Archived Hardly any training?

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hrdlnz said:
I was hired as summer seasonal earlier this year and I was barely trained. I spent a lot of time crying in TSC because I felt lost and helpless and I though I was alone in this, that I had just been given a trainer that didn't care.

But these last few weeks with all the winter seasonal TMs starting I've realized it's a much bigger problem. I work during the hours training would typically happen in my store and I have not seen any training happen. I've been the only hardlines TM for awhile now but now there are a handful of seasonals, and they know how to do nothing. I try my best to teach them as much as I can but I'm not a trainer and honestly there are still some things I'm not great at. I don't get why we even hire all these TMs if they aren't even trained to help guests. Anyway, my best advice is don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't only rely on your LOD for help. If you're even slightly unsure of something, ask for help over the walkie. It's better to ask and do it right than try to figure something out and do it wrong.
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Definitely. I'm new, and I've been helping the new hires just letting them know what I wish I would have known before being thrown to the wolves.
 
Wyzard said:
Hi there GlitterBerries. I was just hired two weeks ago at Target and also feel like you. About 20 of us all were interviewed and hired the same day. In fact, we all oriented too. We watched about an hour or two of videos and computer answer question things and then we were on the sales floor. The second day, I was trained for 10 minutes on cashier and then put on as cashier with a TM walking around to each register greeting the guests but who also was there to help newbies with questions. It was easy but also hard because I didn't know the structure of the register and kept getting stumped. Also, I hated that people were in hurry to get through the line with their groceries and here I am a slow newbie. In any case, it's a challenge and this is how the retail industry can be. It's sink or swim, but I know I'll get it in no time. The cool thing is that there is always something new to learn, no matter how long someone has been there. They also look at me funny as if I'm supposed to know certain things, but I ignore it and move on as I've got a purpose for why I'm working there in the first place. It's their lack of emotional IQ and professional communication skills, which if they don't work to improve will only cost them in job promotions, friendships and ultimately self-respect.
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I'm totally fine and learning it along the way I just don't like getting screamed at over a walkie when I'm asking for help on trying to do what they're screaming about. If you're not gonna train people don't yell when they don't know is all im saying lol. That's why I'm telling all the hires after me how to do things I wish I knew. I don't want them to have to deal with that like I did.
 
redeye58 said:
Geez......all these poor kids left to sink or swim.
*shakes head while assembling training packets
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All our training packets consisted of were the laws for selling alcohol, how to respond to a guest and a benefits package. Oh wait the history of target too.
 
GlitterBerries said:
All our training packets consisted of were the laws for selling alcohol, how to respond to a guest and a benefits package. Oh wait the history of target too.
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I never even got a packet or any paperwork, and I was hired last summer as a permanent hire. Honestly didn't know such a thing existed.
 
enaidyl said:
Our store apparently doesn't have a problem with this. I got about 18 hours, spread over two weeks, of shadow training before they let me loose on my own. Almost seemed like over kill.
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That's bizarre. 4 hour shift, quizzes on the computer, read the book, shadow someone, they shadow you. Second shift you're on your own.
 
When I cross trained to Salesfloor, all I got was the a brief bring everything to the diamonds, how to fold towels, and when in doubt use LOC. Training done.
 
Thankfully, our other TMs have been through this already so we tend to look after the newbies. We know what it's like to be thrown in the deep end of the pool. I've been with Spot for over 2 years and I still cannot get those silly call boxes to work. I hit# and then get a funny noise. I dial the number and half of the time nothing happens. As far as call boxes going off, I work the phones at the Fitting Room sometimes. The call box will ring directly to the phone rather than go off on the overhead. We, then, have to call out for somebody to go over and respond. The problem is that half the time, we don't have a walkie.

My biggest gripe is being assigned a pull or reshop in an area you don't know too well without a device of any kind. I was in toys yesterday and told I could just use the price scanner for guests. So, in about 75% of the cases, I would unpack a box, run over to the scanner to figure out where the item went, run to that aisle, then run back and unpack another box, repeat cycle. I could have finished in half the time with a mydevice. Whenever this happens, my ETL will come on the walkie wanting to know how far along I am. When that happens once, it's no big deal. But when you repeatedly hear "doxiemama, have you finished your pull yet?", it starts to get awkward because everybody on the walkie thinks you're a slouch or you're an idiot.
 
buliSBI said:
how to fold towels
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Wow...nobody ever showed me how to do that. The very first time I zoned, I was given the towels to do and it took me a while to figure it out. Why can't we fold towels like normal people? Target's way is counter intuitive. Of course, I was also being supervised by a trainer who thought it was very amusing to keep pushing me to line up everything even with the diamonds - over and over again. I didn't learn until much later that my store management was willing to sacrifice that level of perfection for speed. These days, it's all about the speed. Too often, SL zoners are told to only worry about the folding tables and the quads that are immediately on the aisles. The rest goes ignored.
 
Yeah we didn't even do any quizzes or anything at orientation so when I say we didn't really get training or anything in a packet I'm not kidding around lol. Im training myself basically same with all the other new hires and when we ask stuff we get the "you have been here a few weeks" response it's like well yeah but in the few weeks this was never talked about. And yes it's hard to do pulls without a device for an area you have no idea about. I'll use my phone sometimes just to find the aisle it's in but I'm not gonna blow through my data because they don't have enough devices. If it takes me awhile it's going to take me awhile. At least I'm putting stuff where it goes and not throwing it on a random shelf like alot do because they don't get help.
 
I totally understand it's a crazy time of year and stuff needs to get done fast but it's counterproductive to scream at and get frustrated with the newbies when we are trying hard to wing it so To speak Is all I've been saying. It would be like me yelling at a kid for not being able to tie her shoes when I never taught her how. People that have been trained can't fathom how it's hard to figure out but y'all have been doing this for months years etc.
 
Reading about some of the experiences here is interesting.. Some people with computer training and paperwork, some people being told "Here's a walkie and device, good luck!" and me here in the middle, my only training being a few hours of cashier practice and one shift of shadowing a Hardlines TM. You'd think that they wouk have some form a standardized training that's actually used.
 
HardlinesGuy said:
Reading about some of the experiences here is interesting.. Some people with computer training and paperwork, some people being told "Here's a walkie and device, good luck!" and me here in the middle, my only training being a few hours of cashier practice and one shift of shadowing a Hardlines TM. You'd think that they wouk have some form a standardized training that's actually used.
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Exactly I figured there would have been but not really from what I'm seeing.
 
Hardlinesmaster said:
Look at the white label on the box it usually tells where the item goes to.
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We get that you know things and were trained you really don't need to be condescending. We aren't idiots. This post was simply to ask if anyone else felt like they were thrown overboard without a lot of training. Yes there are ways to figure out where things go. It's not rocket science. Again the point of the post was it's counterproductive to yell at people who are trying to help you at work when they don't know things because they were never taught.
 
I was informing you of option to avoid going to the price checker, that you may not be aware of.
Lack of training is a common problem at spot. This forum has answers to most questions on how to do your job. Please take a look under guides.
 
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doxiemama said:
As far as call boxes going off, I work the phones at the Fitting Room sometimes. The call box will ring directly to the phone rather than go off on the overhead. We, then, have to call out for somebody to go over and respond. The problem is that half the time, we don't have a walkie.
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When the call box rings to the phone, that means either there is a guest waiting to talk to someone or s kid playing with the phone. When you hear the operator lady voice when you answer the phone, hit zero to actually talk to the guest. Then you can either answer their question or tell them you will send over a tm.

I am trying to get our operators to do this, but there are days it feels like a lost cause.
 
GlitterBerries said:
We get that you know things and were trained you really don't need to be condescending. We aren't idiots. This post was simply to ask if anyone else felt like they were thrown overboard without a lot of training. Yes there are ways to figure out where things go. It's not rocket science. Again the point of the post was it's counterproductive to yell at people who are trying to help you at work when they don't know things because they were never taught.
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He wasn't trying to be condescending. He was referring to Pick labels, which are usually on larger items, that have information on them that have a lot of information that could help you find where it goes without a myDevice.
 
Firefox said:
He wasn't trying to be condescending. He was referring to Pick labels, which are usually on larger items, that have information on them that have a lot of information that could help you find where it goes without a myDevice.
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Couldnt tell, he's made a few comments where it looks like he's being condescending. Sorry
 
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Retail Girl said:
When the call box rings to the phone, that means either there is a guest waiting to talk to someone or s kid playing with the phone. When you hear the operator lady voice when you answer the phone, hit zero to actually talk to the guest. Then you can either answer their question or tell them you will send over a tm.

I am trying to get our operators to do this, but there are days it feels like a lost cause.
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Yeah we are supposed to dial # and then whatever number they put it on. Everytime I try it doesn't work
 
GlitterBerries said:
Yeah we are supposed to dial # and then whatever number they put it on. Everytime I try it doesn't work
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I'm talking about something different here, actually. That was in response to when a guest is standing at the call box trying to call the operator.
 
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