Archived Cart Attendant Problems

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dmredsoxboy33

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Jun 29, 2014
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So I've always had sensitive knees, and they would always hurt when I would run, but I would never feel pain just from walking. I've worked at target as a cart attendant since June of 2014, and I have noticed that my knees have literally gotten to be terrible. Keep in mind I'm only 19, and my knees feel like I should be like 50 years old. Even if I have a 5, 6, or 7 hour shift, by the time my shift is halfway over my knees feel like absolute hell. I have good shoes, and I have even tried inserts. Nothing has helped me, and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice. I might be transferring to starbucks in the future because people are leaving, but for the near future I'm going to stay a cart attendant. Should I try those expensive knee braces? The only issues is it's both knees, not just one, so I would have to spend a lot of money to get knee braces. Is this something I should discuss with my doctor maybe? Thanks for any advice!
 
I would go to your doctor, first. My question is, are you pushing carts from the lot, correctly? Like pushing 7 carts in, 15 carts without the pusher, for ex.
 
Yes, 90% of the time I push 7 carts at a time, and occasionally 8 or 9 if there is a stray one on my way to the building. Thanks for the advice!
 
Go to your doctor or get referred to a specialist. You might have to get some imaging done to rule out a tear, arthritis, bursitis, or some kind of inflammation.

I had an immune response to strep at one time and it located to my knees. I could barely walk for two weeks. I also had some bad ankle pains due to wearing soft orthodics too much. Hard orthodics fixed that.
 
Kartman said:
A cart attendant who doesn't use the cart pusher is a fool.
Click to expand...

Not really. First, our cart pusher has been out of commission for months. Second, everytime someone says the cart pusher is faster, we find a time to let them prove it. And each time, it comes out that it is faster at our store to clear a side by hand. It may be a volume issue, or the way our lot is set up, but we know if the cart attendant is going to use the cart pusher to clear the lot that they are going to take all evening to do it.

Third, you have to be 18 to operate the cart pusher.
 
So, you're saying the OP's store doesn't have a cart pusher?

Let me rephrase it ...

A cart attendant who doesn't use the cart pusher (when it's available) is a fool.

Better?
 
I don't know what the OP stores does or doesn't have.I was speaking for my store...we don't have one .
 
Retail Girl said:
And each time, it comes out that it is faster at our store to clear a side by hand. It may be a volume issue, or the way our lot is set up, but we know if the cart attendant is going to use the cart pusher to clear the lot that they are going to take all evening to do it.
Click to expand...

Then they don't know what they're doing and they need better training. It's a skill using the pusher in an efficent manner and not everyone masters it.

I guarantee you @ the end of an 8 hour saturday shift (or any type of shift or day) the CA using the pusher will have moved more carts the the CA who just pushed 7 @ once.

I'll challenge anyone, anywhere, anytime and I'm 58 years young.

Our pusher broke down once in the 9 months I've been there. It took 4 days to get it fixed. If the STL allows something like that to remain inoperable, then they too are a fool. The pusher gets more done in a faster manner and they should know that... think manhours.
 
I wouldn't say people who push by hands are fools, but it depends. I've worked at two different stores now, one with metal carts and one with plastic. For the metal carts, no way in hell would I push those all by hand and I could slalom those babies through parked cars no problem (not that I actually did).

As for the plastic carts, I find it easier to do them by hand. Maybe it's just the way our parking lot is set up with it being on an incline, but I find the plastic carts slide everywhere if you push too many, whether by hand or by cart pusher.
 
By the time you walk all of the carts over and put them into a line, you could have shoved them inside of the building in the same amount of time at our store.
 
Too bad I couldn't get a temp transfer to your store for some hardcore cartpusher training for your CA's.

That would be cool!
 
Part of my in-depth, intense training would be showing all the positive reasons they should have a cart pusher.

They would order one the next day!
 
well from my experiance while you can get more carts in faster by hand if you move fairly quicly with them it tires you out a whole lot more and using the pusher you dont wear yourself out as much and i can get like 30-37 carts at once in using it by myself, with help i once got 68 lol anyways i used to push like 14 carts+ at once for the longest time and at the end of the night was wore out
 
One of my store's parking lots was uphill from the front of the store. Corp tried sending us one but my store ended up transferring it to another store.

Most of the time I would get a batch of carts and guided them down hill. Then switch to push them into through the doors.

Since it was a low volume store, we would rarely would need one anyway. Pushing by hand was easier except for doing a major run from the side, which was about the only time we actually needed help for carts.

At my Super and High Volume, you definitely needed a cart pusher if you were going to working a large parking lot and pushing carts to the side, and double doors as well.
 
buliSBI said:
One of my store's parking lots was uphill from the front of the store. Corp tried sending us one but my store ended up transferring it to another store.
Click to expand...
I've never heard of a construction design like that. What happens when it rains? Does the store get flooded?

And what does the grade of the lot have to do with having / not having a cart pusher?
 
Kartman said:
I've never heard of a construction design like that. What happens when it rains? Does the store get flooded?
Click to expand...

I would imagine there were storm sewer grates near the doors to allow for adequate drainage.

Kartman said:
And what does the grade of the lot have to do with having / not having a cart pusher?
Click to expand...

If you're pushing the line downhill from the lot to the store, the carts can easily fall off the pusher (and potentially hit something/someone), so you don't want to push a lot of carts downhill all at once.
 
If a CA doesn't use the cart pusher, that CA is a maroon.

Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about, but probably thinks they do.
 
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