Archived Does your team respect the STL?

[Flabbergasted]

At my store, the STL is hated very much, even by many of the ETLs (they only pretend to like him when he's around). He's brutish, often rude and demanding, and micromanages like no other. Essentially there is a long list somewhere of people who do not like him and can't wait until he leaves (if he ever does). To demonstrate just how disrespected he is, there are a lot of rules he has invented for the store that are ONLY followed when he's around, and he's completely oblivious to it. Here are a few examples:

1) Cashiers and GSTMs are not to see the breakout schedule nor the daily grid. They are only to receive their breaks from the GSA/GSTL on duty, or whoever is covering GSA/GSTL. Allow me to expand on just how stupid this is: When I'm working the Service Desk, I am not to see the grid nor schedule, but when I am covering the GSA/GSTL breaks & lunches (usually the GSTM does this), I am suddenly allowed to see the grid and schedule, for that 15/30 mins when the GSA/GSTL is away. Makes perfect sense, right?

2) No beverages at the lanes nor on the floor, not even water, but beverages at the Service Desk are O.K. as long as they are beneath the desk away from guest view. The LOD is allowed to carry a beverage around.

3) Team members cannot sit at Target Cafe/Food Ave. for more than 15 minutes at a time. So you can hang around there on your breaks but not your lunches, or for only half of your lunches. This one is the result of a woman who complained once about all the TMs sitting around not helping her.

4) TMs cannot have their Target GiftCards cashed out.

And, as previously stated, none of these rules are enforced when he is not around. One ETL has openly talked crap about them and said she will never enforce them when she is LOD.

Has your store ever had such blatant disrespect for an STL, or even an ETL? Where even their fellow leaders dislike them and their policies?

 

[PinkZinnia]

I don't see a problem with your stl rules as long as they are consistent. In my opinion there is really no need for cashiers to be studying the schedule. Things change during the day and its usually because of a cashier taking to long to come back from their break which throws the schedule off but they make a point of saying - isn't it time for my break? It does make sense for you to see the schedule while you are covering breaks so that you know who to send next.

The inconsistency in who can have a drink and who can't is stupid. it should be either all or none

I have a problem when lots of tm's are sitting in the cafe, though I can be a culprit when my foot hurts to much to walk to my car or to the breakroom. We have tm's who are on break who start chatting with fa tm's. I don't like that - if someone is on the clock then they should not be chatting it up. And groups of tm's sitting around in the cafe does look bad. If they covered up their red shirt, it wouldn't look bad at all.

what do you mean about having target gift cards cashed out? I didn't think it was possible or that we were allowed to cash out any gift cards.

Every manager has their own way of running things - I think that happens anywhere. I always want to know who is lod so I know what areas need to be kept extra neat or what I have to get on the cart attendants about.

Not many in my store cared for the old stl we had, though he didn't bother me = I don't think he knew who I was until a month before he left. Our new one is to new for most of us to form an opinion of. He isn't implementing many things yet. He is still trying to get the lay of the land.

 

[tgtguy]

We are not allowed to sit at starbucks or food ave...period. Cashiers, salesfloor are not allowed water at their workstations...So, I don't see where those two rules your Stl has our that outlandish. The schedule/grid thing that's another story. At my store my Stl is not liked ( I would not say hated cause I don't think anyone should ever say I hate another person) he is childish, shows no true leadership, is never consistent ( not in a good ways anyways) and treats people like crap. However, people still kiss his hiney cause he is the Stl. I am polite and cordial...but that's it .

 

[commiecorvus]

I think the problem is more that the ETLs undercut the STL, not that the STL is unreasonable.
If the rules were enforced straight across the board nobody would notice the difference so you're right there is no respect.

I've never seen a team go out of their way to break the rules that have been set down by an STL in the way you describe.
There have been times when things have gotten a bit more relaxed but never such complete opposition.

I think the cashing out of cards is only possible in a few states where they have laws that state cards with very low balances can be cashed out.
Doesn't seem fair that a TM wouldn't have the same right to do this as a guest.

 

[redandkhaki]

I personally don't like the cashiers to see their breaks either because if the breaker is running behind then I have 5 cashiers all asking me when their break is. It got so out of hand that I wouldn't even set the break lists out and would personally hand then to the cashier breaker.

I think it's crazy that your ETL's don't respect your STL to follow his rules. If that happened in my store heads would roll. I don't like my STL very much but i'm going to follow and enforce the rules he sets because he is in charge.

 

[Mhugh220]

Agreed - The ETLs are being disrespectful. The STL's rules are all reasonable and most are enforced at other stores. Our TMs couldn't do any of the above - but because it was built into the culture of the store - no one noticed. The better thing to do is for the ETLs to confront the STL respectfully and voice their concerns if they disagree.

 

[Nauzhror]

I have disregarded rules specific LOD's had, but not the STL. Yesterday someone wanted to pricematch something to target.com, it was out of stock on target.com, cashier said we couldn't do it, that the Sr. TL said so the day before. I did it anyway, had the cashier log off and did it under my #'s so the Sr. TL could bitch at me if she wanted, because I knew for a fact that if the STL was called over and asked the same question she'd give it to the guest at the price, and then give them coupons or free coffee, or something else extra for having to wait and deal with a hassle.

Not to mention the chance that someone checks anytime we price match afterwards to ensure the item in question was in stock is nil, and even if they did, they'd know it was out of stock when they checked, not that it was when I checked.

There are however other LOD's that will say they don't consider target.com to be a competitor and to price match w/ target.com regardless of whether the item is in stock or not (not including BF weekend sti

 

[PugMuffin]

 

[masterofalltrades]

i'm lucky I actually have a good stl. the problem children are my etl and a good portion of the tls. My etl is a pinhead, and the tls are BIG texters and all around rule breakers.

 

[sher]

We don't have those crazy rules. I think they just hope for us to have a disguise when we're on the floor and not on the clock. I often wear a hoodie over a non red shirt so I take the hoodie off if I'm shopping or food ave-ing. Otherwise, I grab my phone, wallet, purse and/or ipad and hold them all as I walk through the store so people can assume I'm not working. I usually just tell them I'm off the clock, but I'll point out the direction of the thing they need.

Cashiers here all get a post-it of their break schedule and they've started making people on the floor follow the one they print out and we have to grab a copy for the fitting room every day (and I think a copy is printed for the service desk, food ave, electronics and backroom).

When I started at target, I was on an rx drug that dehydrated me and my doctor told me to up my water game. I didn't even realize it's technically on the books that we can't have drinks on the floor. I just brought my water because duh everyone needs water and those water fountains are too damn far. I think I started it and now a lot of people always have a drink tucked away at their register or in their cart somewhere.

All that said, even though my store is more lenient, I don't think any of the ETLs would blatantly go against any of the STLs stupid rules. And if they hated any of his rules, it wouldn't get down to the TMs. The only dumb rule he has I can think of at the moment is that he doesn't like things looking empty so too much stuff is being flexed and it makes everything impossibly difficult and annoying when the thing comes in that goes into the spot they flexed everything into.

 

[RCKing]

I let my cashiers see their own breaks. IDGAF... who cares?? Check your breaks right when you start and write them down. I also allow my cashiers to have bottled drinks at the registers because I dont want them to leave the lanes for 5-10 mins looking for water or getting stopped by guests. There are rules they follow but nobody has an issue with it. ETLs/TLs/TMs are allowed to sit at Cafe/Sbux at their own risk. My STL is literally beloved and when this person leaves my store will go into crisis mode for a bit. But it is what it is. My job is to drive sales, provide guest service, keep the floor full and lead my team to achieve this as well. As long as this is happening and nobody is getting hurt everybody is good in my book. However, when this isnt happening, I will light up the TL the TM is assigned to in the alignment and that TL will have the convo with that TM.

 

[whippingboy]

Respect, no. Fear, yes. She'll bite your head off publicly if she's in the mood.