Working in Popular (Singapore)

Hello guys!

I ended work on April 1st at a Popular near my house.

Firstly, what is Popular? It's a bookstore. It's one of the leading bookstores in Singapore. There are over 20 Popular retail outlets in Singapore. Recently, they have continued their business out of Singapore. Because, I've visited my relatives in Malaysia during February and the shopping malls seemed to have a Popular outlet (wow). I think they're trying to be known worldwide, like MPH.

So many Singaporeans know about Popular. The name "Popular" really kind of relates to its popularity in Singapore. It is really popular. So, even on moody Mondays, they still have tons of customers coming in and out of the store.

On my first day of work, I've absolutely no idea what am I supposed to do as a staff here. The supervisor wasn't around that day. The assistant supervisor, told me I'm placed in the English Department.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. ENGLISH DEPARTMENT?

What ran through my mind was just... "F***. It's huge." Which means I may have troubles finding books for customers. (I mean, I would do that if I was a customer at Popular.)

There was another two staff in my department. Helen and Jessieka. Jessieka left after my second day of work there. She taught me quite a few things about what to do. Helen is a full-time staff. She had worked in Popular for a few years, so she knows the place very very well.

Everyday in a department:

1. Pack books.

• This 'pack books' term used in Popular actually means 'placing new books correctly onto the shelves'.

2. Wrap books

• You may have to do this to books that are really fragile or have like additional features inside it, like a free gift or what-so-ever.

3. Tidy the department.

• Some customers would browse through a book and then throw it anywhere. It's pretty annoying because there was once, a customer placed Fifty Shades of Grey right at the children's section. It's pretty inappropriate. 

4. Help customers to find books.

• If you're a newbie whom just worked for three days. This may be the toughest task to you. You're new to the environment. This is a huge bookstore. Plus, you cannot trust the Popular computer. Why? When I was working there, there was this male customer whom was finding an ACCA Accounting guide book. He heard that Popular has it. Because it wasn't from my department, and I couldn't find the staff whom takes care of the Text & Assessment Department, so I checked if there was such a book by using the computer. The computer wrote there: "No SOH." It means there's no stocks in all the outlets. I told him there were no more stocks. But after 15 minutes, he found it himself and he told the cashier about me telling him there were no more stocks. Wow. Fantastic baby.

5. Answer phone calls.

• It may be from a customer or from another outlet. If it's from a customer, it's probably to ask you if there is a such book in the outlet he/she is calling. If it's from another outlet, it's to ask you if there's such a book in your outlet and if there is, they want it transferred to their outlet. :-) This is the most troublesome request.

6. Transfer books to other outlets.

• This point relates to the previous point.

7. Sweep the floor at the end of the day

• This is kind of common in any retail stores I guess.

Some tips for people who want to work there:

1. Always tell the person in charge of the customer service counter about your whereabouts.

• For example, you need the toilet urgently. Tell them.
• Another example, you're going for your break. TELL THEM.
• You have to report to them whenever you're going OUT of Popular because, if there's a customer who wants to find anything from your department, they will 'page' for you. If they can't page for you for like idk, five times? When you're back from wherever you are, you are seriously getting a Rebecca Black concert. Plus, more colleagues would hate you.

2. If you cannot count money, it's best not to be a cashier.

• At the end of the day, all the supervisors, managers would come out and count the money left in the cash register. If there's some amount that is loss, then you have to pay up. (I mean I rather run around in a department then paying up.)

3. Do not wrap books in front of the supervisor.

• She would SCREAM in your face.

Hmm, I think that's about it.

Bye.