Archived GSA rant

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risisca

Gsa/front end maid.
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Jan 19, 2014
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It's always been a requirement at my store that all GSA, GSTL learn Starbucks, Food Avenue, even pharmacy and how to use the cart pusher. I've been a GSA for almost a year now. Were required to give breaks and lunches to ALL front end team members. So during every shift I'm getting carts, working food/Starbucks. I hate being in a low volume store. I feel more like a front end slave rather than a supervisor. Now, we even get scheduled in other departments for entire shifts due to hours. I just worked signing yesterday 6-230 alone in market all day, with absolutly NO training at all. They literally just threw me in. I mean thankfully I've been working here long enough (3 yrs) to have a general idea of what goes on all day in market, so I managed to stay on top of pulls and qmos, but this is really starting to get ridiculous. It was one thing getting cashier/ guest service shifts, but this??? Frustrated.
 
On a positive note, welcome to The Break Room.
Glad to have you with us.

The one positive way to look at the situation is that you are becoming more global and if you want to transfer to a TL position you have the chops.

Or at least that's what you can tell yourself to keep from strangling the idiot who scheduled you like that.
 
Yeah GSA can be frustrating sometimes.

Maybe they threw you into Market because they knew you would learn fast? I've had cases where I received reduced/no training due to my expertise.

Keep in mind GSA is a VERY global position meaning that you need to know quite a few different work areas (including all of Guest Services,Photo). If you're looking to move up in the company it can be a very good stepping stone to hone your skills. If you aren't looking promote, there are other positions that pay the same and have less hassle (Electronics, Backroom, etc.)

And welcome.
 
I'm a new GSA and like 55% of my hours my first week post-training are in Market, but that's partially because I can do everything a PA can for $0.25 less an hour. I was already pretty global before getting the job though (last week's pre-training schedule: Softlines, FRO, Hardlines, Market, Market, Cart Attendant, CA), and I have made no secret of the fact that I would like to move up to the higher-ups.
 
None of our GSTLs/GSAs know anything about FA or SB.
Heck, they don't even know how to do cash office & they were supposed to ALL be trained after specialists were eliminated.
 
I know enough in FA to ring up a couple of things...as long as it doesn't involve heating anything up, we're golden. At SB, I can wash dishes and that's about it. I did ask to be trained enough in SB to help out on back up. But that was like 6 months ago, and since I really don't want to do it, I haven't pushed.

I keep begging to learn cash office, and they finally consented, but they haven't bothered to train me. I would bug them again about it, but I'm so close to 40 hours every week (the GSTL who does the schedule is protecting our hours) that I have no reason to wiggle in the training for more hours.

But other than that, I am scheduled a couple of days GSA and the rest guest services right now. Occasionally they throw in a few hours of cashiering for some spice. I am also trained in hardlines and softlines, but I only end up there when I get sick of the front end and beg the TLs, or they get start to run low on people and beg my GSTL to have me for a day or two, or when I pick up shifts on the swap board (which I've been too close to 40 hours to do).
 
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Interesting. My first day's training as a GSA was 75% done in the cash office, rest was service desk. Guess every store is different.
 
As a GSA, I am Starbucks certified and can handle guests at Food Ave, but I have never handled the CO at all. The other GSAs at my store are useless at Starbucks/Food Ave and only one of them can do CO.
 
Oddly so far at my store not a word has been said about needing to get Sbux certified. We no longer have a Food Ave, but ya. Guess we'll see if it comes up at some point, but to my knowledge none of the GSTLs/GSAs are. We have a PA who is, as well as a lot of former cashiers/Food Ave, and our previous Plano TL/Plano TM are now the Sbux TL/#1 Sbux TM.
 
At my store, the GSTLs and GSAs don't necessarily go through all of the training for Food Ave and Starbucks, but they at least learn how to operate the registers in those areas so they can fix issues and ring up orders as back-up.
 
I also know cash office, that's my favorite part! I understand where everyone is coming from with being global, however the lod, etls are not thinking about it in that way. All they want is a body they can stick in a department. They could care less about training. Tonight another gsa was scheduled in market with no training and she was miserable all night. I felt really bad for her because it's not right to just schedule someone in a random department without any warning or trainimg and still expect them to know everything that is expected. I live the idea of being able to work anywhere in the store, however I'm not okay with how it's happening.
 
I'm a GSA in training & I'm trained in SB, Food Ave, & Cash Office. Its super important to be global, you may have them crosstrain you just to show your flexible. I'm trained in ever department except backroom/logistics lol
 
Being thrown in a department with 0 training is a double edged sword, true you have no idea what you are doing, but it is also company policy that you cannot be coached for anything done in those areas unless you have a signed learning plan on file for it. That is a reason why we do not just throw a team member there as they can do anything and slack and you can't hold them accountable. Atleast if your ETL-HR knows the rules.
 
Ha. That means I can never be coached. I've been there a year and a half and have never even seen a learning plan, much less signed one.
 
well then HR keyed you in as completing training and a learning plan. Someone in HR is going to get a CA for falsifying documentation :)
 
I have "officially" been trained as a cashier, guest services, soft lines, hard lines, and GSA. They've falsified a lot, apparently.
 
Me and one other GSA are trained in the cash office, but we have an old specialist who still works at spot so everyone is happy to let her do the majority of CO. As far as food ave goes, we just need to know the basics so we can cover breaks and backup cashier if necessary. But since you are responsible for maintaining the front end on your GSA shifts, knowing how to work in the different areas in your workcenter shouldn't even be a question..

And I can say that GSA has been without a doubt the most irritating position I've held at target and definitely isn't worth the stress. If you want to become a GSTL, you're in the right spot. Otherwise you could be working in another workcenter for the same pay without all the hassle.
 
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