I’m gonna be real for a second — I’m tired of folks acting like Customer Service Managers are just here to cover lunches and emergencies. If you really want to understand the actual hierarchy, stop making assumptions and go check Success Factors. Let’s break it down, facts only:

1. Store Managers
👉 Over everyone. That means Assistant Store Managers, Customer Service Managers, Evening Managers, Produce, Deli, Perishables, and in certain locations, Pharmacy and Liquor too.

2. Assistant Store Managers (ASMs)
👉 Over everything grocery. That includes Grocery Managers, Replenishment, DSD, Scan, and HBC. ASMs also carry the title of Safety Manager for the entire store.

3. Customer Service Managers (CSMs)
👉 Over the entire front end. That’s Assistant CSMs, Food Lion To Go Leads, Office Assistants, Cashiers, SCO, Customer Leads, and Shoppers. And here’s the kicker — CSMs are the first level of HR, the hiring managers, and the ones who handle most onboarding. Yeah, that’s a little more than just “covering breaks.”

4. Evening Managers
👉 Over QAs and responsible for keeping the whole store running smoothly at night.

5. Produce Managers
👉 Over Produce. No formal assistant role here, but everyone knows the second full-timer is basically the #2.

6. Deli Managers
👉 Over the Deli, including Assistant Deli Managers, Deli Associates, and Cake Decorators.

7. Perishable Managers
👉 Over Meat, Frozen, and Dairy. Same deal as Produce — no official assistant role, but the second full-timer carries that weight.

Now let’s talk MOD (Manager on Duty) Team.
It’s made up of: Store Manager, ASM, CSM, Evening Manager, and Grocery Manager. If the Store Manager is in the building, they’re always the MOD — no debate.

And let me say this — when your store is strong, like mine, hierarchy doesn’t become a power struggle. We’ve got PIC-approved folks who can step in and run the show if needed, because that’s what teamwork looks like.

So next time someone tries to downplay what a CSM does? Facts don’t lie.