customer service representative

branch manager

vice president of sales

technical support analyst

senior cybersecurity engineer

Continental Currency Exchange

Pros:

-Everyone at branch level, for the most part, is friendly, supportive and works as a team. Rarely any drama at branch level, most people get along famously.

-The job itself is interesting and there is lots of opportunities to learn new things, especially with the constantly changing regulations of currencies from all over the world.

-The wages are fair when you are hired but see cons below for wage increases.

-Employees receive bonus incentives if the branch as a whole does well, as well as other incentive programs offered. That being said, please see the cons below regarding some negatives to their "incentive programs."



Cons:

-There are no benefits. Head office says they are working on in, but due to lack of following through on other promises made, I doubt this will ever happen. Hopefully, for the rest of the employees, it does.

-Head office is highly unorganized and is lacking in communication; they rarely communicate fully to the staff at management/branch level, which leaves employees with inquiries to be addressed. Due to the lack of communication midst the head office employees itself, the confusion at branch level is never sorted out because no one knows what is going on with all the conflicting information going around.

    -If you are wanting to have a question or concern addressed by head office, IF you are LUCKY to get a hold of someone, often times they have to call you back as they don't know the answer to the question you have asked and need to track down someone that does (even though you have called them due to their "area of specialty."

    -Policies and procedures are constantly changing and are always unclear, as stated before, it is hard to get clarification when Head office themselves are unclear on what was "set in stone."

-There is a lot of discrepancy with the employees that work for the company and why they were hired. There are MANY friends and family that have been hired and the majority are NOT qualified for the positions they are in. This creates a blurred line between business and personal relationships.

    -The District Manger is the daughter of the President of the company. She is not professional and does not handle her responsibilities well. She will blatantly ignore e-mails with staff concerns (I.e. Raise is supposed to go through but she doesn't want to provide the employee with one) and is impossible to get a hold of for even general inquiries. She can be very petty and even vindictive if someone was to go above her head to put forward a concern about how she is functioning in her role. Because the whole company is a tight knit group of family and/or friends, information always gets back to people and then the employees that put forth a complaint are the ones that pay for it in the end, leaving the issue unresolved and the employees feeling insecure and alone as their is always negative whiplash and repercussions for bringing forth a valid concern. 

    -Head Office favors their friends and family for promotions and raises over the rest of the company, which is unfair treatment. 

    -THERE IS NO HR DEPARTMENT to bring forth concerns of this nature without getting punished for it as the entire head office is made up of people they are close to.

-Employees are rarely recognized for their achievements and/or hard work.

-Wage increases are hard to get, if you even get them at all. You have to fight tooth and nail to get the increase you deserve while others are being given a wage increase without deserving it at all (heavily due to favoritism).

-The "Incentive Programs" are always late being paid out, IF they are even paid at all. Many times there has been discrepancies in the amounts that are being paid out as many employees track their incentives and are not being paid out full values. 

-Due to the high volume of negative reviews the company has been receiving online Head Office has asked the employees to write positive ones to increase the company's appearance. 95% of the "cons" listed on any of these reviews are 100% honest and accurate. Instead of taking the negative comments and using them to their advantage to change the workplace, Head Office would rather ignore the concerns and continue to falsify the working conditions within their company. 


That being said, I have not written this review to deter future employees from applying and perhaps having a successful career. I genuinely enjoyed my time working for Continental, even through the frustrations that any workplace has to offer. I have written this so that people have an honest look into this company and hopefully Head Office will once and for all take these concerns to heart and address them. After all, the hard work that the front line employees put in is what makes this company great (not to discredit the hard work that is put forth at Head Office). It is time to start taking a genuine interest in how your employees are feeling, especially since they are the same concerns over and over again.

You will learn a lot about foreign exchange, creating client relationships (you'll even get some regulars you'll come to LOVE and look forward to seeing), and how the markets work, but be aware that this is a family-run business, and as nice as it is to be acknowledged by your name and not an employee number, it does have its downside. This small company possesses a lot of negative attributes such as: disrespect for others, nepotism, gossip, high-school clique mentality, bullying & belittling, favoritism, and empty promises.  

On a branch level, if you ever have a problem there is an 'open door' policy, but how effective it is when you're dealing with family? How can you tell the owner that the district manager (who is also his daughter) has terrible managing skills, unprofessional, immature and is under qualified for the position? And if you have a problem with her, the next best person to escalate the problem to is yet again another family member. Who can you trust? Who can you talk to? Are there consequences to being ‘open’ and ‘honest’? This is very discouraging for staff, especially when they are always encouraged to be "open" and "honest". More or less staff are encouraged to just smile, nod and pretend everything is okay, meanwhile shoving anything negative under the rug. 

Staff are underpaid and overworked, and this only seems to be getting worse. If you make even the slightest mistake, no time will be wasted in making sure you feel like an idiot or stupid from upper management (those who are above assistant and branch managers). The DM may sound nice and laugh a lot over the phone, but half the time you won’t know if she’s laughing with you…or at you. The structure for bonus always seems to be up for discussion, and whatever amount you may end up getting, is never really what you should be getting. Communication definitely lacks in this organization, whether it has to do with something internally, to announcements to the public on social media. Staff seems to find out news about the company they work for when clients do, or worse, they are sometimes told by clients what's going on with the company. This itself is extremely disorganized and unprofessional. Promotions and raises come to those who are "favourites", while everyone else has to put in double time and a half to even be recognized. 

There are many individuals who wear multiple hats and who have multiple roles/titles, and they shouldn’t. You will often times have to deal with an individual of some sort from Head Office who can be on a momentary power trip of some sort and make you feel almost degraded by the way they talk to you. Emails and calls are at times answered long after the initial communication, and sometimes not answered at all. 

One of the main upsides to this company are you fellow coworkers. In a branch you will always work as a team and you will always have help and/or support when needed. Assistant managers and branch managers are there to fight for you and will always strive to work their hardest to make the environment a pleasant and enjoyable one to work in. You will always enjoy coming to work and seeing your fellow coworkers who will soon become your friends. 

This is not an environment who an individual can grow professionally. After being exposed to this unique type of environment, I personally will never recommend employment for a small/privately owned/family-run business like this company to anybody. A person would be better off just being a part time employee, that way they won’t get caught and fully involved in the web of all this negativity. You will see a wide range of reviews ranging from the very good to very bad. This is just based on my experience of being here, and if you are here long enough, you’ll see it for yourself too.

I am writing this review in hopes of giving you an idea of what the work environment is like here at CCE. I have worked here many years as a part-time teller. Any job has its pros and cons but this has been my favourite job ever. My shifts are filled with laughs and jokes. On a branch level, we are all very close to one another but still professional. Imagine coming to work every single day with a group of your good friends, sounds kinda magical if you ask me. We often organize dinners or hang outs outside of work. This job definitely isn’t for the easily stressed or distracted type of people, YOU NEED TO PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING. This is currency, mistakes are costly. This job also isn't for those who tend to call in sick often or who take a lot of time off of work, this isn't a Walmart, if you don't come to work that literally means that we no longer have somebody opening the store on a weekend or closing at night, thus somebody else is now stuck working all day or having to cancel their weekend trip for you, not nice.

PROS:

1. Management is amazing, I couldn't imagine working here without her. Even the assistants are great. CCE has a lot of employees who have been here for years, something I appreciate in a workplace. 

2. Monthly incentives – yes they are not always accurate which is really frustrating but it is still a nice bonus at the end of the month. There have been months where I have brought home $200 extra just in incentives, not bad if you ask me. You need to work for it.

3. Frontline staff- we are all pretty easy going and like to have fun, come to work and do your job and we will like you.

4. Hours of operation – we close earlier than the mall, closing at 5:30 on a Saturday or 8pm during the week is good.

5. Recognition – even if others feel that HO hasn't always recognized their hard work, your manager and other co-workers definitely will. We know who works hard and who doesn't, I feel that my work ethic is appreciated. 

Now to address some of the previously mentioned CONS...

1. Benefit plan – there has been a lot of talk about benefits so I do believe that it won't be long until it gets implemented. Also, there is a system in place right now that gives employees who have worked here for a certain number of years a yearly amount to spend since we don't have benefits. This is actually sometimes preferred by those employees who already have benefit coverage through a spouse or parent.

2. HO – it is true that there isn't really a HR department, HO does lack a bit of organization and consistency but over the years I have seen improvements. This is a time of transition for HO, hopefully within a couple of years everything will be sorted out. Again, HO is a core group of employees who have worked here for years, whenever I call for help with a compliance issue or question when processing a trade, I feel that I have received the help I needed. In terms of communication, if you have an issue you need to be active in addressing your concerns. You need to reach out to the appropriate people with an email or a call, yes they aren't always the quickest in addressing concerns but being persistent will go a long way. 

3. Compliance – if you don't feel comfortable asking a customer what they do for a living or where their cash came from this isn't the job for you. You will get an occasional customer that will give you a hard time when you ask the necessary questions but again, we have learned how to brush it off and get over it. 

In conclusion, this is a great job for students who want a long-term part-time job to get them through 4-6 years of schooling. The work environment is great and I would say that, all in all, the pros outweigh the cons.

Before applying to this job you should read the reviews first.
90% of the reviews written on this company are very truthful. The reviews that mention no negative points are most likely written by people that are part of the "clique" or the favorites of the company mentioned in other reviews.

Pros: Coworkers
Your coworkers are only people in this company that makes coming to work worth while. They start to become your family if you stay long enough. To sum it up you will have a few cool people to share your pain while you all get shafted by upper management.

Cons:
Upper Management...minus the word management and that is what you get at this company. People above you who have no idea how to manage people in a respectful or professional manner. The president on the other hand is very friendly and professional. Its very unfortunate that the people who run the company apart from him makes working here a mostly negative experience. The DM is mostly to blame. She rarely gets back to managers or employees with there concerns which is frustrating.

No benefits... need I say more? There is PAA which I find to be useless. You are reimbursed then taxed on it.
 
Consistency- Nothing is consistent. They tell you one thing then change it the next day which happens repeatedly to the point you don't even know how to appropriately handle certain situations. Wages are not consistent what so-ever. A new hire can be making more hourly compared to someone who has worked for the company for years. They encourage everyone to keep their wages private but you will soon find that there is no consistent starting rate. You will have to fight for an increase which is probably an insulting amount.

False promises- When hired they tell you about a great monthly bonus program. What they don't tell you is that they pay this out when ever they want and the numbers are no where near what you worked for. Any branch level problems are also dealt with when ever they get back to you sometimes months later... or never.
 
Most managers deal with things professionally  but not all. Head office is probably the most unprofessional area in this company overall. There is a manual for working in this place but you will soon find out that anyone in head office will deal with issues in whatever way they see fit.

I worked at Continental Currency Exchange for over a year. They provided me with 2 raises in that time period, 1 after my probationary period, and the other 7 months in. This was much much faster than I had expected, and way better than my other jobs in the past. The job can demand a lot of you at times when it gets busy, but even that wasn’t so bad as we always had other staff members assisting. The hours are retail, so they aren’t bad at all, and management doesn’t expect much aside from amazing customer service - which should come natural to anyone who wants to deal with 20-60 people a day. 

The atmosphere was absolutely amazing. We always joked around and had a great time, all while getting our work done. My fellow staff are definitely a highlight of my time at CCE, and a few of us have stayed friends since I left. 

When I was interviewed for the job, I made the manager aware that I was a little hesitant with my skills. For a job dealing in currencies, I knew there would have to be lots of math. Luckily they have a great training program with 1 on 1 support, and the manager was great to make sure I was comfortable long before leaving me alone to deal with clients. 

Upper management was great support for our branch as well. They provided marketing materials for campaigns, and gave us some freedom for local events in the community. The district manager also was a great tool, and could be called at any time of day on her cell. (Not sure what the other reviewer means, we got ahold of her at a moments notice every time we tried)

All in all, it was an amazing time and the only reason I left was because I want to go back to school and further my education. 

 P.S. There is a benefits program called a PAA (Personal Account or something). It does give you a substantial benefit that you can use to treat yourself to things like shopping, massages, or food every month. Very helpful to me! Also there is a bonus given every month for signups, which was made it easy to add an extra 10-15% onto my salary.

Essentially it is a mom and pop shop trying to act like a big corporation.

Probably one of the most unprofessional companies I have ever worked for. There have been multiply emails that have been sent to the 'wrong' person, out right belittling and scolding of employees via email that have been sent company wide (by the district manager and other management) and the high school clique theme is in full effect.

There is one district manager (who also is the daughter of the owners of the company, go figure), for all the 17 locations but good luck trying to a hold of her as an employee. Management has to chase her in order to get approval for an increase in pay, anything that has to do with your contract or really anything that has to do with the branch itself.

Head Office - Contacting HO for any issues is like Russian roulette, hopefully you get someone who knows what they are talking about. 

Their process of selection for management is questionable and there is definitely confusion as to why certain employees are hired and promoted. 

There are no benefits to speak of and does not look like they are interested in obtaining any. 

Promise of monthly bonus is a joke, it has been delayed upto 3 months at times, with no explanation but system issues yet they have time to take 2 weeks vacation. 

False promises from the owners and especially the district manager occur on a weekly basis but yet they increase the work load but do not increase your pay. 

The only light at the end of the tunnel has been my immediate co-workers.

If you are looking for a job that requires no thinking, this is not for you! 

The company is different to work for. In that, if you want a completely organized, large corporation structure, with clearly defined positions and direction, you won't get it here. Thats also the upside to working for the company. They are much more flexible then a regular company, whether you're a part-timer or manager, you always have the opportunity to voice your opinion, as well as talk to senior management, especially the Retail Manager. She tends to visit each branch a few times throughout the year, and has 1-on-1 talks (recently started doing reviews with senior staff) with everyone at that time. Although she doesn't get back to my emails right away, she usually replies with an email or follows up within a couple days with a phone call.

Company wide, staff are easy to talk to. I've found the only clicks to be out in the Hamilton branches.  

The owner used to be more involved, however has taken a step back recently. Doesn't seem to have had an effect on the company.

Lastly, we are finally getting benefits in 2016! This has been a discussion for some time now, and I don't think any of us thought it would happen.  Even part-time staff will get full-benefits.

I'll start by saying the work is super easy and honestly anyone could do this job. There's a lot of codes and things but there's a whole book of cheat sheet if you can't remember one.

The company however, is super disorganized and unfairly balanced. A lot of people in this company have worked there forever and not everyone is super welcoming to newcomers. The district manager is the ceo/owners daughter and the few times I've actually seen her around she's been super awkward to talk to.

Head office will randomly decide to switch you or get rid of your position without notice. The company accountant just got sent to my branch as a full time teller because they decided they just didn't need an accountant anymore.

Full time employees do not get benefit which is a huge disappointment, not that you'll get the opportunity to move up while working here anyways.

It's a good job to have to gain experience, especially with cash handling, or to work hours while looking for proper full time work.

It's exciting to work with so many different currencies on a daily basis, and interacting with so many people and hearing about their travels is fun. They guarantee the best rates in town, and for the most part, they deliver that. There are no service fees, and most of the currencies are available as soon as you need it.

The most enjoyable part of the job is dealing with the currencies and hearing about people's travel plans. The hardest part of the job is dealing with management. 

I can only speak for my branch, but the management was terrible. They try to make you feel like part of a team, all the while complaining about you behind your back.

I can only attest to what I've been through, but as far as I'm concerned, a manager should never, ever complain about an employee to another employee. That is just highly unprofessional.

It's an awesome place to go if you need your money exchanged, but as for actually working there? I'd think twice.

I've been working for Continental for 3 years now, and it's been a fun ride. I've met interesting people, both client and co-worker, and I've grown a lot professionally throughout my tenure. There's plenty of room for advancing through the company, and no shortage of support for doing so. There's also a great health/dental benefits package available, as well as monthly bonuses.

Your typical day involves serving clients coming into purchase different currencies or send money abroad, balance your tills, basic housekeeping of the branch, and enjoying some pretty great staff in the process.

It can be pretty stressful at times when there's just a crowd of people in line, considering you need to be careful when dealing with such a large volume of money throughout the day, but just be keeping your pace, it's easy to overcome. The trick is to not feel pressure to "speed through a lineup" That's how mistakes happen.

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