A former buyer spent ten years at Poundstretcher and left a Glassdoor review so beautifully written we think it might be the best one-star review of all time.

"Single ply lavatory paper that dissolved at the touch of hope." Dickensian prose about discount retail misery, funereal carpet tiles, and loyalty rewarded with... an insulting gift, basically.

Plus: the state of UK high streets in 2025, what happens when your remote job offers zero interaction, and Jon once called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ... well, something not that.

The fluffy green energy company has a 2.6 star rating on Glassdoor. Ouch.

Jon and Charlie dissect OVO Energy's reviews, including a one-star review that's somehow praise, a software engineer with extremely specific grievances about "craft managers," and discover that the office slide injured three people on day one.

Plus: staff vs workforce, gifting in the Philippines, and knowing when your company has outgrown you.

Chapters

00:00 - OVO Background

05:15 - CEO Guessing Game: Chris Hampton

08:30 - Employee Reviews

27:30 - The Deranged Software Engineer's Manifesto

35:15 - The Death Slide Tangent

38:00 - Bowls: Gifting Your Philippines Resources

44:30 - Best Ways to Reward Your Workforce (not staff)

52:15 - One Minute of Actually Good Advice

Money Expert Charlie and Sales Guy Jon dig into Imperial Brands (formerly Imperial Tobacco) — the Bristol-based tobacco giant with a 3.3 star Glassdoor rating and an actual toxicologist on payroll. In this episode:🔥 Why Imperial Brands needs 500 words to justify selling cigarettes💼 A senior toxicologist gives 5 stars (and we have questions)📉 An SDR with grammar so bad we question everything🤖 Job farms, AI interviews, and why your remote interview might be a scam☕ Networking advice that actually works (shocking, we know)Plus: We apologise for disappearing, explain why the sound is a bit rubbish for the next few episodes, and Jon confesses his undying love for secondhand smoke.💬 Drop a comment if you've worked somewhere that makes you question your life choices — Charlie's giving away merch to commenters!Subscribe for more chaotic business content.Chapters0:00 Sound Quality Apology + Season Intro0:59 Welcome to The 5 Star Podcast5:09 Imperial Brands: Who Are They?10:07 Glassdoor Overview15:00 Glassdoor Employee Reviews37:33 Job Search Strategies That Actually Work59:41 One Minute of Actually Good Advice#5starpod #Glassdoor #ImperialBrands #WorkplaceCulture #CareerAdvice #JobSearch #Bristol #BusinessPodcast #GlassdoorReviews #businessethics #businessstrategy #businesstips