Actually working as a Backroom TM, I know how all other workcenters work because I deal with them everyday though it's pretty clear you have no idea how the Backroom works. I've worked all shifts in the backroom. Like I said before, some of you don't know what other workcenters do.
Every single minute counts in the Backroom. CAF pulls drop every hour and their time goals differ. Sometimes it will take 20 minutes, sometimes it take an hour. Most of the time there's only one TM in the back doing the CAFs and we only have one hour to do them. Yes, even if those 10mins don't demolish replenishment, it will affect our time goals.
I suggest you spend some time in your backroom so you can understand how it works. We have to do the CAFs, deal with flow backstock, presentation backstock, deal with salesfloor backstock especially when they do a planogram, trash people just leave by the baler because you guys are too afraid and lazy to ask us to use our keys to use the baler, clean out the trailer if we're taking a truck the next day, EXF batches, oh don't let me forget the guest orders.
Unlike you, we understand how other workcenters run in my store. Rather than telling the guest how they have to wait because us BRTMs are to busy to help you, our GSAs and GSTLs actually have the time to actually use their feet to walk to the back and do the pull by themselves. They also know how to ask us and how to ask us nicely if they need our help. If you can't do that, clearly there's something you're not doing right in the front end to run effectively without you gone for a few minutes. Actually I have no idea how the LOD will happily back you up because you didnt fully assist the guest.
I do know how the backroom works. I also know how the front end works better than you do. As the GSTL, I'm not allowed to leave the front lanes because I, too, have to multitask - taking care of the guest waiting for their order, making sure that guests aren't waiting in long lines, engaging the guests to be certain that their shopping trip was AMAZING, moving guests around because the flippin' POS POSes have failed yet again, (and who do you think has to repair those POSs?) hijacking fraudulent couponers and fradulent returns, approving alcohol sales by minors, . Oh yeah and driving REDCards and surveys at Guest Service Desk, StarBucks, Food Ave, Electronics and Pharmacy. If there are no other guests, sure I'll grab a Flex Fulfillment, but I can't leave long enough to pull an item from the back. Just can't happen.
I'm glad that you have multiple GSAs and GSTLs who can leave the lanes, but when there's only one of me with only one TM either at IGS or on a cash lane (there are times when it is just me on the front end), there's no way I can saunter to the backroom to do a pull. Your timer is a metric. My timer is a line of guests glaring at me while the BR team member states on the walkie, in full hearing range of the guest, "Uh, I'm busy. I'll be there in 15, OK?" And I have metrics to meet too. Have you heard about the VIBE scores? They're pretty important at my store.
I know that all stores are different. I'm glad I don't work at yours.
ETA: And just so you don't think that's all I do, that's just all I do at the same moment. I also set endcaps, keep the endcaps full and impactful (because for some reason instocks has forgotten that there are often two locs and never replenish the front end), set revisions for gift cards, keep gift cards full and impactful, order supplies, maintain supplies at the registers, interview and train the cashiers and Service Desk TMs, maintain all equipment (including all the myDevices for the entire store) which includes troubleshooting, repairs, returning to DRC for replacement, bank the lanes, unbank the lanes, back up Food Ave and Pharmacy, maintain the keys for the store, document coachings, write and present annual reviews (only 35 this year), zone the card wall, green cartwall, essentials, candy/gum, endcaps and Dollar Spot, write the schedules including breaks/lunches, push carts (well, there's no cart attendant until 2:30 most days), clean restrooms, clean spills (well, there's no cart attendant until 2:30 most days). I'm also responsible for weekly status with each front end team member which requires a written and verbal conversation and writing a minimum of ten VIBE cards per day (8 general/3 safety). Oh, let's not forget the fun games and cheering for every REDCard and encouraging the ETLs and STLs to motivate our team to be simply AMAZING.
That's not all of my duties, but I'm tired thinking about it now.
Yes, I have a peer and two GSAs but there is never double coverage so that's pretty much my day every day.
