Is your store falling apart like mine?

[ExpertAtClosing]

Hi all, Long time lurker and I just joined the site.
Backstory.
I have been with Target now as closing expert for almost 7 years. I have had 48 team leads come and go. Is this normal? Does this happen at your store?
The workload keeps growing and growing with less people. We are now expected to push dairy pallets Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. Before we pull our priorities.
I only work 6-10. Those pallets usually take till around 7:00 - 7:30.
Then it's to our work centers. IF you don't end up backing up OPU's, SFS, or registers.
Check lanes get to sit on their asses if no one is in line. They don't even zone up their own lane anymore. And forget about asking them to push a priority. Except for me, I have one person who will always gladly push my pets pull for me.
They fire the wrong ETLs. They hire incompetent ETLs.
So going into 4th quarter, we are down a SE TL, a GM ETL and a store director going on leave (may give away my store with that info but oh well)

Thanks for letting me vent if you all got this far i really thank you.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

welcome! common event.

 

[buliSBI]

My last store was built like in 1995.

It always had a flooding issue in the backroom and rear fire exits.

It had minimal update of the Food Ave walls redone and bathrooms retiled in 2009.

It didn't have a full remodel until 2015.

Leadership wise - The initial leadership team I worked with from 2003-2005 was awesome. They treated all TMs with respect. And dealt with promblematic TMs and issues. I still talk to most of them today. They were eventually widdled out.

Then after a bounceback transfer coming back in 2006. The new leadership team was awful. HR screwed up my transfer. The initial promise to push me for a TL position was dropped. There were occasions I would catch them in lies. My schedule was constantly modified after posting. I had a complete open 24/7 schedule. And had me work part time hours. They promoted those that really brown nosed. And they wouldn't deal with problematic TMs. I would report of TMs leaving FA in sub-standard conditions - Leaving food out overnight or not doing proper cleaning and temps.

Leadership at my super was in my opinion OK but not totally competant. They pushed a lot of unnessary grunt work on Cart Attendants. Spill or trash behind the deli counter...call the Cart Attendant while Deli stood around.

My first store leadership was my 2nd family.

 

[ExpertAtClosing]

oh i didn't even get to the actual falling apart lol

 

[ION the Prize]

... They fire the wrong ETLs. They hire incompetent ETLs.
So going into 4th quarter, we are down a SE TL, a GM ETL and a store director going on leave (may give away my store with that info but oh well) ...

Last few months my store lost two leaders with notable people skills.

And we haven't had a SD in a while, and the last few weeks saw the exit of our HR ETL and Market TL. No replacements, so far.

As @Hardlinesmaster said, it's common. So, no, you're not giving away which store.

 

[OneGoodEar]

48 team leads in seven years?

 

[jenna]

Is your store falling apart like mine?​

Why yes, yes it is.

 

[FlowTeamChick]

Sounds like you're experiencing more than most, but yeah, kind of a hot mess at my store too.

 

[boobooduck]

Stores are falling apart because the C suite has never worked a day in a store or distribution center. Nor do they care or want to do so. Or if they do, the store stages it for them.
Makes me think of Undercover Boss and once the CEO realized the actual conditions, they always made some change.

 

[flow4areasonuno]

As a cashier, I signed up to be a cashier. I didn't take this job to do floor work. <--- I hear this on a regular basis. We've lost a few young folks because of this and I kinda get it honestly. If you applied for a cashier job you expect to do cashier work.

 

[Zxy123456]

As a cashier, I signed up to be a cashier. I didn't take this job to do floor work. <--- I hear this on a regular basis. We've lost a few young folks because of this and I kinda get it honestly. If you applied for a cashier job you expect to do cashier work.

I’ve been with Target 15 years. I was hired as a cashier but, have done practically everything in the store. When the check lanes are not busy cashiers always go help other departments. When the check lanes are busy peeps from other departments come help. That is the way it has always been at Target and that will never change. I work drive up now but, still help wherever need when drive up is slow. Anyone who just wants to cashier and nothing else should seek employment elsewhere. At my store even our HR peeps help on check lanes, service desk, and do flex when needed.

 

[ExpertAtClosing]

As a cashier, I signed up to be a cashier. I didn't take this job to do floor work. <--- I hear this on a regular basis. We've lost a few young folks because of this and I kinda get it honestly. If you applied for a cashier job you expect to do cashier work.

I get this, BUT, who only stays in their area besides leadership LOL

 

[ExpertAtClosing]

I’ve been with Target 15 years. I was hired as a cashier but, have done practically everything in the store. When the check lanes are not busy cashiers always go help other departments. When the check lanes are busy peeps from other departments come help. That is the way it has always been at Target and that will never change. I work drive up now but, still help wherever need when drive up is slow. Anyone who just wants to cashier and nothing else should seek employment elsewhere. At my store even our HR peeps help on check lanes, service desk, and do flex when needed.

Your store sounds like a unicorn 🥹

 

[ExpertAtClosing]

48 team leads in seven years?

Yup i kept a list. SDs, ETLs, and TLs

 

[HInbound]

Your store sounds like a unicorn 🥹

Nah, my store is absolutely thriving.

We just took 5 trucks in one night last week. Our SD is awesome. ETL's are mostly internal promotions.

Life is good. (other than my feet hurt)

 

[animalcrossing]

Our store is in shambles. Our fantastic SD got moved to a store in the suburbs and he was replaced with someone who was the speciality sales ETL at the highest performing store in the state. Sounds great, right? HELLLLL NOOOOO.
This SD has only been with Target for four years and it makes no sense how she even became SD - we had to explain to her what Target Circle was, for instance. She has brought the typical ETL/SD culture of gossiping in the TL and SD office (normally would be the starbucks but I'm at a small format which doesn't have one), cattiness and complete lack of care for every TM. This attitude has rubbed off on almost all the TLs except the checklanes TL and the closing TL.
For instance, we used to close the bathroom (we only have one for guests and it's locked with a code) an hour before close both for cleaning and also to prevent crackheads from doing anything stupid (we've had too many overdoses in that bathroom to risk it). First thing the new SD does is lift that policy so it's open all day no matter how messed up it is because "best practice."
She is also the reason we don't have any appreciation events anymore, why we're not allowed to buy snacks for the break room and why there are no more attendance awards. It is constant yelling at us over the walkie about what not to do, telling us to work faster (meanwhile I'm a fucking closer pushing four u-boats of freight a day AND doing everything else I need to such as OPUs, helping with drive ups at the checklanes, supporting the checklanes, helping guests, unlocking things, etc).
Probably the worst part of all this is how the HR TL has totally subscribed to this new SD's attitude. No matter what reason you give, she will deny your time off request without telling you why. During a huddle, someone brought it up and she said it's an "opportunity to talk and compromise." But there is no compromise. Your grandpa could be dying and she's still gonna deny your request and she was NOT like this before. In July I took off quite a few days in late August for moving into my college apartment as well as getting used to the first week of class which is time I have requested off for two years in a row without an issue. We talked about it, she said that was reasonable and it was approved at first but then randomly got switched to denied which I didn't think was possible. I know they're gonna say it's my fault for not realizing sooner but COME ON. My store is lucky my move-in day is on a day I'm not available to be scheduled, otherwise I would've flat out quit.
Speaking of quitting, we've had 12 TMs quit ever since our new SD got here (the most we've ever had at a time is 70 TMs so we have felt that hit) and I'm damn close to quitting too. With paid internships and the advancing of my career, I'm at the point where I don't *need* target anymore but I still like having money to cushion my bank account. Everyone is depressed, angry and on the brink of tears almost daily except for two of our TLs and this soulless husk of a person that is our SD. I feel bad for our closing TL the most because she used to work at the same store our new SD did and she always talks about how much of a shitshow that store was - now it has been brought right to what used to be a well-oiled machine! To make a Target veteran (20+ years) who normally doesn't take shit from anybody consider finally quitting and tell us closers she's grateful we put up with everything we deal with at the store level is almost impressive it's so bad.
Long rant over. How easy is it to transfer to another store? I need to at this point. I'm going insane.