Homesense Canad Case Study

HomeSense Canada is a retail store which is a chain of home furnishing stores under the operation of TJX Companies. The store itself offers consumers off-price home decor and furnishing items. In terms of employment, there are different levels of authority that employees can rise to given the chance. Currently, I have been with the company for six months and work as a Sales Associate/ Cashier. Typically, I work in the afternoons or on the weekends. When I am working on the sales floor, my responsibilities include setting up material and displays, replenishing and reorganizing inventory, and maintaining inventory in the back. I am also responsible for answering customers' questions, and providing information on products, procedures, or policies. During the Cashier component of my job, I am responsible for issuing
receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers, receiving payment by cash, credit cards, vouchers or automatic debits, maintaining a clean checkout area and complete other general cleaning duties, such as mopping floors and emptying trash cans. As a Cashier, I also aid in identify prices of goods, or tabulating bills using calculators or cash registers.
In order to fulfil these responsibilities, I must have adept skills in communication, the management of information and adaptability. Communication is key in an environment such as that of HomeSense as the store is divided into three sections and if a customer requires something from a section that an Associate is unfamiliar with then there must be a clear line of communication between the employees involved. Being able to effectively manage information is another key skill as often Associates are given multiple tasks at once, to be preformed throughout the shift. Adaptability is another important skill in this type of environment as the store is unable to track inventory, the stock that comes in remains unknown until it is opened. Since Associates do not know what is available for inventory, they must learn to work in an ever- changing environment, there could be an overstock of towels one week and the next the shelves could be next to bare. From school, I have developed skills of social communication, citizenship, and problem solving
techniques. I have also retained the desire to expand my knowledge. From working, I have further developed these skills as well as others including time- management skills, interpersonal abilities and the ability to contribute to teamwork. Having these skills has made a contribution to the success that I have experienced with the company. Examples of my successes come from when customers mention my strong degree of helpfulness to my superiors, and the good relationships that I have with my coworkers. In terms of difficulties, I have a more difficult time with some tasks than my coworkers do, primarily because of my stature. At HomeSense, it is common to hard to move large pieces of furniture around and carry them out for customers. Due to the fact that I am four foot eight, I often get comments such as, "do you think you're strong enough to carry that?" Sometimes the comments get irritating because I am usually able to move the stock, however I try not to let the comments bother me and have learned techniques in order to move large pieces, with help from equipment or my coworkers. From my job, I've learned that I am much stronger than I thought that I was, and that I am able to be creative even when there are limitations. Although working at HomeSense has not affected my career plans, It has become a key component in my plans for the future as I would like to maintain my part- time job throughout post secondary.