Marks & Spencer Reviews
68% would recommend to a friend
(8162 total reviews)
Stuart Machin
77% approve of CEO
Found 8,162 of over 9K reviews
Updated 29 Nov 2023
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Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor
- "Good pay compared to other retail stores and the pay often goes up after a while." (in 838 reviews)
- "Most colleagues are friendly and personable; more of a 'we're all in this mess together' kind of friendship." (in 393 reviews)
- "Poor management at time because too many managers on departments that they are not fit to run and just 'wig it'." (in 589 reviews)
- 5.016 Nov 2023Project ManagerCurrent EmployeeLondon, England
Pros
- culture - working environment
Cons
- some out dates systems - progression routes are not obvious
Marks & Spencer Response2wHi there, thanks for your positive review! We work really hard to create a great working environment so we're really happy this is felt by our colleagues. We'd always advise scoping out progression opportunities with your Line Manager, and checking out the great careers tools we have available internally. Thanks for your feedback. Marks and Spencer
- 1.023 Nov 2023Cafe BaristaFormer Employee, more than 3 years
Pros
The staff discount is the only good thing about working here
Cons
An absolutely shocking place to work I wouldn’t recommend ANYONE to work here. They expect you to do all the overtime in the world yet you get no thanks or appreciation for doing so. The Christmas hours are ridiculous, they pride themselves in letting their staff have Christmas Day and Boxing Day off yet they fail to inform the public that they make their staff work the days back. I worked in the cafe and I have never felt so run down and exhausted in all my life. We were constantly short staffed because new starters would never stay on long enough due to the poor working conditions. Which then also meant that myself and my colleagues would have to do the work of about 5 people at once - and then we’d further get told off for forgetting or missing to do things. I could list many more cons about this company but the final one that has really ticked me off is that I’m now being forced to pay them £500 because I’ve left the company. Even though I worked my notice. I asked them to explain to me what I owe them £500 for and they still have failed to show or explain to me what it is for. I will never work for this company ever again.
1Marks & Spencer Response4dHi there, thanks for taking the time to leave your review and thanks for your honesty here. We know our colleague discount benefit is valued by lots of our colleagues so we're glad to hear you were able to make use of this. We're really disappointed to hear of your experience here and we'd like to take a moment to apologise for the way you felt during your time with us. The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is incredibly important to us at M&S and we're sorry to hear that you felt undervalued for the hard work you would have delivered over the festive period. We'd always advise our colleagues to link in with their Line Manager or their local BIG rep to discuss any issues with their hours or workload, as we want our colleagues to feel empowered to be at their best during their time with us. In regards to any HR-related queries, we have a great team of advisors available throughout the week who will be able to assist and guide you through any issues you might be having. If you'd like to reach out to the team on 0345 304 7474, they'll be happy to discuss this with you, and ensure you have the correct guidance when you need it. We're always looking for ways to improve, and to make sure our colleagues are fairly rewarded and recognised for the hard work they commit, especially over the festive period, so we'd like to thank you for your feedback. Marks and Spencer
- 5.029 Nov 2023Customer ServiceFormer Employee, less than 1 yearNottingham, England
Pros
- Great benefits with discount card - Good management - Good opportunities for overtime at Christmas
Cons
Nothing in particular - retail is retail and this is a great job for retail. Only thing was the member of staff at onboarding making really weird personal comments about her transgender niece for about 10 minutes whilst telling us 'be kind', but also seemingly misgendering the niece and using outdated and - at times - offensive terminology. Super uncomfortable to the point that I nearly stopped her (a pity that I really needed this job at this point in my life, at any other time in my life I would have), not out of any self-righteousness but just because it was downright rude and uncomfortable for all involved. She should have just stuck a video about inclusivity on and called it a day. Weird for a company that's otherwise quite progressive about this sort of thing.
- 3.06 Nov 2023Customer AssistantCurrent Employee, more than 3 yearsLondon, England
Pros
Helping others within a community and surrounded by great colleagues.
Cons
Unrealistic expectations due to staff cuts. If your not fond of working under pressure as well as having to make the right decisions within a very limited amount of time, you may feel overwhelmed in this field. In addition to this, the demand from customers is very high but there’s not enough staff to satisfy every customers needs, and as a result it can leave you feeling unfulfilled even when providing the best customer service constantly.
1Marks & Spencer Response2wHi, thanks for leaving a review. Whilst it's great to see that you recognize the great colleagues we have, it's discouraging to hear you feel overwhelmed due to resourcing matters. We advise our Colleagues to link in with their Line Manager, if they have any concerns in relation to their role especially delivering it to their satisfaction, to strive for a suitable solution together. Thank you also, for the feedback on communication, we’ll ensure to feed this back to the relevant team. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any other feedback or suggestions you’d like to share. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to review. Marks and Spencer
- 2.028 Nov 2023Customer AssistantCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearGlasgow, Scotland
Pros
You get a 20% staff discount, and there are always extra hours available to work
Cons
Essentially forced into working full time despite a part time contract due to understaffing, contacted at all hours of the day by management looking for cover, one of the lower paying supermarkets despite profits/ initial prices, and this one is not the fault of the company but the customers are among the most entitled and least understanding in the retail world - makes life a misery
- 1.027 Nov 2023ManagerFormer Employee, more than 1 yearLondon, England
Pros
The in store teams are amazing, the products are good m&s are great
Cons
Company is falling appart. No marketing. stores are quiet. Favouritism. Massive turn over in staff. Toxic positivity from the regional managers, there boss and generally anyone else not at store level. No one on the head office has a clue what it's like in the store. Just look at their latest accounts on companies House.
Marks & Spencer Response3dHi, and thanks for your feedback on your time as a Manager with M&S Opticians in London. We're glad to hear your positive views on our in-store teams and products. Regarding your concerns about the company dynamics and management, we take all feedback seriously as part of our commitment to continuous improvement. Insights like yours are valuable as we strive to enhance our operations and workplace environment. We appreciate your contributions during your tenure and thank you for sharing your perspective. Marks and Spencer
- 4.08 Nov 2023Customer AssistantCurrent Employee, more than 5 years
Pros
-Employee Discount and that’s about it -No skill required -Most managers in store are caring
Cons
-Pay is worse than any other supermarket. -Managers pressurising you to rush and work at an unrealistic pace. -They just released that their profits were up 56% yet there will be nothing more in terms of even matching other supermarkets hourly wage. -There isn’t a consistent Christmas Bonus -The work gets very tiring and repetitive. -Think we are robots and sick days aren’t allowed they have all these policies which certainly are made up and don’t align with the legal system especially around their sick day system.
3 - 5.023 Nov 2023Customer AssistantCurrent Employee, more than 1 yearBury St Edmunds, England
Pros
Lovely staff environment, everybody will welcome and settle you in. Good staff discount, good level of pay and plenty of staff facilities backstage.
Cons
Work tasks can be time constraining and stressful and it does sometimes involve heavy lifting. Multiple factors of performance are constantly monitored by managers and they will talk to you if you make a mistake no matter how small, can sometimes be intimidating.
Marks & Spencer Response4dHello and thanks for taking the time to leave your review and for your honesty here. We're delighted to hear that you have found the work environment at M&S supportive and welcoming. It's essential to us that our colleagues feel comfortable and empowered in their roles. If you find certain tasks time-constraining or stressful, we encourage open communication with your Line Manager or your local BIG rep. We are committed to ensuring your health and wellbeing, and by working together, we can find solutions that allow you to thrive and feel valued in your work, without feeling overwhelmed. Thank you for your dedication and for contributing to the positive spirit of our team. Marks and Spencer
- 1.028 Sept 2023Customer Service AdvisorFormer Employee, more than 1 yearSalford, North West England, England
Pros
Free hot n cold water. Discount.
Cons
I had a pretty bad time here. People are miserable and it's obvious to see why. You cannot and I can't stress this enough, CANNOT progress in this place. The office is run like a sweatshop and it actually makes me angry how bad it was because my current role is a million times better in every way. In M&S head office you really must massage the egoes of the managers or you'll go nowhere. My manager was utterly irritating and never gave any positive feedback just a constant barrage of negativity to the point where I lost any interest in trying anymore. Don't work here if you don't already know how to do your job already or they'll beat you down. All in all a really terrible experience full of egotism, bullying culture and a very arrogant attitude. Diversity and inclusion feels tacked on and doesn't seem to make one iota of a difference, sure do the theme days and such but without any thought behind it, it's a waste of time.
4Marks & Spencer Response3moHi there, thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for your honesty. We're disappointed to hear the concerns you’ve raised and would like to take this opportunity to apologise for how you felt during your time with us. This doesn’t sound like the way we do things at Marks and Spencer and completely goes against the values we've worked so hard to uphold. As a business we want to make sure that all of our Colleagues feel supported and enjoy being a part of the Marks and Spencer family. The health and wellbeing of our colleagues has always been our priority at Marks and Spencer. As the issues you've raised are serious, we'd hope that our Colleagues know that they can raise their concerns to another Manager if they're not supported by their own, or reach out to their local Big Rep. We also have a team of Policy Specialists which thoroughly investigate all formal grievances raised. It would be great if you could contact our Line Manager Advisory Team (LMAS) via LMAS@marks-and-spencer.com, with your previous Colleague number, so that they can further look into the issues you've raised. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention. Marks and Spencer
- 3.027 Nov 2023Team ManagerFormer Employee
Pros
Not many, some people are nice
Cons
Low pay, no recognition, they expect you to put work first at all costs, no overtime pay, but if you dare to leave at your SCHEDULED time if you have personal commitments when they busy …. Oh boy, they will never let you forget that, and you’re just a number.
Marks & Spencer Reviews FAQs
Marks & Spencer has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5, based on over 9,242 reviews left anonymously by employees. 68% of employees would recommend working at Marks & Spencer to a friend and 55% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.
68% of Marks & Spencer employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated Marks & Spencer 3.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.3 for career opportunities.
