Archived OH NO WE GOT A VISIT!!!!!!

[thetargetman]

They just do not want to see the truth they know is there!

 

[IamLegendTGT]

our DTL did this once. didn't give an auto red, but did walk in wearing street clothes, looked around for a bit, stopped next to me for a minute (still a super-newb GSA at that point) and eventually asked me to walkie the LOD to come meet him. I knew he looked really familiar but I didn't recognize him until I asked who I could tell the LOD they were coming to meet. I was soooo embarrassed. he still doesn't let me live that one down.

our visits are always super short though. they basically walk in, comment on how weird our guest service desk setup looks, walk the racetrack and nod a little, and zoom, gone. I guess we're either doing really well or really poorly. (we're definitely doing better than the other store in the area though... the Pfresh transition and moving to IGS to fit in a Starbucks did not go well for them.)

I heard the IGS setup is really weird.. How exactly does it work with sorting and chargeback

 

[RunForACallBox]

We have a visit tomorrow with our new group that our store is moving to the first week of Feb. Just a meet & greet visit though.

 

[tgtguy]

Years and years ago we had a big visit. I think it was a regional Vp or something like that. Anyways, that morning we had a huddle ( as usual) and they told us that the Vp was very tall and that we couldn't miss him. Then they went on to tell us if any of us saw them come in the front doors to calmly go over the walkie and say Lod the eagle has landed. I honestly thought wow this is some of the stupidest crap ever...but it has to be a joke. Sure enough about an hour later you hear over the walkie Lod the eagle has landed....it sounded like something out of an old war movie. I expected to see John Wayne turn the corner...

 

[tgtguy]

I have so much respect for DTLs that actually walk areas and speak to the tls in that area. When they ask about their areas the TLs get a chance to show what they know and be proud of the ownership of that area. I am sick of watching smug ETLs that act like their amazing leadership has resulted in a great looking area. In reality many times the area looks amazing and has amazing numbers is in spite of the ETL. And ETLs that freak when they get a visit show they have no confidence in their leadership. Never let them see you sweat! Never let the DTL see you sweat and never let the team see you sweat. They need to learn that and live it.

True but it would also be nice if they spoke to Tms as well.

 

[commiecorvus]

True but it would also be nice if they spoke to Tms as well.

I suspect they are worried about what might be said.

 

[Jeremy]

I heard the IGS setup is really weird.. How exactly does it work with sorting and chargeback

It doeant work at all. During major reshop peruods it gets overwhelming. Not the best idea, but works in stores with lower volume or space restrictions.

 

[thatcashierdude]

I heard the IGS setup is really weird.. How exactly does it work with sorting and chargeback

From what I've heard, there is a lot less space than a regular service desk. So everything gets compressed and overflows. I don't think I'd be able to deal with the amount of returns we get if we got the IGS remodel. Sure it'll save some space in smaller stores but it will absolutely not work in larger volume stores where target just wants to cram a starbucks in somewhere.

 

[radiochu]

I heard the IGS setup is really weird.. How exactly does it work with sorting and chargeback

I agree with what everyone else said, it doesn't seem to work very well. everyone who comes to our store when they're used to the one with IGS has to look around all puzzled for where returns go, then they bitch about their setup for like 10 minutes. IGS would NEVER work at our store. even though we're pretty low volume, the service desk is always inundated with items that guests have returned, reshop people just drop off and don't bother sorting, and defectives/empty packages that no one bothers processing, and nine times out of ten the TMs that leave all that don't tell us what they are so we just kind of have to be psychic and hope we don't send defectives back out to the floor or anything. also, our revlog doesn't seem to want to do all of her job, so things that are specifically supposed to go straight back to chargebacks and never up to GS (like leaky chemicals, etc.) also just get pitched at us to deal with.

though thinking of it that way, in a store that routinely ignores best practice as much as ours seems to with regards to GS, IGS might at least make it more difficult for TMs to drop off stuff and bolt.

 

[pellinore]

I have often wondered if DTL's don't want to see how the stores are actually operating because it would be a reflection on their own leadership. If they had to keep reporting red visits to their own bosses, what do you think would happen?

These visits just keep up the facade that stores are handling the lack of proper staffing just fine by making sure they have proper notice to buff it out beforehand.

The other day we were told we were going to have a big visit....group leader, DTL....and "others." it is kind of funny because the LOD gave this same answer.....about everything being a reflection of the DTL. Makes sense, but if the DTL can't get his district running well, shouldn't the Group Leaders know this?

I firmly believe that DTLs, RTLs, and GTL should often make unannounced visits...NEVER announce that they are coming.

Having the announced visit means that the VIPs don't really see "the real store." Isn't that why the VIPs come to visit....to see how things are?

You know, that's one of the neat things about the show "Undercover Boss".....the VIPs would really learn a great deal......they'd see the "real" way a store works.....or doesn't work.....and see the good things as well as the bad.

 

[Retail Girl]

True but it would also be nice if they spoke to Tms as well.

Everytime I work with my ETL, he goes over numbers with me just in case we get a visit, so I can be "ready" to answer for our goals, etc. I don't think he realizes that in all the time I've been with Target, the DTLs have never even looked my way, much less spoken to me....so they surely aren't going to start asking me about anything any time soon.

 

[Quattro]

Days we have visits always happen to be days that I'm closing. Usually that means I'm not getting there until WAY after the visit is over. I don't have to deal with the frantic cleanup, or the first wave of "ok going forward, we need to do this. I'm not sure what that means at the moment, or how it will affect our operation, but that's what we're doing."

 

[dannyy315]

This is usually how management reacts: