To that one Team Member I - ARCHIVED

[babytrees]

RG- I totally understand your frustration with SL's on that one...our problem as SL's is when the GSA's/GSTL's call for softlines and don't state which department....hardlines always gets a specific dept. not us. Unless there is only one of us on the floor it would be helpful to know which one of us you need to answer. I am not up to hoofing it from RTW to the far corner of men's if there is someone who is closer.

 

[commiecorvus]

To the ETL-HR, at what point does it make sense for me to kill myself doing 60 to 70 hours worth of work in a 40 week only to have you cut me down to 25 hours the next week?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Excuse me...could one of you in softlines please get your head out of your butt?:

Me (on walkie): softlines.
SFTM1: go ahead for softlines.
Me: can you switch to two please?
SFTM1: switching
Me: I need numbers for product xyz. It has this many in it, blah, blah, blah, I don't have a dpci, and it isn't in the register when I scan it.
*silence*
*lanes begin to back up, I hit the button for additional cashiers*
*more silence, no response to back up, lines building*
Me: (still on two) do you copy that?
SFTM2: how can I help you?
Me: umm, SFTM1 was supposed to be getting numbers for me for product xyz, but he is no longer answering.
SFTM2: ok, I'll head back there.
Me: ok, thank you.
*lanes build up some more, I hit button for additional cashiers since no one came the first time*
SFTM2: SFTM1 is on his way up to help you.
Me: thank you.
*SFTM1 jumps on a lane, I stare at him incredulously*
Me: umm, I thought you were helping me with those numbers for softlines.
SFTM1: oh, you still need help.
Me: yes.
*SFTM1 steps off lane that is now full of guests, scans product for me with pda*
SFTM1: it's not in the system.
Me: yes, that's the problem.
SFTM1: well, you'll need to find someone else to help you, I'm on a lane.
*searches in strays bin for random alcohol left behind, and wonders why the GSA has conveniently disappeared as well.*
Me: softlines?
*silence*
HLTL (walking by): do you need help?
Me: yes, I need numbers for this, and apparently softlines is unable to help.
*HLTL goes off to find numbers...finally comes back with new numbers, which of course don't work, and goes off to find new ones. Meanwhile, I'm praying that he thinks to call up the numbers to me this time.*
*We finally find numbers and get this poor guest going.*
GSA (finally appearing out of no where): I'm sorry, did you need help? I lost my walkie.

I mean, really?

I am hl, but I will help you in softlines. Grabbing the sl operator to help me find it, if I can't find in 60 seconds. Or less. Guests pay my check..

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

To the ETL-HR, at what point does it make sense for me to kill myself doing 60 to 70 hours worth of work in a 40 week only to have you cut me down to 25 hours the next week?

To etl-hr, here is my stuff..

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

RG- I totally understand your frustration with SL's on that one...our problem as SL's is when the GSA's/GSTL's call for softlines and don't state which department....hardlines always gets a specific dept. not us. Unless there is only one of us on the floor it would be helpful to know which one of us you need to answer. I am not up to hoofing it from RTW to the far corner of men's if there is someone who is closer.

I will help you....team effort!

 

[Retail Girl]

I appreciate any help I can get! I totally get calling for the specific department...and I normally do. But regardless, if that is the reason that two TMs flaked out on helping me, we have issues. SL & HL have to help each other answer calls all the time at my store...ULV means there isn't much room for too many guests needing help at once. And HLM, no softlines operator. You commit yourself all the way in when helping out! Bwahahaha.

 

[mxrbook]

Shortly after the first SLTM flaked, I'd be going, "Uh, what do you think the price of xyz is, dear guest?" If the guest had no idea, I'd make up a price. End of discussion,. No one, not the SLTMs, you, the GSTLs, the guests, no one has time for that.

For your guest, for the guests behind the guest, for the TMs and for yourself, may be the VIBE be with you.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I appreciate any help I can get! I totally get calling for the specific department...and I normally do. But regardless, if that is the reason that two TMs flaked out on helping me, we have issues. SL & HL have to help each other answer calls all the time at my store...ULV means there isn't much room for too many guests needing help at once. And HLM, no softlines operator. You commit yourself all the way in when helping out! Bwahahaha.

No problem. It will take a minute longer.

 

[Retail Girl]

Shortly after the first SLTM flaked, I'd be going, "Uh, what do you think the price of xyz is, dear guest?" If the guest had no idea, I'd make up a price. End of discussion,. No one, not the SLTMs, you, the GSTLs, the guests, no one has time for that.

For your guest, for the guests behind the guest, for the TMs and for yourself, may be the VIBE be with you.

Can't do that...our store is all over no bar codes for anything not in one spot, and I'm not getting in trouble because the rest of the team is off doing whatever.

 

[band_rules16]

It does help to call for a specific department. I guess my old store is lucky they have a great softlines team (minus one TL) that usually was able to figure out what GS was calling for. I was one of the more obnoxious ones at GS who would be overly descriptive so they could find it.

When I was sales floor, I can remember running all over the store when I was in softlines because our hardlines team mysteriously disappeared from time to time. We'd be zoning in boys and then helping back up in electronics (before our remodel, when it was by the pharmacy). It goes both ways! fft:

 

[Retail Girl]

Oh definitely...this was just one of those times when about three people dropped the ball (I also have issues with the GSA for losing her walkie and hanging around the service desk too much to notice there was a back-up).

I should have said "softlines specific department" but for some reason I blanked on the department when I called for them (not sure why).

I try to do that with phone calls when I'm at guest services, but it's a bit harder then (for both hardlines and softlines) because the guest calls, I can barely understand them, and by the fourth time I've made them repeat what they want, I figure it's best to just pass it to the generic department and let them figure it out (instead of ticking off the guest even more). I also don't know softlines well enough to know girls, boys, RTW, and men's...IE, is there a junior's dept? Where does girls end and women's begin when people are trying to describe something to me? Softlines remains a bit of a mystery, but I do my best.

 

[StaticSun]

As a GSA, I find it mind-boggling that another GSA could loose their walkie - let alone be bored enough to be hanging out at GS.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

juniors is called sportswear(i think). its right next to rtw/fitting room at my store.

 

[Retail Girl]

As a GSA, I find it mind-boggling that another GSA could loose their walkie - let alone be bored enough to be hanging out at GS.

We have two GSAs who each spend more time at GS more than the others do combined. The one in question is a new GSA and fully admits she goes to GS because she is more comfortable there (her primary work center for a long time). The other one just likes to "help" and, come to think of it, I've noticed doesn't spend as much time in the control room as she used to....which makes me think she was told to stop hiding in there and doesn't know what to do with herself. Honestly, I prefer to be left to my own devices at GS and appreciate when the other ones are working so I can get things done in silence. I don't encourage a lot of talking, so they are slowly finding somewhere else to go when I am at GS. ;-)

 

[babytrees]

I appreciate any help I can get! I totally get calling for the specific department...and I normally do. But regardless, if that is the reason that two TMs flaked out on helping me, we have issues. SL & HL have to help each other answer calls all the time at my store...ULV means there isn't much room for too many guests needing help at once. And HLM, no softlines operator. You commit yourself all the way in when helping out! Bwahahaha.

I will help every time they call (when I have a walkie) and will even do it as the operator. I have a near photographic memory so when asked where things are even not in my own dept. I can usually tell you. It is all about team work because the quicker we help the guest, the quicker we can get to the next guest.

I think if you put most of us that are here in the breakroom in one store you would have the best run store ever!! Either that or a big mess. LOL

 

[Retail Girl]

I appreciate any help I can get! I totally get calling for the specific department...and I normally do. But regardless, if that is the reason that two TMs flaked out on helping me, we have issues. SL & HL have to help each other answer calls all the time at my store...ULV means there isn't much room for too many guests needing help at once. And HLM, no softlines operator. You commit yourself all the way in when helping out! Bwahahaha.

I will help every time they call (when I have a walkie) and will even do it as the operator. I have a near photographic memory so when asked where things are even not in my own dept. I can usually tell you. It is all about team work because the quicker we help the guest, the quicker we can get to the next guest.

I think if you put most of us that are here in the breakroom in one store you would have the best run store ever!! Either that or a big mess. LOL

But plenty of degreaser to clean it up with!

 

[babytrees]

Oh definitely...this was just one of those times when about three people dropped the ball (I also have issues with the GSA for losing her walkie and hanging around the service desk too much to notice there was a back-up).

I should have said "softlines specific department" but for some reason I blanked on the department when I called for them (not sure why).

I try to do that with phone calls when I'm at guest services, but it's a bit harder then (for both hardlines and softlines) because the guest calls, I can barely understand them, and by the fourth time I've made them repeat what they want, I figure it's best to just pass it to the generic department and let them figure it out (instead of ticking off the guest even more). I also don't know softlines well enough to know girls, boys, RTW, and men's...IE, is there a junior's dept? Where does girls end and women's begin when people are trying to describe something to me? Softlines remains a bit of a mystery, but I do my best.

Just ask for RTW....there really isn't a juniors dept. if it's a women's item of clothing then it's RTW. In my store it's girls, boys, infants, infant hardlines, men's, shoes, luggage, RTW, jewelry, accessories (women's basics) and sleepwear. Since we are out of 4th quarter we usually have 3, maybe 4, softlines closers. One for RTW, one for GBI, one for men's, shoes, and ihl. If we are lucky the 4th will be in J/A/S. As operator, I have answered price checks for plus, men's, shoes, luggage and infant hardlines....it is really about being part of the team.

 

[redeye58]

I appreciate any help I can get! I totally get calling for the specific department...and I normally do. But regardless, if that is the reason that two TMs flaked out on helping me, we have issues. SL & HL have to help each other answer calls all the time at my store...ULV means there isn't much room for too many guests needing help at once. And HLM, no softlines operator. You commit yourself all the way in when helping out! Bwahahaha.

I will help every time they call (when I have a walkie) and will even do it as the operator. I have a near photographic memory so when asked where things are even not in my own dept. I can usually tell you. It is all about team work because the quicker we help the guest, the quicker we can get to the next guest.

I think if you put most of us that are here in the breakroom in one store you would have the best run store ever!! Either that or a big mess. LOL

But plenty of degreaser to clean it up with!

D@mn right, we do!

When I first started on the lanes (long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away) they had a booklet that included a list of all the dept subs like 051 stationary, 234 One spot, 254 Starbucks, etc. If something didn't have a number & the guest had a good idea of the price (it was 'reasonable'), we could enter the DPCI as follows: 051 00 9999, then enter the price. That way the appropriate dept received credit, we avoided the 999 mess & it tied the item to a dept if the guest needed to return it. It fell out of use during a flurry of ETL-GE/GSTL changes.
Wish we could still do something like that.

 

[Retail Girl]

Thanks to this group, I was able to get a binder of that up at guest services. Has come in handy on a couple of occasions!

 

[mxrbook]

Retail Girl says, "Can't do that...our store is all over no bar codes for anything not in one spot, and I'm not getting in trouble because the rest of the team is off doing whatever."

Then your store clearly doesn't get the VIBE. It's odd but while we look at the report with no barcode, we high five one another because it's clearly an example of great VIBE! Right? lol

 

[mrknownothing]

To my store as a whole: There was barely anyone on the schedule for yesterday, including the process teams (pricing, instocks, backroom - the usual suspects). So how the hell were we short on PDAs?! We had so few TMs working that we should've been outnumbered by PDAs!

RG- I totally understand your frustration with SL's on that one...our problem as SL's is when the GSA's/GSTL's call for softlines and don't state which department....hardlines always gets a specific dept. not us. Unless there is only one of us on the floor it would be helpful to know which one of us you need to answer. I am not up to hoofing it from RTW to the far corner of men's if there is someone who is closer.

One of the softlines TMs at my store gets really nasty when you ask for a "TM in softlines." Hey, we don't all know what department every article of clothing came from (see: former "new GSTL"), or maybe we just need to talk to someone that knows softlines, not necessarily a specific department.

 

[mrknownothing]

I almost forgot...

To my HR-TL: I appreciate that you care enough to offer me shifts when there are call-ins, but you really should check my availability BEFORE you call me. I don't appreciate being woken up at 6AM on the day when I start work at my other job in the late morning (i.e. the only day I get to sleep in). Didn't you ever wonder why you never see me before the prevening on Fridays?

 

[GlobalJ]

To my Stl, thanks for understanding I'm broke and really need money and giving my 24 extra hours this week(when I only had 13 to begin with), I really appreciate it!

 

[babytrees]

To my store as a whole: There was barely anyone on the schedule for yesterday, including the process teams (pricing, instocks, backroom - the usual suspects). So how the hell were we short on PDAs?! We had so few TMs working that we should've been outnumbered by PDAs!

RG- I totally understand your frustration with SL's on that one...our problem as SL's is when the GSA's/GSTL's call for softlines and don't state which department....hardlines always gets a specific dept. not us. Unless there is only one of us on the floor it would be helpful to know which one of us you need to answer. I am not up to hoofing it from RTW to the far corner of men's if there is someone who is closer.

One of the softlines TMs at my store gets really nasty when you ask for a "TM in softlines." Hey, we don't all know what department every article of clothing came from (see: former "new GSTL"), or maybe we just need to talk to someone that knows softlines, not necessarily a specific department.

I understand the need for softlines sometimes (not a specific dept)....but it's pretty easy to tell a girl's/boy's shirt from an adult shirt....also infant hardlines and shoes are pretty easy to tell.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

To my store as a whole: There was barely anyone on the schedule for yesterday, including the process teams (pricing, instocks, backroom - the usual suspects). So how the hell were we short on PDAs?! We had so few TMs working that we should've been outnumbered by PDAs!

RG- I totally understand your frustration with SL's on that one...our problem as SL's is when the GSA's/GSTL's call for softlines and don't state which department....hardlines always gets a specific dept. not us. Unless there is only one of us on the floor it would be helpful to know which one of us you need to answer. I am not up to hoofing it from RTW to the far corner of men's if there is someone who is closer.

One of the softlines TMs at my store gets really nasty when you ask for a "TM in softlines." Hey, we don't all know what department every article of clothing came from (see: former "new GSTL"), or maybe we just need to talk to someone that knows softlines, not necessarily a specific department.

I understand the need for softlines sometimes (not a specific dept)....but it's pretty easy to tell a girl's/boy's shirt from an adult shirt....also infant hardlines and shoes are pretty easy to tell.

Sometimes, we are kind of slow on sofftlines stuff.