- Report: #169923
Complaint Review: Dollar General - Goodlettsville Tennessee
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Dollar General
Tennessee Goodlettsville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
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Dollar General Ripoff Concern for the future Goodlettsville Tennessee
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: RE:May be to late
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: RE:May be to late
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: RE:May be to late
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: RE:May be to late
*UPDATE Employee: You Told It Like It IS
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I APPLAUD YOU
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: You are so correct
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I also applaud you for the truth
Due to the fact that I am currently employed by this company, I will be remaining anonymous.
What I am concerned about is several things with regard to employment with this company. First of all, there are so many physical injuries that I have seen occur in the short time I have been with them. There are a lot of permanent injuries that occur in long term store managers, life changing injuries. The truly sad thing is that this company will fight them tooth and nail to avoid having to pay worker's comp or to take care of any incurred medical expenses as a result of work related injuries.
I know they have a plan for that in the change to the process of unloading the trucks-They have been telling us we will be going on it for over a year without even the slightest modifications having been made to accomodate this brilliant plan that will alleviate the store managers and staff of the difficulties of physically unloading their trucks, probably the number one cause of work related injuries I have seen.
I have also witnessed some fairly questionable terminations-I'll spare everyone specific details but suffice it to say that if they want to be rid of you, they will do it with whatever petty reason they can procure. If they cannot procure one themselves, they will locate a staff member who dislikes you and suddenly a reason will emerge that they have revealed.
Every termination I have been aware of has been put on paper in a way such as to appear that the terminated employee was in serious violation of some company policy. As most of you probably know, this prevents them from even drawing unemployment until they can obtain a new job.
Don't get me wrong-I know that if you go 100% by the book, then there are a multitude of things that could appear to be dishonest behavior. If that is the way the company wants to do it, that is their call. But what I find shameful in all of this is that I watch other more favored persons commit this same or similar crimes all the time. It appears to be you only get fired for it if your boss doesn't like you in the first place.
Another issue I have is this-When I was hired, I was informed that my salary would be based on a 48 hour work week. The job could definitely be done satisfactorily, and within a 48 hour work week for the store manager, if the company were willing to spend just a bit more on payroll hours for the rest of the staff. But of course, those hours are cut to a minimal amount, particularly in the low to mid volume stores-Leaving the store manager one of two options: Either work however many extra hours it takes to accomplish the workload set out each week, or risk disciplinary action and/or loss of employment for not performing all of these tasks (Which the company will in turn make out to be some kind of policy violation, going back to what I said earlier).
For those of you who either do not work in retail, or think this is petty whining, that if you really cracked the whip you could get it all done-Let me give you a rundown of what goes on in these stores on a daily/weekly basis: You will average $20-30,000 in weekly sales volume. 1000-2000 cases of freight unloaded and put away. Floor sweep and mop of 8000 sq ft. Which also means 8000 sq ft of sales floor space to be maintained in hundreds of product categories and sections. All shipping and receiving. Receipt of approximately 20 drop shipments (in addition to the aforementioned cases of regular freight). The handling of all paperwork pertaining to all of these shipments on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The handling of approximately 50 other sources of paperwork, logs, and tracking information. Maintenance of fixtures, plumbing, and electric. Training, supervision, and discipline of staff. Customer service (Of course!). Implementation of anywhere from 10-100 specialty displays as ordained by the marketing department. Time involved to move all of the nonsense merchandise that has not sold from former specialty displays, and find something to do with it that does not infringe on the new plan, which takes up the majority of the space you have. Inventory adjustments, stock counts, processing of all damaged merchandise. Removal of all trash and damaged merchandise by the store manager only. Cash auditing 3-4 times daily. Deposits, till balancing, and running back and forth to the front every time an item must be voided, refunded, overridden. Maintaining stock rooms, office, restrooms and break areas. Handling of about $100,000 of useless merchandise that they have stockpiled over the years that they refuse to get rid of but want it worked onto the sales floor as constantly as possible, yet don't like the way it looks (does not compliment the NEW merchandise displays). Setting of specialty displays by season on a monthly basis as well. Attending meetings and trainings. Conducting your own store's meetings and trainings. Add to that the fact that many of their stores are in buildings that are falling apart and you may have to spend 5 to 6 hours a week just keeping your head above water with the health department.
I have not even gone into everything here, that is just some basics.
Now for the really sad part. Could you do this with, say 132 payroll hours for the entire week besides what you work? How often do you think you could do this with those payroll hours and only work 48 hours yourself?
There are those who say Well if you don't like your job, quit and do something else. But here I can go even further into my concerns. Dollar General preys upon small towns where there is little to no opportunity to make a living. If you think I am kidding, you should talk to some of the people who live around here. Smart people, hardworking people-Who have sometimes spent a year or two looking for work.
And despite these complaints, I stay because I believe things can be better. I believe I do a good job, and I am proud of my accomplishments in my work. What concerns me is this company has bar none some of the best retail managers I have ever had the privilege to know. I am not saying they are all great, but due to Dollar General's tendency to stick around a lot of small towns, they reap in some of the best retail management has to offer. Because these good, hardworking, seasoned managers have little to no other opportunities if they want to live in these places they are happy.
What a tremendous opportunity Dollar General could have to be a tremendous corporation. If they invested the time and money into their stores and into assisting their managers with the workload they face so that it wasn't so overwhelming all the time, I can just about guarantee the increase in their overall sales would offset the cost.
I wonder if they know how many managers they have out there like me, who are worn out and coming close to fed up, but still retain a shred of hope that they will step back and look their big picture over more carefully before it's too late. What an awesome company they could be if they knew.
I guess it isn't really me who is getting ripped off here. Heck, I get paid my salary even if I do have to work like a slave and I guess that's my own choice for wanting to live in the country with fresh air and no traffic.
Dollar General is ripping themselves off. They are depriving themselves of being the kind of corporation that could ascend above the pack and be a member of the few elite companies that have truly succeeded in all ways.
Anonymous
Kentucky, Kentucky
U.S.A.
What I am concerned about is several things with regard to employment with this company. First of all, there are so many physical injuries that I have seen occur in the short time I have been with them. There are a lot of permanent injuries that occur in long term store managers, life changing injuries. The truly sad thing is that this company will fight them tooth and nail to avoid having to pay worker's comp or to take care of any incurred medical expenses as a result of work related injuries.
I know they have a plan for that in the change to the process of unloading the trucks-They have been telling us we will be going on it for over a year without even the slightest modifications having been made to accomodate this brilliant plan that will alleviate the store managers and staff of the difficulties of physically unloading their trucks, probably the number one cause of work related injuries I have seen.
I have also witnessed some fairly questionable terminations-I'll spare everyone specific details but suffice it to say that if they want to be rid of you, they will do it with whatever petty reason they can procure. If they cannot procure one themselves, they will locate a staff member who dislikes you and suddenly a reason will emerge that they have revealed.
Every termination I have been aware of has been put on paper in a way such as to appear that the terminated employee was in serious violation of some company policy. As most of you probably know, this prevents them from even drawing unemployment until they can obtain a new job.
Don't get me wrong-I know that if you go 100% by the book, then there are a multitude of things that could appear to be dishonest behavior. If that is the way the company wants to do it, that is their call. But what I find shameful in all of this is that I watch other more favored persons commit this same or similar crimes all the time. It appears to be you only get fired for it if your boss doesn't like you in the first place.
Another issue I have is this-When I was hired, I was informed that my salary would be based on a 48 hour work week. The job could definitely be done satisfactorily, and within a 48 hour work week for the store manager, if the company were willing to spend just a bit more on payroll hours for the rest of the staff. But of course, those hours are cut to a minimal amount, particularly in the low to mid volume stores-Leaving the store manager one of two options: Either work however many extra hours it takes to accomplish the workload set out each week, or risk disciplinary action and/or loss of employment for not performing all of these tasks (Which the company will in turn make out to be some kind of policy violation, going back to what I said earlier).
For those of you who either do not work in retail, or think this is petty whining, that if you really cracked the whip you could get it all done-Let me give you a rundown of what goes on in these stores on a daily/weekly basis: You will average $20-30,000 in weekly sales volume. 1000-2000 cases of freight unloaded and put away. Floor sweep and mop of 8000 sq ft. Which also means 8000 sq ft of sales floor space to be maintained in hundreds of product categories and sections. All shipping and receiving. Receipt of approximately 20 drop shipments (in addition to the aforementioned cases of regular freight). The handling of all paperwork pertaining to all of these shipments on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. The handling of approximately 50 other sources of paperwork, logs, and tracking information. Maintenance of fixtures, plumbing, and electric. Training, supervision, and discipline of staff. Customer service (Of course!). Implementation of anywhere from 10-100 specialty displays as ordained by the marketing department. Time involved to move all of the nonsense merchandise that has not sold from former specialty displays, and find something to do with it that does not infringe on the new plan, which takes up the majority of the space you have. Inventory adjustments, stock counts, processing of all damaged merchandise. Removal of all trash and damaged merchandise by the store manager only. Cash auditing 3-4 times daily. Deposits, till balancing, and running back and forth to the front every time an item must be voided, refunded, overridden. Maintaining stock rooms, office, restrooms and break areas. Handling of about $100,000 of useless merchandise that they have stockpiled over the years that they refuse to get rid of but want it worked onto the sales floor as constantly as possible, yet don't like the way it looks (does not compliment the NEW merchandise displays). Setting of specialty displays by season on a monthly basis as well. Attending meetings and trainings. Conducting your own store's meetings and trainings. Add to that the fact that many of their stores are in buildings that are falling apart and you may have to spend 5 to 6 hours a week just keeping your head above water with the health department.
I have not even gone into everything here, that is just some basics.
Now for the really sad part. Could you do this with, say 132 payroll hours for the entire week besides what you work? How often do you think you could do this with those payroll hours and only work 48 hours yourself?
There are those who say Well if you don't like your job, quit and do something else. But here I can go even further into my concerns. Dollar General preys upon small towns where there is little to no opportunity to make a living. If you think I am kidding, you should talk to some of the people who live around here. Smart people, hardworking people-Who have sometimes spent a year or two looking for work.
And despite these complaints, I stay because I believe things can be better. I believe I do a good job, and I am proud of my accomplishments in my work. What concerns me is this company has bar none some of the best retail managers I have ever had the privilege to know. I am not saying they are all great, but due to Dollar General's tendency to stick around a lot of small towns, they reap in some of the best retail management has to offer. Because these good, hardworking, seasoned managers have little to no other opportunities if they want to live in these places they are happy.
What a tremendous opportunity Dollar General could have to be a tremendous corporation. If they invested the time and money into their stores and into assisting their managers with the workload they face so that it wasn't so overwhelming all the time, I can just about guarantee the increase in their overall sales would offset the cost.
I wonder if they know how many managers they have out there like me, who are worn out and coming close to fed up, but still retain a shred of hope that they will step back and look their big picture over more carefully before it's too late. What an awesome company they could be if they knew.
I guess it isn't really me who is getting ripped off here. Heck, I get paid my salary even if I do have to work like a slave and I guess that's my own choice for wanting to live in the country with fresh air and no traffic.
Dollar General is ripping themselves off. They are depriving themselves of being the kind of corporation that could ascend above the pack and be a member of the few elite companies that have truly succeeded in all ways.
Anonymous
Kentucky, Kentucky
U.S.A.
8 Updates & Rebuttals
Ralph
Smithton,Illinois,
United States of America
I also applaud you for the truth
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, October 13, 2012
so very true have seen and experienced these things many times in over five years working for dollar general!!!
Ralph
Smithton,Illinois,
United States of America
You are so correct
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sat, October 13, 2012
worked for DG 5 years as assistant manager and at times fill in manager finally could not take the hostile atmosphere and distrust from the company any longer.
They expect more and more from their employees, yet pay is terrible
they expect you to work more and more hours without compensation.
Yearly peformance reviews are a joke as they have nothing to do with any raise you might get. extremely stressful place to work for with little or no thanks.
Valerie
Fremont,Michigan,
USA
I APPLAUD YOU
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, July 22, 2011
First off, I have to say they should be darn happy to have you as a manager if you do all you say you do. I worked for 2 different stores; my first manager was great but he transfered to another store and then I got another; she was pretty good too if you could make it through the first couple of months without her breaking you.... I think she was worried that I was after her job (fat chance...been there, done that...never again)! I then was in a bad accident and after working for almost 3 years, because I had only 6 weeks of medical leave, was terminated from my employment. After a year of recovery I rehired into a different store...wow...this manager is something else...most paperwork is done by the assistant and 3rd key, she doesn't touch the trucks, very seldom sweeps or mops, and clean a bathroom...LOL. Most of the other things you mentioned are also not done by her... I would say she works maybe 35 hrs. We are a million dollar store in a very small town...we have besides her an assistant, 3rd key, and 4 other associates....2 of which are very, very part time and nobody else who gets over 32 hrs.. They pay crap, and they want the best.... I used to love working for this company; over the last year they have gotten very nasty to work for....so many ridiculous rules you would think you were working for the government or Fort Knox. They make you feel like a criminal and like nobody can be trusted....if you don't trust us why did you hire us in the first place! Needless to say...my injury flared up again and my surgeon took me off work...so guess what....FIRED AGAIN...this time I won't be Re-applying.... I've had it with being unappreciated. And guess what...even if you are the greatest manager and you leave....they won't care....they'll just hire another.... I've seen them hire managers with no retail experience whatsoever....so....I do appreciate you and I wish you would have been my manager and I APPLAUD YOU!
Former DG Slave
Small Town Michigan
Mel Country
Newport,Tennessee,
U.S.A.
You Told It Like It IS
#5UPDATE Employee
Wed, August 06, 2008
Excellent, truly accurate account of dollar generals' method of doing business. Needed to be told a very long time ago. Hope that someone in the corporation recognized the same thing that i did,,which is the truth. I suggest that they quit using FEAR to train employees ,, it simply is inhuman, demoralizing and show no creative character of the company CEOS. Yes, everyone wants tobe recognized for ajob well done an whaT BETTER WAy than to increase their paycheck, which creates pride, a sense of achievement and a employee that will strive even harder to adapt to the many changes in the store environment. It beats a revolving door of pregnant teenagers who see an opportunity to work,, and thats all I see. We all have bills to pay and unless you are THE manAger that will not happen on dollaR GENERALS HOURLY PAY. nor ANY OF THR OTHER KEY HOLDERS. so CONGRATS KETUCKY KENTUCKY FOR TELLING THE TRUTH THAT SEEPS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO NEWPORT,KY its REAL AND IT IS HERE.
Golddustwoman
Lake City,Florida,
U.S.A.
RE:May be to late
#6UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, January 21, 2008
Hey I know I am maybe two or three years late on this, I worked for this company for over 10 years, and then went to family dollar, they are the same, and every bit you are saying is true,the firing, etc.. I was even put in the spot to even fire a woman that was pregant b/c my DM did not like her because she was not married, i refused and later on paid for it, retail is hard, my body was worn out for unloading 1300-2000 cases a week, high volume store, two trucks a week, and i remeber when we got automatic trucks (what xmas and seasonal use to come on separate trucks)i am in my mid 30's my DR told me that i am as a woman killing my body b/c of the trucks, i worked w/ them from 1994 to 2005, and like a ding doing went to family dollar, had my hand smashed from a 300 lb gandola, and was fired when i went to the dr to get my arm checked out, i have severe nerve damage, and had to get a lawyer,going to dr's , the reason they fired me, was supose to be i was paying people right out of the registers, we had DVR system in out store(LP can go online and watch any day etc.)and you know the drill my deposit, registers would come up short, if it was done as a paid out, that would be red flagged, and the LP had no viedo proof, etc.. the very one that claimed i payed them was the person that was there with me when i got hurt, and seen it, how about that, if all possible, go somewhere else, i know economy is bad, you are better than that, and your body will thankyou!
Golddustwoman
Lake City,Florida,
U.S.A.
RE:May be to late
#7UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, January 21, 2008
Hey I know I am maybe two or three years late on this, I worked for this company for over 10 years, and then went to family dollar, they are the same, and every bit you are saying is true,the firing, etc.. I was even put in the spot to even fire a woman that was pregant b/c my DM did not like her because she was not married, i refused and later on paid for it, retail is hard, my body was worn out for unloading 1300-2000 cases a week, high volume store, two trucks a week, and i remeber when we got automatic trucks (what xmas and seasonal use to come on separate trucks)i am in my mid 30's my DR told me that i am as a woman killing my body b/c of the trucks, i worked w/ them from 1994 to 2005, and like a ding doing went to family dollar, had my hand smashed from a 300 lb gandola, and was fired when i went to the dr to get my arm checked out, i have severe nerve damage, and had to get a lawyer,going to dr's , the reason they fired me, was supose to be i was paying people right out of the registers, we had DVR system in out store(LP can go online and watch any day etc.)and you know the drill my deposit, registers would come up short, if it was done as a paid out, that would be red flagged, and the LP had no viedo proof, etc.. the very one that claimed i payed them was the person that was there with me when i got hurt, and seen it, how about that, if all possible, go somewhere else, i know economy is bad, you are better than that, and your body will thankyou!
Golddustwoman
Lake City,Florida,
U.S.A.
RE:May be to late
#8UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, January 21, 2008
Hey I know I am maybe two or three years late on this, I worked for this company for over 10 years, and then went to family dollar, they are the same, and every bit you are saying is true,the firing, etc.. I was even put in the spot to even fire a woman that was pregant b/c my DM did not like her because she was not married, i refused and later on paid for it, retail is hard, my body was worn out for unloading 1300-2000 cases a week, high volume store, two trucks a week, and i remeber when we got automatic trucks (what xmas and seasonal use to come on separate trucks)i am in my mid 30's my DR told me that i am as a woman killing my body b/c of the trucks, i worked w/ them from 1994 to 2005, and like a ding doing went to family dollar, had my hand smashed from a 300 lb gandola, and was fired when i went to the dr to get my arm checked out, i have severe nerve damage, and had to get a lawyer,going to dr's , the reason they fired me, was supose to be i was paying people right out of the registers, we had DVR system in out store(LP can go online and watch any day etc.)and you know the drill my deposit, registers would come up short, if it was done as a paid out, that would be red flagged, and the LP had no viedo proof, etc.. the very one that claimed i payed them was the person that was there with me when i got hurt, and seen it, how about that, if all possible, go somewhere else, i know economy is bad, you are better than that, and your body will thankyou!
Golddustwoman
Lake City,Florida,
U.S.A.
RE:May be to late
#9UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, January 21, 2008
Hey I know I am maybe two or three years late on this, I worked for this company for over 10 years, and then went to family dollar, they are the same, and every bit you are saying is true,the firing, etc.. I was even put in the spot to even fire a woman that was pregant b/c my DM did not like her because she was not married, i refused and later on paid for it, retail is hard, my body was worn out for unloading 1300-2000 cases a week, high volume store, two trucks a week, and i remeber when we got automatic trucks (what xmas and seasonal use to come on separate trucks)i am in my mid 30's my DR told me that i am as a woman killing my body b/c of the trucks, i worked w/ them from 1994 to 2005, and like a ding doing went to family dollar, had my hand smashed from a 300 lb gandola, and was fired when i went to the dr to get my arm checked out, i have severe nerve damage, and had to get a lawyer,going to dr's , the reason they fired me, was supose to be i was paying people right out of the registers, we had DVR system in out store(LP can go online and watch any day etc.)and you know the drill my deposit, registers would come up short, if it was done as a paid out, that would be red flagged, and the LP had no viedo proof, etc.. the very one that claimed i payed them was the person that was there with me when i got hurt, and seen it, how about that, if all possible, go somewhere else, i know economy is bad, you are better than that, and your body will thankyou!
