retail sales associate

sales

sales associate

salesperson

sales manager

JB Hi-Fi

To be completely honest, 
JB is an amazing place to work. I read someone say it comes down to mindset and I agree. For me, I loved working at JB the moment I walked through the door and 6 months later I can still confidently say that I still love working here as much as I did on the first day. But without this enthusiasm, I've seen some people have a hard time keeping up or creating healthy relationships with other workers. 
An issue I feel throws people off about working at JB is this preconceived idea of what the workload is. When I first got hired I knew JB for being the place filled with young people who basically are best friends and they just hang out every day and after work listen to music and watch movies and play video games and they  just so happen to run a store while doing it. No no no. 
JB workers are some of the hardest workers I’ve come to find in my years of retail. Yes, everyone likes each other (to an extent obviously factoring in personal experience) and yes everyone loves movies or music or gaming, but when you walk in the door and clock on, you are there to work and you do not stop until close. It’s just a plus that you’re doing it with people who are cool. 
Some cons, however, 
Rostering and budget are a big factor in how casuals get work, (at least at my store) a regular day is roughly 5 salespeople, 3 counter people, and 3-4 storeroom people. Most of these people will be full-time or part-time with maybe 1 or 2 of those people from each department being casual. So while having 9-12 casuals, not everyone is guaranteed a shift (especially if you are studying or have prior work commitments). By all means, management will try to accommodate you and find shifts to give you, but at the end of the day, most casual shifts are given when someone FT or PT calls in sick or doesn’t rock up. 
With all this being said, jbhifi IS an amazing place to work, but don’t be fooled, you will be pushed and you will do some of the hardest work you will ever have to do in retail, however having someone fun, high energy, and full of life next to you makes the days fly by and you can sit back and say “ I did a lot of work today and I’m proud of that”. 

Great place to start a sales career and to build important communication skills and sales tactics. 

Your experience will vary depending on your store or sale manager, some will take time to help you in every way but most will simply be trying to look out for themselves.

Most importantly all sales members must meet a daily, weekly and monthly budget that can sometimes be realistic but other times not so much. This all depends on the amount of employees staffed for the day and what the total budget is for the day, week and month. You must as a sales employee meet these budgets no matter what.

This brings me to my primary issue with JB  from a sales perspective, the commission. Most products have a set base commission price that will get lower the more you discount an item for a customer meaning that it is highly encouraged to add as many items as possible and push people into buying bigger products or specific brands that may or may not suit the individual that you're serving meaning the customer 9 times out of 10 are leaving with a product that they might not have even asked for. 

In addition to this is means that your co-workers will be stalking customers like vultures trying to squeeze as much commission as they can even if they've hit their budget for the month, leaving others in the dust. Some employees may try to help you reach your budgets and others will simply look out for themselves.

JB management will try to lure you in with possibilities of funded trips, sponsors, early movie screenings etc however the likelihood of being part of that is unlikely for the most part.

Sales at JB Hi-Fi is completely based on luck ranging from the time of day, week, season, co-workers and management.

Despite all of this however, working for JB Hi-Fi was still very fulfilling, oddly relaxing and in my case was very helpful and felt like a small family with dramas between cousins and all. 

First off every JBHIFI store will be different so if you ever get a chance to work at another one i'd say at least try it once so you have something to compare your experience to. 
Depending on what role you get and what department your in will make or break your experience and the big thing most team will say is management can either make your time at JB amazing and you'll stay there as long as you can or you'll leave with not a good experience in your mouth and transfer to a new store or just leave completely.  Each day is different and whether its busy or not there's usually something to do.  As a salesperson the commision on  items will help you paycheck to paycheck but it comes in your payevery fortnight, knowing your products is a big thing and whether you do the modules they have at work or do research at home or own the products you should have a basic understanding otherwise the customers will not want you and ask for a different salesperson.  whether you're in a store that's in shopping centre where 9 times out of time they'll be window shopping and you'll be lucky to make an extra money and you could have 2-3 people in your section so hitting your budget can be a challenge. Or if your in an outlet shop and barely have 1 person per section you can make your budget and get extra money because you don't have other people to fight to get the sale so to speak.
but if there's only 1 person in a section then if it's busy, customers get upset because your by yourself.
the best parts are the discounts on products and seeing when tech comes out first, and wearing casual clothes as a uniform is sick.  Management can make or break you and your team because if you're not on the same wavelength you might not get shifts or just make the work environment not that good.  I'd say if you've never had a job or want to test the waters in sales go for it just make sure you know what you're in for. 

as far as being a christmas casual, the typical day has you dealing with customers on a regular bases, if your not dealing with customers, your dealing with paperwork / or setting up for the next customers. i was working as a cashier and having to deal with 30 people in line all at once can be challenging. there is alottttt of multitasking, taking calls during a busy time, sending info around and asking questions is intense. greeting customers and making sure your doing the right thing is crucial. one muck up and you anger a customer and delay them (not checking the price tag before confirming the purchase). there is a system in place at JB that's easy to follow and takes care of everything. though it can be extremely difficult to keep up with the intense work, the members at work will always look out for you and support you when you ask. my experience with management was pretty good, there was a looming feeling of doom if you did something wrong because it costs the business but there generally nice people who are professional at what they do. there is alot to enjoy at JB, the back and forth between colleagues preparing customers for you, hoards of people buying interesting items, the variety of customers and regular faces, the challenge of being in a busy environment, the rewarding satisfaction you get when you see a person leave with an item happily. theres alot of stuff involved but if the staff prices don't interest you then just observing the people while you work is enough to make you value diversity.

Good and bad components of working here, I was in a head office role so can’t say much for store level. Office is really nice with casual attire, but it’s only worth working there for the shiny title on your resume. No matter what role, they pay under the market average with no bonuses and rely on their brand for you to join the business. 
It’s been over 7 years since JB and The Good Guys merged yet they haven’t managed to invest in integrating to the one platform. It is completely separate and disorganized making things much slower and difficult which is ironic from a company that is successful on being a technology retailer. 
Culture is interesting… some nice people, others wouldn’t give you the time of day, be cliquey, or false. Not much team building, there were people in my department I never spoke to because it was so big which made it awkward in meetings despite the team being a “family”. 
DO NOT trust management, I was told I was doing a great job in a performance review with my manager and then 2 weeks later I was let go because of “performance issues” despite having someone in my direct team resign during the peak business of work during the year, thus drastically increasing my workload - leaving me to start early and finish late half the time. 

Just be careful you don’t drink all the cool-aid as it’s not what it is made out to be. 

I was responsible for the full accountabilty for the sales and operation of the business. Open/close procedures including but not limited to, cash control, analyse reports and communicate data to team at morning meetings where I set the  daily targets and fire the team up! Daily walkthrough would ensure merchandising standards were maintained. The day would generally encompass delighting customers, inventory control, staff development and coaching and promotional execution.

I developed my leadership style by receiving honest feedback and  through personal reflection. I honed my ability to energise, organise and mobilise a highly effective team by adapting to an ever changing environment.

The management team are highly effective, intelligent, sales driven unit. They are the defining factor in the strategic development of a nationally loved brand.

JB Hi Fi are built on great people. It was a privilege to work with and develop hundreds of like minded people. We are passionate about what we do.

The hardest and most enjoyable part of the job was managing and leading the people. I appreciate this is not exclusive to JB. The diversity of the colourful and wonderful people we attract requires a solution based mind set, empathy & experience. The ultimate goal is that we make our customers and staff feel engaged, valued and satisfied.

The aroma of fresh coffee, a universal comfort, often fills kitchens and cafes, signaling the start of the day for many. In contrast, the chilling silence of space, an endless void, hums with distant cosmic energies, a reminder of humanity's small place in a vast universe. A single dewdrop on a spiderweb can capture the intricate beauty of nature, a microcosm of a grander design. Meanwhile, the persistent rhythm of ocean waves against a shore provides a soothing, ancient soundtrack to the world. From the fleeting glance of a stranger in a crowd to the profound wisdom held within a dusty library book, everyday life is a tapestry woven with countless threads of experience and observation, each contributing to the rich, ongoing narrative of existence.
The concept of time itself remains a fascinating enigma, a dimension we move through but rarely fully comprehend. It can feel both agonizingly slow during moments of waiting and impossibly fast when recalling cherished memories. The silent hum of technology, from smartphones to vast server farms, underpins modern life, connecting people across continents in ways previously unimaginable. Even the simple act of watching a cloud drift across the sky can spark wonder, a reminder of the constant, gentle motion of the atmosphere and the subtle changes that shape our weather and world.

I was a Xmas casual for a busy South East suburb store and I was initially excited. The workplace is great because of the fun, lively and quirky co workers and other managers but my experience with one manager made it sour. 

On my second day I made a mistake on putting a warranty on a product that was not meant to be included. He had a group of people watching me as he told me my mistake and left a final note saying "I hope you know the damage you have done." In front of everyone and the person who's sale I have messed up. Never have I felt such unprofessionalism from a manager and spite. I found out later the process was reversible and could be undone in a few hours...

On top of that is the +30 min wait time you put customers on hold because you're only limited and trained to ONE area  (eg: if a customer needed assistance in the games area and you work in the music area, you must radio-in a request for a co-worker in games rather than helping the customer immediately and cutting waiting time).

Overall became a bad working experience and I was stressed out after every shift because of them. 

I have been with this company for 3 years, and in that short span, I have enjoyed my time there. Management is generally accommodating (with casuals), the team dynamic is positive and entertaining, and the 'sales' element comes naturally in an environment that is fun to be in.

However, over the last few months, there has been a shift more to numbers and individual performance. This includes being HEAVILY encouraged to sell extended warranties, pitching telephone plans (you MUST on every phone sale, even if your customer is hesitant or rude) and other qualifying conversations. For some people, including me, this is not the best way I perform, because there is the expectation from management that these criteria MUST be met in order to sell (they won't let you get the item unless it has been met). I understand this from a business perspective, but it does make working there less enjoyable than usual, which isn't great if this is what people will be doing day in, day out. For a casual like me, this is not a huge issue.

In the past, you were merely told that you had to meet these certain goals, but had free reign in how you approach it. I would encourage that JB look into this, as I found that that was a better environment to work in.

As a Media Manager, the role is largely thankless, yet the expectations are almost insurmountable. Unlike the Store Manager or Sales Manager roles, there are no financial incentives, which does not correlate with the responsibilities. As an MM, you are responsible for the CD, DVD, Games, and Accessories departments as well as the counter. All merchandising is your responsibility, as well as daily monitoring of KPIs and weekly budget targets. You are also required to roster appropriately and it is paramount to learn effective delegation and recognise people's strengths.. The hardest part of the job was seeing others do less whilst reaping the rewards of a generous commission structure or bonuses for management. As well as the expectation to fulfil all the duties of an SM on occasion for no extra credit The most enjoyable part was sharing your passions for media with the customers. What I learned was that it has become a popularity contest and political minefield, and if you're not with the IN crowd, then you are well and truly ostracised.

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