The most horrible work experience of my entire life - Front End Cashier Safeway Employee Review

1.0
Oct 3, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None. This was the single most horrible work experience of my entire life. Absolutely appalling. No redeeming quality to it whatsoever.

Cons

Hired to be a front end Cashier and work in produce department. My "training" took the form of a recorded program. I was sat down by a rickety desk where a malfunctioning, antiquated computer monitor sat. I was handed a set of earphones to use for the training and given brief instructions on how to proceed. Only one side of the earphones worked, and the one that did work -- even on full blast, the audio was so poor that I could barely hear anything that was being said in the "training" program. Further worsening the situation was that this all took place in a cramped, extremely filthy employee lounge. Picture this, if you will: While I am struggling to barely hear what is even going on on the video, other employees at the store are coming and going at will, bumping into me, talking and laughing loudly -- completely drowning out the video's audio. When I asked them to be quiet because I was trying to hear the video, Employees retorted, "THIS IS OUR BREAK ROOM! WE CAN TALK ALL WE WANT!" I was incredulous. I absolutely did report the problems, but no one in management expressed any interest or concern, nor did anyone do a single thing about it. Because the audio was so rotten during this "training," I missed a couple questions on the "tests" for cashier. I asked to re-test based on the problems I had with the "training" situation, but was refused out of hand. I was then shoved on bagging, shopping cart, and garbage detail and scheduled for 4 to 8 hours a week. Folks, I was driving 20 miles ONE WAY to get to this particular store. For FOUR to EIGHT freaking hours a week to do a job I was NOT hired to do. Oh, and my direct supervisor was snotty and abusive for the entire time I was there -- she never said a single positive or encouraging word to me and treated me with obvious contempt. Her disgusting attitude toward me was inexplicable. I have worked some really tough jobs before, and in everything I do, whether for pay or for myself, I give 100% at all times and am an extremely adaptable team player. This is the one and only job where I became so incensed and frustrated that I finally just walked away from it.

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5.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Friendly work environment and flexibility.

Cons

I can't think of anything in particular. It's has ben a few years sense I've moved on.

4.0
Jun 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Floral was genuinely one of my most fulfilling jobs. My manager at downtown Renton really helped me understand what I needed to know and was super kind and understanding. I'd work there again if I ever got the chance Grocery department was also super helpful to me when it could be, they were patient and kind with my first job experience. Cashiering usually had me end up in the SwS. Either way I never had an issue and management was usually pretty on top of things. The wage was fantastic and really felt like I could afford to live somewhere someday. Which is a rare find. Some employees take a bit to warm up to but most were super kind and I'd argue eventually all of them are, at downtown Renton. I had such a good experience working with everyone I met and it actually broke my heart when I had to leave. I felt like I made good connections with everyone.

Cons

I dont have a lot, but when the store got busy and I couldn't get a key to unlock our alcohol section it really held things up. Its something I'm sure was a trust thing but if Im the only one stuck at the SWS section it could take minutes to find someone with a key to get alcohol or cigarettes while people tried walking out with things they couldn't take to the main store. [I can understand this was more of a trust thing, but it hurt my efficiency and i would be looked at for not being fast enough]. Getting a manager override to void a transaction or remove an item someone no longer wants or I may have overscanned by mistake also caused huge backups in the line. Still not sure why I needed someone just to stop a transaction. Sometimes I was one of two cashiers on duty if that during peak hours. Someone would step in to help sometimes but it was infrequent. Infrequently customers would be annoyed with me for things impossibly out of my control, such as not getting the correct items on a sale or a sale out of date that wasn't removed. Rather than explaining to the customer the options available they'd give the discount anyway as to not deal with it and I feel as though that hurt the customers experience with me in my opinion. It wasn't that bad, but it always sticks with me. Some customers in the area are genuinely abusive. This isn't anything about staff but thats something to note about just the general area and something to note. Floral dept. to me did not have downsides that I can think of.

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