Pros
Worked with a really fun team, the people at store level (below manager status) do their best to look after each other. The pay was really good and the quarterly bonus was fantastic. BeBrilliant points were very handy to save for Xmas shopping. The store environment could be so much fun! I think I laughed 90% of the time. My team were the nicest people. Lots of work trips, you get to go to headquarters in Slough, which is a lot like Google headquarters in the film The Interns and meet other store workers, events were held at Twickenham, or larger stores where you just got to have fun, hang out with other people and learn what was next for the company. Watching Apple keynote speeches before new iPhone launch was always an adventure. Loved those evenings gearing up for the launch. They always seem to feed you pizza, cakes and cookies! This could be a con, because you WILL gain weight if you’re not careful. O2 are definitely feeders. Incentives and regional competitions galore! Good benefits packages, great sick pay, great maternity/paternity leave and pay. Supportive and flexible to a certain point. The kindness wears off though.
Kontras
Staff meetings that could’ve been an email are a regular occurrence and really boring. When the store isn’t doing well, you’re in for it. Things can get nasty. Upper management were not right in the head (region 7, I’m looking at you). Came out with nonsense and put on pressure for no good reason. Being mystery shopped on compliance, or general customer service is terrifying. You will get disciplinary action if you aren’t 100% perfect. Disciplinary action if you have a bad sales month, made to feel worthless and attend additional training outside of working hours to improve (you’re not always paid, you get the hours back, so a shorter shift follows). These sessions are in no way helpful. You leave with a headache and not much else. Not paid for all the hours you spend travelling if you need to attend an event they put on. Getting holidays approved is a total nightmare! You cannot book December at all, iPhone launch is blocked too. Summer holidays, half terms and Easter breaks are usually hogged by the same staff members every year. It’s retail, so don’t expect to enjoy Xmas, Easter, bank holidays or any national holiday ever again. Don’t expect to progress unless you become a favourite. Favouritism is rife. So is gossip, weird rumours about yourself are almost guaranteed.
