In the wake of staff reductions at Petco, several essential services, including regular floor cleaning, have been scaled back, raising concerns among employees. The frequency of floor cleaning has been reduced, allowing issues like dog urine lingering on floors to persist. Basic maintenance tasks such as cleaning bathrooms and fixing broken light bulbs are also delayed due to inadequate staffing.
Employees have reported instances of deteriorating store conditions, leading to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at a store in North Andover, Massachusetts. The investigation revealed that employees were exposed to unsanitary conditions, including live and dead rodents, as well as rodent droppings and urine. Subsequently, Petco was fined $129,000 for violating safety standards. Similar conditions were discovered during an inspection at a store in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 2021.
Dirty stores and declining customer service can alienate patrons quickly. With reduced staffing levels, customers often struggle to find assistance. Employees recount instances where they are paged to multiple departments, leaving customers waiting. This lack of timely service frustrates customers and affects the overall shopping experience.
At times, understaffed stores are unable to accommodate customers seeking to purchase animals due to the absence of available assistance. In extreme cases, stores have had to close abruptly, inconveniencing customers, as they opt to prioritize employee safety and avoid leaving a single employee on the shop floor.
These challenges underscore the importance of maintaining adequate staffing levels to ensure a clean, customer-friendly environment and uphold Petco’s reputation for quality service.