Archived GSA Best Practices/CO Routines

[Rock Lobster]

Hey guys I am just wondering if any stores out there have implemented GSAs into their cash office routines? Its in their core roles to perform cash office duties now (as far as I understand) and they should be the only ones in there? I am trying to work a schedule with 2 GSTLs and 2 GSAs (what we are allocated) that has them doing the CO... but it doesn't seem to work without the GSAs working every single weekend! Does anyone know what the best practice is for the front end rotations and their schedules? I feel like the only way to pull it off is to get other TLs in the building to perform GSTL weekend rotations (ie HRTL, FATL, Sbux TL or something?)

 

[Ask Alexandria]

As far as my store goes, we've got 4 GSAs and 2 GSTLs, so it probably works out a bit better than your situation. The GSAs and GSTLs are the only people who do the CO unless something odd arises such as vacation overlap.

In that case, another TM is scheduled in the CO (previous CO specialist), and will perform morning CO routine. When finished they will either cashier/ad prep/guest service. Often times in this situation a TL from another department will watch the lanes.

To my knowledge all of our other TL/ETLs don't know the CO, so we always have to have someone else in there.

As far as Best Practice goes: I'm not quite sure, that's just my situation. Might not work for you as you don't seem to have the abundance of front end team members like we do.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I'm just curious because our STL is pretty forceful that we are an A+ Volume store and only allocated 2 GSAs and 2 GSTLs... yet other stores around us with lower volumes usually have 3-4 GSAs to help with CO duties... Do your GSTLs do cash office as well?

 

[Ask Alexandria]

I'm just curious because our STL is pretty forceful that we are an A+ Volume store and only allocated 2 GSAs and 2 GSTLs... yet other stores around us with lower volumes usually have 3-4 GSAs to help with CO duties... Do your GSTLs do cash office as well?

Yeah both GSAs and GSTLS do the CO. We're a B volume store allocated with 4 GSAs and 2 GSTLs, seems a bit odd. The only thing I could think as to why we are allocated more is due to two of our GSAs are in school full time, so availability is a bit shifty. But still, before when we had 2 GSAs and 2 GSTLs it still seemed to run smoothly.

 

[StaticSun]

3 GSTL
3 GSA

Typical schedule includes:

(Monday-Friday)
715-1015 Cash Office
1015-3 GSTL/Cashier/Photo (depending on leftover hours)

with a 730-3 GSTL/GSA and a 230-1030 GSTL/GSA

(Saturday-Sunday)
845-1145 Cash Office
1145 - 615 Photo or Guest Service
or
730-115 GSTL/GSA
115 - 415 Cash Office

With a 730-3 GSTL/GSA, 10-6 GSTL/GSA, and 230-1030 GSTL/GSA.

One of our GSAs is primarily scheduled in cafe, so she can fill in if we have a call-out. Otherwise, myself and the other two GSAs both have 40 hours/week. Only the GSAs are in 239, unless our single trained GSTL wants to do 239 herself on a weekend. Worst case scenario, we have a former gsa and two former cash office specs who do flow/instocks who can fill in.

 

[redeye58]

We have 2 GSTLs & 2.5 GSAs, we also have a GSTM who is CO-trained & he rotates every other weekend.

 

[redandkhaki]

we're a A volume store and we have 2 GSTL's and 5 GSAs plus a Photo Assistant that does GSA shifts.. We have one GSA that's trained in the cash office, another that's being trained this week and the PA is being trained in the next two weeks or so.
The GSTL's never do the CO so that leaves one GSA and we have two other old CO Specialists that do it.

I was told by our ETL-GE that really you can have as many GSA's that you want.

 

[StaticSun]

GSA allocation is totally decided by the amount of payroll you have, AFAIK. We can afford to have 4/5 GSAs due to our TLOD program, and our SrTL works LOD shifts. That's two LOD shifts and 1 TLOD shift a week that isn't using GSTL hours.

 

[redandkhaki]

that makes sense to me because even though we have 5 GSA's they mostly cashier.

 

[mrknownothing]

We're an A+ volume store and we have 3 GSTLs and 5(!) GSAs. We added two GSAs before the holidays because we were short a GSTL at the time, and another GSA is a former CO specialist. We only have GSAs work in 239 except in the case of a callout, where a Pricing TM who knows CO does it instead.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I swear to god... This is what I want our store to have! A GSA is supposed to be a part-time gig... for some reason they are SO sure that we can only have 2 GSAs and that they are full-timers (which confuses them into thinking they are GSTLS since they are fulltime)

 

[fortheteam]

I'm a current GSTL (A Volume) and our store has 2 GSTL's and 3 GSA's (Currently hiring for one more GSA) and it's working good, the GSTL's usually have one day a week and the GSA's have most of the c/o shifts.

 

[StaticSun]

I swear to god... This is what I want our store to have! A GSA is supposed to be a part-time gig... for some reason they are SO sure that we can only have 2 GSAs and that they are full-timers (which confuses them into thinking they are GSTLS since they are fulltime)

Well, it really depends. How many hours do you have allocated for GSTL/GSA? I have between 110-130 every week. Do your GSAs just cashier? Do they take on projects? Do you have any sort of expectation from them other than watching the lanes? Are they just scheduled GSTL/GSA, or do you have them working cashier, guest service, photo, cafe, etc...? What is your communication like? Do you include them in any decisions, do they help plan games, are they aware of redcard/survey goals and are they actively engaged in training and development?

If not, then sure. Get some part time GSAs do to 239 and then come out and cover your breaks.

 

[targetismylife09]

C volume store, 3 GSA's and 1 GSTL. I am the only GSA who is cash office trained. We have two other former CO specialists who have been there forever who do most of the CO shifts. When I am scheduled CO we have another GSA or GSTL who runs the front, usually scheduled 7:30 to 3:45. After they finish in the CO they will usually float to cover breaks/lunches or just cashier.

 

[walruses]

my b volume store used to be 2 gstls and 2 gsas when we had two dedicated c/o tms. we are now 2 gstls (one senior) and three gsas. the three gsas do the c/o and we have another person who helps out occasionally.

 

[Jettajunky]

Mine seems a bit different. C volume here with 2 gstls and 2 gsas....up until last week. Now we have 2 gstls and 4 gsas.

I'm not sure how it's going to work now but this is how it worked before, both gstls and me and the other GSA all did CO.

(Monday - Thursday)

7-330 GSTL and then 2-1030 GSTL/GSA
-or- 730-4 GSA and 2-1030 GSTL/GSA

7-10 CO and then 10-230 or 330 cashier/GS/cafe/photo

And on rare occasions...

7-10 CO and then 10-330 GSTL/GSA without any front end coverage from 8-10 except one cashier and GS and then cafe and another cashier at 930.


(Friday and Saturday)

Same opening shift

Closing shift is 230-11


(Sunday)

Same opening shift

Closing shift is 130-10

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

We have 2 GSTLs & 2.5 GSAs, we also have a GSTM who is CO-trained & he rotates every other weekend.

Same here!

 

[Rock Lobster]

Well, it really depends. How many hours do you have allocated for GSTL/GSA? I have between 110-130 every week. Do your GSAs just cashier? Do they take on projects? Do you have any sort of expectation from them other than watching the lanes? Are they just scheduled GSTL/GSA, or do you have them working cashier, guest service, photo, cafe, etc...? What is your communication like? Do you include them in any decisions, do they help plan games, are they aware of redcard/survey goals and are they actively engaged in training and development?

If not, then sure. Get some part time GSAs do to 239 and then come out and cover your breaks.

Its the issues with culture that I worry about! When your GSAs and GSTLs are working the exact same amount of hours and working the exact same shifts/rotations it causes confusion between the team and the GSAs... They all think they are the same just paid less, when they shouldn't be! IMO it is taking advantage of the TM and the position to treat the GSA role that way, and you need to keep it a "TM job"... Just because someone is a GSA doesn't mean they are (or even want to be) a team leader... We shouldn't force captainships and big projects to lead onto TMs whether they are GSAs, Cashiers, Pricing TMs etc... Only when the person wants to be developed into a leader should we start including them on these sorts of developmental activities!

 

[redeye58]

GSA = GSTL on the cheap

 

[redandkhaki]

Our GSA's aren't treated like a GSTL at all.. there is one in our store that is but she's being prepped for a TL so that is different. When i first started at this store they DID treat them like that and it caused a lot of problems. We got a new ETL-GE and she's changed it all and it works out better now.

 

[redeye58]

Our GSAs continue to be treated like GSTLs. They are scheduled as GSAs nearly every shift, they take on the same types of project, have the same responsibilities - exceptions being coachings & reviews.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Our GSAs continue to be treated like GSTLs. They are scheduled as GSAs nearly every shift, they take on the same types of project, have the same responsibilities - exceptions being coachings & reviews.

The shadow says who knows what evil lurks In the hearts of men, the shadow knows!
E

 

[StaticSun]

Its the issues with culture that I worry about! When your GSAs and GSTLs are working the exact same amount of hours and working the exact same shifts/rotations it causes confusion between the team and the GSAs... They all think they are the same just paid less, when they shouldn't be! IMO it is taking advantage of the TM and the position to treat the GSA role that way, and you need to keep it a "TM job"... Just because someone is a GSA doesn't mean they are (or even want to be) a team leader... We shouldn't force captainships and big projects to lead onto TMs whether they are GSAs, Cashiers, Pricing TMs etc... Only when the person wants to be developed into a leader should we start including them on these sorts of developmental activities!

There we go. It's a culture thing. Do you pick GSAs who show the potential for advancement, or do you pick GSAs just to fill coverage? If you're just looking to cover 239 shifts and your breaks during the day, then hire a slew of GSAs! If you want to use the GSA position as a developmental role for TL, then that's totally different. I sought out this role and am doing exactly what I wanted to do. I am considered to be on the same level as my TLs when it comes to projects, games, and metrics. They, of course, have much more responsibility when it comes to the overall picture, but I own my share of the target pie. I'm being mentored and developed for further advancement.

It totally depends on what your STL/HR/GE want to do with the position.

 

[Rock Lobster]

There we go. It's a culture thing. Do you pick GSAs who show the potential for advancement, or do you pick GSAs just to fill coverage? If you're just looking to cover 239 shifts and your breaks during the day, then hire a slew of GSAs! If you want to use the GSA position as a developmental role for TL, then that's totally different. I sought out this role and am doing exactly what I wanted to do. I am considered to be on the same level as my TLs when it comes to projects, games, and metrics. They, of course, have much more responsibility when it comes to the overall picture, but I own my share of the target pie. I'm being mentored and developed for further advancement.

It totally depends on what your STL/HR/GE want to do with the position.

As long as the line is drawn I am fine with it... like I said, the development portion is based on the person not the position! If you were a BRTM and trying to promote, I would expect you to perform at a higher level and take on projects that show leadership revolving around logistics/replenishment! This doesn't mean I expect EVERY brtm to perform at the same level as you! I feel like holding all GSAs accountable for a level of performance that is higher than a normal TMs expectations isn't fair... Ultimately, in a perfect world, you would want everyone to perform like they wanted to promote, but you can't feasibly hold everyone to this standard...

 

[redeye58]

Sadly, our store doesn't utilize GSAs as development to GSTL but merely as a cheap way to fill in GSTL shifts on the cheap.