customer service associate / cashier

guest service agent

customer service representative

cashier

assistant store manager

Thorntons LLC

A typical day consisted of meeting your boundaries with patience while working with all types of people. However, for every negative interaction with a customer there were three positive interactions with customers. The job was basic gas station retail, you see hundreds of people a shift, you constantly clean, you ring up properly and follow the protocols and procedures if anything were to go wrong.
Work related, the things I learned were trivial and common ( multi-tasking, learning what cleaning solutions you can use for what etc). Although, the job was challenging in certain aspects and extremely easy in others, this may not be the job for everyone. You must be able to work with people, whether it's an ornery regular or a propitious new customer. However, I learned to appreciate the people who go out of their way to be nice, I had my faith in people diminish an awful lot through the duration of this job, however I had it restored right back when someone would come up with a lost wallet or credit card, or who would help some average Joe with money when they were short on it.

Management lacked in many areas in my personal opinion, there was very little to no communication between the management teams and the associates. Along side of that, it was not uncommon for management( in all different levels) to say and confirm something and do something completely different when it came to employees and more minor policies. Also, training between the associates was mediocre at the very best, although it's a massive company with numerous stores along the midwest and south that have the same policies; all the training was different, and lacked in many crucial ways. Some employees would receive more preferential attention with their training compared to others for the same job. Due to preferential differences between managers and employees, the average employee would not be able to climb the corporate ladder.
This is nothing personal towards this company, although the company as a whole seems to have good intentions towards their employees; the experience I was given didn't show it.  The store I worked at was a very small store near the chicagoland area and scheduling could be a nightmare, and certain employees were constantly being 'baited'  to do management duties while not getting compensated properly for the work load. I felt lucky even to have an outside company plow our parking lot,  the employees did an awful lot of grunt work ( with very little to no  acknowledgement/appreciation) and not get properly  compensated for it.
   This is not meant to sound like a vengeful rant of a former employee but an actual opinion of someone who worked the grind for a couple of years and has had first hand experience with all of this.
I mentioned that for every bad there were good; the positive light for the management teams, you had the very rare amazing store manager who would go above and beyond for their employees ( whether with scheduling, accommodating personal needs, staying late to help you out, stood up for their employees etc.). I was extremely fortunate to work with a store manager like the one described in the previous statement.

At the time the co-workers made it bearable, and I was lucky that for almost the entire duration of my employment I had decent co workers to work with.
The hardest part of the job, would have to be the customer service; since its a gas station and the economy was down while I worked there, a lot of people would try to scam you, and if you didn't buy their scam they'd get irate. Following state laws tend to anger people, and I've had my fair share of insults and threats hurled at me for not selling tobacco to people who didn't have proper identification. But, that comes with the territory of working with the general public.
The most enjoyable aspect of the job would be the semi-freedom of making your own schedule for each shift; as long as the work got done and the customers were helped in a timely and professional manner, then we could do our work when we wanted. Very rarely were there ever a time frame that something needed to be done
I wish I had something to put for their healthcare and insurance, but I never signed up with them due to having my own private insurance.
Compensation; it wasn't difficult to get raises if you had a normal general manager and you knew how to do your job well. Plus they had mini bonuses each month for doing well in the secret shopper reports. However, all the "competition' they had; if you weren't a top store who had the need of having 2-3 cashiers on duty each shift; it was pointless to waste your time trying to participate.  I tried multiple times, using my personal resources and time off the clock to help with  competition boards/ decor etc and not a single thanks or recognition.  
  I would not work for this company ever again,  no matter how strapped for cash I might get.

A typical day consisted of  meeting your boundaries with patience while working with all types of people.  However, for every negative interaction with a customer there were three positive  interactions with customers. The job was basic gas station retail, you see hundreds of people a shift, you constantly clean, you ring up properly and follow the protocols and procedures if anything were to go wrong.     
Work related, the things I learned were trivial and common ( multi-tasking, learning what cleaning solutions you can use for what etc). Although, the job was challenging in certain aspects and  extremely easy in others, this may not be the job for everyone.  You must be able to work with people, whether it's an ornery regular or a propitious new customer.  However, I learned to appreciate the people who go out of their way to be nice,  I had my faith in people diminish an awful lot through the duration of this job, however I had it restored right back when someone would come up with a lost wallet or credit card, or  who would help some average Joe with money when they were short on it.   
 
  Management lacked in many areas  in my personal opinion, there was very little to no communication between the management teams and the associates. Along side of that,  it was not uncommon for management( in all different levels)  to say and confirm something and do something completely different when it came to employees and more minor policies.  Also, training between the associates was mediocre at  the very best,  although it's a massive company with numerous stores along the midwest and south  that have the same  policies; all the training was different, and lacked in many crucial ways. Some employees would receive more preferential attention with their training compared to others for the same job. Due to preferential differences between managers and employees, the average employee would not be able to climb the corporate ladder.   
  This is nothing personal towards this company, although the company as a whole seems to have good intentions towards their employees; the experience I was given didn't show it.  This is not meant to sound like a vengeful rant of a former employee but an actual opinion of someone who worked the grind for a couple of years and has had first hand experience with all of this.  
    I mentioned that for every bad there were good;  the positive light for the management teams, you had the very rare amazing store manager who would go above and beyond for their employees  ( whether with scheduling, accommodating  personal needs, staying late to help you out, stood up for their employees etc.).  I was extremely fortunate to work with a store manager like the one described in the previous statement.  

  At the time the co-workers made it bearable, and I was lucky that for almost the entire duration of my employment I had decent co workers to work with.   
  The hardest part of the job, would have to be the customer service;  since its a gas station and the economy was down while I worked there, a lot of people would try to scam you, and if you didn't buy their scam they'd get irate.  Following state laws tend to anger people, and I've had my fair share of insults and threats hurled at me for not selling tobacco to people who didn't have proper identification.  But, that comes with the territory of working with the general public.  
  The most enjoyable aspect of the job would be the semi-freedom of making your own schedule for each shift;  as long as the work got done and the customers were helped in a timely and professional manner, then we could do our work when we wanted.  Very rarely were there ever a time frame that something needed to be done
  I wish I had something to put for their healthcare and insurance, but I never signed up with them due to having my own private insurance. 
  Compensation;  it wasn't difficult to get raises if you had a normal general manager and you knew how to do your job well.  Plus they had mini bonuses each month for doing well in the secret shopper reports.  

I like my job. There's a lot of work but I find the challenge stimulating and the pay isn't too shabby. I also get along nicely with most of my coworkers.  But what I abhor is the fact that GSRs are at the complete mercy of narcissistic managers, particularly General Managers, many whose motives for wanting advancement is to enjoy perks that they turn around and punish subordinates for unintentionally receiving because God forbid an employee is less than perfect. The company needs to stop incentivizing Managers for performance efforts made BY the team. It's called credit stealing. And beyond that,  it's intellectually dishonest to say it's about the team, yet General Managers don't consult the team when it comes to hiring, firing or disciplinary actions. All of a sudden, it's a party of one. Perhaps my coworkers' failure to follow a policy or ignorance of a policy didn't actually affect anything or anyone in the greater scheme. But perhaps my GM's micromanagement affects not only me, that coworker but the entire morale, for the team as well as customers. Don't you people in higher management realize that customers know when employees are being treated well? This culture of zero tolerance for minor human frailty is how everyone loses in the end. I hate to sound too general because maybe this is a problem particular to my store or only a recent development.  But something needs to be done about rogue Managers who want to be by the book in order for them to get their bonuses for reaching quotas, while feigning concern about the "team". Don't get on people's cases about attendance when you're the only one complaining because you're new and desperate to show your authority, even as you unethically take advantage of being salary and essentially come in to the store when you please.  Don't pretend to be concerned with propriety when you clearly show favoritism, violate policies concerning jewelry and painted fingernails, or allow one employee to continually pick up the slack for another's poor performance. Thorntons accepts credit for customers.  Well guess what, employees need credit too. If I'm shining in one area, do NOT resort to pettiness in calling out my imperfections in another area, again, if YOU the Manager are the only one complaining out of an insecure desire to not look weak. We work for Thorntons,  not the GM. Please implement teams surveys/reviews GM's, especially new ones who fail to realize that their presence is disruptive, and that they are the only ones benefiting from "change". It's only fair that we can judge them as they judge. This is real life, not a game. I shouldn't have my income and life jeopardized because of the capricousness of some disingenuous novice manager. 

I began my employment here with almost no problems...except for the clientele. I bore witness to so much harassment -- mainly the male-to-female variety -- that there were only a few days of the week when I didn't walk away feeling disgusting. Whether it was the morning, afternoon, or evening, many of my guests were made uncomfortable by their peers and there wasn't too much that I could do until my request to switch to overnight shifts was fulfilled. My reasons for switching were the demand from management to accomplish so much with almost no chance to even use the bathroom or eat food (we were "officially" allotted TEN MINUTES EVERY FOUR HOURS for breaks), let alone complete all of my tasks AND the insurmountable volume of grossly demanding and crass customers.

As for management, there simply was no middle ground. My first store manager was a deadbeat who spent his entire shift in the back room doing nothing but delegating all of his tasks to his peons so he can watch our butts on camera (I wish I was being facetious), smoke, and talk to his daughter & boyfriend all day on the phone. During my interview with him, he took a personal call that lasted at least twenty minutes rather than calling them back later; red flag number one.
After about two or three months, our regional manager terminated him and the company transferred a different manager to our store. Initially, this was a welcomed change merely for the fact that he seemed to care about his job and the store. It became evident that he was far more concerned with numbers and results than he was with his subordinates. The smallest, most inconsequential mistake would be met with unrelenting punishment in the form of documentation and condescending chastisement. This trend resulted in the inexplicable, incomprehensible termination of one of my coworkers; red flag number two.

There are so many more things wrong with this company, but I do not wish to rant any longer.

TL;DR I've never had a worse job.

I worked here for almost 7 years, loyal hard working employee. Took care of all fueling repairs single handedly. I was on call 24/7 365 which wasn’t that big of a deal as I enjoyed that. The managements attempt at hiring competent help was pitiful at best. I think it would have made sense to have your main guy be present in the interviews, but no they knew best, haha. So instead they hired unqualified candidates that were lazy, didn’t like the cold, didn’t like traffic etc etc etc, real quality guys. Of course, they never lasted more than a year and a half. I never got to know the owner himself, but somebody really needs to let this guy know about his pathetic facilities management crew. They all need to be cut loose and start fresh with some new mindsets. The maintenance boys are all little gossipers, talking about each other constantly. They have a couple of “go to guys” that are pulling the wool over their eyes for years now, it was comical to see them not having a clue. The pay was decent and I got some really good work experience, which enabled to land a better job making tens of thousands more. If you are ready and willing to work in an unorganized childish atmosphere, this is the place for you. I’m just thrilled to know that they have been struggling for a year and a half to replace me, and can’t seem to get it done, hahaha. You should never let your senior quarterback walk and think you’ll find another just like him, you take care of those hard to find types, silly boys. If you take the job, you are just a number, remember that. So work all the hours you can, get that overtime, save that money and jump ship.

a typical day at work was pretty easy and simple and pretty much the same everyday. I learned how to take care of a customer that was handicapped out at the pumps and also how to work the lotto machines and how to close the register and put out hot foods and donuts when they needed to be replaced with fresh stuff. I didn't really care for the management here because they weren't all the nicest and they would have an attitude when you ask them for help with the job at times when you needed help with things and they also weren't always able to be found when they were needed and the building wasn't all that big for them to not be able to be found. The workplace culture was pretty good. The hardest part of the job was dealing with customers that had attitudes or when I couldn't understand them when they would ask for something. The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing people that I knew and also meeting new people that I didn't know before and making friends with a few of the other employees that I worked with.

I worked at Thornton’s for exactly 8 months. I was hired right when the pandemic started in December 2019 and worked through the pandemic all 2020 and this company DOES NOT care about their employees. I was the best CSR at my store and was promoted to Team Lead within months and I did NOT receive my team lead pay for 2 weeks and we got paid weekly. Very unorganized and unprofessional. I wouldn’t have stayed if I didn’t like my team and GM. But the turnover rate is high because people only will work there for a few days then quit. Was ALWAYS short handed. Never had enough team members to run a store so was always in the store by yourself. Bonuses are promised but they’re also taxed so it’ll only be a few extra dollars, not really a bonus. You get free food on the clock but that’s it. The starting pay is horrible too. I say this is a job for a young adult without any bills or responsibilities. This company will never have it together so don’t expect much from them. Literally work here as your VERY last resort. ESPECIALLY in Louisville, Kentucky.

It's been a true honor working for the team at Thorntons.  As a Food Service R & D technician, you are tasked with creating new food products for our stores and conducting the necessary testing to ensure a smooth release to the public.  A typical day is varied and can see you working on hold time/cook time testing, guest complaint investigation, new product component sourcing/costing, recipe creation, training material creation, store roll out support, among a host of other duties.  The management really adheres to the "everyone is part of the family" corporate culture that have been instilled from the very highest levels of management.  They are always open to hear your ideas and work to implement them...very important in a company with progressive food service views.  The only issue I've come across during my entire tenure at the company is vacation time.  Long tenure is required to obtain more than 2 weeks vacation time at this level.  Small gripe that is tremendously outweighed by the positives of working for Thorntons.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Management. I've never worked for a company that had a supportive management team. Learn together, grow together. Team work makes our dreams work. We hear it all the time, Thornton's makes this happen.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I wouldn't call it stressful. However, the occasional unhappy guest for being required to provide ID for certain purchases. They know they aren't old enough, move on. If you are old enough feel good it's asked. Most have it in hand. They know we are always checking.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
 Everyone is welcome.  I'm currently trying to learn other languages to better assist our guests.
I find it fascinating the different people you can encounter in just one shift.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Interaction with Guests.Keeping our fountain and food areas clean and stocked. Stocking coolers and aisles. Assisting with questions, maintaining bathrooms, assuring quick and fast checkout, assisting with rewards. I slip a rewards card into each bag if they say they don't have one. I help them set it up if they ask.

Was hired as part time but consistently worked 40+ hour weeks, it took almost a year to finally be classified as full-time and receive benefits which were too expensive to afford on what they pay.  The customers are awful, very rude and entitled.  The company does nothing to ensure the safety of the employees.  More than once I had to call the police to remove creepers from the station.  We were robbed twice in the year I worked there.  Overnights works alone and is not allowed to do anything to ensure their safety.  You cannot leave at the end of your shift until the next shift arrives which sometimes will have you working 10+ hour shifts.  You will work every holiday while the manager will have the day off to throw a party at their home (that you will not be invited to).   Promotions are by title only with no increase in pay as they will not pay a shift lead premium when there is a manager present...and there is always a manager present.

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