MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[oath2order]

You work for a business. The business had needs and those needs don’t involve a crazy amount of leader in the building 7-4 and then no one 4-close

I mean of all the changes, I like this one. Leaders need to be mids and not have all of them as early wherein they just stand around pretending to fix up the impact areas.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

I mean of all the changes, I like this one. Leaders need to be mids and not have all of them as early wherein they just stand around pretending to fix up the impact areas.

It’s always been my pet peeve in any retail company I’ve worked for. The schedules never matched business needs. Retail is not a 9-5 job no matter what position you’re in

 

[oath2order]

It’s always been my pet peeve in any retail company I’ve worked for. The schedules never matched business needs. Retail is not a 9-5 job no matter what position you’re in

Unless if the store opens at 9 and closes at 5 😛

 

[gsa4lyfe]

Unless if the store opens at 9 and closes at 5 😛

In that case, that would be an extremely well staffed store!

 

[busyzoningtoys]

My hr etl told us it wouldn't happen at reviews .. was that confirmed?

I was told this as well.

 

[ThatAPguy]

I'd assume I'd be able to see it, but I'm probably not searching the right thing.

When I checked again today it was gone. I found it on sharepoint.

 

[Dapper]

I would love to see leads actually here during busy times, especially since a lot of them never see their closing TMs and basically leave close to fend for themselves.

One thing I'm not understanding is the PG35 for TPS and APS, I thought APS was always PG40? Does that mean APS is getting a downgrade or something? Because it seems like there is no PG40 now.

 

[BadWolf4531]

Please correct me if I'm wrong... is FOS Attendant essentially just the new title for Cart Attendants?

Or is that meant to be the new title for GSAs?

The general consensus on here is that the GSA role is going away, with those responsibilities going to all Guest Advocates (former cashiers/GSTMs) it terms of core roles.

 

[unknown]

I'm in the store. We were a test store. It all falls on the team members. They want everything done and guest service, it results in a choice of guests or pushing product doing pulls, backstocking, etc. We are pushed to the limit everyday now and

Don’t apologize for things beyond your control. It only serves to reinforce that it is the tms fault, not the fact hours are not there to do everything expected of them.

A great way to manage people. Add that to the overpromising upper management gives to guests.

 

[commiecorvus]

Don’t apologize for things beyond your control. It only serves to reinforce that it is the tms fault, not the fact hours are not there to do everything expected of them.

I work for the state and the feds.
Apologizing for things beyond my control is number 5 in my job description right after filling out reams of annoying paperwork.
If you can't at least empathize with how the people you are trying to help are feeling and can't offer them some supportive words then you aren't doing a very good job.

You can let the client, guest, customer, whatever pass the word to Spot about how hard you are trying and what a clusterfuck corporate has created.

 

[Times Up]

Any confirmation on who is closing weekends? I've heard ETLs rotating but all mine hate closing lol so I'm having doubts with that

The phrase "needs of business" comes to mind.

 

[Far from newbie]

GSA gone is the best thing I have read so far. I have never seen the need for the position. Our GSA’s lean against the jewelry boat and talk at guest service all day. They don’t even speed weave, just tell backups to open any register and let guests knock each other down to get there. For years cashiers were supposed to be ‘empowered to make it right for the guest’, if that is true then the gsa is only needed to get change, anyone with keys can do that, it’s not that often. When there is a blinker they usually just call someone from the dept to verify the dispute - it’s comical to see- the cashier, the gsa, the salesfloor tm all standing at the register talking about a $3.00 price challenge . Sometimes there is a gsa ‘watching over’ ONE cashier and since they WON’T (claim they can’t?) jump on a register, they call for backup when needed and continue to stand there - no endcap zoning, no SPL, no pushing, no cashiering, no speed weaving, not even putting bags in guest carts or helping remove hangers...nothing but call for backup and get change. While I’m on a gsa rant - the WAY they call for backup ! Makes me grind my teeth ! “Softlines, hardlines, who is responding ?” !! What good does that do other than be Annoying as F. !! Get a grid and call a name already and rotate who you call! Cause otherwise the SAME 2 people ALWAYS respond.

 

[Far from newbie]

Backup solution :
1. cashier hits additional assistance on register
2. LOD looks at grid and calls a tm to backup,
3. Called tm responds ‘on way’ or cannot for ‘insert reason’**
**this tm isn’t absolved, they get called next time if they had a reason NOT to come this time.
4. Next backup call - LOD chooses a different name from the grid to backup
5. Rise and repeat

 

[can't touch this]

I believe it was just worded weirdly.

TKA here is correct, if you translate what I wrote from CTT to non-moron, that is indeed what I meant

 

[can't touch this]

Hehheh. A few weeks ago I sat my STL down to discuss some concerns I had about $15 an hour, namely that I was spooked by the implications of that payroll wise and wanted to make sure I'm keeping my backside covered. So I asked him and ETL-log for any feedback they might have on how I can keep being successful, and they both said I have nothing to worry about.

Fast forward to now and my newest schedule has 38 hours on it out of nowhere. I get asked to stay late often but to actually be scheduled full-time is highly unusual and has rarely happened. Did my ass kissing strats pay off? 🤔🤔🤔

 

[Tainted Kool aid]

So if they new to availability is mids or you get Eliminated. Does that mean there will be a severance package for tl's let go? I mean if I'm let for that reason I should bare minium qualify for employment. But it's my guess they will schedule people outside of their availability and performance you out if you call in or don't show up. It just smells like a lawsuit if they change this on the drop of a dime and enforce it as so. IDK anyone heard anything

 

[NKG]

So if they new to availability is mids or you get Eliminated. Does that mean there will be a severance package for tl's let go? I mean if I'm let for that reason I should bare minium qualify for employment. But it's my guess they will schedule people outside of their availability and performance you out if you call in or don't show up. It just smells like a lawsuit if they change this on the drop of a dime and enforce it as so. IDK anyone heard anything

If your team lead position is eliminated, you would be asked to take one that will open for your store or see if there's a position at a near by store. Most team leads that have their position eliminated know this and have started to transition into other leader roles.

 

[YourfriendlyTL]

So if they new to availability is mids or you get Eliminated. Does that mean there will be a severance package for tl's let go? I mean if I'm let for that reason I should bare minium qualify for employment. But it's my guess they will schedule people outside of their availability and performance you out if you call in or don't show up. It just smells like a lawsuit if they change this on the drop of a dime and enforce it as so. IDK anyone heard anything

Well that's the beauty of at will and right to work states. They can fire you for any reason at any time unless its discrimination based of race, gender or a disability covered in ADA 😊

 

[YourfriendlyTL]

If your team lead position is eliminated, you would be asked to take one that will open for your store or see if there's a position at a near by store. Most team leads that have their position eliminated know this and have started to transition into other leader roles.

Exactly quote "Highly impacted TLs" will have 1 on 1s with the STL to get you sorted

 

[NKG]

Exactly quote "Highly impacted TLs" will have 1 on 1s with the STL to get you sorted

Guess the good STLs let their good tls know early 🤷‍♀️

 

[TargetLounger]

Please correct me if I'm wrong... is FOS Attendant essentially just the new title for Cart Attendants?

Or is that meant to be the new title for GSAs?

The general consensus on here is that the GSA role is going away, with those responsibilities going to all Guest Advocates (former cashiers/GSTMs) it terms of core roles.

Yes that's the title for Cart Attendants. GSA's during the pilot went away (sorta) and I think this is the finishing touch. I haven't read the rollout but I'm assuming all cashiers on deck! Which is more or less how some stores already run it when your GSA's become super unreliable.

 

[TargetLounger]

i'm curious as to how your front end looks without a GSA? i just can't wrap my head around that

It looks just fine. You empower more people, on any given day sometimes I have cashiers covering lunches for my leads although I try to cover it as much as possible. GSA's I think embodied a great role that was unfortunately given out too loosely based on coverage needs. You should train, develop and empower all your advocates to run at that level. It's not 100% but with 3 Service Leads it usually works in my opinion.

 

[CartFlow]

You ever get a weird symptom after an illness, and spend the next 2 hours browsing WebMD, deciding that you probably have cancer when really you just have a cold? That's the effect this site has at times.

Yes that would be me looking for for symptoms and swearing I had kidney cancer and would be dead in 6 months lol.

 

[starfishncoffee]

GSA gone is the best thing I have read so far. I have never seen the need for the position. Our GSA’s lean against the jewelry boat and talk at guest service all day. They don’t even speed weave, just tell backups to open any register and let guests knock each other down to get there. For years cashiers were supposed to be ‘empowered to make it right for the guest’, if that is true then the gsa is only needed to get change, anyone with keys can do that, it’s not that often. When there is a blinker they usually just call someone from the dept to verify the dispute - it’s comical to see- the cashier, the gsa, the salesfloor tm all standing at the register talking about a $3.00 price challenge . Sometimes there is a gsa ‘watching over’ ONE cashier and since they WON’T (claim they can’t?) jump on a register, they call for backup when needed and continue to stand there - no endcap zoning, no SPL, no pushing, no cashiering, no speed weaving, not even putting bags in guest carts or helping remove hangers...nothing but call for backup and get change. While I’m on a gsa rant - the WAY they call for backup ! Makes me grind my teeth ! “Softlines, hardlines, who is responding ?” !! What good does that do other than be Annoying as F. !! Get a grid and call a name already and rotate who you call! Cause otherwise the SAME 2 people ALWAYS respond.

While I have stated I think this is a smart business move, let me give you a snapshot of my night last night:

Covered GS breaks/meal as no one else GS trained was scheduled
Ran drive-ups out when everyone showed up at once and the team was overwhelmed
Jumped into OPU/DU picks when they were dropping so fast the one TM scheduled couldn't keep up
Got everyone to their breaks on time
Overrode alcohol sales for one minor cashier at LEAST 20 times
Realized another minor was scheduled as my closer and fixed the issue; otherwise I would have had SCO only (and yes, we are told by our Leads/Leaders not to get on register unless one of them is up there to run the front. The second you do, you're called to GS, and you can't exactly abandon your line)
Went to GS more times than I could count to type in my auth code/answer questions/bring down the line (my closing GSTM is fairly new to that role)
Assisted guests with photo because (shocker) no one else was photo trained at all
Solved blinker issues by my very own self, only calling once to verify a price because it was over $20 discrepancy; all was accomplished via walkie
Called CSC re: broken register
Did all the things aforementioned newbie GSTM didn't after close so today's opener wouldn't come in to a disaster
Filled big baskets at the front of the store
Printed my breakout for tomorrow and realized there is no one to cover my meal tonight. Figured I'll have to punch out and eat at Starbucks so the SCO attendant can walk over and ask me questions (which they will do, at least a gazillion times; I've only been at this store for five months and wonder who TH, if anyone, trained them because I'm shocked at all they don't know vs. my old store)
Oh, and speedwove so I only had to call for backup once

If my store still had a jewelry boat, I'd have collapsed on it, given time. Alas.

 

[YourfriendlyTL]

Guess the good STLs let their good tls know early 🤷‍♀️

Haha don't be concerned the 1on1s aren't scheduled until April first before the full store meetings with leadership so your STL most likely isn't excluding you from anything.