Ever since I think around a year ago, this job's gotten worse.
I joined Circle K in one of the convenience stores back in March of 2022.
I was in my last years of college and wanting a more laid-back position. It pretty much what I needed.
At the time, it was actually pretty good. Usually pretty chill, balanced amount of tasks, always having someone to talk to, etc.
However, around August or September of 2022, the manager who hired me left the store. After that, I was pretty much left alone throughout all my shifts. I did try to keep things balanced and good. I cleaned the store whenever I could and took out the trash after my cashier run was done.
But, one day, I became literally discouraged to do so. I was trying to take out the trash when it wasn't busy, and that I would only accept customers that actually needed things, and this douche comes up and says “I was just try'na get some Backwoods! Didn't they teach you this in training? Customer service always comes first!” I understand that customer service is important, but keeping the store in tip-top shape is just as such!
The trash and cart proceeded to be sat in the middle of the parking lot for almost an hour before I managed to finish it. I bet no one gave a damn about it.
After that point, it just deteriorated. I even had a mental breakdown at one point when someone young walked away with a 24-pack of Modelo in anger because I'd asked for his ID and said I wouldn't be able to because he didn't have the actual card. Even a picture of it because he cracked his phone right before coming in.
Instead of keeping a calm mind about it, I just vented some incredibly racist shit about Latinos, blacks, etc. and having “no hope for this shitty country anymore.” It was so bad, it almost destroyed every single one of my relationhips. Even got banned from the server I vented to. Would've been better to keep it to myself perhaps.
At this point, I'm just alone. All I do is stand behind the counter with my phone playing YouTube videos in the background while dealing with 300, 400, maybe even 500 of the same kind of customer. One who plays, one who immediately goes into the fridge for that sweet, sweet booze without ever presenting an ID, one who just goes to the counter and asks for a Malboro Red, Lite, Menthol (“No! Not that! The one in the black and green pack!”), Newport Shorts, Newport 100s, LD Red 100s, LD Green 100s, etc.
Oh yeah! Let's not forget the ones who just casually slips out a $100 bill when not thinking about how little cash there could be in that terminal, and some that assume we have what they want and not wanting to use their brains to take a minute to look closer and accept that if we don't have it, we don't have it. There are even people that just simply ask if I could go to the back and check, only for it to be heavily disorganized and they just go in themselves and look for it even thought they're not allowed to be in there!
This job just isn't sustainable for ONE person, and I'm growing sick and tired of always dealing with customers. There should at least be 2-3 people PER SHIFT. Two who handle the register and one who does the other tasks. Stocking shelves, mopping floors, picking up trash from the parking lot, cleaning windows. Those shouldn't be that difficult for one person to do. Plus, that guy can be a backup cashier if someone needs to prepare the food.
I no longer care anymore. I just wanna be done but I'm stuck working there because I haven't been able to secure another job yet. I want this to be better. I want to stop doing constant “Customer Service.” At least for a while. I know I'm working part-time and it shouldn't be that big of a deal. However, the store I work at is next to a Food Lion, a busy highway, and an apartment complex. We basically get customers every less than a minute on average.
My morallity pretty much took a massive hit too. Now, I don't really care if someone gets alcohol, drugs, or even gambles. It's what they are. They're never gonna change. Eventually, I bet all people at this class are gonna be like this. I'd be happy if someone I already dealt with never came back the next day because they'd be dead. Even if they were regulars. Leaves one less idot for me to deal with.
I really want to file a complaint to corporate about this or even some organization but I don't know where to go. This job just isn't mentally sustainable for someone like me. Do any of you know how to do such. Especially anonymously?