Your typical day at work would consist of running the register, assisting customers, stocking shelves, recovering the store, being security depending on area and if your a high shrink store or not ( I was ) bank runs, cleaning of the building and parking lot. Setting planograms, dealing with vendors, and these are just the basics. Because while all the above is going on 9 out of 10 your doing this by yourself due to "lack of payroll hours" . I was a high volume store for my area. I was under the impression your store's hours was based on volume but that is not the case. You will be consistently be put in situations that I call a catch 22. You are expected to do and say certain things but if corp was around it's a total different story. Anyone who has been with this company or knows someone who was or is with this company knows sometimes things will not always be able to be gone by the book. You will or you will know someone who will work off the clock to finish their job, you will or will know someone who is working the stocking shift and will get a soda or a drink and pay for it when the store opens vs as soon as they drink it. These things happen due to being concerned about getting the job done as best as possible.
This is my entire experience with the company.
At first I loved my job because I truly don't mind fast paced hard work. I started out as a part time cashier getting 4 hrs a week at my home store, I went to any other dg that would let me pick up hrs to work
Prospaycheck, benifits
Consoverworked, underpaid, tossed aside as soon as you disagree with upper management
It is better than no job but once you get a better job always quit this or demand only one or two days a week.
The job started out ok. You dont get more than a few cents over minimum wage if you even get that.
None of this is the managers fault. Two of mine have been great and deserve to be paid more, allowed more pay roll, and allowed to order more things to suit the demand of the area. It seems corporate is the bigger issue with these stores. They are very anti union and it seems to be so they can take advantage of the lowest level workers/management.
Dollar General did horrible during the corona outbreak, was one of the last stores to start limiting people buying TP and other items, the stores were jammed full right as it happened, hours for staff were cut, and it took them months to get any sneeze guards or PEP for employees to use. They also were one of the first stores to lift the limits on items. It seems they cared more about profits rather than making sure the community they serve, which many only have that store within walking distance, would have supplies.
Their "bonuses" were just a lump sum based on if you were full time or part time. Full time got a 300$ bonus and part time just got 1$ an hour extra in a check. They didn't start the 1$ an hour extra until later into the out break and then stopped it fairly early.
They gave out a 30% coupon for employees, but this was just 10% over the 20% they already gave. They also made it only use able at their TOGO terminals, which not all stores have, so many employees couldn't even use it. It wasn't until recently they ma
Prossemi decent discount on their brands, some of the employees are great.
ConsMinimum wage, bad cash handling praticeses, lack of proper scheduling even after told, grumpy keycarriers will ruin your experiance
First off, when I got interviewed, it wasn't really an interview. The store manager left early that day, even though I was scheduled to be interviewed. So I went in there and one of the assistant managers didn't even know what to do or where my application was, she didn't even know where the interview question paper was. So she basically wrote down my number, asked me where the last three places I worked (wrote that down too), and told me that I probably would get a call from the store manager in a few days to schedule another interview. I waited and never got a call, so I called them and asked what was going on, the same assistant manager was very rude and said they were still waiting for my background check and rudely wondered why I was calling. That puzzled me and I went ahead and looked for another job. I got a call two (maybe three?) weeks later saying that I never filled out the new hire packet that was sent to my email and that's why they never received my background check. Well, I never check that email, so I didn't know about it, and the last thing I was told was to wait for another interview from the actual store manager. So I went to check and that packet had been in there since the day after my interview. Which puzzled me more, because here I was waiting for an actual interview, but I was basically already hired, it would have been nice if they communicated more with me and actually told me to expect a hiring packet.
Well, I finally started working there in Oc
ProsCustomers are friendly, I like some of the people I work with, and getting paid weekly is better than bi-weekly.
ConsStore manager is a rude person, pay is horrible for being on your feet and running back and forth all day, the hours are just plain bad, and they will not give you a break if working under 6 hours, even if you work 5 hours and 45 minutes.
So I've worked in retail for 16 years now, never been wrote up until DG and the context of the write up screams this particular manager wanted me gone. Some context my first job when I turned 16 back in the day was actually DG and I have returned a few times over the years as a part time job when times were rough, been a Salaried Store Manager for the Competition as well so I know the policies etc. So when I recently moved to a new town I applied and got a job as an Assistant Manager at a new store that was opening Great Right? The month I trained at another location it was apparent I knew what I was doing I received nothing but praise from multiple Store Managers that visited and I thought to myself this is it I'm here for good and will make this a career. The whole time I was training I was never assigned a job code so I never got paid as an Assistant until the 1st week the new store was open and never got retroactively paid either I mean 8.00 an hour compared to the 12 I was supposed to be making eh didnt bother me a whole lot. So when we started to stock the new store for opening I'm the Assistant and DG has a new store opening schedule and shows who is supposed to be there on what days it starts at Day 0 then 1-7 Day 0 Store Manager and Merchandiser meet at the store etc. Day 1 Assistant Manager is supposed to be brought into the mix was I the answer is no. Day 2 I show up albeit I was 20 minutes late because I was told by my Manager to be there at 10 and she never told
When I first started I was brought on very quickly and was just thrown in without ever even being told I had gotten the job. I hardly got any training and when I did eventually someone would tell me that it was wrong and have me do it a different way. I would get praise about something one day and then corrected the next. I never felt comfortable with any of the managers because, even though you need them for most cash register issues beyond just ringing things up, they would act as if you were trying to inconvenience them. I was never properly trained, I just followed someone around one day and then set free to do what needed to be done the next with no additional help. This may be normal, but that isn't how I learn so I would frequently forget to do something and then instead of talking to me about it I would get passive aggressive comments about it where they would say they continuously noticed it but didn't bother to say anything to me.
A typical day for me, I was a closer so I knew for the most part, what I was supposed to do since it was a pretty set schedule. When I was scheduled to work mornings, however, the store manager would get annoyed that I didn't know what I should be doing, even though I was only trained for closing shift. There were a few instances when I was yelled at by the manager, in front of customers, for asking what needed to be done.
I barely learned anything. There were so many components of this job that were never explained but were expected o
Employees do just about everything at slave wage in comparison
I have worked for this company for many, many years.
Your typical day at DG as a cashier is:
- Checking people out at the register and handling peoples' frustrations
- If you aren't busy, you will be checking to see if cigarettes are stocked and putting away supplies from gray totes.
- If you stock, you are expected to put away around 3 to 4 entire rolltainers a day to keep up pace (if the store is busy).
- You are constantly pressured to tell people about the survey on the receipts and other promotions, which you never get around to doing if you don't want to hold up long lines. This is only situational though as all stores aren't busy.
If you work night shift, which is where a majority of the work is at because more people get off work around then, you're in for a treat.
Responsibilities include:
- Checking out customers with a higher volume compared to day shift.
- Cleaning up day shift's mess.
- Putting away gray tote items if you have the time (which you usually don't if store is under staffed).
- Straightening the store shelves while juggling between that and register. Sometimes you don't even get to leave the register for more than 10 seconds before someone else comes.
- Troubleshooting PC and pinpad errors which are from the 90's. They are old IBMs where the company doesn't bother investing in one of the most CORE features a store should have - their technology.
- Straightening the coolers and freezers.
- The MOD (manager on duty) is usually your
ProsIt's retail, what do you expect? The only pro here would be gaining experience in retail or customer service
ConsAverage 30 minute breaks, employees do too much, understaffed, bad equipment to work with, company feels like it does not care about its employees, high turn over rate, some stores are trashy or have poor management, some stores end up making you do overtime due to finishing up your work, little employee benefits with limited time windows
Shift change begins immediately upon arrival and almost never goes smoothly. Because the register drawer is already counted to $100, the newly shifted in clerk must assume the drawer actually has an exact monetary count of $100 at the start. The newly shifted clerk is completely responsible for the drawer having $100 regardless if it actually has that correct amount. This is alarming to me as I am forced to assume the drawer's accuracy without having been able to actually confirm the monetary count before starting my shift.
The time clock automatically rounds clock in and clock out times to the nearest 15 minutes based on a 7 minute window so if one clocks in 7 minutes early for a 3 pm shift, the time clock registers that the clock in time is moved up to the nearest 15 minutes.2:53 pm clock in at the register is now registered as clocking in at 3 pm according to cooperate computers. This is inconvenient for employees as they are losing time on the clock and being robbed of every minute actually worked. Employees take full advantage of this 7 minute window and are seen clocking out 7 minutes earlier then their scheduled shift actually ends or they clock out 8 minutes past their scheduled shift to gain an extra 15 minutes on the clock that they didn't even work.This can be a substantial loss of pay for employees or corporate loss for labor hours not actually worked by employees per week.
Management lacks cohesion between the District Manager,Manager,Assistant MOD and the cler
Prospublic diversity with social interaction
Conspoor, costly benefits, poor management structure and lack of morale.
i had a fantastic boss for two years. we became fast friends, she understood my mental health issues (extreme anxiety) and would allow me to take breaks to calm down if i got overwhelmed, or would even send me home if she knew i needed to be done for the day. she was great with giving me the days off that i needed off, and most of the time if i wanted a specific day off that wasn't for a medical reason, family affair, and just for my personal gain, she would grant me that day off so long as there was someone that would be able to work that day. i was without a car for a while so i could only work certain shifts during certain time frames and she was very flexible and accepting of that and never scheduled me for impossible shifts. she gave me lists of things she wanted done, but told me which ones were priority and to do my best, but no pressure if i wasn't able to complete them. these lists usually consisted of two or three big projects (unloading rolltainers / uboats) that she would want done for sure if it was possible, and a few smaller jobs (recovery, sweeping, rearranging the stock room) if i had time for them. unfortunately this boss ended up quitting, so i got a new boss.
here's where it starts going downhill. new boss promised she'd be able to work around my schedule. scheduled me during times i didn't have a way to work. new boss said my hair color could be any color i wanted it to be. i dyed my hair back to my natural color (a very bright, vibrant red), she told
I feel like their business model is quickly becoming outdated. I'm fairly certain their insanely rapid growth will be to the company's detriment sooner, rather than later. It would seem that the vast number of stores opening up will only serve to cannibalize existing ones. Over-saturation has been a thing in the retail space for a long time already.
Pay is woefully behind the times. Hourly personnel can expect far from a liveable wage. Salaried individuals are compensated much better, however any work/life balance is essentially non-existent at that point as you will be covering every individual working under you that doesn't feel like going to work is important. Of course, they may only feel that way as a result of the aforementioned low wages.
Also worth mentioning, is the company's very poor attempt at adapting to the covid/post-covid world we now live in. Acquisition, distribution and logistics have been so bad it's almost laughable. Products are scarce, Distribution centers are completely bumbling everything they touch and delivery trucks are showing up whenever with whatever. Zero accountability from any these areas.
Accountability itself might be the single worst offense of them all. Basically, it's individual Store Managers that have to answer for the failures of "corporate". As an example... if a store doesn't have product that distribution doesn't even have, it's the SM's fault for not "scanning". If a truck doesn't deliver what's supposed to be on their truck,
ProsPay (though ONLY at Store Manager level and above, Plenty of opportunities for advancement (company loves promoting from within), Often great people to work with day to day
ConsPay for hourly personnel (really an embarrassment in 2021), Incredibly unpredictable logistics, No accountability for complete ineptitude, Far too many hours and days most weeks, Very little, if any, support from above, abysmal payroll budgets result in vastly overworked management, I could go on, but I digress.
As a store manager for four years with this company I can say it has its ups and downs which is to be expected.
The good...
Health benefits arent too bad as a stord manager you pay 50% of the costs.
Usually an easy company to get into because of high turnover of management. Education requirements are nil. In fact I was the only store manager in the region with a college degree.
If you are an extreme workaholic or have no family or social life this is the company for you. It is a 6-7 day workweek.
For a young person starting out you can advance rapidly if you work very hard. I regularly took 20 yr olds from cashiers to assistant managers in less than a year.
The bad...
Being a store manager means no work life balance. Even those with strong management backgrounds and a well trained crew will work 60-70 hrs a week every week.
No provisions are made for emergencies, if you lose a manager or crew member you work for them. Example..if your asst manager quits you will have to cover their shifts until you find and train a new one which is a minimum of two months. In that time you will work 7 days a week and about 80-90 hrs a week.
Over emphasis on rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic mentality. Constantly changing layouts etc with no benefits to be had.
It can be hard to find qualified crew members and retain them. The company itself assumes everyone is a theif and constantly negatively reinforces this fact from day one. Most of the best simply leave because they get tired
Proshealth benefits
Consnot valued as an individual
Questions And Answers about Dollar General
If you were in charge, what would you do to make Dollar General a better place to work?
Asked Jun 13, 2017
We keep our store running pretty smoothly with just 6 employees that is our Manager, Assistant Manager, and 4 associates
Answered Oct 4, 2021
When hiring , have them hire for cashiers only and front counters to fill when not ringing .
Then hire floor associates, that fill counters ,and truck, then hire 1 person to do layouts n seasonal counters.
I think it would run smoothly that way instead of having 2 people in store that have to ring ,do vendors, do truck and try and fill the stuff on the floor. That is when u notice that cashier do not know now to fill in counter and then we are to busy putting stuff back to the right spot.
It's crazy. Hire 6 cashiers part time..
Hire 6 to work freight. Hire 1 for layouts, seasonal merchandize. And then there is the Store Manager and 2 to 3 ASMs
Answered Aug 7, 2021
Why did you leave your job at Dollar General?
Asked Mar 16, 2017
This company is HORRIBLE. It's all about who you know and nothing to do with your actual job performance. I worked here for 2 years as an assistant manager and made nowhere near enough to pay my bills. The management is an absolute joke and they will hire people lower than you that get paid more. So yeah, I went to another company where I make several more dollars an hour. Don't even waste your time here. You are not valued.
Answered Aug 11, 2021
I kept feeling more and MORE overwhelmed! Corporate gives you the bare minimum on payroll, so it is IMPOSSIBLE to complete ALL of the tasks they want done in a "timely" fashion. The freight just keeps coming and COMING, as do ALL of the other tasks!!! We had a BUSY store, so the customers just kept coming and COMING as well!!! It was just a VERY STRESSFUL JOB, and after doing it for a year, my blood pressure and nerves just couldn't handle it any more... THE STORES NEED MORE PAYROLL SO THEY CAN GET MORE HELP!!!
Answered Apr 13, 2021
What is the best part of working at Dollar General?
Asked Nov 23, 2019
The customers! They are what keeps me going back! I work at a corner store. The customers and I joke it’s the “cheers “ of our community!
Answered Oct 6, 2021
The customers truly make it all worth it. Despite the bad ones, you can be having a hard and rough day and a customer will make you feel so much better without even knowing their impact.
Also, the great friendships you can make with coworkers if you work with a great team like I have.
It's a tough, tough job-- and those great moments are extra special.
Answered Jul 17, 2021
Do they drug test?
Asked Jul 22, 2016
No they do not drugtest
Answered Feb 4, 2021
They do not do drug test if anyone your able to use while working. The only thing they do is background checks. They don't even do random drug test.
Answered Dec 20, 2020
How flexible are your working hours at Dollar General?
Asked Mar 16, 2020
Been there three weeks and have only had one day off that I requested to take my husband to a doctors appointment. Our store is painfully short staffed.
Answered Jul 8, 2021
Not very flexible when your understaffed. You close then you open.