The Common Complaint Customers Have About Dollar General

Dollar General may lure shoppers in with low prices, but they come at a cost. (Even those prices should be scrutinized — the chain has settled lawsuits with multiple states for the prices at the register not matching the prices displayed on the shelf.) Those low prices' costs that many customers complain about on sites like Trustpilot is poor customer service.

Multiple shoppers posted to Trustpilot to complain about rude or untrained cashiers, including cashiers who didn't know how to process checks. "Apparently, they will hire anybody," one reviewer wrote after a bad experience. On Reddit, customers report the same experiences. "How to report a Dollar General?" asked a poster, who went on to describe how everything is stocked wrong, employees are usually on their phones, and no one is at the register. In the comments, shoppers followed up with similar experiences. "They need to really look at their employee's [sic] and evaluate them better," wrote a commenter after describing a scenario with a particularly rude worker.

Other commenters on the Reddit thread defended the employees. "Leave the employees who get zero benefits no discount and are paid less than any other job anywhere alone," wrote one person, who went on to say the stores are usually understaffed. Another summed it up bluntly, writing "it's a cr** company." If you have a choice, there are plenty of reasons to shop for your groceries at places other than these discount stores.

"We never know if and when the store is going to be open ... they can't seem to keep help for whatever reason," wrote a customer on Trustpilot, who had good experiences with employees when they were actually there. The reason most Dollar Generals seem to struggle to "keep help" is that overworked, underpaid employees are not a mistake, but the plan. The cheap prices found at dollar stores are partly thanks to the companies keeping labor costs low.

Dollar General's minimal staffing puts workers in dangerous situations for low wages, and employees have complained about a lack of security (according to NBC News). Stress like that can naturally make workers short with customers. Getting a job at a different store is usually not an option, as dollar stores opening in rural areas often cause locally owned stores to close (according to a study by the USDA). Not only do job seekers have nowhere else to go, but customers also have no choice of where to shop. This lack of competition means the store does not need to worry about good customer service. In the end, everyone but the executives lose. If you do find yourself needing to shop at a Dollar General for any reason, be prepared and take a look at our guide to foods you should avoid when shopping at a dollar store.