Archived Responding on walkie - what is your store's philosophy?

[Backtohardlines]

usually when calling for back up, the gsa/gstl waits for 10 seconds or so. usually by that point they are going to get some response, whether some say they are coming up or not ("i'm covering electronics, can some one else help out please?" or I'm coming from the back room) the Lod's get snarky if nothing is heard in like 20 seconds so everyone tries to answer. Since we're ULV there's usually only 2 or 3 people to answer so the talking over is kinda rare

 

[chevalier]

Thanks for the responses! I have found that the fewer people are in the store, the more we talk over each other, because we rely on our radios so much more.

Here is what happens at my store: SLOW-MO BREAKDOWN!

1. The GSTL hits the backup cashier button and it announces on the radio.
2. The instant the machine is done talking she paraphrases the exact same thing before anyone else has a chance to respond.
3. The LOD gets on the radio and says "Come on, guys! Who is going to back up?" or some platitude like that, even though no one has been able to get a word in edgewise yet.
4. Everyone gets on the radio at the same time with their excuses and talks over eachother.
5. The person who could respond gets talked over.

 

[Retail Girl]

everyone in my store is pretty good at answering backup calls, but it drives me nuts when the gsa/gstl asks for backup, then smacks the backup cashier button on the registerbefore anyone can answer. Or they request that backupsget on anything register except the express lane. I'll help get lines down if you'll help get me off the register in a timely manner.our gstls/gsas never block our lane our help try to get backups back to the floor.

They probably aren't hitting the button after they call for back up. What generally happens with us is that just as they hit the button to start talking on the walkie, I hit the button on my register for back up. So as soon as they finish asking for back up, my now useless button request goes through. That or I don't have a walkie and don't realize they've already called for back up.

 

[TargetCA]

I think it has to more with more authority, usually the GSTL starts and then if no1 responds, then the ETL's start to ask as a way of pressure (no big deal)

Our store which has a pretty big volume of sales floor, hardlines, and softlines can get backup pretty easily but then the problem is u gotta spread them around to the front lanes, guest services, pharmacy, or electronics. AS desperation, I know one GSTL who will call up any1 in order to help out 😛

One thing that I know NOT know (sorry) about this was who was usually calling for backup, I always thought there was some1 for instance the operator who had cameras to check on backup, but now I know its the cashiers calling for backup makes me think hey its kind of funny why there were like 10 calls for backup in like 1 minute lol

 

[lovecats]

We had a bunch of the seasonal cashiers last Christmas who were hitting the additional assistance instead of the help button. You'd hear it go off and then the GSTL/GSA would just say we're ok. They soon got that straightened out. Then there are some who will just move guests around and hardly ever call for backup.

 

[Avepico]

everyone in my store is pretty good at answering backup calls, but it drives me nuts when the gsa/gstl asks for backup, then smacks the backup cashier button on the registerbefore anyone can answer. Or they request that backupsget on anything register except the express lane. I'll help get lines down if you'll help get me off the register in a timely manner.our gstls/gsas never block our lane our help try to get backups back to the floor.

Couple things to keep in mind, cashiers do not have walkies so they may not have heard the GSTL call for backup and they hit the button. Also in my district, they do not want people on the express lanes, silly as that sounds. You can work around this by placing your cashiers in a fashion that encourages guests to go to them, instead of the backups.

I do agree with the importance of blocking off lanes. I keep telling my GSA's that if they want good response, our teams need to know that we will get them off as soon as we can. We are interrupting the other TM's work and they need to get back to it.

 

[Barcode]

It seems like the new team members at my store are the #1 responders. We just hired a lot of people so its hard to keep all of their names straight when I'm calling them up front 😀 haha

Hardlines and Softlines respond pretty evenly at my store

I usually put backup responders down on the end so they are the last lanes that guests go to. This way i dont have to block their lanes to get them back to the floor (and maybe upset a guest). I usually wait until things seem under control before I send backups back to the floor, because it'd be silly to send them back and have to call another backup 30 seconds later 😉

 

[MorurDreamcat]

*cough cough* I'm usually the smartass that asks like 9 times until someone finally responds because I'm in the backroom and the farthest away from the lanes while I KNOW others are closer... or I'll tell them... well since nobody else is responding, I will come up, but it will take me a couple of minutes since I'm on the wave to pull something and have to park it first and give the key back... (or something similar) and that's when the LOD suddenly jumps in, or someone responds ... :spiteful:

 

[SuzyTarget]

That is your problem right there. You need to utilize the tools you have right there in your own damn work center before you pull from others. QUOTE]

Sending guests to other departments to check out is not a good first choice over utilizing a backup because the guests don't like it. They will put up with it if they can see that we are very busy and doing our best but I've received many a look that could kill from guests who hate the suggestion (and it is a suggestion--I've never compelled a guest to move off the front end if they don't want to and I never will). I always do my best to respect salesfloor's time and minimize how often and how long they are at the lanes, but my top priority is keeping the lanes moving and, most importantly, the guests happy--it isn't trying not to inconvenience salesfloor.

 

[xxTheDudexx]

Generally if there is no reply over the walkie an LOD will start asking if anyone can respond to help the GSTL out at my store. Just have to keep asking. I hate it when I'm cart attendant and there is a call for backup and you just hear dead air when I'm in the parking lot with a train of carts. If nobody responds I'll eventually just tell the GSTL I can respond but I'm going to be a minute because I've got to bring a row of carts in.

 

[stupid rules]

That is your problem right there. You need to utilize the tools you have right there in your own damn work center before you pull from others. QUOTE]

Sending guests to other departments to check out is not a good first choice over utilizing a backup because the guests don't like it. They will put up with it if they can see that we are very busy and doing our best but I've received many a look that could kill from guests who hate the suggestion (and it is a suggestion--I've never compelled a guest to move off the front end if they don't want to and I never will). I always do my best to respect salesfloor's time and minimize how often and how long they are at the lanes, but my top priority is keeping the lanes moving and, most importantly, the guests happy--it isn't trying not to inconvenience salesfloor.

Sending them to other departments to check out? Guest service and food ave. are RIGHT THERE. Half the time they are doing nothing anyway. Read some of the posts on here about how there's only 1-2 people on the floor and how they get stuck up there or how the front end calls for help every 3 minutes. The front end is such a pampered and lazy work center. The GSTL position is a waste of payroll and should be eliminated.

 

[StaticSun]

Sending them to other departments to check out? Guest service and food ave. are RIGHT THERE. Half the time they are doing nothing anyway. Read some of the posts on here about how there's only 1-2 people on the floor and how they get stuck up there or how the front end calls for help every 3 minutes. The front end is such a pampered and lazy work center. The GSTL position is a waste of payroll and should be eliminated.

If you cannot appreciate the different challenges each workcenter faces and how we deal with them, I would highly recommend you hit the "Log Off" link on the top right hand side of this webpage and go take a walk, buddy. If you dare be so ignorant, I DARE you to go up to a GSTL in a different store and tell them you think they're a waste of payroll.

In that case, I really think the backroom day position should be eliminated, with the exception of 11-5. If they're not pulling CAFs, they don't need to be there! Right? If you need a guest check, a SFTM can do it!

And ya know what, let's eliminate the cart attendant while we're at it. Guests can do carryouts themselves! What about the stray carts? Let's do a wave-zone of the parking lot before we all clock out and we'll all grab carts.

GSTL/GSA? Yeah, whatever! Let's have the ETL-GE or the ETL-GE/Softlines take care of reviews, performance and attendance issues! We can have cashiers go do their own price checks. Speedweave? Pfft. Guests don't care what line they're in, as long as they eventually get out. Right? Oh, and the cashiers can take their breaks whenever they want. Need a supervisor override? Haha. Okay. Tell the LOD to stay at the checklanes all night. Or, give every cashier access to the changefund/supervisor override privileges. Nothing can go wrong, right?

After the night I just have, I could be a lot more uncivil and call you some really nasty names for being such an ignoramus. But, I'll let you figure out how I really feel about what you just said.

I'll be waiting for an apology for your super ignorant and downright disrespectful attitude.

 

[pfreshdude]

*cough cough* I'm usually the smartass that asks like 9 times until someone finally responds because I'm in the backroom and the farthest away from the lanes while I KNOW others are closer... or I'll tell them... well since nobody else is responding, I will come up, but it will take me a couple of minutes since I'm on the wave to pull something and have to park it first and give the key back... (or something similar) and that's when the LOD suddenly jumps in, or someone responds ... :spiteful:

Lol, how true. Our pfresh backroom is on the opposite side of the store in the backroom, so pretty much the furthest possible other than like 10 aisles of backroom. Everyone is pretty much closer than me. Yet somehow I end up going to backup a few times, even though somebody could of been on the lane about a minute quicker than me.

 

[redeye58]

Sending them to other departments to check out? Guest service and food ave. are RIGHT THERE. Half the time they are doing nothing anyway. Read some of the posts on here about how there's only 1-2 people on the floor and how they get stuck up there or how the front end calls for help every 3 minutes. The front end is such a pampered and lazy work center. The GSTL position is a waste of payroll and should be eliminated.

Yeh, how fun is it to send someone over to Food ave to check out only to find out we can't ring up their wine? Sometimes the screaming can be heard all the way back to TMSC.
We also had a guest 'directed over to FA' push her cart past, saying she would "check out at Starbux next door" only to see her continue out the door.
As to your generalized comments about front end, not gonna even dignify that with a remark except to say that yours must be a really messed-up front end at your store.

 

[stupid rules]

Explain to me why I should come up or send my 1 TM up to help when you have FA, GS and CA all doing nothing. Utilize the tools you have first! The GSTL is standing somewhere looking at the clipboard or trying to figure out why the leaves fall when the wind blows. Oh well I guess we do need them so they can go on the walkie to say grats to the cashier for getting a redcard or cheerlead to the store about the goal of redcards and to keep it up. All of those things you mention can easily be handled by someone who can also cashier, except speedweaving which doesn't happen anyway. As a GSA you shouldn't be writing reviews or coachings. Breaks can easily be taken care of by MAX. Price checks? Use the procedure you are taught and stop calling the salesfloor for a $1 difference on a bike. Are you going to send me cashiers to zone or put up reshop? Are you coming to set endcaps or PTM aisles? Are you going to go push everything on the line? No but I bet you leave on time every day. If you honestly don't see the benefits to whole store on sending someone to GS or FA to check out before you call the salesfloor up then I question your intelligence. Oh yeah, there's other teams in the store besides hardlines and softlines.

 

[SuzyTarget]

If you cannot appreciate the different challenges each workcenter faces and how we deal with them, I would highly recommend you hit the "Log Off" link on the top right hand side of this webpage and go take a walk, buddy. If you dare be so ignorant, I DARE you to go up to a GSTL in a different store and tell them you think they're a waste of payroll.

In that case, I really think the backroom day position should be eliminated, with the exception of 11-5. If they're not pulling CAFs, they don't need to be there! Right? If you need a guest check, a SFTM can do it!

And ya know what, let's eliminate the cart attendant while we're at it. Guests can do carryouts themselves! What about the stray carts? Let's do a wave-zone of the parking lot before we all clock out and we'll all grab carts.

GSTL/GSA? Yeah, whatever! Let's have the ETL-GE or the ETL-GE/Softlines take care of reviews, performance and attendance issues! We can have cashiers go do their own price checks. Speedweave? Pfft. Guests don't care what line they're in, as long as they eventually get out. Right? Oh, and the cashiers can take their breaks whenever they want. Need a supervisor override? Haha. Okay. Tell the LOD to stay at the checklanes all night. Or, give every cashier access to the changefund/supervisor override privileges. Nothing can go wrong, right?

After the night I just have, I could be a lot more uncivil and call you some really nasty names for being such an ignoramus. But, I'll let you figure out how I really feel about what you just said.

I'll be waiting for an apology for your super ignorant and downright disrespectful attitude.

Yeh, how fun is it to send someone over to Food ave to check out only to find out we can't ring up their wine? Sometimes the screaming can be heard all the way back to TMSC.
We also had a guest 'directed over to FA' push her cart past, saying she would "check out at Starbux next door" only to see her continue out the door.
As to your generalized comments about front end, not gonna even dignify that with a remark except to say that yours must be a really messed-up front end at your store.

Thank you both. I couldn't have said it better myself.

While the front end is currently my primary work center I have worked all over my SuperTarget and I have learned that every area of the store works very hard and they all have lots of challenges. There is no area that has it easy. My store has a very strong big team attitude and I am very grateful for that--especially when I am reading some of the remarks and opinions I see on this site.

 

[mxrbook]

Explain to me why I should come up or send my 1 TM up to help when you have FA, GS and CA all doing nothing. Utilize the tools you have first! The GSTL is standing somewhere looking at the clipboard or trying to figure out why the leaves fall when the wind blows. Oh well I guess we do need them so they can go on the walkie to say grats to the cashier for getting a redcard or cheerlead to the store about the goal of redcards and to keep it up. All of those things you mention can easily be handled by someone who can also cashier, except speedweaving which doesn't happen anyway. As a GSA you shouldn't be writing reviews or coachings. Breaks can easily be taken care of by MAX. Price checks? Use the procedure you are taught and stop calling the salesfloor for a $1 difference on a bike. Are you going to send me cashiers to zone or put up reshop? Are you coming to set endcaps or PTM aisles? Are you going to go push everything on the line? No but I bet you leave on time every day. If you honestly don't see the benefits to whole store on sending someone to GS or FA to check out before you call the salesfloor up then I question your intelligence. Oh yeah, there's other teams in the store besides hardlines and softlines.

Time for you to spend a little time on the front end. All those things mentioned can be and are handled by someone who can also cashier. The GSA/GSTLs in our store cashier when an ETL is available to "watch" the lanes for price inquiries and supervisor overrides. How about doing your job instead of throwing stuff on the shelves/racks without numbers so we don't have to do price checks?

When we finish our zones and reshop ($ spot, H&B, Essentials, Cartwell, End Caps), fund the drawers for the next day, pick up the money, coupons and audits from the cash drawers, write a closing email to our ETL-GE, restock the lanes, schedule the breaks/lunches & assign the lanes (neither of which Max does), do our final brand walk, take the last tubs of CRC, ESIM, Salvage, Toss from GS, we send cashiers, CAs, GSAs and GSTLs to the floor to finish your job so we can all go home at the same time.

All the positions at Spot are important. Get over yourself.

ETA: I wondered about your screen name because it's a bit ambiguous. Or at least it was.

 

[Barcode]

Explain to me why I should come up or send my 1 TM up to help when you have FA, GS and CA all doing nothing. Utilize the tools you have first! The GSTL is standing somewhere looking at the clipboard or trying to figure out why the leaves fall when the wind blows. Oh well I guess we do need them so they can go on the walkie to say grats to the cashier for getting a redcard or cheerlead to the store about the goal of redcards and to keep it up. All of those things you mention can easily be handled by someone who can also cashier, except speedweaving which doesn't happen anyway. As a GSA you shouldn't be writing reviews or coachings. Breaks can easily be taken care of by MAX. Price checks? Use the procedure you are taught and stop calling the salesfloor for a $1 difference on a bike. Are you going to send me cashiers to zone or put up reshop? Are you coming to set endcaps or PTM aisles? Are you going to go push everything on the line? No but I bet you leave on time every day. If you honestly don't see the benefits to whole store on sending someone to GS or FA to check out before you call the salesfloor up then I question your intelligence. Oh yeah, there's other teams in the store besides hardlines and softlines.

I'm so tired of sales floor acting like their job is the most important in the store.. The #1 priority for any TM in the building is driving SERVICE. Guess what workcenter the front end is called? "Guest Service". Derp. Anyways Sales Floor TM is N03 just like Cashier/Guest Service TM, so I don't know why they always strut around like they're important.

Sure, price checks should only be done in extravagant cases, and in the case of a small $1 difference the Cashiers should know that they are empowered to make "reasonable price adjustments" under guest price challenge, which will later be audited during PCV, but its still your job to check it if the GSTL wants.

You seem to think that we do nothing but help guests? Wrong! We have so many things to do, that on a busy night where we can't pull cashiers to do any of it, that its not always easy. We have endcaps to set, dollar spot to maintain (and do PTM), we have to zone most of the departments adjacent to the front end, we work our own abandons (SF never helps put away $spot abandons even though we help them with theirs), maintain a brand front end, i could go on and on. Oh yeah and backroom has been giving service desk the Backroom Price Change load lately! It's not easy for the GSTL and the Cart Attendant to do these things all by themselves, yet on a busy night that is usually what happens until the last hour before store close.


/end rant

 

[Retail Girl]

Most of my price checks are from things that either don't ring up in the system, or managed to make it to the shelf without any sort of helpful label. If it's a guest challenge, I call on the major ones. And "both of those pairs of shoes should be 50% off because I saw a sign 4 feet away" is major enough to call on in my book.

in my store, GS is the first one to jump on for backup when available. Believe me, this past week, the store has looked like hell in the front area because it's been so busy that the cashier don't get more than a one minute break between customers when I've been there. When we do get breaks, we are doing many things, including reshop and zoning near the front end.

 

[redandkhaki]

There is so much I want to say in response to several remarks in this thread but they honestly don't really deserve an explanation. Until you come work in my shoes at my store you honestly don't know what i do for my entire shift. So for you to say that they should get rid of my position is really insulting.

 

[redeye58]

Calling only for the most egregious price checks (& not the small crap)? Yep.
Sending cashiers out to the floor to help zone & put away reshop? Double check.
Sending cashiers out at close to help zone/reshop while I zone front end/one spot/close SD? Oh, yeh.
That's why I'd expect an occasional response for back-up. Yeh, I DO send my responders back ASAP.
Quid pro quo.

Again, sounds like your store's front end is messed up bad.
Don't tar us all with the same brush, tho.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Remind me, not to come for backup at the frontend., iz. It's a team effort. Without us, you have no guests to ring up.

 

[Barcode]

Of course it is.. I was mainly replying to the idiot that said the Gstl position should be eliminated.

Some days front end isn't busy and we do help the floor out. I don't expect sales floor to ever help us with our non service tasks, but I expect responses to the lanes/desk during backups.

 

[ISIS639]

Sending them to other departments to check out? Guest service and food ave. are RIGHT THERE. Half the time they are doing nothing anyway. Read some of the posts on here about how there's only 1-2 people on the floor and how they get stuck up there or how the front end calls for help every 3 minutes. The front end is such a pampered and lazy work center. The GSTL position is a waste of payroll and should be eliminated.

I agree with you about Guest Service. I will go as far as to say I use guest service while I speed weave long before backup is ever needed. They don't love it, but I also help with their tasks when we have down time, so everything that needs to get done, gets done. However, I would only ever use Food Ave in extreme situations and NOT as a substitute for back-up or even to avoid it. They should never ring up chemicals or really anything that is considered ESIM. Avoiding cross-contamination is something we owe our guests. I don't care if 999/1000 no cross contamination happens. If it happens, there may be a 99.9% chance its harmless, but as a store with a food service area, its is our responsibility to protect against that 0.0001% chance.

I may catch some flack for this, but as a GSTL as a ULV store. I agree with you the position should be eliminated, or at least changed at stores like mine. I can't tell the frustrations I feel as I try to speed weave with 1 cashier and 1 guest service team member. To be fair, during busy times, there are 2 cashiers scheduled and 1 guest service tm, but there are always lunches and breaks to be done, so I don't usually actually have all of them. During this time, I also have to send someone out for carts. I am not allowed to jump on register. Its dumb. I am however, allowed to call for back-up and jump on until back up gets there. Guess what? 75% of the time, me jumping on solves the issue, so when the back-up gets there, they aren't needed. But I'm not allowed to jump on unless someone is coming to relieve me. If I'm on register and guest service needs help, a damn LOD can respond or someone can take over for me. Sorry the guest may have to wait and extra minute.

Give the cashiers a walkie so they can do their own price checks? That's inflammatory!!

 

[Barcode]

Yeah well thats a totally different issue though. At my store we usually have at least 10 cashiers at any given time (or about 20-23 for an entire day) so theres a lot more going on... However in the early mornings i'll hop on sometimes as long as im nearby all my cashiers, or at least bag for someone. Any GSA/GSTL here who works at a higher volume store would agree with me that the front end would die a swift death without our constant attention; theres just so much going on.

I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to merge the softlines TL and GSTL at ULV stores or something like that and just allocate more Cashier hours (yeah right haha). Imo at an ULV cashiers should carry walkies.. If theres only 1-2 lanes open, you want the lines to keep moving!