Archived VM TL

[BigEyedPhish]

Just a quick reality check. Target is trying to get back to what they once were, an upscale discount retailer. Everyone on this forum knows that. New leadership always has new ideas. Our new top dog has big plans. Many of us here remember the rollout of the Brand positions. They were going to spend all of their time folding tables and keeping softlines neat and tidy. I would safely say that even though the title is still active the actual position is much different now. There were also specialists that ran key areas, now gone. Then technology was pushed. We had some nifty MSAs. Pretty much a laptop to eliminate all of the paper and waste of plano. They lasted less than a year. The list goes on and on. The idea of a visual merchandising leader is intriguing. IMO Target will continue to eliminate ETL positions. They will have other positions much like the VML. What they really are is the old sales floor ETL positions at half the cost. This is simply phase one in restructuring the stores to maximize payroll starting at the executive level.Why have 3 sales floor ETLS at 60K a year when you can have 1 sales floor ETL and 2 "Specialized Leaders" at 40K? Once they have the leaders in place, their roles will change to include leading more team members. We simply can't cut anymore hourly positions from the floor. So the next place to save money is having someone do pretty much the same job as an ETL only with a new title and less pay. It would explain why the college degree angle was pushed so much.
Another reality check, winter is coming. Sure November and December hours for everyone! In January you are going to begging some of the smaller positions to help you. Because your hours and/or duties are going to be stretched to the limit. No matter what glitter they blew up your behind about your position, quarter one means no payroll. All team members are as flexible as a 14 year old gymnast. You are going to have to come down off that pedestal you have yourself perched upon and realize that this is a team. All team members play an important part in running our store. Try running a busy store without a cart attendant......

There is no way... Unless they increase the amount of Sr. TL's so they all aren't paid overtime every week I find it hard to believe that they could shrink the ETL-core anymore. Where would we ever find an LOD?

 

[Bryantpp]

Just a quick reality check. Target is trying to get back to what they once were, an upscale discount retailer. Everyone on this forum knows that. New leadership always has new ideas. Our new top dog has big plans. Many of us here remember the rollout of the Brand positions. They were going to spend all of their time folding tables and keeping softlines neat and tidy. I would safely say that even though the title is still active the actual position is much different now. There were also specialists that ran key areas, now gone. Then technology was pushed. We had some nifty MSAs. Pretty much a laptop to eliminate all of the paper and waste of plano. They lasted less than a year. The list goes on and on. The idea of a visual merchandising leader is intriguing. IMO Target will continue to eliminate ETL positions. They will have other positions much like the VML. What they really are is the old sales floor ETL positions at half the cost. This is simply phase one in restructuring the stores to maximize payroll starting at the executive level.Why have 3 sales floor ETLS at 60K a year when you can have 1 sales floor ETL and 2 "Specialized Leaders" at 40K? Once they have the leaders in place, their roles will change to include leading more team members. We simply can't cut anymore hourly positions from the floor. So the next place to save money is having someone do pretty much the same job as an ETL only with a new title and less pay. It would explain why the college degree angle was pushed so much.
Another reality check, winter is coming. Sure November and December hours for everyone! In January you are going to begging some of the smaller positions to help you. Because your hours and/or duties are going to be stretched to the limit. No matter what glitter they blew up your behind about your position, quarter one means no payroll. All team members are as flexible as a 14 year old gymnast. You are going to have to come down off that pedestal you have yourself perched upon and realize that this is a team. All team members play an important part in running our store. Try running a busy store without a cart attendant......

There were 3 ETL's in my office today and the STL, they were all doing pretty much the same thing from what I could tell. Thats a lot of expenditure.

 

[LadyCynide]

There is no way... Unless they increase the amount of Sr. TL's so they all aren't paid overtime every week I find it hard to believe that they could shrink the ETL-core anymore. Where would we ever find an LOD?

I think for some stores, where they still have a lot of ETLs, that statement applied, but you're right. At least at my store, we're already down to the basics in terms of ETLs. HR, AP, SF, GE, LOG, and Pharmacy. The only ones I see them cutting are Pharmacy (obviously, since the pharmacy won't really be ours anymore) and GE. Other than that, we're already down to the bone.

 

[Bryantpp]

When u factor in ETLs are there probably 50-70 hours a week (depending on the time of year) I'd go for Teaching for sure.

Are you an etl?

 

[BigEyedPhish]

Are you an etl?

I am an ETL-PA and I feel like I am here 90 hours a week

 

[Bryantpp]

After reading some of the responses, it wouldn't surprise me if not "all" of them weren't "real" VMTLs. Honestly....nobody is THAT "gung-ho" about Target as a new-hire.

Are you guys saying that we vmls are "plants" or something? I don't get it...

 

[Bryantpp]

I am an ETL-PA and I feel like I am here 90 hours a week

whats the PA mean?

 

[BigEyedPhish]

It means Personal Assistant/ Whatever u want it to mean these days/ Perishables Assistant its pretty much like your Brand TM, but with twice the workload (./jab). So much they gave up timing damn near everything as it would just look rediculous.

I am not an ETL, but i know during 4th Quarter my ETL-LOG has a Dog bed in my QMOS (Quantities Marked out of Stock/Toss) box.

 

[Bryantpp]

Your education, talent expertise and experience won't really make a difference at my store unless you can change the fundamental way things are now. Bear with me, please.

1) Can you make sure we have the equipment and fixtures we need to do our jobs? Uniform fixtures would be a big improvement to the look of our SF. We often have to use whatever we can find and the fixtures don't always match. Equipment? Ha! Please check the other threads.

2) Can you get decent hangers for our clothes?

In my opinion having stuff all over the floor is the biggest eyesore in the store. Just walk by a rack and things fall off. I see guests trying to look at clothing and every time they touch anything clothing rains down. At first, they may try to pick things back up but they soon learn it's hard to get things to stay on the hanger long enough to walk away.

3) Can you make flow stop overstocking? So much is stacked on the tables it's impossible to make them look good. We have racks crammed so full they are impossible to shop. It's not just in softlines though. Flow does not have time to put everything where they should because they have to hurry and they are told, "No backstock!" They have really jobs and are under so much pressure.

4) Can you get us hours so we can do our jobs? I don't think that requires an explanation.

I wish you all nothing but the best and I understand the value of presentation. It's just hard to understand why we are being pushed to our limits every day. Most of us really care about our departments and it hurts us to see them in a constant state of disarray. Please, come in strong! Ask for what you need! Make this happen! Not having clear explanations of what to do or how to do it comes with the job. You will see what needs to be done. I'll work my tail off to help you make the changes we need to excel in tomorrow's market!

We never have enough damn stock of anything to make a decent presentation, all the cute shit we'll have like one are two pieces then the customer buys it off the display and I have to reconfigure the whole design and layout.

 

[Bryantpp]

The more posts I read from external vml hires, the less I want to be a brand attendant. Some need to be more sensitive to the fact that they're coming into a store where a lowly paid TM has been trying their best to do the adjacency, mannequins, etc with very few hours. If I had 40 hours a week plus a few TM's under me, my store would look great too! Instead, me and another TM were given a combined 16 hours to set 8 POGs and the adjacency in RTW, while constantly being called for backup.

I'm sorry if I sound defensive, but some of these posts are pretty condescending to people truly trying their best.

I've been browsing through some more posts and after reading them I get why you guys feel under appreciated and annoyed. It sounds frustrating. Sorry if I came off as an asshole. I can see how many different directions you are being pulled and having your hands tide by corporate rules...

 

[Bryantpp]

Kool- so you are allowed to literally get out on that floor and " work "?alot of rack standards and home endcaps

I am. Its great, go shopping in the back room check out items and create away, I even mixed some BOOKS and ARTWORK from my own home into one of my front end displays. looks wicked cute.

 

[squirrely]

I've been browsing through some more posts and after reading them I get why you guys feel under appreciated and annoyed. It sounds frustrating. Sorry if I came off as an asshole. I can see how many different directions you are being pulled and having your hands tide by corporate rules...

Thank you. I really appreciate that!

 

[redeye58]

I've been browsing through some more posts and after reading them I get why you guys feel under appreciated and annoyed. It sounds frustrating. Sorry if I came off as an asshole. I can see how many different directions you are being pulled and having your hands tide by corporate rules...

Despite the bitterness & burnout expressed here, we have a sense of pride in our work but it's frustrating to be unable to do our best because of corp bureaucracy.

 

[Bryantpp]

I hope my sftl gets it, at my store. They are really good.

What does a SLTL actually do during the day, I'm new to retail and it seems like she does exactly the same thing as her tm's, only difference I see is that she has an email address at target...

 

[Bryantpp]

They're really taking it seriously lol. They have a flip book that you have five minutes to look at and you have to choose five things that you'd do to make the 5 pictures that you were just showed better than they already are. You have to pass the flip book test before the STL starts her interview with you and it's after your first interview. I'm not sure what happens next just giving up to date info on what I'm going through right now.

That shit didn't happen in any of my interviews, I just sat down with the ETL, STL, and DTL and told them what I would do if it I had free reign of the displays.

 

[Bryantpp]

Top visual merchandisers from other stores? Really? Does anyone with half a brain really think for one minute any of the twits that they are interviewing for this position from Macys etc are putting their "own" ideas in the displays? They are simply following the planograms that their merchandising dept at their headquarters has handed down. JUST LIKE OURS. They could actually make that claim if they were headhunting the other companies actual merchandising designers.

I've set up several displays that were totally my own ideas right down to including my own personal artwork in the set., You just go for it and as long as you can speak to why you did it , and it looks good, they don't mind.

 

[sher]

I skimmed because you guys said a ton. Here are my comments

College came up so I feel this is a good place to brag about football: my alma mater is 6-0 and on the AP top 25 for the first time since the 70s! #TempleMade (sorry, my first experience having a good team to root for so I'm just... Beside myself lol).

I feel the need to reiterate that I do find this position to be a good idea for the company. But 2 things

1..... I don't see how we (sl TMs and brand TMs alike) can support the (good) VMLs if they (target) aren't giving us hours and people! Let's say I work an 8-4:30. I can spend 30-75 minutes on a huddle/4x4. At least an hour is dedicated to going for backup. I can't remember the caf times but I think that's 2-4 cafs depending on if I end up getting the ones for both babies and the rest of sl (clothes and accessories). I will cover the fitting room meal and possibly a 15. I will assist guests. I will correct the zone. When I say correct the zone, I don't mean undoing any work that's been done by a tl or vml. I can tell when there's been a new direction for the adjacency. I'm doing so much.

2..... SOME (not all) vmls are coming in with low expectations of TMs. My vml has already accused some of my coworkers of not working hard enough. She doesn't see the backup, the helping guests... And she still doesn't know what a caf is lol. And she's suuuuper slow with reshop in sl.

 

[3LetterDevil]

Are you guys saying that we vmls are "plants" or something? I don't get it...

I wouldn't necessarily say "plants," as in being "planted" in the stores, but possibly on here....but as you pointed out, as a "new hire," when people start throwing out the "Target lingo" with the acronyms, you are rather lost. Some others seem to know it rather well, despite having never worked for Target before and it just seemed odd that they all showed up at the same time, posted like mad sounding like a brochure for the position using "Target lingo," and haven't really been heard from since. Just seems rather fishy, don't you think??? Maybe I'm just a cynic though....

 

[Bryantpp]

OH! you ARE right, one of the VML's at another branch close to mine is gone like overnight...

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

What does a SLTL actually do during the day, I'm new to retail and it seems like she does exactly the same thing as her tm's, only difference I see is that she has an email address at target...

My soft lines TL is on the flooring working on soft lines keeping it clean, doing pogs, keeping it full to drive sales. My stl wants all leadership out on the floor.

You realize after the 4 qtr, that you will have limited resources & very high expectations to get it done by your stl.

 

[OffYaPhone]

But the whole point of going to college IS so you get more money. That's why people do it.

LOL That's cute. I never finished school and I make more than the ETLs in my store. The only reason I'm at Spot right now is because I'm trying to pay down some debt I accrued when I didn't know any better and -- gasp -- student loans. Fucking Sallie Mae.

And I've taught my kids that college isn't that important, and I definitely don't want them going because they want more money. I've always taught them to find something they love and excel at it. The money will come. This institutionalized BS you're spouting is just ridiculous.

 

[redeye58]

What does a SLTL actually do during the day, I'm new to retail and it seems like she does exactly the same thing as her tm's, only difference I see is that she has an email address at target...

Ours sets adjacencies, constantly moves focals, manages her team (disciplinary action, scheduling, hiring).
She's been there 15+ yrs, is very hands-on, keeps her dept up-to-date & our store in the top 20 company-wide.
I imagine her VMTL will be coughing in the dust trying to keep up.

 

[Bryantpp]

Ours sets adjacencies, constantly moves focals, manages her team (disciplinary action, scheduling, hiring).
She's been there 15+ yrs, is very hands-on, keeps her dept up-to-date & our store in the top 20 company-wide.
I imagine her VMTL will be coughing in the dust trying to keep up.

I'm a VML and my HRTL says the SFTL and I are the same thing.

 

[Bryantpp]

LOL That's cute. I never finished school and I make more than the ETLs in my store. The only reason I'm at Spot right now is because I'm trying to pay down some debt I accrued when I didn't know any better and -- gasp -- student loans. Fucking Sallie Mae.

And I've taught my kids that college isn't that important, and I definitely don't want them going because they want more money. I've always taught them to find something they love and excel at it. The money will come. This institutionalized BS you're spouting is just ridiculous.

I wish my parents had taken out a mortgage for me instead of my student loans at least that way I would have a house paid off by now and I'd still have ended up at Target...

 

[squirrely]

I'm a VML and my HRTL says the SFTL and I are the same thing.

VML and SFTL are not the same thing at all. For one, they have many more team members and more store coverage. My store has a SLTL and a HLTL. HL is over electronics, Pfresh, plus the rest of hardlines. SL is responsible for all of SL and infant hardlines. Each of these TLs sets their own salesplanners (except a TM in electronics will do those) and SLTL does her own POGs and adjacency with one more TM. They both push Cafs, zone, do reshop, etc.

ASANTS, as different stores have different TLs. VML is completely different, in my opinion.