Starting work at Hollies supermarket — REAL IELTS EXAM TEST 2 — IELTS Test

REAL IELTS EXAM TEST 2

Starting work at Hollies supermarket

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(0:04) Part 2. You will hear a supervisor at Holly's Supermarket talking to a group of new employees. (0:13) First you have some time to look at questions 11 to 14. (0:47) Now listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 14.

(0:54) Welcome to Holly's Supermarket. I'm sure you'll all enjoy working in our dedicated team here. (1:01) So, what will you be doing? Well, we're open Monday through Sunday, (1:07) so you'll need to be able to work weekends as well as irregular weekday shifts.

(1:13) These sometimes start at 5am or finish at 11pm. Your duties will include checking and unpacking (1:21) lorry deliveries, as well as working on the shop floor, stocking shelves and so on. (1:26) But you'll only be required to do manual lifting if the goods are light.

(1:33) When the store is very busy, you'll also have to assess changing priorities. (1:39) For example, if there's a queue at the tills, you'll jump on a spare one to help. (1:45) If you notice something's been spilt and the surface is a little bit wet, (1:49) you'll get a mop to clean it up.

No need to check with the manager first. (1:54) Similarly, if bakery items are selling quickly, you'll help cook some more. (2:00) And if a customer can't find, say, the apples, you'll instantly leave what you're doing and (2:06) show them.

But you'll still get time off to relax too, of course. (2:12) We pride ourselves on a positive attitude here. A little small talk shows you're interested in (2:18) customers and are providing excellent service, just as long as you don't overdo it and keep (2:24) another customer waiting.

And always smile. It forces you to stay positive and being generally (2:31) upbeat makes your whole team happy too. This increases efficiency and gives a good (2:37) impression to customers.

If it's quiet, help someone pack their bags. Customers really (2:44) appreciate it, especially when they've bought more than they expected to. (2:50) Staying calm's also a necessity.

If a customer's unhappy for any reason, keep cool and call for (2:57) a supervisor to help defuse a situation if things are getting out of hand. (3:03) Occasionally, when working tills, you'll find yourself waiting for someone to extract their (3:08) wallet from the bottom of a cluttered bag, while a long queue of annoyed customers builds up. (3:13) You have to make sure, however hard it might be, that you remain composed.

(3:21) Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 15 to 20. (3:57) Now listen and answer questions 15 to 20. (4:03) So, now let's look at the plan of the supermarket.

Have you all got your plans? (4:10) OK, good. We'll start with the staff entrance. Today you came in through the customer entrance, (4:17) clearly marked on the bottom of your plan, but in future you'll enter through the door (4:22) in the top left-hand corner of the diagram.

Please don't confuse this with the emergency (4:27) exits in the top right-hand corner and bottom left. It's very important that these are kept (4:34) clear at all times. Regarding the manager's office, some of you may have attended interviews here, (4:42) when it was next to the newspaper and magazine sales area.

However, it's recently been moved (4:49) and is now the circular space marked on the right of your plans. (4:54) When the manager's not on the shop floor, that's where you'll find her. (4:58) The storage and unpacking area.

You may be asked to help out here, both before and after opening (5:06) hours. This is represented by the largest of the four rectangles in the top section of the plan. (5:12) It tends to get very busy there at times, so please be careful on entering and leaving this area.

(5:19) There's a kitchen on site, where food and drinks are prepared for customers. (5:24) It has specialist staff, but some of you may have to fill in occasionally. (5:30) On the plan it's shown by the triangular shape to the left of the tinned goods aisle.

(5:35) It's very busy, as many customers like to take a break in the cafe and read a newspaper, (5:41) before or after doing their shopping. Cleaning equipment is stored in a cupboard. (5:46) It's the smaller of the two squares marked near the vegetable and fruit section, (5:52) and can come in very handy.

You'd be surprised how often we have to mop up squashed tomatoes or (5:57) grapes. Finally, you'll be pleased to know there's a separate staff relaxation area. (6:04) This is at the top of your plan, between the frozen goods section and the exit.

(6:09) As well as comfortable chairs, there's also a microwave for heating up snacks (6:13) and a drinks dispenser. So, let's go there now. (6:21) That is the end of Part 2. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Part 2.

Part 2 of 4

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