Archived Front lanes support

[Retail Girl]

With AE2014 looming over us, there is going to be some shake up at the front lanes coming to my store. We are still one GSTL over head count. And I am fearing that the GSTL who supports the GSAs the most may be the one to be leaving us, while the SrGSTL, who doesn't care about Spot, much less the front lanes, will leave us to sink.

My GSTL and I spoke candidly yesterday. He admitted to me that he has his doubts about the front end doing well if he leaves. He acknowledged and agreed with what another GSA and I have been saying for months: there is no support for the front lanes from the LODs on any sort of consistent basis. He said that unless there is a complete 180 done, we will tank. And because the LODs (rightfully) love him, he gets more support than us three GSAs combined. So for him to notice and admit to it means that it's bad.

As one LOD told me, my very first Saturday night closing: "the front lanes are yours to run. I have the rest of the store. Make sure neither you nor the cashiers call me or the sales floor for any reason." I hated her for that. But looking back, she just said what every other LOD usually practices to some degree on all of my shifts. A couple of weeks ago, it was 9pm before I figured out who the LOD even was that night. It is that bad.

The other GSA who I am close with says she will not remain a GSA if they pull the GSTL from the front. I have said that I have not made that decision, but there would be some serious talks to be had about my role up front and the support structure in place.

So, my question...especially for the GSAs, but anyone else who wants to respond...how supported are you by the LODs? Are you left to sink or swim on your own, or is there really some sort of team playing happening? I need to know if my store is particularly bad about this, and there is hope for change, or if this is how it is everywhere and there's no chance in hell of any difference happening.

 

[buliSBI]

I would team up with your ETL-GS and maybe have a 1-2 GSAs be looked at for possible GSTL, and any cashiers be considered for GSA.

 

[Retail Girl]

Our ETL-GE keeps saying he is working on making sure we are supported...but it's spotty on the best of days...even from him!

There are currently 3 1/2 GSAs...none of us want GSTL...nor is there going to be an opening for GSTL, as we have to go down to one per AE14. The only TMs strong enough for GSA don't want it...so it would have to be outside hires...which means several months until they get the hang of it to be strong leaders.

 

[FrontEndFirecracker]

There are some ETL's at my store (soft lines, especially) that is very hands-off, until something that isn't her way is done. She frequently tells the GSA's how to run things, all while saying "you're running the front - I shouldn't have to help you call for backup".

Market, food, AP, GE, HL, HR, and even Log ETL's (even the STL when he is LOD) will hop on a register to help with backup if I need it. They would all rather hop on a register while I continue to speed weave rather than me hopping on while they watch the front. (We have 9 ETL's at my store + the STL)

My store just lost a Sr.GSTL to an ETL promotion. We have one GSTL and 3 GSA's. Two of us have interviewed for GSTL, and only two of us know the cash office.

 

[EagleEye]

So, my question...especially for the GSAs, but anyone else who wants to respond...how supported are you by the LODs? Are you left to sink or swim on your own, or is there really some sort of team playing happening? I need to know if my store is particularly bad about this, and there is hope for change, or if this is how it is everywhere and there's no chance in hell of any difference happening.

I haven't even started being a GSA officially yet and I already have the ETLs in the building asking me what is my plan to make the front lanes "mine" and how they can help me achieve it. It's usually me going to them, so it's interesting.

 

[BobLoblaw]

So, my question...especially for the GSAs, but anyone else who wants to respond...how supported are you by the LODs? Are you left to sink or swim on your own, or is there really some sort of team playing happening? I need to know if my store is particularly bad about this, and there is hope for change, or if this is how it is everywhere and there's no chance in hell of any difference happening.

I'm newer up front as a SrGSTL (I guess that's the title now?) and definitely see favoritism based on LOD workcenter. Our ETL-GE is constantly checking in with each leader and has great rapport with all the cashiers. On the other hand, our other LODs basically leave it up to the GSAs and GSTLs to keep the front on track. I personally didn't realize how much a little support could help on busier days until I got up front. I now (tactfully) put more pressure on my fellow LODs to support and recognize the front on a daily basis.

As one LOD told me, my very first Saturday night closing: "the front lanes are yours to run. I have the rest of the store. Make sure neither you nor the cashiers call me or the sales floor for any reason."

This makes me sad/furious at the same time. I realize I didn't support the front end as much as I should have as LOD but that is just ridiculous. Yes, LOD duties can and usually are very stressful but the whole purpose is to support the entire store. If anything I've seen that the front end can have a far greater impact on guest experience and store metrics than anywhere else in the building.

Our store is very fortunate to have smart, capable leaders but I would have no issue bringing that up with HR or my STL, possibly just as a hypothetical to start. My experience is the STL has a pretty good idea of who the better leaders are and would be more than willing to help "develop" that LOD into a better all around leader.

 

[Retail Girl]

That was HR. And at the time, we had no STL. And I was so new in role, I was afraid to say anything to anyone else. Luckily that ETL is now an STL elsewhere.

But now our least supportive LODs are the STL and HR.

Things are about to go from bad to worse up front...as the GSTL is officially leaving the front lanes and is staying in a position where he will not be supporting guest service in any way. I don't even know what to do anymore.

 

[neversaynever]

RG, that stinks....

We are one over still, lost one to a transfer, but had gained one with a store closing. I'm not sure what is going to have gone on while I've been on vacation.... It could be scary. We've had a few major changes recently and it has impacted things a lot. The one I want to stay on is supportive of us, but none of the GSA's like working with her. We lost a GSA too recently due to leadership issues. She wasn't dealing with it any longer. Our ETL is newish, and not up front much at all... Not impressed at all.

I'm going to pick up the job hunt pace when I get home.

 

[Barcode]

RG, your LOD actually said that? That's awful. You could probably get her in a big amount of trouble for that kind of remark.

 

[Retail Girl]

Nah...she was already in the pipeline for STL so she could do no wrong.

 

[The Dude Abides]

That was HR. And at the time, we had no STL. And I was so new in role, I was afraid to say anything to anyone else. Luckily that ETL is now an STL elsewhere.

But now our least supportive LODs are the STL and HR.

Things are about to go from bad to worse up front...as the GSTL is officially leaving the front lanes and is staying in a position where he will not be supporting guest service in any way. I don't even know what to do anymore.

Have you thought about trying to transfer work centers? There are plenty of areas in the store where you could keep your paygrade for a lot less hassle and pressure.

 

[Retail Girl]

I've thought about that...my interest is in keeping my full-time status.

The other reason I ask is because I may be getting another part time job, and if it pays enough, I might be able to move out, but then it might be transfer time? So I don't know if this is a company wide thing or a store issue.

 

[The Dude Abides]

My store is atrocious when it comes to supporting the front lanes as well. Thankfully I work many different work centers so I'm not GSA for every single shift I work. I'd probably go crazy if every day were at GSA.

 

[eleuthreophile]

Wow, my store is actually pretty great at responding to back ups. Our plano TL CONSTANTLY comes up to back up, and most of our salesfloor is pretty good about it too. Everyone in logistics refuses to come up, but eh.

 

[redandkhaki]

My store is completely different from yours. Just today alone every single ETL in the building came to me to see how things were going up front, thanked the cashiers that had gotten redcards, handed out vibe cards, and backed up at the lanes when i needed it. The ETL Hardlines is all about her area and doesn't give a crap about anyone else and will mow every one down in her way but if she's LOD she will support the front. I've learned just to hold my ground with her, let her throw a fit, and an hour later she'll be fine.

 

[ZombiePanties31]

Here's the kind of front lanes support I want:
1. the basic supplies we need to do our job (the right bags, paper bags for wine, plenty of register tape and pens, etc)
2. equipment that works

 

[commiecorvus]

Here's the kind of front lanes support I want:
1. the basic supplies we need to do our job (the right bags, paper bags for wine, plenty of register tape and pens, etc)
2. equipment that works

Come on now, next you'll be asking for people who have been trained properly.
You've got to be reasonable, here.

 

[mrknownothing]

Here's the kind of front lanes support I want:
1. the basic supplies we need to do our job (the right bags, paper bags for wine, plenty of register tape and pens, etc)
2. equipment that works

Come on now, next you'll be asking for people who have been trained properly.
You've got to be responsible, here.

And God forbid we get GSAs who actually speedweave........

 

[Retail Girl]

Oh, here we go again...

 

[The Dude Abides]

Here's the kind of front lanes support I want:
1. the basic supplies we need to do our job (the right bags, paper bags for wine, plenty of register tape and pens, etc)
2. equipment that works

Come on now, next you'll be asking for people who have been trained properly.
You've got to be responsible, here.

And God forbid we get GSAs who actually speedweave........

Unless the store is busy enough to warrant it, which is rare for ULV stores, speed weaving is a complete waste of time. When our LOD wants me to speedweave it usually consists of me directing guests to our one open lane and just facilitating transactions for that one cashier.

 

[Freakingamazing]

There are some ETL's at my store (soft lines, especially) that is very hands-off, until something that isn't her way is done. She frequently tells the GSA's how to run things, all while saying "you're running the front - I shouldn't have to help you call for backup".

Market, food, AP, GE, HL, HR, and even Log ETL's (even the STL when he is LOD) will hop on a register to help with backup if I need it. They would all rather hop on a register while I continue to speed weave rather than me hopping on while they watch the front. (We have 9 ETL's at my store + the STL)

My store just lost a Sr.GSTL to an ETL promotion. We have one GSTL and 3 GSA's. Two of us have interviewed for GSTL, and only two of us know the cash office.

ap helps with back up? How is that possible? Only ap-etl have logins ?

 

[jenna]

Most of our ETLs will jump on a lane. Especially when staffing is light.

 

[mrknownothing]

Oh, here we go again...

Unless the store is busy enough to warrant it, which is rare for ULV stores, speed weaving is a complete waste of time. When our LOD wants me to speedweave it usually consists of me directing guests to our one open lane and just facilitating transactions for that one cashier.

My store is an A+. I wish we had GSAs who care as much as the two of you.

 

[Cel]

Come down to ULV town and you can hang with the real GSAs, not the country club ones at your store mrk

 

[Cel]

I got coached last night by my Sr GSTL because apparently "some" of the LODs think I haven't been getting all my tasks done and think I'm badly managing my time. I told said GSTL that the level of support I get varies by LOD but on average is close to nil.

I'm the only GSA who gets scheduled such that I'll be the only one certified on the cart pusher during a closing shift, I'm the only GSA (GSTL excluded) who pulls POG batches, ties endcaps, etc. so I tend to get salesplanners dumped on me when they're critically overdue and get told I need to get them done that night. I consistently get our lowest-performing cashiers as my closers, who tend to have issues along the lines of being old and slow, or just being poorly trained and unable to handle just about any exception themselves without my intervention.

Our closing team (so anywhere from 7:30-9 PM when the GSTM and 2nd to last cashier leave) is myself and one cashier, and with carts and other tasks it's usually a wonder that I can even get the lanes closed (our system is also broken and not auto-closing registers so that's usually 24 registers to close), yet most of the LODs refuse to allow me to start closing early to leave me more time for tasks when we're slowest.

If I'm the opening GSA and I leave anything less than 4 full rows of carts at handoff I get bitched at, yet regularly I come in to close with 2 or fewer rows remaining, resulting in me needing to go clear the lot for the first hour of my shift, particularly if it's a truck day (our ETL-Log has us pull the reserves the night before truck day so the flow team can use them), which leaves over 100 carts outside for me to deal with in the hottest part of the day (normal summer temps here are triple digits anytime the sun is up). Conversely, the night before truck days I don't get any particular support as far as pulling the reserves, I'm just expected to get it done.

I injured myself on the job last month, such that I could only walk slowly and with a pronounced limp. I asked said ETL-Log when I was opening GSA (he was opening LOD) whether I could get any additional support for carts, since nobody who was cart trained or under the age of 60 was up front during my shift. His response was absolutely not, followed by a lecture on how anytime the front lanes use the salesfloor as a crutch we're failing at our core roles, because with the ridiculous payroll our store gets, the front end's is only cut by like 30% of what it should be, rather than the 50% cut the sales floor has taken. So I ended up having to go get carts myself, limping along with the cart pusher on turtle mode, just to keep the front end running. I think that was my first real "aha" moment as to how the leaders in my building saw us.

One of the LODs who apparently complained that I was staring off into space or something the other night (I was probably trying to puzzle through how the hell to set the battery cart POG I'd had dumped on me) was closing GSTL last night when I was service desk. I watched them stand by the cartwell chatting with the Sbux TL for 10 minutes. I've watched my Sr GSTL when I'm service desk get every ETL in the building and the STL out in the lot to do a cart blitz, even the APTL, just by asking. The double standard for that sort of thing is hilarious.

Thank the flying spaghetti monster I've got a good shot at starting a new job in a month that pays better, has consistent 40ish hours M-F, or I'd be flying off the handle even more than I already have at the ridiculousness of how GSAs are treated at my store, particularly those of us who are male.

Enjoy my rant. Commie saw some of this in chat last night, but I needed to vent some more.