Got hired at Teavana!
OK so I know a lot of you guys on here aren’t huge fans of Teavana. They can be pushy, and most of their teas are super fruity/flavored. BUT the one around here isn’t so bad! Everyone who works there is super nice, and if they try and upsell it’s usually just by showing you something new, or asking if you need any more of a tea you’ve mentioned liking, etc. I also have no problem telling them if I only want 2 ounces of tea, or that I already have tins at home, etc. In my mind, I am the customer so I am right and it doesn’t bother me asking for just what I want and nothing more. :)
Anyway, with all you tea connoisseurs here I wouldn’t be surprised if at least a few of you had worked at Teavana in the past?!
I’m looking for information on simple things like dress code and company policies, as well as tips for how to meet sales goals without shoving Monkey Picked Oolong down people’s throats! haha
Even information on how to memorize all the information on the tea would be nice. :) I will probably make flash cards because I graduated college in May and sometimes miss studying/memorizing things! lol
Thanks in advance!
Congrats on your new job! I have never worked at Teavana but the things I think make a good sales person are: knowledge of product- being able to answer questions or quickly find answers, being able to make recommendations; being nice/having a pleasant personality; go out of your way to help- don’t wait for someone to ask you, go to a customer and ask if they need help and if they say no, back off but be available to answer questions later on if needed; get to know the clientele so when they come back they look for you to help.
The most unpleasant sales people to me are the ones that are too pushy, rude, can’t answer the questions and don’t go and find the answer; don’t know about the product they are trying to sell.
I think if you look at it like you are trying to sell this product, not just make a commission, you will end up making more money.
Thanks! And thanks for your input! In the past I have been great with sales, and have never had to be pushy or rude with people. So I’m hoping that works well for me here, too. I know I’m going to have a certain sales “procedure” to follow, but I can still do it in a respectful way. I plan on really learning as much as I possibly can about all the teas and potential health benefits. I have read some interesting studies in the past about the health benefits of tea, and will try to dig up some of that info to share with customers. :)
I only worked there about a month but I’m not gonna bother saying too much since it was pre-Starbucks’ acquisition and I hope things have changed for the better.
I assume though dress code is still the same, which is just sort of business casual. Nice pair of pants, black or khaki, I think longer skirts were okay too. No t-shirts, no open toe shoes, no jeans.
And they should give you all the information you need for all that, down to flash cards. Most importantly ask questions to your manager and even the other employees. Nothing’s a dumb question even if they act like it.
And most importantly don’t log the teas on here.
Thanks for the info! Do you remember what the dress code said about shoes? There’s no way I can wear flats for a 6-hour shift on those mall floors! haha
And what do you mean by don’t log the teas on here? You mean like no logging for every tea I drink at work? lol
Don’t post reviews for their teas. I have seen them crack down on an employee for reviewing their teas on here, as you’re a representative of the company. In the interests of transparency you might want to mention it in your profile too so no-one worries if you’re out to ‘sink the competition’ :)
I was told not to even do that by my manager, really don’t associate with them at all on social media in general, which is also probably good advice for many jobs. Also might be worth asking for that policy, perhaps they have changed it slightly but I think her advice was good (don’t go posting on the Facebook page, for example, don’t even put that it’s where you work on there, etc).
Not sure about shoes other than I think they also couldn’t be sneakers. Honestly couldn’t even tell you now what I wore, probably some nicer tie up black shoes. Check out Shoes For Crews, it’s not necessary to have non-slip shoes but they’ve got some decent things that hold up well for a long day on your feet.
Also be sure to take advantage of the weekly markout in place now w/Starbucks.
Congratulations on the new job! I don’t have anything particularly helpful to add, but just wanted to say that please don’t feel the need to preface the fact that you work for Teavana with an apology. I think the best tea drinkers know that it’s best to judge each salesperson on his or her own merits, and can love or hate a tea without generalizing to the whole company or judging other people for liking it. You like what you like, right? I do hope they have good business practices, but you’ll be exposed to all that in due time. :). Good luck!
Congrats on getting hired! (recently employed at a teavana also)
I hope you enjoy it there, sometimes selling can be a little tough, but there’s never been too much pressure in my experience :)
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