As a soon to be graduate with no imminent job lined up, off to temping agency, Blue Arrow it was!
I live in Manchester, and having no office skills or experience to speak of, decided to hit the catering branch of this agency.
I walked in, was kept waiting an interminably long time (but ... Read review
Advantages: Free training (silver service etc), Flexible, Immediate start Disadvantages: Staff can be downright dumb, wages low as 4.85 an hour
...up, off to temping agency, Blue Arrow it was!
I live in Manchester, and having no office skills or experience to speak of, decided to hit the catering branch of this agency.
I walked in, was kept waiting an interminably long time (but hey, that's okay - I'd keep my prospective employees waiting while I sat chatting to my friend at the next desk too...)
"Suzy" eventually calls me over, and she's ... ...So those two tests convinced Blue Arrow I was up to the job and really, I have no (nada!, zip!) experience of either waiting tables or catering, or anything to do with food for that matter. This is something I glossed over in my work experience recounts!
Suzy tells me that the pay is usually in the realm of 4.85 (minimum wage apparently for a 23 year old like me) to 5.50, so really rather shocking when all my office-skilled friends ... more
As a soon to be graduate with no imminent job lined up, off to temping agency, Blue Arrow it was!
I live in Manchester, and having no office skills or experience to speak of, decided to hit the catering branch of this agency.
I walked in, was kept waiting an interminably long time (but hey, that's okay - I'd keep my prospective employees waiting while I sat chatting to my friend at the next desk too...)
"Suzy" eventually calls me over, and she's actually fairly nice. Has me fill in a plethora of standardised forms (name, address, qualifications, work experience etc) and photocopies my passport and national insurance card.
She gives me two multiple choice test papers. The first is very basic food hygiene stuff. Seriously easy stuff, like "1. you empty the waste bin, 2. you cut up some raw chicken, 3. you handle some cooked chicken. At which point(s) do you wash your hands?" (answer at bottom of page - haha!)
And the second is slightly harder, about waiting tables. Asks what sauces are traditionally served with what meats. I came a little unstuck here (no multiple choice!) and couldn't get Bearnaise(?) sauce outta my head. Still, I passed.
So those two tests convinced Blue Arrow I was up to the job and really, I have no (nada!, zip!) experience of either waiting tables or catering, or anything to do with food for that matter. This is something I glossed over in my work experience recounts!
Suzy tells me that the pay is usually in the realm of 4.85 (minimum wage apparently for a 23 year old like me) to 5.50, so really rather shocking when all my office-skilled friends agencies pay in excess of 7.00. This agency has stopgap (and nothing more!) written all over it. The drill is that Blue Arrow will call me as and when they have work available. I can always decline to work if I don't fancy it, and they encourage me to ring them too to enquire after bookings etc.
So, I leave. I'm registered. I ring Blue Arrow the following day and speak to the joyless being that is "Kieron". He has work for me that weekend. I'm to turn up at Blue Arrow at 3.45pm on the Saturday, bussed out with other temps to some function in warrington, and then bussed back to the office for round about 11pm. Sounded fine.
On the friday I receive an answerphone message from Kieron saying he's just confirming we're getting picked up at 3.45pm. I ring him back to er.. confirm. Five minutes later I receive a text to "confirm" I'm being picked up at 4.45pm. Er... HUH??! I ring him back. Someone else answers. It's 4.45pm they say. For sure. Ten minutes later. Text message. 3.45pm it says. Arggghh!!! I say! Nice one Blue Arrow.
Anyway, after eventually sorting out that its the earlier time , Saturday arrives, and there I am in the office waiting for the bus. Of course we can't go until everyone else has arrived, and its only at practically 5pm that that happens (most probably due to that dumb texting and the even dumber staff) Incidentally, this is one whole hour I am NOT getting paid for.
Anyway, the function is fine, just plate service, clearing tables, a monkey could do it. Just as well really, because some of the other staff are pretty unevolved.
The next day I worked a wedding - same drill, margainally less waiting around. Issued with black ties to complement out black trousers, white shirt, black waistcoat combos. Fairly easy again.
Get paid the Friday of the following week. Tax deducted. I feel like screaming. I'd said (till I was blue arrow in the face!) that I was a student, asked after that student tax exemption form I've filled in so many times before, was assured they'd take nothing. Gggggrrrrr.
So, to sum it up: Great because: 1.They offer you all kinds of free training, such as silver service etc. This just takes the format of an hour in the office on a weekday afternoon, watching someone do it. But its not brain surgery, a quick practice does suffice.
2. Provided they've got a booking, you can start immediately. There's no waiting while they vet your references etc.
3. Its a job. It's money.
Awful because:
1. The staff (admittedly not all of them) can be complete simpletons. Highly frustrating when you're relying on them to keep you informed of work and times and whatever else.
2. The wages (compared to say, office temping) are dire. Really, really abismal!
3. Often, as was the case for me, they have no work available.
If you're desperate for cash, can start right away and will get out almost as quickly, I recommend Blue Arrow.
Advantages: Helpful, friendly and fast service Disadvantages: None at the moment
...recently went to see a Blue Arrow recruitment company . When I went in, a man greeted me and I asked me to take a seat at the lobby. Just about 3 minutes after that, a lady consultant came up to me and asked me about how she could help me. I didn't even need to walk up , but she came and sat next to me. How nice (sounds too good to be true, right?). So she asked to see my CV and took a copy of it. I told her about my job options and that I was open ... ...me up and told me she got me a temping job in a prestigious firm! I was impressed and so happy. Yesterday was my first day at the office and the job is just great! I am so happy and glad that she was my consultant. Blue Arrow is good! ...
Mclbee 08.08.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Blue Arrow
Blue arrow in my experience are a very good recruitment agency, I have experience only with the liverpool branch though. I first went to blue arrow after a string af very short term positions on of which is now my chosen career. I approached blue arrow regarding my desire to gain experience within the IT industry. Blue arrow were completely honest with me and stated that they did not usually deal with IT positions. They took my details and had a ... ...temporary basis Great, Withing 1 week of my entering their office i had an IT job which lasted for 2 years, I am now moving onto better things now i have gained valuable experience through my placement at blue arrow. I recomend anyone looking for work to drop in. ...
richardjmeek 03.01.2001
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Advantages: Staff wouldnt know what you done in your timesheet so add hours Disadvantages: Staff dont care dont ring you up on first days to see how you doing
Blue Arrow
A year back when i was in the need of a job my two friends had gone through this agency to get into places.Blue Arrow once you join them if you are looking for temporary work will take your CV and in some cases like mine put you on a data entry test.
Blue Arrow once i registred with them said they would be in touch, they always seem to have positions up outside their shop saying urgent but they never seem to contact everyone as those ... ...you would see.I worked for Blue Arrow after my friend got me in a job with the Preston University we worked for two weeks,what we was told was not the tasks we had.We was told our job was administration but yet we was made to do selotaping and sorting even boxes out in some times of our jobs.
Blue Arrows staff seem really dumb they never notice your timesheet as my friend belive or not never put no lunch hour down and got paid for it which infact ...
fna2007 19.12.2007
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Advantages: Big client base, well known agency Disadvantages: Seems you have to be lucky
With Blue Arrow, it seems, your experience mainly depends on where you sign up with them, which could mean that it's up to the staff.
The first time I worked for Blue Arrow was in Edinburgh in 1996. I was temping for them and had no lack of work whatsoever from day one. Since I just moved to Scotland from Germany then, I was quite desperate for money (the exchange rate DM/£ was a joke), I rold them I'd do as many hours as they could give me. And ... ...that good an experience with Blue Arrow in Edinburgh, they were obviously the first choice for me again, so I registered with them again, and - never heard anything regarding a job - neither temp nor permanent. After 6 or 7 visits to the office, asking, if anything was happening and getting a big NO for an answer, I gave up.
And this lack of work was definitely no slow market or anything like that, since the papers and jobcentres were packed with ...
saxon 16.11.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Blue Arrow
Advantages: don't need qualification Disadvantages: need to have good conatc with the manager
...Concerning the staff of Blue Arrow, you have to have a good contact with it because if not, they will give you bad jobs.
If you work good and are flexible , you can be the the temp of the month.
One of my friend was the temp of the month and he was given £10 and his photo was in the agency.
I think, it's a good temping agency.
Sorry for the mistakes ...
lovepiercing 24.06.2003
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