store manager

supervisor

retail assistant manager

assistant manager

Shoe Zone

Short Review

Low Pay for the amount of work and hours that you do. Unpaid Work – Managerial staff expected to begin work an hour before store opens and you have to work on average half an hour after you close. On average therefore that is 7.5 hours you work for free a week. Excessive Overtime - You will be asked to work a lot of overtime. If a member of staff is ill or on holiday the rest of the staff are overburdened as Shoezone do not employ enough staff in their stores.

Long Review

I was Assistant Manager of the Oldbury Branch which is a ‘Big Box’ store. From day one I found the manageress to be aggressive. Training consisted of being shown something rapidly and then to having to perform the task sometimes a few weeks later and then being berated for not remembering how to do it. I worked on average 46 hours a week but was contracted for 38.5. This is because you were expected to come in early to get the store ready which involves tidying, counting money in the safe, etc. But you do not get paid for this. Was told at one point by manageress that she recommended I get in at 7am (shop opens at 9am). Once worked over 50 hours one week and also worked 10 days in a row without a day off due to low staff levels. 

Pay very low for amount of work. Hourly rate for Assistant Manager is £8.49. Was not told how much my pay would be in my interviews due to the ‘minimum wage going up’. I personally believe it’s because they did not want me to know the amount. Supervisors get only 13K per year and Managers 16.5K. 

I was told that Shoezone was one big family and it is. But it’s a dysfunctional family. Gossip occurs in all workplaces but in Shoezone it was rife and unpleasant.

Whilst working there I was studying for a degree part time. When I mentioned that working 45 hours, rather than my contracted hours, will impact on my studies the manageress asked me, ‘What was more important my degree or shoezone!?!’ A part time worker who was also a full time student was asked the same question.

Working relationship with manageress deteriorated from this point. 

Manageress asked me to go and help at another store refit.  I refused as the store refit was in Oxford some 78 miles from my house. Manageress got irate when I refused.

During my first probation review the manageress told me that two members of staff had informed her that I was looking for other work and I had refused to help out at the refit which shows I lacked dedication. She then gleefully told me I had failed my probation and in three weeks unless improvement was made she would instigate an instant dismissal. However the grounds of my dismissal and on the relevant paperwork was ‘poor performance’ due to not saying hello enough to customers in the store and constantly walking past rubbish but not collecting it (I did these things and even if I didn’t is that a case for instant dismissal? In reality she wanted me gone for other reasons).

I asked her to write up an action plan for me to stick to improve the level she wanted. She agreed but never wrote such a plan.

Manageress then told the Area Manager she was dissatisfied with me and wanted me gone. He came to the store and asked staff for feedback about myself and work. However he deliberately came on my day off and never asked for my side of the story.

One week before my next review I asked the manageress if she thought I had made enough progress to continue but again I was told she was going for instant dismissal so I handed in my notice. I was later informed by staff that she had never wanted to hire me in the first place it was the Area Manager who insisted so I never really stood a chance.

I have worked in retail at a managerial level for 20 years and I have never encountered a more depressing place to work. You will work your backside off for no gratitude and pitiful pay. If you are thinking of working there I recommend you instead get a bucket of hot soapy water and a sponge and ask your neighbours if they want their windows or cars cleaned. You will get more money and more job satisfaction that way.

Overall, Shoe Zone is a good job to begin with if you have no prior experience in retail. At my store, there are no security measures such as Security tag scanners or CCTV, meaning you become a lot more vigilant and aware or your surroundings, qualities needed when you inevitably move on to a better and higher paying job. The managers and supervisors are real people who like to talk generally and are very supportive, however, they treat you like work horses and want you to do a lot of the gritty work like running up the stairs and getting on your hands and kneess to pointlessly wipe the bottom of racks which are not visable to customers anyway. To me, it felt like a massive imbalance that I would never be paid more than minimum wage whist doing an identical jobs to someone who was only 2/3 years older than me, and when other employers can offer you more £ p/h and more hours, its no wonder why the company go through so many staff, apart from the ones which arent comfortable to go out of their comfort zone. I was frequently denied holiday time and got a disciplinary when I had to go to hospital and requires a month or two off work as I physically was unable to do work, whilst it was ok for for management to dangle the “more hours” carrot infront of my to keep me at the store then taking it away from me at the last instant, its a joke that I need to give 12 weeks notice for any holiday time when they can seem to take hours away from me in an afternoon. When I finally got offered a new job to with better hours and money, i informally made my management aware of my decision but agreed to work the remainder of my shifts instead of handing my weeks notice in and leaving them during a staff shortages.The treatment I got after this I though was very unprofessional as staff frequently refused to greet me when I arrived or be cooperative in any sense, I have seen toddlers on a playground squabble in a better manner than Shoe Zone. In conclusion, dont expect to be in this job for the long term, take it as an experience of what life can really be like, unrewarding and a lot of hard work.

As this was an unpaid work experience I started with a somewhat unsure opinion of what to expect. That was quickly dismissed when I got to know the staff they were happy and fun. It was a work environment that I'd never seen and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. I actually felt more at home in Shoe Zone than I did in my own home.
I would arrive at work and change into my shoe zone fleece and shirt. I left them at the shop since it was practiced by the staff. I'd man the till until the manager had organised the tasks and actions for the day. Some days were slow but when we got a delivery was the most busy and by far the most satisfying. Receiving the delivery was difficult in comparison to some of the other shops in town as we didn't have a loading bay, so deliveries were brought in through the front of the shop. Making sure there wasn't any boxes left on the shop floor was important so haste was needed. The boxes had to be stacked specifically so that the identifying labels could all be read. Boxes of mixed shoes had to be kept separate from the boxes with only a single kind of shoe. Then we had to check off the boxes from a list to assure the full load had arrived. Once done we would open the taped boxes with a knife and place a single pair on top of the box for quick identification, then place the box in the hallway close to the "staff only" door to the shop floor. The average delivery would range in size (40-80 boxes of 8-14 shoes, seemingly random numbers of bags and shoe care products). The sorting of stock on the floor on stock day was a big task. It required many of the existing displays be re packaged for storage and shoes must be de packaged for display which would be an on going process sometimes needing to be finished the following day. My Co workers proved really helpful as they went out of their way to help me learn what I had to do and made it a really warm environment to work and learn in. The thing about the job I found hardest would be either having to stand on the till when the shop was quiet or having to leave when I had finished my work experience and the thing I found the most enjoyable was the satisfaction of siting in my chair in the evening feeling like I'd done a good job regardless of not being paid.

A typical day was passable, if sometimes dull or frustrating. My duties included:

• merchandising
• replenishing stock
• packing away and organising deliveries
• serving customers
• training new staff
• handling complaints and returns
• loss prevention

Management at the store level was generally good, though varied by store. Upper management was afflicted with the all-too-common notion that employment is a one-way street, i.e. few accommodations made for the general wellbeing of the staff but plenty of pressure to meet unreasonably high standards (I saw the manager bought to tears by the area-manager over the phone), all in return for a contract with few guaranteed hours at the legally-mandated minimum wage.

No part of the job was especially challenging aside from dealing with constant shop-lifting and occasional obtuse customer.

The most enjoyable part of the job was training new members of staff as it allowed some self-expression (the only task I had, other than serving customers, that a machine wouldn't have done equally as well)

That being said, my store's management was very reasonable, and took an appropriately relaxed attitude (so long as we met our targets and got everything done that needed doing, we were generally left alone). All of my colleagues were very friendly and I'm still in touch with some.

All in all I wouldn't recommend working for Shoe Zone. Too often management in retail does not appreciate the high productivity retail workers provide relative to their wage (studies show office workers are often productive less than 50% of the workday, and are almost invariably better compensated). This is the case at ShoeZone; you'll be on your feet 8 hours a day, busy for most of it, poorly paid, called in at a moments notice (I usually worked double the hours I was contracted), and you wont be appreciated for any of it.

A typical days work includes answering telephones and making calls to other Shoe Zone stores, giving excellent customer services, operating the tills and making online orders, dealing with price deductions and increases, making sure the shop floor is full of stock and that there are no gaps on shelves, keeping the shop tidy by cleaning and making sure it is safe at all times for my colleagues and the customers and going to the bank.

The main thing I have learned is that your customers are your main priority; you must always give them a great customer service to the best of your ability to ensure they find what they were looking for and leave the shop happy. You must always offer them your help and advice if welcomes to show that you want to help them as much as you can. In doing this, you are proving that you are enthusiastic about your work and doing your job right. 

Management in this store is excellent. The manager is well known with the customers for his wit, hard work and great rapor with his colleagues and customers. Management is encouraging employees to work to the best of their ability to become the best Shoe Zone store in the UK. In addition to this, all co-workers are extremely easy to get along with, making the work place a a fun and productive environment. Working in a team comes naturally as we will always support each other to fulfill our daily roles and ensure all jobs and targets get done.

For me, the hardest part of the job is adjusting to the stock being moved around as I only work one day a week on a Sunday. Furthermore, the most enjoyable part of the job is working on the tills serving customers as you can socialize, build a friendly atmosphere all in which sets a good representation for the store. 

In the beginning, working for Shoe Zone was great: it was really busy due to it being the summer holidays so there was a lot to do. This busy period lasted for a while, but eventually, the store became quieter and there were fewer tasks to do during the shift. Most of the time I found that I was just getting paid to stand there and do nothing. 

Moreover, the customers were actually quite rude to us staff members - I had shoes thrown at me, I had been spat at by a customer and I had been sworn at constantly for countless reasons. The staff members in the shop also became gradually ill-mannered as time went on. After I handed my notice in, the staff acted incredibly unprofessionally - on some of my shifts, they refused to speak to me for the whole day. 

At the shop itself, there were no zero security measurements, aside from the security alarms that you usually find at the door of a shop. No CCTV; no nothing. We didn't even have a door at the front of the shop, and there were no working heaters, so imagine how cold the shop would have been during the winter. It was awful - on one shift I actually had to wear my coat because it was that cold, and I had three customers offer to buy me a hot drink. I had gotten ill from the lack of heating during the winter and my managers and colleagues couldn't care less. 

Shoe Zone is good if you want to gain the retail experience, but for long time work, I wouldn't recommend it. The working environment is actually quite toxic, the pay is actually quite low per hour and you'll just have more stress than you need to while working there.

My immediate colleagues were lovely and taught me everything at a perfect pace which allowed me to settle in well. 

The office atmosphere is relaxed, you're able to make hot drinks throughout the day and get a 45 minute lunch. The workload was manageable and I never felt stressed at work.

I had a performance review a week before lockdown and was told I was doing great and that there were no issues with my work whatsoever. 

However, as COVID-19 spread in the UK and the lockdown started, we got an announcement by the company boss that the majority of employees will be put on furlough. The same day my probation was ended due to 'my performance' and I was essentially fired on the spot. 

I even asked to be put on furlough and fired after quarantine instead but it was highlighted to me that I was fired and only people made redundant could ask for that under government guidelines.

Shoe Zone left me high and dry in the worst possible situation and now they're looking to fill my position again.

I hope saving those two paychecks (which would've been funded by the gov) was worth it. 

Work here to gain experience but don't think about staying long term. They do not value you as a human being. During the spread of corona, even if you could complete 90% of your work from home they wouldn't allow it regardless of whether you lived with vulnerable people or not. 

Most of the management are people who have been with the company for 7+ years and do not like change.

A typical day at Shoe Zone includes serving customers, and assisting with any customers needs, for example measuring children s  feet. This is also followed by stock replenishment every hour to ensure the shelves do not look empty. Additionally I keep the shop floor tidy and presentable and making sure that the shoes are displayed correctly. I often reassure customers about our return policy if they're not 100% with their purchase and offer alternative ways to purchase their shoes with buying online or visiting another local branch. I also assist the manager/supervisor with tasks that require help, such as pricing shoes or rearranging the display of particular shoes.
I have learned many things in this industry, such as excellent customer service is always key. I have also learnt how to deal with customer concerns in a tactical manner. Working in this industry has allowed me to build on how to use my initiative even more effectively. Working in the customer service industry allows you to communicate with a diverse group of people which enhances interpersonal skills.
My co-workers are really friendly and always help me to improve on any areas that need improving which is important to help me develop into a more experienced Sales Assistant. 
The hardest part of the job is sometimes dealing with situations you have never came across before. This I fins challenging, but I always find a way to work around it. 
The most enjoyable part of the job is gaining more knowledge and skills that are transferable. Additionally it is nice to talk to friendly customers.

The people myself and two others worked with during this 2 week work experience were really nice and kind, they helped us out alot within the first few days so that we understood how they went day-to-day with the job. 
They showed us how to till was used and this was so that if the other 2 students were upstairs checking the stocks and the manager along with an employee where making sure things on stand were all correct, you could use the till to help out customers. 
One of the hardest parts of working at shoe zone if that in the summer, where the stock is kept, it can get really hot up there and did tire us out alot whilst looking for shoes as it got us all hot and bothered. To go alongside this, it was sometimes very difficult to find a certain pair of shoes that a customer would want and sometimes the shoes were not always in the correct place, the numbering system sometimes got messed up (hence the shoes not always in the correct place problem).
Myself and the 2 others learnt how they got the delivery's on a Tuesday and they put that into stocking records properly on the following Thursday, sometimes this could take an hour or so, sometimes it took all day (we did get like hundreds of plimsolls on the 2nd week delivery, it was a nightmare for the other 2 students I was with).
We got 2 breaks during the day, one was a few hours after opening up, the other was a few hours before we could leave at 5pm, those breaks were about 15 to 20 minutes long. The lunch break we had was an hour long and it was great as we could either sit upstairs with the stock or go into Havant and sit at the park for lunch, us three did this most days.

A typical day at work starts with preparing the shop for start of business - ensuring that prime sites and baskets are tidy, shop floor is tidy and full, windows clean inside and out.  Complete the appropriate paperwork and check the sales targets for that day.  Organise what jobs are required for that day - recalls, delivery, stock rotation, cleaning and share them with the work force.  I have an excellent working relationship with my team and I can rely on them to complete tasks and instructions to the best of their ability.  We have a good relationship which I think is important as they feel that they can come to me when they need help either with duties of if there are grievances as they know they can trust me.  If I cannot sort the problem out I will go to my area manager with the problem with the utmost secrecy.  The most enjoyable part of my day is delivering excellent customer service to customers.  I take great satisfaction knowing that I have given each and every customer an excellent experience in my store and fully confident that they will return for the service and products.  The hardest part of the job is dealing with shoplifters.  I deal with this by being completely professional and polite.  I let the person or persons in question know that my presence is there by openly engaging them in conversation and trying to assist them in picking shoes.  I do not do anything to aggravate them or give them the impression that I suspect them to be a shoplifter.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Sales assistant 56 salaries reported	£14,981 per year
Store manager 86 salaries reported	£19,677 per year
Supervisor 53 salaries reported	£13,799 per year
Retail assistant manager 5 salaries reported	£15,823 per year
Assistant manager 17 salaries reported	£19,732 per year

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