Archived ETL experiences

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Themuse97

Joined
Apr 2, 2015
Messages
9
hi I was wondering if any ETL could share their experiences? I just got hired for northern NJ and I'm curious what other ETL opinions are.
 
The job is not bad if you like retail and plan on making a career out of it. It's also not bad to have it on your resume for later employment opportunities. Several ETLs love it and some don't. I didn't like where the company was and where it was going. It went down hill since 2003 ( when I was a TM before college).

ETL didn't fit with my life style. I enjoy weekends off and eating dinner every night with my wife and kids. Also spending time coaching and watching local sports. As an overnight ETL-Log of a AA+ volume store I didn't have the work/life balance I needed. And their benefits weren't what we were used to.

Every store offers a different experience so take other ETLs' experiences with a grain of salt. If you're new to the company then your greatest resources are your TLs and TMs. Apply what they know with the garbage corporate teaches. You'll find that a best practice doesn't always mean best solution. Long term TMs and TLs know the business the best and can help you become a better leader.
 
Mhugh220 said:
If you're new to the company then your greatest resources are your TLs and TMs. Apply what they know with the garbage corporate teaches. You'll find that a best practice doesn't always mean best solution. Long term TMs and TLs know the business the best and can help you become a better leader.
Click to expand...
I wish my ETL was lke this. They always seem to know more than I do about my area, but has never even once done any Starbucks training. They push my team to the limits, by taking my payroll and giving it to other areas. When my team struggles wih their tasks, my ETL gets ugly and implies that my area is a cakewalk. I wish I could make my ETL understand...
 
Last edited:
Sickofspot said:
I wish my ETL was lke this. They always seem to know more than I do about my area, but has never even once done any Starbucks training. They push my team to the limits, by taking my payroll and giving it to other areas. When my team struggles wih their tasks, my ETL gets ugly and implies that my area is a cakewalk. I wish I could make my ETL understand...
Click to expand...

lol your area is an area that is fully staffed at all times. so yes it should be a self-sustaining workcenter. i oversee Starbucks, and no its not easy. it took me forever to learn the register and i probably make the worst mocha's ever. however, if you are AST and have 2 other AST's who are reliable and your ordering routine is wired.... then you should be fine. yeah hours getting cut sucks but it's everywhere. deal with it. ensure that cleaning is done daily and you're fine.

getting back to the OP... it really depends on 2 things... How fast you can get the buy-in of your TL's by building your relationships with them and the support of your STL. expect to get your hand held for the first month or so and after they lead you to the lions den and let your hand go expect tough conversations. be close to your team members as well. let them teach you. course correct when needed and explain the "why's"
 
^Wow, that was brutal. All stores are not the same. We do our cleaning, but my ETL is killing my team with extras. When we do a ton of sales and are only handed 120 hours, it is hard to do anything other than guest service. Sorry, but I will have to agree to disagree...
And my area is not fully staffed. I have been fighting to hire more baristas, to meet compliance. And, I keep getting shot down....
Sorry to get off topic-that was just a hateful response.
 
You won't be expected to produce results for the first 12 months. And implementing a new idea or expectation can take months to see results so don't get discouraged. They'll be tough conversations but they're not intended to get you termed. After 12 months is when they'll start evaluating you more seriously.
 
I agree work life balance is fucked at this position take that seriously from a recent college grad
 
Thanks for your responses. I actually enjoy retail I was a team member at a clothing store for 3 years and now a team member at Apple and I'm looking to make a career out of retail management. I have read so man threads about ETL's hating their experiences I often wonder if this is their first retail job because it can be a shock.
 
Target has an interesting culture as well I understand the aspect of management which I love as well but their culture is very different from other corporations I have worked for
 
I don't actually depise the profession itself more so the business decisions and overall organization of the company as a whole
 
Sickofspot said:
^Wow, that was brutal. All stores are not the same. We do our cleaning, but my ETL is killing my team with extras. When we do a ton of sales and are only handed 120 hours, it is hard to do anything other than guest service. Sorry, but I will have to agree to disagree...
And my area is not fully staffed. I have been fighting to hire more baristas, to meet compliance. And, I keep getting shot down....
Sorry to get off topic-that was just a hateful response.
Click to expand...

sorry you took it that way, i definitely did not mean it in a hateful sense by any means. 120 hours is the bare minimum so i agree that sucks. i usually operate with 140... enough for an opener and closer and a very short mid 4-5 days a week. take it for what it is but my sbux has a very high capture rate(in an A volume store) and is comping up like 20% so i get the sales aspect and being busy. i cant speak for you about your etl but i will clean, ring, get supplies and vibe throughout the day to provide relief. i also battle with my STL to get the hours i need. it gets pretty ugly from time to time. and not fully staffed?? are you closed during parts of the day?? because that is a major issue if you sbux DM walks in. that is an instant NNC and fine for the store. if you arent closed at all during the day and are using all 120ish hours your getting then you are "fully staffed" in the eyes of you leadership. the problem comes into play when you have TMs with limited availability. getting training hours to train additional baristas is also another battle in its own right. you should probably lay the feedback onto your etl. if that doesnt help talk to your hr. if that doesnt help keep moving up the chain, stl, hrbp and so on. if that doesnt help then idk
 
Themuse97 said:
Thanks for your responses. I actually enjoy retail I was a team member at a clothing store for 3 years and now a team member at Apple and I'm looking to make a career out of retail management. I have read so man threads about ETL's hating their experiences I often wonder if this is their first retail job because it can be a shock.
Click to expand...
Can you get into management @ Apple? If you like retail, you'll find better benefits and (typically) much happier people!!
 
Mhugh220 said:
You won't be expected to produce results for the first 12 months. And implementing a new idea or expectation can take months to see results so don't get discouraged. They'll be tough conversations but they're not intended to get you termed. After 12 months is when they'll start evaluating you more seriously.
Click to expand...
That depends entirely on your location and your STL. Within five months I already had the Sr. Merch and STL trying to force me out. However, I would not drink the cool-aid and continually questioned how they wanted things done, which were often not best practice.

I still vividly remember when my STL had me and a TL close off an entire aisle with plastic draping, then spray paint all the shelves - all while the store was OPEN. The DTL walked in and was furious with me, but I ratted the STL out in a heartbeat. That may be a good reason as to why he was not fond of me.
 
Yeah my experience was different. My STL never told me what to do because she didn't understand logistics. My mentor was a former GOL and the top STL in the group. And I got along well with the DTL and GOL. Cake walk in regards to leadership.

From what I've seen, as long as you're not F'ing up too badly, the first year is free. 12-18 months is when they force people out of they aren't doing well.

The paint fiasco seems like a set-up. That sort of work is for contractors and most work is supposed to be done while the store is closed. I would have driven the bus that ran over the STL.
 
I wish I could get a managment position at apple but apple requires that you have managment experiences else where for a minimum of three years and they hardly everrrrrr promote within. Also if you ask me I often feel like the males at apple are always first in line
 
That before you sign your life away seem in accurate for me also I was offered 58k
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Dream Baby
Becoming an ETL
2
Replies
42
Views
1K
Coqui
Coqui
F
ETL rehire?
Replies
11
Views
820
Times Up
T
M
Finally applied for some TL and ETL positions.
Replies
11
Views
978
Dream Baby
Dream Baby
F
ETL prospects, promotions, and other alternatives
2 3
Replies
67
Views
5K
Hardlinesmaster
Hardlinesmaster
busyzoningtoys
Any ideas on what the PG45 to ETL pay increase is looking like these days?
2
Replies
29
Views
4K
can't touch this
can't touch this
Back
Top