MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[Llamanatee]

So if they use the pay wage increase to justify more work how does that work for someone like me that earned all their raises to get them to $15 that is not affected by these pay increases pretty much everyone else gets? 🤷🏾‍♀️. It doesn't. I laughed at my Etl HR two years ago when she told me I would be getting $15 by 2020 and Target would expect more from me. I told her I would be there on my own before then.

 

[No I in Team]

The move to $15/hr is more of a tactical response to the labor shortage.

Strategically, Target has to expect more for the incremental increases to $15/hr as we do not have the margins to absorb that big of a increase without gaining something other than bodies through the door.

Will it work? I seriously doubt it as everyone has done the same or is in the process of raising wages incrementally. The ones who can't, will try to stay at least close as they can to the prevailing labor rate.

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Stupid question, does books get done on truck day?

As of last week, finally, yes. Not sure how it materialized though lol

 

[seasonaldude]

You need to challenge your leaders on this, and tell them that the product won’t be pushed if you keep being pulled in 15 directions

Why would I want to do that? It's not as if anyone was mad at me for not getting anything done. When I left for the night, all my ETL said to me was "Thank you for being so flexible today and backing up the rest of the store. I appreciate it."

Why can’t electronics help the toys guest?

They can when they're free? Of course, since we're a mobile plus store, electronics is normally busy helping geezers with phones and barely has time to do their push/pulls as a result.

Why can’t softlines or market do some backing up or the carry out?

I never said they weren't backing up too. We don't have the payroll to have enough cashiers, so everyone ends up backing up at some point.

25+ minutes at a time backing up on a lane is unacceptable, and if you were my TM and I lost an hour of your shift to the checklanes, I’d have words for the gstl.

You could try with mine. Sometimes, my leads do that when it's appropriate. When we don't have enough cashiers and we are well over sales goal for the day (we were) the GSTL is likely to tell you to piss off and hop on a lane yourself if you don't like it.

Also, salesfloor TMs covering OPU breaks? What the fuck?

Because my primary workcenter right now is OPU it's generally understood that when I am working hardlines I'll cover breaks/meal for OPU. Just like when I'm scheduled OPU and one of our other primary OPU TMs is scheduled for something else, they'll cover for me. We like it that way so we can go to break without worrying about things not being done right when we're gone and coming back to a mess.

At my store, leaders cover OPU when there’s a break or gap.

Oh hell no. I want to go home at the end of an 8 hour OPU shift with my metrics in the green.

I assume this means your leaders were pushing U boats instead?

Nope. They were helping in various other ways on the floor, however.

This process won’t work if leadership doesn’t get their heads out of their asses.

While my leads are the same as every one else in a management position at every business in the world in that they are prone to having their heads up their ass on a daily basis if for no other reason than to smell their own farts, I can hardly blame them for not being given enough payroll hours to have enough TMs in the building to get everything done and have TMs stay in their WCs throughout the day.

 

[BackroomOG14]

Anyone else weekends becoming nothing but constant back up? So when we have a truck on saturday 1/2 of the truck isnt getting done because the 2 P2 TLs are on backup all day...

 

[Frontlanegirl]

We were told that with modernization, 4 am was no longer allowed, sadly. I liked going in to work at 4 am because of the lack of guests meant work being done, plus I could play music.

Not anymore...

ASANTS.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

You realize everyone at HQ isn't making salary right? They do have hourly employees. Getting paid more does mean having to work harder... they go hand in hand. I think people need to be paid at least $15 an hour but with that said we work retail and put up with a lot of crap... but if you're going to tell me that TM's have been expected to do a ton of work previously I am going to have to disagree.

This whole $15 an hour for all employees just does not make sense to me. $15 an hour for those who live in California is not a lot compared to someone living in a state with a lower cost of living. Too bad there isn't a way to adjust this to reflect the cost of living for the area. I do know there are certain Targets that do pay higher wages in certain cities.

 

[unknown]

Everyone will either be on board or on the street. So yes everyone that is left in the store will be on board.

That's such a slippery slope. Let's imagine we get a new CEO next year who pushes an agenda that most people think will fail. Now imagine he says we will spend billions to make it happen. The CEO says get on board or hit the street. Doesn't that sound like a recipe for disaster?

Oh wait, maybe that's what happened in Canada. Anyone who dissented against the failing waa told to hit the street.

And of course the CEO doesn't care, he's got a contract shielding him from any effects.

 

[PresentationGuy]

You understand you’ll still be setting pogs right? The only position completely dissipating is the TL spot. All the Plano TMs will still be setting pogs and pricing. Depends how your store splits it up. Some stores will keep the team intact but each department TL will over see the major transitions and keep up with communication for their department. Other stores will split up the team into designated departments and you will oversee the transitions while teaching your new department TMs how to do it. If I had a TM with that attitude they would be gone extremely fast. I expect all TMs regardless of position to share their knowledge with other TMs

I KID!! Ya'll were very quick to act like I have a shit attitude. My TL seems to think I'm very good at my job and leading her team when she is away. She says I am a very knowledgable team member and I am always willing to help train- thus being the "POG Team trainer" when other TMs have been their for years.

 

[PresentationGuy]

you sound like a delightful person to work with

People at my store seem to like working with me. I've meet my boyfriend, and several of my close friends there... thanks for your opinion though

 

[REDcardJJ]

People at my store seem to like working with me. I've meet my boyfriend, and several of my close friends there... thanks for your opinion though

you got a boyfriend i bet he doesn't kiss ya mwah

 

[can't touch this]

Let's imagine we get a new CEO next year who pushes an agenda that most people think will fail.

won't it be funny if the next CEO just fucking dumps the whole thing and lets stores roll back to Classic Mode. Even funnier if that happens due to pressure from investors. Hell, he might even add payroll too, before ripping off his mask to reveal that he is in fact Bob motherfucking Ulrich, having cloned himself into a younger body and coming out of retirement as soon as humanity needed him most

 

[can't touch this]

Somebody said something about a conference call wherein HQ said "modernization is here to stay"? Well no, not really. The direction and focus of any company can shift quicker than you can say executive job hopping. There actually is some chance that the next CEO will come from an entirely different industry and have a completely different mindset about operations. For all we know in 2 years this modernization stuff could be a distant memory and all stores start their truck unloads at 12am. Fingers are fucking crossed.

 

[PresentationGuy]

you got a boyfriend i bet he doesn't kiss ya mwah

WTF 😂

 

[can't touch this]

oh no he di'int

 

[REDcardJJ]

 

[busyzoningtoys]

Congratulations busyzoningtoys in getting it to work. Now cut everyone back to 4 to 4.5 hours per shift like Target expects us to do.

I'm not being facetious. If you are not allowed/sanctioned for X amount of full time team members, but your team is nearing that, you'll be getting a "happy gram" from your dtl when it looks as if your team is going to qualify for benefits. It's a exponential hit on the margin and one of the reasons a lot of team members took a hit a while ago on hours.

More power to you if you can keep team members for the hours you mentioned with the number of trucks. For a lot of us, attrition is going to be a program killer due hours and scheduling.

Looking out to busy spikes and expecting TM's to stay 8 hours when they come in at 9 AM or later "ain't happening" or at least not consistently.

Fingers crossed my streak of being able to get away with things continues in regards to this. I’m not terribly worried though.

 

[CleanMyBackRoOm]

Yes, our beloved CEO has accepted a role as a non-executive chairman at Yum Brand. So you nailed it, Can't Touch This. He's probably positioning himself for world domination by single handedly reeking havoc in the fast food industry now. Record shows he stays long enough to pass off the grenade he built and watches from a distance as it blows up. Good luck Taco Bell and good riddance BC.

He's been there since Nov.

 

[Berry Red]

Fingers crossed my streak of being able to get away with things continues in regards to this. I’m not terribly worried though.

I'm concerned. I had a colonoscopy in February and my hours plummeted. Sitting at an average of 34 hours last I looked. 😬

You have to use your sick time before you leave, right? They won't pay out for it, will they?

 

[Black Sheep 214]

I'm concerned. I had a colonoscopy in February and my hours plummeted. Sitting at an average of 34 hours last I looked. 😬

You have to use your sick time before you leave, right? They won't pay out for it, will they?

You have to use it.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

How does that work when the TMs on the line have their own areas to work? If the unload takes 4 hours, that's 4 hours less they have to do just as much work as those given the full 8 hours.

.. assuming they get those hours to begin with, which they're currently not.
Pretty much. No vehicles allowed on the floor and no room to store them anyway, so where do those full vehicles get put while the TM responsible for pushing them is already working on a vehicle? And that's without mentioning that there aren't enough U-boats to actually replace those that get full, so freight is either going on a pallet (not enough room), a flat (not allowed on the floor), a tub (also not allowed on the floor), or the floor itself. Or, you know, the vehicle next to it since it's just a few aisles down anyway.

The unload could stop, and the TMs on the line could push their stuff for a bit.. but if we did that, the truck would never get finished and we'd be rolling much of it into the next day (not that we aren't already..) because we don't have the manpower or hours to make that happen.

Target makes big talk about culture, yet the culture they're driving is one centered around TMs getting 2-3 days a week, and never enough hours to do what they're asked to do. Oh, sure, they're going to be quick to embrace that.

The unload team is supposed to be different than the pushers. Our unloaders get the unload done, push paper/chem, then leave. Start at 6 and are gone by 10am.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

A longer truck unload process really screws over us receivers. Currently at my store they can get the truck unloaded completely by 8am on average. There are times when it goes longer but that is usually when there aren't enough people scheduled. I can take in my smaller vendors right at 6 because there is a way to get around the line. And I can get my pop vendors through because it is a straight shot from the bay door to their holding area (unless of course flow puts pallets on the dock plate and I can't move them)

But I absolutely cannot get my milk delivery in until the truck is unloaded and the line is moved. They will not break the line for anyone to get through other than our grocery delivery (only because it is written in the contract). And then I get my vendors in that has pallets of product that doesn't have a official holding area, or needs to wait until their merchandiser comes in (Nabisco, Sparkling Ice, etc) And the random deliveries of fixtures, signing, etc that come in at any point during the day. So I count on the truck being unloaded and the line moved ASAP so I can get my people through.

If my store goes to how the process is technically supposed to be done with a longer unload time I'm screwed. I do not have the space to bring in pallets, get vendors through or build my CRC/Salvage pallets while the truck is being unloaded. And if it is a sweep day, that will really mess things up because if the truck isn't unloaded completely until 10-11 that means I'll have move everything else I need to do around to load it (luckily for me now the logistics TL and ETL usually have time to help load it) Having to load a sweep while juggling vendors is a huge pain. I have to go to lunch before 12 to avoid compliance, and I spend my time after lunch doing my IRs because I don't have to be close to my desk anymore, but if I have to wait that long to load the sweep it will mess everything up.

We Changed our dock hours to 9 to 3

 

[Vince]

My store continues to be off to a less than successful start at modernization. Walked into receiving to start a shift early yesterday afternoon. Not sure which was more troubling: the dozens of unpushed truck vehicles left or DTL there for a third visit in less than a week? HL TL was back there and I let him know that I was scheduled for hardlines. After saying "Thank God," he looks up and down the line and tells me to focus on clearing vehicles. I'm to start with the least full vehicles I can find, regardless of section, and just get them clear.

OK cool. Easy enough, right? I grab a lightly loaded toys vehicle that looked like it was about half full of some street dated stuff. It looks like maybe 15-20 minutes to push it out on a Saturday afternoon and maybe another 5-10 to backstock? I push it out to the location, grab the first box, open it up, take one item out and put it on a peg. Four and a half hours later that would still be the only part of my assignment that I had accomplished.

It started innocently enough with a call box going off in seasonal. Cleared it. Grabbed an item for the guest out of the back. Simple. Ohhh, backup needed in electronics. Grab the keys. Unlock some games, ring them up. Guest first to the front. 25 minutes later finally walking back to my vehicle, call box in home furnishing. Guest wants a table. Not on the floor but we have it in the back. Tell the guest I'll grab it and leave it at guest services for them while they continue shopping. Get to the back. Location blocked by pallets. Moved the pallets. Grabbed the item. Moved the pallets backs because there is nowhere else to put them. Took the table to the front. Oh, since you're here anyway, guests first! 35 minutes this time. Got off the line just in time to be recruited to do the carryout for that same home furnishings guest. Almost made it back to my vehicle but stopped by a guest who wanted 4 of a particular chair and we only had one in stock. So, walk the guest to the front and explain to guest services so they can process a My Checkout for the other three. Get asked to finish processing STS from the day before that didn't get done. Fine. Fine. Then, it was cover a meal for OPU. After that, I got back to my vehicle and actually managed to pick up a box only to have a guest ask me about an item. Had to go get it for them out of the back. No problem. Then, it was another guests first to the front. Got done with that. I don't get three steps from the lanes when I hear, "Hardlines, there's a call on 2280 about toys who can get it?" I look at my device. I've been there for four hours and 2 minutes. Grab my walkie. "This is Seasonaldude. I'm going to my meal," as I turn around and walk towards the breakroom.

So much for 40 cartons an hour. I did eventually manage to get that first vehicle done though after getting permission from my ETL to turn off my walkie.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees how unrealistic this nonsense is. They want us to focus on guest first. Sure not problem. But nothing is going to get pushed and not all guest ask if something is in the back. The majority of people who walk in and don’t see what they are looking for just leave and go spend their money at a competitor. Freight not getting pushed equals loss of sales. Loss of sales means less payroll to go around. It’s just a vicious cycle with a simple answer that seems to be so taboo now days. We push the trucks overnight. But I guess that extra dollar means more to them....

 

[Vince]

The unload team is supposed to be different than the pushers. Our unloaders get the unload done, push paper/chem, then leave. Start at 6 and are gone by 10am.

So you are ok with the unloaders only getting four hours? That seems like a reasonable amount to live off to you?

 

[Vince]

It's a non-truck day

I wish I had such a thing