Archived Asking to be Cross-Trained

[cherrehbeareh]

So I've been at Target for about two months now as a Softlines TM. I love being on register and interacting with the guests, and our store seems to be very short-handed when it comes to guest services. It seems like most of the people who can do Guest Services are TLs or have been there for years. Is is acceptable to ask to be cross-trained in guest services so that I can help out when they need it, or is it strictly a more seniority based position?

 

[Retail Girl]

If you can problem solve and work quickly, this is a great position. I promise you you will either love or hate it. But at this time of year, it can be hell.

I welcome any TM with a head on their shoulders to help out by learning simple returns and flexible fulfillment to help with back up. Anything beyond that I can talk people through as we go.

I say all of this assuming you aren't seasonal. If you're seasonal, we aren't cross training anyone at this point and just need seasonal to do their best in the position they were hired for.

 

[Firefox]

Guest Service is definitely a position that you either love or you hate. I've found that most people love it. Talk to your ETL-HR, ETL-SL, and ETL-GE about getting cross-trained/switching work centers.

 

[Kaitii]

At my store we always LOVE people at guest services because we're always understaffed there.

Personally, ya'll (as in anyone who likes guest services) crazy for liking it it just looks like such a mess. Though I do gotta admit I love when they pull me from the register to help sort

#HardlinesBestLines

 

[PinkZinnia]

At the store I worked in it was very hard to get cross trained for guest services. I would argue with every manager to let me cross train people. They would put me off.

When push came to shove, and I was completely shorthanded, I would pull anyone from the frontend with a bit more then half a brain to fill in and be a body at guest services. I would show them the basics and have them call me over if they needed any help.

If the people I would bring over showed potential, I would have tsc put a learning plan together and bring the person over to guest services when I had someone qualified to train them at the desk. They would oversee them for a couple of hours and sign off on the papers. This way I could give them numbers to accept payments.

Tada. Cross trained guest service team member. Lol. The tada part isn't as fast as it seems. Lots of frustration for gsa and gstl in lots of ways until you get someone trained.

 

[PinkZinnia]

@Kaitii the guest service desk where I worked has a group of ladies during the day who are well on their way to being old bitties.
When gstl's would pull people over their it was rarely during the day because those ladies do not like to show what needs to be done and they usually say the person we bring over is not the right fit or they are doing things wrong. I went through that when I was learning guest services. I would go home with a knot in my stomach. And they liked me. I couldn't imagine the crap they would give to people they didn't like. They are in such a rut and set in their ways that it does cause problems for everyone else.

 

[Retail Girl]

@Kaitii the guest service desk where I worked has a group of ladies during the day who are well on their way to being old bitties.
When gstl's would pull people over their it was rarely during the day because those ladies do not like to show what needs to be done and they usually say the person we bring over is not the right fit or they are doing things wrong. I went through that when I was learning guest services. I would go home with a knot in my stomach. And they liked me. I couldn't imagine the crap they would give to people they didn't like. They are in such a rut and set in their ways that it does cause problems for everyone else.

When I first learned guest services, it was run by this closed little group who were livid their world was being invaded. When they were there as cashier and I was guest services, when I went on break they would rush over there to see what I had done and what they could undo. It was painful and led me to tears on more than one occasion. I outlasted nearly all of them, of course. And now I like to pretend it's my little kingdom...though I'm getting to the point of "screw it" if the GSTL doesn't start flexing some muscle back there to be sure things get done properly.

 

[LUR99]

It's not based on seniority at our store. I started as cashier and was trained at guest services two weeks after I started at target. I have been with Target for about 2 1/2 months now and 99% of my shifts are guest service shifts. After my 90 days, I will ask if I can cross train in other departments so I can pick up shifts, once it slows down.

 

[OffYaPhone]

I'm one of those who loves working the SD. It is crazy this time of the year though. We had all four of the registers going yesterday and Saturday and we were just slammed. So, if you want to get cross-trained, it probably won't be until after the holidays.

 

[Firefox]

Yeah, yesterday all four of our registers were being used but we still had a line 10+ people deep. I even started processing guests' returns on one of the nearby registers, since it was that bad. What sucks, is that unlike most places in the store, you can't just throw more people at it to make it work.

 

[TallAPGuy]

Yeah, yesterday all four of our registers were being used but we still had a line 10+ people deep. I even started processing guests' returns on one of the nearby registers, since it was that bad. What sucks, is that unlike most places in the store, you can't just throw more people at it to make it work.

Yeah, we had a line of 15 people at one point with all four registers open, and all checklanes were open ringing people out, so they couldn't move over there.

 

[Retail Girl]

Today I've had a line all day. Just me back there...hitting the button for back up every time my back up person walks away. And then I end up with 6 people in line all wanting to check out because they thought it would be faster than going through the regular check outs. Never mind the fact guest service looks like it has blown up, I have 6 carts to sort and a gsa who does the absolute bare minimum of anything he can get away with.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Yeah, we had a line of 15 people at one point with all four registers open, and all checklanes were open ringing people out, so they couldn't move over there.

Go for the jewelry register.

 

[TallAPGuy]

Go for the jewelry register.

The...jewelry register? What devilry do you speak of?

 

[Firefox]

The...jewelry register? What devilry do you speak of?

Our jewelry register was broken for almost a week before anyone noticed. And even with jewelry being 40% off BF, not a single thing in any of the display cases sold. Only earrings and watches.

 

[TallAPGuy]

Our jewelry register was broken for almost a week before anyone noticed. And even with jewelry being 40% off BF, not a single thing in any of the display cases sold. Only earrings and watches.

You guys have a register in your jewelry area?

 

[Nauzhror]

You guys have a register in your jewelry area?

Thought most/all stores did. We do. It's rarely ever used though.

 

[TallAPGuy]

Thought most/all stores did. We do. It's rarely ever used though.

We don't. Our jewelry area is right next to the lanes though, so that's probably why.

 

[Retail Girl]

We don't. Our jewelry area is right next to the lanes though, so that's probably why.

Ours is as well, but we have the jewelry register. But it is never used and the sole purpose of its existence to me has been to trade out for parts when I can't get anyone else to fix an issue.

 

[Stubio]

Guest Service? Seniority position? I think the GSTL would prefer to train a cashier for guest service that way they can backup at either place when needed but I'm sure if you ask about it(annoy the hell out of them with your interest)they will crosstrain you.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

The...jewelry register? What devilry do you speak of?

At my store, everyone forgets about the jewelry register. It can be used for quick purchases, all,the time. I had freaked out a GSA, when I came for back up & used that register. I was covering electronics at the same time.

 

[Nauzhror]

We don't. Our jewelry area is right next to the lanes though, so that's probably why.

Our jewelry is directly behind the registers at the edge of softlines, it has a register despite that.

 

[mrknownothing]

We lost our jewelry register when we got new registers a few years ago. It pretty much only ever got used on Black Friday.

I'm actually amazed we still have a photo register. Photo always uses one of the service desk registers to ring orders for some reason.