MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[OPINION] How do you feel about these changes?

  • I like them.

  • I dislike them.


Results are only viewable after voting.
So heres how my store is laid out and works....
  1. Our volume is 50+million and we take 6-7 trucks per week.
1 Inbound/P1 TL- Me
  1. 2 HBA DBo
  2. 1 Pets/Chemicals
  3. 1 Plastics/Furn
  4. 1 Baby TM
3 P2 Leaders(Each TL has 1-2 Tms assisgned to there work center
  1. Electronics/Beauty/Toys
  2. Domestics/Home/Seasonal
  3. Stationary/Small Appliances/Housewares/Bullseye
2 Food (1 Dry/ 1 Frozen/Produce)

2 Style

2 GSTLs

We use 7 people for sort (1 thrower/5 sorters/1 runner). 2 of my sorters are only scheduled 4 hours and after unload they help push areas that will need help. All others go to designated P2 areas
My problem here is in the last paragraph. “2 of my sorters are only scheduled 4 hours”
This company is expecting people to come in at the most inconvenient time (4 am) and do the most physically demanding job and then only get 4 hours... like how does no one see the issues here?
 
My problem here is in the last paragraph. “2 of my sorters are only scheduled 4 hours”
This company is expecting people to come in at the most inconvenient time (4 am) and do the most physically demanding job and then only get 4 hours... like how does no one see the issues here?

I WISH we were still coming in at 4! We might actually get the work done if that were still the case!


Lately it seems like the usual time is 9, and I hear tell it will move to 11...
 
That is even more ridiculous l. Are you a lower volume store? Because it would literally be impossible for us to start the unload at 9 or 11. To much traffic with vendors/dairy, produce, Starbucks ext.
 
That is even more ridiculous l. Are you a lower volume store? Because it would literally be impossible for us to start the unload at 9 or 11. To much traffic with vendors/dairy, produce, Starbucks ext.

Last count we were under 40 mil. I'm not sure where that falls.

The unload doesn't start at 9, it starts at 6:30, but I assume it will start at 8:30 or 9 if we move our P2 start time to 11.

A lot of us don't know if we'll be P1 or P2 on any given day. The schedule can say one thing but if people call out you could get called in sooner, or rather, asked to come in sooner.
 
Ahh gotcha. Same thing will soon be happening with us. As of right now I start the unload process at 4 and we get done around 6. Then I own my area which is toys so technically P2. So after truck I pull and push the auto fill and as much freight as possible before the doors open at 8. Then take a quick break and finish whatever push I have left (usually repacks) then I get into the zone and audit and help set a Pog if needed. And lastly I’ll do my toy backstock and if there is any time left I will help in any other area that is either heavy or there was a call out.
 
How does that work when the TMs on the line have their own areas to work? If the unload takes 4 hours, that's 4 hours less they have to do just as much work as those given the full 8 hours.

.. assuming they get those hours to begin with, which they're currently not.
Pretty much. No vehicles allowed on the floor and no room to store them anyway, so where do those full vehicles get put while the TM responsible for pushing them is already working on a vehicle? And that's without mentioning that there aren't enough U-boats to actually replace those that get full, so freight is either going on a pallet (not enough room), a flat (not allowed on the floor), a tub (also not allowed on the floor), or the floor itself. Or, you know, the vehicle next to it since it's just a few aisles down anyway.

The unload could stop, and the TMs on the line could push their stuff for a bit.. but if we did that, the truck would never get finished and we'd be rolling much of it into the next day (not that we aren't already..) because we don't have the manpower or hours to make that happen.

Target makes big talk about culture, yet the culture they're driving is one centered around TMs getting 2-3 days a week, and never enough hours to do what they're asked to do. Oh, sure, they're going to be quick to embrace that.

You seriously just said everything I’ve been thinking for months. I work the truck unload and HQ wanting us to “slow down” is ass backwards logic because the longer the unload the less time I have to own my area (which is toys) I come in at 4 am and our unload takes roughly 2 hours. So around 6 I walk my area and the zone is always trashed. So I then pull my auto fills and push them with as much freight as possible before the store opens because pushing freight in toys it’s very difficult will the volume of children and guest asking questions. So taking longer on the unload really puts me behind even more and now I’m expected to add planagram, price change, abandons and sfs to my already huge work load and expected to do all of this in 6 hours to and leave at my scheduled time being 10 am. It’s a damn near impossible task that has been highly stressful. Especially annoying when the closer whose only job is to push the 3 pm pull and 6 pm pulls, collect abandons and zone doesn’t do any of that. I come in every morning too trashed end caps, and incomplete vehicles with little sings on it that say push. Ohh and I get blamed for a toy zone 3 hours after my shift. As if children keep zones perfect
 
I WISH we were still coming in at 4! We might actually get the work done if that were still the case!


Lately it seems like the usual time is 9, and I hear tell it will move to 11...
My last store was a 4am store and most of the team that came in for 4 hours wanted to. They work a few hours before their stay at home moms that work before their husband goes to work. There are plenty of people out there that the 4am 4hour schedule works
 
My last store was a 4am store and most of the team that came in for 4 hours wanted to. They work a few hours before their stay at home moms that work before their husband goes to work. There are plenty of people out there that the 4am 4hour schedule works

We were told that with modernization, 4 am was no longer allowed, sadly. I liked going in to work at 4 am because of the lack of guests meant work being done, plus I could play music.

Not anymore...
 
My last store was a 4am store and most of the team that came in for 4 hours wanted to. They work a few hours before their stay at home moms that work before their husband goes to work. There are plenty of people out there that the 4am 4hour schedule works
Yes I know it works for some but that is usually not the case. At my store all of us that come in at 4 we’re previous on the overnight flow team. Some team members with disabilities such as being deaf or autism have pretty much been forced to quit. Others are still getting only 2 days a week 4 hour shifts and not making enough to even come close to rent. It’s just a really shit way to treat people who have put their heart into this company.
 
We were told that with modernization, 4 am was no longer allowed, sadly. I liked going in to work at 4 am because of the lack of guests meant work being done, plus I could play music.

Not anymore...

I think the time switch depended on the store volume. My store is ultra high volume. Min 8 trucks a week average 2000 pieces. Durning 4th quarter max 14 trucks a week
 
TMs want to be paid a living wage. They don't want to be TLs in all but title, they just want to earn more as the company earns more because of them.

This whole "getting paid more means having to work harder" thing is silly. That's a corporate thought process, not a real world one. How many additional responsibilities have the people at corporate taken on to reflect their increase in pay/bonuses? Zero, because all they do is take ideas like Modernization and tell everyone below them to sort it out or else.

You realize everyone at HQ isn't making salary right? They do have hourly employees. Getting paid more does mean having to work harder... they go hand in hand. I think people need to be paid at least $15 an hour but with that said we work retail and put up with a lot of crap... but if you're going to tell me that TM's have been expected to do a ton of work previously I am going to have to disagree.
 
I know things differ per State like cost of living but if I am doing the same or more than someone in a different state why am I only getting the bare minimum

I work hard for 6 + years as a perishable assistant and only making 12.51 per hour. Our store is a 65 million plus per year. I push all produce, fresh meat, all milk vendor 2 pallets a day and specialty milk about 50 boxes a day, bananas about 15 boxes a day. I just want to be paid fair for all the hard work that I do.
 
I think the time switch depended on the store volume. My store is ultra high volume. Min 8 trucks a week average 2000 pieces. Durning 4th quarter max 14 trucks a week
Yeh it depends on your volume they just made the thresholds different for modernization. Lots of 6am stores now but the 4am and overnight stores still exist
 
My store continues to be off to a less than successful start at modernization. Walked into receiving to start a shift early yesterday afternoon. Not sure which was more troubling: the dozens of unpushed truck vehicles left or DTL there for a third visit in less than a week? HL TL was back there and I let him know that I was scheduled for hardlines. After saying "Thank God," he looks up and down the line and tells me to focus on clearing vehicles. I'm to start with the least full vehicles I can find, regardless of section, and just get them clear.

OK cool. Easy enough, right? I grab a lightly loaded toys vehicle that looked like it was about half full of some street dated stuff. It looks like maybe 15-20 minutes to push it out on a Saturday afternoon and maybe another 5-10 to backstock? I push it out to the location, grab the first box, open it up, take one item out and put it on a peg. Four and a half hours later that would still be the only part of my assignment that I had accomplished.

It started innocently enough with a call box going off in seasonal. Cleared it. Grabbed an item for the guest out of the back. Simple. Ohhh, backup needed in electronics. Grab the keys. Unlock some games, ring them up. Guest first to the front. 25 minutes later finally walking back to my vehicle, call box in home furnishing. Guest wants a table. Not on the floor but we have it in the back. Tell the guest I'll grab it and leave it at guest services for them while they continue shopping. Get to the back. Location blocked by pallets. Moved the pallets. Grabbed the item. Moved the pallets backs because there is nowhere else to put them. Took the table to the front. Oh, since you're here anyway, guests first! 35 minutes this time. Got off the line just in time to be recruited to do the carryout for that same home furnishings guest. Almost made it back to my vehicle but stopped by a guest who wanted 4 of a particular chair and we only had one in stock. So, walk the guest to the front and explain to guest services so they can process a My Checkout for the other three. Get asked to finish processing STS from the day before that didn't get done. Fine. Fine. Then, it was cover a meal for OPU. After that, I got back to my vehicle and actually managed to pick up a box only to have a guest ask me about an item. Had to go get it for them out of the back. No problem. Then, it was another guests first to the front. Got done with that. I don't get three steps from the lanes when I hear, "Hardlines, there's a call on 2280 about toys who can get it?" I look at my device. I've been there for four hours and 2 minutes. Grab my walkie. "This is Seasonaldude. I'm going to my meal," as I turn around and walk towards the breakroom.

So much for 40 cartons an hour. :rolleyes: I did eventually manage to get that first vehicle done though after getting permission from my ETL to turn off my walkie.
 
My problem here is in the last paragraph. “2 of my sorters are only scheduled 4 hours”
This company is expecting people to come in at the most inconvenient time (4 am) and do the most physically demanding job and then only get 4 hours... like how does no one see the issues here?
Were a 6am unload store... more like 6:30-6:45 because we have to move all of the P2 freight that didnt get pushed from the previous truck, just so we can set the line.
 
My store continues to be off to a less than successful start at modernization. Walked into receiving to start a shift early yesterday afternoon. Not sure which was more troubling: the dozens of unpushed truck vehicles left or DTL there for a third visit in less than a week? HL TL was back there and I let him know that I was scheduled for hardlines. After saying "Thank God," he looks up and down the line and tells me to focus on clearing vehicles. I'm to start with the least full vehicles I can find, regardless of section, and just get them clear.

OK cool. Easy enough, right? I grab a lightly loaded toys vehicle that looked like it was about half full of some street dated stuff. It looks like maybe 15-20 minutes to push it out on a Saturday afternoon and maybe another 5-10 to backstock? I push it out to the location, grab the first box, open it up, take one item out and put it on a peg. Four and a half hours later that would still be the only part of my assignment that I had accomplished.

It started innocently enough with a call box going off in seasonal. Cleared it. Grabbed an item for the guest out of the back. Simple. Ohhh, backup needed in electronics. Grab the keys. Unlock some games, ring them up. Guest first to the front. 25 minutes later finally walking back to my vehicle, call box in home furnishing. Guest wants a table. Not on the floor but we have it in the back. Tell the guest I'll grab it and leave it at guest services for them while they continue shopping. Get to the back. Location blocked by pallets. Moved the pallets. Grabbed the item. Moved the pallets backs because there is nowhere else to put them. Took the table to the front. Oh, since you're here anyway, guests first! 35 minutes this time. Got off the line just in time to be recruited to do the carryout for that same home furnishings guest. Almost made it back to my vehicle but stopped by a guest who wanted 4 of a particular chair and we only had one in stock. So, walk the guest to the front and explain to guest services so they can process a My Checkout for the other three. Get asked to finish processing STS from the day before that didn't get done. Fine. Fine. Then, it was cover a meal for OPU. After that, I got back to my vehicle and actually managed to pick up a box only to have a guest ask me about an item. Had to go get it for them out of the back. No problem. Then, it was another guests first to the front. Got done with that. I don't get three steps from the lanes when I hear, "Hardlines, there's a call on 2280 about toys who can get it?" I look at my device. I've been there for four hours and 2 minutes. Grab my walkie. "This is Seasonaldude. I'm going to my meal," as I turn around and walk towards the breakroom.

So much for 40 cartons an hour. :rolleyes: I did eventually manage to get that first vehicle done though after getting permission from my ETL to turn off my walkie.
You need to challenge your leaders on this, and tell them that the product won’t be pushed if you keep being pulled in 15 directions. Why can’t electronics help the toys guest? Why can’t softlines or market do some backing up or the carry out? 25+ minutes at a time backing up on a lane is unacceptable, and if you were my TM and I lost an hour of your shift to the checklanes, I’d have words for the gstl. Also, salesfloor TMs covering OPU breaks? What the fuck? At my store, leaders cover OPU when there’s a break or gap. I assume this means your leaders were pushing U boats instead?

This process won’t work if leadership doesn’t get their heads out of their asses.
 
You need to challenge your leaders on this, and tell them that the product won’t be pushed if you keep being pulled in 15 directions. Why can’t electronics help the toys guest? Why can’t softlines or market do some backing up or the carry out? 25+ minutes at a time backing up on a lane is unacceptable, and if you were my TM and I lost an hour of your shift to the checklanes, I’d have words for the gstl. Also, salesfloor TMs covering OPU breaks? What the fuck? At my store, leaders cover OPU when there’s a break or gap. I assume this means your leaders were pushing U boats instead?

This process won’t work if leadership doesn’t get their heads out of their asses.
leads and leaders have to get out of the TSC and start doing the TMs jobs as well.

Ive seen it at my store, my lead pushes grocery 95 % of his shift, as the food leader (ETL) is out pushing and filling endcaps for about 50% off his day.
 
Electronics is already helping a guest; SL only has two TMs scheduled and they're already on lanes; Market is busy with their truck; there are no carts left in the store; SFS was scheduled light, but picks are dropping like crazy -- that's where your TLs and even ETLs are, so no one left for OPU. Oh, and it's Sunday, so there were 5 call-offs before noon.
With that kind of skeleton crew, I’m guessing that means there’s 6 more inbound or dedicated stockers working as well? Where are they? If they’re strictly inbound and don’t do cashiering, well then that’s the exact situation modernization is supposed to solve. If there isn’t anyone there, then where’s the payroll going from what would have been inbound? Something doesn’t add up; I have a feeling an ETL or STL is fucking something up over there.
 
It's a non-truck day, so there's no one scheduled under Inbound. There were supposed to be 4 pushers, but 2 called off. Called TMs at home to see if they'd come in -- just one person picked up the phone, and said they had a prior engagement. No one is willing to extend their shift to cover save for those who are scheduled 40 already, of course. No OT. :D
Then you do what you can, you do your best; that’s all we can do. Rough days and weeks happen. We don’t have non-truck days at my store, so this is a little out of my area of expertise 😝
 
You're only proving you can make it work for your team and your section of your store, which gives corporate the idea that it can work anywhere. But that clearly isn't the case.

Corporate are anti-vaccers and you ran an experiment that potentially shows an inconclusive, marginal link between autism and vaccines in a sample size of 10. Congrats, you've ended the world. :p
Lol. Like I’ve said previously, the next few weeks I’ll be getting the rest of my store on board. I’ll be honest about how it goes.
 
Congratulations busyzoningtoys in getting it to work. Now cut everyone back to 4 to 4.5 hours per shift like Target expects us to do.

I'm not being facetious. If you are not allowed/sanctioned for X amount of full time team members, but your team is nearing that, you'll be getting a "happy gram" from your dtl when it looks as if your team is going to qualify for benefits. It's a exponential hit on the margin and one of the reasons a lot of team members took a hit a while ago on hours.

More power to you if you can keep team members for the hours you mentioned with the number of trucks. For a lot of us, attrition is going to be a program killer due hours and scheduling.

Looking out to busy spikes and expecting TM's to stay 8 hours when they come in at 9 AM or later "ain't happening" or at least not consistently.
 
You need to challenge your leaders on this, and tell them that the product won’t be pushed if you keep being pulled in 15 directions. Why can’t electronics help the toys guest? Why can’t softlines or market do some backing up or the carry out? 25+ minutes at a time backing up on a lane is unacceptable, and if you were my TM and I lost an hour of your shift to the checklanes, I’d have words for the gstl. Also, salesfloor TMs covering OPU breaks? What the fuck? At my store, leaders cover OPU when there’s a break or gap. I assume this means your leaders were pushing U boats instead?

This process won’t work if leadership doesn’t get their heads out of their asses.

At my store, electronics does help toys/sporting goods/seasonal guests from time to time if they're not slammed themselves.

I WOULD LOVE IT IF SOMEONE TOLD OFF THE GSTLS FOR HAVING CONSTANT BACKUPS AT THE LANES ON WEEKENDS. Except it is NOT THEIR FAULT. It isn't. And I'm not just sticking up for them - they don't schedule cashiers either, even during busy times. It's ridiculous. I've come in to close on a Saturday or Sunday and had hardlines TMs tell me they've spent the bulk of their shifts at the lanes. I'd love to tell the GSTL/GSA folks that we have our own tasks to do. But I can't do that. They're barely making it too, and now they're being told that their priority is guest service. They aren't allowed to touch Bullseye, saver wall, or endcaps, which either leaves them empty, a mess, or vehicles with product not pushed. A bunch of us cashiers were standing around yesterday after the busy time came through, and we couldn't do anything else BUT stay at the lanes.

OPU usually gets thrown on the backroom, and they barely have time for that. Or the same hardlines people do it. Sometimes the TLs will cover it, but that barely happens. And it's not because the ETLs are ignoring it. I never see them offstage. Ever.

So what's the priority? Originally, I was told everything would be more guest focused, but we can't make sales if we don't have product out to sell.

Also heard we're getting drive up by September...I'm hoping I'm out by then.

If we have the hours, it works. If you have consistency, then it works. But scheduling everyone bare minimum and not in their areas is not how to do it.
 
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