Petco Interview.
Jan. 6th, 2008 03:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seethingheathenThe same day I had my phone interview with Verizon, I got a call from the manager of a Petco asking me if I wanted an interview. Sure, why not? I like animals. She scheduled the interview for nine in the morning the next day (which was yesterday). Cool.
I got to the Petco at about 8:45. I left home a bit early, but as I am still unfamiliar with that particular area, I wanted to give myself some time. Seeing that I was only a block away, I stopped at a petrol station to buy some cigarettes. I got to the Petco with ten minutes to spare, and since the store wasn't open yet, I waited outside with the customers.
A few minutes later, a woman opened the doors and let us in. I read her name tag: ELAINE - GENERAL MANAGER, so I introduced myself. Here we go.
Me - Uh, yeah. The Sonz.
Elaine - The Clueless Queen of Petco.
Me: Elaine? Good morning, I'm Sonja, and I have an interview with you this morning.
Elaine: Huh?
Me: You phoned yesterday and scheduled an interview at nine. My name is Sonja K_____.
Elaine: Oh, yeah. Er, just give me a moment to find someone to cover the register.
Now, I wasn't expecting her to drop everything. I was just introducing myself! I was brought up with a certain degree of class, and that is what people do when meeting someone. I was also taught to arrive on-time or a few minutes early to interviews and meetings. Anyway.
Me: No worries! I'll just have a look around.
Elaine: It'll be just a moment. I need to get someone to cover the register.
Me: Okay.
So, I go about looking at the snakes and frogs. I love snakes! There was a really neat looking Albino California Kingsnake that I was eyeballing. I would have bought the sucker, too, if I didn't have Hermione and Ginny.
Elaine: It'll be a moment. (Other employee) is finishing something up.
Me: Sure, no problem.
I wandered off toward the kitties they had for adoption (still within eyesight of Elaine, so she wouldn't have to track me down when she was ready) and played with them a bit. Then I noticed they had Cokes, so I bought one. Elaine rang me up then went away to do something somewhere else, even though there were customers behind me in line. I was a bit shocked, but it's not my place to say anything (if I want a job), so I went back to the kitties.
Elaine: Just a minute, okay?
Me: Sure! I'm just playing with the cats. They're cute.
Elaine: Yeah, okay.
Me: ...
About ten minutes later, Elaine was ready to interview me.
Elaine: Sorry about that. We had someone running late.
Me: Oh, no problem!
Elaine: So, what was your last job?
Me: I worked in Customer Services for (Company). [Here, I explained call centre customer service].
Elaine: What do you mean, people called in? Didn't you help customers face-to-face?
Me: No, it was a call centre.
Elaine: Oh. Okay. And the job before that?
Me: Another call centre for (Different Company).
Elaine: So, you have no retail experience. [Not a question.]
Me: I do. My job before that, and-
Elaine: I see (Name of Sex Shop I worked in a few years ago). What's that?
Me: Oh, that's an adult book store.
Elaine: Really. And what, exactly, did you do there?
Me: Sales.
Elaine: Uh huh. Sales.
The interview went downhill from there. She became condescending, and kept asking me if I'd ever worked with animals, and about another retail job I had ten years ago. The interview itself only lasted about five minutes in total. I did not get the job.
I got to the Petco at about 8:45. I left home a bit early, but as I am still unfamiliar with that particular area, I wanted to give myself some time. Seeing that I was only a block away, I stopped at a petrol station to buy some cigarettes. I got to the Petco with ten minutes to spare, and since the store wasn't open yet, I waited outside with the customers.
A few minutes later, a woman opened the doors and let us in. I read her name tag: ELAINE - GENERAL MANAGER, so I introduced myself. Here we go.
Me - Uh, yeah. The Sonz.
Elaine - The Clueless Queen of Petco.
Me: Elaine? Good morning, I'm Sonja, and I have an interview with you this morning.
Elaine: Huh?
Me: You phoned yesterday and scheduled an interview at nine. My name is Sonja K_____.
Elaine: Oh, yeah. Er, just give me a moment to find someone to cover the register.
Now, I wasn't expecting her to drop everything. I was just introducing myself! I was brought up with a certain degree of class, and that is what people do when meeting someone. I was also taught to arrive on-time or a few minutes early to interviews and meetings. Anyway.
Me: No worries! I'll just have a look around.
Elaine: It'll be just a moment. I need to get someone to cover the register.
Me: Okay.
So, I go about looking at the snakes and frogs. I love snakes! There was a really neat looking Albino California Kingsnake that I was eyeballing. I would have bought the sucker, too, if I didn't have Hermione and Ginny.
Elaine: It'll be a moment. (Other employee) is finishing something up.
Me: Sure, no problem.
I wandered off toward the kitties they had for adoption (still within eyesight of Elaine, so she wouldn't have to track me down when she was ready) and played with them a bit. Then I noticed they had Cokes, so I bought one. Elaine rang me up then went away to do something somewhere else, even though there were customers behind me in line. I was a bit shocked, but it's not my place to say anything (if I want a job), so I went back to the kitties.
Elaine: Just a minute, okay?
Me: Sure! I'm just playing with the cats. They're cute.
Elaine: Yeah, okay.
Me: ...
About ten minutes later, Elaine was ready to interview me.
Elaine: Sorry about that. We had someone running late.
Me: Oh, no problem!
Elaine: So, what was your last job?
Me: I worked in Customer Services for (Company). [Here, I explained call centre customer service].
Elaine: What do you mean, people called in? Didn't you help customers face-to-face?
Me: No, it was a call centre.
Elaine: Oh. Okay. And the job before that?
Me: Another call centre for (Different Company).
Elaine: So, you have no retail experience. [Not a question.]
Me: I do. My job before that, and-
Elaine: I see (Name of Sex Shop I worked in a few years ago). What's that?
Me: Oh, that's an adult book store.
Elaine: Really. And what, exactly, did you do there?
Me: Sales.
Elaine: Uh huh. Sales.
The interview went downhill from there. She became condescending, and kept asking me if I'd ever worked with animals, and about another retail job I had ten years ago. The interview itself only lasted about five minutes in total. I did not get the job.
