'I Need the Help': Frustrated Manager Offers to Hire Customers on the Spot to Help Curb Long Lines A TikToker is going viral for documenting a hectic scene inside of a Dollar Tree.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Waiting in long shopping lines can be extremely frustrating, especially as the holiday season rolls in, and staffing shortages can make already busy stores take even longer to serve their customers.
Just how bad has it gotten?
One Dollar Tree store is going viral after a shopper filmed a video of disgruntled customers waiting in a line that grew so unwieldy the manager offered to give anyone standing there a job right on the spot.
In a video viewed over 528,000 times, a TikToker named Kensha documented a hectic scene inside her local Dollar Tree when one customer started complaining and saying that the store needed to open another cash register.
"I'll hire you on the spot," the manager tells the customer. "Can you ring? I need the help. I don't have enough people."
The manager then points to the hiring sign and throws his hands up in frustration.
Many took to the comments, offering support to the stressed-out manager and saying that the customers should be more supportive.
"Y'all need to be patient !! A lot of retail stores are short staffed!!! You either wait or leave," one user said. "Y'all shall b glad someone showed up and it's open."
"He's adorable! Poor guy. He needs help," another said. "So many stores need help."
Related: The Labor Shortage Is Only Getting Worse. What's Causing It and How Can I Avoid Losing Staff
Sign of the times
The disheartening clip highlights the widespread staffing shortage issues in the U.S. A recent report by CNBC found that the department of labor has around 5.5 million more retail job vacancies than it does people available to work those jobs.
As of January 2022, it was estimated that Dollar Tree employed 211,000 people in over 7,890 locations.
