MEGATHREAD 2018-2019 Store Modernization Megathread

[Go2TL]

.. yet they limit it to two of each size on the floor and don't have proper salesfloor locations so that SFS can find clothing quickly. It has to make up the majority of INFs, easily.

We have more clothing in the backroom than we do on the salesfloor. If it's the biggest profit margin, why hide it in the back? It doesn't make sense.

Sorry, please clarify "INF." I understand SFS. Does this mean Incomplete Fulfillment? I've seen INF in couple of posts and wanted to make sure I understood what was being talked about. Thanks!

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Sorry, please clarify "INF." I understand SFS. Does this mean Incomplete Fulfillment? I've seen INF in couple of posts and wanted to make sure I understood what was being talked about. Thanks!

INF means Item Not Found.🙂

 

[can't touch this]

INF means "softlines item"

 

[SigningLady]

“More important things to do” you can’t really argue any department is more important that cashiers. I’m not going to have an argument as to which one is more important or the most difficult but there aren’t many things if any that are more important than having cashiers to check out our guest. You have a ton on clearance to ticket? It can wait. You need to push that Uboat? It can wait. Your revision didn’t get set? It can wait. But the line of people building at the front end because no one answers back up calls? They won’t wait.... they will leave and yeah you might get your stuff pushed but if no ones buying it. Tasks can always be postponed but the real life guest in front of you can not

You're right, this isn't something worth arguing about. BOTH are equally important though, like sides of a scale: if you pull from one side to stack the other you lose balance. That uboat that didn't get pushed had the one item a guest came in to purchase and they left without buying anything because the shelf was empty, that revision that isn't done has new advertised items that a guest wants to purchase but can't find and they left without buying anything too, and that clearance isn't selling at full price but would fly off the shelf if ticketed.

We teach children to wait their turns for what they want. Standing in line at a checkout for a reasonable amount of time isn't much different. If the line is long, you should expect a longer wait.

Now if both sides of the scale were always in balance, enough people for tasks AND enough for cashiering, that'd be a pretty sweet system and none of us would feel such a strong need to defend the side we are most loyal to.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

I feel like HQ is losing sight of the fact that you can't "drive sales" if the shelves are empty and the aisles are clogged with push.

Had constant battles with my ETL over this. You aren’t going to increase basket size, make or increase sales if all the guest has to shop is empty shelves. Too bad empty shelves don’t show up as a direct metric. Then maybe they would care.🙄

 

[Go2TL]

It's the option you hit when you can't find the item for the order (you can skip or INF -- skip means you delay it until later, INF means you basically remove it from the order). So you go to the backroom location that it's located at, but it's not there and it also isn't on the salesfloor -- you hit INF and move on to the next item.

Ideally, you'd try to find it, but there's only so much time you can waste digging through repacks or waving around an RFID gun. If it's a salesfloor location and it's empty, we'll check that area (neighboring sections and endcaps) before moving on. If it's a backroom location, we'll check nearby WACOs or maybe just quickly scan the aisle before moving on. In both cases, we'll also type the DPCI into MyWork and see if it's anywhere other than the location we were sent to. If all that fails, we INF (rather, we walkie the ETL-Log or LOD and inform them, then we INF).

INF is a tracked metric for each individual, as well as the store. The higher the INF score, the worse it appears you/the store is doing. TMs with a high INF score typically get scolded by their TL/ETL/LOD while stores with a high INF score get scolded by the DTL/GVP/GTL.

I imagine it exists for a reason -- a high INF score likely means a disorganized store, not a lazy TM. So a TM would hit INF if they can't find the item, then leadership would look into why the floor counts are off/the backroom locations aren't accurate.

But, of course, we "cheat" a bit and spend time looking for the item instead. It's like exiting out of a Move batch when you get to a location that doesn't have an item it should have, Audit it, and reenter the batch -- you're cheating the system. AIS exists to point out errors, not to be bypassed in order to keep everything in the green.

Thank you for clarifying and explaining. The biggest question that comes to mind is how are you doing this with all the new roll outs? I don't know what the INF score is at my store but we have 2 days worth of pallet freight to be pushed from truck and vehicles of backstock. So I can imagine it is probably challenging and difficult to avoid getting a INF each time you are looking for an item. But a TM is still scored even though it's not their fault items are not where they should be? That sucks big time!

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Thank you for clarifying and explaining. The biggest question that comes to mind is how are you doing this with all the new roll outs? I don't know what the INF score is at my store but we have 2 days worth of pallet freight to be pushed from truck and vehicles of backstock. So I can imagine it is probably challenging and difficult to avoid getting a INF each time you are looking for an item. But a TM is still scored even though it's not their fault items are not where they should be? That sucks big time!

Yes it does. When all else fails, they blame the TM because, deserved or not, 💩 rolls downhill. 🙄

 

[jenna]

You're right, this isn't something worth arguing about. BOTH are equally important though, like sides of a scale: if you pull from one side to stack the other you lose balance. That uboat that didn't get pushed had the one item a guest came in to purchase and they left without buying anything because the shelf was empty, that revision that isn't done has new advertised items that a guest wants to purchase but can't find and they left without buying anything too, and that clearance isn't selling at full price but would fly off the shelf if ticketed.

We teach children to wait their turns for what they want. Standing in line at a checkout for a reasonable amount of time isn't much different. If the line is long, you should expect a longer wait.

Now if both sides of the scale were always in balance, enough people for tasks AND enough for cashiering, that'd be a pretty sweet system and none of us would feel such a strong need to defend the side we are most loyal to.

I wish you were my STL or ETL or TL.

I feel like many people in my store don't realize the importance of all the systems in place and the cycle of the product. We're too busy putting out dumpster fires to get ahead.

Fake tying Sales planners, incorrectly set POGs or REV, overstock, mis-stock, failing to push/stock product, failing to research or PTM = dumpster fire -- I could go on. Meh.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Yeah, and that's why it's always a good idea to let your ETL-Log or LOD know when you can't find something. It still hurts you, but you now have someone to vouch for those INFs if they ever get brought up by leadership or come review time.

My ETL-Log has complete trust in his two main SFS TMs, so he doesn't expect them to walkie him anymore when it comes to INFs -- he knows they put in a reasonable amount of effort to find the item. So when the STL asks about the INFs, he has their back. He doesn't hold it against them come review time either.

The other SFS TMs, not so much. He watches their metrics like a hawk. The difference is that they never bothered to partner with him, to let him know ahead of time so he could see the effort they put into looking for items.

Wow! Trust, what a concept! Wish I worked at your store.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

I wish you were my STL or ETL or TL.

I feel like many people in my store don't realize the importance of all the systems in place and the cycle of the product. We're too busy putting out dumpster fires to get ahead.

Fake tying Sales planners, incorrectly set POGs or REV, overstock, mis-stock, failing to push/stock product, failing to research or PTM = dumpster fire -- I could go on. Meh.

This!😁

 

[GlobalTL123]

Are any stores successful with this new trailer process? How long are your unloads and how do you go about pushing freight? Team is scheduled 270 hours under inbound for 6 trailers 1000-2500 pieces. Help!

 

[RTCry]

The proof is from guest complaints and comments on our FB page. I am also reading more guest complaints regarding lack of cashiers. One guest was told they would have to use SCO because the store did not have a cashier until 11 am. WTH???

“Guests first” until where it really counts. Then it’s “every guest for himself”. Heckuva way to run a business and compete with hassle-free online shopping.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

A sample of guest comments on FB today regarding the 40% off of Halloween. Many guests upset that stores did not have adequate Halloween costumes and candy in stock. Not to mention the complaints regarding empty shelves and the pushing of freight during the day that block the aisles.

Target judging by the comments this isn’t the only store like this. Why isn’t stocking shelves done overnight? Honestly I’ve been avoiding target for the last couple months because they’re always stocking shelves while I’m trying to shop. Boxes everywhere and aisles blocked so much it’s impossible to get a carriage through.

My store had only half the costumes out yesterday. And boy costumes are batman, superman and avengers....same as last year. The girls costumes were two aisles. And my store in Philadelphia always has boxes in the aisle at 11 am and only one cashier open.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

You're right, this isn't something worth arguing about. BOTH are equally important though, like sides of a scale: if you pull from one side to stack the other you lose balance. That uboat that didn't get pushed had the one item a guest came in to purchase and they left without buying anything because the shelf was empty, that revision that isn't done has new advertised items that a guest wants to purchase but can't find and they left without buying anything too, and that clearance isn't selling at full price but would fly off the shelf if ticketed.

We teach children to wait their turns for what they want. Standing in line at a checkout for a reasonable amount of time isn't much different. If the line is long, you should expect a longer wait.

Now if both sides of the scale were always in balance, enough people for tasks AND enough for cashiering, that'd be a pretty sweet system and none of us would feel such a strong need to defend the side we are most loyal to.

Again I didn’t argue it because it’s impos to argue it but you can always look for that item but you can’t jusy open a lane without a backup. There are plenty of other things like payroll you can throw in there that contribute but when it comes down to it, guests always come before process.

 

[oath2order]

Company wide it’s the biggest profit margin. It’s what the company current focus is so yeah it’s going to get special treatment. We’re a clothing store that happens to sell other things not the other way around.

We're pissing money down the drain for clothing. Losing pallet space, 5000000 fixtures, the VM role, ETL-Style who is basically ETL-Softlines. There is no way the amount of money they're investing is being made back.

 

[balthrop]

so with all the modernization that the backroom has had shoved down it's throat where are we to put the Christmas Trees, the multiple pallets of those glitter covered hell spawn ornaments? I asked that question, in a nicer way, the answer was "we'll think of something"

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Whats a go card ?

What is a gocard?

+1

A go card is where you log your sales & guest interaction for spot.

 

[SigningLady]

Again I didn’t argue it because it’s impos to argue it but you can always look for that item but you can’t jusy open a lane without a backup. There are plenty of other things like payroll you can throw in there that contribute but when it comes down to it, guests always come before process.

Can't look for an item if I am backing up on a lane. Think I'll skip the lanes and look for the item for that guest instead.

 

[RedcardReba]

Ask any of us, and we'll say, those people don't work much. Easy job. Lol

Truth is that cutting hours on the front end means backup is vital. Whether you approve or not, better come fast. I can see now that slow responders are going to find that they are miscalculating how they are being evaluated. It's a big deal, about to be bigger.

Now, ask me? Hey, we'll take the hours back and leave floor staff alone. Ha.

 

[Joel]

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but does anybody else think some things are going to change to the way they were?

It is unbelievable how many people have quit older people, and even some new TM don't really want to stay even if it's $12 an hour. A lot of them say it's too much pressure from leadership and you get coached a lot for stupid unimportant things. Not worth the effort and stress when there are other jobs out there that pay you this much or better without causing you so much stress and anxiety.

 

[RedcardReba]

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but does anybody else think some things are going to change to the way they were?

It is unbelievable how many people have quit older people, and even some new TM don't really want to stay even if it's $12 an hour. A lot of them say it's too much pressure from leadership and you get coached a lot for stupid unimportant things. Not worth the effort and stress when there are other jobs out there that pay you this much or better without causing you so much stress and anxiety.

Kinda, sorta....looking, but I'M being choosy. I understand about the coaching. I took umbrage at first. Now i make jokes wirh them. It's just their tension spilling over.

I figure for 12 bucks an hour, I can play grown-up.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Maybe it's wishful thinking, but does anybody else think some things are going to change to the way they were?

It is unbelievable how many people have quit older people, and even some new TM don't really want to stay even if it's $12 an hour. A lot of them say it's too much pressure from leadership and you get coached a lot for stupid unimportant things. Not worth the effort and stress when there are other jobs out there that pay you this much or better without causing you so much stress and anxiety.

It does seem a though a lot of older/veteran workers are being coached for minor, unimportant things to performance them out. There has been an exodus of older/veteran workers from my store, and the sad thing is, these people were the ones who were really dedicated to their jobs.🙄☹️

 

[Kartman]

Don't ever expect any company to be loyal to you. They may make it seem as if they are - but they never (for the most part) are. Hope for it, wish for it, but NEVER expect it. Realize that and you will never be disappointed, as far as the "loyalty" thing goes.

 

[RedCardBorn]

The whole backup thing gets really old really fast. For those of you who thinks sales floor, pricing, plano and flow don't back up, you may be right. HOWEVER they are constantly helping guests on the floor. Guest service is NOT just ringing people up.They take guests to products, shop for people, help with registries, show people how to use appliances and the list goes on and on and on. In between guests our cashiers read magazines. It pisses me off to come up to a backup because the GSTL sends 3 cashiers to break at once and then proceeds to chat with guest service throughout the backup. Then the cashiers are already on page 6 in the magazine before the sales floor gets off the lane. And to further our problem, we have the slowest cashiers known to retail.

As a GSA, I try my BEST to never call for back up, I either push for more SCO use as people sometimes stand in line with just one item (then tell me they rather wait in line, but when the line is long complain and continue to wait in line instead of moving to an empty SCO, but thats a different issue) or sometimes I can tell that the mini-wave of people won't last as long so I endure it, but when the lines are getting longer and longer and ti does not seem like it will end I will call back up, I first look to Service Desk, if they are busy then I look to SCO, if there is only one at SCO right now, I FINALLY look for sales floor, and they make me call out names I can't just say "Team can I get one response for back up please?" as no one except the same 2 will answer. But I am not allowed to call certain areas like Mod areas (beauty, electronics) and people under the label CAF. The main reason to call for back up is that the front is under scheduled, usually around 11:30am to 2:30pm and 7:30pm to 9:00pm or that 6 people all came in at the same time like 8am, 8:15, or 8:30 and I HAVE to send them to break or lunch in a strategic manner, but still leaving me less cashiers, resulting me to calling back up. At least for me, I only call back up from the sales floor when I have to.

 

[can't touch this]

Don't ever expect any company to be loyal to you. They may make it seem as if they are - but they never (for the most part) are. Hope for it, wish for it, but NEVER expect it. Realize that and you will never be disappointed, as far as the "loyalty" thing goes.