Archived Leaving the front?

[thecabbage]

I know this question has probably been asked many times before but I have to ask it one more time. Is there any chance at all that I would be able to leave the front end for another work center? I was hired a little over six months ago as a cashier and have since been semi-trained at the service desk. I know the front end fairly well, at least well enough that both the GTSLs and the GSA have had me cover their breaks.

The reason that I want to leave is that I'm just fed up with the job. It's just so monotonous standing in the sane tiny square for 8 hours saying the exact same lines to people. Also we recently got a new ETL-GE who has it in for me. Not only that but she is absolutely horrible at running the front end. Our previous ETL-GE was no angel but she at least did a fairly good job of running the front and motivating the cashiers to get the redcards. The current one just chews out the GSTLs/GSA (and us when she makes her way to the front end) and it shows in the way their attitude has changed recently. They ride us throughout the entire shift about redcards and it's just un-bearable at times.

I know its not common for cashiers to get trained (much less transferred) to other parts of the store but I just want to know my chances. I want to stay with spot because my resume isn't exactly impressive and they actually have been really flexible with working around my school schedule.

 

[softliness]

while i cant speak for every store in my store cashier were cross trained quite often however I rarely every saw any of them leave the front end no matter how much they may have wanted. In part because those who were good at getting red cards and meeting the other expectations Target expects its cashiers to meet were far to vaulable in their current positions while those who werent that great were kept there because of it. But it really depends on the store. Ive worked in two stores and im in the dc area. It may differ at your store though. The best thing for you to do would be to take it up with your ETL HR. Also if you feel your ETL isnt treating you the way you should be treated this too should be brought up to your ETL HR

 

[instockout]

There are quite a few in my store that are cross trained in salesfloor. We had one or two transfer and become a hrtm. But most the cashiers at my store seem content in staying where they are, or just don't seem to care. Which is weird because almost every other person who isn't front end is trained in at least two areas. Besides flow... They're just flow.

 

[Retail Girl]

Most of our cashiers aren't cross trained out of the front end at this point...simply because they are new, they aren't interested, or they would struggle too much.

But to actually move work centers completely? I think I've seen it happen twice in three years. And one was over to Starbucks, which is technically still front end.

 

[pfreshdude]

Become friends with pfresh . One of my fellow TMs was a cashier/guest service and we had a spot open up in Pfresh and between them asking and pushing HR and me pushing HR and trying to get them the spot they were moved over as a PA. We dont have a CTL but I am basically the "TL" over there.

The key obviously is to have a position open somewhere else in the store and someone championing you being in that spot. Make friends! Its important

 

[redeye58]

When it's slow, ask to help zone in softlines; learn the areas while zoning & learn where go-backs belong.
Watch the swap board & pick up SL shifts occasionally; get acquainted with the SL team & endear yourself until they start asking for you.
Eventually, they may ask for you enough (if you've done a good job) that the TL might request you be added to their team.
From there, you could branch out to salesfloor.

 

[PullMonkey]

It's definitely tough, but can be done. I started out as a cashier, but now do Logisitics.

Front end is definitely tricky to escape though, because of how they view performance. For example, RedCards. If you're good at getting them, they may not want you to move in order to keep that skill. If you're bad, they may prevent it and claim it's due to "failing to perform".

Like others said, I think your best bet is to have a TL want you in another area. It's far easier to be pulled into another work-center than pushed. All my attempts at asking for hours in other areas fell on deaf ears, but other TLs asking for me worked out far better.

 

[redeye58]

Front end is definitely tricky to escape though, because of how they view performance. For example, RedCards. If your good at getting them, they may not want you to move in order to keep that skill. If you're bad, they may prevent it and claim it's due to "failing to perform".

This.
We called it the checklane 'Catch-22'.

 

[pookiesma]

See if you can volunteer to help out the salefloor when needed. I would volunteer to help put up stray when the store slowed down (as long as I was the first to respond if a back up is needed). Eventually one of the salefloor tl's asked me if I could cover some softlines shifts and I jumped on the opportunity.
Also, take the initiative to talk to the salefloor tl's and etl's. Let them know you're interested in cross training so you can pick up some shift on the floor as they come up on the swap board. If you rock those, then the salesfloor may start to lobby for your move.

 

[MyTH]

If your ETL doesn't like you then it will be hard to transfer especially if it is known by other leaders in the building that you don't have that persons support it is very unlikely someone will take you on.

Your best bet is to try and cross train and slowly start picking up shifts in other areas. This will allow you to prove yourself to someone else and transfer out of the front end.

 

[mrknownothing]

It took me about three years to finally escape the front end, even after completing my learning plan for hardlines, because my leadership took their sweet time changing my primary workcenter. Instead of actually being a sales floor team member, I was a cashier who was also trained in hardlines.

They'll probably try to pull the same crap with the backroom because it's a different paygrade.

 

[OffYaPhone]

I'm going through this right now. My former GSTL was moved to HLTL (and then almost immediately promoted to Sr. TL). The moment I found out he was moving to the sales floor, I was like take me with you! That was about 3 or 4 months ago. I kept getting on him, asking what was going on. He finally told me that my ETL-GE is not easy to negotiate with, but this past weekend he told me she finally agreed to allow me and another fellow TM to cross-train on the floor. WOOHOO. I'm not sure if I'll permanently change my workcenter though (I love doing SD and I'm about to train for the CO as well). So, if you're cool with the sales floor TLs, definitely plant a bug in their ears!