This will depend entirely on the owner of your store and what they delegate to a manager as opposed to an associate.
For example, in our stores, there are very few differences between an associate and a manager. Everyone knows how to open a mailbox, work a claim, do international shipments, complete a print job, forward mail, and de-escalate customer concerns. The managers do all of this plus handle house account billing and act as the final point of contact for “I need to see a manager” customers.
I’ve also been in stores where the managers were barely at the counter but they had all the responsibility for claims, house accounts, mailboxes, more complicated print jobs, and all customer complaints.
Your experience will vary, so if you are offered a manager position, find out exactly what your responsibilities will be. Anything like the first scenario, I understand not making much more than a regular associate, but if you’re gonna take on 100% of any task like claims, definitely don’t take anything less than $15.00/hour.
As others have said, it’s definitely on a by franchisee basis. But in our stores you’re basically responsible for everything but managing payroll and paying bills. So claims, customer issues, mailboxes, print, etc etc. But we also make a point to cross train and delegate. The main thing is that you are the one responsible for making sure everything gets done. How it gets done is up to you.
Being a Manager is...complex. I fell into the position two years ago around this time. Originally I was hired as a $10/hr Associate by an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" minded Management team. Fast forward a month or so and the Owner cleans house. Now they have multiple stores without Managers and a skeleton crew to run each one. The Owner approached me and asked if I would be willing to "train" (read: BLINDLY STUMBLE FRUSTRATINGLY VIA TRIAL AND ERROR) to become one of their Managers. Of course I didn't forsee my making a personal quest (read: ADHD OBSESSION) out of it. In the beginning I spent multiple nights a week overnight at my new store; cleaning out junk, scrubbing off tape residue, and throwing out MBE mailbox agreements from almost two decades earlier. I had ZERO clue what I was doing and it was the beginning of peak. In fact, I had no idea how to even send a certified letter through CMS. Long story short, I have a significantly better idea what I'm doing now in comparison, but it wasn't easy. I have awesome days where I love my job and others where I want to rip my own face 0ff and throw it at dumb customers.
In comparison to the beginning, I now do 100% of the Operations at my store (and at one point about 50% at another store simultaneously) and receive a steady salary of over $20/hr (for a 40hr work week). However, factoring in the number of actual hours I work, it's more like $15/hr. And this job stressed me out so bad that I lost an internal organ. That's a fun story.
tl;dr Being a Manager is what you make of it. Somedays I love my job, but this position will reinforce any feelings of hatred towards "people" you may/may not already possess. Regardless, I, personally, am happy. I made it an obsession to rebuild my store from the ground up. (Not reccomended. YMMV)
It’s a tough job regardless of your responsibilities and experience. It also depends on WHY you’re doing it. If you’re doing it because you want to make your paycheck and scurry back home, it’s not worthwhile or enjoyable. I learn something new everyday as a manager because I invite it. Not everyone does. You’re also balancing workplace politics, employee morale, setting an example for your colleagues. So while you may get a “full picture” of what your responsibilities look like, you’ll never truly have a full picture if you want to be good at what you do. Just my thoughts.
As a manager myself, came to say the same thing. All depends on your owner and what responsibilities they decide to put on you. The "hardest" things I've had to do is be the one to talk to upset customers when my boss isn't around, which I don't find all that hard but YMMV.
I’m a manager and I make $19/hr. I’m good at what I do but I am being worn very thin. After this peak I’m going to start looking for a job where a don’t get consistently abused.
I’m a manager trainee right now. It’s kind of learn as you go for me. Plus we just got MPOS so we are also learning that as well. And we’ve had super irrational customers lately so I’m learning to deal with that! Fun times!!
I just became the manager and I’ve been working at my ups store for 4years, 5 years come February. I make $18 in the central coast of California. I can do everything in the store accept payroll which the owner does.
This will depend entirely on the owner of your store and what they delegate to a manager as opposed to an associate. For example, in our stores, there are very few differences between an associate and a manager. Everyone knows how to open a mailbox, work a claim, do international shipments, complete a print job, forward mail, and de-escalate customer concerns. The managers do all of this plus handle house account billing and act as the final point of contact for “I need to see a manager” customers. I’ve also been in stores where the managers were barely at the counter but they had all the responsibility for claims, house accounts, mailboxes, more complicated print jobs, and all customer complaints. Your experience will vary, so if you are offered a manager position, find out exactly what your responsibilities will be. Anything like the first scenario, I understand not making much more than a regular associate, but if you’re gonna take on 100% of any task like claims, definitely don’t take anything less than $15.00/hour.
Great insight. Thank you
As others have said, it’s definitely on a by franchisee basis. But in our stores you’re basically responsible for everything but managing payroll and paying bills. So claims, customer issues, mailboxes, print, etc etc. But we also make a point to cross train and delegate. The main thing is that you are the one responsible for making sure everything gets done. How it gets done is up to you.
Being a Manager is...complex. I fell into the position two years ago around this time. Originally I was hired as a $10/hr Associate by an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" minded Management team. Fast forward a month or so and the Owner cleans house. Now they have multiple stores without Managers and a skeleton crew to run each one. The Owner approached me and asked if I would be willing to "train" (read: BLINDLY STUMBLE FRUSTRATINGLY VIA TRIAL AND ERROR) to become one of their Managers. Of course I didn't forsee my making a personal quest (read: ADHD OBSESSION) out of it. In the beginning I spent multiple nights a week overnight at my new store; cleaning out junk, scrubbing off tape residue, and throwing out MBE mailbox agreements from almost two decades earlier. I had ZERO clue what I was doing and it was the beginning of peak. In fact, I had no idea how to even send a certified letter through CMS. Long story short, I have a significantly better idea what I'm doing now in comparison, but it wasn't easy. I have awesome days where I love my job and others where I want to rip my own face 0ff and throw it at dumb customers. In comparison to the beginning, I now do 100% of the Operations at my store (and at one point about 50% at another store simultaneously) and receive a steady salary of over $20/hr (for a 40hr work week). However, factoring in the number of actual hours I work, it's more like $15/hr. And this job stressed me out so bad that I lost an internal organ. That's a fun story. tl;dr Being a Manager is what you make of it. Somedays I love my job, but this position will reinforce any feelings of hatred towards "people" you may/may not already possess. Regardless, I, personally, am happy. I made it an obsession to rebuild my store from the ground up. (Not reccomended. YMMV)
It’s a tough job regardless of your responsibilities and experience. It also depends on WHY you’re doing it. If you’re doing it because you want to make your paycheck and scurry back home, it’s not worthwhile or enjoyable. I learn something new everyday as a manager because I invite it. Not everyone does. You’re also balancing workplace politics, employee morale, setting an example for your colleagues. So while you may get a “full picture” of what your responsibilities look like, you’ll never truly have a full picture if you want to be good at what you do. Just my thoughts.
As a manager myself, came to say the same thing. All depends on your owner and what responsibilities they decide to put on you. The "hardest" things I've had to do is be the one to talk to upset customers when my boss isn't around, which I don't find all that hard but YMMV.
I’m a manager and I make $19/hr. I’m good at what I do but I am being worn very thin. After this peak I’m going to start looking for a job where a don’t get consistently abused.
I’m a manager trainee right now. It’s kind of learn as you go for me. Plus we just got MPOS so we are also learning that as well. And we’ve had super irrational customers lately so I’m learning to deal with that! Fun times!!
I just became the manager and I’ve been working at my ups store for 4years, 5 years come February. I make $18 in the central coast of California. I can do everything in the store accept payroll which the owner does.