Archived Backroom Nightmare

[UnpreparedGuy]

Hello to all. I'm attempting my first post, so don't judge too hard. So I applied to Target as a rebound job after my last position didn't work out due to major anxiety, which prevented me from doing the job. So desperate to get work, I mustered up the strength to apply to Target and used my decent social skills to get a job there within a few days after contacting HR almost immediately.

I've always been an anxious person socially, and I'm 23 now, post college life, thought I would grow out of that condition over time, but no, not really. I've been an avoidant person since middle school and don't deal with conflict, which I know compounds my issue. Anyways, back to the issue at hand, which is going to be my job performance, and I seriously need advice or at least some consoling that I'm not going to die or ruin the Target store I work at and cause a huge issue, which happens every day I come into the back room. Day 1 of training, I was told i was supposed to be working softlines and backup cashier, which, to my dismay, caused my panic attack and overwhelming dread to turn into a breakdown in front of HR. They in turn gave me an out to get away from the customer service side and exclusively put me in back room, which, to an anxious wreck, doesn't bode well for such an environment.

So the main problem I have is more of a personal issue that this forum can't help me with, and I'm now taking medication, but I dread work because I can never pull batches in time and always have to get help from the other more experienced BR team members, who get frustrated with me, because they're already super busy with backstock, 12 steps, audits, pogs, have to pick up my slack on the salesfloor asking for item pulls. I don't ever relax enough to create a method to the craziness and end up getting so frustrated and visibly confused and bumping into everything. It's so embarrasing doing my best and still having 25-30 cafs left with only 20 minutes left in the hour. And I don't want to quit but it may be my only option, except it would be messed up that there's only 2 BR day team members if I did that. Anyways, this is more of a rant, but I'm so isolated and hating avoiding everyone, cause I'm actually a decent, fun and educated young man. Anxiety kills!

 

[ClarkKent]

I don't mind helping new guys pull cafs and helping them when they struggle. I like to have the new guys learn to backstock and pull research before doing the cafs alone. We have several season team members who can't finish them alone on time.

 

[judgemental]

honestly i wouldn't worry about it too much, you're new you're obviously not going to be as fast as the others. you'll eventually learn how to do things and it'll become easier and you'll soon be able to catch up. i don't know about backroom or how that stuff works, but it sounds like you were probably better off in softlines. softlines you don't do much or interact with a lot of guests. it's mostly all pulling from the back and stocking what's needed, folding clothes, maybe once in a while helping out in the dressing room. i would ask, if possible, to be sent back to softlines if you don't feel comfortable in the backroom.

 

[60SecondsRemaining]

Given your condition, backroom is probably not the place for you.

Most positions have some type of timed goal, but backroom is one of the more scrutinized ones. You may be better suited for a softlines sales floor slot, or possibly fitting room.

If your condition truly prevents you from cashiering, dealing with the public on a regular basis, or coping with multitasking, then target is not the job for you.

Given what you've explained, my advice would be to start looking for something that better fits you personally, and do your best in the interim. You can also explain to hr your situation and provide medical documentation if you have any, but since you're under 90 days, they probably won't move to make any reasonable accommodations.

 

[DoWork]

Anxiety does kill. For your sake, please work with your doctor to get the right meds. It's a game of trial and error, but it can and does get better.

Target is chaos. It's not a good fit for severe anxiety, but if it's your only option available currently, you have to face it and try to do better. You're new, so they cut you slack. Use that slack to improve your coping skills and speed.

 

[Quattro]

Every workcenter has their own kind of stress. For backroom, it's strict deadlines and juggling multiple tasks at once. Honestly, with our current back room team, it often takes at least 2 guys to pull the CAFs on time. These are guys that have been with us for about a year, so they're pretty well adapted by this point. For a new TM, we know we're going to have to jump in and help with the CAFs, but we want you to gradually get to the point where you could do it on your own. Just stick with it. If there is concern about your backroom performance, they may just end up moving you somewhere else in the store to see how you do there.

 

[Bosch]

Anxiety does kill. For your sake, please work with your doctor to get the right meds. It's a game of trial and error, but it can and does get better.

Target is chaos. It's not a good fit for severe anxiety, but if it's your only option available currently, you have to face it and try to do better. You're new, so they cut you slack. Use that slack to improve your coping skills and speed.

Agreed.

The backroom while hell, is the safest place for you. You only have to deal with employees not guests as a norm. Remember you are doing the best you can. Speed comes with time and muscle memory you build by just doing the job. And that applies to everyone. I will tell you we are going into silly season, the storm that is happening is not personal, it happens every year, things change everyday when you walk in the door. Just take the batch in front of you and go from there.

 

[Ringwraith917]

You should learn how to build bikes. That is the least stressful things I do at Target. Yes just like everything else there's a time goal you're supposed to hit, but you work by yourself mostly. When your store gets their big shipment of bikes (usually the week after thanksgiving) they'll probably be happy to have someone to help build them all. Safety first, even if the time goals aren't met.

 

[ClarkKent]

Backroom is the best place to be. We are now working as a team, get great hours and barely deal with guests anymore.

 

[UnpreparedGuy]

Thanks everyone. I really do my best and hope to get a social life soon that will take my mind off of just thinking about work every day. I usually only work 4.5 hour shifts.

My last shift was Monday, and I go in today. But on monday, pretty much all the TLs had to jump in and help me with pulls. I faked out some of the pulls because my symptoms were so bad and I desperately just wanted to get the pulls done on time, but comon, why are these diaper batches like 30 pulls comon...

 

[asidius]

Diaper batches are big this week because of a big baby sale.

 

[UnpreparedGuy]

Can somebody explain how to do the 12 step process, or is that just for certain stores?

 

[mrknownothing]

Can somebody explain how to do the 12 step process, or is that just for certain stores?

I can't say I'm familiar with such a thing, but my backroom training has been lacking is far from complete. Anyone more backroom-savvy who could help us out here?

 

[SFSFun]

Something about pulling all the dcode, moving the boxed freight as low and close to the front of the aisle as possible, etc. Basically super-zoning a backroom aisle I think.

Someone tried explaining it to me a few weeks ago but it sounded like something that we would never ever have time to do... So I stopped listening about halfway through.

 

[UnpreparedGuy]

Right, dcoding, so that would be moving everything labeled "D" on the inventory sheets into a 3 tier and push it out to the sales floor as clearance...we went over that briefly but I haven't had to do it myself yet.

 

[Bosch]

Right, dcoding, so that would be moving everything labeled "D" on the inventory sheets into a 3 tier and push it out to the sales floor as clearance...we went over that briefly but I haven't had to do it myself yet.

Or leaving everything that is D-Code or NOP on the line in tubs with PTM clips. Where I have to waste an hour every Saturday going through it cause most of this waste of time goes right back in the stock room as NOP - my supported or future sets.

 

[Patty]

sounds like you were probably better off in softlines. softlines you don't do much or interact with a lot of guests. it's mostly all pulling from the back and stocking what's needed, folding clothes, maybe once in a while helping out in the dressing room. i would ask, if possible, to be sent back to softlines if you don't feel comfortable in the backroom.[/QUOTE
You must have worked in soft lines a lot. I work in fitting room /operator. I never see a guest or have to interact with customers. But please keep it quiet about how little there is to do over here in soft lines. We often feel guilty getting paid to just stand around and talk.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

You need to partner with your trainer or tl, to review your job. To make sure that you understand how processes work on the back room.