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Got an offer from RadioShack

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KevinF

Senior member
Aug 25, 2000
952
0
0
I worked at Radioshack last summer.

You could make 8 dollars an hour, depending on how busy of a store it is. However, the fact that you're being paid 5.25 and not 5.15 I believe means that it's a little store and you won't be paid as much. You'll get $5.25, plus the $25 for selling wireless and other items, and you'll also get the "monthly sales gain bonus." If the store had a percentage gain of 5% or more from the corresponding month of the previous year, you receive the percentage sales gain as a bonus in 5% increments.

If it's a store like that, I'd expect to make between $6.50 and $7.00 once you get in the swing of things. You can do much better if it's a store that pays real commission. Larger stores will give you a certain percentage of every single sale you make as comission. If the hourly average of this is greater than 5.15, you get paid the commission amount. This can be much better than $7.00 in a big store.

Take the job. It's easy. As long as the people in the store are decent human beings, you'll have a good time.

As for the person wondering about being a manager at Radioshack, don't do it! At the little store I worked at, the manager made about $22,000 a year for working a 60 hour week, before he was overcharged for insurance and other benefits. He actually got paid a very similar amount as the employees, only with much more responsibilities and duties.

Feel free to PM if you have any questions. Oh, and the employee discount as a whole sucks, but the wireless discounts are very nice. I'm still on the Verizon plan, it's $20.00 a month for 750 anytime minutes and 500 night and weekend, with lots of text messages, mobile internet, and the works. The Sprint employee plan is even better, if Sprint is better than Verizon in your area. You can stay on the employee plan after you quit indefinitely, too.
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
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You really think it'd only come out to an extra dollar or two per hour?

For 40 hours, with a goal of $8 an hour, I'd only need $110 in commission a week. I definitely thought that was doable.

Gah I don't know. My other choices are BB, some banks, MAYBE CC, a Home Depot that's a good half hour away, a few other things...
 

Apathetic

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2002
2,587
6
81
I grew up and went to school in western PA, so I know what it's like. Jobs are hard to find and $8.00/hr is a "good" job - especially for someone in or just out of high school.

If you take the Radio Shack job, be prepared for a LOT of pressure to SELL. Especially service plans. If you're not comfortable with that, it may be better to look for something elsewhere. Before you accept the job, ask how much you are expected to sell per week/month and how many service plans you are expected to push.

Dave
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
0
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Glad to see someone who knows what it's like in this area.

I realize there is a lot of pressure to sell, but seeing as how I've never really done it before, I don't think I should assume I won't like it, I may in fact be good at it. So I will give it a shot and do my best, if that's not good enough for my manager and if he makes my life hell then I'll quit.

Plus, you have to admit, being one mile from my house is pretty damn nice. Working five days a week, that's only ten miles a week being put on my car for gas. So I won't be bothered by the high gas prices all too much this summer.
 

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
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Originally posted by: archcommus
Glad to see someone who knows what it's like in this area.

I realize there is a lot of pressure to sell, but seeing as how I've never really done it before, I don't think I should assume I won't like it, I may in fact be good at it. So I will give it a shot and do my best, if that's not good enough for my manager and if he makes my life hell then I'll quit.

Plus, you have to admit, being one mile from my house is pretty damn nice. Working five days a week, that's only ten miles a week being put on my car for gas. So I won't be bothered by the high gas prices all too much this summer.

Yeah, try it. They have those weird little spifs or whatever. If you sell a Sprint PCS phone, you get $20 added to your check. Those were always nice.
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
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I just hope I can handle the selling scene.

I really have no idea what to expect as a range for possible commission earnings. To make my goal of $8 an hour, I'd have to make $110 in commission for a 40 hour week. Could that be doable?
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
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Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: archcommus
My goal for a new job is $8 an hour. Got an offer at RadioShack for $5.25 an hour plus commission. He didn't give me any exact percentages, but as an example he said selling someone a wireless plan is $25 commission.

So would I be able to achieve $8 an hour or more in the end? Not sure if I should take this not. I bet I would be able to achieve that.

Who the hell goes to Radio Shack when shopping for a wireless plan? :confused:

morons, its annoying enough at a cell office sometimes, feck if id go to a radio shack for one.

i wouldnt take the radio shack job, but i wouldnt have looked for it either, and i guess you did...so why not? you can always quit.
 

KingNothing

Diamond Member
Apr 6, 2002
7,141
1
0
Originally posted by: archcommus
You really think it'd only come out to an extra dollar or two per hour?

For 40 hours, with a goal of $8 an hour, I'd only need $110 in commission a week. I definitely thought that was doable.

Gah I don't know. My other choices are BB, some banks, MAYBE CC, a Home Depot that's a good half hour away, a few other things...

If I were looking for a job like that, Home Depot or Lowes would be first on the list. It seems like a fun place to work. Working at a bank seems mind-numbingly boring.

At BB or CC, at least you can get a discount on stuff. I have a friend who works at BB that's gotten some insane discounts.

Basically Radio Shack has no benefits that I can see aside from being able to walk to and from work.
 

BHeemsoth

Platinum Member
Jul 30, 2002
2,738
0
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Originally posted by: archcommus
You really think it'd only come out to an extra dollar or two per hour?

For 40 hours, with a goal of $8 an hour, I'd only need $110 in commission a week. I definitely thought that was doable.

Gah I don't know. My other choices are BB, some banks, MAYBE CC, a Home Depot that's a good half hour away, a few other things...


Go for it....won't be that bad.

I know how wages are in PA, one of my friends moved down there and makes $6.50 at Target.

Where I live, even the grocery stores pay $8+ an hour, but I live in an upperclass area of Massachusetts (Cape Cod).
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
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Well I filled out the survey today, so if that goes well then I will be hired.

It feels like I'm obligated to stay with it when things move along this quickly, but I must remember that I'm not. Hopefully I will sell decently and the manager will remain kind like he has thus far. But if I suck, or even if I don't, and if the guy becomes an a-hole and makes my life hell, then I can always drop it.

Remember, Sears is $6.20 with no more than a 20-cent raise in June with probably no more than 25 hours a week in the summer. My goal for a new job was at least 30 hours a week at $8 an hour, and even that might be shooting high for this area. RadioShack is $5.25 an hour plus commission, and will give me as many hours a week as I want. Also figure in that I'll be saving about $10 a week on gas by only driving one mile to work. So, if you assume a 40-hour week, at $8 an hour, that is $320, subtract what I'm saving from gas, and you have $310. 40 hours times $5.25 = $210. So my goal in weekly commissions is $100. I hope that's possible.

Also keep in mind, we're talking three months here of working, not a year or more. At the end of August I'm off to Grove City!
 

HombrePequeno

Diamond Member
Mar 7, 2001
4,657
0
0
Originally posted by: archcommus
You really think it'd only come out to an extra dollar or two per hour?

For 40 hours, with a goal of $8 an hour, I'd only need $110 in commission a week. I definitely thought that was doable.

Gah I don't know. My other choices are BB, some banks, MAYBE CC, a Home Depot that's a good half hour away, a few other things...

BB isn't too bad if you are a good liar or if you work in the warehouse. One of my friends worked at Home Depot....for a day and he never went back. He didn't quit, he just stopped going. Working at a bank isn't too bad. It's not exactly exciting but it's not bad.

I would say stick with the Radioshack job but apply to better places along the way. It's better to be making money and looking for another job than not make jack squat and looking for a job.

Edit: I see you want to work at least 30 hrs. a week in the summer. If that's the case, you're probably not going to get that at Best Buy.
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
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Well this is only going to be for the summer, and then when I'm home from school like on breaks, Christmas, maybe next summer, etc. So I don't really want to take this one and then continue looking as well for something else to switch to, not really enough time to do that. I'd like to pick something now that will offer me the pay and hour advantage over Sears, and then stick with that basically until I can get an internship in a summer or two.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
summer job ? Do data entry... easy money and usually you can bring a walkman (you kids call them ipods nowadays) ;)
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
0
76
What kind of companies have positions like that?

I'm only familiar with that term from online work-at-home schemes.
 

murphy55d

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
11,542
5
81
One night I needed a set of component cables ASAP, radio shack was the closest store, I went in and the guy handed me composite. I told him I needed component, he insisted that component=red/yellow/white.
 

Apathetic

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2002
2,587
6
81
Originally posted by: archcommus
Well I filled out the survey today, so if that goes well then I will be hired.

It feels like I'm obligated to stay with it when things move along this quickly, but I must remember that I'm not. Hopefully I will sell decently and the manager will remain kind like he has thus far. But if I suck, or even if I don't, and if the guy becomes an a-hole and makes my life hell, then I can always drop it.

Remember, Sears is $6.20 with no more than a 20-cent raise in June with probably no more than 25 hours a week in the summer. My goal for a new job was at least 30 hours a week at $8 an hour, and even that might be shooting high for this area. RadioShack is $5.25 an hour plus commission, and will give me as many hours a week as I want. Also figure in that I'll be saving about $10 a week on gas by only driving one mile to work. So, if you assume a 40-hour week, at $8 an hour, that is $320, subtract what I'm saving from gas, and you have $310. 40 hours times $5.25 = $210. So my goal in weekly commissions is $100. I hope that's possible.

Also keep in mind, we're talking three months here of working, not a year or more. At the end of August I'm off to Grove City!

Good luck in Grove City. There is a "new" (put in about 5 years ago) outlet mall there. If you're looking for a part time job, you may want to check it out. LOTS of small to medium sized stores there.

Dave
 

ericb

Senior member
Nov 11, 1999
898
0
0
Ever been in a Radio Shack store and been the only customer in there? Ever stayed in one looking for 20-30 minutes and still been the only customer in there? How much commission do you think you'll make in these dead stores...unless it's in a mall. I would run from the standalone stores and only work commission in a mall where you get impulse buys and foot traffic.
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
0
76
TY, Apathetic, I'm looking forward to going!

ericb, yes, I know. There is a RadioShack at a mall near me, same mall Sears is in where I work now, a little under 8 miles from my home, about a 20 minute drive. This one is so tempting just because it's 1 mile from my home, about a 2 minute drive.

It is pretty empty a lot there, but also keep in mind that because of that, there's usually only one person working at a time, plus the manager. So you pretty much get all the customers for yourself that do come in that day.
 

EngenZerO

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2001
5,099
2
0
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
Originally posted by: MX2times
"RadioShack. You've got questions, we've got blank stares"
True, most of the people that work at Radio Shack are battery salesmen and don't know an NPN transistor from a zener diode.

bwahahah... how many people on average do you think come into radioshack asking for either of those?
 

Hossenfeffer

Diamond Member
Jul 16, 2000
7,462
1
0
I would chalk up the commission(s) to found money and not factor it in at all in your job selection.

If you can justify taking the job at sub $6/hr, great, then any commission will come in above and beyond that.
 

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
0
76
No, I can't accept a $5.25/hour job if it was that and only that.

I'm thinking I should turn this down because I won't earn enough, but then what? I'm still working at Sears making $6.20/hour, and I might not be able to find anything else. Then I'd be thinking, damn, I should've given RS a shot.
 

JackBurton

Lifer
Jul 18, 2000
15,993
14
81
Your goal should be $8/hr for a new job. $15/hr if you have to work at RadioShack. :p <= That place sucks!