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I survived nearly 3 weeks at Dollar General. Hired as a store manager, I turned down offers of prospective employment to accept their "promising" offer. I was trained at a near model store almost 40 miles away from my home. The training manager was very abrubt, and seemed to spend most of her time on her cell phone taking care of her personal business. Her store had a large staff and a sufficient amount of keyholders with the ability to do overnight shifts and stock blitzes. I felt I was going into a great organization, and held the torch high. However, after 1 week of training, I expressed my concerns to the regional manager that it would benefit me more to go finish my training at the store I would be placed in, as I understood it to be a "problem" store, and it would be beneficial for me to understand what processes were in place for a full recovery, as well as the regular day to day balance of workload I was to expect. He brushed me off and seemed to think continuing my training in the near model was more beneficial. I finished my training, but still I felt that the training was very slipshod, but I was ready to conquer my store. Upon arriving at my new conquest, it was so disheartening to see just how bad it had been let go. My only keyholder had worked 77 hours that week and was demanding time off, and this left me with 3 part time employees. Over 2 weeks of stock in the stockroom, and empty store shelves. I pitched in and rallied the team to get stock. It was then that I discovered that the district that hired me was not the district I was going into, and there was no district manager, only a series of training managers that would arrive at the store to berate, belittle, and harass both myself and my team, usually in front of customers. My first day there, I had one man who obviously had never worked retail in his life screaming at me and my other part time associate about stocking shelves, when we were the only 2 employees in the building, and running a brisk $8K Saturday. When I explained to him the need for staff, and that it was only my first day in the building, he would have none of that. I was told that I would need to "borrow" associates from other stores in my district.
So I called the other stores in my district. Half of them were running with no store managers, and the others were running with no more than 4 or 5 employees. So I had to call the district manager that had originally hired me and he, as a good district manager does, helped. Day 2 in my store was no better, as I had 2 other district managers in training to show up, both of them being very reactive and unhelpful. Add to that I was to hire additional staff with a payroll budget that would barely pay for the 4 I had on the payroll. But always the optimist, I trudged forward. It was about this time I started discovering things that began to bother me. An office piled high with paper and product that I had no idea what it was. The only bathroom in the place had 5 carts of merchandise and open food in it, one "working" toilet that would not flush, and no place to wash your hands. The only breakroom in the building was a moproom filled with store fixtures that was inaccessible, and mired with crates of product that had been stowed away and forgotten. Mountainous piles of broken or damaged product, open food, chemical that I had no idea what it was. A loss prevention NIGHTMARE that I would have to take responsibility for, and I voiced my concerns to these training district managers, whereupon I was told I needed to pick my battles. One HHT unit that was inoperable for 4 days, making receiving product impossible, and add to that food on store shelves 2 years or more expired. Day 3 was worse, as I had yet another training manager warn me about the regional visit that was coming on Friday, and I expressed my concerns that we would need a task force to enter and do overnights to get ready, and I was told payroll cannot afford that. Once again, I was picked apart by this guy, and was feeling lethargic. What on earth had I entered into? As I had worked the next day, I found myself having to leave the store at almost midnight, alone, in one of the most unsavory areas of the town. Have I mentioned theft? OMG--i could walk the aisles 50 times a day and retrieve over a hundred bucks of open packages where customers had taken items. This last manager said that our theft deterent was us doing recovery every 15 minutes by an egg timer...with 2 people in the building and shelves to stock, I was assuming I would need to have eyes in the back of my head and grow 4 more sets of arms.
The next day, another screaming training district manager comes in before I arrive, and leaves me a 5 page list of things to do before the next day. With no help. My commitment to this company went down the tubes. Have I mentioned that these dm's in training are giving me no support? Ive been in retail for over 17 years, and I know that if a district manager sees you struggling, its his job to "inspire" you, and to roll up his sleeves and help you out, not to tear you down, harass you, or rile the crew into mutiny.
My poor crew. Before I came, they were getting no lunch break, no 15 minute break, and were overworked to the point of exhaustion. I prompty gave them their due breaks and was told it was the first time they had ever had a break, some in their 2 or more years with DG. Having to sit in their hot cars or walk to another store in the seedy strip mall to take their lunch breaks, or use the bathroom. Having to wash their hands from a cold water spigot outside the plaza. Abominable.I also made sure they were scheduled for days off, at my own expense, having to forgo any break or day off. Oh, I was told to catch up 5 months of planograms by working 7 days straight doing double shifts. The suggestion of this was deplorable. 7 day work weeks, and the thought of having to never have a holiday like Easter, July 4th, or Thanksgiving off, when considerable merchants close their stores to give their employees time with their families. In the course of these 3 weeks, I had missed church, a family funeral, and any quality time I could get with my family.
Today I went in, only to find another 5 page list from yet another training district manager...more to add, but I tried to stay with it. Thats when I realized...its never going to stop. Ive read the posts here on Complaint boards, and I see that its not just here, its an epedemic throughout their organization. How sad that a company founded on such loyal values has turned coat and decided to become the WalMart of the Dollar stores. I turned in my keys and left today. Not one phone call from anyone to discover why. I guess they already know why.
You know, in reading these posts, I see so many people complaining about the rude manager, the rude cashier, etc...folks, if you would just put in your application and work just one day in a DG store, perhaps you would understand their lethargy. In a dead end job for a dead end salary, still on food stamps, and working like hell to survive, all so you the consumer can save a buck on laundry detergent. Its not their fault, and in most cases, not their store managers fault. More than likely its a district or regional managers fault, or the higher ups that make the insane task lists that can never be accomplished. And folks-check the dates on those packages of food youre buying there. Food poisoning can be had at a bargain price. I just feel relieved that I got out when I did, before I was held accountable for their execution of running a business into the ground.
No, actually Ive had 3 job offers today, all from companies that are sound, solvent, and researched. No unemployment was ever taken here, as Ive never been that needy. As for the crying, believe me, I praise God that I got out of there. As for the making the grade-I have turned around 3 businesses into model flagship stores. And I doubt that they will get more money-I negotiated the number on that.
You know, it wasnt that I couldnt make the grade-but why would I? There are too many companies out there that actually give a damn about their employees and their public image. And why would you want to represent a company that didnt? The ones I truly pity are the employees of this organization, that are being denied their rights.
My complaint was not sour grapes, by no means. It was written to warn others that are considering working for DG. And you, my friend are wrong. I had them pegged from day one.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I agree 100 percent about the condition of some of these stores, BUT it's all about what kind of person you are? Are you a winner? Are you a determined person? Do you have great organizational skills? Do you lead by example? Are you a good planner? I have been a store manager at Dollar General for 5 years and of course I complain about the low payroll budget and all of the other BS I have to put up with. But my work ethic speaks for itself. Out of the 5 years with the company I have managed 3 different stores. All 3 stores were in the same position you spoke of when I first took them over. My DM knows it only takes me one month, two at the most to get a store to customer ready (model store). It's all about rolling up your sleeves for a good 30 days, putting in hard work. Start with your office because you'll need that space to recoup, and to do interviews for all the hiring you're about to do (get yourself a good crew). Next get the breakroom and restrooms in order. Third will be, yourself along with 2 associates to focus on nothing but recovery for the entire day. Then tackle that backroom, working freight everyday, doing the damages, throwing out crap you don't need (lots of crap, you'll just have to take that lost at your first inventory). You will start to see improvment and get complements on how the store is looking so much better. That's your motivated to keep pushing. Work endcaps, Gsections (using mag book), and eliminate unneeded stack outs. Planograms are not important until you get that store in order. Anyway i can go on and on, but i won't. If you've been in retail for 17 years you should know what it takes to turn the store around. Complaining will get you no where. I'm not trying to put you down in anyway. I'm just saying either you got it or you don't.
To whom it may concern,
dgisthebest Then if you are that wanting to change stores that need changing for what you call lack of good management skills, I am sure if you want it bad enough the company will transfer you to one of their most needed stores, just ask them what store closest to you are they having the most problems in shrink and meeting goals and keeping a GM, or are you Chicken? If your really concerned you will.
I have been in retail for several years now, not as management, was offered but didn't want it, Ive seen managers, ### managers and store associates come an go, The last place I worked at closed not due to lack of business but due to them not being able to come to an agreement with the lease of the building and partially due to lack of product that our area was no longer producing so they could no longer get merchandise to take back for purchasing, so that produced an empty truck going back to their warehouse in another state making everything less profitable in this area. Along with a couple other reasons, I thought this place I had worked for before was sort of bad when it came to hours of their part timers, and with the treatment of some of their employees and the way they ran their stores, Now working for DG I find, the other job was really good, I actually had enough time to do my Dept right and help occasionally with other Depts, Yes I actually had my own dept and got paid more to do so, Not so here at DG, Yes I stocked, front faced before I went home( which I tried to do all day long periodically to help at the end of the day), did my own outs, set my own end caps, set plan-o-grams not only that but occasionally helped on register and Loaded out, that means go out in the parking lot an help customers load their merchandise, Night workers occasionally helped stocked if it was a huge truck like for special events, most the time they were there to help customers, Customers were always number 1, you were always to ask if they needed help or assistance, and at the end of the night an hour before it was time to leave everyone one were given sections to front an face before leaving, an managers walked thru to make sure, Why you say because it has been proved fact a well front faced store sells more, its good for the numbers and customers, if you check your selves especially if they are real high or real low most customers will not, I repeat will not get up there or down low to reach into the back, Should I mention we also had a half way decent size warehouse to stock some things we would get early to make sure we had them for sales coming up, And there rolltainers rolled a lot better than the ones DG has, We didnt always get done what needed depending on how busy we were with customers and sometimes had to make up for it the next day. Here at DG it is less customer service and more about stocking and occasionally front facing, Not that the Managers don't want that but because the Corporate office does not give them enough hours to do their stores justice, I was sent to a store once to help, that poor manager, I really felt sorry for him, his store was a wreck, he would hire people and they would just show up when they wanted to, or when he got someone that would work good they would be caught stealing, Seemed he just couldn't win for losing, no fault of his own, We have had 3 people at our store quit within the last month, everyone left having to work the max hours giving allowed to them with the managers working overtime, they get salary so its not time an a half, Our manager actually works her butt off to along with us trying to get things stocked an still do what she needs to get done, She is a good manager, part of the trouble is to, everyone having to apply online and do some of these stupid questions, and some sound really good but for some reason they must have failed the questions as they were not put up so they could hire them, some times we need them right then not so many days after they determined they passed, what ever happened to the interview and can you go to work right now? They do not want to pay anyone no more than they have to so no wonder everyone is looking for another job, DG seems to think it does not cost more to train and train new people, each trained person takes so long of time to get up to their what they would call their standards by that time they are gone to a new job and someone new is coming in to be trained, where as if they would pay the ones a little more that are steady and actually try to work they would get a lot more done and save money, Who wants to continue working for a company that don't give a rats [censored] about the people that work for them or really care about customers. Their just trying to make as much $$$$$ as possible giving out the least amount of $$$$$ as they possibly can with out seeing that possibly giving more $$$$$$ out could possibly mean more $$$$$ in their pockets. It actually makes them lose more as they Im sure have lost employees that could have been a great asset to them in the end. I really feel for my GM even though our store runs relatively smooth compared to most that I know about. So do yourself and DG A favor ask for one of their worst Stores!
i have worked for dollar general for two years and i have just completed my managers training school and anyone who knows the company knows that theres more people to go to than just your DM or RM theres people above them that you can contact. and as far as there not being enough hours givin out then you should raise your sales and you might get more hours and if the manager in your store is doing there job then you also having nothing to worry with. ive been through 2 store managers and i see the difference in the both. so as far as people bashing dollar general thats your experiance i understand that but maybe you should think about the things you done wrong and think of a different way you couldve handled it...i love my job and i love working for dollar general and i would give anything to get into a store that was down in the dumps and bring it back out just to show that i can...you cant make excuses for the things you didnt change because theres a reason you didnt change it and that reason to me is you didnt try hard enough because like i said theres more people to go to than just your DM and RM check your resources before you just give upi and quit because you COULDN'T make the grade!
Absolutely every word (and more) is true. I can say that as a current DG employee. My biggest complaint is understaffing...There are simply not enough hours in a day to get what needs to be done w/ a minimal and increasingly disgruntled staff. Most of us take great pride in our work, but it is just not physically possible in the time-frame forced upon us. This alone results in our voluntarily working thru breaks. Oh we clock out, but are smart enough to "recover" in areas with no cameras! Or we'll punch out at the end of our shift and continue working. Oh the things one does for job security in todays economy!
I believe every word you stated. Over the years I have questioned many owners of companies as well as their hiring managers and basically concluded that employment with their company would be similar to what you have described. You did the right by resigning. No job is worth being worked to death or run in the ground. Some companies don't like good managers who take a stand on important issues as you did. You'd probably do a better job at running the company than they do!
Good luck to you and may God bless you.
so true
So now you're back on unemployment sitting around complaining that you couldn't do the manager's job. I wonder who is crying more, them or you? I'd bet they don't really care, because you couldn't make the grade. They'll find someone who is organized and experienced who can do the job and probably for more money. They had you pegged from the start. No one with a brain actually applies for the DG store manager positions.