I'm Lost! Front of the store attendant

[Pride]

hi all, so when i first joined target the only thing i said that i wanted to do was cashier. And all of my shifts have been that so far. But today my shift is saying front of store attendant, and all of my future shifts that i cant see say this too. Is there any reason for this? Is it a mistake? i really would rather just be cashier than push carts around in this terrible weather.

 

[Anelmi]

Needs of the business, my friend.

 

[Kartman]

Take pride in your work, Pride.

 

[Times Up]

You can ask if it is an error. Probably isn't, but doesn't hurt to ask.

Are you seasonal? They really don't care what you want to do, they're only concerned about their needs..."needs if business."

 

[bymoonlight]

Front of Store is ultimately something that 95% of people will be asked to if they're working the front end. It comes with the territory and while it sucks, it's necessary to keep the flow going.

 

[JAShands]

The only way out of it is with restrictions from a doctor. Unfortunately that’s the easiest place to put someone who wants hours and is healthy. The last TM I used 5 days/week for FOS was averaging 32 hours/week and now that he changed depts for the holidays he gets maybe 18-20/week. The hours someone is needed for one department aren’t necessarily the hours I need them for another department.
ASANTS but at my store the FOSA gets extra breaks to sit down and warm up with some cocoa or tea or coffee in the break room if it’s snowing or raining, or even just bitterly windy. That’s the one perk that’s been getting my FOSAs through the last couple of weeks. It isn’t much but it’s the least we can do.

 

[Times Up]

Front of Store is ultimately something that 95% of people will be asked to if they're working the front end. It comes with the territory and while it sucks, it's necessary to keep the flow going.

Well, it's one thing to be asked to grab some carts when they're low. Being a team player and pitching is expected. VERY different to be getting all of your shifts there.

When you apply and are hired for an indoor job, you expect to primary work indoors.
I personally would quit if someone decided I should work outdoors without any consideration or discussion. In many parts of the country you need a completely different wardrobe to work 4-8 hours outdoors.

The fact that you were scheduled for FOSA without any discussion, presumably due to "needs of business", shows how very little
regard Spot has for it's employees.

If you don't need the job, still lots of retailers hiring too, quit.

 

[Kartman]

Your post is super-LOLZ

 

[Hope4Future]

Front of Store is ultimately something that 95% of people will be asked to if they're working the front end. It comes with the territory and while it sucks, it's necessary to keep the flow going.

I sure wish that were the case at my store. It seems like most team members aren't even asked to do it once, while the same team members are asked to fill in and do it over and over.

 

[JAShands]

The TMs not getting asked could have restrictions on file that you don’t know about. We try and ask for a volunteer before we pull someone off the floor to get carts (which means the front has to send someone to the floor in a crazy twist of events!). Not that it’s retaliation for not getting carts, but the alternatives are zoning one spot and fan central. Both of which would make fema shudder in fear..

 

[Hope4Future]

The TMs not getting asked could have restrictions on file that you don’t know about. We try and ask for a volunteer before we pull someone off the floor to get carts (which means the front has to send someone to the floor in a crazy twist of events!). Not that it’s retaliation for not getting carts, but the alternatives are zoning one spot and fan central. Both of which would make fema shudder in fear..

I believe you regarding the restrictions you're talking about but it seems like some team members don't want to do carts even though they are capable. Like Times Up said, if team members rotated in going out to get carts when there were call-outs or carts were low, I wouldn't mind it as much (whether it's just front end team members or someone off the floor). Instead, it falls on a few team members who've done it before when there are call-outs.

 

[Hope4Future]

I had a heart-to-heart meeting to discuss this issue with the SETL yesterday and she agreed with me that she won't ask me to do carts anymore as I expressed my frustration with having clean bathrooms and spills while it seemed like other front-end team members avoided having to deal with this.
She also said when I asked that at our store, only front-end team members are responsible for carts and we cannot ask sales-floor team members to go get carts. Basically, she also told me that a couple of other male, front-end team members are on disability which explains why they aren't asked to do carts.
I didn't want it to come down to this, but I'm hoping that the next time a cart attendant calls out, an ETL will step in and help out, like I thought was the procedure described in the team member handbook.

 

[ClosingQueen]

When I'm closing and we have no cart attendant I call for volunteers to get carts and sometimes offer a reward. We had terrible weather one night so I offered Starbucks hot cocoa and requisitioned some cookies. I also go out with my team to help and I clean the bathrooms, or my guest services team members clean them if we have coverage.

 

[Tessa120]

I had a heart-to-heart meeting to discuss this issue with the SETL yesterday and she agreed with me that she won't ask me to do carts anymore as I expressed my frustration with having clean bathrooms and spills while it seemed like other front-end team members avoided having to deal with this.
She also said when I asked that at our store, only front-end team members are responsible for carts and we cannot ask sales-floor team members to go get carts. Basically, she also told me that a couple of other male, front-end team members are on disability which explains why they aren't asked to do carts.
I didn't want it to come down to this, but I'm hoping that the next time a cart attendant calls out, an ETL will step in and help out, like I thought was the procedure described in the team member handbook.

As a disabled person, it is so nice to hear that despite the EEOC publicly available resources that say an employer can tell other employees that accommodations are due to the needs of the business or due to federal law but cannot say it's because they are disabled, you got your HR person to actually say flat out the two TMs are disabled.

Seriously, did you need to violate the privacy of those TMs? If they told you, it's one thing, but if they didn't, they clearly didn't think you had any right to be all in their business.

We exist. Accommodations keeps us paying taxes, instead of you paying our SSI/SSDI and Medicaid and your taxes getting raised because more disabled people need those things.

And while I'm not sure I said it to you specifically, I always point out the possibility of a disability and accommodation whenever someone complains of favoritism. The concept should be floating around here and also in your life. Did you really not think about how front end folks could have hidden disabilities like your proverbial cousin or best friend or family friend does? Or do the folks you work with just have to be healthy to have the job in your mind?

Are you next going to complain about bathroom duty until you get told that there are TMs that have hidden disabilities that need to stay away from E. coli?

 

[happygoth]

It was the SETL, not HR who revealed the info about the two TMs on disability Also, the OP is anonymous and we don't know who the two front end TMs are either, therefore OP did not violate their privacy.

 

[Hope4Future]

As a disabled person, it is so nice to hear that despite the EEOC publicly available resources that say an employer can tell other employees that accommodations are due to the needs of the business or due to federal law but cannot say it's because they are disabled, you got your HR person to actually say flat out the two TMs are disabled.

Seriously, did you need to violate the privacy of those TMs? If they told you, it's one thing, but if they didn't, they clearly didn't think you had any right to be all in their business.

We exist. Accommodations keeps us paying taxes, instead of you paying our SSI/SSDI and Medicaid and your taxes getting raised because more disabled people need those things.

And while I'm not sure I said it to you specifically, I always point out the possibility of a disability and accommodation whenever someone complains of favoritism. The concept should be floating around here and also in your life. Did you really not think about how front end folks could have hidden disabilities like your proverbial cousin or best friend or family friend does? Or do the folks you work with just have to be healthy to have the job in your mind?

Are you next going to complain about bathroom duty until you get told that there are TMs that have hidden disabilities that need to stay away from E. coli?

First of all, it was an SETL. Secondly, this wouldn't be an issue if guests could use bathrooms properly and not leave messes like elementary school kids. Unfortunately, that's not the case and someone needs to clean up. I just wish I weren't the one being asked to do it almost everytime I was scheduled for carts.
And yes, by quoting my post, you are saying it to me specifically. There is plenty of favoritism at my store. The SETL in question is on her phone texting to the point where it takes away from her performance at the front-end. Other GSTLs in the past have said things like "I f-ing hate her so much" or "She needs to get down here instead of hanging in TSC". And yet, she is adored by the ETLs in the store for god knows what reason. I am beginning to lose patience with her and hoping to get out of my store by early next year, primarily because I can't stand her so much. In fact, she could have helped clean the spills but nope, she is too busy texting and doesn't want to do it, leaving it to me.
If she didn't want to tell me, she could have said "I can't tell you why" or something along those lines.
Either way, I hope this is a something I never have to discuss again on here because I've checked out mentally and I'm tired of our store's leadership.

 

[Hope4Future]

When I'm closing and we have no cart attendant I call for volunteers to get carts and sometimes offer a reward. We had terrible weather one night so I offered Starbucks hot cocoa and requisitioned some cookies. I also go out with my team to help and I clean the bathrooms, or my guest services team members clean them if we have coverage.

I wish my SETL were just like you. You care for your team and set a good example for the rest of your team, not provide fake concern like my SETL.

 

[ClosingQueen]

I wish my SETL were just like you. You care for your team and set a good example for the rest of your team, not provide fake concern like my SETL.

I'm actually not an SETL but my SETL and GS team members help with bathrooms and/or carts when we don't have a FOS attendant. My closing team also jumps in and grabs carts from the 16 yr old high school students to the 60+ yr old cancer survivor. We all pitch in!