Eliminating SCO

C

Captain Orca

Joined
Sep 25, 2019
Messages
2,208
The local Wegmans is eliminating self check out. Given the arrogance. entitlement and heavy Karen population I can only imagine the amount of theft that takes place. Any AP metrics re. SCO theft at T's?
 
I have no numbers to share, only antecdote. Generally speaking, it's acknowledged that shortage is significantly greater with SCO. Yet, cost-benefit analysis, tend to yield them as better overall. I tend to wonder if all possible secondary effects are considered in that, but it's difficult to know.

In the long term though, it's tough to see big retailers like Target moving away from SCO, and indeed, I can only see more automation coming to a store near you.
 
Numbers dictate. Catching someone and making an example of it is very difficult plus bad optics. Slap a pair of stainless Smith & Wesson's on their wrists and perp walk them out permanently. Awesome.
 
Dysprosed said:
I have no numbers to share, only antecdote. Generally speaking, it's acknowledged that shortage is significantly greater with SCO. Yet, cost-benefit analysis, tend to yield them as better overall. I tend to wonder if all possible secondary effects are considered in that, but it's difficult to know.

In the long term though, it's tough to see big retailers like Target moving away from SCO, and indeed, I can only see more automation coming to a store near you.
Click to expand...
Maybe if the TM covering SCO and the AP TM up front weren't scrolling on their phones they'd be more alert to possible theft.

Call me an oldster, Boomer, no fun, hardass, whatever, but I will never get used to seeing guest-facing TMs with their noses in their phones, right out in the open for the world to see. And shame on any leader who doesn't address it.
 
You all know I come across as a grumpy nasty old redneck. Far from it. I love to chat and interact with the cashiers, all of them in all stores. Having been one many times many jobs I know what it's all about. A few days ago I picked up 6 12 packs of seltzer at Wegmans. The cashier looked a little nervous so I started kidding around with her. I lifted each one up so she could hit it with the scan gun. She insisted I leave them in the cart. I told her I'm an out of shape old man and I need the exercise. I did so with all and put them back into the cart to wheel them out to the gun rack equipped American Ford pick up. She got a chuckle out if it, we chatted and interacted. She smiled and said thanks. NOPE- seltzer went into a very conservative foreign mid size SUV.
 
happygoth said:
Maybe if the TM covering SCO and the AP TM up front weren't scrolling on their phones they'd be more alert to possible theft.

Call me an oldster, Boomer, no fun, hardass, whatever, but I will never get used to seeing guest-facing TMs with their noses in their phones, right out in the open for the world to see. And shame on any leader who doesn't address it.
Click to expand...


If a TM from a different dept. is using their phones for non-work, non-emergency purposes, I call them out. I call out everything. I'm sure everyone hates me. Wear your holster, wear your name tag, get to work, show a sense of urgency, why didn't you engage the 50 guests that walked by you, zone as you pick, etc etc etc. ENFORCE THE STANDARD! We're not paying you $16/hr to pick your nose!
 
Dysprosed said:
If a TM from a different dept. is using their phones for non-work, non-emergency purposes, I call them out. I call out everything. I'm sure everyone hates me. Wear your holster, wear your name tag, get to work, show a sense of urgency, why didn't you engage the 50 guests that walked by you, zone as you pick, etc etc etc. ENFORCE THE STANDARD! We're not paying you $16/hr to pick your nose!
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Me, seeing your name under the TL list for the day: Ah shit, guess it's going to be a panic attack kind of day...because no matter what I do around managers like this, it's wrong.

I have to see the breakout sheet before I can gauge what kind of day it's going to be. No matter the workload, the wrong manager being on duty that day can ruin EVERYTHING.
 
Not sure how accurate but a number that I’ve heard being used in my district which is extremely high theft is that roughly 60% of transactions at SCO cause some sort of lose to target.
 
Captain Orca said:
Dysp-----Slow down and relax, you're going to blow an artery.
Click to expand...
Yes, you're right! That's why I'm on blood pressure meds.

To be fair, I mostly just think it, not say it. Generally speaking, it's not a very effective message if 1) You're not their direct TL, 2) It comes long after they've been doing it that way without anyone saying anything, and 3) Nobody told them in the first place. Gentler messaging, or seeing how their TL feels about it and working thru them is probably best.
 
Super hard to enforce standards when the ETLs walk by someone and say nothing if they are out of dress code or not wearing their name tag. If they are observed not acknowledging guest. It makes me look unreasonable and im "mean" if I say something.
 
Most stores are slated to increase the number of SCO with future remodels. In basically the same amount of space, if that matters at all.
 
Dysprosed said:
If a TM from a different dept. is using their phones for non-work, non-emergency purposes, I call them out. I call out everything. I'm sure everyone hates me. Wear your holster, wear your name tag, get to work, show a sense of urgency, why didn't you engage the 50 guests that walked by you, zone as you pick, etc etc etc. ENFORCE THE STANDARD! We're not paying you $16/hr to pick your nose!
Click to expand...

Logo said:
Super hard to enforce standards when the ETLs walk by someone and say nothing if they are out of dress code or not wearing their name tag. If they are observed not acknowledging guest. It makes me look unreasonable and im "mean" if I say something.
Click to expand...
Dress code and name badges are relatively minor things IMO. Even not greeting every guest within earshot is no big deal. GS TMs leaning on the counters with their faces in their phones? That's a bad look. SCO TM leaning against a checkout lane, nose in phone while guests are using SCO? Come on.
 
I agree but a standard is a standard. Once you lower the expectation it's difficult to get it back. If you can't get a TM to do something as simple and basic as wearing a name badge how are you going to keep their noses out of their phones. Also our ETLs tend to have their noses in their phones as well, however this is also how they communicate w one another but it's about perception. 'If they can do it so can I' type of thing.
 
I use my phone quite a bit on the sales floor as an extension of the BYOD (Bring your own device) policy. My main uses are for Google Translate, looking up items when guests have vague descriptions, using Target App while using the myDevice for other functions, text ETL's with work related issues, and viewing Greenfield reports that require information that I take from the myDevice (I have a Greenfield card that allows me to view Last Known Backroom Locations for items that are no longer located, as an example).

So there definitely are legitimate work uses for phones, and given how ubiquitous phones are, I don't believe it should be considered a bad look, in and of itself. However, you need to be aware of your surroundings and what your role is. There are very few reasonable uses of a personal phone at SCO, for example.
 
For you young and new TL's etc try spreading a little cream cheese frosting on your words, address the (missing) code rules, be nice about it, be casual, be friendly and in all likelihood the non-compliant co-worker will turn in the right direction . Don't use that worn out metaphor "brand". If it doesn't work the first or second time you must go to plan B. You get more flies with sugar than you do with shit.
 
As a TM who does the SCO shift at least once a week and isn’t on their phone, I’m not going to stop a guest from stealing. I don’t feel like that’s my job. Most I do is reprint receipt/suspend slip and give it to AP before/after I go on break.
 
TMnoob said:
As a TM who does the SCO shift at least once a week and isn’t on their phone, I’m not going to stop a guest from stealing. I don’t feel like that’s my job. Most I do is reprint receipt/suspend slip and give it to AP before/after I go on break.
Click to expand...
Yeah they tried telling me to tell the obvious thieves "hey you forgot to scan that" and I'm thinking HELL NO, I am a flabby 5 foot high person, this has the potential to be very bad for me.
 
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Dysprosed said:
I use my phone quite a bit on the sales floor as an extension of the BYOD (Bring your own device) policy. My main uses are for Google Translate, looking up items when guests have vague descriptions, using Target App while using the myDevice for other functions, text ETL's with work related issues, and viewing Greenfield reports that require information that I take from the myDevice (I have a Greenfield card that allows me to view Last Known Backroom Locations for items that are no longer located, as an example).

So there definitely are legitimate work uses for phones, and given how ubiquitous phones are, I don't believe it should be considered a bad look, in and of itself. However, you need to be aware of your surroundings and what your role is. There are very few reasonable uses of a personal phone at SCO, for example.
Click to expand...
This is not using it for work though. I use my phone all the time on the floor for work reasons, but if I want to do something personal, I try to be discreet. I certainly don't stand at or lean on the service desk clearly scrolling on some website. TMs at SCO should at least pretend they are paying attention to guests checking out.
 
Logo said:
I agree but a standard is a standard. Once you lower the expectation it's difficult to get it back. If you can't get a TM to do something as simple and basic as wearing a name badge how are you going to keep their noses out of their phones. Also our ETLs tend to have their noses in their phones as well, however this is also how they communicate w one another but it's about perception. 'If they can do it so can I' type of thing.
Click to expand...
This^ I have worked with tms that have never met our SD, who stops at Starbucks on the way to the SD office and walks past the lanes in a clearly not red shirt with nose buried in the phone..... no acknowledgment of any FOS tms, no acknowledgment or greeting to a single guest. Our SD never (and I mean NEVER) wears a nametag. I don't care if that's the method of communication. Perception is everything and you are right.. this is a poor example and it comes from the top.
 
Captain Orca said:
You all know I come across as a grumpy nasty old redneck. Far from it. I love to chat and interact with the cashiers, all of them in all stores. Having been one many times many jobs I know what it's all about. A few days ago I picked up 6 12 packs of seltzer at Wegmans. The cashier looked a little nervous so I started kidding around with her. I lifted each one up so she could hit it with the scan gun. She insisted I leave them in the cart. I told her I'm an out of shape old man and I need the exercise. I did so with all and put them back into the cart to wheel them out to the gun rack equipped American Ford pick up. She got a chuckle out if it, we chatted and interacted. She smiled and said thanks. NOPE- seltzer went into a very conservative foreign mid size SUV.
Click to expand...
So inquiring minds want to know...are rifles or fishing rods on the gun rack?

Phone personal use does not belong on the clock, no matter the industry, no matter the position. It's highly unprofessional and just plain wrong. And it could be considered wage theft, if your employer is paying you to do work tasks and instead you're taking the money but doing your own thing.
 
Rarejem said:
This^ I have worked with tms that have never met our SD, who stops at Starbucks on the way to the SD office and walks past the lanes in a clearly not red shirt with nose buried in the phone..... no acknowledgment of any FOS tms, no acknowledgment or greeting to a single guest. Our SD never (and I mean NEVER) wears a nametag. I don't care if that's the method of communication. Perception is everything and you are right.. this is a poor example and it comes from the top.
Click to expand...
Wow. I've had three SDs since I've worked here and I never saw any of them on their phones on the sales floor.
 
T120 Don't forget the fish decals in the windows, NRA stickers on the bumpers. Actually I despise hunting, all hunting. I enjoy fly fishing, I have Orvis equipment. Aren't rednecks supposed to use bass rods, bass boats. Don't they have empty PBR cans rattling around the bed of the F-150?
 

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