Pros
Excellent opportunity to gain customer service experience with a wide range of people and situations. As a supervisor, you learn to manage both challenging and rewarding customer interactions, which builds resilience and confidence in high-pressure environments. A strong starting point for those new to retail or looking to develop leadership and problem-solving skills.
Cons
Coles has become so profit-driven that many decisions negatively impact frontline staff. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable rise in customer complaints, often directed at us due to changes like the increased use of self-checkouts. While understandable initially, this was followed by questionable KPI initiatives, particularly around theft prevention, which created hostile interactions with customers and put pressure on staff. One such KPI was "bulk first" scanning, which led to uncomfortable and even confrontational situations. Some customers felt accused of theft, and I personally experienced verbal abuse on multiple occasions. Management threatened to revoke ACO licenses if KPIs weren’t met, which led to understaffing during critical shifts. Another KPI involved pushing donation cards at checkout. While technically optional, staff were pressured to meet sales goals, and rumours of managerial bonuses for high sales didn’t sit well. Especially during a cost-of-living crisis, when grocery prices were already high. The internal staff surveys were promoted as tools for feedback, but concerns raised, particularly around understaffing, were often ignored. Coles frequently hires underage casuals (15–17 years old) to save on labour costs, leading to unreliable rostering and lack of adult staff coverage, especially during night shifts. As a service supervisor, I was regularly left to manage closing shifts alone or with minimal support. On one occasion, I completed nearly the entire shift's workload solo. When I raised concerns, the response from management was dismissive. It felt like performance metrics were prioritised over staff well-being and operational sustainability. To make matters worse, some staff were unofficially assigned managerial duties without proper compensation or support. Meanwhile, bullying behaviour by certain team members was overlooked, further highlighting the lack of accountability in leadership.