Archived Gsa's and the cart attendant

[blugirlami21]

I was opening gsa this weekend at my store. My gstl was the closer this weekend. He's late every time he works after me and he is always in a bad mood because he doesn't want to close. So both days I am waiting around for him to show up so I can leave, I readily admit that when it's time for me to go I tend to mentally clock out.

I also acknowledge that I am not the best gsa at keeping an eye on what the cart attendant is doing or not doing. It's something that I need to give more importance to but I also feel that they are either going to do the job well or not. You have good cart attendant and bad attendants same with most other departments. I sometimes feel like I am constantly telling them to do what they are supposed to do and it goes in one ear and out the other.

Both days, he drills me on what the cart attendant missed and today he claimed that as he was coming in he saw the cart attendant outside on their phone and wanted to know why that was? I told him I had no idea because I was inside making sure that we were getting redcards and/or making sure I was ready for turn over. I'm not omnipresent.

His response was that me and the cart attendant needed to have a documented conversation about what happened. I just said ok and left.

I guess my question is are we both right? I won't be going back to work til later this week. Do I bring it up or do I wait for him to do so? Do I talk to our ETL first? What can I do going forward to avoid this? I sometimes feel he comes to work determined to find fault with something I am doing because he doesn't want to be there.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Let your Lod know, too. The CA needs a coaching, big time. But spot will get them on attendance.

 

[Dr Laytex]

I play the "He who smelled it, dealt it." rule on that one. He saw it happen, he should be the one to have the documented conversation.

 

[RedDog]

I play the "He who smelled it, dealt it." rule on that one. He saw it happen, he should be the one to have the documented conversation.

Agreed I do not think you should coach or CA anyone with 3rd hand information. The TL that saw it should have dealt with it as soon as he clocked in. Having some one who did not see it do it a few days later is sign of a pretty crappy leader.

 

[watchdog9000]

Does Spot even let GSA's coach other tm's? I've been out of the game for awhile, but back in the day it would definitely have to be the GSTL to do the actual coaching.

 

[redeye58]

^This.
Even if your store's culture is lax about who does coachings, the CA could challenge it as it wasn't done by a TL.
Your best bet is to take the info (mention as it was presented by the GSTL) to your ETL-GE or -HR.

 

[Barcode]

@blugirlami21 Sounds like your GSTL wants you to step up to the plate. While best practice doesn't allow GSA's to do coachings (most TL coachings get documented anyway), they might want you to be doing informal coachings. Even though that may not necessarily be best practice, I wouldn't challenge your leadership team on something they want you to do, every store is different. Of course I would make sure you verify with your leadership before you go off and start coaching people.

At the very least, if you notice the Cart Attendants aren't doing what they are supposed to, and in the case your GSTL presented, I would partner with the LOD to have somebody coach that TM immediately.

I was never allowed to do coachings (even though I was pretty much a GSTL with the workload I had), but on several occasions I partnered with the LOD and had them coach cashiers on the spot. I usually didn't resort to that, unless they were being disrespectful or insubordinate. My leadership said that I can't coach but I can "train"; I basically saw this as another word for informal coaching, since none of it is documented and it is meant to immediately show them what they need to be doing.

Formal Coaching = Documented by a TL that the discussion took place. Usually they won't tell you if it is documented.
Informal Coaching = Not Documented

Hope this helps.

^This.
Even if your store's culture is lax about who does coachings, the CA could challenge it as it wasn't done by a TL.
Your best bet is to take the info (mention as it was presented by the GSTL) to your ETL-GE or -HR.

He could challenge it, but if the Store HR has no problem with GSA's doing coachings, that probably won't go anywhere. Integrity line would probably not care either.

I also wouldn't circumvent your GSTL in this process, I would probably ask them first. I probably wouldn't involve HR, but you could ask your ETL-GE too.

 

[blugirlami21]

The problem is I didn't see it, he did. I was inside working and he saw the ca on the phone as he came in the building

His argument was I should somehow be aware of what the ca is doing while he is outside pushing carts.

My gstl was saying I should get a coaching as well as the cart attendant. Him for being on the phone and me for being unaware.

 

[redeye58]

My gstl was saying I should get a coaching as well as the cart attendant. Him for being on the phone and me for being unaware.

OK, that puts a different spin on it.
Unless you're calling the CA to check on his loc every 15 minutes (micromanagement at its worst), there's no way you could be aware of what he was doing outside unless you knew he had a history of such abuse.
By suggesting that you deserve a coaching too is bullsh!t at best & sounds like an attempt to blame YOU for HIS lack of action. HE witnessed it & there was nothing stopping HIM from acting on it as soon as he clocked in.
This would be a poor example of 'stepping up to the plate' & a leadership FAIL.

 

[Rock Lobster]

Any HRBP would tell you this is definitely not right. The GSTL should do the coaching on the Cart Attendant. It is not the responsibility of the GSA to take action on another TM's performance.

 

[Barcode]

The problem is I didn't see it, he did. I was inside working and he saw the ca on the phone as he came in the building

His argument was I should somehow be aware of what the ca is doing while he is outside pushing carts.

My gstl was saying I should get a coaching as well as the cart attendant. Him for being on the phone and me for being unaware.

Ok -- well that definitely isn't right and I would contest that. Sounds like your GSTL has painted a target on your head, I would go to HR at this point. If you did not know the CA was on his phone, there is absolutely nothing that you did wrong, and it sounds like your GSTL is being a dick if hes saying that you should be coached,etc.

As far as keeping tabs on a CA, you're right. GSAs have better things to do than babysitting the CA. Sometimes if it was slow I would go to the cart doors and make sure they are coming in with carts regularly, but not often. I've never had to do this, but if you have problematic CA's and it isn't terribly busy, find someone to watch the lanes for you and do an "Exterior Brand Check" and walk the front of the store for a minute or two -- if you catch the CA goofing off in the parking lot, you can partner with a TL for a coaching. Be sure to check the overall brand outside as well, and if its total crap (overflowing trash, etc.) you can get the CA on it (be sure to followup later).

Luckily for the most part I had CA's that I didn't need to babysit, because all of this is ridiculous considering all the other shit we have to do.


@Rock Lobster I don't think the GSTL can even do the coaching if he wasn't on the clock yet. Coaching a TM on something you saw off the clock would constitute working off the clock, no?

 

[canibedreamin]

You've gotten some good advice. I would personally send an email to my GSTL asking for clarification and cc my ETL-GE.

 

[Barcode]

You've gotten some good advice. I would personally send an email to my GSTL asking for clarification and cc my ETL-GE.

Hmm, yes that would work.

I would probably just go talk to ETL-HR directly since the GSTL threatened to coach her for not having eyes in 100 places. And then at the same time asking her to coach the CA based on something HE saw.... If you DO go to ETL-HR, don't present this information in an accusatory manner towards the GSTL, but in an inquisitive manner.

For example:

"GSTL ___ was coming in to work on ___ day, and saw the CA on his phone. He told me that I should be monitoring the CA in the parking lot, and that I should have had a documented conversation (coaching?) with the CA. Also since I let this situation happen that I should be coached for it. I thought that GSAs weren't allowed to coach people so I'm not sure how to handle this situation, what would you suggest?"

 

[blugirlami21]

Thanks guys. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy for questioning what he said. There is no way I can know what every team member is doing at any particular time and he wasn't even on the clock when he saw it happen. So I wonder how valid his coaching on the ca would even be.

I think I will e-mail HR first to see if he approached her with the situation, since he threatened to do so and go from there. She's a lot easier to get along with and I think questioning him about it will only make it worse. He's the I'm the best, don't question me type.

 

[Barcode]

Thanks guys. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy for questioning what he said. There is no way I can know what every team member is doing at any particular time and he wasn't even on the clock when he saw it happen. So I wonder how valid his coaching on the ca would even be.

I think I will e-mail HR first to see if he approached her with the situation, since he threatened to do so and go from there. She's a lot easier to get along with and I think questioning him about it will only make it worse. He's the I'm the best, don't question me type.

Don't email over something like this. Talk to your HR in person.

 

[buliSBI]

As a GSA, all you can do is confirm with the cart attendant on what they are doing and/or missed. And communicate that to the head GSTL or or next opening GSTL/GSA. You can cannot technically coach them in any fashion.

If your GSTL saw stuff that the cart attendant was doing and wasn't up to par then they need to take care of it themselves.

Sounds like your GSTL is painting you into a corner. You may need to inform your ETL=GE.