Archived AE2013 discussion

[AssetsProtection]

Ill post exact AP Changes tomorrow night.

 

[StateofTarget]

You're deluded if you think its anyone else's responsibility but your own.

I'm done arguing with holier than thou TLs.

**** Target.


Recap of last 2 pages: TLs think any actual "work" isn't their job. Their job entirely revolves around sitting in a swirly chair in the office making "leadership" decisions.

Dude, I really think you have the reading comprehension level of an 8th grader.

If you actually read anything I wrote, you would see that I am saying TLs are generally *not* management.

I was a TL, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that TLs are 95% task and 5% "management". You are probably at a store full of TLs who like to go around and act like they have any real "authority" in front of TMs, and the TMs likely eat it all up and think they are "managers".

Well, I can tell you that is all for show. Tons of TLs like to go around and act like they are managers in front of TMs so that they can feel better about themselves. But that is all it is - show.

Behind the scenes (what you and most TMs never see) is that TLs are treated like complete jokes by ETLs. Most "commands" that TLs give to TMs were actually issued by ETLs - the TLs are just the messengers. TLs actually decide very little of any real importance. TLs have virtually zero authority in HR issues. Almost anything a TL wants to do that is related to HR (i.e. corrective actions) have to be cleared by an ETL first. In other words, it is the ETL actually doing the "management" and the TL is just delivering everything.

As a TL, 99% of my worry was task. Did I ever give TMs instructions to do tasks? Yes, but that wasn't me trying to be a "manager", it was just me trying to get help to complete a crazy amount of task. Most TLs are the same way - they have task to do, and that is all there is to it.

Now, if you want to see "management" - look at the ETLs. They are at least 80% management and 20% task at absolute most.

 

[StaticSun]

I'm not even going to bother to type out my entire thought process on this, as most likely none of you wouldn't be able to get it.

Short of formally coaching people, I did every core role as a GSA that my GSTL did. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

Deal with it. GSAs, in a large percentage of stores, are used as cheap labor in lieu of GSTLs.

D E A L with it. Unless you've been a GSA - just stop.

 

[Barcode]

You're deluded if you think its anyone else's responsibility but your own.

I'm done arguing with holier than thou TLs.

**** Target.


Recap of last 2 pages: TLs think any actual "work" isn't their job. Their job entirely revolves around sitting in a swirly chair in the office making "leadership" decisions.

I remember you being a bit of a know-it-all, but its only fairly recently you've become a complete a**. Get a new job. This one is obviously making you miserable. And again, I would love for you to point and tell me where all of us TLs said we should just put sales planners anywhere?

And the thing about leadership is that all of those silly things you think we think sit in an office chair and do, we are actually doing on the floor, and getting everything done we need to, like setting endcaps and mapping them. We are getting our leadership tasks done with 0 hours to do so. Even having a GSA watch the lanes for us takes PLANNING. Not "important" planning, like SoT says, but we can't just pull them to watch. The hours don't quite work that way. I'm sorry if your leadership sucks, but don't peg the rest of us like that. Chances are, every GSTL on here is probably more efficient at supervising the lanes than you are (or were, I don't know what you do now) b/c I promise you, I know that attitude of yours, and it doesn't come with a superior work ethic. Maybe it did at one point, but not anymore.

You can go ahead and slam my work ethic all you want, but when it comes to executing my core roles and supporting Guests and TMs, I actually do my job very well. I get a lot of guest compliments, both written and verbal. It is all of the offstage tasks that are not a GSA's priority that I don't give 2 ****s about. Our main GSTL used to be a GSA (a very bossy one at that), and ever since they got promoted over a year ago they have been on a tyrannical power trip. ETLs at our store are surprisingly more task than a lot of stores, I'd say they are 50/50 task/management, but this doesn't really help us at all, because our ETL-GE just gives our main GSTL free reign pretty much, while the GE just goes out to the floor to work pulls/etc.

There are heaps of Front End TMs that I've befriended because they are sick of management's bull****. We've had 5+ high performing team members quit in the past 6 months due to management's bull ****, and I'm friends with all of these people. We lost a really great Photo Lab Assistant, and then the GSTL powered through their buddy-buddy to Photo Lab Assistant afterwards, and its been a rocky ride ever since. This individual has horrible guest interaction, whenever a guest gets even the slightest frustrated (FRUSTRATED, not *****y!), she throws her walls up and gets super defensive and pisses the guest off. You have no clue how many times I've had to mop this **** up, and usually the guest ends up being super nice with me and thanks me for fixing their problem (the problems are never substantial, true story). We're constantly running out of supplies and having to borrow from other stores, because this person can't keep inventory for ****. I'm constantly having to adjust counts on important items because they can't take the time to do a weekly audit to make sure counts are accurate. This is what you get when you have a childish GSTL who does whats good for their friends instead of the store.

So what I've come to find is that the .50 cent raise for GSA really isn't worth it unless you want to promote to a TL position (who would? its the biggest rip off you'll ever get...). The 50 cent raise can be made up for by annual reviews pretty much. You can bust your ass off as a GSA and get IE or E, or be that stellar Guest Service TM and get an E or EX with the same effort. Unfortunately I'm in a standoff with management because they won't let me step down. So basically I'm stuck in a position that I don't want to be in, so yeah anything that involves me helping management, they can go suck a dick instead.

RECAP: Don't expect your GSA's to do your jobs for 50 cents. Most leaders at Target are a joke; they don't manage talent, they exterminate it.

ISIS ........................

 

[Rock Lobster]

I'm not even going to bother to type out my entire thought process on this, as most likely none of you wouldn't be able to get it.

Short of formally coaching people, I did every core role as a GSA that my GSTL did. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

Deal with it. GSAs, in a large percentage of stores, are used as cheap labor in lieu of GSTLs.

D E A L with it. Unless you've been a GSA - just stop.

This doesn't prove a point really... I could make the same argument for any position in the store! BRTMs do almost the exact same thing (except for leadership roles) that their BRTLs do? Do we consider them cheap labor? What about Bakery TMs and their Bakery TLs? Every team member is just a cheap version of their TL who can't do leadership!

 

[StaticSun]

How do you define leadership? I ran my front end. I organized, planned, and delegated projects. I was accountable for the things happening up front during fourth quarter, including giving input on scheduling. I had 1 TL, and all he did was his coachings and physically writing the schedule based upon what I emailed him. If leadership is accountability, management, and execution, I was Leading the Team. Many GSAs are in the same position.

 

[CIHYVS]

[/QUOTE]
I learned from talking with other AP, that Walmart doesn't openly post there schedules or inform Department Heads of there AP Department. There just really secretive, and from what I learned, have a better camera system then us

I could go into details about some of the operations I was told about, but it's probably not a good idea..

However, I think the most disgusting thing I've heard, is parents using there children to push out carts of electronics to the car...[/QUOTE]

Walmart's version of AP killed a guy outside of Atlanta on Black Friday 2012. 2 AP and one plain clothed "Contracted" private security got away with murder in Lithonia, GA. Google it!

 

[Barcode]

How do you define leadership? I ran my front end. I organized, planned, and delegated projects. I was accountable for the things happening up front during fourth quarter, including giving input on scheduling. I had 1 TL, and all he did was his coachings and physically writing the schedule based upon what I emailed him. If leadership is accountability, management, and execution, I was Leading the Team. Many GSAs are in the same position.

Thank you static you summed up my thoughts exactly. I was in the same boat in 2012. No longer!

 

[mxrbook]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

 

[StaticSun]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

No, you're hearing the frustrations of an underpaid, under appreciated position. Just about every cashier thought I was the manager. They called me their supervisor. They didn't see the GSTL, let alone the ETL-GE. The ones who knew I wasn't a manager knew how dumb the GSA position was, in terms of how Target views it and how under appreciated we are.

 

[The Mule]

Keep it on task for AE2013 discussion please people. If this thread is continued to make personal attacks, REGARDLESS of who started it, I'll scrub this thread to bring it back on topic.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

My is guy now handles 20 stores in my district, instead of 10 stores.

 

[Barcode]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

What, that I dont aspire to be an underpaid department manager? Oh wait, most of the team already thinks im the manager! My part time gig pays me 25/hr for IT Services so i could care less about Target. I have educational qualifications to be making a lot more than Target TLs. Rofl.

Keep using your gsa's as gstls on the cheap though! I bet that swirly chair is comfortable.

 

[RankOne]

There's going to be a new guest survey rolling out in 2013 and a metric from it is going to be "% Amazed" lol

 

[mrknownothing]

There's going to be a new guest survey rolling out in 2013 and a metric from it is going to be "% Amazed" lol

An ETL trainee at my store talked about it at the huddle this morning. Guests will no longer be able to use the registry kiosk to do the survey, only on target.com and smartphones. The prize will no longer be a $5,000 gift card; supposedly, a certain number of people in each state will win a small gift card and one person will win a large gift card. Also, surveys will print out more often on guests' receipts than they currently do.

Details will print out on receipts when the new survey rolls out.

 

[Rock Lobster]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

No, you're hearing the frustrations of an underpaid, under appreciated position. Just about every cashier thought I was the manager. They called me their supervisor. They didn't see the GSTL, let alone the ETL-GE. The ones who knew I wasn't a manager knew how dumb the GSA position was, in terms of how Target views it and how under appreciated we are.

Maybe your store isn't executing GSAs properly? Mine only get 1-2 GSA shifts a week each so I fail to see how there could be this much confusion? Every store is allocated 2 GSTLs each working 40 hours/week... That only leaves 40 hours total for another GSA (who should be owning Cash Office)... most stores will need 2-4 more GSAs to be honest!

 

[StateofTarget]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

What, that I dont aspire to be an underpaid department manager? Oh wait, most of the team already thinks im the manager! My part time gig pays me 25/hr for IT Services so i could care less about Target. I have educational qualifications to be making a lot more than Target TLs. Rofl.

Keep using your gsa's as gstls on the cheap though! I bet that swirly chair is comfortable.

I have to say Imerzan, I agree with you on this. The people who are TMs with bachelors/masters degrees who could be making $25/hour like you on the side..... I think they are completely insane.

I mean, WTF is the point of spending 50K to get a degree, have the option to make at minimum $20/hour, get great benefits, 40 hours a week, and then settle for Target?

I mean, it is just idiotic.

Having had a better job now, I can say people who have a degree and settle for Target are absolutely insane. If I had a 4 year degree, I never would have even considered coming back.

 

[redandkhaki]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

No, you're hearing the frustrations of an underpaid, under appreciated position. Just about every cashier thought I was the manager. They called me their supervisor. They didn't see the GSTL, let alone the ETL-GE. The ones who knew I wasn't a manager knew how dumb the GSA position was, in terms of how Target views it and how under appreciated we are.

Maybe your store isn't executing GSAs properly? Mine only get 1-2 GSA shifts a week each so I fail to see how there could be this much confusion? Every store is allocated 2 GSTLs each working 40 hours/week... That only leaves 40 hours total for another GSA (who should be owning Cash Office)... most stores will need 2-4 more GSAs to be honest!

We have 5 gsas and if they get more than one GSA shift a week that's doing good. It's hard to get more than that when we only use GSA's for cash office and you can't be in cash office after you close. The reason why some of them might get more is because of how mine and the other GSTL's schedule is set. I can't work the day shift of the day that the other GSTL closes because I don't have a babysitter that day and he can't work the day shift of the day i close because he gets treatments that day. So twice a week both of us are there so we take a turn at GS once a week.

 

[Barcode]

We have 2 GSAs. We work minimum 2 GSA shifts a week, every other week I usually do 4. Then 1 Photo shift a week for me. I usually never see the inside of cash office, and neither does the other GSA. I went over a month without being in there. My store has an old CO Specialist work in there full time.

I pretty much had to ***** and complain to get the 1 Photo shift a week, otherwise they had me 5 days a week GSTL/GSA.

 

[Wildfirez]

Random question that kind of relates to the thread...anyone know what the highest volume and lowest volume stores are and their sales? I found that T942 in Chicago is #2 in sales but I can't fine who is #1

 

[nof]

People enjoy complaining simple as that, while others simply enjoy their job. I personally am financially sound, enjoy working here, and enjoy the tm's and guests in my store.

Thats what it really comes down to in the end as i quit a job that paid alot more, but i was miserable in it.

The only thing i dislike about target is the guest surveys because there such a small sample size and rather unreliable because of it.

 

[mxrbook]

It will be interesting to see how the scores change when the surveys are only available online and on mobile devices. (We've already stopped asking guests to do in-store surveys.) Seems to me that the only guests who will still have an interest in doing a survey by the time they get home will be those who are mightily pissed.

 

[mspk]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

No, you're hearing the frustrations of an underpaid, under appreciated position. Just about every cashier thought I was the manager. They called me their supervisor. They didn't see the GSTL, let alone the ETL-GE. The ones who knew I wasn't a manager knew how dumb the GSA position was, in terms of how Target views it and how under appreciated we are.

Maybe your store isn't executing GSAs properly?

I have a GSA that I'd like to execute. What is the proper procedure?

 

[Retail Girl]

Imerzan sounds just like the GSA in my store who didn't pass GSTL interviews. Just sayin'.

No, you're hearing the frustrations of an underpaid, under appreciated position. Just about every cashier thought I was the manager. They called me their supervisor. They didn't see the GSTL, let alone the ETL-GE. The ones who knew I wasn't a manager knew how dumb the GSA position was, in terms of how Target views it and how under appreciated we are.

Maybe your store isn't executing GSAs properly? Mine only get 1-2 GSA shifts a week each so I fail to see how there could be this much confusion? Every store is allocated 2 GSTLs each working 40 hours/week... That only leaves 40 hours total for another GSA (who should be owning Cash Office)... most stores will need 2-4 more GSAs to be honest!

That isn't the reality at most stores...at my store, we have two GSTLs. One does 5 shifts GSTL...always. The other does one shift...always (except for the weeks when she does zero). So that leaves 8 shifts for the 3 GSAs...GSAs don't do cash office, ever. Their other shifts come from guest service or other areas of personal interest.

 

[redeye58]

I have a GSA that I'd like to execute. What is the proper procedure?

*filling up degreaser bottles & sharpening my cutlery*