blonde poker forum

Hi folks, I'm moving back to Dundee from London soon and have got myself an interview for Shop Manager of a bookmakers.

I passed the telephone interview stage yesterday so a quick jump on a sleeper train and I'm back in Dundee for the interview tomorrow. I have no betting shop experience but have a lot of retail management experience which saw me through the telephone interview but I want to stand out tomorrow so was hoping anyone in the industry (I know there are a few on blonde) can give me a few pointers as to key words/phrases/ideas that I can throw at the interviewer? Or any general tips would be welcomed too.

Thanks in advance.

Haven't got a danny about anything beyond passing money over the counter unfortunately :D

From all the stuff you do around Blonde, the organisational side of things won't be any problem!!

Best of luck with it anyway and hope you get the job!

Will you have to do a fractions test?

Don't think they are too worried these days about your betting knowledge these days to be honest.  It is all about retail type experience and customer service skills.  Obviously a bit of an interest in the game and understanding of it wont do you any harm and your level of knowledge is probably perfect for them.

The big firms will love someone with lots of retail experience and PREFER new team members not to have betting experience as you will not have any bad habits to iron out. All they care about is integrity and in this case management skills.

If its a small firm then it's a different ball game and experience with hedging liabilities is essential.

So if its one of the big boys your in a great spot and would be an ideal candidate I would imagine.

That's what they said at the end of the interview redarmi, that they were looking for someone with management experience as the other stuff can be taught. I was just wondering if there was anything else I can drop in.

I've done some research so I know about the company etc.

And you're right about the customer service side of things as every question in the phone interview related to that in some way.

It's for Coral.

To what extent should I play up my enthusiasm for the industry?

Believe it or not, this was actually a serious question!

I know it used to be a thing done. I assume it's less needed nowadays, but would have thought there's an expectation you'd spot an error (like paying out 40/1 instead of 4/1) or you'd be able to deal with a bloke moaning about what he thinks the forecast of his 11/8 and 17/2 shots should have paid out.

Perfect. Just be honest and say you have researched the industry online and asked friends etc...

I'd probably research something on addicted gamblers/difficult customers.

Get someone like a friend or parent to interview you before hand too.

Always helps, good luck.

Honestly Scott, don't do it.

Working for the big bookmakers at the coal face is one of the worst jobs I can imagine.

Absolutely awful.

The ability to deal with difficult customers is an important skill but I would be careful with talking too much about addicted customers.   It is a tough area and most of your "best" customers will have gambling problems of some sort.  Talking about how you will "deal" with them might not go down too well although they will never admit it.

Incidentally I don't really agree with The Camel.  It isn't very well paid at all although it is probably okay ish in comparative terms in Dundee but as a job I really enjoyed it.  Admittedly it is 15 years since I worked in a shop but the banter with the punters was fun as it was with the other staff, you got to see most sporting events that happen during the day that a job in a normal office would preclude.  It isn't the best job in the world but it isn't that bad and if you are a sports and racing nut then it is fairly well suited.

Do bookie managers these days get a managers wage out of curiosity? Numerous shop managers told me that pay is not that good and one was manager too. Think this was generally at Betfred though.

That's the thing, 15 years ago it was fine.

Now any interesting punters are on Betfair at home.

A couple of nice old boys maybe, but the majority of betting shop regulars are meat head FOBT players nowadays.

If you've got time mate, find the Undercover Boss Paddy Power episode on channel four....whilst clearly a made for TV document it will give you some experience in translating traditional retail tye challenges to the bookmaker sector and understand some of the stuff they have to deal with in terms of customers profile.

I'd also visit one or two of the shops with a different pair of glasses on....I.e. look at the customers, talk to some of them, talk to some staff.  Also do competition, have some good and less good observations to talk about. Whatever the interview theyll love that.

Gouty is spot on; i met a couple of HRDs from bookies in my last role and the emphasis is less on traditional sector skills and. Ore on generic business process, compliance, integrity and tradioal retails team and service skills which you will nail. I'd also think about the line you walk between punter, interest, and being authentic. I think it's important to get across a genuine interest in sports and betting without it going too far; they don't want degens at one extreme...not suggesting for a minute you are lol

And good luck obv :)

betting shop managers when i was one in 2003/4 were on about 23k per year at hills, the busier the shop the more you got. their main gripe with me was patronising fellow staff and always having 1 eye on the racing. Both of which were spot on. All of the other male managers i met were racing enthusiasts i doubt that is the case today. I actually went into ladbokes in liverpool today as i had time to kill, and there was biggest idiot ffing and blinding on the FOBT's i looked across and he was betting virtual dogs.

One thing in the shop did make me laugh, when the commentator said the bugel had gone at sprintvalley. I had an image of some cartoon guy snorting gear in some cartoon toilets with his club badge on. made me lol anyhow.

Back in my day they never recruited people other than shop assistants.

Foolishly decided to play a poker tourn at casino and just got in. Thanks for everyone's input, some handy pointers.

VBOL today Scott.

Bookies have a horrible staff turnover generally and so will be falling over themselves to hire someone with solid retail experience and good references.

Again been many years now since I last worked in a shop, but always thought it was a pretty good job.  Not brilliantly paid considering the cash handling responsibility and risk of robbery etc but you get to spend all day watching sport and chatting to customers about it - always suited me!  Nice to know I'll never be unemployed as got that experience to fall back on if needed, and they are ALWAYS looking for staff.

Good luck.

Good luck matey!

Only just seen this thread so probably a bit late but knowing a few of the Gambling Commissions

rules and regulations would get you a head start on others applying for the job.

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/gambling_sectors/betting.aspx

Looks like you have covered most angles and would be ideal for the job.

Agree with Camel that the industry has changed from 10-20 years ago and the interaction/banter

is a lot less than it used to be but that's probably because most of them have died !!

The youngsters ,in general , just dont have the same social skills or interaction.

Either that or i'm getting a miserable old sod.

This.

;)

Thanks to everyone who contributed some advice and to those offering well wishes.

Interview went well and definitely felt a lot easier than the telephone stage. Wifey let it slip that the other candidates were internal which obviously has positives and negatives.

As mentioned earlier, money isn't great but enough for my standard of living in Dundee.

Fingers crossed.

Are you Aaron's dad ? ;D

Jim!

You can't say that.......

He CAN!

As long as Jim realises who's fault that entirely correct statement is!

What?

Greeky meets Fred?

Unbelievable stuff Jeff.

Off the top of my head and the main one is the internet. Kids grow up spending hour upon hour in
their bedrooms on the internet/facebook and watching reality tv.

With only having 3 channels on tv in my youth you HAD to go out and do stuff.

And if you were Tikay you only had black n white television in your teens. Sick eh ?

THREE channels?

Thin.

One channel, 9" screen, but we had the wireless, & the Home Service & Light Programme were wicked.

1pm Sunday, Wakey Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, the Billy Cotton Band Show.

Epic stuff.

Seems to be a lot of non Betting Board types reading this thread.

Bugger off & post Bike Photos, this is for pros only.

off the top of my head the only one is the older generation who haven't exercised proper control over their kids.

I didnt even realise TV's were invented when Tikay was a kid

Interesting stuff / peeps itt innit?


Bookie says he is getting a miserable old sod. Well it just so happens I have one going spare....

Did put parents down as first choice but changed my mind because, although it is selfish, the
parents are quite happy if little johnny is in his room not smashing windows with his football
or getting into trouble playing doctors n nurses and they know exactly where he is. Even if they
dont know exactly what he is up to.

Without the internet I reckon the younger generation would be far healthier and socially more
adept. It is those who can embrace the internet without it being the dominant part of their
lives that benefit the most.

After being on Blonde for the last 36 hours I must now log off......

Blimey, you must think I'd make a terrible parent :D

I used to enjoy going into bookies, now it seems they full of gangs hanging around one person on a machine...

seems really negative and beyond seedy.