Reflective Essay: Route Sales Representative, PepsiCo Foods, Halifax, Nova Scotia
09/05/2012
I was fortunate to be offered continued work experience with PepsiCo Foods Canada this
summer where I worked ,once again, as a Route Sales Representative. PepsiCo Foods is a great
environment for a Co-op Student and I was happy to come back for a second work term. Although the
job title was the same there were many differences between my work experience in Sydney versus my
time spent in Halifax.
In my most recent role with PepsiCo I was working as a Swing RSR (Route Sales Representative)
in Large Format (as opposed to small format) where the number of customers is significantly less and
the volume of sales is greater. While in Sydney I has a list of roughly 20 customers that were serviced
one to three times a week on a route that averaged weekly sales at around nine to ten thousand. The
role in Sydney required representatives to manage their own inventory levels by placing weekly orders
based on our forecasts of sales two weeks in advance. In Halifax I worked between two routes on the
lead RSR’s days off. The weekly sales for the two routes were $42,000(route #4463) and $28,000(route
#4456). In my second work term I no longer had to manage my own inventory; product is ordered two
days in advance. Warehousing, delivery, and merchandising are all separate activates carried out by
different teams.
This position offered a new set of challenges and learning experiences from those in my
previous work term with PepsiCo. Due to the fact that I was working between two routes there had to
be strong communication between the Swing RSR and the Lead RSR. Before beginning work on one
route you had to make sure that you were briefed on any last minute changes to ad activity and
customer needs. Failure to do so could result in a dissatisfied customer or lost sales. Another challenge
that I encountered was the amount of hours and labour that was required of me during the lead RSRs
days off. I worked on one of the highest grossing routes in my district and worked on the busiest days of
the week for my leads. So it would not be uncommon for me to work 12-14 hours on a Saturday or
Ross Dohaney
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Reflective Essay: Route Sales Representative, PepsiCo Foods, Halifax, Nova Scotia
09/05/2012
Friday(on route#4463). By the end of my work term I became comfortable with this and am glad to
report that I think I can take this ability to work long hard hours and apply it to school and work. It also
gave me a sense of satisfaction to know that I was able to meet and exceed the expectations of my DSL
(District Sales Leader) and also both of my Lead RSRs.
I made my DSL and colleagues aware of the fact that I was willing and able to pitch in and help
when personal or business needs demanded it. My DSL and colleagues were not shy in offering me extra
work. Some of my proudest moments of this work term occurred when I received praise for my ongoing
help from coworkers. Another proud moment for me occurred early on in my work term while working
with my Lead RSR, Bill Lahey, on route # 4456. I was still unsure if my orders for a particular customer
account were accurate enough and upon asking Bill how the orders were he informed me that it was
“the perfect order”. This gave me the confidence I needed to act autonomously without the aid of
others.
My second work term was indeed fulfilling and was also a great learning experience. However
there were a few things that I would have liked to have seen from my coworkers and my DSL. It seemed
as though my DSL did not follow through on a few important aspects of my work term and also on a
personal request. I had booked unpaid vacation time at the beginning of the work term for a my
brother’s wedding. I had even gone so far to have it outlined in my employment agreement. Once home,
I was greeted with a call from an upset RSR who informed me that there was no coverage booked for my
ten days off and that he had to work his off days to cover the route. My DSL also was unable to schedule
a time to work with me in the market and also never game me any formal evaluation. This made me feel
a slightly underappreciated and that I was, in a sense, forgotten about. If I were my boss I would have
made more time and effort to be accommodating.
Ross Dohaney
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Reflective Essay: Route Sales Representative, PepsiCo Foods, Halifax, Nova Scotia
09/05/2012
Overall I was pleased with my second work term with PepsiCo and felt that I took away a lot
tools and experiences that will no doubt help me in the future. Although I was not formally evaluated I
do know that I made a great impression on my boss, coworkers and also with HR representatives. They
were all pleased with the quality of my work and with my willingness to relocate and to pitch in when
extra route coverage was needed. I learned how to deal with a particularly difficult Lead RSR (route
#4463). We shared drastically different perspectives on customer service and also on how to manage
inventory levels on a weekly basis. On some issues he seemed unwilling to budge but we were able to
find common ground and went on to have a good working relationship. I am unsure if I will return to
PepsiCo Foods for my final work term but I am confident that in the future there is opportunities within
the company that I may choose to pursue.
Ross Dohaney
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