Archived GSA

[redndkhaki]

Just got promoted to gsa, effective immidiately. But is it really effective immidiately even though my interview is set for next week? Also how can I stand out as a gsa without going over my authority because I want to move up to gstl. Also if it helps, I got promoted to gsa after 5 weeks of working.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Rg, imz, sun, or red, needs some help here.

 

[Thehomiesleepy]

You wanna move up just take on more responsibility, be assertive, take initiative to do things which aren't asked of you. If no one is around to witness your work, let your STL, ETL's know what little extra task you took on for the day. It's all about communication. Cashier's are a tricky bunch, make sure they follow there assigned break times, so they all don't go at once or when they please. Take into account which TM are on the Sales Floor, so when no one response for back up you can call TM by name usually 1 Hardline's and 1 Softline's should be sufficient. This is to prevent the same person to respond constantly and if you rotate who you call up properly, it gives the Sales Floor time to get there assigned tasks done. If you see cashier's picking up strays or hangers, or zoning dollar spot and you need back up, tell them to get back on the check lane rather then have someone from the floor come up. If there are two guest service members just standing around get one of them to assist you in back up before calling sales floor. Implement your own ideas don't be scared to tell cashiers what to do, don't be an asshole either good luck.

 

[mrknownothing]

Go to the Guides section of the forum and check out our GSTL/GSA guide as well as the POS guide.

Rg, imz, sun, or red, needs some help here.

@Retail Girl @Barcode @StaticSun @redeye58 @Cel @paidtosmile

And any others I missed. We need a little help here.

 

[Barcode]

Just pay attention really closely to how the other GSA/GSTL's do things, and try to follow suit. Try avoid coming off as too bossy from the get-go, rather get to know your cashiers, and ask them questions on how they do things so you can get an overall understanding of what goes on. This will prevent you from getting called out as "power trippin" behind your back. Also it gives you insight into who is following best practice, and who isn't, as well as who might be a troublemaker to keep an eye on 🙂 If you come off as friendly and inquisitive early on, people will warm up to you much sooner (and make your life easier as a result...) Speaking from experience on this one... Trust me. It might be different as a TL, but as a GSA you really have no "real" authority so you need to be diplomatic.

Try and be very detailed with your communication... You should be very vocal on the walkies. If the walkie additional cashiers goes off, you should immediately confirm that you need a backup and how many, or that no backup is needed. If you encounter an issue that you don't know how to solve, walkie the LOD to communicate the issue and inquire on how to proceed. Also communicate with your TL/ETL regularly on the work that you are getting done (or are unable to complete), and your contributions (this one is big if you want to promote).

Also lastly.... DO NOT LOSE YOUR COOL WITH GUESTS!!!! Yes some of them are TRUE douchebags, but in general they are the extreme minority. Some people just have irate personalities, may be frustrated with their problem at hand, or want to vent. If you keep your cool with someone who is going off instead of engaging in it with them, most of the time they calm down. Also, when dealing with irate guests, you need to practice speaking with HIGH CONFIDENCE... If they think you sound confident, they will heed what you have to say usually -- whereas if you sound unsure, it can upset them even more and make the exchange worse. I've dealt with the most pissed off of guests, and by keeping my cool with them, and speaking in a confident tone, I was able to de-escalate the situation without having to call for LOD assistance (usually what happens if it blows up). Just be assertive 🙂

 

[paidtosmile]

Barcode hit the nail on the head!

Look at the position as a team trainer for the front end of the store! You're a brand, hardworking, effective, high-quality team member and can lead the front by good example and positive recognition. I wrote a lot about this a week or so ago on another thread that you might find helpful! Here is the link: http://thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/gsa-training.8355/#post-125913
^^Something I didn't put in the above link: know guest service like the back of your hand, know policies inside and out, and know your way around the registers; after all, you're the first responder when somebody needs a service desk or checklane supervisor 🙂

The main problem I see with new GSA's is that they manage the break schedule but not the front end; it's a job that requires you to stay big-picture oriented and really own the area! How many backup cashiers do we need? What's the plan for keeping carts replenished? Stocking register supplies? The plan for working out candy or checklane product? Who needs to do what in order to maintain the front end?
It's easy for anybody to get focused on low-scope problems or single job duties (like the break schedules) and forget/ignore everything else, but as GSA's we have to juggle many simultaneous responsibilities to keep the team organized! You should consider the checklanes and front-end area's to be yours, but the team members who work up there aren't! What we do is help coordinate activities to ensure the front end runs successfully.

You may also want to consider taking ownership or a captainship at the front end! For example, you could captain part of OneSpot and ensure that it's getting filled correctly, is presentable, fully stocked, flexed where appropriate, etc etc in an effort to drive sales. That's a task-oriented captainship, but you could also try to get a more team-oriented captainship. I own the service desk, and that requires teach-and-train moments with team members almost every day to ensure best practice is being followed, as well as a lot of documenting and recording. I would ask your GSTL about taking a captainship after you're comfortable and on your feet as a GSA.

 

[Cel]

Barcode and paidtosmile have good advice here. What the job is like and some ways to stand out will be pretty different depending on what volume of store you're working at, because the scope of your responsibilities and the course of your day will be vastly different at a ULV like a few of us work at vs something high volume where you've got a lot more going on as far as organization and such. I know at my store (D-volume) captainships don't exist, we simply don't have the people or the time, and are currently just working on nailing down our daily routine tasks, much less overarching high level stuff like that. If you can multitask, deal with rude, unpleasant or downright irate guests, and motivate your team while dancing the fine line between TM and whatever gray area GSA falls into you'll do alright.

Sorry if I sound a little negative on things but I just spent 3 hours of a 6 hour shift getting carts, and another hour cleaning up someone's sh*t all over the men's bathroom, one spot, and the racetrack all the way to shoes. It's definitely not a glamorous or over appreciated job.

 

[redeye58]

Basically what others have said.
Being a GSA requires finesse. You have to be able to lead without looking like you're pulling rank.
To gain trust (& respect) from your TMs - even tho you aren't a 'leader' per se - be visible & jump in.
Lead by example & the axiom about 'don't ask anyone to do something you yourself wouldn't do' def applies.
There's delegating & then there's standing back & barking orders. Don't be one of the latter.

 

[Barcode]

Well to be fair red, at my high vol super-t, I did pretty much bark orders most the time during Q4. Eventually when you have a staff big enough, you have to spend most of your time managing people (and organizing/managing tasks as well) and your ability to jump in and help is limited. The key is to maintain proper balance between delegating and owning a task.