Old Faithful General Store – work schedule

While at the Old Faithful General Store for the summer, we have been working “split shifts”.  Neither of us have ever worked one before but have found that we like it.

The shift we “Open” the store our work schedule is 7:00 am – 11:45 am then 2:30 pm – 5:45 pm.  The shift we “Close” the store our work schedule is 11:25 am – 2:45 pm then back again from 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

We work a combination of both shifts during the week.  One week we open, open, open, close, close.  The other week we open, close, close, open, open.  That day we open after closing the night before can be a tough one for us!  We have found that we favor the “open” shift because after eating lunch we can go home and take a nap!

In May, after working our second day, we got called into the store manager’s office.  Kathie was offered the promotion of “Floor Supervisor” for the rest of the season.  The manager said because of Kathie’s “positive aggressive” approach, they would like to use her talent/skills as the floor supervisor. 

The floor supervisor is in charge of the all 8 to 11 cashiers on duty during that shift.  She assigns cashier stations to all that are working during that shift and provides support to all the cashiers by making sure they get any coins and bills that they need as “change”.  She is also the one that they call to provide assistance with any problems like price overrides, computer issues or any other questions that the customers have.

During the “open” shift she makes sure the store is unlocked and set up for business when the doors open at the appropriate time.  During the “closing” shift, she makes sure the store is locked and the cashiers close out their money drawers.

There are fewer customers at the beginning and ending of each day.  From about 9:30 am – 6:00 pm there are “waves” of people who come into the store about every 90 minutes.  There is a direct correlation between the end of the Old Faithful eruption and the timing of the “tsunami of people” entering the store!!!

During the time of fewer customers in the store, we help clean up the register area, and store in general, re-stock merchandise and get “change” for the next round of customers.