Archived Communication Breakdown...versus a Nervous Breakdown

[OyeShopgirl]

Hey all!

Just wondering about something...

OK, we all know how integral timely and appropriate communication is in our workplace; about our tasks, how far along ( or behind:wacko🙂 we are in them, what area of the store we are in and whether or not we are on break or whatever the blah blah blah....

THAT SAID,

Does anyone ever feel like, at their store, especially with certain leaders, TMs, or whoever, the apparent CONSTANT NEED TO COMMUNICATE is kinda sorta like really totally HAMPERING THEIR EFFORTS TO DO THEIR JOB?

As in, certain people insisting on tallking although you have told them ( and reiterated ) that you are with a guest?

Or if you have your hands full zoning and reshopping ( as in, figuratively AND LITERALLY have your hands full ), and you find yourself scrambling to put things down/aside/away/somewhere in an effort just to get a free hand and catch your breath long enough to reply?

And you think to yourself, " In the time it took you to say all that and the time it took me to reply, I would have done the very thing you were telling me to do since it was the next thing on my agenda anyway so RELAX, ALREADY?!?!?"

Or do I just really desperately need to get it together?

You can tell me. I can take it.

*ducks, runs, cries*

 

[GlobalJ]

Communication at my store is pretty efficient. For the most part we're left to do our own thing, and if a LOD,TL,TM,etc. needs you, and you're busy it's a "when you get a moment.." case.

 

[mrknownothing]

We have a cart attendant like that. Every 5 min or so, you'll hear on the walkie "GSTL/LOD/other cart attendant, can you go to 2?"

Also, a certain hardlines TL has a tendency to over-do the whole communication thing. I'll be zoning and I'll hear "mrknownothing, can you go to channel 2?" and at the end of the conversation, I'll realize that I could've gotten three or four aisles zoned if not for that conversation. Yes, TL, I know that stationery looks like Hurricane Sandy hit it. I could be halfway done with it by now if you didn't keep bothering me every 15 minutes.

Talk about counter-productive...

 

[Deli Ninja]

At my store, the biggest problem I've encountered having to do with communication is the long congratulatory paragraph they drop every time someone gets a Redcard. The only part I might be remotely interested in is the number of Redcards we have for the day, although I don't mind hearing the cashier's name. We all know the guest saved 5% and that it applies "today and every day," so skip it!

 

[seasonal]

At my store, the biggest problem I've encountered having to do with communication is the long congratulatory paragraph they drop every time someone gets a Redcard. The only part I might be remotely interested in is the number of Redcards we have for the day, although I don't mind hearing the cashier's name. We all know the guest saved 5% and that it applies "today and every day," so skip it!

"TEAM TEAM TEAM!!!!, I would like to congratulate Softlines Ninja for following procedures and getting a red card. I know we can get more team. Electronics i challenge you to get some red cards back there." yup

 

[redeye58]

*pats oyeshopgirl on the shoulder while handing her a cold beer, some of TargetAnnie's cookies & earplugs*

 

[OyeShopgirl]

*shuts walkie off so as not to be overheard sipping on my nerve tonic*

 

[lovecats]

At my store, the biggest problem I've encountered having to do with communication is the long congratulatory paragraph they drop every time someone gets a Redcard. The only part I might be remotely interested in is the number of Redcards we have for the day, although I don't mind hearing the cashier's name. We all know the guest saved 5% and that it applies "today and every day," so skip it!

I still remember when one of our etl's got over excited (like they tend to do) over the walkie about the red card. There was a guest standing near me and he says to me, "Do you have to listen to that all night?" I said yes and he said, "I'm sorry.".

 

[ZombieGurl]

lol my STL calls you on the walkie you better respond in seconds.. otherwise he keeps paging.. then he says. anyone near betty with a walkie? shes not responding.. he did that to me today while I was pushing a cart full of sheets and had my arms loaded up. drives me insaneeeeeeeee

 

[salesfloor10]

At my store one of the tl's tends to over communicate. It's pretty much to the point of micro managing TM productivity. Drives me crazy. Another TL gives that same speech about red cards others mentioned, and she's soooo loud on the walkie. I can't stand hearing it every hour.

 

[backroomdude]

lol my STL calls you on the walkie you better respond in seconds.. otherwise he keeps paging.. then he says. anyone near betty with a walkie? shes not responding.. he did that to me today while I was pushing a cart full of sheets and had my arms loaded up. drives me insaneeeeeeeee

My STL did this one day, I was taking a leak. She continued to page for me, so I qued up the walkie while I was "busy" and flushed. Afterwards she got on to me for that said guest could hear it and its just not a respectful thing to do. I told her if you know were here and have a walkie and don't answer, next time think about why we don't immediately answer. LMAO

 

[Barcode]

So much truth in this thread on all counts.

 

[ISIS639]

Just a word about the GSTLs on the walkie. First off, I'm willing to bet they hate it too, i know I do. Second, it is supposed to be more for the guests, not the team. Guests hear walkies in the store all the time. It is supposed to trigger them to think..."They said someone is going to save 5% every day, how can I do that?" Does it work? I have no idea. But you better believe I'm going to do it, even if it will get my team one REDcard a week. I usually have to turn away from guests as I say it, b/c the look on my face is one that says I hate my job.

I don't hate my job....I just hate that speech. I sound like a damn theme park announcer. But the more annoying I sound, the more likely the guests will listen and not tune it out like the rest of the walkie chatter.

 

[researchr]

My TL is referred to as "Sheldon" behind her back. "Researchr", (waits 1 second), "Researchr",....just shoot me. She always calls when I am in the bathroom...

 

[RightArm]

My TL is referred to as "Sheldon" behind her back. "Researchr", (waits 1 second), "Researchr",....just shoot me. She always calls when I am in the bathroom...

You always know when that happens to a TM/TL/ETL in my store because when they answer on the walkie there's this definite "echo"... ><

 

[researchr]

My TL is referred to as "Sheldon" behind her back. "Researchr", (waits 1 second), "Researchr",....just shoot me. She always calls when I am in the bathroom...

You always know when that happens to a TM/TL/ETL in my store because when they answer on the walkie there's this definite "echo"... ><

File under Gross Stories Thread, unsanitary much?

 

[Deli Ninja]

My TL is referred to as "Sheldon" behind her back. "Researchr", (waits 1 second), "Researchr",....just shoot me. She always calls when I am in the bathroom...

You always know when that happens to a TM/TL/ETL in my store because when they answer on the walkie there's this definite "echo"... ><

File under Gross Stories Thread, unsanitary much?

Hey, at least they're responding and not just throwing the walkie in the toilet! XD

 

[redeye58]

Hey, at least they're responding and not just throwing the walkie in the toilet! XD

Ermmmm, had that happen when a female TL pulled off her walkie to respond as she was 'finishing up'. It slipped out of her hand & landed in the toilet.
When she returned it in a baggie, the hrtm asked what happened. She said "You don't wanna know..."

 

[RedisRad]

Just a word about the GSTLs on the walkie. First off, I'm willing to bet they hate it too, i know I do. Second, it is supposed to be more for the guests, not the team. Guests hear walkies in the store all the time. It is supposed to trigger them to think..."They said someone is going to save 5% every day, how can I do that?" Does it work? I have no idea. But you better believe I'm going to do it, even if it will get my team one REDcard a week. I usually have to turn away from guests as I say it, b/c the look on my face is one that says I hate my job.

I don't hate my job....I just hate that speech. I sound like a damn theme park announcer. But the more annoying I sound, the more likely the guests will listen and not tune it out like the rest of the walkie chatter.

When I was trained for GSTL, the store I trained at did a long spiel for cashiers getting a REDcard. It's definitely serving a few purposes. It gives cashiers the recognition for getting the card and it keeps the LODs content because they hear that we are getting the cards. My spiel is short and sweet. I like to say, "Let's give a big woohoo to so-and-so for saving a guest 5%!"

Most of my cashiers appreciate it, especially since I wait til a couple guests have passed through their line, and because they usually get a few woohoos from TLs and ETLs and other TMs sometimes. If the cashier doesn't like it, I won't do it. I can't stand when they ETLs ask me how many RCs we have gotten though, because I don't like the guests knowing that we are racking them up for a goal. Seems unprofessional to me. At least if you say "Great Job saving a guest 5%!" it doesn't sound terrible if overheard by a guest.

My biggest pet peeves are when the LODs and ETLs say, Okay! Well let's get more!... Why not just say woohoo great job! and be done? Also, can't stand when someone calls it out and they aren't even standing by the cashier. It's all about them getting the recognition they deserve for doing a fabulous job!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I got a debit card for backing up gs!

 

[RightArm]

I got a debit card for backing up gs!

Nicely done! :excited:

 

[Leonhart621]

There's a TL in my store who can't pull sales planner. Every other TL, Senior TL, or an ETL pull their own sales planner batches or ask me nicely (asking me to pull it for them when I'm done with my tasks (CAFs and Research)). This TL expect me to do it as soon the TL tells me to do it. Yea guess what, you'll wait until I'm done with my batches first

 

[mrknownothing]

I got a debit card for backing up gs!

Awesome job, HLM! Now get 5 more.

There's a TL in my store who can't pull sales planner. Every other TL, Senior TL, or an ETL pull their own sales planner batches or ask me nicely (asking me to pull it for them when I'm done with my tasks (CAFs and Research)). This TL expect me to do it as soon the TL tells me to do it. Yea guess what, you'll wait until I'm done with my batches first

Perhaps your TL needs to have a chat with that TL.