Primark worker reveals what it’s really like to work there (including the one time he found POO on the floor)
Ex-employee George Allen reveals secrets from his time at one store in Derby
A FORMER Primark employee has lifted the lid on what it's really like to work in one of the giant clothing chain's stores.
George Allen, who was a shop assistant in Derby, said that staff often have to deal with bodily fluids like “urine and faeces” on the shop floor and “snotty kids” regularly ruin displays.
George, who worked in the Primark store in Derby's Cornmarket, wrote in the : “There are even different cryptic announcements via the speakers ('cleaner to menswear, code two') so cleaning staff know to expect a bodily fluid when they arrive at the mess.”
And he revealed that staff in his store often have no clue where products are in the stockroom when customers ask them for different sizes.
The ex-employee revealed that in the six months he worked there, he found one item successfully, and said it was “actually quite a proud day”.
If shoppers find a slight problem or mark with an item, staff will knock 10 per cent off the price without a debate.
But angry customers risk ending up in the “Book of Faces” which is a thick folder full of CCTV close-up shots of customers who have stolen from the shop or acted badly.
And have you heard the voice that calls you to the next available till worker when you are waiting in the queue?
According to George there are two buttons under each counter, so staff can select either a male or female voice for the announcement.
Of the two, the worker revealed that the male one was “louder and more effective”.
Understandably, the tills were not for the faint-hearted, as normal queues had around 20 customers or more.
And working on the shop floor was no easier, with the most resilient staff being placed on the ground floor, and “softer staff” assigned a role in customer service, childrenswear or homewear.
He confessed of the ground floor: “Sometimes that level is like the Wild West and you have to be tough to stick it out – an angry alcoholic wandering in off the street would not be surprising.”
One of the biggest challenges he faced while working on the floor was not the angry drunks who wandered off the street though, but “snotty little kids”.
George revealed he would spend hours folding garments, only to have the whole thing destroyed as soon as he turned his back.
However, he did admit that mindlessly folding clothes and not talking to anyone was very therapeutic.
He also said that staff were given a ten-minute training session on how to correctly fold before they are let loose on the shelves.
Despite any drawbacks, George named the staff as among the best he has ever worked with and confessed overtime is fairly rewarded.
He said: “If you're looking for a job, and you can stomach everything here, Primark's a good bet.”
We contacted Primark but they have declined to comment on George's experiences.
George isn't the only one to shed some light on their life at work though.
We previously revealed confessions of a naked butler, who shared all about his trade, from the women who are most handsy to the secret code that means "Let’s get the hell out of here".