I worked at a pet shop for a week in 2015, decided to quit as the hours were too long.
Originally, I wanted to find a job so i could support my cat, but since this job required me to work for 6 days a week, 10.30am to 8pm every day, I had no time to spend with my pets at all. Wake up at around 9am to feed my cat, shower and eat, reach work at 10.25am, work till 7.40-8pm, no lunch break (eat while working), reach home at 9.30, shower and sleep. It was exhausting and I felt like it was no use earning money for my cat when i wasn't even spending enough time with her. So I quit after 8 days as on the 9th day, I was travelling overseas anyway on holiday.
Things I regretted not asking during the 'interview' (basically the boss asking me to just fill out the form) - I didn't clarify if it was a full-time job, didn't ask what the job scope was in detail, number of holidays given.
The total number of hours we employees were working per week was 54. The legal max hours stated by M.O.M. was 44 if im not mistaken. Basically, I was and felt overworked.
My co-worker who started working there a month before me also didn't agree with how long we were working, but none of us dared to say anything/didn't know how to bring it up.
Even the delivery guy said that he gets the same pay as those new delivery employees.
Another thing that put me off was the fact that my boss lied to the customer. (small but still a lie) Telling them that he had to bring the tag home to engrave it when in actual fact, the engraving machine was in another shop in the same shopping centre. Having the customer make another trip down to the shop the following day. Also, pet shops that sell animals are supposed to get the customer to fill up a form and have a pre-sale screening. However, this shop doesn't seem to do that. During my time there, I witnessed one impulse purchase of a hamster. (Although the screening only extends to cats, dogs and rabbits, it would be nice to work for a company that actually has the animal's welfare in mind)
The good thing about working in this shop however, is the fact that us employees made an effort to converse with customers. Every time I visit other pet shops, I find that they are not making enough effort to get to know the customers. In this shop, my co-worker knew most of the customers even though she worked there for only a month!
Job scope for this particular pet shop
-stock taking
-organising the shop
-answering calls for orders
-cashier
-handling customer's order instore
-issuing invoice
-feeding the animals in the shop
-cleaning of animal cages in the shop
Before you accept a job, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into, especially if it involves a contract. (mine had no contract thankfully)
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