Not Enough Employees

United States
February 13, 2011 11:13am CST
It seems every time I go to this Dollar Tree store close to where I live there seems to be a shortage of employees. And the lines are backed up with only one cashier and people are gripping about it, and I have to say that I just say to the customers if they say something to me that it is always like this in here. But what got me was when I went there yesterday the lines were very long and only one cashier and the other employee was blowing up balloons and saw that the lines were very long and it seems like the customers were being ignored and no one in the store even asked for balloons and there were way more than enough balloons already in the store!! I did not say anything because it happens to be one of my favorite stores but it did make me a little upset that that person that worked there did nothing and waited for ever to open another register!! Has this ever happened to you?
2 people like this
11 responses
@Tek_Man (25)
• Canada
13 Feb 11
It really is a shame. I remember waiting in a Canadian Tire because 2 other employees that were waiting around were "on break" and couldn't help all the people that were waiting. It's too bad that this happens.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157615)
• United States
14 Feb 11
Employees on break should be out of sight of the customer. That kind of situation makes everyone mad. People feel like if they can see them, they should help them.
• United States
13 Feb 11
I know it is sad that this has to happen to us paying customers.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157615)
• United States
14 Feb 11
It may be that the store manager does not have a clear cut policy about when to open a second line. May have left a note that says "blow up balloons" and the employee does not have sense enough to think for himself and get another register open. The only reason I can think of for the balloons would be for Valentines. It is frustrating. However, if more help was hired, then they might raise their prices.
@GardenGerty (157615)
• United States
14 Feb 11
Employees often do not think proactively about serving the customer in the store.
• United States
14 Feb 11
Yes it is probaly for Valentines Day but they already have a lot of ballons already didn't look like they needed anymore at all that is what got me.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
13 Feb 11
i find that happens to us at grocery stores. they never seem to have enough cashiers open. walmart is pretty good because you never have to wait.
• United States
13 Feb 11
True but I have being trying to avoid wal mart lately I just got so tired of going there all the time but I will eventually go some time soon. Have a good day!
• United States
14 Feb 11
Wow, not at the walmarts around here LoL. They all have like 30 registers, and every time i go in, only like 5 of them are opened LoL. Most times i will try to go to the garden center to check out, cause there usually isn't a line LoL
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
14 Feb 11
There is a recession at the moment so therefore many customers will go to the Dollar Tree store. It is such a shame that they haven't got enough shop assistants employed. The employee blowing up balloons should have been able to go to the till and begin serving customers. I have noticed in one shop that I go to a shop assistant rings a bell and then another shop assistant comes on a till. I know that there are a high number of unemployed people and so the Dollar Tree store should recruit a few more shop assistants. It is annoying to wait for ages in a line of people. This sort of thing has happened to me a couple of times in shops with very little room for my kids buggy.
• United States
15 Feb 11
What gets me is I had applied there a few times before and never got a call from them and I know I can be a good employee when it comes to customers and I go there all the time and I see them go through so many employees there so many!!! Their mistake not mine!!! I have noticed the stores that ahve little to no room too and it is a shame. Have a good day!!
@sswallace21 (1824)
• United States
13 Feb 11
I've experienced the same thing in several stores. The employee blowing up balloons obviously didn't want to be there. I think that stores should have more employees working to help with customer needs. If you really like shopping at this store, maybe when go in and it's not too busy you could them know what was going on.
• United States
13 Feb 11
Yea I go there all the time and I really like that store, Thanks for the suggsetion and have a good day!
@Suave257 (61)
• United States
14 Feb 11
So true i hate waiting in line behind a lot of people and one cashier. lol and to think that there are so many people looking for work and they will not hire nobody. I still love the store everything one buck yes all day.
• United States
15 Feb 11
I love the Dollar stores too and I hate waitng in lines too but I don't mind for waiting in the line at a dollar store at all.
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
14 Feb 11
A lot of businesses have decreased the number of their employees because of the economic situation right now. Perhaps they feel that when the number of customers start picking up then they will rehire. I can understand this even though the customers that DO come in will be inconvenienced. I think we need to go to management and let them know of our dissatisfaction. If they get enough complaints I be they'll think of scheduling more staff during the busy times.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
17 Feb 11
Yes it has happened to me! It is even worse when the staff is standing around talking while the line is getting longer and longer! Sometimes there are employees that are not qualified to use the registers but the customer s don’t know this and get irritated; my answer is train them up! In Australia most stores have many checkout stands but only one or two cashiers and worse still some have done away with people for self service cashiers!
@divalounger (5849)
• United States
13 Feb 11
I often have that same experience there, but I still go. I just try to go at off-peak times.
• United States
13 Feb 11
Okay thanks and have a good day.
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
13 Feb 11
It happens to me all the time. While visiting one small store, the employee rather talk to somebody else, instead of helping a customer who is in need. That is not right, if they don't want business, it is fine. There are thousands of stores around who willing to serve the customers better, and make more money from it.
• United States
13 Feb 11
I agree!!!!
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
13 Feb 11
I happens to me all the time, though I did open my mouth about this once, and I was sorry for it. It was in a small store, the family business kind. They only had one cashier, and lines were always long, so one day I saw the owner there and I suggested they should hire another cashier... within a week they fired the girl they had, saying she was lazy, and hired a new one, to work faster. Needless to say, the lines are still too long.