Pros
- Flexible hours throughout day/night (BUT heavily manager-dependent on this flexibility) - Able to change hours-per-week pretty frequently, but you have to communicate with your manager well about this. You should communicate your availability with them VERY clearly to avoid any scheduling issues - reflexis app to request off / change availability / see your schedule / see who's working certain days - schedules are put out a few weeks in advance - They don't drug test during any part of the hiring process or while you're employed (but if something happens where you're suspected of drug use you might be tested, not sure though) - Minors always get a 30 minute break when working more than 4 hours - Great pay for high school students ($16/hr) - 1 free shorti and unlimited access to SELF-SERVE bevs (coffee, icees, soda, etc., NOT the ones you order on the screens) every time you work and you get discounts on some other things, but only during your shift (and 15 min before & 15 min after your shift). You don't receive any off-the-clock discounts. - 5 minute grace period every shift (if your shift starts at 2pm and you clock in before 2:06 you won't be penalized) - Different types of jobs throughout the store (deli, snacks/pizza, beverages, register, facilities, dishes) - Great connections made with customers (especially regulars) - (At least for part-time) Able to request as much UNPAID time off as you want - Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Years' Eve, and New Years' Day are all time and a half (so if you're paid $16/hr you'll get $24/hr that day) - Christmas Day is double time (ex. reg $16/hr is $32/hr on Christmas) - You get part of the stock when you're employed, but you can't touch it until you've hit 4 years working there - Goosebumps are awarded a lot, especially if you do good things during your jobs or pick up shifts and you can use them to get merch or uniform pieces or other stuff like jewelry or coolers or gift cards (It takes a little less than 11,000 goosebumps to get a $50 gift card to pretty much wherever you can think, and they aren't hard to rack up)
Cons
- Absolutely no tips allowed - You get 5 strikes and then you're terminated on the 5th. (Immediate termination for a no-call no-show, 1 strike per every call-out with no coverage, 1 strike for every 2 times you're late. MAKE SURE THE ATTENDANCE POLICY IS CRYSTAL CLEAR TO YOU) - Adults only get a 30 minute break if they work 8 hours (otherwise it's only a 15 minute for any shift longer than 4 hrs, even if you're scheduled a 7 and 1/2 hour shift) - Very fast-paced, but if you're an understaffed store (like mine) you're going to be very overwhelmed - I have cried in the bathroom at least 12 times in my almost 2 years working here. it can get very stressful and customers can be very mean and your coworkers can be very stupid. - If the management is bad you won't have a good experience - Some managers have extremely unrealistic expectations for what you can get done in one shift - You might get stuck doing something you don't really like for a few weeks at a time - It's not uncommon (at smaller, understaffed stores especially) to work nearly every position in the store during just one shift. (for example: you might start the shift in deli, get moved to bevs, have to cover a break at the register, and then get put on dishes) - On the other hand, at larger stores with enough people, you'll likely be stuck at the same spot for your entire spot - I've ended the majority of my shifts with foot/knee/back pain. There's no type of cushioning on the floor while you stand in the same spot for a long time and if you're in drinks you'll have to squat or bend over a lot to get ice and if you're in deli you'll need to squat or bend over to get the things you need from the fridges underneath - If you're good at your job be prepared to have to run the deli and take on everyone else's responsibilities (including organizing your coworkers) - Disgusting amount of flies during warm/hot seasons - Customers tend to underestimate how long it takes to make their food and will often blame you for any mistakes made on their part while using the kiosks (ex. they didn't select any toppings on their sandwich and then yell at you when you didn't put any toppings on their sandwich) - You're never really well-prepared for rushes unless you're a massive store - You could receive documentation (which is what the strikes are officially called) for not having all the parts of your uniform or for violating safety protocols - no gas discount - a lot of customers get angry and yell when you card them (different stores have different policies, some card everyone, some only card ppl that look under 30, but everyone gets carded for alcohol), so that can be a pain sometimes, but you HAVE to card if your store says so or you could lose your job. especially if it's a mystery shopper - coverage has to be approved by a manager, you can't just have someone else come in for you without saying anything