MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[Stocker]

But that's what is happening everywhere! I realize that ASANTS but a large majority of the stores are drowning with the new processes. It will eventually work but at what cost? The cost of team members who have been with Spot a long time suddenly quit? Everyone I talk to are trying to make this work but unless evryone gets on the same page and re-training takes place, it's going to be a really long road to travel to get this process successful. We have more team members on the salesfloor now, more than ever but more than half of them are not cashier trained so they don't go up to back up. There isn't enough walkies so a cashier trained team member can't respond because he/she doesn't have equipment. The other day I observed a former flow team member with earbuds in his ear during store open and watched him just push his 1 vehicle and not guest service any guest who happen to be in the area. He was questioned and he stated that no one trained him how to guest service so he did not know what he was supposed to do. This former flow team member comes in way after his Flow TL leaves so he didn't know who to ask since his TL wasn't there.

This is going to continue to happen if we don't start changing the culture of re-training everyone. Expectations have been set but the training is not going along with it. Not everyone gives a dam and they come to work because it's just a job and it pays their bills. Then you have those people who give a dam and it's not just a job, yes it pays their bills but they have put in the blood, sweat and tears to make their job worthwhile. Pretty soon it won't be worthwhile and pretty soon they too won't give a dam...Spot will have very high turnovers if they don't figure it out and quick.

Only been a few months here. Biggest problem is if we have 4 or 5 callouts and its a big truck it will not get fully stocked that day. We have almost no mid team to speak of, usually 1 opener each for softlines and hardlines. Most of our flow team does not know how to cashier....only half of them know how to answer a phone. They are pretty good at guest service, some better then others. Most of our time is stocking or guest service and of course the endless zoning that seems to be the most important thing ever lately. Yes training needs to change somehow, I know a lot hired for flow are not trained to cashier at all.

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

The whole backup thing gets really old really fast. For those of you who thinks sales floor, pricing, plano and flow don't back up, you may be right. HOWEVER they are constantly helping guests on the floor. Guest service is NOT just ringing people up.They take guests to products, shop for people, help with registries, show people how to use appliances and the list goes on and on and on. In between guests our cashiers read magazines. It pisses me off to come up to a backup because the GSTL sends 3 cashiers to break at once and then proceeds to chat with guest service throughout the backup. Then the cashiers are already on page 6 in the magazine before the sales floor gets off the lane. And to further our problem, we have the slowest cashiers known to retail.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

The whole backup thing gets really old really fast. For those of you who thinks sales floor, pricing, plano and flow don't back up, you may be right. HOWEVER they are constantly helping guests on the floor. Guest service is NOT just ringing people up.They take guests to products, shop for people, help with registries, show people how to use appliances and the list goes on and on and on. In between guests our cashiers read magazines. It pisses me off to come up to a backup because the GSTL sends 3 cashiers to break at once and then proceeds to chat with guest service throughout the backup. Then the cashiers are already on page 6 in the magazine before the sales floor gets off the lane. And to further our problem, we have the slowest cashiers known to retail.

ASANTS!! If my front end calls for backup it is because the two cashiers we have are not adequate to manage the number of guests waiting to check out. Our front end staff levels have been cut almost in half, and because of this, there are more backup calls. There is no reading of magazines on our front end. Sounds like the issues you are seeing are the result of poor front end management. As for what we think regarding pricing, plano, and flow not backing up, it is not happening in my store, and many others. I have not seen flow members engaging with guests; they continue to go about pushing merch to the floor. As for the list of things hardlines people are doing on the floor, I have done all of them working at GS.

 

[signingminion]

If we could just get PPTMs on board with backing up the lanes, life would be much better! They can literally be working in $spot and won't help. That's gotta look great for the guests.

In other news, the new TS&S process seems to be going really well at our store. Heard a TM say he was baffled at how quickly they were actually able to finish pushing.

Our pptl insists on us backing up because it's the expectation that we carry the store on our shoulders as far as salesfloor. Then truck 4th quarter, or sfs whichever is tanking most. We got hauled back from remodel, beefed to extend hours, come in extra early, etc for years. "Because they can't live without us" out of the mouth of someone who rarely has nice things to say. But yeah.... spent countless hours training market to cashier- but not allowed to cashier or come to huddle/ smart huddle. Nobody else has been trained and flow has no idea how to use the devices for much more than scanning labels. So we're still running around helping their guests.

 

[Go2TL]

Don't get me started on devices... I'll start anyway...Lucky for those of you who received 50+ extra devices. I'm really, really jealous! We continually fight for equipment at this store. It has gotten so bad that when you hear that one person on walkie asking for a device that anyone can give up and all they get is crickets, then yeah...it's bad! I've gotten to a point that I'm going to start using the excuse, "Oh, no device, well then oh, can't do my work!"
The flow team grabs devices so they can push freight. I understand for the re-packs and loose items since it's a push all but a PDA works just fine to push and backstock. And unless they don't know how to read a pick label, they should not have to use a My Device unless they are pulling a batch, tying planograms, doing audit, making promotional signs, ordering, making labels, etc...

 

[REDcardJJ]

i don't even bother using a myDevice unless I'm doing repacks because the pick label is on the box I'm pushing anyway

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

But alot of the people on the floor now well be the old flow and backroom teams and there going be more focused on trying not to let another truck roll over then helping guest

Our flow team now carries gocards. When they were told about the change at a team meeting they were told it’s not about productivity anymore. They are to talk with guests WHILE stocking. Not focus on stocking or focus on socializing. That was 3 months ago. Leadership has stuck with it. Probably hardest for the flow tl, but they are no longer pressured to get done ASAP. And the gocard board is filled up weekly.

 

[fun at target]

Our flow team now carries gocards. When they were told about the change at a team meeting they were told it’s not about productivity anymore. They are to talk with guests WHILE stocking. Not focus on stocking or focus on socializing. That was 3 months ago. Leadership has stuck with it. Probably hardest for the flow tl, but they are no longer pressured to get done ASAP. And the gocard board is filled up weekly.

Whats a go card ?

 

[PackAndCry]

I feel like HQ is losing sight of the fact that you can't "drive sales" if the shelves are empty and the aisles are clogged with push.

 

[Old Timer]

What is a gocard?

 

[Mysterious]

I feel like HQ is losing sight of the fact that you can't "drive sales" if the shelves are empty and the aisles are clogged with push.

Might as well, let the guests come in the warehouse and shop from the back. ala Costco style.

 

[PackAndCry]

It's classic correlation and causation. The process changed and sales went up, so the increase in sales MUST be because of the new, failing processes, right? Not like it's because the economy is improving or online sales are growing, nope, must be because we're throwing out what worked for years and years for a process that seems to fail most of the time.

 

[oath2order]

I'm convinced we're spending way too much fucking time with A&A. Jesus christ, they have so many fixtures, they get six backroom aisles. We lost steel space because of them and their z-racks are still fucking everywhere.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

I feel like HQ is losing sight of the fact that you can't "drive sales" if the shelves are empty and the aisles are clogged with push.

The proof is from guest complaints and comments on our FB page. I am also reading more guest complaints regarding lack of cashiers. One guest was told they would have to use SCO because the store did not have a cashier until 11 am. WTH???

 

[uncannydoom]

Whats a go card ?

+1

 

[Marvin Martian]

ASANTS!! If my front end calls for backup it is because the two cashiers we have are not adequate to manage the number of guests waiting to check out. Our front end staff levels have been cut almost in half, and because of this, there are more backup calls. There is no reading of magazines on our front end. Sounds like the issues you are seeing are the result of poor front end management. As for what we think regarding pricing, plano, and flow not backing up, it is not happening in my store, and many others. I have not seen flow members engaging with guests; they continue to go about pushing merch to the floor. As for the list of things hardlines people are doing on the floor, I have done all of them working at GS.

I know pricing at my store does not back up because they are really on a time table. Basically you stay until the days work is done. No carrying over to next day.

 

[Go2TL]

I know pricing at my store does not back up because they are really on a time table. Basically you stay until the days work is done. No carrying over to next day.

We are told guest come first and it doesn't matter if we come clean... This is why the PC backroom report is now a month behind! We are literally and physically chasing our tail. I want to know what more when it goes full Modernization. How is each work center supposed to include doing their own price changes?

 

[NachtMusik]

ASANTS!! If my front end calls for backup it is because the two cashiers we have are not adequate to manage the number of guests waiting to check out. Our front end staff levels have been cut almost in half, and because of this, there are more backup calls. There is no reading of magazines on our front end. Sounds like the issues you are seeing are the result of poor front end management. As for what we think regarding pricing, plano, and flow not backing up, it is not happening in my store, and many others. I have not seen flow members engaging with guests; they continue to go about pushing merch to the floor. As for the list of things hardlines people are doing on the floor, I have done all of them working at GS.

At my store flow and backroom TMs are not even register trained (unless they ask to be crosstrained, which to my knowledge, no one has). I haven't heard a call for backup in a long time, come to think of it... but we've always been told that's not our responsibility, our responsibility is to push the truck. Pricing and presentation are probably the same way, they have more important things to do... but I think they probably are register trained? I dunno for sure. But since we switched to a 6am process I interact with guests constantly. We're the first ones guests talk to unless they have an issue at guest services. On busy days I can't get a damn thing done because every time I pick up a box or product some guest needs something.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

I'm convinced we're spending way too much fucking time with A&A. Jesus christ, they have so many fixtures, they get six backroom aisles. We lost steel space because of them and their z-racks are still fucking everywhere.

Company wide it’s the biggest profit margin. It’s what the company current focus is so yeah it’s going to get special treatment. We’re a clothing store that happens to sell other things not the other way around.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

ASANTS!! If my front end calls for backup it is because the two cashiers we have are not adequate to manage the number of guests waiting to check out. Our front end staff levels have been cut almost in half, and because of this, there are more backup calls. There is no reading of magazines on our front end. Sounds like the issues you are seeing are the result of poor front end management. As for what we think regarding pricing, plano, and flow not backing up, it is not happening in my store, and many others. I have not seen flow members engaging with guests; they continue to go about pushing merch to the floor. As for the list of things hardlines people are doing on the floor, I have done all of them working at GS.

I agree with this. If we call for back ups it’s because we need it. The only time our cashiers have “down time” is late at night and first thing in the morning and it’s still not down time anymore because they need to use that time filling the lanes and making the front end presentable. Also sometimes o do call for backups and send a couple people on break because I have four cashiers all day and they’re all behind on breaks and I don’t get another cashier in for a couple hours so calling back ups is the only way to get these cashiers on a break.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

At my store flow and backroom TMs are not even register trained (unless they ask to be crosstrained, which to my knowledge, no one has). I haven't heard a call for backup in a long time, come to think of it... but we've always been told that's not our responsibility, our responsibility is to push the truck. Pricing and presentation are probably the same way, they have more important things to do... but I think they probably are register trained? I dunno for sure. But since we switched to a 6am process I interact with guests constantly. We're the first ones guests talk to unless they have an issue at guest services. On busy days I can't get a damn thing done because every time I pick up a box or product some guest needs something.

“More important things to do” you can’t really argue any department is more important that cashiers. I’m not going to have an argument as to which one is more important or the most difficult but there aren’t many things if any that are more important than having cashiers to check out our guest. You have a ton on clearance to ticket? It can wait. You need to push that Uboat? It can wait. Your revision didn’t get set? It can wait. But the line of people building at the front end because no one answers back up calls? They won’t wait.... they will leave and yeah you might get your stuff pushed but if no ones buying it. Tasks can always be postponed but the real life guest in front of you can not

 

[gsa4lyfe]

.. yet they limit it to two of each size on the floor and don't have proper salesfloor locations so that SFS can find clothing quickly. It has to make up the majority of INFs, easily.

We have more clothing in the backroom than we do on the salesfloor. If it's the biggest profit margin, why hide it in the back? It doesn't make sense.

That’s why they have RFID guns. If it’s in the building you can find it.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

“More important things to do” you can’t really argue any department is more important that cashiers. I’m not going to have an argument as to which one is more important or the most difficult but there aren’t many things if any that are more important than having cashiers to check out our guest. You have a ton on clearance to ticket? It can wait. You need to push that Uboat? It can wait. Your revision didn’t get set? It can wait. But the line of people building at the front end because no one answers back up calls? They won’t wait.... they will leave and yeah you might get your stuff pushed but if no ones buying it. Tasks can always be postponed but the real life guest in front of you can not

I wish corporate thought that highly of cashiers because they slashed the hours for the front end. Now we only have one person opening until around 9 am. It's a big problem if that one person calls out.

 

[NachtMusik]

“More important things to do” you can really argue any department is more important that cashiers. I’m not going to have an argument as to which one is more important or the most difficult but there aren’t many things if any that are more important than having cashiers to check out our guest. You have a ton on clearance to ticket? It can wait. You need to push that Uboat? It can wait. Your revision didn’t get set? It can wait. But the line of people building at the front end because no one answers back up calls? They won’t wait.... they will leave and yeah you might get your stuff pushed but if no ones buying it. Tasks can always be postponed but the real life guest in front of you can not

I don't actually know about any other teams other than flow and backroom, since that's all I've done for the last too-many-years, but that's just what I was told all those years ago. I guess my store just has enough cashiers... or not enough guests... and enough salesfloor(?) TMs because we've never not had anyone respond to a call for backup. At least not while I was there.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

I don't actually know about any other teams other than flow and backroom, since that's all I've done for the last too-many-years, but that's just what I was told all those years ago. I guess my store just has enough cashiers... or not enough guests... and enough salesfloor(?) TMs because we've never not had anyone respond to a call for backup. At least not while I was there.

Yeah everystore has a different culture. My store backroom is on channel two so they never back up and they don’t cashier train when they’re hired but Plano is definitely expected to cashier at our store and most of them get scheduled on light Plano weeks.