MEGATHREAD Hang Me (The Softlines Thread)

[RightArm]

Well, hopefully Doglover didn't feel any "attitude" from me. My post was to emphasize the importance of Leadership taking on the majority of the burden of a struggling department. Part of our job as Leaders is to elevate morale, motivate the Team, and to make our TMs feel appreciated. And, yes.... I'm a VML, and while I don't have a Team (currently )...... I'm still an influential Leader in our building, especially in A&A. Leaders are paid to shoulder the burden and develop solutions so the Doglover's in the department don't have to.

I didn't mean attitude directed at Doglover. I just meant that general attitude where it comes across like you're saying that every store that is suffering is suffering because they don't have someone as fabulous as you on board rather than the reality of what they're dealing with. I know that's not what you meant but that's how it came across. Yes, leaders need to motivate and boost morale and make sure TMs are doing their job but there's more to it than that. Simply put we need people we don't have and as a VML you don't do anything with the hiring process so aren't responsible for getting bodies in the door aside from maybe doing interviews when the bodies come in the door. Our problem is not our leadership. Our problem is our lack of TMs. When you are stretched so thin that one person calling off screws up half a week's work or more for the rest of the team there's little leadership can do until HR can bring in more potentials.

 

[RightArm]

I'm envious that you can even finish all your backstocking in one day. We regularly have someone spend their entire shift backstocking and we only come clean maybe once or twice a month. It's a mess.

It's that priority system our SR SLTL has set out for me because I'm trained in everything.... RFID-Guests, then truck/reshop, then backstock, then workload... I have to run down the list and fill in the holes. I was slated to do workload but because of a call off I had to ditch workload to backstock in order to keep it all from rolling into the next truck. Contrary to what some people believe it only gets bigger the longer you ignore it. I put up a full flatbed of boxes almost stacked to my shoulder height and two very full tubs worth of boxes the last half of my shift. I did have a couple of TMs for 15 minutes each to toss me the big boxes but I got it done. Mondo respect for our backroom ladies who do this stuff all day, every day.

Here's the problem though... we are behind on workload and the stockroom is getting full of the product we can't get out to the floor to set. So maybe we're keeping up with backstock but I don't know how much longer we can keep ditching workload to put a band-aid on something else. We didn't have this problem before this E2E crap. They really should not be forcing understaffed stores to keep doing this process. -_-

On a side note: You may also be a much higher volume than we are. I'm not exactly sure what ours is but I know it's on the smaller side. We are between HV and ULV... I really need to look that up.

 

[rainy2009]

Is that a common things that sl tm are dumping/hiding reshop on floor?? I've been working at softline for a few months now, it takes a long time to learn where everything is and how to hang, etc, but the most annoying part for me is probably finding reshop hiding behind folded t-shirts.... Or full price put at clearance...The guest picked up the cloth, went to register, not on clearance, being mad & yelling at the cashier...

 

[Ahem]

Is that a common things that sl tm are dumping/hiding reshop on floor?? I've been working at softline for a few months now, it takes a long time to learn where everything is and how to hang, etc, but the most annoying part for me is probably finding reshop hiding behind folded t-shirts.... Or full price put at clearance...The guest picked up the cloth, went to register, not on clearance, being mad & yelling at the cashier...

Guests do that. They pick things up and change their mind and drop them anywhere.

But um, yea new tms sometimes in attempt to not look like they're slow, they plop things down in wrong places so it looks like they're speedy

 

[rainy2009]

Guests do that. They pick things up and change their mind and drop them anywhere.

But um, yea new tms sometimes in attempt to not look like they're slow, they plop things down in wrong places so it looks like they're speedy

While I was still very new here, my coworker who works in the store for years literally told me to put stuff anywhere if I couldn't find the location.... But those infant hardline stuff are expensive, I don't want to get into trouble for it man... Until now there're still tm dumping reshop everywhere, how's the management usually deal with this???

 

[Ahem]

It's not a rampant problem here, so they don't have to deal with it. If I notice a new tm doing that, or I can tell it's a tm on general, I bring up the proper procedures to all the new tms. I let them know that I realize training was subpar and they were thrown in so they don't think I'm out to get them. I'm just trying to help blah blah. Then I give them this schpiel:

Sometimes you have the last item left in a style. In that case, you'd put it behind something similar from the same brand. If you find it later, you just move it to the proper place. It shouldn't be handfuls of items that you are plopping onto tables or clearance when they arent clearance. Sometimes things are missed when clearance gets marked though. If you think something might be clearance, check the price. You can usually tell from that because all prices end in 9 when they're regular and clearance ends in 8s.

With infant hardlines, use the price checkers if you can't get your hands on a zebra (we never can in my store). It'll give you the aisle number and shelf location. It will only give one location though so if you find that something is full within an aisle, you can check end caps as well. If someone asks if a baby hardlines item is in the back, the price checker also vaguely tells you that. It only says yes or no lol, but it's helpful if you're trying to help with something like that and no one wants to bring you a zebra. If it says n/a for the aisle/location, it's not on the plano yet. If an item shows up as item not found, it's either salvage or an online item.

We don't have trainers telling people to do stuff wrong. They just don't tell them anything. Most of our trainers show them how to fold and then just make them fold all day. Or they throw them into reshop with no type of guidance. It's annoying.

 

[isthatathing]

@Jersey856 this is so amazing. Especially when the VMG is just a partial update and you feel like it's such a waste of time to sort thru a binder when you have x amount of racks and carts on the floor from the truck. 70 pogs this week. Etc etc...

 

[RightArm]

http://targetstore.actonservice.com/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/15648/p/p-0050/t/page/fm/0

If you need access to the VMG you can download it anywhere we downloaded it to an iPad for our store..came in handy for us when the new adjacency came out an the VMG didn't arrive yet. Have fun

Yes, we do that too! Makes it easier when you're working alone.

 

[yelyahwoo]

I think a lot of the issue at my store is in terms of training as well. I know when I came in, I basically trained for an hour on fr, processing, and cashier (combined) just by watching the TMs who were doing it and jumping in, no real formal training. I picked it up quickly but only because I'm good at systems and memorizing, but I know that method doesn't work for most people. It's really frustrating seeing new TMs struggle (and ultimately, seeing a lot of them quit) when putting a bit more effort into training them might help us retain more people.

 

[Targetpirate]

I thought I was having problems but listening to all of you I feel so much better, I'm still working 2 weeks out in SL POG's and everything is pushed and backstocked except for the flat of hanging that our VM hid up in the steal and said it was my transition .

 

[RightArm]

I thought I was having problems but listening to all of you I feel so much better, I'm still working 2 weeks out in SL POG's and everything is pushed and backstocked except for the flat of hanging that our VM hid up in the steal and said it was my transition .

I'd say I hate you but really it's not personal... I'm just green with envy.

 

[RightArm]

Dang... SLTM today wearing blue tooth and chatting happily to some unknown person in like this whole "girlfriend..." vibe while she's half-assing truck push. I almost blew a fuse. I hear her yammering while I'm sorting the boxes overloaded on a flat bed into tubs so I can fit them in the backroom to backstock and I look at her and go "what?" and she's like "I'm on the phone".... o.- Finished my backstock then had a chat with her and she gave me this look like "What do you mean that's not ok"........ *sigh* WHERE do they get some of these people. What I wouldn't give for a fully staffed and reliable team with a work ethic. Is that so much to ask? -_-

 

[Doglover89]

WHERE do they get some of these people. What I wouldn't give for a fully staffed and reliable team with a work ethic. Is that so much to ask? -_-

*Hugs @RightArm in a show of solidarity* I almost lost it today. One tm worked 8-12:30. After that it was me and my friend pushing truck. We have a cashier helping in the FR. New tm comes in, friend asks him to please help with the truck. Cashier tells him there is no truck push for him to do. SAY WHAT? My friend and I are actual SL tms, we tell people what to do (no TL on the floor this morning) not a cashier. Oh and then those tms proceed to hang around flirting with each other while I push truck and help guests. Not cool.

 

[Noiinteam]

Dang... SLTM today wearing blue tooth and chatting happily to some unknown person in like this whole "girlfriend..." vibe while she's half-assing truck push. I almost blew a fuse. I hear her yammering while I'm sorting the boxes overloaded on a flat bed into tubs so I can fit them in the backroom to backstock and I look at her and go "what?" and she's like "I'm on the phone".... o.- Finished my backstock then had a chat with her and she gave me this look like "What do you mean that's not ok"........ *sigh* WHERE do they get some of these people. What I wouldn't give for a fully staffed and reliable team with a work ethic. Is that so much to ask? -_-

Yes yes it is

 

[RightArm]

*Hugs @RightArm in a show of solidarity* I almost lost it today. One tm worked 8-12:30. After that it was me and my friend pushing truck. We have a cashier helping in the FR. New tm comes in, friend asks him to please help with the truck. Cashier tells him there is no truck push for him to do. SAY WHAT? My friend and I are actual SL tms, we tell people what to do (no TL on the floor this morning) not a cashier. Oh and then those tms proceed to hang around flirting with each other while I push truck and help guests. Not cool.

If it weren't for the fact that you're basically me in your store, I'd think we were in the same store. But there's only one of me here. -_- *hugs* back.

 

[Doglover89]

If it weren't for the fact that you're basically me in your store, I'd think we were in the same store. But there's only one of me here. -_- *hugs* back.

I wish you and all the other SL tms on here could come to my store. We have literally nobody and the people we do have...yeah.

 

[RightArm]

I wish you and all the other SL tms on here could come to my store. We have literally nobody and the people we do have...yeah.

Same... we have a few good ones but mostly.... blah... keep hoping it will change with time as we get more new people in.

 

[AmICrazy]

Anyone else, especially someone from R100 (Joe's region) running out of space both on the floor and also in the backroom for product?
We have very little room left for the hanging product, especially in the stockroom, due to having to follow Joe's rules (just recently moved from R200 to R100). A few years back our PMT started taking down some of the fixtures that we used for hanging backstock (back when someone else wanted most if not all of the product to the floor) and he just had to order these parts via SAP (except pipe that he will have to source locally). We are also running out of room for folded product/accessories/basics in our backroom, as can only have 2 of each size on a table or convertible. Sounds like my ETL is going to create some more WACO locations, but until then he has said it is okay to backstock more than 3 DPCIs per location.

In addition, we are running into problems when setting POGs and pulling for them, as the shelf capacities don't match Joe's standards (2 of each size). This, in turn, means we either spend lots of time updating these capacities or have auto-fills that where the system requests, as many as 20 of an item.

Our store also runs into problems trying to set some VMGs, especially accessories, as there is never a block flow that matches our store's layout and fixture count. I used to hate the VAs for accessories, as it called for us to use a certain block-flow that did not even closely match our store. Nothing in the VA really matched for that matter.

We are running out of room for clearance, as well. If we work it all out then we have lots of non-clearance product to find a place for.

Lastly, while hardlines is not perfect, HQ most generally is able to only send enough POGs to fit the fixtures we really have (I know someone will correct me on this). It seems like we get product, POGs, and VMGs just as if we were a larger high volume store. My store is one of smallest GM stores out there (not Pfresh, as they could shoehorn it into our store). Anyone want me to transfer them a butload of merchandise?

 

[AmICrazy]

Oh, um no. Our DTL wants no more than two size of ANY item on our floorpad.

Yep, the R100 VP Joe only wants 2 of each size on the floor. Was told the other day that we could 3 size mediums, as they fill that is most popular size. Also, Joes doesn't want any of the arms on racks pulled, although was just told we could do this for outerwear.

 

[sprinklesontop]

If it makes you feel any better, it's not just R100, or R200 or R300...... I have pals in all Regions. It's the same everywhere. Our backroom is so full we could open another A&A department. We waste our face-to-face time w/ our Guests backstocking and purging. Following the VMG "exactly" is too rigid. It's too "black & white". Before, when we used VMG as a "guide"; we were able to be more flexible w/ our own merchandise; on our own floorpad; catering to our own Guests; in our own demographic. And...... we were still able to have a Brand- shoppable environment (BASICS).
I can only assume, once our business $$ drop (because "you can't sell it if it's not on the floor"), we'll get the "okay" to start merchandising again.

 

[Jersey856]

We stopped following the 2 of each size for 4th quarter ..all the sales that are going to happen our etl doesn't want to miss a sale plus with all the clothes coming in we can't backstock anymore of folded or hanging its way to much . so for the time being we extended our bars and have excess sizes on the floor.

 

[DialMforMonkey]

2 per size is unrealistic. I can understand if you have something bulky like sweaters. Everytime we get a walk my opp is to lighten the volume a little bit more on the floor. I give them some pushback especially now that its 4th Q and we're all drowning in pj's/onesies.

I'm trying to set a precedent where the hurdles have no more then 2 sizes, but we sell enough where it warrants having 3-4 per size and after years of being trained to have "full and impactful" on the floor it's tough.

Idk how you guys have your backroom, but what I did was take out shelves and run metal pipes along one of the aisles. This allows me to have all of rtw/juniors backstock in an aisle, while I utilize the ends of the aisles in the br for BGI. Not sure if that helps anyone.

 

[SFSFun]

I would be ok with two per size if there was a plan in place to consistently work out the hanging backstock.

Idk how you guys have your backroom, but what I did was take out shelves and run metal pipes along one of the aisles. This allows me to have all of rtw/juniors backstock in an aisle, while I utilize the ends of the aisles in the br for BGI. Not sure if that helps anyone.

That sounds awesome! Must be nice to have so much space available that you can do that.

 

[RightArm]

R200 and yes, we're buried in product too. We have used every monkey hook we own and seriously need to order/buy more.

 

[Doglover89]

Idk how you guys have your backroom, but what I did was take out shelves and run metal pipes along one of the aisles. This allows me to have all of rtw/juniors backstock in an aisle, while I utilize the ends of the aisles in the br for BGI. Not sure if that helps anyone.

We did this as well, but still do not have enough room for all the backstock.