Service & Engagement Front end breaks, how does your store do them?

[spencerreid]

idk if this will be any help but this is my take on it. i also work at a smaller store but anyway lol. our setl rarely covers other people's breaks because a lot of our guest advocates are minors and need alcohol overrides so obviously their lights are on. he also manages a lot of the stuff at guest services too so he doesn't really have the time to be on a checklane. he usually keeps the grid up at the front lanes with him and we just report to him for our breaks which we don't get much say in (lol). our store can get really busy really quickly, partly because we are the only target in the area. so he does a lot of traffic directing and whatever. we always have one person on drive ups, one at guest services, and the rest either sorting front end reshop/bullyseye or checklanes. our setl will send other TMs to cover our breaks cuz they want the front end covered at all times so we can't really just shut our light off and leave, especially when it gets busy. a lot of the times he'll just be like "hey can you cover ____'s break on ______" or whatever. however, most people know approximately what time their breaks need to happen so if he doesn't get it done we always remind him. that's how we do it, but then again we are also a small store.

 

[BurgerBob]

I've had to make that call before in q4, "guest services come in"
"Go for guest service"
"Whats the status on my change request I put in half hour ago? I'm bingo on my drawers in tech now"
"That's not good, on our way now"

Like it was hilarious when they got there and were like woah. You have only ones? Yuuuuuup!

 

[Far from newbie]

We are STILL getting crickets from back-up calls.

SO annoying to hear from EVERY leader on, one after the other, 5 times “who is responding to that back-up call ?”......ah, no one.

Any new ideas to get backups to the front lanes ??

 

[flow4areasonuno]

We are STILL getting crickets from back-up calls.

SO annoying to hear from EVERY leader on, one after the other, 5 times “who is responding to that back-up call ?”......ah, no one.

Any new ideas to get backups to the front lanes ??

Put more people on the front lanes, more people on the floor, and turn down the pressure that GM is under. I guarantee you that GM is thinking, "I'm going to get in trouble for not getting my own work done if I go up there"

It's a losing situation for those poor GM people...

Though really, the way you solve this is to call people by name. It's what they do at my store.

 

[Far from newbie]

OK, ALL SETL’s out there : PLEASE take responsibility for staffing your area and getting the help you need by CALLING NAMES !
Right now all you do is act bitchy telling the salesfloor how LONG the line is !
CALL A NAME, damn, I don’t want to do it FOR you !

our SETL’s are not responsible for anything other than screaming they need help.
‘Heads up : salesfloor needs help too - send us cashiers during down times !

 

[Anelmi]

^^ my store does send cashiers to do reshop, freight, etc when it's slow. But guess what? We don't have bodies either so it's never slow.

 

[happygoth]

IMO, front end should not be calling for backup unless cart attendant, front end leads, cart cleaner, and GS are all ringing guests and the line is still very long.

AT SCO, the guests themselves are the problem. Jaysus people are slow AF.

 

[flow4areasonuno]

IMO, front end should not be calling for backup unless cart attendant, front end leads, cart cleaner, and GS are all ringing guests and the line is still very long.

AT SCO, the guests themselves are the problem. Jaysus people are slow AF.

One backup ought to be enough, but they so grossly understaff our front end (cashiering especially) that we'll get multiple calls for "at least two people for fast service."

 

[Anelmi]

Well I would agree @happygoth except most stores are under a strict "do not pull the cleaner" process so at my store we have all of the above cashiering (again that's maybe 7 people -- 2 GS, 1 cart attendant, 3 cashiers, 1 lead) and still super long lines at certain times of the day.

 

[sunnydays]

IMO, front end should not be calling for backup unless cart attendant, front end leads, cart cleaner, and GS are all ringing guests and the line is still very long.

AT SCO, the guests themselves are the problem. Jaysus people are slow AF.

not the cart cleaner or GS but yeah i dont typically call for backup until im at self checkout and if i am at self checkout my ETL is typically the one calling backup since he’s then the one running teh front

 

[Tessa120]

On paper, is it expected that the front end is not to be self-sufficient, and that most of the salesfloor TMs, if not all of them, will spend part of their shift on the register?

Or on paper, is it expected that the front end is self-sufficient, able to handle standard traffic and most rushes, and "backup" is there only for when there's an extreme and unforeseen rush?

If the former then why bother to schedule salesfloor TMs? Why not schedule everyone as cashiers and send out people to do salesfloor tasks when the lines don't justify that many people?

If the latter, then why does the front end not own their part of the store and continuously calls for backup as if they aren't expected to be self-sufficient and are expected to timeshare the salesfloor TMs?

IMO, front end should not be calling for backup unless cart attendant, front end leads, cart cleaner, and GS are all ringing guests and the line is still very long.

AT SCO, the guests themselves are the problem. Jaysus people are slow AF.

 

[sunnydays]

If the latter, then why does the front end not own their part of the store and continuously calls for backup as if they aren't expected to be self-sufficient and are expected to timeshare the salesfloor TMs?

everyone has something they are accountable for. for me it's guests, for salesfloor team members it's getting their push done or whatever. whoever comes first is up to you but saying shit like this is wack. sometimes people call out and we don't have coverage; sometimes (often) our hours are cannibalized to support the salesfloor necessitating us to call for backup. sometimes we're scheduled to our hours but the hours underestimate the level of businesses.

i could write all sorts of things about why the salesfloor team members can't follow basic fucking practices but you don't see me throwing shade about them not being able to do incredibly simple work and "own their part of the store"

 

[Tessa120]

But isn't part of the problem with salesfloor that they are pulled from their tasks a lot?

I think this is a relevant part of the break debate. How can front end make and keep a break schedule using their own resources (staggered breaks and the like) and maintain it in a successful and fair manner? If they can pull it off with having people off the floor and on break, they can pull it off any time.

 

[sunnydays]

But isn't part of the problem with salesfloor that they are pulled from their tasks a lot?

my store had one team member in gm today from basically 10am until 230pm. one style team member from 12pm until 530pm. one beauty tm. some market team members and that's it. everyone else in fulfillment. at best today i had two cashiers at any given time (even accounting for breaks & lunch coverages) all the way through 230pm when i left. we are a $40m/yr store. the issue is not "salesfloor team members being pulled from their tasks", the issue is that stores are not supplied enough payroll to complete their tasks in an adequate and timely manner and support good guest service

I think this is a relevant part of the break debate. How can front end make and keep a break schedule using their own resources (staggered breaks and the like) and maintain it in a successful and fair manner? If they can pull it off with having people off the floor and on break, they can pull it off any time.

i'm gonna be honest tessa i don't understand what you are getting at here. all a front end team can do is try to schedule breaks in such a way that it meets standards for fast service but at the end of the day the needs of the guests come first. if there is a huge line i am not going to send somebody on a break just to stick to my "schedule" because that's antithetical to the idea of good and fast guest service, and sometimes when i send somebody on their break it gets abnormally busy because that's just how it works

 

[flow4areasonuno]

if there is a huge line i am not going to send somebody on a break just to stick to my "schedule" because that's antithetical to the idea of good and fast guest service,

This also screws over the cleaner and mask person, because when breaks fall behind, cleaner+mask person are dead last priority. Makes for very unhappy employee, guess how I know?

I've not had last breaks several times in the last couple weeks. Seems like as time goes on the worse it gets. Used to not happen at all.

 

[NotCynicalYet]

IMO, front end should not be calling for backup unless cart attendant, front end leads, cart cleaner, and GS are all ringing guests and the line is still very long.

AT SCO, the guests themselves are the problem. Jaysus people are slow AF.

Not realistic tbh, though I completely sympathize with this POV.

If it's busy, the cart attendant is usually hustling (and many are not able to cashier). Front end lead (sometimes we have two available, but not usually) is either directing traffic, line busting, or dealing with something that came up. Cleaner can't be pulled (but we still have to now and then, and we get in trouble for it), and GS is doing GS.

The line is not supposed to get "very long" or our guests promote themselves to customers. It's a huge part of why people like Target - the short lines are heaven compared to the competition.

The problem underneath all of this particular winter/spring payroll superhorseshit is that the shareholders aren't going to give up a fucking dime to keep anybody safe or happy. "Want $15 to start and a relatively safe environment? Fine, you'll work to death and feel like you're not doing your job. Cha-Ching."

 

[NotCynicalYet]

the issue is that stores are not supplied enough payroll to complete their tasks in an adequate and timely manner and support good guest service

We could get rid of the bible and just print this instead.

The worst outcome would be floor and front end being pissed off at each other and locked in a power struggle over something that is imposed on each of them and not the fault of anyone in the store.

 

[flow4areasonuno]

f it's busy, the cart attendant is usually hustling (and many are not able to cashier)

Our cart dudes usually aren't JUST cart dudes...they're guest services, and they do cashiering/opu/sco/etc. I can't remember the last time I saw someone whose only job was pulling in and taking care of the carts.

 

[NotCynicalYet]

Our cart dudes usually aren't JUST cart dudes...they're guest services, and they do cashiering/opu/sco/etc. I can't remember the last time I saw someone whose only job was pulling in and taking care of the carts.

The majority of ours have limitations, job coaches, etc. but are excellent cart attendants. Sounds like a ASANTS situation. If all our attendants could cashier and do GS, it would make mini-rushes easier for sure. I would definitely use them and it would result in fewer backup calls.

 

[FrontEndBitch]

Our SETL prints out a break schedule it literally has everyone’s breaks and lunches on it and the SCO makes everything run smoothly we might tweak it a bit but everything usually runs smooth

 

[flow4areasonuno]

The majority of ours have limitations, job coaches, etc. but are excellent cart attendants. Sounds like a ASANTS situation. If all our attendants could cashier and do GS, it would make mini-rushes easier for sure. I would definitely use them and it would result in fewer backup calls.

Our store's problem is we take full advantage of the situation. I wish we had people who were cart attendants only, but I guess that violates the modernization idea of everyone doing everything

 

[DBZ]

IMO, front end should not be calling for backup unless cart attendant, front end leads, cart cleaner, and GS are all ringing guests and the line is still very long.

AT SCO, the guests themselves are the problem. Jaysus people are slow AF.

I agree and it is realistic, except maybe the cart cleaner although if it is after 7, we might pull them too. It looks really bad if your front end is understaffed and you have someone standing around at the carts. Heads have been chewed off when this position is neglected though.

 

[Anelmi]

@sunnydays , Im almost positive Tessa hasn’t worked at Target in over a year so...

 

[flow4areasonuno]

I agree and it is realistic, except maybe the cart cleaner although if it is after 7, we might pull them too. It looks really bad if your front end is understaffed and you have someone standing around at the carts. Heads have been chewed off when this position is neglected though.

Yeah this is why I generally only get pulled if it's late at night. No one seems to really care then because traffic drops off a cliff after about 8, or 8:30. Sometimes the one cashier will get overbusy so then I'll get told to hop on.

But generally only then, because they get barked at apparently if the cart cleaner position is left empty most of the day.