MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[REDcardJJ]

Recently I was on a trip and got to play guest. I had impulsively decided on serious walking and needed a pair of athletic shoes. I hadn't brought them because carry on baggage dimensions are really small.

I went to the local Target. I know the basket filling game and I was ready to play it. I had no socks, the footwear I brought were sandals and flats, so of course I would need to buy those too. Getting from shoes to hosiery likely meant passing by RTW clearance and I could fit an additional shirt in my bag if something was on interest. If there was more than that of interest, it only costs $30 to check a bag and my bag was expandable. I also needed some crackers for the plane in case of motion sickness and getting to lunchbox snacks meant passing electronics and luggage. Luggage, well I'm on a trip, electronics, I had actually bought a new computer while on the trip, completely unplanned, so accessories. And of course getting from lunchbox snacks back to the front and whatever I passed on the way.

And I got to shoes and there were only a handful of athletic shoes, non my size. I actually found the person working there, she said nothing in the back. Guess how many things I purchased on that Target run. Guess how much help the cashiers were to me.

so it really wouldn’t have changed anything if that style consultant was backup cashiering, since the store didn’t have what you wanted anyway. not being on a checklane doesn’t make product materialize out of thin air.

 

[MajorChomp]

Every time I do my shopping at Target or even Walmart I go to SCO 🤷🏽‍♂️ More convenient for me. Literally don’t need anyone scanning my items for me lol.

 

[Backroom81]

Every time I do my shopping at Target or even Walmart I go to SCO 🤷🏽‍♂️ More convenient for me. Literally don’t need anyone scanning my items for me lol.

I flat out refuse to use self checkout. I am not going to contribute to the corporate idea of "why pay for a cashier when we can have the customers do our work for free?"

 

[Backroom81]

Yes, number one complaint.

You could have an average wait time of less than 10 seconds and the lanes are still going to be the number one complaint. The cashiers are the only people that help literally every single paying guest that walks through the door. On the floor, I might have to help about 1 out of 10. The sheer difference in interactions dictates that lanes are going to have the highest number of complaints (and that's not even adding in service desk complaints).

 

[MajorChomp]

I flat out refuse to use self checkout. I am not going to contribute to the corporate idea of "why pay for a cashier when we can have the customers do our work for free?"

I get that and I commend you. And what sucks about this whole situation is they skeleton crew both the sales floor and the front end. There isn’t enough cashiers scheduled nor the floor so if you rob Peter to pay Paul something will suffer.

But the reality of it until they staff more efficiently then I’m going to SCO. I don’t have the patience when I’m shopping with toddlers if you’re a parent of toddlers/little ones, SCO is your godsend to get in and out faster.

 

[Backroom81]

I get that and I commend you. And what sucks about this whole situation is they skeleton crew both the sales floor and the front end. There isn’t enough cashiers scheduled nor the floor so if you rob Peter to pay Paul something will suffer.

Which is why I consider modernization to be a giant flop. Rather than come up with a modern streamlined process that takes less time to complete and cut accordingly, they rolled out some half-assed process that was somehow even more time consuming than the old way, gutted the shit out of payroll, and then drip-fed minor improvements.

But the reality of it until they staff more efficiently then I’m going to SCO. I don’t have the patience when I’m shopping with toddlers if you’re a parent of toddlers/little ones, SCO is your godsend to get in and out faster.

I just took my business to a store that has adequate staffing. I stopped shopping at Target shortly after modernization killed my store's flow process. I used to do my weekly grocery shopping there because it was convenient to get it done after my 1 shift per week. Once various staples kept running out and I was always having to hunt down TMs to dig through unworked freight, I decided to start going to the grocery store near my house instead. Why should I shop somewhere where I ALWAYS have to ask if they have some damn chicken/rice/eggs/etc in the back.

That change in shopping venue was also the last straw for my work there. I hadn't needed the job in years after my wife got a job in her degree field but the discount was nice. Once that was no longer relevant, there was not a single reason for me to be there anymore and I turned in my notice a month later.

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

Anyone

Which is why I consider modernization to be a giant flop. Rather than come up with a modern streamlined process that takes less time to complete and cut accordingly, they rolled out some half-assed process that was somehow even more time consuming than the old way, gutted the shit out of payroll, and then drip-fed minor improvements.



I just took my business to a store that has adequate staffing. I stopped shopping at Target shortly after modernization killed my store's flow process. I used to do my weekly grocery shopping there because it was convenient to get it done after my 1 shift per week. Once various staples kept running out and I was always having to hunt down TMs to dig through unworked freight, I decided to start going to the grocery store near my house instead. Why should I shop somewhere where I ALWAYS have to ask if they have some damn chicken/rice/eggs/etc in the back.

That change in shopping venue was also the last straw for my work there. I hadn't needed the job in years after my wife got a job in her degree field but the discount was nice. Once that was no longer relevant, there was not a single reason for me to be there anymore and I turned in my notice a month later.

I wish more TMs could afford to shop at Target so we would also be guests but I feel like corporate misses the boat on that. I'd literally say 98-99% of my Co workers do not buy our groceries or home goods at Target. We might buy a toy on sale or a couple convenient products before going home like detergent or paper towels but we always hate the prices compared to Wal Mart or elsewhere even. It's JUST convenience and nothing more. Imagine if when we do get the 15 an hour they actually gave us full time. Sure they'd lose a ton to the shareholders but we would KNOW our store because god damn why go shopping elsewhere when I get it done on meal break and know the store way better because we don't all work in grocery or domestics or seasonal etc etc. Reminds me I sent a guest to E11 instead of D11 because E11 is an aisle I stock often and I said E instead of D. Bet they were confused as hell and thought I was dumb as fuck. Not related but funny to me. Said the wrong letter they walked off I had a moment of clarity a few moments later and was like well...she'll figure it out.

 

[Tessa120]

so it really wouldn’t have changed anything if that style consultant was backup cashiering, since the store didn’t have what you wanted anyway. not being on a checklane doesn’t make product materialize out of thin air.

Or it was lost in the back room because no one had time to unpack and locate. Or she was so short on time she couldn't afford the time to go to the back room. She didn't look at her zebra. She didn't look period. She simply apologized and recommended Dick's Sporting Goods.

 

[Far from newbie]

Heard a new softlines TL (specialty sales, but she never leaves softlines ) tell a guest that we DON’T sell cribs!
😲 🥺😳🤯😬🤥🙀
did you even WALK through the store before you were hired, or anytime in the last 3 weeks you’ve been here !!!!
If you don’t KNOW, don’t GUESS !
I predict more, and larger, future disasters with this one.☠️

 

[Spotter]

feasible imo due to so many variables in truck sizes, call outs, and many other random things. So basically, at least 10 hours of my 40 hours is focusing on the unload.

Now we are supposed to have dedicated GM team members for each section but the scheduling shift labels always has people in different areas. For instance, they might be scheduled for stationary one day

It’s definitely strange how they how they divided up the store. GM1 owns majority of the store and the truck unload at my store. GM1 owns B section (stationary and kitchen), C section (bath, small appliances, home), D section (Bedding, plastics), seasonal, mini seasonal, and luggage. GM2 owns A section (chemicals, HBA, Pharmacy, Pets) and Paper. GM3 owns Toys, sporting goods, baby, and ship from store. GM1 seems to have the most responsibility in my store because the truck unload alone takes a lot of their time.

thats me 100%. I’m a GM1 lead. I own the biggest area plus unload, backroom, opening responsibilities and LOD until around noon. It’s tough especially when it seems like I’m just the logistics team lead.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

feasible imo due to so many variables in truck sizes, call outs, and many other random things. So basically, at least 10 hours of my 40 hours is focusing on the unload.

Now we are supposed to have dedicated GM team members for each section but the scheduling shift labels always has people in different areas. For instance, they might be scheduled for stationary one day

thats me 100%. I’m a GM1 lead. I own the biggest area plus unload, backroom, opening responsibilities and LOD until around noon. It’s tough especially when it seems like I’m just the logistics team lead.

GM1 lead is basically the new ETL log without the pay. It sucks

 

[Far from newbie]

All the new TL positions suck. WAY TOO much responsibility. I can’t be the only one on the fence to either
1. Step down. OR. 2. Leave
Because this terrible schedule of mid shifts and this workload is NOT what I signed up for !

 

[Tessa120]

Heard a new softlines TL (specialty sales, but she never leaves softlines ) tell a guest that we DON’T sell cribs!
😲 🥺😳🤯😬🤥🙀
did you even WALK through the store before you were hired, or anytime in the last 3 weeks you’ve been here !!!!
If you don’t KNOW, don’t GUESS !
I predict more, and larger, future disasters with this one.☠

Maybe it was laziness. Cribs are bulky, heavy, a pain to get on a flat, and they aren't a team lift item so you are on your own putting it on a flat. Then the time it takes to safely steer the flat to the front takes you out of your area, and if GS has a line you have to wait for a pause so you can tell them who it's for and that they are in the store, it's not a hold.

 

[Far from newbie]

Maybe it was laziness. Cribs are bulky, heavy, a pain to get on a flat, and they aren't a team lift item so you are on your own putting it on a flat. Then the time it takes to safely steer the flat to the front takes you out of your area, and if GS has a line you have to wait for a pause so you can tell them who it's for and that they are in the store, it's not a hold.

I thought that too, at first, which would be BAD. But then...... It’s a few other things since then that makes me 🤔, nah, she’s just as clueless as a rock, and maybe a bit lazy to boot.

 

[OfCourseMorePegs]

Do you have any idea what can be done in 60mins? That’s anywhere between 50-70 cases that replenishes the floor. And I’ve seen TMs been on register for back up more than 60 mins in their shift. Even with this “rotation” schedule that they implement I still had my guys called up 7-10x on their shift...while the front end guy twiddles his thumbs just watching the lane with SCO wide open and he himself could hop on a lane.

60 mins is also a lot when some TMs are scheduled 5.5hours or 4hours. You’re literally taking a huge chunk of workload out of their shift that they are now being coached on....and it does stop from a LOT of product to hit the floor. A lot of what comes off the truck is what’s out on the floor...and the hole will never be filled if we don’t complete the truck otherwise it will just sit on the line in limbo.
I’ve worked both front end and GM and I know the frustrations from both sides, Both sides are equally important. Get that holier than thou mentality that front end is the end all. You can lose business on both sides, from the guests at the front and the guests on the floor.

I’ve heard talks from other guests that say they would just go to Walmart because target shelves are always empty....🙄 I’ve seen them complain and leave the store empty handed and those guests do not make it to your front end, they go right out the exit doors. Plus it can literally affect OPU and SFS metrics if the items they need are still on our vehicle push and hasn’t hit the floor which also affects even more sales....

And an unfinished truck with no one pushed a single vehicle all day? You say it like it’s not a big deal. This alone proves to me you’ve never had the reality check of truly working GM currently because if you did you’d realize that was the most laughable thing to comment on as if it wasn’t a big deal.

That’s a downhill road to the apocalypse.

Yes getting a low NPS score would also be detrimental but I’ve seen surveys about the sales floor as well. “Shelves are always empty, freight on the floor with no one around”. I’ve literally read bad surveys about a mom trying to buy what she needed for her daughter (infant) because it said we had it and she rushed to the store just to find out it’s completely empty and when she asked for help the TM told her it may still be sitting on the truck”

And I honestly never forgot that survey because our ETL sat down with me about the complaint. That survey tanked our overall score.... and that particular day our GM for that area was consistently on a lane. Granted that doesn’t happen daily but it is an example of how it all can affect each other.

But I do agree with some other posters, modernization killed the one team scope. I’ll admit I was all for helping others all the time (still am). But right now I do so very sparingly since the help would never reciprocate when I need it the most and with modernization we have a ton more responsibilities than before that we are coached on daily/weekly.

Literally they just fired a GM because he could not complete his truck, consistently coached every day but I hear his name always called on walkie for back up to the lanes. While I know some people don’t work as fast as others but I know this guy personally and he always was happy to help others but he can’t refuse to back up because it’s part of his job but that unfortunate part of his job became detriment to his role.

This ⬆️ is highly accurate. I’ve been around for awhile now. I’m aware of the front end responsibilities, and those on the sales floor. I’m a GM TL now, but I have background in Presentation, Pricing, Logistics, and Front End. Everything in the store is important, but some positions are FAR more difficult than others. Most GM experts in the Modernization process have ridiculous workloads everyday. Every minute counts or you fall behind. Zoning, massive pulls/batches, location audits, sales planners, revisions that can range all the way up to near POG levels, reshop, pricing and pc batches, and...... truck. You should see the daily one to one batches in BTS right now, literally thousands of items to pull/push/backstock a day. That goes on top of the huge truck push that consists of towering pallets of repacks everyday.

There’s enormous pressure placed on GM TLs and GM experts to keep up with daily deadlines. Most of the cashiers at my store do a fairly good job up front.... but I can also say with confidence: none of them could handle the sales floor tasks on a daily basis. They would not know what hit them. Hell, I have experienced people who shifted with Modernization and they don’t know what hit them.
Good front end experiences will always help a store maintain repeat business, but if a guest runs into road blocks from lack of product on shelves, vehicles across the floor, stressed out team members who are less inclined to go the extra mile... then the Front End experience won’t matter much. That’s a long wait for a train that ain’t coming. Guests want shelves with product, accurate counts for when they need specific items, team members who know where things are, and a smile and some positivity along the way. Then the front end can hammer home a good experience with a fast and efficient checkout, perhaps a red card, or a quick OPU run to a guest who needs that option. Modernization makes all this difficult, it makes you choose sides due to the lack of time and massive workloads. That’s never good for anyone and I feel like that’s something a lot of us can agree on. Just my two cents.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

All the new TL positions suck. WAY TOO much responsibility. I can’t be the only one on the fence to either
1. Step down. OR. 2. Leave
Because this terrible schedule of mid shifts and this workload is NOT what I signed up for !

If you’re on the higher end of the scale stepping down isn’t terrible. It’s a 4 dollar different when going from pg45 to 35 so if you’re one of those TLs that’s making 22 an hour, making 18 as a TM wouldn’t be bad

 

[Rock Lobster]

feasible imo due to so many variables in truck sizes, call outs, and many other random things. So basically, at least 10 hours of my 40 hours is focusing on the unload.

Now we are supposed to have dedicated GM team members for each section but the scheduling shift labels always has people in different areas. For instance, they might be scheduled for stationary one day

thats me 100%. I’m a GM1 lead. I own the biggest area plus unload, backroom, opening responsibilities and LOD until around noon. It’s tough especially when it seems like I’m just the logistics team lead.

Yeah, whoever designed the org charts was obviously some corporate drone who had no idea what they were doing...

1) ETL-GM is basically stuck running everything. They likely have the most "sales" in all their departments combined in the store, have to still be responsible for pretty much all logistics functions, ship from store, trailer unload etc. Meanwhile most stores still have an ETL-GE, who doesn't own anything but cashier/service desk. This position does LESS than what the old GSTL positions did and gets paid MORE. It is the only job that has gotten easier, and by a large amount.

2) GM1 vs GM2 and 3 is a crazy split in workload. GM1 is stuck running everything for the building and can get everything blamed on them. Let's not invest any payroll in the trailer sort, and then when its bad blame the execution of the TL who basically is stuck shouldering the burden.

IMO, the trailer sort should not be on GM, it should just be on everyone. Its on each area to provide their own sorters and breakout, and if they don't like their sort its their own team to talk to about it. Literally just schedule the thrower as someone who does that and then gets to help out in receiving taking care of transition/bulk stuff afterwards.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Yeah, whoever designed the org charts was obviously some corporate drone who had no idea what they were doing...

1) ETL-GM is basically stuck running everything. They likely have the most "sales" in all their departments combined in the store, have to still be responsible for pretty much all logistics functions, ship from store, trailer unload etc. Meanwhile most stores still have an ETL-GE, who doesn't own anything but cashier/service desk. This position does LESS than what the old GSTL positions did and gets paid MORE. It is the only job that has gotten easier, and by a large amount.

2) GM1 vs GM2 and 3 is a crazy split in workload. GM1 is stuck running everything for the building and can get everything blamed on them. Let's not invest any payroll in the trailer sort, and then when its bad blame the execution of the TL who basically is stuck shouldering the burden.

IMO, the trailer sort should not be on GM, it should just be on everyone. Its on each area to provide their own sorters and breakout, and if they don't like their sort its their own team to talk to about it. Literally just schedule the thrower as someone who does that and then gets to help out in receiving taking care of transition/bulk stuff afterwards.

i kinda feel like the workload would be more balanced if the ETL-Service and Engagement (GE) owned Food & Bev and Food Service, bc in most stores that falls on GM

 

[FriedTL]

The split in departments wasn't mandated to follow GM1 owning practically everything. That was up to store leadership, right? The guide only gave examples of a breakdown by department. There's nothing preventing an SD/ETL-GM from taking departments away from GM1 and splitting them between GM2 and GM3.

That is how I understood it. My store has GM1 own unload and priority 1 (chem, pets, plastics, pharmacy), GM2 owns SFS, POG, priority 2( bed, bath, office, kitchen, seasonal, toys, sporting goods furniture)

 

[Jawwaad121]

The split in departments wasn't mandated to follow GM1 owning practically everything. That was up to store leadership, right? The guide only gave examples of a breakdown by department. There's nothing preventing an SD/ETL-GM from taking departments away from GM1 and splitting them between GM2 and GM3.

This is what I want to know. Was it mandated by corporate that this is the workload that each GM is supposed to own or is it a example/suggestion. Is workload/departments each GM has the sole decision of the STL to divide up.

 

[rog the dog]

i kinda feel like the workload would be more balanced if the ETL-Service and Engagement (GE) owned Food & Bev and Food Service, bc in most stores that falls on GM

GE owned Food Service for like forever, should have never left GE and I hope they change that back.

Grocery and P fresh is practically run by a (former I guess) Sr. TL at my store and then of course the GM ETL oversees that.

I don't know how much removing food service from a GM ETL's job would help, especially since the TL of that department is kind of in their own world, but the disparity of workload between a GE ETL and a GMFS ETL is insane.

 

[balthrop]

don’t you worry, i’ll pull baristas to backup cashier as well

Bwahahah. Talk to the licensing department and well the horde of uncaffenated Karens.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Bwahahah. Talk to the licensing department and well the horde of uncaffenated Karens.

oh, i was a barista so i’m very familiar with the licensed store agreement. there’s nothing prohibiting baristas from backup cashiering as long as there’s at least one working in starbucks at all times.

 

[redeye58]

oh, i was a barista so i’m very familiar with the licensed store agreement. there’s nothing prohibiting baristas from backup cashiering as long as there’s at least one working in starbucks at all times.

Good luck with that.
Our store it's TWO because the lines are long enough that leadership knows better than to pull a barista.
An uncaffeinated Karen is an ugly (& vocal) thing.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Good luck with that.
Our store it's TWO because the lines are long enough that leadership knows better than to pull a barista.
An uncaffeinated Karen is an ugly (& vocal) thing.

i think i know how to run my store, thanks. starbucks peak and target peak happen at different times in my store.

i'm the only TL in my building who has completed barista basics and is certified, so with the amount of time that i spend backing up Starbucks and supporting their business they can come cashier for 10 minutes.