MEGATHREAD Signing Tips, Tricks and Quips (along with howls of despair)

Yea this CSE set is crazy. Why couldn't they give us this back when the most work I had to do was put headers in from sales planners. They wait until L&G and the Easter transition. On top of that I only have 2 days for signing this week and 1 day next week. I just received my third pallet today. It seems no one in the store knew anything about this set. I tell them yea its suppose to take X amount of time and they are like "Well there are no hours". So i told my PTL I will have everything done by April. I am happy that they put it on hold, but I literally do not have anywhere to put these pallets. This whole ordeal has just been a disaster.
 
Well thanks for the heads up guys about the patio furniture displays. My PTL would not have told me that crap until probably the day we set L&G. So are you guys still going to continue putting up CSE's this week? If you guys are, I feel like I should as well.
 
Well thanks for the heads up guys about the patio furniture displays. My PTL would not have told me that crap until probably the day we set L&G. So are you guys still going to continue putting up CSE's this week? If you guys are, I feel like I should as well.

My stl came directly to me with the urgent news messageboard about holding off on any more cse, so I know I won't be.
I'm scared of what the issue might be. Haven't heard anything else about it.
 
Well thanks for the heads up guys about the patio furniture displays. My PTL would not have told me that crap until probably the day we set L&G. So are you guys still going to continue putting up CSE's this week? If you guys are, I feel like I should as well.

My stl came directly to me with the urgent news messageboard about holding off on any more cse, so I know I won't be.
I'm scared of what the issue might be. Haven't heard anything else about it.

My PTL and ETL are cool with me not doing any more with the CSE.

What I'm worried about is that there will be new hardware for it...or something is going to swap out. The directions are horrendous and are not clear for stores that have both a high wall attached with the low wall, and if the signing is supposed to go behind the high wall or not. I don't want to have to redo it.

There are plenty of other projects on my To-Do list that I can tackle after my regular workload is done, instead of the CSE. One of which is making space to store the CSE so the LOG-ETL will get off my back about the two gigantic pallets. Need to make room in the fixture room first.
 
Average time to build all the displays for L&G?

All day. I didn't do it. The SFT is responsible for the BBQs and the Bike Builder did it with some help from others. I just built the BBQs that went inline.

Also, you should be getting transition guides for every transition and the lawn+patio visual adjacency and map. This will make your job much easier.

If you're not getting it in your mailbox, you can find it on Workbench by going to Transition Communication.
 
Well thanks for the heads up guys about the patio furniture displays. My PTL would not have told me that crap until probably the day we set L&G. So are you guys still going to continue putting up CSE's this week? If you guys are, I feel like I should as well.

My stl came directly to me with the urgent news messageboard about holding off on any more cse, so I know I won't be.
I'm scared of what the issue might be. Haven't heard anything else about it.

My PTL and ETL are cool with me not doing any more with the CSE.

What I'm worried about is that there will be new hardware for it...or something is going to swap out. The directions are horrendous and are not clear for stores that have both a high wall attached with the low wall, and if the signing is supposed to go behind the high wall or not. I don't want to have to redo it.

There are plenty of other projects on my To-Do list that I can tackle after my regular workload is done, instead of the CSE. One of which is making space to store the CSE so the LOG-ETL will get off my back about the two gigantic pallets. Need to make room in the fixture room first.

Yeah I agree. I am loving this break from it. I am just worried about what they might be changing. I didn't even receive my endwall clips for soft lines. I ended up having to watch the video on workbench to get a better idea on how to set the cse.
I definitely spent all day today getting caught up on random work left behind from last week.
Now to listen to everyone in my backroom complaining about my pallets being in the way :/
 
Average time to build all the displays for L&G?

All day. I didn't do it. The SFT is responsible for the BBQs and the Bike Builder did it with some help from others. I just built the BBQs that went inline.

Also, you should be getting transition guides for every transition and the lawn+patio visual adjacency and map. This will make your job much easier.

If you're not getting it in your mailbox, you can find it on Workbench by going to Transition Communication.


At my store everyone builds all the L&G displays. Everyone being myself and the presentation team. The sft builds the grills. Usually takes a day depending on if signing is going up with the displays.
 
@NOP, it looks like I have to build whatever your bike builder built, since I am the bike assembly guy. LOL. Where can I find the list of displays that need to be built?

I went off of the visual adjacency for the floor pad. It's really hard to try and explain when I don't know what you don't have, which I am going to assume is everything.

First, get with your PTL and ask for the visual adjacency and the floor map for the patio/stack flat.

You will need this map because it will show you the layout of where the rugs, umbrellas, bases, furniture, etc. will go on the stack flat, along with the DPCIs for those items.

On the back side of this map will be letters that correspond with "P", "L" or "R". P is for pillow, L is for lantern, and R is for rug. The back side will tell you what goes there and where it should be placed.

Getting that floor map is key to saving your sanity.

The visual adjacency (looks like a softlines visual adjacency book) will show you the DPCIs that you will need, what each patio collection looks like, and which ones use the shovel signs versus the green cardboard sign holder.

You need the visual adjacency because it has the DPCIs for the patio collection items, and you need to match that with your floor map to know what collection pieces go where, and how the stack flat should be organized.

The only other thing I can think of, which will make your life incredibly difficult is to print out the planogram and go off of the line listing, but it won't tell you what stays in a box and what is to be built.

I cross-referenced my BBQ list in the visual adjacency book with my POG to make sure that the BBQ was actually featured on the POG, and pulled those out for my SFT to put together. Note on the BBQs - some are display DPCIs, some are box stock DPCIs...you need that list near the end of the visual adjacency.

Tip: Put up the overheads before you do the patio/stack flat.
 
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Thanks @NOP and everyone else!! You guys are helping me out more than my own PTL. My PTL ASSUMES I know everything, when I'm technically still training myself. I've only been solo as signing for 3 weeks now, so that's why I may ask questions that makes you guys think "This guy doesn't know what he is doing?" So this forum has really saved my sanity and I really appreciate all your guys' help!
 
Thanks @NOP and everyone else!! You guys are helping me out more than my own PTL. My PTL ASSUMES I know everything, when I'm technically still training myself. I've only been solo as signing for 3 weeks now, so that's why I may ask questions that makes you guys think "This guy doesn't know what he is doing?" So this forum has really saved my sanity and I really appreciate all your guys' help!

@The Global TM, Nah, it's all good. You can always pick my brain anytime you need help.

I know what it's like to be brand new in the role, but I used to help out the former signing person as their backup, got promoted when they got TL. Previous plano experience helped.

It takes about a year to get the hang of the position - a little longer to really understand everything. And then there are things like the CSE set that really throw you for a loop.
 
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I wish I can say the same thing @NOP! The former signing guy was lazy at training me, and I was training during Halloween and Christmas time, so there wasn't much training to be done, especially prepping me for these transitions. (past, current, and future) I've gotten the most help by talking to our SFT (also previously a signing person) and really have learned more from him than the former signing and my PTL. I'm glad I discovered the Break Room, or else I would have either walked out or put in my two weeks, just to not deal with such a "DOESN'T relate well to others" PTL!

On a side note, there already has been talks about making me a TL and eventually ETL, how serious should I take these talks? What's the process? How long? Any info is helpful
 
I wish I can say the same thing @NOP! The former signing guy was lazy at training me, and I was training during Halloween and Christmas time, so there wasn't much training to be done, especially prepping me for these transitions. (past, current, and future) I've gotten the most help by talking to our SFT (also previously a signing person) and really have learned more from him than the former signing and my PTL. I'm glad I discovered the Break Room, or else I would have either walked out or put in my two weeks, just to not deal with such a "DOESN'T relate well to others" PTL!

On a side note, there already has been talks about making me a TL and eventually ETL, how serious should I take these talks? What's the process? How long? Any info is helpful

Good, glad you have a support system. I think doing training during the holidays is the worst.

They said the same thing about me...I'm not the best person to ask, because I found it was a way to dump more work on me without extra pay or hours, they've been saying it for awhile, and I'll believe it when I see it..."Carrot-meets-stick" mentality. There's several threads under Leadership where others can answer that.
 
I wish I can say the same thing @NOP! The former signing guy was lazy at training me, and I was training during Halloween and Christmas time, so there wasn't much training to be done, especially prepping me for these transitions. (past, current, and future) I've gotten the most help by talking to our SFT (also previously a signing person) and really have learned more from him than the former signing and my PTL. I'm glad I discovered the Break Room, or else I would have either walked out or put in my two weeks, just to not deal with such a "DOESN'T relate well to others" PTL!

On a side note, there already has been talks about making me a TL and eventually ETL, how serious should I take these talks? What's the process? How long? Any info is helpful

Good, glad you have a support system. I think doing training during the holidays is the worst.

They said the same thing about me...I'm not the best person to ask, because I found it was a way to dump more work on me without extra pay or hours, they've been saying it for awhile, and I'll believe it when I see it..."Carrot-meets-stick" mentality. There's several threads under Leadership where others can answer that.

Dump more work? like how? How long have you been signing?
 
Did you guys use all 54 bins for the easter seasonal set?

we didn't get our bins... set it, only to find out the bins weren't there... what fun...

mine too. good thing they didn't set the backwall yet.

Just be aware that some stores are testing not using bins for the backwall to save ISM cost. Stores with "Stuffer ISM Test" pog will not show bins on the line listing, and you are supposed to set with metal dividers. It is not a mistake in shipping.
 
Tell them to suck it lol. They're technically not your boss. Signing tms are aligned under the pricing TL who was aligned under ETL-SL or ETL-SL/GE or ETL-OPS depending on the store. At least under the old structure. New structure PTL might be your boss. I'm assuming both are under salesfloor now.
 
Sad to say as far as I know the signing TM is stuck under the plano umbrella.

It depends a lot on what they have to say.
Is it constant criticism without any suggestions on how to improve?
You can try the "I would really like to do a better job, could you demonstrate how I can do that?"
Then pull out a notebook and a pen like your going to take notes.

On that subject, I would take notes concerning what he's calling you on.
If it's the same damn thing over and over, it's possible you can get one step ahead of him.
If he's working on performancing you out it would help to have notes to fight back with.
 
How do you guys deal with a PTL that seems to always have something to say about your work every day?
My PTL is actually great since she was a signing person at another store. She does always ask what I have to work on because she tries to get me to set a pog if im not busy. Now the softlines LOD and TL call me for every little thing. The other day when I was hanging the focal signing they call me to tell me a header is falling down in one of the infant aisles. They are clueless,just like when peter pilotto was set on that Sunday they asked me like 20 times about some overhead that came with it. I kept telling them that I didnt have anything,or heard anything but that was not good enough. He then goes "I feel like there is suppose to be a overhead". He even calls another store to ask them if they have a overhead and they tell him no. He probably to this day thinks that it is missing.
 
Thanks for the responses. My PTL told me to utilize every minute of my time that clocked in. She criticizes me bcuz she thinks I just walk around a lot. That's only bcuz I go to the fixture room the get the correct fixture or what not. This is somewhat frustrating and does not inspire confidence at all.
 

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