Stopping the C-Store Leak
A Manager's Guide to Boosting Job Satisfaction & Retention
The convenience store industry loses billions annually to employee turnover — and most managers don't know why. The problem isn't just low pay. It's deeper, more complex, and entirely fixable.
Based on the first comprehensive doctoral study of job satisfaction among hourly C-store employees across 32 states, Dr. Boustead reveals the hidden drivers of dissatisfaction — and gives managers a practical, evidence-based roadmap to fix them.
Inside this guide, you'll discover:
- The real $4.7–7.8 billion annual cost of C-store turnover — and what it's costing your store specifically
- The supervision crisis: why C-store employees are significantly more dissatisfied with managers than retail workers
- The seven job facets that matter more than pay (and the misconceptions that waste your resources)
- Early warning signs of turnover intent — and how to catch them before your best people quit
- Stay interview scripts, recognition systems, conflict resolution tools, and a 90-Day Retention Sprint
- Real-world "Just Another Day!" stories showing common management mistakes — and exactly how to fix them
C-Store Cashier Excellence
A Manager's Training Handbook
Most C-store managers train new cashiers the same way they were trained — by showing them around for a day and hoping for the best. This handbook replaces guesswork with a complete, research-backed 5-day training system that works.
From Day 1 orientation through register mastery, cash handling, customer interaction, and performance evaluation — every step is mapped out with checklists, scripts, and tools you can use immediately.
Inside this handbook, you'll discover:
- The complete 5-day training program with detailed daily checklists and competency targets
- Training Needs Assessment (TNA): diagnose problems before training so you don't waste time on the wrong solutions
- ADDIE instructional design: create training materials that produce lasting behavior change
- Kirkpatrick's 4-level evaluation: measure whether your training actually worked
- The 10-3-1 method for register mastery — practice-based training that builds real skill
- The Five Bases of Power: influence and coaching strategies for resistant employees
- 13 chapters, 500+ pages, 525 tables, ready-to-use tools and templates
C-Store Ethos
Building Trust, Integrity, and an Adaptive Culture
Training teaches your employees what to do. Culture determines whether they actually do it — and why. This book tackles the deeper challenge that most C-store management guides ignore: building the ethical, inclusive, and adaptive culture that makes everything else sustainable.
Across 16 chapters and 4 parts, Dr. Boustead leads managers from the foundations of organizational culture through ethical leadership, diversity, psychological safety, and building a legacy that outlasts any single manager.
Inside this leadership guide, you'll discover:
- Why culture is the invisible driver of store performance — and how to shape it intentionally
- How to lead with ethical clarity when the right decision is also the hard one
- Practical strategies for building genuine inclusion across a diverse team
- How to manage performance and motivation using the Five Bases of Power
- How to create psychological safety so problems surface before they become crises
- How to measure your store's cultural health — and improve what you find
Training the Trainers
Implementation Guide for C-Store Training Managers
You can't scale great training one store at a time. This guide is designed for district managers and HR professionals who need to implement the C-Store Cashier Excellence system across multiple locations — by training the managers who will deliver it.
Built around four structured Train-the-Trainer workshops, complete with facilitator scripts, PowerPoint slides, certification rubrics, and a pilot-to-rollout implementation roadmap.
Inside this implementation guide, you'll find:
- Workshop 1: Teaching managers the Training Needs Assessment (TNA) process
- Workshop 2: Teaching managers to deliver the complete 5-Day Training Program
- Workshop 3: Teaching managers Kirkpatrick evaluation methods
- Workshop 4: Teaching managers persuasion and coaching skills
- Manager Capability Assessment — know where each manager starts before training
- Pilot program timeline, district rollout playbook, and certification rubrics
- Companion PowerPoint slides for all four workshops included
C-Store Cashier Excellence Workbook
The Companion Workbook to C-Store Cashier Excellence
The Companion Workbook contains every form, checklist, worksheet, and template from C-Store Cashier Excellence in a print-friendly 8.5×11 format. Download it, print it, copy it, and use it in your store — no hunting through the handbook for the forms you need.
Each worksheet includes a filled example from Store #247 featuring Manager Kevin and his team, plus a blank template ready for your store's use. Covers all 13 chapters plus bonus operational checklists.
Includes all 18 worksheets:
- TNA Cheat Sheet & 4-Stage TNA Deep Dive Worksheet
- Kirkpatrick Evaluation Tools (Levels 1–4)
- Learner Profile Template & 70-20-10 Development Plan
- Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) Plan
- ADDIE Instructional Design Planning Template
- Day 1 Onboarding Planning & 10-3-1 Register Training Plan
- Gradual Release Schedule & Competency Checklist
- Power Analysis Worksheet, Feedback & Documentation Template
- Facility Tour Checklist, Safety & Compliance, Opening & Closing Checklists
- Manager's Notes Template, Training Observation Form & 30-Day New Hire Evaluation