store clerk

Fine Wine & Good Spirits

I work at the 19th and Allen store, #3903.
A typical day at work involves unloading a truck or counting a drawer. 
From there you are usually just a cashier who occasionally has to either make a list of what needs to be stocked on shelves or pull a list like that. You may be ringing people up, putting together a large order for a bar/hotel/etc, checking such orders or cleaning. 
Rinse and repeat for 6 or 7 hours. 
As an intermittent Store Clerk, the top hours you can get are 32, so needless to say if you are trying to pay bills or save money, this may not be the best job.
However, if you are retiring soon and want a pension and State benefits with a salary that is higher than almost all cashier jobs, this may be for you. 
I've learned at this job that bureaucracy isn't great. And also that the political nature of the job makes it so that State run stores linger in this limbo of being underfunded. The pin pads and computers barely work and seem to be from the early 90s. The store shelves are not deep enough and are all rusted. The paint has completely chipped off most of them. The stores are in disrepair and the State has politicians fighting for either modernization or privatization. Neither side is making much ground so here we are.
Management is good at the store I work at, but inept at many others. The District Manager in my area seems to promote based on popularity and this has infuriated one Assistant Manager enough to leave the District. 
My co-workers are either young like me and just trying to make ends meet or upwards of 50. The younger co-workers all seem to not be the sole bread winners in their relationships (myself included) and the elderly employees are either working here for the pension, coming off retirement out of boredom or both.
The hardest part of my job is serving alcohol to customers who aren't visibly intoxicated but who I can tell are functional alcoholics. It's what eventually killed my Father, and I can tell it's killing them. But I am only allowed to cut off people who have been drinking that day or seem intoxicated already. Also, dealing with the soul crushing boredom of the job, dealing with rude customers, or just knowing that you're a replaceable cog in a job which has no meaning.
The most enjoyable parts of the job include pay day (although that's become depressing since bills eat all of it up), lunch breaks (though I have been reduced to eating canned soup to save money), and the few times when co-workers and I can joke around and have a little fun.
Also, I've heard it's not easy to get promoted and the political landscape may get rid of this job within the decade.

My opinion of working for the Fine Wines and Good Spirits of the Philadelphia Area is nothing but good things. The way how I applied was thru the state page. I took a test, ranked high and got an letter in the mail. I responded back promptly, had an interview and went to orientation class. So simple. The test was mostly math very basic. My store I was assigned to, I've been there from the beginning. Being here I've seen plenty people move around, seasonal, promoting, and fill ins. My manager is a very decent man. He's very knowledgeable and comforting at times. Yes, we are not robots, so yes he has his days where he cracks his whip and takes you by the arm and talks to you about what you better do and how to do it or find employment else where. Lol. But to me he's cool. So is the coworkers. Again, we are not robots and they have their days but overall, we are a 4.8 star store. Forget what your heard. Easy light work, busy sometimes depending on the days and occasions. My enjoyment about work is everything is easy going and I get to see and interact with others. My coworkers and the customers are pleasing at times. My dislikes of the job is the timing and pay. Flexible time but it clashes sometimes, for example you may close the store at 10 but then you'll have to work again in the am at 8 or 9. Little time to sleep definitely if your riding transportation. And another thing is. You'll have off way in the beginning of the week, but next time you have off could be 5-7days next. All depends who is a good scheduler.

I worked as a liquor store clerk for a seasonal position. You do a mandatory training at a training facility for one day that teaches you various policies and how to use the cash register, etc. It was not a hard training and there was no test. I liked that I was prepared to do the job instead of left to figure things out for myself since some companies are like that. At work, I would load alcohol boxes onto carts, bring carts out into aisles to unload the bottles onto the shelves, and cash customers out. Employees also unloaded the truck and would organize liquor orders from bars and restaurants. Since I was seasonal and not strong enough to unload some boxes from the truck my manager mostly kept me on the cash register. I was only there for the summer, but I felt that the policies surrounding the workplace and employees were fair. There was a mandatory 30 minute unpaid lunch period depending on how many hours you worked a day. There was a union that advocated for raises even if you were not in the union and only seasonal. During training it was stated that if you requested off or were sick, it was actually discouraged for you to contact someone to try to cover your shift and you should let your manager handle that. I would not want to make working there a permanent job since it involves heavy lifting and dealing with upset customers that are not allowed to get their alcohol, but I recommend this job to others that are fine with physically intensive jobs and are comfortable being frequently assertive. 

I got to learn very quickly how to deal with rude people in a professional manner.  I liked my fellow employees and managers, and they could make a bad day pleasant.  The biggest part of this job is just work hard, and do what you're told.  Do that and there won't be any problems,

I learned a lot about wine, and got to perform wine tastings.  Here I was able to share my knowledge with customers about what wine or spirit would accompany a certain dish, or learn about wine someone had that I had yet to experience.  I could find most anything someone was seeking, and especially enjoyed helping people searching for a wine they liked, but forget what it was.  In almost any instance, just talking about their experience would spark a memory about the bottle or taste, and I would deduce from this what they were looking for.  

Everyone starts part time, and after a few years full time is available.  Once the initial part time period is over, then advancement is possible, however everything must be tested for.  The retirement is excellent, and if you resign then it's available for a refund.

Part-time work gives you little to no say in the hours you work. They want you to be available at all times. Little to no benefits, low starting wages, and continuously understaffed,  Clerks and shift runners get training but managers get NO training and often do not understand very basic HR type policies such as fraternizing with subordinates, favoritism, hostile work environment such as swearing and talking about employees in a negative manner. Too much gossiping and little rotation of work duties make it an unpleasant work environment. If you question management or try to discuss concerns, they will make your work schedule and duties very difficult in other words, they will pay you back. Very disappointing 

A typical day at work is normally a balance of stocking and running the register.  Once a week there's an early morning delivery of liquor that you will help unload.  That can be a bit physically demanding but you will have help.  If you're the type that likes to move around, this will be right up your alley.  The pay is fair, maybe a bit above average for retail work.  The culture when I was there was a fun, interesting mix of near-retirees and energetic younger managers, all of whom had plenty of stories to pass the time when business was slow.   You do need to take your job seriously, especially when presented with younger patrons or individuals behaving oddly but your manager is never too far away to back you up if needed.

What is the best part of working at the company?
My fellow employees are a joy to work with.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
No place to hang your coat. The lockers are only about 5 inches square and shared so you can't keep anything in it over night. Only one broken down bathroom for men and women to share. All of the floor tiles are broken and coming up. It's always cold in the store and the music station is always playing the same songs everyday.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
We all work together as a team. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Keep shelves stocked and bottles faced. Work register and help customers.

They only offer part time, maximum of 32 hours per week at the busier stores, anywhere from 16-28 at smaller stores and require open availability. You must be available on weekends, week days, open, close, and middle shift. They refuse to give you a set schedule. Moving up into management especially in counties with low wages takes forever. Even if you get along with upper management, they will try and screw tou every chance they get.  The availability requirements makes it almost impossible to find a second job to supplement your income and you have to request permission to get a second job any way. 

Wine & spirits is a horrible place to work at. When you’re a part time employee they make you work 5 days out the week, you will NEVER get a weekend off so don’t think about having a personal life. They place you at locations by district/zip code so they could really honestly send you to ANY store that is in that district, you will never stay at 1 store unless you’re full time. You have to work major holidays like New Year’s Eve , Christmas Eve, thanksgiving, etc. You get no discount, have to deal with disrespectful customers majority of the time

What is the best part of working at the company?
The work was steady, customers was great when you got to know them, never a dull moment honestly!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
When the college kids would come to town! They would throw up everywhere, trash the bathroom etc

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Culture was great, we all was on one accord I’ve been to many different stores and there wasn’t one I hated at all.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Busy! Loved it! Always something to do.

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