Pros
commission was good if you could make the threshold every month
Cons
capped commission which you had to make an amount of sales before getting this money and also taking into account cancellations and fees. toxic workplace; to give you an overview of what I went through, I had to start 15 minutes before my start time every day unpaid. If I didn't make it in for the 15 minute meeting everyday before starting my shift, my manager would ask why I was late and would make it clear that "you won't be late again" considering my shift hadn't started yet this was ridiculous. If I was late before my start time or even wanted to take a break the managers wouldn't treat you the same, it felt as though I was not wanted most days. Some days the managers would ask if I had been productive with my day, after taking leads, doing plan checks, checking kitchen bays, making quick sales, they have an expectation of 7 leads per a 5 day working week which sometimes is impossible with 13 designers all speaking to the same customers coming through the doors and also 2 other information advisors who are hired to take leads and book the customers in with designers for the coming weeks. You have a score to keep track of and if you don't book your own leads this can lead to a warning, even thought I did take leads I still received a warning from my manager that 3 a week was not good enough. Some days it will just be your luck if a customer wants to book in but it is hard going to compete with the other designers. Another point I want to make out to you, you are entitled to an unpaid lunch hour, which you will never be able to take as the manager wants you to ask permission to "take a bite to eat" don't ask to go on "lunch" or the manager will tell you nobody goes on lunch here, it does not exist you are to take a quick bite to eat. I would ask for a bite and she would tell me a designer was already on lunch and then another and another. Usually when I was hungry I would make a tea and grab biscuits they have in the canteen for our customers to stop my hunger. I used to work 9am till 8pm with a half hour break, when 20+ designers all want to go you need to be quick as they can all get stressed and moody. At the end of everyday we were made to type out an end of day report, this was to show the managers that we were all doing our job effectively. I used to make 30+ calls, designs, catch up with emails, do my learning modules and still got questioned on my end of day reports, some mornings I would come in to emails saying you could be more productive, take more leads, undermining my ability for the role, it was awful I felt although I couldn't do anything right. A lot of the designers felt the same and were drained with the management and the way the store was run. You are made to work a weekly basis of 5/7 days but in the busy period you will be made to work 6/7 days with 10/12 hour shifts per day. The web leads would go to the favourites in the showroom, such as close friends, family members or senior designers. If you asked for help on getting leads (walk in customers) I was told to watch modules on how to do this. I watched other designers who were working there hardest to get leads and sometime they would be knocked back. After your KPI score is reasonable more web leads will drop in, but don't think for a second they will stay with you, they management can swap and change your leads and give them to anyone else. If a design appointment took 4/5 hours and you go for a basket check from your management just to make sure you have everything correct, they will point out everything incorrect and change it for you but if it does not sell and the customers don't wish to pay the deposit the management will treat you differently and say to you "you should have pushed it why did you not try harder" this is a way of pushing you but not an effective way to make us try harder than we had? I always felt although I couldn't go back to my manager after a design appointment that did not sell as they would act disgusted but there was nothing else I could have done? Now being out of Wrens I feel a lot happier, I don't feel as stressed and can walk confidently again as I had lost this within my job with them.
