I Knew There Was Something….

Him

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Apr 13, 2016
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So I’m what’s called an “Old” Target 🎯 Way Person. When I First Started with the company, we had Specialty Teams such as Backroom Team, InStocks, PlanoTeam, Salesfloor, Flow, Etc. Now, I’m not “completely” caught up with the Post “Modernization” Era so if I miss something, please 🙏🏾 add, comment. When I 1st rejoined Spot, My STL (Store Team Leader) Sorry that Director Terminology I only use for Entertainment Purposes, told me that we were supposed to be going back to Some of the Old Ways of Doing Business. Now don’t get me wrong, “Waving” through the Entire Store 🏬 does seem ineffective to Replenish the Store 🏬. However, No Flexing, Pushing Entire Trucks with Zero Blackline, (Product shipped from DC that would be placed Specifically in the Backrooms/Offsites, and No Backstocking of Products STILL in the Boxes 📦 seems counter productive to me. Comments, Thoughts, Feedback!!!!
 
I'm actually happy that we're not flexing products anymore. Sure it looks worse to have emptier shelves, but it's honest and it also saves TMs the headache of having to put all the extra product flexed out into the backroom once the product that is supposed to be in the spot finally arrives
 
I'm actually happy that we're not flexing products anymore. Sure it looks worse to have emptier shelves, but it's honest and it also saves TMs the headache of having to put all the extra product flexed out into the backroom once the product that is supposed to be in the spot finally arrives
I agree. Flexing to me was done to just put a Band Aid on a Flesh Wound. Visually, It makes the Store look “Full”. Logically, it’s a Nightmare on Many Levels. 1) Exactly like you pointed out @animalcrossingThe Real product can’t be seen as the area it’s to be displayed at/on is occupied. Now you have Double of Another product and a Sale is Missed. I’ve never Done a Flex fill or an Order Pickup (And Pray 🙏🏾 to God that I never will). I would think though that the Team that DOES have to get the items for Guests, Now are Potentially Looking 👀 All Over Their Store 🏬 for a “Ghost”.
 
2) The Autofills and Item Quantity Counts are offset because the Salesfloor says that the item is not on the Salesfloor and None Located in the Backroom. Which Leads me to 3) Trucks with Multiple Products of The Same Item. I‘ll share an Ex: You Have Room Essentials 5 Tier Cabinet. Not sure what they were called Years ago or the Target 🎯 brand name but whatever I’m going somewhere with the story. Since I’ve Worked at Target 🎯, No More Than 10-15 of Those Would Be Sold over the Course of a Given Quarter. This Metric includes Back to School (Which you would think would get Double That Number). The Space to fit on the Floor is 1. (2 Possibly if It’s a Super Target 🎯). Whats coming from DC would be 5 more 5 Tier Cabinets. Mind you, Them Sum Bitches are HEAVY as Hell. They take up a HUGE chunk of Space. The Backrooms probably don’t have enough room for them. Offsites (If your store has one) Is at Capacity. One Department within the Store doing bad, affects the Store 🏬 as a whole.
 
I get tons of complaints about “empty shelves “ though. I have guests who come in to buy something that the app says we have, but it’s 0 on the floor, O in the back 5 on hand and no one in the store can find them. It’s a pain because I deal with the angry guests. It tanks my NPS.
 
So I’m what’s called an “Old” Target 🎯 Way Person. When I First Started with the company, we had Specialty Teams such as Backroom Team, InStocks, PlanoTeam, Salesfloor, Flow, Etc. Now, I’m not “completely” caught up with the Post “Modernization” Era so if I miss something, please 🙏🏾 add, comment. When I 1st rejoined Spot, My STL (Store Team Leader) Sorry that Director Terminology I only use for Entertainment Purposes, told me that we were supposed to be going back to Some of the Old Ways of Doing Business. Now don’t get me wrong, “Waving” through the Entire Store 🏬 does seem ineffective to Replenish the Store 🏬. However, No Flexing, Pushing Entire Trucks with Zero Blackline, (Product shipped from DC that would be placed Specifically in the Backrooms/Offsites, and No Backstocking of Products STILL in the Boxes 📦 seems counter productive to me. Comments, Thoughts, Feedback!!!!
Oh the days of old. I loved the old teams. As a 2000 hire and cringe at the duties TMs have to suffer through now.
 
Interesting thread. I miss some the old days stuff - the steel trash cages that folded down were great. The tiered tubs were too.
I disagree that flexing is bad - it can be a good thing but only if it's done well. Like, say I have an end cap that's more empty than not and it's not due for a reset for a few weeks still. Do I leave it empty and looking stupid? Or do I bring some stuff out of the back, still related to what's supposed to be there and I have a lot of it? I don't completely fill the empty space, just enough to make it look better. And yes, I take a minute to add the location. Same for discontinued product that no longer has a location on the floor - seems better than just letting in languish in the back.
We always seem to get lots of the product for end caps in the week they expire. Or after. But when they're supposed to be active, we get very little. Not always, but pretty often. My Native and Crest end caps are great and have been from the beginning. Bloom and Olly not so much.
Hated "waving" and hope we don't ever go back to that. Way too much chatting, the real worker bees ended up covering for the slackers, way too many mistakes in areas with a lot of detail (most of Essentials and Beauty).
Back stocking full cases is supposed to be done at my store (I think) but I hardly ever do. The nitwits who pull batches later in the day will either skip that product entirely or, worse, pull all of it and push all of it, whether it fits or not. (It's not even flexing - they just shove it into a neighboring spot, not paying attention to price points.) Or they leave the back stock for me to take care of in the morning. And the trash. So I avoid all that hassle by back stocking the product in wacos. Can't say how many times I've complained about this to TLs - makes no difference.
 
I get tons of complaints about “empty shelves “ though. I have guests who come in to buy something that the app says we have, but it’s 0 on the floor, O in the back 5 on hand and no one in the store can find them. It’s a pain because I deal with the angry guests. It tanks my NPS.
NPS I take it is a Metric that is Offset due to another Department Possibly not completing their assigned tasks. The fact that the Count is giving a False Number is Red Flag 🚩 right there. Over the Years of Working at Spot, I do know of Computer 🖥️ glitches. In That Same Breath, I do know of the Dishonesty That Is Also involved in Throwing One Department Under the Bus, Just to “Save Face” of another Department. Retail is a Very Fluctuating Business 👨🏾‍💼. It is Business at the End of the Day Though.
 
Interesting thread. I miss some the old days stuff - the steel trash cages that folded down were great. The tiered tubs were too.
I disagree that flexing is bad - it can be a good thing but only if it's done well. Like, say I have an end cap that's more empty than not and it's not due for a reset for a few weeks still. Do I leave it empty and looking stupid? Or do I bring some stuff out of the back, still related to what's supposed to be there and I have a lot of it? I don't completely fill the empty space, just enough to make it look better. And yes, I take a minute to add the location. Same for discontinued product that no longer has a location on the floor - seems better than just letting in languish in the back.
We always seem to get lots of the product for end caps in the week they expire. Or after. But when they're supposed to be active, we get very little. Not always, but pretty often. My Native and Crest end caps are great and have been from the beginning. Bloom and Olly not so much.
Hated "waving" and hope we don't ever go back to that. Way too much chatting, the real worker bees ended up covering for the slackers, way too many mistakes in areas with a lot of detail (most of Essentials and Beauty).
Back stocking full cases is supposed to be done at my store (I think) but I hardly ever do. The nitwits who pull batches later in the day will either skip that product entirely or, worse, pull all of it and push all of it, whether it fits or not. (It's not even flexing - they just shove it into a neighboring spot, not paying attention to price points.) Or they leave the back stock for me to take care of in the morning. And the trash. So I avoid all that hassle by back stocking the product in wacos. Can't say how many times I've complained about this to TLs - makes no difference.
 
Use Products That You have A lot of Smart Business 👨🏾‍💼 Savvy!!! I Hear You and Don’t Discredit It. Make The Sales By Any Means Necessary, am I Right? I just will ask This question 🙋🏾‍♂️ though? Before you used the discontinued product, were there Transitions Due to Your Specific Store Due to go in That Spot/Area? Similar to what I said how each Section of the Store 🏬 Depends upon the Other. When I Started with Target 🎯 Years ago, I was under the impression that “little ole me” had No effect whatsoever with “Jane Doe” on Check Lane #8 on the Dayside Team. Now I’m might just be getting on my Soapbox a little bit, so Pardon me if I “Ruffle a few Feathers 🪶”. For the Stores 🏬 that are “Toxic”, That’s Due to Top, Trickling down to the “Brand Attendant” (No Shade Brand Attendants as If Not for You, Any Store 🏬 Literally Will Look Like 💩” Over the Years I’ve learned that if Jane Doe didn’t give a Good Guest Experience to “Little Jimmy”, Karen wouldn’t be back at Target 🎯. Oh “Him”, Karen’s just one 1️⃣ Guest. Y’all don’t know Karen like The O. G. Target 🎯 folks know Karen. Karen IS that Guest that fills out Guest Surveys. Karen IS Richard’s Wife, who Happens to be on the City Council for The Elite Neighborhood in Your Community. The Rabbit 🐇 Hole 🕳️ is Deep!!! Now I’m wondering why I had a 32 hour Week Schedule and the Next Week I’m only Scheduled 📆 for 5 hours (Or whatever minimum Shift is for Your Specific Store 🏬). Business Effects Every Target 🎯 Employee. Security, Hr, Damnit even the Vendors coming to check in and out of Recieving.
 
Yep, appreciate what is working well now, because it will change.
It's the general lack of responsibility I miss, but that was more a function of my change of position than any new process. I miss focusing on one thing all shift and leaving, and not thinking about work until I went back in.
 
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Waving” through the Entire Store 🏬 does seem ineffective to Replenish the Store
I disagree that’s ineffective . I started doing this few years before I left target a year ago .when modernization fell apart.And we were able to get thru 2 trucks every night by waving . We would start with Hardlines first since off-site team would start at 5 am and we had to get backstock ready for them.
 
I disagree that’s ineffective . I started doing this few years before I left target a year ago .when modernization fell apart.And we were able to get thru 2 trucks every night by waving . We would start with Hardlines first since off-site team would start at 5 am and we had to get backstock ready for them.
When Proper Leaders in Place. Wave could be effective Yes. If No Timelines, Set Expectations is given, then You have A couple of Strong Team members picking up the “slack” of Weaker Team members and creates dissension and confusion.
 
Wave was at a time when people doing it weren't the same ones unloading the truck. Before fulfillment that is always pulling salesfloor members
Agreed. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to Properly maintain Equal Workload Assignments to everyone. One Team Member should NOT have to work in “80” different Workcenters to help with Business Needs.
 
Wave was at a time when people doing it weren't the same ones unloading the truck. Before fulfillment that is always pulling salesfloor members
At my former store the trucks and push is done by the same people so was never an issues of who does more or less . Had a bowler, a cardboard person and the rest focused on push.
But I can see it being an issues if it’s not the same team.
I guess that is the great perk of an overnight store.
 

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