A Dunkin’ employee claimed in a viral TikTok video she was the only person working at the store after only a week at the job.
The video, posted by user Alma Castellanos (@soullxxx), shows her facing the camera and talking about the reality of the job. Her video currently has over 33,000 views.
“I’ve literally been working here for not even like a fucking full week and I’m already by myself,” Castellanos says in the video. “Can someone please fucking help me? Like, I’m crying right now. I’m literally crying internally.”
This struck a nerve with TikTokers, especially those in the service industry who have been affected by persistent understaffing issues. Many users pointed specifically to Dunkin’, alleging its locations are constantly understaffed.
“I’m so sorry girl. It was the same for me,” one user wrote. “They had me watch videos and then had me Taking orders, cashing out and making the drinks by myself my first day.”
“That’s Dunkin for you,” another said. “We don’t even have a manager [right now].”
“Dunkin?” a user asked. “[Because] me too.”
“Girllll i used to work there and got left alone plenty of times whenever it’s busy,” another detailed. “It sucks ass.”
In 2021, a Dunkin’ location went viral after understaffing issues led an employee to allegedly put a customer informally in charge of the store. Since then, it would seem understaffing issues have not improved.
However, Dunkin’ was not the only named culprit in the comments.
“That was me but at krispy kreme,” a TikToker alleged.
“I work at raising cane’s and I’m usually the cashier,” another commenter wrote. “When it starts getting busy I’m expected to help everyone out, do my job, and prep for night.”
While working alone might be OK occasionally, for a new employee, it can weigh them down with added stress while leaving them vulnerable to situations they won’t know how to handle. That seemed to be the case for Castellanos, who later said in a comment: “It’s not bad! But I just don’t know everything yet.”
Neither Dunkin’ nor Castellanos immediately responded to Daily Dot’s request for comment via email and TikTok comment respectively.
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