A customer and manager were filmed arguing over a slow-moving long line and only one open register at a Dollar Tree location. The manager tells the customer the location is short-staffed and that he’d be happy to hire the complaining customer.
In a video that was posted by Kensha (@mixedbeautty) and was viewed over 149,000 times, a Dollar Tree customer complains about the wait time and asks for the manager to open another register.
“Are you planning to hire? I’ll hire you on the spot. Can you ring? Can you ring?” someone who appears to be a manager asks. “I’m offering you a job! I need the help! I don’t have people!”
@mixedbeautty #dollartree ♬ original sound – ₖₑₙₛₕₐ 👩🏽🦰
In the comments section, users sided with the manager, saying that they had experienced similar issues at their local Dollar Tree locations.
“Almost every dollar tree is short staffed,” wrote one user. “People complain about the lines but see only one person out there doing their best.”
“Ppl want to complain but wouldn’t want a job like that. I’m glad the manager told him that,” added another.
“As a retail worker myself. I’ve said this many times to customers who complain.. we’re doing our best people. If you want better fill out a applicatio[n],” stated a third.
Earlier in the year, Insider interviewed a Family Dollar employee about the status of his store. Family Dollar and Dollar Tree are owned by the same company.
“[The employee] said that the company knowingly understaffs its stores to keep costs down, which means there aren’t enough workers to empty [their] backrooms,” Mary Hanbury wrote for Insider. “But even if there were, the company’s chaotic inventory system means that his store is still completely overstocked all the time…”
Commenters on TikTok seemed to agree.
“I worked at family dollar (owned by dollar tree) and we only had like 3 employees…to work truck,stock, and ring register,” alleged a user. “Worst place to work for.”
“I worked at dollar tree and they only pay min wage and hire one person,” offered a second.
According to PayScale, cashiers at Dollar Tree can expect to earn between $7 and $12 per hour, in line with the minimum wages of many states.
In a report to investors from August of this year, Dollar Tree said that its earnings increased over the past year despite its supposed hiring difficulties.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kensha via Instagram direct message and Dollar Tree via email.
