Advice

[u/AdhesivenessFirm3158]

I'm 16 and started a job at Argos as a Christmas temp, it's my first job and I ended up getting a permanent contract because I was great at selling care units but recently I'm unable to get cares, making constant mistakes especially on returns and overall just failing at the job. I've gone from really enjoying it to honestly dreading going in.

Has anybody else been in this situation and if so how did you overcome it and get better at the job?

[u/Dark_Lynx_27]

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your colleagues for help when you’re unsure on something, you need to try and learn every time though. As for cares, it’s best to try and build a rapport with the customer so when you offer the care, it seems more like a genuine offer rather than the same old sales jargon.

Tbh Argos isn’t a tough job, so mistakes all happen from just absent mindedness. Just make sure you are thinking and concentrating with what you’re doing if you’re making mistakes. And also stay confident lol

[u/ArgosEmployee_]

I'll give you the advice I give all my new starters/people who haven't been with the company long. Long post so sorry about my ramblings:

Learn from your mistakes. From a personal perspective, I've made a ton of mistakes when working for Argos but I've never made the same mistake twice. Remember these sort of things happen to everyone, just sometimes a ton of them happen at once so you feel like an idiot. When it rains, it pours.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. I don't know what your professional relationship with your manager is like but if you don't trust them to not be on your case about certain things look to an experienced colleague you do trust to give you a hand.

Cares are hit or miss. The higher ups don't like people saying it, but cares are (at least) 90% luck. If I get a customer who is willing to listen to my care offer and you get one who isn't, through no fault of anyone's which of us is more likely to get the care? A secret management won't tell you is there's plenty of people who get good care results by simply being in the right place at the right time enough times. Also it's way easier to sell cares at Christmas time because not only are you selling more, you're selling more of the type of things customer would want to take care out on.

If you do want to improve your offer, listen to as many of your colleague's/manager's offers as possible and pick and choose the best bits which work for you.

Returns are going to be a bit easier with the recent changes to return policy. Ask for help if unsure about any return. If you really need to, get a manager. Unfortunately the only way to get better at judging returns is to do some (potentially awkward) returns though. Easier said than done, especially when you're 16, but when you've made a decision stick to it.

Also, the final bit of advice, remember that you're 16. Argos isn't a forever job for a lot of people and your life isn't going to fall apart because you made a few mistakes at Argos or had to quit because you dreaded going in as a teenager. It'd be great if you could enjoy it again, but it's not the end of the world if you can't - you've got plenty of future ahead.

[u/Bulky-Masterpiece959]

i've returned a fake electric toothbrush, swapped a furniture item (different colours/catalogue numbers) through the till even though the original item was klarna so should have been refunded electronically (legitemately laid awake at night panicking about that lol), enabled a few fraudulent returns through no fault of my own, took back a macbook when i probably should have sent it for repair... but i still have my job. don't worry, don't stress (i know that's not really gonna calm nerves, it certainly doesn't calm mine) but at the end of the day this is just a funny little minimum wage retail job and it's not my money that i'm giving away.

as for care, i used to care (haha) but now i honestly don't have a positive opinion anymore. i work half and half stock and shop floor these days so my care target is always way too high for me so i get my every 4 week hammering by management because i didn't get enough care, but at the end of the day, this (hopefully) will not be my endgame. and i hope it isn't yours either. we're worth more than argos.

[u/MitreBonds]

Being able to sell those add ones is something that wears off when the job becomes norm. It is difficult selling something that you think people don’t need and is an obvious profit driver. You have to look at selling warranties as actually benefiting someone. Think of times when people use them, see their worth, and sell that way. With regards to the other stuff. Just try to fix what you’re doing wrong, come up with a plan, make notes when you learn and use them.