Video Store Hourly Wage Question

[Sufficient]

I'm applying for a temp job until school starts again in August and was asked how much I wanted my hourly wage to be ... how much does a video rental store employee make hourly? Should I ask for more than the average?

[genocidal]

I'd be surprised if you started with anything more than your state's minimum wage.

[Emaho]

Depends if you are going to work evenings and/or nights or not. You should also check if you get unsocial working hours supplement or w/e you call it.

[Sufficient]

I'm willing to put a lot of hours into it since I really just bum around nowadays with all the free time I have. In light of the fact that I'm willing to work long hours would it be unreasonable to put in 9 dollars in the application and try to bargain it to $7-8 or so?

[Pummel]

Ask for 50 dollars an hour or they can find themselves another prostitute.

[Sufficient]

Well I guess I'll ask for 9 and bargain it up.

[Emaho]

Wow that is like how much a 16 year old would get in Swe doing the same job. :P I would get at least $12 for the same job! I think we have higher taxes tho.

[genocidal]

I think we have higher taxes tho.

Oh?

[Pressure Drop]

wtf i'd hate that way around i think

the low grade jobs i've applied for here state the wage and everyone is on the same level at the same grade.

i know hte higher up you go the more it changes but for a video store i'd thought they'd have a flat rate close to minimum wage for the assistants and a higher one for the manager, none of this haggling over the wage

[Dameon Angell]

I used to work for Hollywood Video here in Los Angeles.

The minimum wage was 6.50, I believe. I started with that and then hit 8.00 when I was the night manager. After two robberies at gunpoint and working there for about two years, I quit. The place was like .... a parasite. It just kept leeching off of my soul until there was little left. But, ever since I quit, my life has never been better.

So, in closing. Please, don't work at a video store. It'll be the death of you.

Notes if you ignore my warnings:
1.) There is no bargaining for the rates, usually. You gotta shoot for the night manager-type position asap if you want the raise.
2.) Kevlar vest = good investment. I know, they could shoot you in the head, but that's like ... a smaller target.
3a.) Break off all social ties. Your life is theirs now. You will be called in nearly every day to work off schedule. If you have a guilty conscience about things like that, like I did, you will be there.
3b.) If you want to avoid that, turn off your cell phone. Better yet, never give your cell phone number to anyone working there, ever.
4.) They never have days off ... like weekends/holidays.

But, you said you're only doing it for a short amount of time, so you'll probably be safe from the reaper.

[Sufficient]

Yeah, only till late August. Hopefully it won't be too bad. How long did it take you to get to night manager DA? I live in a pretty nice/safe area of Chicago so it shouldn't be too bad I think (I'm sure kevlar vests are expensive =D).

[genocidal]

I don't understand why all video places call people to fill shifts (my friend worked at Blockbuster a while back and that shit happened to him all the time too, even other stores would call him to work). Don't they fill that up on the schedule? I mean I understand every once in a while getting a call if someone is sick or if someone quits but that shouldn't happen very often.

Hell when I worked at a restaurant we wouldn't call people unless 2 people called in sick then it would just be 1 person to fill their place - meaning everyone else has to work their ass off but you get more money. It seems like a video store requires a lot less attention and could probably be run by 2-3 people at non-peak times. Maybe I'm wrong but even still they should get their shit together.

[Galleleo]

I think a lot of video stores over here are run by 1 person during peak hours.. at least when I go there sometimes between 7 and 9 (they close here between 9 and 10 usually), there is one guy behind the counter, sometimes 2.

[Dameon Angell]

My store opened at 10am and closed at 1am (past midnight). I got offered the position about a month in. They didn't want to give me the spot since I just started working there and was still on that 'probation' period. They actually didn't even give me the raise until after my 90 days, which blew ass.

Usually at peak hours we had 3 working in the store (ie: friday/saturday) Other times it was 1 in the morning and 2 at night. But yeah ... there was like 8 people working my store, tops. And for some reason, I always got called in, along with other people. My ex-girlfriend and I worked there together. We broke up after a few weeks cause .. well .. if I was working, she was off, if I was off, she was working, lol. You can only do so much in the lounge room (ie: office) before getting bored and annoyed, lol.

But yeah .. if you can manage to get the promotion early and the raise, get it. And just ... don't die. I almost did, twice.

[genocidal]

Hell if I was getting robbed at gunpoint I'd be like, "Here's the keys to everything and there are some garbage bags back; take whatever you want I'm going to lay on the floor and chill until you leave. Make sure to destroy a lot of stuff too, thanks."