Archived Speculation: Something's changing at the Service Desk

[redeye58]

I'm at a semi-hi vol store. It would be a disaster, considering the amt of reshop we move in a typical hr.

 

[insiteful1]

I'm at a semi-hi vol store. It would be a disaster, considering the amt of reshop we move in a typical hr.

Just because something is going to be different, does not mean it's going to be a disaster. It's not a fantastic system right now.

 

[redeye58]

Just because something is going to be different, does not mean it's going to be a disaster. It's not a fantastic system right now.

What we currently have works pretty good through a combination of good SDTMs, a photolab that helps & a tightly organized area.

 

[mrknownothing]

Maybe it will work at a lower volume store, but, even if my store had 1/4 the workload I don't think that it would work that good.

My store is the highest volume in our district. There's no way it would ever work in my store, with the amount of re-shop and defectives we get.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

We just got all new photo machines, had the carpet replaced in GS and there is an order out for new cabinetry.

I don't think its coming here any time soon...

 

[Rock Lobster]

My concern isn't really with this new GS system... I mean really, it could work or it might not... I wasn't there testing it to see exactly how it was setup! My concern is that Target is focusing on things that don't seem to need to be fixed!!! Was the front end and guest service desk setup really that inefficient that it needed looked at? I don't think so... I wish Target would spend more time looking at the areas of the store that are struggling and spend more time developing those processes! I mean, our replenishment system is ok, but the way we replenish ad product is terrible! There are sections of the store that are near empty (uhh some bedding sits empty for a good month after it goes on sale)... And I have YET to have anyone explain to me why the 12s in the CAFs are so big!!! Or why really backstock comes back out after you backstock it... I mean I know the concept, but there is no reason for it to be doing that (why doesn't it pop up challenge in STO, but instead lets you backstock it and then pulls it 5 minutes later in the CAFs?) The accumulator is pretty flawed and causes a HUGE waste of payroll in all stores by functioning the way it does... but nevermind, lets just focus on moving the service desk 30 feet in all our ULV stores for no reason?

 

[Ludwig3]

My concern isn't really with this new GS system... I mean really, it could work or it might not... I wasn't there testing it to see exactly how it was setup! My concern is that Target is focusing on things that don't seem to need to be fixed!!! Was the front end and guest service desk setup really that inefficient that it needed looked at? I don't think so... I wish Target would spend more time looking at the areas of the store that are struggling and spend more time developing those processes! I mean, our replenishment system is ok, but the way we replenish ad product is terrible! There are sections of the store that are near empty (uhh some bedding sits empty for a good month after it goes on sale)... And I have YET to have anyone explain to me why the 12s in the CAFs are so big!!! Or why really backstock comes back out after you backstock it... I mean I know the concept, but there is no reason for it to be doing that (why doesn't it pop up challenge in STO, but instead lets you backstock it and then pulls it 5 minutes later in the CAFs?) The accumulator is pretty flawed and causes a HUGE waste of payroll in all stores by functioning the way it does... but nevermind, lets just focus on moving the service desk 30 feet in all our ULV stores for no reason?

100% agreed! The accumulator is a total joke. Our backroom could have so much more done if we didn't spend 50 minutes pulling each hour. I can't tell you when the last time we did a good LOCU or a solid item merge. It just doesn't happen anymore.

 

[upupandawave]

One store in my district did away with their service desk a few months ago. Instead, three of their front lanes are checkout AND "guest service." It's very strange, looks terrible, and from what I hear it's a nightmare. What they do is, instead of having say 8 cashiers and 2 guest service team members on, they'll have 9 cashiers, one which is at a lane that says "guest service and checkout." No cart well, just a few awkwardly placed 3 tier carts nearby. I assume this is because guest service team members at a slower store may have some down time, and they would rather they ring up guests during that "down time."

So, idk, perhaps that's why? Maybe they're looking to expand that?

My store got this test, and it is absolutely awful. The only situation I can see this working is in a lower volume store that has guests ring out at the service desk on a regular basis anyway, but at a A-volume like mine were the service desk was already a mess, this is awful. Also, guests HATE it. My ETL-GE has a stack of 75+ guest comment cards complaining about it.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

My store got this test, and it is absolutely awful. The only situation I can see this working is in a lower volume store that has guests ring out at the service desk on a regular basis anyway, but at a A-volume like mine were the service desk was already a mess, this is awful. Also, guests HATE it. My ETL-GE has a stack of 75+ guest comment cards complaining about it.

Hey Spot, are you reading this?

 

[redeye58]

When they were lowering the no-receipt return amt to $40, our service desk had guests flood the surveys & email corp. Apparently it worked 'cause they bumped it back up to $70.

 

[mrknownothing]

Hey Spot, are you reading this?

Hey John Anderson, are you reading this?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Hey John Anderson, are you reading this?

Or southern thunder?

 

[billybob]

This has to be only for incredibly low volume stores that return 1-2 items per hour. Our GS easily fills 20 carts of abandons per day. I could never see that work as a checklane/desk concept.

 

[targetismylife09]

This has to be only for incredibly low volume stores that return 1-2 items per hour. Our GS easily fills 20 carts of abandons per day. I could never see that work as a checklane/desk concept.

My store is actually a pretty low-volume store; I think we are either a C or D volume, but wow do we have a lot of abandons/returns! At one point recently I looked over and saw we had about 2 full carts for every area that needed to go out, and we started out pretty much empty. Not to mention all the defectives, repackages, etc. I don't think that would work for us, either.
'

 

[flonomo]

I agree about the accumulator. I don't know how many times I have heard backroom talk about job security after pulling and backstocking the same objects. I have asked if POG can just scan the outs but that would mess up their scores so they just put in the pog fills and don't really care about how much comes out or how much has to go back. I used to even check killed endcaps to check to see if things got pushed to the home first before being backstocked and caught quite a few perpetrators including the POG TL but no one would do anything about it.

 

[Juan_Valdez]

Remember when Smart Sort first rolled out with the yard-long receipts that listed reshop items, in order based on the optimal -- most efficient -- path throughout the store. Aaaahhhh, memories ...

 

[redeye58]

Yeh, we did that for a while....
The bins still look nice, any way.

 

[SuzyTarget]

Remember when Smart Sort first rolled out with the yard-long receipts that listed reshop items, in order based on the optimal -- most efficient -- path throughout the store. Aaaahhhh, memories ...

We dropped this idea like a hot potato too. It's a nice idea in perfect conditions but in real Target it doesn't work. You know these ideas come from people who've never worked in a store.

 

[droid123]

its called IGS i forget what it stands for its at my store already, one of five stores in the company. I can confim its very messy. The advantage is keeping sales floor accountable to go get gobacks. will see how it goes over the next month with christmas.

 

[eleuthreophile]

I'm in an ULV store and this would be a disaster at my store too. Where would you keep all the reshop carts, defectives, printers, items on hold, registry scanners, and everything else you need at GS? Yikes.

 

[Squid7085]

Don't mean to resurrect this thread, however, we were just informed at my store today that this "Getting rid of the Service Desk" is not only an idea, but it is happening. During our P-Fresh remodel in April we will go down to 10 lanes and lose our Service Desk. We were told we are the second store in the company to do this.

Has anybody actually seen it or have some pictures? We are a ULV, but on the higher end. Even a slow day still finds a pretty busy service desk. Im not turned off to the idea yet because I havent seen it, but im pretty apprehensive.

 

[Barcode]

So basically cashiers would process returns/etc.? I've heard of this in other retail stores.

I think it'd be a big mistake, since we have so many dimwitted cashiers as it is who can barely handle basic ringing...

/sigh

 

[Squid7085]

I was told that some registers would be marked as "Guest Service" while the rest are "just" registers. So when Guest Service isn't helping any guest, they just become a "Cashier." It's really what we do right now, but instead of sending the guest all the way to the Service Desk, they just go to another "lane." Supposedly it is out of "testing" and worked "really well" which is why it is being rolled out from now on.

 

[Barcode]

I guess that isn't as bad, as long as people currently service desk qualified are running the "Guest Service" lanes.

I don't feel like this would work too well at high vol stores though.

 

[mrknownothing]

I don't feel like this would work too well at high vol stores though.

This would be terrible at high-volume stores!