MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[OPINION] How do you feel about these changes?

  • I like them.

  • I dislike them.

Results are only viewable after voting.
Tainted Kool aid said:
You do know only so many people can be signed into the phone tree at any given time and if they are busy or on break or lunch than what? What if your guest advocate is busy at guest service and doesn't answer up there? I guess they go on a final. The phone system/tree is so flawed still, more than just the number of people that can be connected. Don't believe me just wait. You are so quick to judge a team member not getting the phone without realizing just like MoDeRiZaTiOn it in itself has just as many issues.
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I get what you're saying, but the overwhelming reason the phone does not get answered is because no one wants to answer it. Let's be honest here. I would be thrilled if 15 people were signed into the phone app because that would be 14 more than usual!
 
happygoth said:
I get what you're saying, but the overwhelming reason the phone does not get answered is because no one wants to answer it. Let's be honest here. I would be thrilled if 15 people were signed into the phone app because that would be 14 more than usual!
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I tried to sign in but was told I was not one of the people allowed to be signed in. Because limited spots. So I don't even know if anyone calls all day unless I'm next to someone signed in.
 
Spotter said:
All the ETL’s and SD now work mids ,close weekends,and basically just there now just to stare at the computer and look at metrics all day long.
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This... there is one particular ETL at my store who has been there for almost 2 years and I still have no idea what he does. He comes in at 8am literally walks around the entire store. Then chills in star bucks for awhile and then to clarical to be on the computer all day no joke. Granted I do come in at 3:30 or 4 am and leave at 12:30 so maybe he does something after I leave but I doubt it. If he’s not up front he’s standing around talking and every time I hear his name called on walkie asking his location it’s “front office” or “Target Cafe” or nothing at all followed by another lead saying “he’s on break” BREAK?!?! FROM WHAT???? His whole shift is a break... not to sound whiny but it’s very frustrating when I’m constantly rushing and sweating and covered in dirt from doing the truck while this dude is making WAY more than me for what? Like I hope I’m wrong and he does way more than I realize
 
Tainted Kool aid said:
You do know only so many people can be signed into the phone tree at any given time and if they are busy or on break or lunch than what? What if your guest advocate is busy at guest service and doesn't answer up there? I guess they go on a final. The phone system/tree is so flawed still, more than just the number of people that can be connected. Don't believe me just wait. You are so quick to judge a team member not getting the phone without realizing just like MoDeRiZaTiOn it in itself has just as many issues.
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4 people from each department can be signed in. gm, food and bev, A&A, and beauty combined is 16 people. that’s a bullshit excuse and you know it. hold your team accountable.
 
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The phone tree is not the problem. The number of sign ins is not the problem. People ignoring calls is the problem. I spent nearly three years with most of my shifts as operator. Other than electronics, getting people to answer calls was like telling a mule what to do. Three and four ring backs was unfortunately the majority of hardlines calls. And the times where people were with a guest, including electronics, they couldn't be bothered to say on the walkie that they were with a guest until the phone rang back twice. The latter, I heard the same excuse - "well I was talking to the guest." The former, if anyone tried to excuse it the excuse was they weren't nearby.

And it really is bullshit. Basic receptionist skills, the stuff you learn in high school. You are talking to a guest - "sorry ma'am give me one second to tell them I'm helping you" followed by "I'm with a guest" so the operator can tell the guest on the phone there will be an extended hold, rather than the guest getting upset with an unexpected long hold. Two calls, juggle the lines back and forth, just like when the kid and the spouse are talking to you at once. Guest comes up while you are on the phone, smile and tell the guest one moment while you finish up and finish the phone call while smiling at the guest in front of you. Zoning/reshop/push, if it can be done one handed then do it while on the phone. If I can fold shirts with one hand, phone in the other, pretty sure that putting things on shelves or pegs can be done while on the phone.
 
Tessa120 said:
The phone tree is not the problem. The number of sign ins is not the problem. People ignoring calls is the problem. I spent nearly three years with most of my shifts as operator. Other than electronics, getting people to answer calls was like telling a mule what to do. Three and four ring backs was unfortunately the majority of hardlines calls. And the times where people were with a guest, including electronics, they couldn't be bothered to say on the walkie that they were with a guest until the phone rang back twice. The latter, I heard the same excuse - "well I was talking to the guest." The former, if anyone tried to excuse it the excuse was they weren't nearby.

And it really is bullshit. Basic receptionist skills, the stuff you learn in high school. You are talking to a guest - "sorry ma'am give me one second to tell them I'm helping you" followed by "I'm with a guest" so the operator can tell the guest on the phone there will be an extended hold, rather than the guest getting upset with an unexpected long hold. Two calls, juggle the lines back and forth, just like when the kid and the spouse are talking to you at once. Guest comes up while you are on the phone, smile and tell the guest one moment while you finish up and finish the phone call while smiling at the guest in front of you. Zoning/reshop/push, if it can be done one handed then do it while on the phone. If I can fold shirts with one hand, phone in the other, pretty sure that putting things on shelves or pegs can be done while on the phone.
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I always let people know I'm with a guest first call out or if I'm already on the phone. It doesn't matter because no one else ever answers for me if I'm busy and the guests either hang up or become irate.

As someone that takes calls all day on electronics, I don't understand why some are acting like they can't push and answer. Hell I've rang people up plenty of times while being on the phone in electronics.

What I don't like is being told if I miss one call and it goes to guest service that it's going to be addressed. Several calls I can understand. 1 call, I could have been helping someone else, in the bathroom, or maybe my arms were full and I didn't get to it in time.
 
What I think is a big problem at my store is that they still call electronics for close by areas after the DBO of the area doesn't answer after several call outs instead of calling that person by name, because they will usually respond to their name and not area for some weird reason.

Last week an ETL was standing next to me, they called for toys and I didn't respond. He asked me why I wasn't responding. I replied that why should I respond when there is someone in that area. After another call out the person finally responded.
 
no nix nein said:
What I think is a big problem at my store is that they still call electronics for close by areas after the DBO of the area doesn't answer after several call outs instead of calling that person by name, because they will usually respond to their name and not area for some weird reason.

Last week an ETL was standing next to me, they called for toys and I didn't respond. He asked me why I wasn't responding. I replied that why should I respond when there is someone in that area. After another call out the person finally responded.
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This happens at our store, too. :rolleyes:
 
no nix nein said:
I replied that why should I respond when there is someone
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Wow! You have a person in Toys. I open and for 4/5ths of my shift no one is in Toys, Sporting Goods, Luggage, or Rear Seasonal. I will take calls for those areas (as well as drag out huge cases of patio furniture) if no one is scheduled there, but if a TM is there, they had better stop talking to other TMs and get those calls. I have enough of my own tasks to do.
 
BoxCutter said:
Wow! You have a person in Toys. I open and for 4/5ths of my shift no one is in Toys, Sporting Goods, Luggage, or Rear Seasonal. I will take calls for those areas (as well as drag out huge cases of patio furniture) if no one is scheduled there, but if a TM is there, they had better stop talking to other TMs and get those calls. I have enough of my own tasks to do.
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We don’t have one all the time but I am aware when we do. My favorite days are when someone is in toys, sporting goods, and seasonal. It’s a gift.
 
So I was informed that we have 13 too many employees across all work centers and that’s why nobody that isn’t a TL isn’t getting 8 hour shifts. However, I’m not sure where these team members are because we have DBOs for all areas that is supposed to have one, consumables is finally fully staffed, electronics supposedly has 3 positions available even though there are 5 of us, and Style is having a hiring event coming up. Where are these extra 13 employees? Starbucks and Cafe where they sometimes have to close because no one is working or scheduled? Perhaps on the front end where we don’t have that many cashiers. Team members are dropping like flies left and right, but yeah we have 13 too many.
::insert major eye roll::
 
no nix nein said:
So I was informed that we have 13 too many employees across all work centers and that’s why nobody that isn’t a TL isn’t getting 8 hour shifts. However, I’m not sure where these team members are because we have DBOs for all areas that is supposed to have one, consumables is finally fully staffed, electronics supposedly has 3 positions available even though there are 5 of us, and Style is having a hiring event coming up. Where are these extra 13 employees? Starbucks and Cafe where they sometimes have to close because no one is working or scheduled? Perhaps on the front end where we don’t have that many cashiers. Team members are dropping like flies left and right, but yeah we have 13 too many.
::insert major eye roll::
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But, they're still interviewing, right?
 
This modernization crap is so crazy. Im lucky that im mostly unaffected as SFS but I talk with people in all departments. Its supposed to make all stores run the same, but as we see here, its still ASANTs. Its making us all fight amongst ourselves. Some stores do x, why cant you??? Some stores do y, whats your problem???
The problem is that we are not robots. People have different work styles and personalities, bosses want some freedom on how they run their team, then there is low volume vs high volume and add in seasonal variations and shit gets crazy.

Im just trying to keep my head low and do what I can, while also filling out mad job apps. One of the main reasons i loved this job was coworkers and now everyone is leaving or just miserable.
 
Down to 3 days, 12 hours next week. The week after they pulled me out of my department to for all closing and mids as a gm for 2 other blocks. Wtf? I told my ETL and he said he would fix it. I will call out, I have kids and can't close during the week.
 
vngoghlvr said:
Down to 3 days, 12 hours next week. The week after they pulled me out of my department to for all closing and mids as a gm for 2 other blocks. Wtf? I told my ETL and he said he would fix it. I will call out, I have kids and can't close during the week.
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Double check your availability in eHR if they are scheduling you outside of it.
 
Sloth said:
It's cheaper, easier, and much more efficient to give employees one or two things to focus on and do, because you'll always be able to find someone who can do one or two of those things amazingly well. That's the entire point of an automated assembly line -- they don't have robots that do everything. They have a robot for each one thing.
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Quoted for Gospel truth, and for the benefit of any Corporate monkeys just flying into this thread.

Specialization of Labor. It's how societies prosper.
 
jackandcat said:
You summarized the real situation very well. There might be non-retail types of businesses where this operating model works well. On paper, it could theoretically work at Target but as you said getting this new system to work at a nationwide company with 1,849 stores and 39 distribution centers isn't cheap. A big retail company like Target might have to stop constantly hiring high-school and college students off the street to work randomly-scheduled hourly shifts, and focus instead on hiring people with a few years of real-world work experience that would prepare them for this type of business environment. These kinds of experienced workers, unlike the high school and college students who will just blindly follow orders, won't accept an offer unless they can obtain a full-time job with benefits combined with upward mobility potential, thorough cross-training and realistic amounts of time to complete specific tasks and functions.
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That seems to be the exact opposite of what I see spot doing. They driving out the people with any experience of what makes a job work and replacing with random kids who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. And then they don't spend a dime on training them and then bitch that when the sun comes out to play most of them call out. Friday alone we had 15 call outs before 8am.. Sunny day in PNW.. I don't even want to know what Saturday was like..
 
I’m guessing the difference between the stores drowning and stores doing ok, is tl and etl involvement.
Each of our tls pushes some freight every day. The priority 3 tl pulls batches a lot since his people are scheduled too close to noon or later. Our gm and style etls are on the floor every day either setting something, pushing a few tubs of clearance, puts up white pc labels, or remerchandising something. Our front etl is schmoozing, hops on, immediately responds to the Serv desk, etc. the only time they spend offstage is around lunch time or when the SD needs help writing the schedule.

I wish all stores leadership would get busy!
 
Is anyone else getting their schedule changed?

Twice now in the last month ive had a schedule go up, I take notice of it, and a week later with no consent on my part it's changed. I just boot up myschedule and the whole schedule next week will be totally different!
 

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