meat cutter

deli associate

market manager

cashier

front end associate

Piggly Wiggly

Piggly Wiggly is a small town grocery store. Working at Piggly Wiggly wasn't had its ups and downs. A typical day at work was full of drama, whether it be with co workers or customers. There was something new or different everyday. You were either getting in trouble for something petty or being screamed or cussed at by mean, rude customers.

I learned how to treat a cashier, how to hold my tongue and how to control my temper when working at Piggly Wiggly. Before, I never thought how hard it could be to be a cashier. Now, when I go into a grocery store, I know that it isn't always the cashiers fault if something is priced wrong or if a coupon doesn't ring up right. There were so many times that I would get yelled at because my customer didn't read a coupon right, and when it wouldn't scan they would get mad. I learned to respect the cashier if they respect me and to greet them like I would like to be greeted.

Management at Piggly Wiggly varied. There were "Office Girls" that just helped out and did all the office paper work, cashed checks, and delt with complicated customers. The actual "Managers" didn't much of anything. I really liked some of the Managers but I didn't care for a few because they expected respect but didn't give it. Some of the managers would hop on a register or start bagging groceries and help the cashiers out if we were busy and backed up, but some wouldn't help.

Some of my co-workers were the only reason I stayed working at Piggly Wiggly for so long. I grew close to some of the cashiers and baggers who came to work ready and willing to work. But on the other hand, I didn't care much for the co-workers who "called in" all the time or who came to work not wanting to do anything.

The hardest part of being a cashier for me was standing for long periods of time without being to sit down, specially when I was pregnant. Another hard part was working right at the doors, where they were opening and closing constantly. In the summer time it was really hot and in the winter it was extremely cold. Also, having to control your temper when you have a customer being rude or mean to you when you clearly do not deserve it, that is hard. It is hard hiding your emotions and not letting some things get to you.

The most enjoyable part of being a cashier at Piggly Wiggly was my customers. Although, in the previous paragraphs I talked about being screamed at or being disrespected, there were some really sweet customers. I loved making a customer smile or helping them find an item they were looking for. Some days I would be having a really tough day and some could come in and say some of the sweetest things and everything would be all better. The hardest part of me not going back to work was not being able to see "my" customers. Some people would wait in certain cashiers lines just because they like you, and I loved that feeling. Although you don't REALLY know some of them, it feels like you do when they come shop every day.

This is my 2nd time working at Piggly Wiggly. Both times I was a cashier. I love Pig because it is a friendly place to work in my perspective, too, they almost 100% work around appointments and family events I need or desire to attend when it comes to scheduling. Most people care for eachother there as too, the customers.  I do sometimes feel not everyone who is hired is fit for the job nor trained to the best level they could be, too some of the utility clerks (baggers) don't always use their basic logic when packing & don't often listen when I reccommend change in how they could approach their packing skills. I do a lot on my end, but I feel my efforts go wasted at times when the replaceing cashier doesn't continue where I left off cleaning wise / maintence wise (especially when I work the liquor department). I try to give 100% am very on top of things in most cases, but it is obvious some people don't have a true care for the work they could be providing, too not everyone is always respectable, lets emotions get in the way and just go through the motions of work for the sole purpose of a paycheck. On the other hand, a good majority of coworkers don't have such a mindset. A lot of people at Pig seem to sincerely care and are friendly. I too feel when I come to replace a cashier on the main floor that they often leave the check out a mess and dirty. I don't like that. I do my best to clean the checkout and belt as often as possible when I work, it looks better & proper sanitation is more than important - I think that thinking that and practiceing that should just come natural & be universal, especially when working with food. I love working with the public. I've gotten to know quite a few regulars over the years. Some main managers could do better in more ways than one. It's often the case if one of them wants to talk to me about something they relay the message to someone else opposed to talking to me first hand. Too, they don't always handle things the way they traditionally should at a work place. But, I get they too are human. 

The workers often gossip and make drama between other workers which causes problems. There's discrimination and unfair treatments to coworkers that get picked on or fired for being the only caretaker of their children and get blamed for "putting them in a bind" without understanding reasonable situations regardless if notes are provided or earlier notification for replacement is given ahead of time even at the soonest notice. They lie to you about allowing you to work when you offer availability when in reality you have been fired. For that they waste your time for a number of days (up to a week) before confronting you that you have been fired. They hire too many people and then can't even afford to pay the people they already had and delay paychecks, they have fired workers just to afford paying the remainder ones they have. Good for money and hours and more days if that is what you're looking for but not at all a place I would suggest to work at. Far too many issues and attitudes. Poor management controlling the stop of issues. Managers have been known to pick on some coworkers and gossip about them with everyone else, making the issue ongoing instead of putting it to a stop. Not sanitary at all. Workers come in sick and touch food with bare hands, some don't cover their mouth when working with food they are handling and have even been witnessed to reuse food that has fallen on the floor behind the doors of the kitchen. The hardest part of the job is having to explain to customers the changes that never remain the same and prices and explanations keep changing, costing the business regulars and other customers to make a complaint and leave. The most enjoyable I would say was certain coworkers were indeed fun to work with for the laughs but all in all too stressful and dramatic to work there comfortably or happily.

a typical day here at Piggly Wiggly really depends on the shift you are working. the morning shift is normally pretty busy because you are getting paperwork and deposits done and balancing for the night before. the evening shift is pretty laid back because you mainly just assist the customers with their transactions, answer the phone and verifying the cashiers tills. as with any job, you learn with working with the public, you have to listen and have an open mind but at the same time you have to pay close attention to each customer, employee and each transaction. for the most part the customer is always right, but there are few times when they are not. for instance when a customer gets angry because a transaction is taking what they feel is too long and they fuss at you that you need to speed up when its not you, but the equipment you are working with, or when you are cashing their check and its one that you can not take but they try to tell you that they have cashed one last week but you know that its not allowed (ex. cashing a two party check or out of state check is not allowed at my job but the customer tells you that you can cash it.). i would have to say that for me, the hardest part of my job is the late nights because i have a small child at home and i am currently a single mother with no help from the father. my co workers are for the most part fun to work with and we get along pretty well. i enjoy meeting new people so that has to be the most enjoyable part of what i do. as for the management here, most of them are easy to get along with and will work with you when you need time off for emergencies or appointments. being understanding is very important to me because when you have small children things do happen and you have to leave unexpected at times because they get hurt or get sick.

The work was relatively easy but fast paced. The hardest part of the job was the constant pace and balance between customer needs and employee needs. A typical day was a steady few hours of work that went smoothly and usually positively, and then a last few hours of it slowing down.

I believe that I learned how to handle a fast paced environment and juggle many things happening at once.  I learned to manage my employees in a way that benefited us all. The people and the work culture my coworkers and I established was a positive and encouraging environment.  Management was incredibly flexible and accommodating so it was easy to figure something out in a short period of time. However, in my two years there, I have learned of many failings. 

Every department worked with skeleton crews, transferring departments was basically impossible, the front end had a "chore list" that was tedious at best or busy work at worst. Positions of responsibility are paid the same as entry level positions. Turnover was incredibly high and it was incredibly clear that everyone was replaceable. Management was "always hiring" and despite constant resumes being handed in, we remained with the bare minimum of people. One manager got her granddaughter hired over the many other qualified members in out resume list, with a unique hybrid position that guaranteed her employment. I saw nepotism in action in real time. Seniority is not a factor at all in important decisions. Full time employees that were promised fill-time 40 hours were forcibly cut down to 30 hours and the maximum hours provided to any one worker was 30 hours max. Raises are far and few between. No holiday bonuses or extra pay.

Piggly Wiggly is incredibly cheap.

A typical day at Piggly Wiggly involves packaging product, keeping tables/shelves full of product, and keeping the workplace as clean as possible at all times. Additionally, you were expected to treat the customers with much kindness and compassion. 

In this position I learned how to deal with customers from all walks of life, have never-ending patience with not only customers but co-workers as well, and how to problem solve issues on the spot within the parameters of what the company deems acceptable. 

Management at Piggly Wiggly needs some serious work as far as each person understanding what is and isn't acceptable in the workplace. I had an experience where one manager told me something was acceptable then later that evening have another manager say it wasn't. 

Workplace culture could also be improved, in my opinion. For the most part, everyone got along well enough to get the job before us done. However, some of the people decided to treat the workplace as high school in the way that they act one way to your face and another when you're out of site. Additionally, my manager would take out her frustrations on myself and my fellow coworkers, although I'm not sure she was ever aware of doing it consciously. 

The hardest part of the job was dealing with the ever-changing policies, the stress the managers had caused almost everyone at work, and the fact that the entire store was understaffed. Contrarily, the easiest parts of the job were the tasks I had to complete as mentioned in the first paragraph.

Since the new ownership, the store has become more disorganized, and maybe twice a month (maybe), the owners come in. Even if they do, they rarely check in proactively with employees. The management style feels more like putting out fires, rather than taking care of employees directly. 

I was underpaid, and what bothered me was finding out more stores were being bought out without prioritizing the stability of this location. And there were No standard operating procedures (at least not divulged). 

We were promised Monday meetings to help us run the store efficiently. 

That only happened three times before the owners once again stopped showing up consistently.

 I was also personally told a formal training program for new employees would be created multiple times. 

That didn’t happen. There was no formal training for safety and hazards (at least, for me).

The scheduling flexibility is nice, but it seems to be flexible only because upper management simply doesn’t seem to care or check in with employees to see how they are doing. 

In other words, the flexibility and chance to relax on the job is largely due in part to the work culture of disarray. 

If you want beginning work experience, start here.
But remember that there are likely other opportunities that will pay better. If 

this was by far worst job I’ve ever worked. there is extremely high turnover and many employees quit within days or weeks which is very easy to see why.

schedules are not provided. i asked for my schedule every single day and was repeatedly told it would be sent to me, but it never was. instead i would be called the day of and told i was supposed to be at work, even after i had asked the day before if i was scheduled. there is a group chat used for communication, but you have to be added to it. i asked to be added and never was.

management is very disorganized and non-communicative. they even contacted my EMERGENCY CONTACT (my mother) to tell me to come into work, despite the fact that i had already asked about my schedule the day prior and received no response. completely inappropriate and unprofessional.

the work environment is also very uncomfortable. one manager would not speak to me directly or even look at me, instead communicating to me through other employees. overall, staff are treated disrespectfully, and the atmosphere is tense and very unwelcoming.

the breaks are also inconsistent. although breaks are promised for certain shifts, they are not always given in practice.

i would NEVER recommend working here. everyone i personally know who has worked at this place quit quickly due to poor treatment and lack of basic organization.

A typical day at work at the Piggly Wiggly in Oostburg was stocking and making sure the customers were satisfied and helping them find anything that they needed. I had learned with more hands available, you are able to get more done than just working alone with nobody to help. With management, they would give you a list for you to do each day. If you were not able to complete that list, you would be required to pass the jobs down to the next person to come in before you leave. I thought that the management was helpful. I thought that, when being a stocker/bagger, what was needed to be done, was acceptable to be able to get done. If it was too overwhelming, you wouldn't be pressured to get things done. Management would rather have you get things done properly the first time than having to redo it multiple times. My job didn't entail many difficult tasks. The most difficult would have been when you were needed to lift things, depending on how heavy it was. The most enjoyable part of my job was when you were able to meet new people and being able to help them. I also enjoyed when the management would treat you with respect, and not like you are just another employee there to get work done for you.

Given the insane prices (even worse than festival) there is NO EXCUSE for the poor pay, overpriced uniforms (25 for a shirt so thin you can see through it), zero perks (like the standard break policies offered by most employers or an employee discount), poor benefits and even then only for those working 40+ hours), and refusal to honor the 90 day review/raise and free uniform. Majorly short staffed at all times, highest employee turnover rare I've ever seen, and its easy to see why, as well as painfully clear that the higher ups have absolutely NO DESIRE to fix this issue by offering more pay, better break policy, honoring their word, etc. Those of us not ready to give up and walk out have a much higher work load because of the staffing issues, making the poor pay and the rest of the aforementioned, even more insulting. Most inconsiderate company I've ever worked for.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Meat cutter 11 salaries reported	$16.04 per hour
Deli associate 8 salaries reported	$13.25 per hour
Market manager 6 salaries reported	$51,417 per year
Cashier 1 salary reported	$12.50 per hour
Front end associate 7 salaries reported	$12.50 per hour

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