Archived Anyone else's store like this?

[Evildead2]

This has been on my mind a lot lately. I've noticed that the leaders (TL AND ETL) seem to be friendly with each other and no so much the other employees. I'll catch them laughing and talking to each other but when I or many of my coworkers try to engage with them It's very short. Most the time when you walk past them they don't say a word. I don't get it. Does leadership think they are so much better than everyone else?

 

[HRZone]

This has been on my mind a lot lately. I've noticed that the leaders (TL AND ETL) seem to be friendly with each other and no so much the other employees. I'll catch them laughing and talking to each other but when I or many of my coworkers try to engage with them It's very short. Most the time when you walk past them they don't say a word. I don't get it. Does leadership think they are so much better than everyone else?

I think TLS are much more like TMS than ETLS. Their hours get cut too (although nowhere near as drastic), they actually have to work hard rather than only delegate. And they get frustrated with ETLS just like we do.

To an extent yes they are close. I often see TLS and ETLS in the office behind closed doors yacking it up. ETLs buying TLs lunch. But I mean that's just how it is. They have a direct reporting relationship. A lot of TMs see their ETL once or twice a week depending on if they open or close.

 

[instockout]

I visited a store to help out once and the stl said to me "oh you're one of those hourly people right?" and said it in such a condescending way. Went back to my store and told them I wouldn't go back. Couple months later she came to interview me for a tl position and was offered it, and I turned it down. She was just way too snooty.

 

[Doglover89]

I think TLS are much more like TMS than ETLS. And they get frustrated with ETLS just like we do.

This. I'm pretty close with three TLs at my store, and two of them especially are frustrated. ETLs boss them around one minute and are like "lead your team by example" the next. I considered trying to promote to TL or even GSA but after talking to my TL friends and seeing what my own TLs deal with on a daily basis- no thanks. Oh and @instockout that STL sounds like a real jerk. Mine's pretty great. I think he likes/thinks more highly of many tms and tls than many of our SrTls/ETLs to be honest lol.

 

[signingminion]

I visited a store to help out once and the stl said to me "oh you're one of those hourly people right?" and said it in such a condescending way. Went back to my store and told them I wouldn't go back. Couple months later she came to interview me for a tl position and was offered it, and I turned it down. She was just way too snooty.

Yeah bitch, which means I get overtime to listen to your shitty attitude... idiots.

 

[StockerAce]

On overnights my TLs and ETLs are all great, at least to me. All of them, at some point, have chatted me up just trying to get to know 'me' a little better. They are always available for questions and help if needed. The only time we never see them is on breaks...which I think is fine with all of us. lol

 

[HRZone]

On overnights my TLs and ETLs are all great, at least to me. All of them, at some point, have chatted me up just trying to get to know 'me' a little better. They are always available for questions and help if needed. The only time we never see them is on breaks...which I think is fine with all of us. lol

It's amazing how much more relaxed leaders are when the store is closed. Some are still serious about getting work done but it's way better when you can interact without guest.

 

[StockerAce]

It's amazing how much more relaxed leaders are when the store is closed. Some are still serious about getting work done but it's way better when you can interact without guest.

Very true. Ours are still serious about getting things done...but they have more time to oversee, help and either praise/coach. When we are shorthanded for a night I've worked aisles along side ETLs and TLs. They've also worked on the line on truck unload numerous times. I've never worked with other ETLs though, or when the store is open (other than a couple hours here and there during xmas season) so can't really compare.

 

[callmetaylor]

On overnights my TLs and ETLs are all great, at least to me. All of them, at some point, have chatted me up just trying to get to know 'me' a little better. They are always available for questions and help if needed. The only time we never see them is on breaks...which I think is fine with all of us. lol

I'm so awkward. Whenever I've been around a leader who gets chatty, I get panicky. Like...if I stand there and continue the conversation, it's going to look like I'm not working. But if I try to end the conversation ASAP then I seem unfriendly. When our STL started this was a problem I encountered a few times. There were times where I was yelling my response to him across 2-3 backroom aisles. It's just so awkward. I'm more than happy to talk to any of these people- I really like my leadership team, but I feel incredibly uncomfortable talking while I'm in the midst of backstocking or something.

I don't talk when I work. Or, rather, I don't like to talk when I work. If I know for sure we're gonna be working side-by-side for an extended time, sure. But as a logistics TM we're constantly on the move and never focused on one specific area (like Plano would be) bleh...makes me nervous just thinking about it!

 

[StockerAce]

Usually we'd just be chatting while we are stocking. I generally don't talk much either when working (other than communicating during truck unload, stuff like that) but once in a while we work in the same aisle so it's just chat while working for a bit. It'd be a bit different in backroom though. You're so rarely in the same area, you're right.

 

[Pale]

My leadership is hit or miss, I'm close to and friendly with my (Sales Floor) TL, Logistics, and Backroom. But the rest of my leadership I either just don't really talk to or dislike. I have an extreme distaste towards my STL due to her treating me like a fucking pawn and giving me unrealistic expectations to complete all by myself.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I visited a store to help out once and the stl said to me "oh you're one of those hourly people right?" and said it in such a condescending way. Went back to my store and told them I wouldn't go back. Couple months later she came to interview me for a tl position and was offered it, and I turned it down. She was just way too snooty.

My response would have been "No, I am even more lowly, I am just "The Help", to see if she could catch on to your disdain.

 

[smashandthrash]

This has been on my mind a lot lately. I've noticed that the leaders (TL AND ETL) seem to be friendly with each other and no so much the other employees. I'll catch them laughing and talking to each other but when I or many of my coworkers try to engage with them It's very short. Most the time when you walk past them they don't say a word. I don't get it. Does leadership think they are so much better than everyone else?

Why yes, some of them do.

 

[Midoninger]

I think TLS are much more like TMS than ETLS. Their hours get cut too (although nowhere near as drastic), they actually have to work hard rather than only delegate. And they get frustrated with ETLS just like we do.

To an extent yes they are clss. I often see TLS and ETLS in the office behind closed doors yacking it up. ETLs buying TLs lunch. But I mean that's just how it is. They have a direct reporting relationship. A lot of TMs see their ETL once or twice a week depending on if they open or close.

see your ETL maybe once or twice a week?! thats the LIFE I WANT! THAT is the DREAM of all TMs in my store. shit! once or twice a week?! oh my damn!

 

[abstractpremed96]

I don't know if this is just my store but we are so understaffed that we have about the same number of execs as we do TLs. We have one SrTL for POG, pricing, presentation, and signing, one SrTL over all of sales floor and the one instocks TM, one GSTL, one backroom TL, one TL for flow and one TL for Starbucks and market. Being that short, we see TLs and ETLs constantly. We have an ETL for AP, HR, logistics, and GE/SF All of them are down in the trenches with us, often having to do tasks we weren't given enough hours to assign a TM to. If a critical TM calls out, like GSA, receiving, CA, or electronics, usually a TL or ETL will cover that position. There's rarely more than one TL in the building at a time.

So we are pretty close to all of our higher ups. Everyone is down to earth. Even our STL and often can be found pulling CAFs, pushing, getting carts, on a lane, or covering breaks. One night he and the ETL-HR were our closing backroom. So out of necessity, our store runs as almost equals. Usually there are only one or two people per day who answer to a particular TL so everyone answers to every TL regardless of workcenter.

 

[SFSFun]

I don't know if this is just my store but we are so understaffed that we have about the same number of execs as we do TLs. We have one SrTL for POG, pricing, presentation, and signing, one SrTL over all of sales floor and the one instocks TM, one GSTL, one backroom TL, one TL for flow and one TL for Starbucks and market. Being that short, we see TLs and ETLs constantly. We have an ETL for AP, HR, logistics, and GE/SF All of them are down in the trenches with us, often having to do tasks we weren't given enough hours to assign a TM to. If a critical TM calls out, like GSA, receiving, CA, or electronics, usually a TL or ETL will cover that position. There's rarely more than one TL in the building at a time.

So we are pretty close to all of our higher ups. Everyone is down to earth. Even our STL and often can be found pulling CAFs, pushing, getting carts, on a lane, or covering breaks. One night he and the ETL-HR were our closing backroom. So out of necessity, our store runs as almost equals. Usually there are only one or two people per day who answer to a particular TL so everyone answers to every TL regardless of workcenter.

Lower volume stores are usually like that. My store is almost exactly the same, except we have an APTL instead of ETL. We had a day a few weeks ago where the STL had to cover receiving.

 

[HRZone]

Lower volume stores are usually like that. My store is almost exactly the same, except we have an APTL instead of ETL. We had a day a few weeks ago where the STL had to cover receiving.

Yeah I think there is good and bad to that.

The bad is that your ETLS are so head to the ground they don't manage as much and maybe miss the bigger picture. The good is they are hands on with the team and I bet are less out of touch than other ETLs.

The special ETLS can do both.