Archived The "Vent about all the crazy shit that happened during your shift" thread

[thatguyattarget]

So found out that my store went over by 1000 hours so far, so in an effort to catch up, they're using training hours and having seasonal TMs train newer seasonal TMs and when available, experienced TMs to supervise or TLs.

I really don't know why we hired close to 30 seasonal TMs when most of us regulars have open availability. And omg, they're so slow on go backs! Every single thing, they scan. I just stop them, look in their cart and tell them where it goes. Much more efficient.

And oh, we had several seasonals whose first day was TG/BF. WTF?!?

 

[RightArm]

My newbies who were trained before madness, only 1 listened & had no dumb questions.

Make sure they keep that one.

 

[Circle9]

Today I took back two carts of overstock, dropped two batches totaling 14 DCPIs and ~150+ items and spent close to half my instocks shift trying to fix Christmas lights. And I still had three sections to go., never even touched the rest of seasonal like my STL wanted (then again he wanted me to start this before even finishing the RIGs, for some reason). This is what happens when apparently seasonal (aside from snacky stuff) has not shown up on instocks' research list (or somebody's been doing a shiiiiitttty job over there) and the STL thinks dropping PTM batches (instead of researching) is how we should fill lights. For real: a week or two ago, minutes before instocks was going to research seasonal he comes up and goes "I dropped a PTM back for Christmas lights, can you pull and push that?" Then when I left, had salesfloor flex what I didn't fill, covering up outs that were in the back room all along.

I wonder if German has a word that means "feeling accomplished and frustrated at the same time."

Also don't get me started on this ridiculous "no backstocking toys, everything must be flexed" five weeks before Christmas happens. At least wait another three or four weeks instead of creating all this extra bullshit!

So found out that my store went over by 1000 hours so far, so in an effort to catch up, they're using training hours and having seasonal TMs train newer seasonal TMs and when available, experienced TMs to supervise or TLs.

I really don't know why we hired close to 30 seasonal TMs when most of us regulars have open availability. And omg, they're so slow on go backs! Every single thing, they scan. I just stop them, look in their cart and tell them where it goes. Much more efficient.

And oh, we had several seasonals whose first day was TG/BF. WTF?!?

1000 hours? And I thought the 600+ we went over recently was bad. Also having seasonals train other seasonals seems like a bad idea. In theory if you only use the ones they're planning to keep past their 90 days, and as a last resort it might work. But this is Target and we all know how training tends to go!

 

[Rdhdstpchl]

Not sure how Target decided how many hours we can have per week, but it keeps getting less and less. Just went from being a 32 to 40hour receiver to a 27.5 hour receiver. Don't ask me how I will be expected to have the area to perfection with the hours. Sometimes some thing has to give.

 

[Nauzhror]

Yes! And about #2 I've gotten 3-4 guest survey cards in my first 6 weeks (which my STL commended me on). I haven't worked retail in some years but my old retail job stressed about walking them to the section. I personally don't mind, the walk is good exercise. I clock in about 12-15 miles of walking in a 8 hour shift. Good for me!

Weird. I don't think our entire store gets more than 1-2 survey cards in a week typically.

 

[thatguyattarget]

Weird. I don't think our entire store gets more than 1-2 survey cards in a week typically.

Call me weird. But I like talking to people. I hardly ever tell them where something is, I walk them to it. In my store, your work can "suffer" in benefit of helping guests. Our store is big and giving directions seems convoluted to guests, so walking them is easier. And I chat with them on the way; I don't like dead silence. Plus, it's my daily cardio. Haha.

 

[Nauzhror]

Call me weird. But I like talking to people. I hardly ever tell them where something is, I walk them to it. In my store, your work can "suffer" in benefit of helping guests. Our store is big and giving directions seems convoluted to guests, so walking them is easier. And I chat with them on the way; I don't like dead silence. Plus, it's my daily cardio. Haha.

I offer to show guests where items are, but quite often they insist that me just vaguely gesturing is good enough and say they can find it. And yes, helping guests definitely makes task-oriented goals suffer.

 

[queencat]

This happened an hour into my shift:

MyGo is down. Our strategy is to simply ask the guest what the items are, get them, then manually ring them out while explaining the situation. A guest comes up to pick up an order. Tells me her name is Jane Smith, and it's three queen sized sheets and a Minnie Mouse suitcase. She thought the items would be sent to her home, but she got a text today stating it was the last day to pick her order up It's not in the hold area, so I call backroom and have them look. Backroom can't find it, so one of the Backroom TMs offer to come up and help me look (our hold space is SMALL, EXTREMELY SMALL and gets cramped easily so it often takes two sets of eyes to find items). We can't find them. Backroom TM offers to pick the items off the shelves personally, as long as he has the DCPIs. MyGo is back up, so I flip on the iPad and tell the guest the only order we have for Jane Smith in the entire state is at our store, for a microwave. Jane Smith insists she paid for that already, I chalk it up to a MyGo glitch.

I try to find the DCPIs on the iPad, and it's not going so well. I ask the guest if she can bring up the order email on her phone, and she does, and the email states those items are being sent to 12345 Main Street. All of a sudden it clicks

• Guest ordered the sheets and suitcase and microwave at the same time; sheets and suitcase to be sent to her house, microwave to be picked up.
• Microwave was picked up, but never processed, hence the text.

However the guest keeps insisting she paid for it already. After like five minutes of trying to explain the process of instore pick up to her, i finally just ask her "Did you get a reciept emailed to you?"

"No."

I process the microwave order. "How about now?"

And then her phone dings with- guess what?- THE MICROWAVE RECIEPT

tl;dr guest almost steals a microwave, akak make sure you're actually processing orders people

 

[OffYaPhone]

Well, yesterday was so bad that I filled out a voluntary resignation form. HR talked me out of it and promised to work with me to get my schedule to be a bit more favorable for my life.

 

[Firefox]

This happened an hour into my shift:

MyGo is down. Our strategy is to simply ask the guest what the items are, get them, then manually ring them out while explaining the situation. A guest comes up to pick up an order. Tells me her name is Jane Smith, and it's three queen sized sheets and a Minnie Mouse suitcase. She thought the items would be sent to her home, but she got a text today stating it was the last day to pick her order up It's not in the hold area, so I call backroom and have them look. Backroom can't find it, so one of the Backroom TMs offer to come up and help me look (our hold space is SMALL, EXTREMELY SMALL and gets cramped easily so it often takes two sets of eyes to find items). We can't find them. Backroom TM offers to pick the items off the shelves personally, as long as he has the DCPIs. MyGo is back up, so I flip on the iPad and tell the guest the only order we have for Jane Smith in the entire state is at our store, for a microwave. Jane Smith insists she paid for that already, I chalk it up to a MyGo glitch.

I try to find the DCPIs on the iPad, and it's not going so well. I ask the guest if she can bring up the order email on her phone, and she does, and the email states those items are being sent to 12345 Main Street. All of a sudden it clicks

• Guest ordered the sheets and suitcase and microwave at the same time; sheets and suitcase to be sent to her house, microwave to be picked up.
• Microwave was picked up, but never processed, hence the text.

However the guest keeps insisting she paid for it already. After like five minutes of trying to explain the process of instore pick up to her, i finally just ask her "Did you get a reciept emailed to you?"

"No."

I process the microwave order. "How about now?"

And then her phone dings with- guess what?- THE MICROWAVE RECIEPT

tl;dr guest almost steals a microwave, akak make sure you're actually processing orders people

The way that it works is that when you place the order, Target takes the supposed total and reserves it until the item is picked up. If the guest either takes to long to pick it up or the order is unfulfilled, the money goes back onto the card. That's what makes a lot of guests think that they have already paid for the item.

 

[KingBear]

I wish we did the line queueing on actual Black Friday as well as Thanksgiving. I don't know where to start with this rant. My flake of a coworker called out from their 8 am GSA shift and no one else covered, so instead of having two GSAs handling the front, it was just me for five hours as the realest shit went down. 12 cashiers with various technical issues and price challenges (hello to softlines for putting those 40% signs everywhere); a swarmed Service Desk even with three people working it; A BRAND NEW FLOW TM THAT A TL WANTED ME TO TRAIN TO CASHIER ON BLACK FRIDAY, THE UNHOLIEST OF DAYS; and the STL and ETLs breathing down my neck wondering why I'm not constantly at the front of the lanes speedweaving for guests. God, I can't imagine why I wasn't just standing up there.

I kind of had a breakdown once I got home. Could've been worse, I guess, but man, that killed something in me.

EDIT: OH, YEAH, ANOTHER THING FROM FRIDAY:

This guy came by our store on Thanksgiving, looked very sketchy, buying a BUNCH of clothes, then he signed up for a redcard and I was like "well okay hey cool whatever nice job cashier" but then he's like.... "But I have a Target Credit Union card and that's another 5% on top of everything, but it doesn't have money so I want my TM discount AND that CU discount AND I'm going to challenge every price because I'm buying all the C9 stuff that should be extra discounted" (spoilers: it was)

It was gonna be like .... a huge chunk of change lost and I was like "forget this, I'm getting the GSTL" and they were like "forget this, I'm getting an ETL" so ETL-AP came over and worked with him and made it all right, I guess.

Then the guy comes back at 11 am Friday, doing the exact same shenanigans, demanding the exact same things, saying I was the one who helped him and I was like "nope, I wasn't, but what luck, the ETL's here again" and ETL-AP.... did the same thing, took the time, and signed off on it, I guess. I don't know what that guy's deal or plan was but it's not gonna be my numbers on the line.

(It will probably be my numbers on the line for the number of times I had to key in $50 coupons for the Holiday Shop on Saturday, though. Not that I didn't check with the powers that be, but I can't imagine that'll stop them from finding a scapegoat.)

 

[PassinTime]

Well, yesterday was so bad that I filled out a voluntary resignation form. HR talked me out of it and promised to work with me to get my schedule to be a bit more favorable for my life.

Sorry your day was so bad that you were driven to that extreme. Hopefully HR will keep their promise.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

@KingBear, your etlap is taking serious notes on what that Tm is buying. Then, he will get them on to discount abuse policy. Bye bye for them.

 

[KingBear]

@KingBear, your etlap is taking serious notes on what that Tm is buying. Then, he will get them on to discount abuse policy. Bye bye for them.

That makes sense and I'm hoping that's what's gonna happen. I just got lucky that ETL-AP was there both times the person came in, if that's the case.

 

[thatguyattarget]

Two crazy things happened today. First, this woman looked lost so I asked if I could help her. She says, yes... I want to be a singer. Do you know any music producers? I was confused, I asked her what she meant. She said... I love to sing, do you know anyone in the music business? Mind you, she was serious as hell but you could tell she had a few screws lose. I'm like, no (at this point I want to laugh), I see a TL and go, they can probably help you and walked away stifling a laugh.

Second, I was backing up at the FL. I see 3 bottles of beer, I think weird but ok. I scan and it asks for a price. And I ask the guest, did you take this out of a 6-pack? She said yes. I told her she has to buy the entire thing, so she goes back and gets it. Crazy. (I scanned all her items since it was on the belt and suspended, didn't want guests to wait).

Other notes, out of nowhere, this guest tells me... You have a really nice smile! I felt awkward but thanked her.

Also, we're over 1000 hours on payroll but they keep calling people and extending shifts, especially seasonal. They do go-backs and scan every. single. item.

Also, we got two trucks (unexpectedly) and O/N only did one truck. ETL-LOG got a reprimand from the STL. He kept saying it was all back stock but we pushed all day today. Back room is a mess; I feel claustrophobic. Especially with the cybermonday craziness fulfillment. We honored the 15% off if guests had an 'appropriate' backstory.

 

[Joejoe12]

My vent from today. I come in for a mid shift and find that the receiver was making a bake and the machine stopped working. After having the pmt check for lower they decided to cut the bake wire since the bale was half way ejjected. Great guess who had to clean up all that cardboard. But wait here's the kicker the baker wasn't broken the gate wasn't pulled down all the way that's why it stopped working. But no we don't check for that instead let leave a mess for the next guy to clean. Long store short I had to rebale half the cardboard from over night plus day side crap

 

[queencat]

The way that it works is that when you place the order, Target takes the supposed total and reserves it until the item is picked up. If the guest either takes to long to pick it up or the order is unfulfilled, the money goes back onto the card. That's what makes a lot of guests think that they have already paid for the item.

Mhm. And guests don't realize this, and that it's a good thing (item goes on sale between when you order it and pick it up? we fix it. box it damaged? we can take the 10% off. can't do that once it's processed.)

 

[Astyra13]

Today was just...utter shenanigans. While we didn't have a million and one guests, the phone was ringing off the hook, everyone on the walkies was being asked to go to 2, and our poor HR people were scrambling to get people to pick up shifts and extending some hours by a couple. I was absolutely thrilled that when I came in that they finally put me back in softlines, and I had it all to myself. I did all my reshop and zoned men's. I was appalled by the amount of repack stuff that was piled up and didn't get done, but I didn't touch any of it because I wasn't trained in that and have no idea what to do with any of it. I get back from my first 15 and get ready to start zoning RTW when I was called specifically on the walkie by our LOD to come up for backup on the front lanes. I felt a little special, and did so. Not too long after I started getting people checked out, I was asked to pick up yet another cashier shift. which I gladly accepted. Hey, more hours for me, and it makes me look good [seasonal and all that].

Well, I ended up spending the rest of the day on the lanes. Our GSA even asked if all was good to keep me there. I feel a little honored as a seasonal that they want me up there, but, to be a wee bit prideful, I do get guests checked out really quick, I vibe with as many as I can [and enjoy every second of it], I interact with their children and give out stickers like no other, and make sure that I clear up any and all confusion, even if I don't get a single red card.

I feel a little bad for our higher ups, as I've noticed a lot of the newer faces from seasonal hires haven't been around a whole lot lately and I'm getting the feeling that we're understaffed for the holidays. But, as a seasonal worker who is definitely wanting to be kept on after the seasonal bit ends in January, this gives me a little comfort. I griped to one of my buddies about all of it on my lunch who had worked at Target for a few years and he was like, "Oh yeah, sounds like you're definitely going to be kept on at that rate." I sincerely hope so.

 

[SFSFun]

My vent from today. I come in for a mid shift and find that the receiver was making a bake and the machine stopped working. After having the pmt check for lower they decided to cut the bake wire since the bale was half way ejjected. Great guess who had to clean up all that cardboard. But wait here's the kicker the baker wasn't broken the gate wasn't pulled down all the way that's why it stopped working. But no we don't check for that instead let leave a mess for the next guy to clean. Long store short I had to rebale half the cardboard from over night plus day side crap

I can count on one hand the number of bales I've made and even I know THATS THE FIRST FUCKING THING TO CHECK...

 

[ClamJammer]

Fifth day on the job, doing great and my TL/trainer likes me (even though she's old and crusty). I work cafe. TL says "I'm gonna soak these popcorn filters, but I gotta run some paperwork, be right back." I get a little rush as soon as she leaves, so I'm busy for about 20 minutes. Slows down, and I notice a trickling sound. Peek in the back room---she had left the sink on, and it's now flooded the entire back room with soapy water (and THAT'S why no product is ever left on the floor, lol). I turn it off and drain the sinks, set the 3-sink system back up. "Were you busy?" she asks when she gets back; "Yeah," I answer, "but you forgot to tell me you left the sink on" I say, smiling. "Oh, child, I do that at least once a day," she says, "here just use this sweeper and push it into the drains, then use a bunch of pads to make us a dry spot, I gotta go do some paperwork, I'll be back." I did it with a smile and was good-natured about it, and later she finally started cracking jokes with me for the first time and offered to let me "sample" a menu item (ie: free meal). And hey, it made the time go by a little faster, lol.

 

[Kartman]

When I fill a sink, I set a microwave to go off at 3:30.

You might wanna pass that on to your TL.

 

[redeye58]

I clipped a timer on my apron.

 

[Kartman]

I don't wear that hot ass apron.

 

[redeye58]

I don't wear that hot ass grease.

 

[Astyra13]

It's becoming a little more apparent that a lot of the seasonal hires have flown the coop. Came in to my shift and noticed there were several New Team Member badges laying around, as well as a few others, and I still haven't seen some of the people from my orientation. Whatever, though. More hours for me, the better it looks for me when seasonal ends and I'm still here, and more hours for everyone! Gimme dem 36-39 hour weeks!

But today was a technological fiasco. My card reader broke, ran out of paper in both my receipt printers, partially because no matter what the coupon printer kept spitting out a 20% coupon for some sort of baby travel item. After the paper was changed in the receipt printer the receipt that printed off was all crinkly, and the GSA that came to assist me in changing out the paper tried to get a reprint and the option didn't appear at all, and another GSA came and told me I wasn't allowed to give guests messed up receipts [even though the other GSA could vouch for me that the reprint option didn't show up]. Then a guy tried to pay for an order with both his food stamps and another card, but was persistent in using his food stamp card first. I had no idea how to deal with that, and the same GSA that got on me about the receipt wasn't too helpful with that. "It will pay for what it'll pay for" was all I got. Okay. Well, what do I enter, then, when it's asking me "how much on this card?" and only lets me enter an amount and there are a bunch of non-food stuffs on the order? Whatever.

It was just one of those days, I guess. Of all the times I've been on the register these past two weeks, this one was the most annoying. Oh well. At least I got lucky and got a second break a half hour before I clocked out.