Archived ETL-GE/SF Help Please!

[NegativeOne]

In my approximately 7th week at the store I am training (normal to stay after the 6 weeks, especially GE/SF) and I am brand new to retail. I find that I am slowly getting the hang of things in the retail world, customer service is no stranger to me (past food exp.) but I am having difficulty leading. Still wouldn't feel 100% comfortable if I had to close on my own and being LOD is still rocky for me.

After a discussion with my STL, basically I need to step up or lose my job. I actually enjoy working at Target, everyone is great and my days go by quick! I just need anyone's advice or opinion on how yo get comfortable in my role. How can I take more of an initiative? How do I know whay I should be replacing an empty endcap with? How do I look for such things that are empty? How do I know something needs super zoned vs. a regular zone? What information should I bringing to the ETL weekly meetings to update everyone? What should I usually be bringing up in huddles?

I definitely dont want to lose my job, hell I have never been fired in my whole working career and I dont want to start with a job like this. Any help would be appreciated!!

 

[snoboy8999]

Same actually, without the concern about being straight up fired to my knowledge. What do your routines look like?

 

[BlueSide]

How can I take more of an initiative? How do I know whay I should be replacing an empty endcap with?

You can:
A) Log on to your workbench account on the the computer. Then use the online planogram application to view endcap planograms, or "sales planners", that are ready or almost ready and are not tied yet. The directory is listed by department number/description. There is also a blueprint or "adjacency" that will map out where each sales planner goes. Partner with your planogram team lead for this training.

B) Untie the empty/"broken" planogram and select high selling and high markup items to build you own endcap with. Use resources like weekly ad and the MyStats app on the mydevice to guide your decisions. Also, have a local mindset and keep up on local trends to capitalize on extra sales. Think back to school right now. Try to capitalize on this heat wave with fans or AC systems.

C) Use empty back endcaps for clearance or discontinued product.

 

[Poohdini]

Man, what the hell has your trainer been doing? To my knowledge, your STL cannot make the call to terminate you. He/She can advise that you be terminated but that will have to go through a chain of conversations with other leaders.

Fill end caps when they're empty with merchandise from its home location. Leave enough front facing merchandise in the home location and move majority to the end cap - it's your sales driver.

Your My Device, as you probably already know, is your best friend. Again, grab from the home location and put the items into the endcaps. Partner with a TL or even a tenured TM in the back to see if they can teach you how to create batches and fill the floor on your own instead of bothering them. They are usual very busy.

I personally go with a regular zone unless your zones are very, very bad. Something like Toys and Back to School could always use super zones now and then.

For my meetings, I usually bring something AP related since that is my work center. I always tie it back to the store. ALWAYS. And how my results, or lack of, are helping or not. I bring recognition too; TMs with redcards are recognized, maybe a great zone, maybe someone went out of their way to help you, something like that. Opportunities have to be addressed too. Maybe you notice a TM is calling off more than usual, an unhappy TM, performance issues.

For huddle, I always bring the metrics. It's boring but it's got to be done. Your prior days sales, did you meet the goal? What departments excelled, what struggled? Did you hit your daily red card goal? How are you doing with WTD sales? Maybe a comparison with LY results. Recognition is key here too, great for morale. Get your metrics from WB - myPerformance, home page.

ALWAYS make yourself available to help anywhere you can. If BR is having trouble, pull some batches. TMs on the SF having problems with zone? Jump in. Same goes for push, jump in. Back up at the lanes? Jump in. I see ETLs that think they're too good for that and nothing makes me more upset. I'll do all this so long as my own tasks are being finished. Open or close - get to the office, print the breakouts, check your emails, assign TMs to tasks and Godspeed.

Hope this helps. Please talk to your HR or STL about your "trainer". He/She should have told you all this by week 7! Good luck to you guys!

 

[glo]

Fake it till you make it.

Be vocal and check in on team members often. Challenge your more talented team members and work to develop them further.

Empty endcap? Is it a front? What's selling well and what do you have plenty of stock of. Its hot here and we're blowing through fans. They're a great option for our T-Wall. Is it a back? Find something low maintenance that looks good and has potential to sell. One of my departments is stationary... a couple go-to endcaps for me are notebooks on downswept shelves with pens/pencils and a giftbag endcap with two colors or designs (usually pink/blue) and 3 sizes + tissue paper. Your team leads should be handling most of this, imo.

Is an area so out of order that pushing to it is made difficult due to the zone? Superzone it. Either take a little bit of time and assign a team member to superzone a couple 4-foot sections while working through their zones or dedicate a smart huddle to the aisle.

In your role, you should be able to call out your WTD redcards and sales numbers in huddles. You should also share popular promotions and encourage your team members to know the ad. Safety topics are another good talking point at huddle, whether it's a random topic or the month's focus.

I'm not an ETL so I can't say what you should bring to your ETL meetings. Maybe give @Rock Lobster a shout. Pretty sure they're an ETL-SF so they'd be able to help you out.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Don't forget, red cards! Also, ask your pogtl about sale planners too. They may set them for you. It sounds like your trainer is lacking.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

From another thread:
The first step is that you have to own your training. Like others have said, the training ETL probably does not care at all if you succeed or not. The best thing you can do in this situation is ask very high scope questions to your trainer. Ask things like "What are your goals and strategies for improving your front end's X (conversion, vibe, turnover, BTS results)?" or "How do you hold TL's accountable on the salesfloor?" or things like that. Your trainer will either provide a good answer or not. If they do, then you just improved your training. If not, then ask "Who in our district has done the best at X and why?" and then write that store down. Once you are out of business college be sure to reach out to those stores and even ask to status or shadow them. I had a crappy trainer once, and then the next week I was at a neighboring store because I figured out they were better at GE than my training store!
Thanks
Rock Lobster

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

From another thread:
With the direction Target culture seems to be going, I wouldn't take it to the DTL level unless you are confident the DTL and STL aren't buddies. Going above the STL might land you eating at the chess club table while the other executives are at the jock/cheer leader table planning on how to wreck your short career with Target.

The hard truth is that training is your responsibility. Not even the best trainer will give a single fuck if you succeed at your home store. Well maybe a few will care. From the beginning you need to ask questions to whoever you think is willing to share and that person may not be your trainer.

Read all Best Practices and use workbench as a resource. Take your trainer aside and tell her what you need from her. Let her know the best way for you to learn. If this doesn't work. Do your best until you leave your store. They're probably hanging on to you for 4th quarter as free labor.

Not much is expected from you in the first year. There is a lot of pressure but little expectations from new ETLs. It takes a while to adjust and find your groove. And your new store will teach you everything you need to know because you messing up means more work for them.

Stay strong, you'll make it. Ask questions here. Plenty of ETLs here willing to help out.
Thanks
Mhugh220

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Almost forgot.
Welcome!
Here is forum fav:
Before you sign your life away...

 

[commiecorvus]

Welcome to the Break Room.

 

[Missbreeze1968]

I too am new and an ETL-HR. I have no idea how to pull to fill an end cap and it is one of my goals to figure it out. I had crappy Business College. New to retail and to Target. I can Zone very well and I can run the floor as LOD very good as well but pulling on my own is not working to my advantage. Everyone seems "too busy". I probably won' stay at Target after Q4 if things do not improve. I love the people I work with and for. I also understand that every store is different but I will tell you what, this store runs on "oh crap" factor. Where change is needed it is not welcomed even if it is a best practice by Target process. I am trying but find myself in tears almost every day.

 

[glo]

I too am new and an ETL-HR. I have no idea how to pull to fill an end cap and it is one of my goals to figure it out. I had crappy Business College. New to retail and to Target. I can Zone very well and I can run the floor as LOD very good as well but pulling on my own is not working to my advantage. Everyone seems "too busy". I probably won' stay at Target after Q4 if things do not improve. I love the people I work with and for. I also understand that every store is different but I will tell you what, this store runs on "oh crap" factor. Where change is needed it is not welcomed even if it is a best practice by Target process. I am trying but find myself in tears almost every day.

To fill an existing endcap:

1. Scan either the pog label or the empty items. Pog labels look similar to a regular label but have a bigger barcode and pog information.
2. Hit manage inventory
3. If you scanned the pog label, select active/ad/discontinued. If the items that you need show up, hit continue and a pog batch will be made. If you scanned items, swipe left to bring up the get more option and enter the quantity you need. After scanning all the items that you need, click on the profile icon on the top left of the mywork screen. Look for a batch named "ITM-..." and hit close. This creates an exf batch.
4. You gotta get the product pulled. Either ask a backroom tm to help you out or grab a PDA and do it yourself. If you don't know how, get trained. Don't just go back there and try to wing it as you may end up screwing up back room location accuracy.

To set a new endcap, you should shadow Plano or a SF TL.

 

[HRZone]

I too am new and an ETL-HR. I have no idea how to pull to fill an end cap and it is one of my goals to figure it out. I had crappy Business College. New to retail and to Target. I can Zone very well and I can run the floor as LOD very good as well but pulling on my own is not working to my advantage. Everyone seems "too busy". I probably won' stay at Target after Q4 if things do not improve. I love the people I work with and for. I also understand that every store is different but I will tell you what, this store runs on "oh crap" factor. Where change is needed it is not welcomed even if it is a best practice by Target process. I am trying but find myself in tears almost every day.

Wishing you the best our ETL HR really holds our store together.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

You can steal product from home location too.