Hey guys. At the end of the day, the spot is an awesome place to work. You can't always expect 40 hours, but can always get close if your cross trained and have open availability. I love my team, and sometimes alls we need is a little positive thinking and motivation to be happy. For those of you that believe it is "horrible" and "miserable" and boo hoo, maybe retail is just not your thing! No biggie, try something else. Most likely you're not very productive if your miserable anyhow. Lastly, if you believe the spot is a bad place to work, try something very difficult and you will certainly appreciate what you have. I spent 4 years in the military and it certainly gives you perspective on what's hard work and what isn't. Sometimes I just sit and laugh reading threads of. How some people can be miserable when they have it so easy!! Sometimes we all need a gut check...
Archived Just a heads up
- Thread starter Albusmc
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blah blah blah. I have been miserable at Target several times in my 7 years. It didn't change what I did and how much I got done. Right now I love going to work because my leadership happens to be excellent, the people in my work center are for the most part fantastic while getting everything done and usually faster than need be, and we are all getting roughly the hours that we want.
I am the same person that would have been *****ing up a storm about how everything is terrible and miserable 2 years ago when our team sucked, we weren't getting much done, and the hours were terrible. Maybe I wasn't cut out for retail 2 years ago, was cut out 7 years ago, and now I am once again cut out.
You are right though since other jobs are worse everyone should just shut up and take whatever they are given. I think this site should just be just down. No reason all to come to an online site full of people doing the same thing and just vent a little. Please admins just shut this site down. Waste of time really.
I am the same person that would have been *****ing up a storm about how everything is terrible and miserable 2 years ago when our team sucked, we weren't getting much done, and the hours were terrible. Maybe I wasn't cut out for retail 2 years ago, was cut out 7 years ago, and now I am once again cut out.
You are right though since other jobs are worse everyone should just shut up and take whatever they are given. I think this site should just be just down. No reason all to come to an online site full of people doing the same thing and just vent a little. Please admins just shut this site down. Waste of time really.
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The site was created to learn, teach, vent, & do our jobs better. I have been at spot longer than you, I do missed the old days. But, shutting the site down will not happen anytime soon.
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If you believe everything is fine and dandy, you're probably the person that comes in, does what they're told, and leaves. There's nothing wrong with that. But there are others here who are trying to make a difference with a positive attitude and great suggestions, but are being shot down by incompetent, brainless zombies who love telling other people what to do.
If you don't like this site, try this.
If you don't like this site, try this.
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when the only job of recent memory to compare target to is the military, of course working at target would be heaven. Some of us have had jobs that put us in the top 10% of income earners and have felt the need to throw spot into the mix. It's what I did for about a year before realizing spot is a waste of time and going back to a high paying career in my own field. In my case I felt I could work my way from TM to TL in 6 months and TL to ETL in a year or two with a degree. What I found was it's purely seniority, not productivity or attitude.
At spot I was told several times I didn't have enough experience at Target, I was passed over on promotion, it took nearly a year to get the 25 cent raise for a position that I'd been working since 2 weeks after I started.
At my current job in IT I was promoted in under 2 months and given a 40% pay increase. I recently went to lunch with the CEO 1 on 1. People can't stop gushing about how smart I am, how talented I am, and work is fun without corporate nonsense.
Basically, Target is a worthless position that you should only work until something better comes along. Unless you are an ETL you need to find something else to do. And don't say "It's a job, someone has to do it". There are plenty of teenagers that need jobs right now that would gladly work for that pay and quite frankly should be the ones working at target as transitional employment while 20 somethings finish a college education in a worthwhile field and enjoy success.
You know I usually lurk here from time to time, but I really can't stand the "it could be worse stop *****ing" mentality. That attitude is why Target and many other companies are failing. It's why people themselves are failures. It's a lazy attitude. By recognizing the flaws of the workplace and company, being proactive, and having management that actually listens, these problems could be easily rectified.
but whatever.
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Op—I also sometimes think the complaining on this site gets a little excessive/petty but then I remember that just because I don’t agree with someone else’s complaint that doesn’t mean their complaint is invalid, it just means we all have our own point of view. We also all have our own way of dealing with our frustrations—some people just need to get it all out there so they can move on. Better to vent your complaints and frustrations here then to spew it at guests/coworkers and leadership and risk your job. As far as some people not being cut out for retail goes, those people already know that about themselves, but maybe they just haven’t had the time or opportunity to move on to something else yet and they are just coping the best they can for now. Also, if you spend enough time on this site you will eventually notice that when someone comes here with a truly lame complaint they will quickly be put in their place by other posters.
pzychopopgroove
cyberpunk//my little pony
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Saying spot is an awesome place to work? Go **** yourself. I walked out of that job. It was the worst I have ever had. I was crosstrained and got ****ed into barely over 20 hour weeks. On a regular ****ing basis. The only reason I put up with it so long: my fellow team members. To be honest, I am glad I walked out. I was one of the more productive cashiers in my WHOLE store and I was still miserable. Get it? Jobs can be stressful. Retail is one of the hardest. Shut the **** up and get off of the break room you idiotic troll.
I now work at a gas station which isn't much better but at least management listens to your concerns. Some of the stuff corporate does actually MAKES SENSE. Did that happen at Target? HELL NO. And I can get away with telling off problem customers! Could I at spot without being written up or coached? Not a chance in hell.
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Please post this on RED360...this is the type of thing they can really get behind and rally.
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Every now and then I read something on here that I would swear is written by someone sitting at a desk in Minneapolis.
The Mule
Jack Of All Workcenters
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Oh, let's be honest now, it's not all rainbows and unicorns for them either. They obviously don't have to deal with any of the stuff we do, but every job comes with it's own headaches. Still, I'd love it if we could get a few of them on here and here some honest accounts of the BS that gets flung around in the corporate world.
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I totally agree with you.
I think you need to remember that most people on this site are young and/or have only worked retail, food, and other "service" jobs. For some, Target may have been their only job.
When that is all you know, then you really don't know what you are missing out on. I really didn't know how bad it was until I got out and stared working for SCEA. The difference is like night and day. I make good money, I am treated well, I get every holiday off with pay, weekends off, invited to industry events, 8 hours vacation & 8 hour sick earned every month, my health insurance kicks ass compared to what I had at Target, I get bonuses, etc. I would never go back to retail now.
The thing is that I never knew what I was missing out on because Target had been my only job.
To make matters worse, Target (especially ETLs - either intentionally or not) makes TMs/TLs believe that retail is all they can do. It demoralizes people. They are constantly treated like they are stupid, unskilled, etc. This may be true for some TMs, but there are a lot of people I have met that at work at Target that could probably go out and do much better if they applied themselves. The problem is that they are convinced they can't do any better. I was just like this - convinced I couldn't do any better for years at Target.
What caused me to change? A couple things.
1. I promoted from TM, to spec, to TL. Eventually I was told I couldn't promote any further without a degree. This really opened my eyes to the fact I was going to be stuck at Target forever in the same position if I didn't do something to change.
2. As a TL, I started to see how TMs were treated.... especially behind the scenes. For one thing, I was basically told by ETLs to harass TMs about BS issues. I sat in the TL office (often times without the ETLs knowing I was there) while they were in meetings and laughed and made fun of TMs behind their backs. Comments I remember are "Hey, no need to go to Target when you can work at Target pushing carts" and "Hey what do you guys think about that retarded flow team member. Oh well that's all of them". They all had big laughs, but when they went out on the floor TMs were actually convinced they respected them. I was thinking WTF am I working for these people for?
3. Again as a TL, I saw how unfair TMs were being treated. For example, being told to write poor reviews for outstanding TMs.
4. I came from an upper middle class family, so I knew how things "could" be in life. My family and I never wanted for anything, but I saw TMs so desperate for money they stole from registers. At my store, one was caught on average once a month. Many of them were not evil people - just desperate people. Many of them had previously begged me for hours, but as a TL there was very little I could do in that regard. More single moms did this than I can count. Most TMs at my store were struggling to have their bills paid, cars repossessed, etc. Of course, the teenagers that lived at home thought the job was great. For many TMs, they grew up poor and didn't know much else. Basically you can't miss something you never had. My store was located in a poor ghetto area in a southern state with few social services, so for most TMs their problems were particularly bad. Myself as a TL faired a little better than most TMs, but I still knew my socioeconomic condition could be much better.
5. I started to think. As I was zoning aisles alone for hours, I was thinking "WTF? I know I am capable of more than this. Why am I here?". That starts to build on you.
6. I realized that many TMs were negative, and I think I learned to think like them over time. I constantly heard comments like "College is worthless" (Ironic, because my associates degree got me my current job), or people would just say things that were totally stupid - like "If there weren't so many immigrants I wouldn't be poor". I would just think, dude, we are poor because we work at Target. Basically people were just blaming other things for their condition (the wrong things) or were just negative in general and tried to keep everyone down. Obviously this wasn't the case for all TMs, but everyone on this forum knows what I am talking about.... every store has a group of ultra-negative TMs.
7. Being treated like an idiot got to me. For example, the anti-union video. I've been to college and I know the benefits that unions bring and the selfish reasons why corporations oppose them. I thought they must think I am an idiot when they showed me that video. Interesting fact - the actors in the video are actually UNION MEMBERS. Here is actually an article on it: http://www.salon.com/2011/06/16/target_anti_union_ad_starring_union_member/
Everyone on this forum should read a book called "Nickel and Dimed". It really opens your eyes to retail and other service jobs.
Glad your happy. I can guarantee you that it will not last, might take a few years but it will come to an end. Ive seen Target only get worse for 10+ years and have faith that it will only get worse. I actually use to be a positive person that could take endless amounts of BS but Target has sucked that out of me completely.
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You do know that when a company is rated "places to work for", it refers to corporate HQ jobs, not satellite jobs, right?
Or do you think when Shell Oil is rated "best to work for" it is talking about your shell gas station?
Hi Greg!! Thanks for joining the site! How's life for you? You enjoying your new corporate jet? That's cool!
You also obviously have no business knowledge. Yes, they are "growing" into Canada, which so far has cost them quite a bit of money and isn't really going so great. They are gaining profit, or in other words, "showing" profit. How are they doing this? Oh yeah, by cutting health insurance and hours to the absolute bare minimum. Sure, it's showing that we're making TONS of money right now, but at the expense of the things that made Target a place people wanted to shop. Quick lines? Nope. More like "Wait in line for 20 minutes while the one cashier has a panic attack because there is virtually no one else in the store." Clean look? Nope. There's no one to zone. Aisles are trashed, things are in the wrong spot, on the floor, etc. Designer brands for cheap? $5 lollipops. Great guest service? Pfft. When they actually DO find someone to help them in the barren wastelands that is the Target store, that person is so busy with tasks and helping other guests that they're lucky if they can get that ONE guest what they need in a reasonable amount of time. Full shelves and items that they want in stock? Nope. Instocks team has lost hours and have to run to scan the entire store in time, and then, what they do scan, sits in the backroom because there is no one available to put it out on the shelves. Don't even mention electronic items. "Put them on sale! No store has any of them and we won't be sending them any for another 6 months! Put them on sale!" Also, don't even bring up target.com. The utter failure of that website continues to amaze me...
So yeah, we are showing profits. But we won't be for long if we keep going the way we're going. We're sacrificing the things that make us money to make it appear as though we are making more money than planned. You know who also did most of the same things we've started doing? Circuit City. Where is Circuit City now?
Profits don't mean a damn thing. All that pretty number on the financial statements is is a way to divert people who will buy your stocks from seeing that you don't have a damn clue what you're doing and are actually LOSING money instead of gaining it. Target Canada was a terrible idea, and why they would even think to do that before they figured out what they were doing in the US is beyond me.
OH, and Target is rated in the Top 50 companies to work for? http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2011/full_list/
Funny, I don't see them anywhere on that list....or any other list from the past 8 years. Seems you were wrong.
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that's funny, it reads as if a foreigner wrote it, perhaps somebody from target india?
AssetsProtection
APTL
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Just died laughing. Wow omg lmaoooo
redeye58
Hasta Ba Rista, Baby!
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Why is he a troll? What he is saying is true. Most people in the country don't work retail/service sector. The vast majority of people outside retail/service sector make good money, good benefits, and good working conditions. There is nothing wrong with stating the truth.
Some people on this forum want to pretend that retail is the only job that exists in the world and seem pissed whenever anyone leaves retail and tells everyone how great it is working outside of retail. I still visit this forum because I visit Target stores as part of my job and like to know what is going on with Target still. It is hard to not encourage people to try to get a better job now that I know how possible and worthwhile it is to get it.
This is just like when I come to stores - any store - best buy, target, gamestop, etc - employees will ask me "How did you get your job?" (I am a playstation rep). I always tell them "Dude - I applied for it". It sounds like I am being a smart a** with them, but I am not. That is literally what every playstation rep in my city did. Applied for the job, interviewed, got hired. People act like it is some kind of impossible thing to leave retail. It really isn't that complicated.
But he is right - you have to apply yourself. Start making connections. Want to be a playstation rep, for example? Next time your playstation rep comes in ask them "Hey, are there any current openings for playstation reps right now?". If you live in a major city there are usually at least 5-6 sony reps. We know when someone quits/promotes/etc. As long as you are cool with your playstation rep they will probably help you out letting you know when a vacancy comes up.
Point is - start networking. Have a friend that works outside retail? Find out if they are hiring.
I can not stress this one thing enough - APPLY for jobs. Jobs will not come to you. One of my friends from high school that worked at best buy wanted to be a fire fighter. He applied every few months for 2 years. Eventually he got the job by straight up applying for it every time it came up. Yea, it took 2 years, but he got the job and doesn't work at best buy anymore.
Make the effort to get a job outside of retail. You will be amazed what happens. I'm telling you this as a favor to you - I wish someone would have told me about working outside of retail years ago. Back then, I thought it was a huge thing to get a job outside of retail so I never even tried. The reality is that it really isn't that hard.
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Coming in a little late to respond to the original post but here goes ...
Yep, retail is easier than many jobs.
I've done a whole bunch of work that sucks much more (never been in the military and I want to thank you for your service by the way).
There are people here who remember when Spot was a great place to work, when they did treat their people very well, had health benefits, retirement plans, plenty of hours, specialist positions etc.
That has changed drastically over the years, to a point where Spot is edging closer and closer to Walmart in it's treatment of the employees but still tries to present itself as the same company that it was in the old days.
I'm sure you can see why that upsets people.
While retail work can be fairly easy all too often Spot goes out of its way to make it more difficult.
Between poor planning, bad design, horrible cut backs in scheduling and inefficient management, we on the ground are made to work twice as hard and accomplish half as much.
This too creates a level of frustration that you see here daily.
The people here are good at their jobs and work hard by in large, which makes some of the problems they are having even more frustrating because there is little if nothing in terms of recognition for that from corporate (the folks running the stores are often great but I'm talking about giving back from the main office).
In short, you are right on a small scale but missed the main point, don't take the jumping you got personally, stick around and you could learn a lot.
Yep, retail is easier than many jobs.
I've done a whole bunch of work that sucks much more (never been in the military and I want to thank you for your service by the way).
There are people here who remember when Spot was a great place to work, when they did treat their people very well, had health benefits, retirement plans, plenty of hours, specialist positions etc.
That has changed drastically over the years, to a point where Spot is edging closer and closer to Walmart in it's treatment of the employees but still tries to present itself as the same company that it was in the old days.
I'm sure you can see why that upsets people.
While retail work can be fairly easy all too often Spot goes out of its way to make it more difficult.
Between poor planning, bad design, horrible cut backs in scheduling and inefficient management, we on the ground are made to work twice as hard and accomplish half as much.
This too creates a level of frustration that you see here daily.
The people here are good at their jobs and work hard by in large, which makes some of the problems they are having even more frustrating because there is little if nothing in terms of recognition for that from corporate (the folks running the stores are often great but I'm talking about giving back from the main office).
In short, you are right on a small scale but missed the main point, don't take the jumping you got personally, stick around and you could learn a lot.
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So, I've been around and I know quite a bit about the business as well. In regards to spot being one of the top 50 companies, you're right, I was wrong. They are ranked 22 by Forbes as "Americas most reputable companies" pretty impressive and that speaks for itself. They also ranked 25 by fortune as "Worlds most admired companies" also speaks volumes. Target is not the only thing I have to compare to business besides the Marines either. I worked in the private sector for 5 years after the Marines, before going to spot, so believe me I know a good business when I see it/live it.
I have also seen several TM leave and then come back to the spot after they realized how good they had it. Some of you do not sound confident in your management. Well that is the perfect opportunity to speak to them about it to make them better. You can't assume they know it all.
There is a ton of opportunity to advance if you show potential and a drive to want to make yourself better. If your not moving up then prove how valuable you can be! There is no reason to be upset that you need a degree to advance to ETL. If that is the route you want to take, get out and get one!! I worked full time, traveled 5 days a week and supported a stay at home mom and my daughter while going to school full time. It can be done. Don't doubt what you can achieve or how valuable you are.
Lastly, Gregg is spelled with 2 g's.
I have also seen several TM leave and then come back to the spot after they realized how good they had it. Some of you do not sound confident in your management. Well that is the perfect opportunity to speak to them about it to make them better. You can't assume they know it all.
There is a ton of opportunity to advance if you show potential and a drive to want to make yourself better. If your not moving up then prove how valuable you can be! There is no reason to be upset that you need a degree to advance to ETL. If that is the route you want to take, get out and get one!! I worked full time, traveled 5 days a week and supported a stay at home mom and my daughter while going to school full time. It can be done. Don't doubt what you can achieve or how valuable you are.
Lastly, Gregg is spelled with 2 g's.
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