Pros
Online grocery shopping is a growth industry and hence the role of a CSTM is really quite secure. You get fair holidays (25 days plus BHs in lieu) and 15% discount off your Ocado shopping. It is a simple job (nothing more than a glorified paper round) and, on a summer's day, a drive in the Cotswolds or countyside at large delivering to some posh houses is quite a pleasant and stress-free activity.
Cons
The Cons, however, seriously OUTWEIGH the Pros..... PAY. The pay is very very low...and is based on the MINIMUM WAGE. CSTMs get around £15.5k per year...that's about £280 a week in your hand for 40 hours so you won't escape the poverty line. As a CSTM you are pretty much pond life and treated as such. Buddies, Marshallers and Chargehands don't get much more as, metaphorically speaking, they are amoeba just sprouting legs (that's one genetic advancement more than the CSTM). Team Managers start on around £25.5k a year. They are not recruited for their intelligence or proactive ability or foresight to instigate positive change. Their role is simply to enforce Ocado rules and apportion blame on unsuspecting CSTMs. The team management struggle to create a harmonious working environment. Caused in part by poor interpersonal skills but more so by their very limited ability. The blameworthy culture and suspicious environment in which the company operates makes it a minefield for the unwary. KIT. The issued kit is rubbish. Personal rucksacks are of such an inferior quality that they quite simply fall apart very quickly after first use. The huge bulky flashlights powered by a battery the size of a housebrick are so useless that you'd be embarrassed to give one away as a christmas present. (The boots however do buck the trend and are comfortable and safe). Best advice is buy your own kit. Most drivers have their own Sat Nav because the issued one is...you have guessed it...rubbish and frequently crashes. CULTURE. This is a growth business in a highly competitive market place. As such pressure to grow market share is intense and unrelenting. This pressure manifests itself in a blameworthy culture. Anything that could be perceived to have a detrimental effect on market share/customer satisfaction is seized upon immediately and punishment (disciplinary action) taken. Examples include, scratching a delivery van, delivering leaking/damaged groceries (whiich reduces your personla bonus), popping a sweetie in your mouth whilst driving, reversing without a seat belt on, parking anywhere that might cause a member of the public angst, delivering your groceries more than an hour early even if the customer is happy!...and there are many more...These are all serious demeanours which eventually lead to dismissal. Put a foot wrong and a ton of bricks descends. Nasty, Nasty Nasty!!!!!!!!! ENVIRONMENT. It is a nasty and suspicious environment where nobody trusts anyone. Driver retention rates are very poor. About 47% leave within 6 months so turnover is high. Recruitment is, therefore, a constant process. SUMMARY. If you need a job, maybe because you have fallen on hard times, then do it. It is easy to get in. Ocado are incredibly desperate for drivers. Without drivers the business has no future. CSTMs are thus one of the most critical factors in the business model...and Tim Steiner, CEO, knows that only too well. When you're in, enjoy the Cotswolds experience, but look for your next job immediately and be ready to move on within 6 months.