Hi
Anybody out there either work for Waitrose or recently been through the assessment drive could give me any info. What to expect on the day? What are Waitrose like to work for etc? Big decision to change what I am doing now if I get through the assessment etc so any info would be appreciated.
Cheers
Neil1968:
Hi
Anybody out there either work for Waitrose or recently been through the assessment drive could give me any info. What to expect on the day? What are Waitrose like to work for etc? Big decision to change what I am doing now if I get through the assessment etc so any info would be appreciated.
Cheers
Can’t give you any info on Waitrose other than wishing you the best of luck with the assessment.
Btw, welcome to TNUK.
I’ve been at Aylesford depot for 2 years now working 4on/3off and quite happy with them.
Assessment at our place consists of multiple choice highway code quiz followed by a drive round Maidstone and 2 reverses into box in yard, 1 blindside, 1 normal side. I did hear once that pass rate is around 48% but could just be rumour.
Good company to work for, always treated with respect, money not the best but add in all the benefits and its pretty good.
I’ve been in there on recommendation from Wingnut “four from 7” since March.
The tricky part of the assessment in my mind - is making sure you don’t kerb the trailer anywhere, as it’s an instant fail if you do. Be careful pulling out onto the Running horse roundabout to turn onto the motorway, and in Boxley Road when asked to turn left in or out of it. The older “double wheeled” trailers - also don’t corner as well as the newer trailers. Listen up and pay attention on the “induction” bit, for which you get paid. The impression I got was “don’t be set in your ways” if you’re a senior driver. They don’t like “moany gits” in there, but otherwise I’ve found it quite a liberal and friendly office where people say “good morning” when you walk past them, rather than sneer at you, like I’ve had at some places I’ve worked, when it is apparent from one’s attire that “You’re Agency”… 
The big question I have for Wingnut however is “How come I’ve not bumped into you yet?” 
Winseer:
The big question I have for Wingnut however is “How come I’ve not bumped into you yet?”
I was wondering the same. I work nights, usually around 10pm to 8am
Winseer:
I’ve been in there on recommendation from Wingnut “four from 7” since March.The tricky part of the assessment in my mind - is making sure you don’t kerb the trailer anywhere, as it’s an instant fail if you do. Be careful pulling out onto the Running horse roundabout to turn onto the motorway, and in Boxley Road when asked to turn left in or out of it. The older “double wheeled” trailers - also don’t corner as well as the newer trailers. Listen up and pay attention on the “induction” bit, for which you get paid. The impression I got was “don’t be set in your ways” if you’re a senior driver. They don’t like “moany gits” in there, but otherwise I’ve found it quite a liberal and friendly office where people say “good morning” when you walk past them, rather than sneer at you, like I’ve had at some places I’ve worked, when it is apparent from one’s attire that “You’re Agency”…
The big question I have for Wingnut however is “How come I’ve not bumped into you yet?”
Surely if your a professional driver with any experience then you shouldn’t need to be careful not to touch a kerb with the trailer as not hitting kerbs should be something your able to just do every day without really thinking too much about it.
It’s very easy to forget that a tandem needs more room than a triaxle. The left turn onto the M20 from the Running Horse r/a is about 3 minutes into your test drive, that is not long to acclimatise yourself, moreover it is a ■■■■■ of a roundabout with the traffic moving so quickly. If the assessment takes you to a store just pray it’s not Allington since it is a real pain to get on the dock. You enter bottom left corner of a small square with the dock at a slight angle in the bottom right corner. I used to drive in, spin round and out again and then blindside all the way round through almost a 180. I found that easier.
The best run was to Saxmundham.
Rowley010:
Surely if your a professional driver with any experience then you shouldn’t need to be careful not to touch a kerb with the trailer as not hitting kerbs should be something your able to just do every day without really thinking too much about it.
Either a weak troll or a strong muppet
They never seem desperate for drivers unlike almost all the other supermarkets.
That is always a good sign.
Rowley010:
Winseer:
I’ve been in there on recommendation from Wingnut “four from 7” since March.The tricky part of the assessment in my mind - is making sure you don’t kerb the trailer anywhere, as it’s an instant fail if you do. Be careful pulling out onto the Running horse roundabout to turn onto the motorway, and in Boxley Road when asked to turn left in or out of it. The older “double wheeled” trailers - also don’t corner as well as the newer trailers. Listen up and pay attention on the “induction” bit, for which you get paid. The impression I got was “don’t be set in your ways” if you’re a senior driver. They don’t like “moany gits” in there, but otherwise I’ve found it quite a liberal and friendly office where people say “good morning” when you walk past them, rather than sneer at you, like I’ve had at some places I’ve worked, when it is apparent from one’s attire that “You’re Agency”…
The big question I have for Wingnut however is “How come I’ve not bumped into you yet?”
Surely if your a professional driver with any experience then you shouldn’t need to be careful not to touch a kerb with the trailer as not hitting kerbs should be something your able to just do every day without really thinking too much about it.
That’s the kind of complacency one can slip into though. If you’re experienced on say, triaxles that corner rather better than a double-wheeled affair, then doing an assessment @ waitrose can catch you out when steering hard left out of a junction you may have previously taken for granted…
cav551:
It’s very easy to forget that a tandem needs more room than a triaxle. The left turn onto the M20 from the Running Horse r/a is about 3 minutes into your test drive, that is not long to acclimatise yourself, moreover it is a ■■■■■ of a roundabout with the traffic moving so quickly. If the assessment takes you to a store just pray it’s not Allington since it is a real pain to get on the dock. You enter bottom left corner of a small square with the dock at a slight angle in the bottom right corner. I used to drive in, spin round and out again and then blindside all the way round through almost a 180. I found that easier.The best run was to Saxmundham.
Allington - wasn’t as bad as I’d been led to believe. So what if it takes a few shunts? - You’re not on the clock (within reason).
I struggled with Bishop’s Stortford & Bloomsbury the first couple of times though. 
Getting past a rather large skip that will have you scraping your paintwork if you’re not careful… At least @ Bishop’s Stortford - the skip isn’t there every time you go there… When it is absent, that is one of the better runs, going on to NDC that’ll keep you out all day. I’m still a trunker at heart, and like to be out on a long run, when possible.
I’ve not been to Saxmindham yet. I take it that “It’s popular because it’s a long run out”? Rustington is quite good in that regard…
The tight bays to get on - are a lot easier with the newer trailers that only have the single-wheeled axles…
adam277:
They never seem desperate for drivers unlike almost all the other supermarkets.That is always a good sign.
I wasn’t keen on the atmosphere @ Snodland when I worked there, nor Dartford where “clipping” seems to be common practice. This is where you don’'t start to get paid until your card goes in… I didn’t get a vehicle for the first 90 mins, and the buggers only tried to pay me from that 90 minute point into what I thought was the start of my shift! - If you combined such a practice with the Snodland one of “planning all agencys starting their shift for 15 hours” - then you could end up with a situation where you turn up for duty @ say 9am, don’t get a vehicle until 11am, get paid starting from 11am, and then get kept on shift until 02:00, meaning you’ve actually been at the depot for 17 hours straight, but only paid for 14… It is worth pointing out that it isn’t the supermarket behind such practices - it was their resident agency and “contract holders” - mainstream wincanton and driverhire DHL respectively. I’m not keen to ever work for these outfits again following my experiences with them. 
Waitrose - don’t mess you about by comparison, but are strict on tacho infringements, which makes it awkward to be working for any other clients whilst in there on agency. The staff treat you with respect, and everyone knows what they are doing, which makes for a safer working environment to boot. Pay attention on the induction, 007!
Winseer:
Surely if your a professional driver with any experience then you shouldn’t need to be careful not to touch a kerb with the trailer as not hitting kerbs should be something your able to just do every day without really thinking too much about it.
That’s the kind of complacency one can slip into though. If you’re experienced on say, triaxles that corner rather better than a double-wheeled affair, then doing an assessment @ waitrose can catch you out when steering hard left out of a junction you may have previously taken for granted…
[/quote]
I thought 2-wheel trailers were easier to corner/reverse? (only driven a 3-axle, on my training/test) Our place has both and since I haven’t started driving artics yet I was thinking I’d ask them to give me a 2 axle trailer for a start as they’re easier to maneuver?
Winseer:
adam277:
They never seem desperate for drivers unlike almost all the other supermarkets.That is always a good sign.
I wasn’t keen on the atmosphere @ Snodland when I worked there, nor Dartford where “clipping” seems to be common practice. This is where you don’'t start to get paid until your card goes in… I didn’t get a vehicle for the first 90 mins, and the buggers only tried to pay me from that 90 minute point into what I thought was the start of my shift! - If you combined such a practice with the Snodland one of “planning all agencys starting their shift for 15 hours” - then you could end up with a situation where you turn up for duty @ say 9am, don’t get a vehicle until 11am, get paid starting from 11am, and then get kept on shift until 02:00, meaning you’ve actually been at the depot for 17 hours straight, but only paid for 14… It is worth pointing out that it isn’t the supermarket behind such practices - it was their resident agency and “contract holders” - mainstream wincanton and driverhire DHL respectively. I’m not keen to ever work for these outfits again following my experiences with them.
How is this even remotely Legal ? Surely if you’re waiting in a work place environment to start work you are either working or on poa either way the clock is ticking, it would be my one & only shift here followed up with a call to VOSA
If i am booked to start at 9, then that’s when the clock starts for me. No unit at that time, no problem, but it’ll be on POA from 9 when I get a unit.
If that is their normal practice then people are foolish to accept it.
LisasGuy:
Winseer:
adam277:
They never seem desperate for drivers unlike almost all the other supermarkets.That is always a good sign.
I wasn’t keen on the atmosphere @ Snodland when I worked there, nor Dartford where “clipping” seems to be common practice. This is where you don’'t start to get paid until your card goes in… I didn’t get a vehicle for the first 90 mins, and the buggers only tried to pay me from that 90 minute point into what I thought was the start of my shift! - If you combined such a practice with the Snodland one of “planning all agencys starting their shift for 15 hours” - then you could end up with a situation where you turn up for duty @ say 9am, don’t get a vehicle until 11am, get paid starting from 11am, and then get kept on shift until 02:00, meaning you’ve actually been at the depot for 17 hours straight, but only paid for 14… It is worth pointing out that it isn’t the supermarket behind such practices - it was their resident agency and “contract holders” - mainstream wincanton and driverhire DHL respectively. I’m not keen to ever work for these outfits again following my experiences with them.
How is this even remotely Legal ? Surely if you’re waiting in a work place environment to start work you are either working or on poa either way the clock is ticking, it would be my one & only shift here followed up with a call to VOSA
…That’s pretty much how it went at Dartford. I was also under pressure to go “Umbrella” as well, which I had no intention of doing. I’ve reported other outlandish behaviour at firms in a similar manner prior to this, as well. As I said though - it isn’t the actual supermarket, but their contracting firm running the depot. Agency seem to be treated as if they are ten-a-penny, and easy to replace regardless of what reputation a contractor firm might get from such practices as I’ve described.
We’re off-topic here though. Waitrose is a cut above the rest when it comes to agency supermarket work. It is by far the best place I’ve ever worked “food retail wise”. Get in there, and fill your boots. 
Winseer:
Waitrose is a cut above the rest when it comes to agency supermarket work. It is by far the best place I’ve ever worked “food retail wise”. Get in there, and fill your boots.
100% agreed.
I haven’t been into Aylesford for quite a while now but the atmosphere and culture won’t have changed. It is a friendly place to work as an agency driver. People say Good Morning to you as pass. People help you. If you go to the canteen they show you how to get a card and how it works. More than once I’ve had someone buy me a tea on their card. After a few shifts and becoming a face, it changes from being called Mr Bloggs to Charlie Bloggs and later to Charlie.
cav551:
If you go to the canteen they show you how to get a card and how it works.
We don’t have a canteen, we have a partner dining room. 
Thanks for the replies I just hope I pass the assessment now! 
You can pass the assessment but get no further if at interview you don’t look as if you will fit. Do some on line research into Waitrose and John Lewis, they have a different philosophy towards people, customers and doing business to what you find elsewhere. Make sure you present the right attitude, so smart appearance, polite, interested in the company and particularly respect, tolerance and empathy for other people.