Archived Back-Up Rant

[OffYaPhone]

My dilemma last night was the same as what Retail Girl mentioned. I had to cover the GSTL's last 15 and called for backup - crickets. LOD did get on the walkie and ask someone to answer. Unfortunately, it's ALWAYS the same team members. I know most of the folks who were on the sales floor and I KNOW that at least two of them didn't respond just because they didn't want to be up front. If LOD hadn't asked for help, I would have called both of their names out.

 

[CeeCee]

My dilemma last night was the same as what Retail Girl mentioned. I had to cover the GSTL's last 15 and called for backup - crickets. LOD did get on the walkie and ask someone to answer. Unfortunately, it's ALWAYS the same team members. I know most of the folks who were on the sales floor and I KNOW that at least two of them didn't respond just because they didn't want to be up front. If LOD hadn't asked for help, I would have called both of their names out.

First off - thanks for covering a 15! When I work a GSA shift I never can get anyone to cover my 15's so I just work thru them and stopped asking. I was on the sales floor before being a GSA so I know everyone's names and I have no problem calling for backup by name. I try to set up first responders for each hour and let them know what their time slot is. That way They get called out by name "Team I need backup on the GM side. Joe - I have you listed as my first responder. Are you available to open a lane?" Only Joe needs to reply at this point. If they are with a guest (and announce that on the walkie) I will call out another person by name - if no one else volunteers immediately. If no one responds after asking twice I will announce "LOD - I am opening a lane please come to the front end to host." I have no problem asking an ETL or even our STL to open a lane if it's needed. But I have been told I would get coached if I jump on a lane to check out a guest and haven't called for an TL or ETL to come up to host the lanes.

 

[OffYaPhone]

That's actually a good idea, @CeeCee!

 

[unknown]

First off - thanks for covering a 15! When I work a GSA shift I never can get anyone to cover my 15's so I just work thru them and stopped asking. I was on the sales floor before being a GSA so I know everyone's names and I have no problem calling for backup by name. I try to set up first responders for each hour and let them know what their time slot is. That way They get called out by name "Team I need backup on the GM side. Joe - I have you listed as my first responder. Are you available to open a lane?" Only Joe needs to reply at this point. If they are with a guest (and announce that on the walkie) I will call out another person by name - if no one else volunteers immediately. If no one responds after asking twice I will announce "LOD - I am opening a lane please come to the front end to host." I have no problem asking an ETL or even our STL to open a lane if it's needed. But I have been told I would get coached if I jump on a lane to check out a guest and haven't called for an TL or ETL to come up to host the lanes.

Hey, that kind of sounds like ... Oh, what's the word I'm looking for ... Snap! A schedule!

Imagine a world where we had a schedule for doing our work?

 

[PassinTime]

There is nothing worse than an ETL pow wow in front of the lanes with really long lines. The guests don't care who they are or what they are (or aren't) doing. All they see is long lines and people in red and khaki ignoring them. And it looks super bad.

Had that happen in spring. Was the only closing cashier for the last 2 hrs. on a Sunday night. The GSTL and ETL-AP were chatting on the front end. I had 14 guests in line...had time to count while guests fumbled with their money looking for exact change. Guests were complaining about the wait. All I could do was point them in the direction of the 2 managers and tell the guests that they were the managers in charge.

 

[doxiemama]

Still, you should always respond for backup unless you're about to hit compliance or if you're helping a guest.

According to our ETL-HR, you don't risk compliance for any reason. I got reamed for getting too close the other day because I was helping a guest. Comment was that I'd be better off walking away from guest and calling for somebody else to come help.

Folks at my store have a real simple solution to calls for backup. They turn their walkies off then claim they never heard the call. That assumes they can even get walkies. Most of the time, we're out of them. We probably have less than half of what we need to make sure all TMs have one.

 

[dannyy315]

I would never intentionally turn my walkie off, but I'll be honest, part of me is happy when my walkie battery dies. They usually have extras, but there are times when they don't and I'm not bothered.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I tell my lod to cover electronics while I go for backup. Sales are important to my store. Some lods say, no problem. Other say what? I go up any way.

 

[instockout]

I do signing. I use the wave. Put out the cones. Boom. Wave.

the guy at my store who does signing doesnt do backup though... all he does is signing... so half the time hes walking around.

 

[ClearanceMaster]

the guy at my store who does signing doesnt do backup though... all he does is signing... so half the time hes walking around.

^^THIS. My signing person never comes up unless called out by name multiple times. They act like they are too busy when they have flat out told me "all my signing is done and I'm just waiting to clock out"

 

[instockout]

^^THIS. My signing person never comes up unless called out by name multiple times. They act like they are too busy when they have flat out told me "all my signing is done and I'm just waiting to clock out"

i just read that a persons store actually has pricing and pog come up... this blows my mind because neither of these teams even get asked to go to the registers. im on instocks and we are the only specialty team that does backup. in my opinion, the only people who shouldn't have to do backup is the operator, backroom team (unless its dead back there for some reason), and basically receiving.

 

[ClearanceMaster]

i just read that a persons store actually has pricing and pog come up... this blows my mind because neither of these teams even get asked to go to the registers. im on instocks and we are the only specialty team that does backup. in my opinion, the only people who shouldn't have to do backup is the operator, backroom team (unless its dead back there for some reason), and basically receiving.

Yeah im pricing and we respond. Our pog team comes up, but it's rare. Maybe 2 or 3 times a month. Our instocks team does alot of it though.. they call us out all morning at my store and then leave us alone after noon. It's very aggravating. I don't mind helping, but if my name gets called out before anyone elses, and they dont call EVERYONE out, I start screaming. Lol.

 

[instockout]

One of my ETLS will get on. Our AP will not even do LOD duties at all unless he's closing. He's horrible. The others won't and sometimes 3 of them are at the checklanes having a pow-wow while everyone's backed up

we always have gsa's and gstl's sitting there conversing while lines are backed up and carts are running on empty. numerous times i have had to jump on without being asked, or run outside and get carts because they cant seem to notice the lack of carts.

 

[unknown]

Yeah, at my store, pog/instocks/pricing back up on a pretty even basis.

What I don't understand is ... If I'm in the backroom pulling my product and working beside a backroom tm pulling the researches ... Why am held to a different standard? Why do I have to reply? If I'm on a ladder carrying down a box, it becomes a race so that I don't get chastised later. Whatever. I'm sure someone will justify it somehow.

 

[signingminion]

Yeah, at my store, pog/instocks/pricing back up on a pretty even basis.

What I don't understand is ... If I'm in the backroom pulling my product and working beside a backroom tm pulling the researches ... Why am held to a different standard? Why do I have to reply? If I'm on a ladder carrying down a box, it becomes a race so that I don't get chastised later. Whatever. I'm sure someone will justify it somehow.

When I was being scheduled under logistics for food truck or asked to pull cafs or batches for pog I told them I would not be responding to backup. It's not part of that work centers core roles.

As signing I'm up there all the time. Pricing, pog, and instocks are all expected to respond. It's more the person than where they with though that keeps then from helping.

 

[pfreshdude]

people who do backup at my store are not the same people who ride the wave around... definitely not the same people riding the wave around the store lol

Idk why but I laughed so hard reading this just picturing someone going along a joy ride with the wave

Also enjoy this video..smh at this guy and the wave in our(targets) backroom

 

[pfreshdude]

That is also why leadership is up peoples' asses. You don't need to deliver a speech just to say, "I'm unavailable at the moment." It's a less than 3 second message that keeps leadership happy.

Y'all are making it out to sound like it's a huge inconvenience to answer your damn walkie. There's a reason you have it. If you can't handle hearing people communicate the way they are supposed to, then you shouldn't have a walkie. If you can't handle having a walkie, you have no business being at any type of job. Communication is key, and being annoyed by people doing what they are supposed to is just ridiculous.

*end MY rant*

Can't stand the people who say that stuff at work. Just do your job and use your equipment properly.

I just wish they would understand why its hard for me to backup when I am doing autofills or pushing out product that can go out of temp. I mean sure sometimes im only up there for a few minutes, but about half the time im up there its a never ending rush of guests and I can be up there for 20 maybe 30 minutes and hey look at that..food is now bad.

I allready have to backup pharmacy as I am certified. As a last resort I back up front but everyone else should be before me

 

[pfreshdude]

I appreciate it when they say, "I have a freezer/cooler/flat of milk out." Then we know why you can't come up, and we move on to someone who doesn't have temperature sensitive items on the floor.

But this policy comes from either everyone ignoring the call or the same people never responding...so they have no idea if you are legitimately in the middle of something or if you are trying to pull a strike on back up (like our salesfloor keeps trying to do).

My problem is you have these people in softlines scheduled for half the day and you hear them complain about how they backup all the time. Well..you ARE right there as opposed to say Market when I have a pull and half to walk halfway around the store just to get to the front lanes.

I dont know why sometimes people say it should be "fair" and "split" How about if you are right next to the damn lanes you hop on instead of wasting guests time and save other TMs from walking all the way across the building

Market should be last resort because
1 We are on the opposite side of the store and
2 We have to deal with temp sensitive items and dont get help with any of our work...EVER

Sorry mini rant

 

[pfreshdude]

I went up yesterday (having to listen to my pog tm my signing tm and my softlines tl say they were tied up) I was finally able to respond 15-20 seconds later. Meanwhile my LOD is yelling at people to come up even though the whole time I was trying to tell them I was coming up. Then the stupid GSTL uses me like a cashier for 30 minutes (that is not fast service.. that is horrible front end management)

THIS is the reason I have started to strongly dislike front end backup. Way to many times it turns into a 30 min backup

 

[pfreshdude]

Wish my store had your leaders. I don't think I've ever seen an ETL at my store jump on a register.

Ya thank god my ETLS are amazing too. My STL will backup cashier. Heck they even do reshop and zone and sometimes cover electronics

 

[pfreshdude]

This is me every time. I was on for almost an hour straight the other day. I called the gsa/gstl four times after thirty minutes passed. When the gstl finally came over the excuse was they just got back from lunch...if I was there before you went to lunch and there when you got back maybe you should check if I ever left.

Abd I am sometimes on the wave. Thirteen feet in the air in the entry. I could stop hanging signs, drive back to the backroom and come back up, but it will be awhile. I normally offer to suggest tm who look free, since I can see them all from up there...

One of the girls that was working hardlines like 2 weeks ago was on for about 2 hours in a 4 hour shift. It was rediculous

 

[pfreshdude]

Every team member huh? Is that why when I'm walking all the way up from seasonal to back up, I pass everyone on flow? They don't have to respond. Neither does backroom. Receiving. Or the pmt. So much for team.

You know its funny you bring up flow. They moved the time so they could help on the floor but the only help they ever seem to do is back in electronics

 

[pfreshdude]

i just read that a persons store actually has pricing and pog come up... this blows my mind because neither of these teams even get asked to go to the registers. im on instocks and we are the only specialty team that does backup. in my opinion, the only people who shouldn't have to do backup is the operator, backroom team (unless its dead back there for some reason), and basically receiving.

My pricing team has 2 people that are Pharmacy Certified too and come to back up pharmacy in the mornings along with front end backup. If im there we have 3 of us that can help out and if im not super slammed I try to respond so they dont have to. Pog comes up sometimes but usually will be one of the last to be asked to come up. My instocks team backs up occasionally BUT they also backup electronics and help a ton of guests out around the store so they do a great job

 

[Voicetarget]

And it is also infuriating to be called for backup, respond, walk to the front to find -- NO LINES AT ALL. Or I hop on for a minute, but the GSA/GSTL doesn't close my lane down when the crowd slows down.

The most infuriating thing is when you respond for backup, but the cashiers are super slower than you at ringing guests up, so the guests move to your lane. Eventually the other cashier finishes up their last guest and starts to walk off their lane to go on break, while you are still on trying to finish up ringing guests. Grrr...

 

[LogisticsFox]

I dont know why sometimes people say it should be "fair" and "split" How about if you are right next to the damn lanes you hop on instead of wasting guests time and save other TMs from walking all the way across the building

Market should be last resort because
1 We are on the opposite side of the store and
2 We have to deal with temp sensitive items and dont get help with any of our work...EVER

It's funny that you say this. 9/10 of the time I'm (market) am the closest to the lanes.. Especially if I'm working in mini, then I'm always within sight of the GSA/TL. If I legitimately have temp sens stuff on the floor, produce is usually the first to respond.