To that one Team Member - II

[dannyy315]

I complain when they do that.

Or when they call for backup when there are 6 people from drive up huddled back in GS staring at their phones or gossiping next to the training register.

Oh people go on their phones all the time here. What they do is they go behind guest services where no one can see them and they just stand there using their phones, or talk to each other. And the space behind guest services is very narrow and tight, and I'm like bitch move lol.

 

[Zxy123456]

I agree

Thing is, the lanes are supposed to be 1+1, and we're supposed to call back up if the lines are longer than that. SETLs are also instructed to stay off the lanes. So they often can't just jump on and take care of those one or two extra guests. What happens is, you get a bunch of lanes with three total parties in them, and yes that's supposed to be a call for backup, by the book. But the time it takes for somebody to stop what they are doing and get to the front, well a lot of the time, the line is short enough by that point, and you don't need the backup. Also, if the third person in a couple of these lines jumps over to SCO, we can't control that. So hopefully, the SETL has time to call off the backup, but often, they are pulled into some little thing or another happening at the lanes.

I know it's annoying, but it happens through no fault of the SETL.

!

 

[dannyy315]

Well the book also says closing experts have to complete zone and reshop in their section, so sorry if I don't care if guests have to wait an extra 2 minutes to get their Squishmallows

 

[NotCynicalYet]

Well the book also says closing experts have to complete zone and reshop in their section, so sorry if I don't care if guests have to wait an extra 2 minutes to get their Squishmallows

Good service is one of just a few reasons why they come to Target instead of Walmart. Long lines make people say "I may as well go to Walmart." Quick checkouts make people say "This is why I come here instead of Walmart." I mean that literally, because that's the actual feedback I get.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Oh people go on their phones all the time here. What they do is they go behind guest services where no one can see them and they just stand there using their phones, or talk to each other. And the space behind guest services is very narrow and tight, and I'm like bitch move lol.

Oh, yeah, here, too. And no, TMs, you're not fooling anyone when you put your phone on top of your zebra or hold one in each and try to pretend you're doing something on your device. FFS.

And it is super annoying to have to dodge people sitting or standing around on their phones when I'm trying to collect or sort reshop. Bitches, get the fuck out of the way if you're not going to work.

 

[RWTM]

Well, the problem is not needing to learn more/newer skills. The problem is that as human beings we can only work so fast. As a cashier I will not grow another 4 arms so that I can run 3 full service lanes at one time and give our guests the check out experience if their life. Modernization is a good thing when carefully planned and thoughtfully executed, including having sufficient resources (not just higher pay).

So for leadership to drink the KoolAid and expect huge increases in efficiency and profit is not reality based. It's just Canada all over again. Money spending without planning.

Fuck that Kool aid

 

[dannyy315]

Maybe I wouldn't be so bitter about going for backup if I wasn't in toys and sporting goods by myself on a Saturday. In a high volume store. On the opening weekend of Doctor Strange. And we have a movie theatre 2 floors up. Do the math.

 

[Tessa120]

Good service is one of just a few reasons why they come to Target instead of Walmart. Long lines make people say "I may as well go to Walmart." Quick checkouts make people say "This is why I come here instead of Walmart." I mean that literally, because that's the actual feedback I get.

Imagine shopping. You have a list of 6 needed items.

The zone's for shit so you can't find one of them. Empty shelves because everything's in the back means you can't find a second item. A third one is out of your reach, and you circle most of the store looking for assistance but there's no one on the floor.

If you can find only 3 of your 6 items, will you buy those three and then go elsewhere and buy the other three items? Or will you say screw it and leave and get all six items elsewhere?

If people can't find what they want, it doesn't matter how short the lines are, they cannot give Target money for what they don't have.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Yeah, my thoughts about backup was always along the lines of "the backup problem will solve itself the longer you keep the sales floor on registers."

 

[dannyy315]

Spot cares more about Wall Street than the customer, let's be real. maybe they can do a good job pretending, but greed will catch up to them. Look at Kmart. You can only penny pinch so much until customers feel the effects.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Spot cares more about Wall Street than the customer, let's be real. maybe they can do a good job pretending, but greed will catch up to them. Look at Kmart. You can only penny pinch so much until customers feel the effects.

Seems like Spot is reaching critical mass…

 

[dannyy315]

Seems like Spot is reaching critical mass…

I don't know about that, their sales growth is still really good. Not really showing any signs of slowing down. It will be a slow death I think. I give it 10 years before we start to see the first signs of decline.

 

[happygoth]

Oh, yeah, here, too. And no, TMs, you're not fooling anyone when you put your phone on top of your zebra or hold one in each and try to pretend you're doing something on your device. FFS.

And it is super annoying to have to dodge people sitting or standing around on their phones when I'm trying to collect or sort reshop. Bitches, get the fuck out of the way if you're not going to work.

Omg yes, so freaking annoying! They see me coming and I still have to say excuse me half the time before they move.

 

[NotCynicalYet]

Imagine shopping. You have a list of 6 needed items.

The zone's for shit so you can't find one of them. Empty shelves because everything's in the back means you can't find a second item. A third one is out of your reach, and you circle most of the store looking for assistance but there's no one on the floor.

If you can find only 3 of your 6 items, will you buy those three and then go elsewhere and buy the other three items? Or will you say screw it and leave and get all six items elsewhere?

If people can't find what they want, it doesn't matter how short the lines are, they cannot give Target money for what they don't have.

Of course, yes. And the shorter our staffing gets, the less frequently I call for backup and the more guests have to wait. It's a tough balancing act. I wouldn't discount the importance of keeping floor tms off the lanes as much as possible when things are rough, just like floor tms shouldn't discount the idea of guest service.

 

[BurgerBob]

Sometimes id take my break at a strategic moment so toys tm could take tech keys and be exempt from back up . If my department was quiet it would work out great for toys tm.

 

[Tessa120]

Of course, yes. And the shorter our staffing gets, the less frequently I call for backup and the more guests have to wait. It's a tough balancing act. I wouldn't discount the importance of keeping floor tms off the lanes as much as possible when things are rough, just like floor tms shouldn't discount the idea of guest service.

Discount the idea of guest service is a pretty poor way of phrasing it. There are many kinds of guest service and checking them out is only one type and is the last type. If guests are aggravated from their shopping experience, a quicker checkout isnt going to get them smiling again.

Guests need to feel calm and cared for. Calm is achieved by pleasant surroundings. Cared for is making them feel that they are welcome and important. That is being in the right place at the right time to help, being found easily and make sure that there is plenty of product to choose from, whether it be already out on full shelves or having a back room set up to where grabbing something for a guest takes only a couple minutes.

So lets turn it around. Why does front end discount guest service by preventing sales floor staff from having time to create a pleasant shopping experience and simply being there and available when the guest needs something?

 

[NotCynicalYet]

Discount the idea of guest service is a pretty poor way of phrasing it. There are many kinds of guest service and checking them out is only one type and is the last type. If guests are aggravated from their shopping experience, a quicker checkout isnt going to get them smiling again.

Guests need to feel calm and cared for. Calm is achieved by pleasant surroundings. Cared for is making them feel that they are welcome and important. That is being in the right place at the right time to help, being found easily and make sure that there is plenty of product to choose from, whether it be already out on full shelves or having a back room set up to where grabbing something for a guest takes only a couple minutes.

So lets turn it around. Why does front end discount guest service by preventing sales floor staff from having time to create a pleasant shopping experience and simply being there and available when the guest needs something?

Ha, I'm not going to argue about which indispensable thing should be dispensed with! Yeah, when the floor is too busy to stop and help guests, that's really bad and can't work in the long term. I think you may have misread me a little when I said it was a balancing act and we shouldn't discount each other's contributions to guest service. I see where my phrasing made it sound like I think guest service only happens at the registers, but that isn't the case.

 

[TechNix]

TTOETL: Please locate mixed-wrapped pallets (and anything) you put into the steel. Especially after an inventory happened.

*goes around Tech doing shelf audits*
*notices that some TVs out that aren't on plan yet (reset coming up*
*Checks the number and notices it was off, even though we had an inventory, says there are none in the backroom but knows there is*
*gets the wave out and checks the steel*

Ah yes, the GM ETL mentioned he put TVs in the steel and pushed some to the floor. What did he not do? Locate the TVs in the steel.

*joy*

 

[dannyy315]

TTOTM: So let me get this straight. The soap pump in the team member bathroom was broken, so you had to req out something to put on the sink. So you choose... Dreft laundry's strain remover spray. So dumb.

Another time, someone just put Purell on the sink.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

TTOTM: So let me get this straight. The soap pump in the team member bathroom was broken, so you had to req out something to put on the sink. So you choose... Dreft laundry's strain remover spray. So dumb.

Another time, someone just put Purell on the sink.

Ugh just be glad you have a tm bathroom. I wish

 

[dannyy315]

Ugh just be glad you have a tm bathroom. I wish

Oh I almost forgot, one time someone just put a roll of Clorox wipes back there. What do they expect us to do? Just wipe our hands with them? Just get hand soap!

And I won't lie, it's a lot less awkward than sharing them with guests. We have two of them in the backroom, and one per person inside at a time with a lock on each. But even they get nasty, I swear it's like some people weren't properly potty trained as a kid.

 

[TechNix]

TTOTM: please stop calling out just because it's nice out. If you're scheduled, its because you are needed and you should of put in a time off request if you wanted off. In this case, we had a group of people all call off to go to the pride parade. How did we know?

Someone who got there shift worked around going to pride told us as much, when they seem they called off.

Last night we had 11 people call off. All of AP, all of our closing FF team, all of our hardliners closing team (leaving our CE, Cosumables and a softlines TM as the only people on the floor - at first) and a closing GS, plus a cashier and batista.

What did this result in? Only eight TMs closing the store, including a ETL and a TL, before anyone was called in.

I personally was in early at 7 and was scheduled until 3:45. I ended up staying until close, that being 7 am - 10 pm. A TM was called in and had OT approved, and another TM stayed late. That's 11 TM when we normally have maybe 15 - 20 closing on a Sunday.

After working 13 days straight and working that long shift, I'm beat.

So, TTOTM that called off just to go to an event - just remember, we know. 💜

But hey, I got more hours, a free lunch and a free dinner out of it. It was just stressful.

 

[TechNix]

TTOTM: please stop calling out just because it's nice out. If you're scheduled, its because you are needed and you should of put in a time off request if you wanted off. In this case, we had a group of people all call off to go to the pride parade. How did we know?

Someone who got there shift worked around going to pride told us as much, when they seem they called off.

Last night we had 11 people call off. All of AP, all of our closing FF team, all of our hardliners closing team (leaving our CE, Cosumables and a softlines TM as the only people on the floor - at first) and a closing GS, plus a cashier and batista.

What did this result in? Only eight TMs closing the store, including a ETL and a TL, before anyone was called in.

I personally was in early at 7 and was scheduled until 3:45. I ended up staying until close, that being 7 am - 10 pm. A TM was called in and had OT approved, and another TM stayed late. That's 11 TM when we normally have maybe 15 - 20 closing on a Sunday.

After working 13 days straight and working that long shift, I'm beat.

So, TTOTM that called off just to go to an event - just remember, we know. 💜

But hey, I got more hours, a free lunch and a free dinner out of it. It was just stressful.

As a follow-up, we had a TM call off today because they were the only one in FF last night and told someone they were going to call off because of how pissed they were and to spit everyone. But, ya know, you don't tell people if you are going to do that, like, what? Lol

 

[swordfishtrombon]

TTOETL: Please locate mixed-wrapped pallets (and anything) you put into the steel. Especially after an inventory happened.

*goes around Tech doing shelf audits*
*notices that some TVs out that aren't on plan yet (reset coming up*
*Checks the number and notices it was off, even though we had an inventory, says there are none in the backroom but knows there is*
*gets the wave out and checks the steel*

Ah yes, the GM ETL mentioned he put TVs in the steel and pushed some to the floor. What did he not do? Locate the TVs in the steel.

*joy*

To be fair it's not your GM ETL's responsibility to take care of tech freight. It's your specialty sales ETL/TL/TM. If your store is anything like mine the GM ETL was probably tired of looking at the TVs taking up space in the backroom and did something about it. If it were me I would've told the TL over tech where I put the TVs and that they can locate them themselves if they want.

 

[TechNix]

To be fair it's not your GM ETL's responsibility to take care of tech freight. It's your specialty sales ETL/TL/TM. If your store is anything like mine the GM ETL was probably tired of looking at the TVs taking up space in the backroom and did something about it. If it were me I would've told the TL over tech where I put the TVs and that they can locate them themselves if they want.

These were TVs that just came in. I make sure TVs get taken care of when they come in. Also, to be fair, the GM ETL takes ownership of the unload process and decided to do this, instead of having someone from Tech do it. That's on him that he decided to do it that way. I got trained on the wave just to backstock them lol.