Service & Engagement Front end breaks, how does your store do them?

So you'd rather cashiers spend time squabbling negotiating with each other for who goes on break, taking time away from the business. You believe cashiers who are caught up in a rush should not be given an alternate time to go and just skip. You think break coverage is childish and that no other place in the world thinks it essential. (Guess my work is childish since coverage for my breaks must be arranged.) You think that leaders should be in SCO on their phones rather than leading by ensuring adequate coverage during the ebb and flow of the day.

And yeah, a lot of places would look right at you and say "You have to wait" and would pin your ears back if you snapped back over your so-called curfew since business coverage is essential and they are paying you to wait/go right then.
Wow. What I stretch to what I meant !

How did you reach those ridiculous conclusions by my simply saying we should be adult enough to responsibly go to break every 2 hours (or so) ?
I can’t even follow how you came up with some of that.
Sad that you took a simple solution and made it earth shattering and fatal for all.
 
The way it runs at the Target I work at, it will mainly be on the grid paper, but otherwise when it's busy for the holiday, they always hand out those colorful bracelets and hand write our breaks. I don't know if it's because our people don't have "anything" to do, but the ones our keyholder trust, they just assigned the trustworthy ones to remind others its their break time.
 
Stagger the breaks, one at 9:45, 10, 10:15 use people who show up at 9 and 10 for break coverage.
You have people that show up at 9 and 10? That must be nice. We get our 8:00 Cart cleaners, 2 SCO at 8, 1 cashier, and 1 service desk, next person comes at 12.
 
I agree - no break schedules. Let the tm’s be responsible and required to take their own break.

1. making A break schedule is a waste of time - it’s rarely followed anyway and turns you into a traffic cop
2. i thought with modernization there didn’t NEED to be anyone “watching” the front as ALL cashiers were to be self-reliant, empowered
3. We are mostly adults - not children with curfews - as adults they shouldn’t be ‘told’ when to go to break!
I would snap at anyone telling me “you can go now” or “no, you must wait”. !!

my solution:
—-‘EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN BREAKS !
For Consistency : Every tm must go to break 2 hours after their start time for work, NOT just ANY time they like !
( of course the schedule will need to be staggered - not ALL cashiers starting at the same time for this to work)
Ex: in at 8;00 - break at 10;00, in at 10:00 - break at 12:00, in at 2:00 - break at 4:00.

—-if 2 cashiers start at 8:00 - they should work out between them who prefers 10:00 and which goes at 10:15

very little training should be required for everyone to understand they break every 2 hours,
no break will be too early OR too late because they are ALL every 2 hours.

For 5 hour shift - you could make the exception 2 hr. 15 min. So that first half of the shift is 2.25 hrs. Long /15 min break/ 2.5 hrs til shift ends - more in the middle

as for meals: if 6+ hour shift - your lunch is 2 hours after you return from break
the Added benefit - no compliance violations cause ALL meals are 4 to 4.5 hours after start time.
My one cashier can't just shut their lighy off and go to break. My SCO can't just leave the SCO area unattended and go to break. Hence why I'm looking for solutions how to go about breaking them. Trust me, I wish the could just walk away when its break time, but thats just not how it works in an understaffed high-volume store.
 
My one cashier can't just shut their lighy off and go to break. My SCO can't just leave the SCO area unattended and go to break. Hence why I'm looking for solutions how to go about breaking them. Trust me, I wish the could just walk away when its break time, but thats just not how it works in an understaffed high-volume store.
Why can’t the SETL cover a 15.. I see no reason why they aren’t capable
 
This sounds like a great idea until they're covering a break and 2-3 lights go off at once or something
What are checklane lights going off for? I’m actually curious. Guest advocates should have the ability to override most things to make it right for the guest and for 239 they can request it in the register and it if has to wait 15 minutes then so be it..

I honestly haven’t seen cashiers needing to use the checklane light that often anymore. Could be wrong
 
What are checklane lights going off for? I’m actually curious. Guest advocates should have the ability to override most things to make it right for the guest and for 239 they can request it in the register and it if has to wait 15 minutes then so be it..

I honestly haven’t seen cashiers needing to use the checklane light that often anymore. Could be wrong
Our guest advocates are doing Fulfillment most of the time when they aren't on the return desk. And it's not so much the cashiers as SCO.
 
Why can’t the SETL cover a 15.. I see no reason why they aren’t capable
I am the SETL. If you read the original post on the first thread, my ETL doesn't want us covering their breaks. I need to be free to assist other team members and take care of other tasks my ETL needs me to do. They are too reliant on the SETLs and my ETL wants it to stop.
 
I am the SETL. If you read the original post on the first thread, my ETL doesn't want us covering their breaks. I need to be free to assist other team members and take care of other tasks my ETL needs me to do. They are too reliant on the SETLs and my ETL wants it to stop.
My one cashier can't just shut their lighy off and go to break. My SCO can't just leave the SCO area unattended and go to break. Hence why I'm looking for solutions how to go about breaking them. Trust me, I wish the could just walk away when its break time, but thats just not how it works in an understaffed high-volume store.
Your ETL doesn't want you to cover breaks because you need to assist other team members, but you only have one cashier and SCO at a time? What exactly are you supposed to be doing up there, just watching your one cashier ring people up?
 
Your ETL doesn't want you to cover breaks because you need to assist other team members, but you only have one cashier and SCO at a time? What exactly are you supposed to be doing up there, just watching your one cashier ring people up?
I have more than one team member. My one cashier isn't my only responsibility. I'm responsible for making sure the entire salesfloor is servicing and engaging. I'm in charge of MyCheckout devices. I'm in charge of the entire store being brand. My front of store attendant. The guest service desk. OPU and driveup. Among other things. It really bugs me how everyone things the GSTL/SETL just stands there and watches cashiers ring stuff up. We have other responsibilities, hence my ETL not wanting me covering breaks. By the time I give all my SCO, door cleaners, and guest service/OPU a 15 minute break, its time for their lunches that I also don't have time to cover.

Also there are 2 SCO areas. Not just one as you mentioned.
 
I have more than one team member. My one cashier isn't my only responsibility. I'm responsible for making sure the entire salesfloor is servicing and engaging. I'm in charge of MyCheckout devices. I'm in charge of the entire store being brand. My front of store attendant. The guest service desk. OPU and driveup. Among other things. It really bugs me how everyone things the GSTL/SETL just stands there and watches cashiers ring stuff up. We have other responsibilities, hence my ETL not wanting me covering breaks. By the time I give all my SCO, door cleaners, and guest service/OPU a 15 minute break, its time for their lunches that I also don't have time to cover.

Also there are 2 SCO areas. Not just one as you mentioned.
You just answered your own question: You have too much to do to spend So much time concerned about breaks. It’s all in the scheduling - if the schedule staggers who comes in when, then everyone can go about 2 hours after they start - one at a time. You may have to pull your cart attendant or lose one cashier to cover your cleaner and gs - call for backup when needed.
Your ETL wants you looking at the picture picture of guest service instead of the task of break coverage attendant - do it - let tm go on break one at a time when there is a lull, call for backup when you’re short, pull a gs or cart attendant to cover. If you have one cashier, one cleaner, one guest service and no cart attendant - it’s time for: “team leads, execs, I need a 15 minute break coverage tm - who can you send ?”.
 
Your ETL wants you looking at the picture picture of guest service instead of the task of break coverage attendant

Yep, big picture is guest service. Good way to obtain that is to keep warm bodies on the floor, in other words deny breaks through underhanded means, like refusing to allow someone to make sure breaks are actually doable. Bet all these front end folks are also scheduled so there are no 30s, so no concerns about being noticed via compliance. That's the end goal, no breaks whatsoever because there's no way the TM can get coverage.
 
I have more than one team member. My one cashier isn't my only responsibility. I'm responsible for making sure the entire salesfloor is servicing and engaging. I'm in charge of MyCheckout devices. I'm in charge of the entire store being brand. My front of store attendant. The guest service desk. OPU and driveup. Among other things. It really bugs me how everyone things the GSTL/SETL just stands there and watches cashiers ring stuff up. We have other responsibilities, hence my ETL not wanting me covering breaks. By the time I give all my SCO, door cleaners, and guest service/OPU a 15 minute break, its time for their lunches that I also don't have time to cover.

Also there are 2 SCO areas. Not just one as you mentioned.
EXACTLY. You need to be on the floor to make sure that the floor TMs are "servicing and engaging" and that the floor is brand. You need to be offstage to key in coachings, check and respond to surveys, and address Mycheckout issues as needed. You have to be available to respond to escalated guest requests. You need to be able to follow up with your cart cleaners that they're on track at your entrances. You need to probably spend some time by guest services observing your TMs interacting up there and facilitating drive up during a big rush. You need to be able to check in on the bathrooms and the lot to make sure your cart attendant is on track. You have multiple responsibilities that will take you temporarily away from the front of the lanes which is why your ETL doesn't want you having to spend extra time managing breaks.

I work in GM. I own fulfillment and some departments. Sometimes I may be making a bale, offstage planning a transition, in the back running an unload, supporting the front end, working side by side with one of my DBOs, helping pull FDC, doing price audit, salesfloor audits, etc etc. Because I need to be available to respond to anything GM/inbound/Fulfillment/Presentation/grocery/running a closing lead shift depending on what I'm doing that day, my fulfillment captains run the break schedule for me. I don't have time to do it. I can make time to do it, but I don't need to since my team is empowered to handle that themselves. It takes them 15 seconds to say "hey you came in at 7 and I came in at 7. You go to break at 9 and I'll go when you get back". If there's only a couple of them and they need support to get through breaks/lunches/rushes, they get on walkie and say "hey team, we're going through breaks/lunches/rushes and need some extra support to stay current" and get support. They are empowered to do so, and it takes it off my plate. It is not that complicated.

Bottom line is that this is something your team can and should be able to handle by themselves without needing your attention, should you have other things going on, IMHO
 
EXACTLY. You need to be on the floor to make sure that the floor TMs are "servicing and engaging" and that the floor is brand. You need to be offstage to key in coachings, check and respond to surveys, and address Mycheckout issues as needed. You have to be available to respond to escalated guest requests. You need to be able to follow up with your cart cleaners that they're on track at your entrances. You need to probably spend some time by guest services observing your TMs interacting up there and facilitating drive up during a big rush. You need to be able to check in on the bathrooms and the lot to make sure your cart attendant is on track. You have multiple responsibilities that will take you temporarily away from the front of the lanes which is why your ETL doesn't want you having to spend extra time managing breaks.

I work in GM. I own fulfillment and some departments. Sometimes I may be making a bale, offstage planning a transition, in the back running an unload, supporting the front end, working side by side with one of my DBOs, helping pull FDC, doing price audit, salesfloor audits, etc etc. Because I need to be available to respond to anything GM/inbound/Fulfillment/Presentation/grocery/running a closing lead shift depending on what I'm doing that day, my fulfillment captains run the break schedule for me. I don't have time to do it. I can make time to do it, but I don't need to since my team is empowered to handle that themselves. It takes them 15 seconds to say "hey you came in at 7 and I came in at 7. You go to break at 9 and I'll go when you get back". If there's only a couple of them and they need support to get through breaks/lunches/rushes, they get on walkie and say "hey team, we're going through breaks/lunches/rushes and need some extra support to stay current" and get support. They are empowered to do so, and it takes it off my plate. It is not that complicated.

Bottom line is that this is something your team can and should be able to handle by themselves without needing your attention, should you have other things going on, IMHO
Damn, I've spent almost zero time on the floor checking up on the GUEST practices of team members and whatnot. I like your post as a sort of pep talk, though I'm caught between leadership wanting me to micromanage the front end but also step back and let them be empowered, and to make sure I'm very much into routines while also stepping back to dig into the metrics and higher concept stuff. I feel like there is just no possible way to do it all, like they want me to be two people with distinct levels of responsibility between them.
 
Damn, I've spent almost zero time on the floor checking up on the GUEST practices of team members and whatnot. I like your post as a sort of pep talk, though I'm caught between leadership wanting me to micromanage the front end but also step back and let them be empowered, and to make sure I'm very much into routines while also stepping back to dig into the metrics and higher concept stuff. I feel like there is just no possible way to do it all, like they want me to be two people with distinct levels of responsibility between them.
Honestly, I struggle with this too. I just feel like I need to have different "modes" depending on the situation. Like I'm going to be working on different things if I have a 5000 pc double in the back vs a 1600 pc single. I'll be doing different things if I'm 250(500) in epic vs 33(40) or something. I feel like it'd be the same thing at the lanes. There is a difference between understaffed Saturday with 15 lanes open vs 9 am on a Tuesday morning. There are gonna be times where you need to be up there taking a more active role and times were you can let an Advocate handle things
 
Why can’t the SETL cover a 15.. I see no reason why they aren’t capable
Setls are to observe and coach! Not breakers. Speaking for myself and over the years that I’ve met.... we ARE MORE than capable just not allowed as per my core roles. Really not accepting a coaching from an executive for it either.
 
Setls are to observe and coach! Not breakers. Speaking for myself and over the years that I’ve met.... we ARE MORE than capable just not allowed as per my core roles. Really not accepting a coaching from an executive for it either.
Nope SETLs are what the job description says they are and it says nothing about that there. EVERY TEAM MEMBER in the building is expected to be able to handle cash register operations and assist guests. It’s part of the basics assumed in every job description.

I’ve seen leads (team leads and ETLs) help truck unload, push, pick ship/opus, back up on register, etc. They are definitely allowed and encouraged to. Some stores don’t follow that and it shows
 
Setls are to observe and coach! Not breakers. Speaking for myself and over the years that I’ve met.... we ARE MORE than capable just not allowed as per my core roles. Really not accepting a coaching from an executive for it either.
lol if all i did was observe and coach id be out of a fucking job

your executives are encouraging laziness and bad behavior
 
Setls are to observe and coach! Not breakers. Speaking for myself and over the years that I’ve met.... we ARE MORE than capable just not allowed as per my core roles. Really not accepting a coaching from an executive for it either.
I thought that was the old way. Modernization supposedly stopped having front-end folks standing around observing, even TLs.
 
Setls are to observe and coach! Not breakers. Speaking for myself and over the years that I’ve met.... we ARE MORE than capable just not allowed as per my core roles. Really not accepting a coaching from an executive for it either.
This is simply not possible with the current payroll situation. I have to cover breaks, but usually only one or two a day. I also have to jump into drive-ups, back up the desk, and help out cashiering. When we're a little busier or a little better-staffed, then I can jump into the more normal role of supervising, jumping in to line-bust now and then. But when we're at low volume with low staffing, and have to clear out intermittent small rushes, it's far more efficient and helpful to the team and guests for the SETL to jump in and get their hands dirty.
 
Stagger the breaks, one at 9:45, 10, 10:15 use people who show up at 9 and 10 for break coverage.
Ours also uses "team!!!, one in the front lanes please" so a hard or softlines TM responds and we re kept there a magical 15 minutes. And they wonder why all they get is crickets when they call for backup.
 
What are checklane lights going off for? I’m actually curious. Guest advocates should have the ability to override most things to make it right for the guest and for 239 they can request it in the register and it if has to wait 15 minutes then so be it..

I honestly haven’t seen cashiers needing to use the checklane light that often anymore. Could be wrong
Newbie cashiers who didn’t get enough training put lights on frequently. Guest says $200 air fryer was $69 cashier call sales floor to double check $200 is correct guest says they want to speak to manager light goes on. Item with no barcode or is no longer in system cashier can’t find on app or device looks to be too expensive to guess price light goes on. Just a few examples. 10 year veteran here who still occasionally has to use light, very rare but does happen.
 
Newbie cashiers who didn’t get enough training put lights on frequently. Guest says $200 air fryer was $69 cashier call sales floor to double check $200 is correct guest says they want to speak to manager light goes on. Item with no barcode or is no longer in system cashier can’t find on app or device looks to be too expensive to guess price light goes on. Just a few examples. 10 year veteran here who still occasionally has to use light, very rare but does happen.
also the idea of waiting 15min for cash when you have a guest literally standing there waiting for their change is lol
 
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