Marks & Spencer

Typical day - working on the tills, stacking shelves, dealing with customer complaints and queries, refunds and exchanges.
What I learned - I became much more comfortable using the tilling system and dealing with unreasonable or dissatisfied customers.
Management - my managers were good however my line manager told me my temporary contract would be extended or even made permanent but this was never followed through.
Co-workers: I got on very well with my co-workers and attended the christmas party for my department.
The hardest part of the job: I was required to make conversation with every customer I served on the till and ask if they were interested in the M&S credit card. I found this difficult as sometimes it was obvious customers were in a rush and just wanted to get through the till as fast as possible and some customers were clearly not old enough to have a credit card. However if I was seen not asking every customer about the credit card or making conversation I would be cautioned.
The most enjoyable part of the job: What I enjoyed most about working at M&S was being able to go the extra mile for a customer and making them truly satisfied with the service they received.

A typical day in Marks ans Spencer consists of rotating through different types of work. These consist of being in the fitting room where you help escort the customer to their cubical and be able to get change of sizes and also help with styling if asked to by the customer. Being on the tills where you serve the customer and take their payment. Finally being on the shop floor, being the first point of call for the customer and also putting out stock.

Working in Marks and Spencer has helped me with my independence and leadership skills as i was given my own section to run. i am now very confident in continuing a task alone but also being able to delegate responsibilities to other staff if i am not present, for example changing the layout of the section in order to position sale or when there are new lines that will be launching.

Management in Marks and Spencer were very good at keeping the staff informed on changes to come and also what was expected from us.
My co-workers were extremely friendly and were always willing to help one another,

Hardest part of the job is dealing with customer complaints or angry customers.
Most enjoyable part of the job is meeting the needs of the customer and having them walk out satisfied .

I have worked at marks and Spencers for five years next year. I love getting to know customer's and looking after their needs and also helping where ever I can. I enjoy working in retail and working in a team. I currently work early mornings from 6am til 12pm five days a week. First thing I do as soon as I get to work is refill cold chain and for the rest of my day I work on the tills. The most enjoyable part of my job is talking to customers who come in to the store daily, I think customers also like having that conection with the staff. The hardest part of my job is getting up at 4AM every day, the summer months are not as bad as the winter months, but I can happily say I've never been late for work since doing this job. Ive leant alot about retail... about what people like and need, and customer service skills are to a high standard at Marks and Spencer's and I would like to think I will take that over to my new work place. The reason I'm looking for another job is just simply that I would like more hours, more full time then part time.

A typical day at work would be going from floor to floor to stock shelves and serve the customers at tills. Also size tidying, putting the correct size pips on the hangers for the products. I learned all about customer service, switching between tasks but making sure they're completed by the end of the day, always make the customers happy by doing your best by them. Using your own initiative and going the extra mile to make customers happy. The management on the kidswear floor were brilliant and always there to help out when they could. Always put themselves out to help their team and very good with one to one support throughout the work place. My co-workers were also very good. They helped me a lot and made sure I knew what I was doing. If I struggled with anything they would help out. The hardest part of the job would be putting the school uniform out for me. The most fun part of the job was serving customers, answering their questions, talking to them and meeting loads of nice people.

A lot of experience gained. I am an energetic, ambitious and motivated person who completed my Undergraduate Degree in Marketing. Additionally, I have gone on to do my Master’s in Management and also completed and obtained a Prince2 qualification.  Currently I work within the HQ of a multi-national retailer and have up to date experience in Operational Analysis, Project Management and Team Support. My day-to-day includes working directly with the Head of International, a Project Manager, a Data Analyst and a Logistics Manager. Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Business Objects, SAP, SharePoint and Outlook, are applications I use daily to complete all tasks. My general 5 year experience has been in support roles, analysing and collating data, identifying on-going risks and issues, maintaining logs and providing exceptional management of all team activities. Now seeking a new and challenging roles to utilise and expand skills.

The main part of my job at M&S was to go around all the till points and collect the hangers left there by customers. I also had to collect any rubbish and bring certain items that were needed at the till points such as bags. As I was constantly walking around the full store, I also interacted a lot with customers, telling them where certain items were or where certain parts of the store were e.g. toilets. 
Although this doesn't sound very demanding, I was always kept busy as the M&S I worked at is one of the biggest stores M&S owns. Everyone who worked their was very welcoming and whenever they seen me always asked how I was getting on and if I needed any help, just to ask.

Worked with a team of five people and between us we completed the HR Admin work for Ilford, Upminster and South Woodford Stores, booking holidays, absence and attendance for approximately 600 people. Collating figures and delivering results to Section managers and the Store Management team. Our customers were our co-workers, and seeing them leave our office satisfied and happy was the most enjoyable part of the job. With an ever changing management team with different requirements, new jobs & procedures were learnt on a very regular basis to suit their needs and deadlines.

I have just completed a second assignment with Marks and Spencer and found it immensely rewarding working on the HR Transformation Programme.

There is a culture of delivering to deadline come what may, but not at the expense of quality.  The dedication of staff is impressive as is their level of expertise.

There is sound project structure and governance and an all-pervasive can-do culture.  Some elements of working with outsource service providers is challenging, but that's not unique to M&S.



What is the best part of working at the company?
Work culture is good, no racism, people from all nationalities are accepted and treated nicely

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
They do not extend work contract however hardworking or honest employee may be 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is good, positive, people are very cooperative and friendly

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I enjoyed working with M&S, reaching on time, doing standards, operating on tills, handling fitting rooms helping customers

Was very flexible and over time was always available. I was only a part time member of staff as I was also studying at the time, so having the option of more hours was fantastic. 
The days varied from very hands on, to very quiet, (which made some days longer than others).
I feel the management at this job were not very supportive, but towards the end of my time here new management stepped in which made the job a lot more enjoyable for everyone. 
The team were very strong and very lovely, mixing in age which worked really well as we all had different levels of experience and energy.

Working at Marks & Spencer: Company Overview and Reviews

Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer Ratings

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected