Interview at Greggs

ciare

I have an interview next week for Greggs, and just wondering what the interview will be like.

I work in retail, and did a days work experience for a bakery, but was just wondering if anyone could give me some hints/tips?

Thanks

ses6jwg

1) Look smart, wear a shirt and tie or smart skirt/ blouse and shoes.

2) Smile

3) Greggs will be a customer focused environment

Play on your retail experience of interacting with customers, keywords like "friendly, polite, patient, helpful".

Emphasis your work experience and how useful it was.

Proc

Make sure that you have a pulse. If you do have one, they'll almost certainly offer you a job.

Good luck.

Charlie628

What position is your interview for?

Anihilator

You will in all likiehood find your interview consists of a 10 minute chat in the back of the shop with a large middle aged woman desperate to get out for a fag.

bendix

ciare wrote: »

I have an interview next week for Greggs, and just wondering what the interview will be like.

I work in retail, and did a days work experience for a bakery, but was just wondering if anyone could give me some hints/tips?

Thanks

Greggs, you say? OK . . try these:

1) Pretend you can't speak English.

2) Wear dirty clothes and don't bother showering that morning.

3) Under no circumstances clean your fingernails. Instead, dig up some of your garden with your bare hands before going.

4) Pick your nose during the interview

5) If they give you a practical test, make sure you drop the pasty on the floor before putting it in the bag.

You're bound to get the job.

passatrider

Charlie628 wrote: »

What position is your interview for?

Pie eater:rotfl:

tsimehC

Anihilator wrote: »

You will in all likiehood find your interview consists of a 10 minute chat in the back of the shop with a large middle aged woman desperate to get out for a fag.

Is this just from your own experience?

Charlie628

passatrider wrote: »

Pie eater:rotfl:

Don't listen to the bad posts!

Just remember to be charming! And make out that you plan to be there for a while, even if you don't really. Play on your strengths, which are obviously customer service, speed, accuracy and ability to follow instructions.

Do half hour of research on the company - when it was founded etc, what the general opinion is of the company, who their target market are. You never know if they're going to ask you what you know about the company!

Oh, and think ahead at potential interview questions, such as:

- Your favourite product and why
- A customer needs a cake for a certain occasion, which would you recommend?
- Why are you good for the job?

And lastly, don't ask about money or any other benefits during your interview - wait until you're offered the job first - then you can ask questions like that!

Good luck!

bendix

Did the OP get the job?

wontfallforit

ciare wrote: »

I have an interview next week for Greggs, and just wondering what the interview will be like.

I work in retail, and did a days work experience for a bakery, but was just wondering if anyone could give me some hints/tips?

Thanks

Hi there,

I worked in a bakery many years ago (not Greggs).

The job shouldn't be too difficult to get, though there's bound to be competition. To make yourself stand out, try the following:

1) MASSIVE emphasis upon customer service right throughout the interview. If asked specific questions, try to relate to an imaginary customer, and how you would deal with them.

That really is the main point - customer service, customer service, customer service. Regardless of the jokes about Greggs here (which may indeed be well-founded!), that's exactly what they'll be looking for when they interview you.

Being upbeat, bright and friendly will help a great deal, as it can demonstrate how likely you are to get on with customers, and build a rapport with them. The thing about working with food and in an environment that sells low cost goods is that many of your customers will be regulars. Management will want to ensure that you'll treat the regulars well, as many bakeries rely on them for literally most of their business (obviously if you're based in a busy or large shopping centre, the customer base might be a lot more diverse, but they will still have a great number of staunch regulars).

Be prepared to answer questions about how you'd deal with difficult customers. You just don't mess with people's food, and complaints come thick and fast in that industry (granted, a lot of complaints are unfounded or just petty, but still be prepared to take them).

Additionally, it's the type of environment where you will regularly come across people who aren't quite compos mentis (bless them). Any low-cost retail outlet, especially one serving food, is a magnet for quite literally all walks of life. I'm not too sure how they'll address this in the interview, but be prepared for it anyway, for when you get the job (fingers crossed). Many of your customers may also be quite elderly, and may be easily confused or might move a lot slower than your average customer - be prepared to demonstrate your patience and compassion.

A bit of product knowledge won't go amiss. I was asked in my interview which items I thought generated the most profit? I answered sandwiches, but I was wrong. It was savouries (pies, pasties, sausage rolls), which in my bakery made up well over half of all the profits, beating sandwiches, bread and confectionery.

And on that note, also be prepared to demonstrate that you can upsell. A scenario where a customer buys a pie, for example, could bring out further sales opportunities with a friendly question like "why not treat yourself to a cream cake for afters?". It sounds really silly, but you'd be surprised how many customers get tempted on the spot, and make impulse purchases.

(all of the above is taken directly from an old employee training handbook for a rival bakery...cringe!!).

If you're a 'people person' and you can make a few extra sales off the back of it, you should be able to beat off competition and land the job.

Good luck x