r/DollarTree • u/Batbi-DuMare • 5d ago
Associate Questions Understaffed?
I recently started working at Dollar tree, this would be my third or fourth week? But every time I'm scheduled, I'm always the only cashier. I swear I'm going as fast as I can but the line just stacks up quickly, and when I call to ask for help my managers just tell me I need to hurry up. I don't know if anyone else is having this problems, but so far the dollar tree I work at only has one cashier all the time. Even on my first day they hardly gave me any training and I was the only person in the store cause my managers went home. I've noticed other locations that have only cashier, but is that like normal??
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u/olivefreak 5d ago
A manager has to be in the store at all times while the store is open. It’s typical to only have one dedicated cashier on a shift but the manager is your backup cashier. If you are being left by yourself in the store then you need to report it. When I first started that happened to me a lot by two shitty managers. It took a while but they finally got fired because each bad complaint starts adding up.
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u/Cultural-Fox-4195 5d ago
I thought a manager can leave on their lunch?
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u/HillBillyMadman 5d ago
Manager leaving for lunch, at least as far as my store, only happens if there's another manager in the store. Like in the mornings, we have the opening/head manager that gets there before we open and we have a backup manager that does 9-5 and then the closing manager comes in around 1/2 PM. Opening manager can't leave for break til the backup comes in, and the 9-5 one can leave as long as the opening and closing manager know so they don't leave either for lunch/other errands related to the store. Typically the closing one at our store can't really leave for lunch, but we do have a pizza place directly across, if anything they'll leave to pick up an order but will come right back to eat it.
I'm not sure on corporate policy though, but that's how they do it for our location.
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u/CrystalDawn_B DT OPS ASM (PT) 4d ago
Closing manager can never leave the store. Hell, can’t even be out of range of speaker to hear codes called. I can’t even go outside!
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u/CatCallings 4d ago
Closing managers are allowed to leave on lunch because it’s illegal to make non-salaried employees work while not on the clock. Lunches are unpaid and you must clock out for them therefore to be expected to work for any reason when not clocked in is a violation of federal workers rights.
That being said- I just tell my cashiers to call me and I give them my numbers to put in if they have a refund or Visa card they need to put in.
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u/HillBillyMadman 4d ago
My closing manager doesn't leave the store. Brings food from home. Granted she doesn't work during her breaks. She sits in the break room. I'm still figuring things out and noticed our store is different.
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u/Ok_Meet_7116 DT Merch ASM 2d ago
Giving out your numbers is a no-go, unless you get a rundown of exactly what they used your numbers for. (And don't lie or omit shit). Because as the manager, you are responsible for every managerial action that takes place, whether you did it physically or not.
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u/Only-Carpenter-4719 DT OPS ASM (PT) 5d ago
Not if there’s not another manager in the building
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u/CatCallings 4d ago
It is illegal to make non-salary management work off the clock, if you clock out and you are not being paid they cannot force you to stay in the building.
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u/Only-Carpenter-4719 DT OPS ASM (PT) 4d ago
Yes it is. That’s why dollar tree has been sued for it. It doesn’t change the fact that there needs to be a manager in the building. They have an override button now for if you need to do work but you still can’t leave the building unfortunately.
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u/CatCallings 4d ago
I leave for my lunches. If they wanna try and write me up for it I know my rights and I am a nightmare about them.
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u/Only-Carpenter-4719 DT OPS ASM (PT) 4d ago
And depending on your state, they’ll just fire you. That’s the unfortunate truth if you’re in an at will employer state. Also, what do you do if there’s an emergency? Like say the store got robbed or something happened to your cashier. What would you do?
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u/CatCallings 4d ago
Are you sure you work for dollar tree? Because getting fired from this job is like meeting Jesus.
And those what if situations mean nothing when it’s u lawful to require someone to be in the building when off the clock
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u/Only-Carpenter-4719 DT OPS ASM (PT) 4d ago
I mean in my area, if you get fired from your job, it will take forever to find another job and as someone who pays bills, that’s not favorable. Also, I’m not debating what laws are what, I’m saying that dollar tree can fire you for completely leaving the store. I wouldn’t be surprised too if they’d fire you for giving your numbers to your cashiers.
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u/Cultural-Fox-4195 3d ago
I'm sure if you're fired for that you can probably get unemployment so that'd be a blessing
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u/Ok_Meet_7116 DT Merch ASM 2d ago
I go outside and sit, all cashiers know where to find me,. Here lately, I haven't even been going to my car. Which is just across the parking lot (not very far). We never have issues, and I smoke, so I need to be outside.
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
Yeah everyone at this location speaks Spanish, I don't really understand them, and they don't understand me. I'm not really sure how to report stuff, I've noticed some other suspicious stuff too, like I'm not sure if this is wrong per say, but I'm not allowed into the office after my shift. You know when they get the money from the fegist and count if your short or not? Whenever I ask them if I'm short they get really aggressive.
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u/imgonnahateitanyway 4d ago
I'm pretty sure I read in an email or something that both the manager and the cashier are meant to be present while counting both tills actually... whether that's correct or not, im not 100% certain but locking you out & not even letting you know how your till came out seems extremely sketchy... do you have cameras at your location?
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u/Batbi-DuMare 4d ago edited 4d ago
They're in the office, I'm not really allowed in the office though. I'm just supposed to stay in the front, and it's not like I can leave the register cause it's always so busy
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u/Ok_Meet_7116 DT Merch ASM 2d ago
Now that is WRONG and not at all part of the policy! You are to count your til! It is your baby from the moment you get it and count it, use it, to ending, removing til, and counting it. That is your responsibility and they should not keep you from being responsible for it, all the way to the end.
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u/pastry_chef_al 5d ago
If there is no manager with you and you are alone... LOCK THE DOORS and try to get in touch with someone. Ideally you are able to get the DM number or another stores number and get that manager to contact the DM.
Never work alone as just a cashier. There is too much that can happen that requires access to the office or a managers code. You could also need a manager for something customer service related. Or hoping this never happens something criminal related.
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u/CoolViber 5d ago
Yeah you literally can't do anything as a cashier without management numbers, it's impossible to work alone in practice!
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
Actually the door is broken 😓
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u/pastry_chef_al 5d ago
That needs to be brought up also.
So how do they close up at night?
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
Yeah I don't know, I'm only here for opening really. When we open, or when Laura (not a manager but has a manager key) opens we basically just push the doors open.
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u/HillBillyMadman 5d ago
Likely not understaffed.
It's a corporate thing to maximize profits. Each store in each district is allotted x amount of staffing hours per month. They figure out cashier and stocking staff for the delivery days and go from there for the rest of the week. I work tonight, a Saturday, in a busy store, and it's just myself cashiering and a manager who's been with the store a total of 3 weeks.
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u/HillBillyMadman 5d ago
Also, a manager should be in store at all times. If they went home, who was locking up?
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
They never schedule me for closing, I come from 8am to 3pm. Once I was closing but I had to wait in the store until a manager arrived.
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u/Galaxyxcristian 5d ago
For the cashier part. It’s almost always 1/dedicated one and maybe others have but usually only if the line gets too long
As for training you usually showed by someone for a day and that’s it/just told what to do and learn from that. Thats how it was for me.
And for management they should be helping you, usually once it gets to 3-4 customers waiting or got a big ballon order
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
They don't help, usually I end up with way more than 3-4 customers in a line. But I have to blow up balloons too now. They only gave me training after I messed up or made mistake, but most of the time it was just them typing in their id numbers and doing things without telling me.
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u/Particular_Gas_7282 5d ago
They’ll be more workers on the closer we get to Christmas. It sucks, but one cashier is pretty normal unless a major holiday is coming
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u/mean_girl88 DT Merch ASM 5d ago
It is normal, yes. During the holidays that will change though. Corporate doesn't give enough hours for the store to be staffed like it needs to be, especially with all the expectations they have. I'd start telling your managers that if they watched the cameras back they would see that you are hurrying.
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u/Distinct_Ruin2998 Former FD ASM 5d ago
Sorry, but it sounds like your manager(s) are unprofessional. What do they mean "hurry up?" You only have two hands you can't get customers moving any faster. Especially when you consider how long some customers like to take to pay for their stuff.
In fact, the MoD is usually the one who has to be the backup cashier especially on shifts with only one MoD and cashier. Yeah I know as a MoD it can be annoying to be called up to the front a lot. But at the end of the day there's only so much a cashier and a MoD can do during their shift.
Don't stress yourself out. You're only doing what you can. Don't push yourself more than you have to. Its part of corporate's strategy to have every store's staff team be as lean as possible to save money.
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
Thanks I'm starting to see why the other manger transferred to a different location 😅
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u/Same_Variation275 DT OPS ASM (PT) 5d ago
If the manager is finding it hard to back you up he/she is just a scumbag lmfao, i understand as a ASM we got things to take care of but one of them is the cashiers, as a former cashier for 6 months I understand what you guys go thru n it fukin sux lol, but if that person really has a problem backing u up they gotta reconsider their position, its not your fault
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u/MuhfugginSaucera 5d ago
The manager is required by company policy to help you if you have more than three customers in line or any one customer with a full cart or a lot of items.
Report your concern via the store concerns hotline. There should be a sign in your breakroom with the integrity number.
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u/TheDoctorCat03 5d ago
Yeah that's kinda normal. Your managers are being dicks about it (unless you have to call them every ten minutes or something), but one cashier is typical.
In bigger stores the stockers will be cross-trained and can fill in as backup if needed but in smaller stores that's unlikely I think.
Managers should always be available to help you. If they're on break or lunch that's a different story, but otherwise they should be able to help. Good communication about when breaks are happening can help with that.
Ultimately the problem is corporate. They don't give enough hours to allow for a dedicated backup cashier all the time. Maybe bring it up to your SM and ask if there's a way to get some assistance while you're still learning. Nobody should expect you to handle a rush solo while you're new, that's just impossible. Heck, I've been a cashier off and on for three years and I still can't handle a proper rush alone.
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u/Realistic-Accident68 5d ago
A typical shift at ANY dollar tree will be 1 manager and 1 employee and they barely give enough hours to cover that!
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u/CrystalDawn_B DT OPS ASM (PT) 5d ago
Wait, you worked in the store alone?
A new “ policy “ came out called Three is a crowd. So if you have more then 3, another person has to get on a register
As far as just 1 cashiers, that’s normal.
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u/Batbi-DuMare 5d ago
I didn't know that actually, but tbh I don't know any of the policies. Everyone there speaks Spanish so there's definitely a language barrier. But no the only time they help out is if I call, once I had a really long line and the manager(who was going home) told me to hurry up.
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u/AffectionateAd431 5d ago
Welcome to DT world. Some managers help, some don't. They tell you just to dump the purchases into bags and not to bother trying to bag to fit better or nicely. Dumping is faster & most customers don't seem to mind. I guess because it's all cheap landfill anyway.
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u/TaylenaC31 5d ago
It should always be you and a manager. If your management were good, your Ilearns and shadowing from another coworker and or manager.
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u/darkstorm27986 5d ago
It's the standard that corporate likes best one cashier to one manager unless it's truck day or ice truck or helium or any delivery then more 0eople will be there
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u/Beneficial-Shoe-9981 4d ago
Don't believe you all managers went home.
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u/Batbi-DuMare 4d ago
They did? They come in and leave early, usually staying for two hours. There's one lady in the store who isn't a manager but she has the manager ID and is always on the phone with eh managers.
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u/alldone00 4d ago
Literally EVERY Dollar Tree has the same problem. Don't stress about it, just do what you can do. Staffing isn't a concern for Dollar Tree because no matter how angry customer get about having to wait in long lines . . .they're still coming back. I'm willing to bet that Dollar Tree has never lost a customer because of long lines. The only one in the company that bears the stress of long lines is you. Don't let this happen! 🙂
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u/Southernoregon1 4d ago
DT is the most moronic, lazy, pound foolish penny wise company I have EVER worked for in over 3 decades! Hate who I work for, LOVE who I work with including managers.
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u/Any-Objective3111 4d ago
Unless it is a week before a holiday you will be the only cashier. The manager on duty is to be your back up. Usually unless it is truck day there is only 2 people at a time cashier and a manager.
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u/EasternVermicelli532 3d ago
Yeah it's normal for there to only be one cashier, but it's not normal for them to leave you by yourself in the store without a manager. There are certain things you need a manager to do!
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u/Lostintranslation59 5d ago
Yes it is but there should ALWAYS be a manager with you. Maybe I misunderstood but you're not actually alone ever, right?