Job interview

[d8mok]

If it’s a sales oriented job be careful not to come across as someone who’s simply interested in bikes rather than making sales. So many people naively assume that being interested in a subject makes them better suited than someone that is simply a better all round candidate.

Good product knowledge is of course a great thing to have but the best salesman aren’t the ones which know all the tiny details. You need to be likeable , and understand the sales process and the path to make the company money.

 

[Ippikin]

Ideally suited and booted or at the very minimum smart casual with polished shoes and no denim jeans. If bearded then trim it, if not then shave. Make the effort as this shows that you are serious and puts you ahead of the other candidates. I imagine there may be at least 10-15 for a role like this? Demonstrate that you are enthusiastic - especially for the brands sold by Tredz, like working as part of a team, are willing to learn, that you understand selling and up-selling, are not afraid to communicate with customers be it in-store/ phone/online, can operate a cash- till / terminal / computer, can work out sums in your head, have a good understanding of invoices and VAT and be aware of customer satisfaction / standards / returns and warranty. Talk about problem solving, especially turning around potential customer complaints etc. Ask about the Tredz customers , the sales process, targets etc. Finally demonstrate that you understand the meaning of reliable and that you WILL turn up for work come rain or shine. Try not to talk about family,pets,religion, politics music etc as this definitely puts off interviewers. Good luck!

 

[Rod_Saetan]

I've interviewed a lot of people for sales floor staff in bike shops, some big and busy, some not, and I always looked for the right attitude, a genuine interest in bikes/cycling and a degree of (perceived) comfort in talking to people (customers and other shop staff). Knowing or thinking you know everything isn't the be all and end all as A) you don't, and B) plenty will be picked up on the job.

Genuinely liking riding a bike, whatever shape that takes is really important, I employed two students at roughly the same time; one who knew everything about modern road bikes and could quote road.cc but didn't really ride and one who rode their battered hybrid everywhere and wanted another bike to do longer rides - guess which turned out to get better sales and more customer retention.

Its not all fun, people can be difficult, it can be boring when quiet and hectic when not, big businesses especially will find a way to suck the joy out of what was once fun employment but give it a bash.

I have been out of that part of the Industry for 5 years so take the above with a pinch of you-don't-know-what-your-talking-about.

 

[27motorhead]

Pob lwc! That's my closet bike shop (I think!)

 

[CTK]

Its a really good bike shop, nice staff, decent bikes/brands. Most importantly they give me boxes

Good luck

 

[Rapparee87]

Gawd... thank the sweet lord I'm self employed...

 

[legrandefromage]

Gis a job then, go on, gis a job

 

[minor_LEGEND]

I once had an interview for a sales job, it was going quite well until the guy asks a fun little question;
What's half of ninety nine and a half?
....
....
....
Cue a bunch of wrong answers. Most people I ask get it wrong. So I don't feel so bad.

If you Google Top 10 Interview Questions, it's surprising how many interviewers actually must've done the same & you are allowed to 'interview' them too, it's not a given that you want to work at their company. Do they meet your expectations? Does it seem like a promising place for you to start a career?

 

[greencat]

I once had an interview for a sales job, it was going quite well until the guy asks a fun little question;
What's half of ninety nine and a half?
....
....
....
Cue a bunch of wrong answers. Most people I ask get it wrong. So I don't feel so bad.

If you Google Top 10 Interview Questions, it's surprising how many interviewers actually must've done the same & you are allowed to 'interview' them too, it's not a given that you want to work at their company. Do they meet your expectations? Does it seem like a promising place for you to start a career?

Nah, we get AI to write the questions nowadays.

 

[greencat]

Gawd... thank the sweet lord I'm self employed...

I'd encourage anyone who has the luxury of doing so (and it is a luxury as you generally need some start up capital/somekind of financial buffer) to give it a try. I've had side hustles and self employment contracts alongside my day job, and it is eye opening for all kinds of reasons.

Fair to say, it would take a near act of God to encourage me to interview for a new job (next step will likely be redundancy and/or retirement). Last job I was offered just came up in conversation, and the one before that I was expressing a vague interest in helping someone out in a jam, but strongly suggesting they get someone younger.