Is this Real Life? (A Market vent thread)

[glo]

My ETL is talking with another from a similar volume store in Minnesota. Their market team gets like double our hours. Granted, they have a higher store mix but holy shit double our hours????????

 

[Malkiacera]

Dont you have to refrigerate that cider?
We are going through 3-4pallet bins of carving pumkins, 6-7 cases of pie pumkins and 3-4 cases of tiger striped pumkins a week!
Also how many can you fit on the basket, that sounds like a good idea

Everyone thought that but it was originally supposed to be set on our Apple focal before it got switched with the new fixtures.

 

[qmosqueen]

Now this is getting ridiculous. FDC and headquarters stop sending freezer stuff way too soon, we get freezer 3 days a week.

Now I have 4 pallets of turkeys about 120 To 180 boxes. On top of that I just got Christmas cookies 10 boxes wtf. This is so ridiculous I still have 5 boxes of hallofuckinween cookies.

No more room in my freezer.

 

[pinktea]

Well, after a few years away, I'm coming back to Spot soon as a Food TM. I was a PA before I left. From what I understand, I'm going to be doing pretty much the same thing; more pushing of the truck, less responsibility? I dunno if I will still be expected to work with vendors/set sales planners/do the order/etc. Anybody know what I can expect?

 

[glo]

Well, after a few years away, I'm coming back to Spot soon as a Food TM. I was a PA before I left. From what I understand, I'm going to be doing pretty much the same thing; more pushing of the truck, less responsibility? I dunno if I will still be expected to work with vendors/set sales planners/do the order/etc. Anybody know what I can expect?

Now we push freight, do all the pulls, all the backstock, all of... well... everything in market. It's a lot more work than it sounds. Market is a logistics process now, disguised as sales floor.

 

[pinktea]

I was told that my store allocates some of its Market hours to backroom to do the majority of the backstocking (seems like they have not fully converted over to E2E yet so they're still supporting a full backroom team).

It's fine; I like logistics-y things. I should have asked what time the market team starts in the morning...what time do y'all usually come in to push trucks?

 

[BRHooligan]

So I'm a hardlines tl getting moved to consumables for 4th quarter to run the show and I'm kind of starting to dread the fact I'm coming in a week after we're about to start trying a new process. Any advice for keeping motivated tms working at a quick pace every day so we actually finish trucks and not leave 6 dry uboats for the closer /next day?

 

[Fix It]

Our PMT did the same thing. We aren't allowed pallets on the floor. However, occasionally we will sneak one on before we open and try to quickly complete it.

I don’t mind pallet jacks, power jacks, and stackers on the floor necessarily, the floor tiles can handle it. It’s when people don’t give a shit and drag pallets/debris or take corners too fast causing the pallet to tip. Only certain people can use power equipment on the floor at my store, but if I or my ETL-LOG catch someone dragging a pallet or tipping because you’re going too fast you’re gonna catch a write up. Everyone makes mistakes and I’ve done it myself, but blatant abuse of store property is not acceptable ya know.

 

[glo]

Are butterballs in anyone else’s scale right now?

 

[qmosqueen]

Are butterballs in anyone else’s scale right now?

Not on my scale but if you type the dcpi into the scale it comes up. I TPC’d all of my turkeys to the marked ticked price pre pound. So I don’t have to weigh any of the 4 pallets.

 

[SFSFun]

Well, after a few years away, I'm coming back to Spot soon as a Food TM. I was a PA before I left. From what I understand, I'm going to be doing pretty much the same thing; more pushing of the truck, less responsibility? I dunno if I will still be expected to work with vendors/set sales planners/do the order/etc. Anybody know what I can expect?

Food TM has the same responsibilities as the PA now. The only difference is there's more food TMs because you also have all of dry market.

 

[LaTarjetaRoja]

ASANTS. PA and Consumables TMs are still different in my store. Technically we are trained to do all the PA routines on paper, and I have filled in as PA for the day in the case of callouts; other than that, our roles are still very separate in my store. ETL would throw a fit if a random TM did the order!

 

[redcounts]

I don’t mind pallet jacks, power jacks, and stackers on the floor necessarily, the floor tiles can handle it. It’s when people don’t give a shit and drag pallets/debris or take corners too fast causing the pallet to tip. Only certain people can use power equipment on the floor at my store, but if I or my ETL-LOG catch someone dragging a pallet or tipping because you’re going too fast you’re gonna catch a write up. Everyone makes mistakes and I’ve done it myself, but blatant abuse of store property is not acceptable ya know.

Why would team members drag the pallets on the floor at your store? They are supposed to lift the pallet as far up as it can go when taking out the pallet. Not just Pump the jack twice and pull. LOL Thats ridiculous.Maybe they are careless and in a hurry.

Ive had a pallet tip over on me twice but not because I was going too fast or taking a sharp corner. But because whoever packed the pallet from the truck didn't pile it right and put the wrap tight enough around it and BOOM, Now i either take half the pallet and load onto a flat so that doesn't happen.& once my etl told me to take the milk pallet out of the milk cooler... it was wrapped and looked to be even, as i was going over that bump coming out of the cooler, BOOM, everything tumbled on the floor SMH and the pallet tipped. Good thing only a few busted open. Our milk delievery man likes to pile between 7-10 crates high.& happens to be when i need a flat to just take what i really need theres never one around and my team is using all of em. explains why my etl just tells me to take the entire pallet out.

 

[Delaney]

My old store didn't have a ginormous dip in the cooler but the one I'm at now does and I refuse to take a milk pallet out. Wrapped or not. I would be like find me a flat because I am not pulling a ginormous flat out when I don't need all of it. Lol

 

[redcounts]

I remember when we used to have black burn marks in the tile from team members using the electric pallet jack. The tile looked like there was a fire around the store, all black holes LOL ..Our PMT kinda ignored it until we got a visit and his boss said the tile needs to be replaced all around the store, ever since, only 1 backroom team member is allowed to use it on the sales floor and thats only before the store opens.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

Now this is getting ridiculous. FDC and headquarters stop sending freezer stuff way too soon, we get freezer 3 days a week.

Now I have 4 pallets of turkeys about 120 To 180 boxes. On top of that I just got Christmas cookies 10 boxes wtf. This is so ridiculous I still have 5 boxes of hallofuckinween cookies.

No more room in my freezer.

This actually isn't that bad. I have gotten 45 Boxes of Halloween cookies, a week before Halloween, as well as 10 boxes of Christmas. The same day.

 

[Motorhead]

Now this is getting ridiculous. FDC and headquarters stop sending freezer stuff way too soon, we get freezer 3 days a week.

Now I have 4 pallets of turkeys about 120 To 180 boxes. On top of that I just got Christmas cookies 10 boxes wtf. This is so ridiculous I still have 5 boxes of hallofuckinween cookies.

No more room in my freezer.

At my store, my ETL would start complaining about my freezer being full of vehicles. We try to keep no more than 3 vehicles. Right now we have, 1 flat of turkeys and one flat of vendor stuff.

 

[Fix It]

Why would team members drag the pallets on the floor at your store? They are supposed to lift the pallet as far up as it can go when taking out the pallet. Not just Pump the jack twice and pull. LOL Thats ridiculous.Maybe they are careless and in a hurry.

Ive had a pallet tip over on me twice but not because I was going too fast or taking a sharp corner. But because whoever packed the pallet from the truck didn't pile it right and put the wrap tight enough around it and BOOM, Now i either take half the pallet and load onto a flat so that doesn't happen.& once my etl told me to take the milk pallet out of the milk cooler... it was wrapped and looked to be even, as i was going over that bump coming out of the cooler, BOOM, everything tumbled on the floor SMH and the pallet tipped. Good thing only a few busted open. Our milk delievery man likes to pile between 7-10 crates high.& happens to be when i need a flat to just take what i really need theres never one around and my team is using all of em. explains why my etl just tells me to take the entire pallet out.

I know what you mean. Often times stuff isn’t packed right and I’ll never fault someone for it. Flow never has time to check if pallets if they “have the wiggles”. I’m talking about jacks not being fully raised, people swinging them around when one side is obviously heavier than the other, or the pallet is broken and they’re dragging it. Some things are common sense. We really don’t just slap people with corrective actions just because something falls over.

Also if your ETL is just saying “push!” and something happens as a result, a half decent PMT should be able to correct that with the ETL-LOG.

I’m sorry. I’m just passionate about my floors.

 

[redcounts]

​

I know what you mean. Often times stuff isn’t packed right and I’ll never fault someone for it. Flow never has time to check if pallets if they “have the wiggles”. I’m talking about jacks not being fully raised, people swinging them around when one side is obviously heavier than the other, or the pallet is broken and they’re dragging it. Some things are common sense. We really don’t just slap people with corrective actions just because something falls over.

Also if your ETL is just saying “push!” and something happens as a result, a half decent PMT should be able to correct that with the ETL-LOG.

I’m sorry. I’m just passionate about my floors.

I've seen team members bring slightly cracked pallets to the floor, but honestly i don't blame them, they don't do it on purpose, they are working with sense of urgency and half the time their etl/lod is stressing them about getting everything done in one shift over the walkie and saying "Are you done yet"? I'm sure they aren't doing it on purpose and thinking about ruining the tile on the floor. Unless the same team member or the team is doing this on a CONSTANT basis at your store, they for sure dont deserve a "write up" for doing it once or twice. However, management should always speak up, and pay attention to team members pulling out pallets/using electric jacks. Target in general likes to stress everyone about working extra fast, half the time i'm sure employees dont think about ruining the floor, they just pull those pallets out as fast as possible,stock and move on to the next task as fast they can.

Flow tends to do this a lot at our store and our second PA once he took out a cracked pumpkin pallet but i guarantee because it was from management stressing him out about his workload and working extra fast. I doubt he even noticed it was cracked because he was working so fast. however a decent PMT should always notice this and kindly talk to that team member and say hey! Listen please pay attention to the pallet when bringing it out to the floor, make sure it's leveled all the way up and not cracked etc.

 

[CTLGR8]

So I'm a hardlines tl getting moved to consumables for 4th quarter to run the show and I'm kind of starting to dread the fact I'm coming in a week after we're about to start trying a new process. Any advice for keeping motivated tms working at a quick pace every day so we actually finish trucks and not leave 6 dry uboats for the closer /next day?

Yes, the advice is, more money. With all that Market TMs are asked to do now with E2E. More money will definitely keep them motivated. Its the only thing. So will you? Will you provide for them more monies?

 

[BRHooligan]

Yes, the advice is, more money. With all that Market TMs are asked to do now with E2E. More money will definitely keep them motivated. Its the only thing. So will you? Will you provide for them more monies?

Looks like I'll have to be bad cop then.

 

[CTLGR8]

Looks like I'll have to be bad cop then.

Please answer the question.

 

[Fix It]

I've seen team members bring slightly cracked pallets to the floor, but honestly i don't blame them, they don't do it on purpose, they are working with sense of urgency and half the time their etl/lod is stressing them about getting everything done in one shift over the walkie and saying "Are you done yet"? I'm sure they aren't doing it on purpose and thinking about ruining the tile on the floor. Unless the same team member or the team is doing this on a CONSTANT basis at your store, they for sure dont deserve a "write up" for doing it once or twice. However, management should always speak up, and pay attention to team members pulling out pallets/using electric jacks. Target in general likes to stress everyone about working extra fast, half the time i'm sure employees dont think about ruining the floor, they just pull those pallets out as fast as possible,stock and move on to the next task as fast they can.

Flow tends to do this a lot at our store and our second PA once he took out a cracked pumpkin pallet but i guarantee because it was from management stressing him out about his workload and working extra fast. I doubt he even noticed it was cracked because he was working so fast. however a decent PMT should always notice this and kindly talk to that team member and say hey! Listen please pay attention to the pallet when bringing it out to the floor, make sure it's leveled all the way up and not cracked etc.

It’s my fault for not being more specific in this situation in the first place. I know every one is pushed to “full-tilt” on the flow. Accidents happen, we all know this. Repeat coaching and neglectful behavior is a different story though.

Like you mentioned, a decent PMT should always approach and discuss. It’s not our place to be disciplinarians. My store’s situation is super specific though so I was probably in the wrong to post in this thread in the first place... I’m just too damn passionate about the ground though lol

 

[groceryteamlead]

So curious question for all you PAS.
What is your monthly meat and produce markout report money total?

I QMOS very freely. Target doesnt have a reputation as a food store, and since Target is trying to achieve that we wanna sell the freshest and "prettiest" food possible. If you are trying to limit your QMOS though, some tips would be use coupons. Use coupons on everything, there is Bakery, produce and meat coupons. Also people throw out meat early, according to Steritech, we can keep meat dated for the same day till 8PM that day. So if it was dated for November 13 it would be good till November 13 8PM because we early date or meat and if it is frozen it is preserved. I use to be extremely conservative with how much I QMOS, I would order lighter and coupon all the time but wouldnt save that much money and my sales began to dip. But thats up to you, you can speak to too much QMOS like saying we as a company are trying to build a brand for food at target and due to Steritech violations we want to make sure we dont have expired food on the floor. Nothing turns off a guest more that expired or moldy food. Everyone remembers buying something expired or moldy.

 

[Greenandred]

We pull all of our meat and dated produce the night before. For awhile, best practice was to leave stuff on until day of, but was told it changed. DTL made t clear that he wants all produce products tossed regardless of quality after two weeks if it does not sell.