Archived Help from experienced electronics team members! Especially Electronics TLs!

Status
Not open for further replies.

TronixRockstar

Elec/MMB Trainer
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Messages
30
I've worked for target for more than 3 years and am the trainer in electronics/MMB. If the Elec Specialist position were still a thing, that would be my title. I'm sure you all have noticed the increase pressure in AAR and ESPs. While Red cards can be tracked electronically, our AAR isn't. We individuay write down our AAR on a daily sheet and a weekly individual sheet. Individual performance is sent throughout our district to each electronic TL. And this is where my problem stems from.

An electronics team member has been less than honest about his numbers for 6 months to a year. He only writes down core items that he gets attachments on, but omits the cores without attachments. He is always like 250% each week according to the AAR sheets. Unfortunately, he does usually well and gets ESPs, but he isn't nearly as good as he looks on paper. He is also useless in every other way: doesn't do pulls, receipt scanning, any projects, etc. I've talked to my TL about this 5+ times, sat down with the Hardlines ETL about it, and at first they said it would be dealt with soon. Never happened. The problem is babysitting him to see when he does it. I witnessed him do it again twice the other day. I told my TL about it, his response was to just "let him cheat until he dies." (He's fairly old).

He gets sooo much recognition from the STL and other leaders, and gets special treatment. He was able to get out of a Saturday shift without finding a replacement, because he had a birthday party to go to. He gets the most hours and the morning shifts, he takes hour long lunches and half hour long fifteens without consequences, and doesn't even zone when he closes. The tipping point was today, I saw that they are sending him a gift and and thank you note to his house for his AAR performance. And our raises are based on our self reported AAR numbers. The rest of the electronics team feel devalued and demotivated.

Opinions? Thoughts? We have lost several excellent team members because of him, and nothing is getting done. I'm ready to call the hotline, due to this and a few other issues.
 
Don't call the hotline. Ck the arr numbers on workbench for the last 2 weeks. Start documents all events. Notepad on a smartphone is really good for that. Stay focus on ge, sales, cafs, etc.
Don't give up, spot will catch up with the tm.
 
Opinions? Thoughts? We have lost several excellent team members because of him, and nothing is getting done. I'm ready to call the hotline, due to this and a few other issues.

Another TBR post that sounds exactly like my store. Yikes.
 
It's something you run into every once in a while, not much anymore at Target since they've worked really hard at getting rid of the hard core old timers, but you get someone who has been around so long that they know how to game the system and get away with doing the absolute minimum.
At the same time they use their age and peoples tendency to respect it, as a tool to get what they want.
When you complain or push back you just look mean.
Usually it takes a regime change to get fresh eyes on the situation before something will get done.
The thing is people like this were probably sliding by when they young too, they just had different scams.
 
It's something you run into every once in a while, not much anymore at Target since they've worked really hard at getting rid of the hard core old timers, but you get someone who has been around so long that they know how to game the system and get away with doing the absolute minimum.
At the same time they use their age and peoples tendency to respect it, as a tool to get what they want.
When you complain or push back you just look mean.
Usually it takes a regime change to get fresh eyes on the situation before something will get done.
The thing is people like this were probably sliding by when they young too, they just had different scams.

Well, the thing that sucks is that I have worked there 2 years longer than he has. He's a pathological liar who has everyone feel bad for him, because he milks any little thing into a huge tragedy. I just don't think I can continue working with him if leadership will reward his laziness and fraudulent behaviors. :(
 
Well, the thing that sucks is that I have worked there 2 years longer than he has. He's a pathological liar who has everyone feel bad for him, because he milks any little thing into a huge tragedy. I just don't think I can continue working with him if leadership will reward his laziness and fraudulent behaviors.

My mom raised me to respect my elders but I always remember going to her one day and complaining about the rather disgusting behavior of one grownup.
How was I supposed to respect someone who called me a girl and a queer, I asked.
"I never told you to respect assholes, no matter what their age." she said.
The man is a TM who isn't doing his job, treat him as such, keep pushing him and reporting him if necessary.
Don't let him get to you.
 
Last edited:
Well, the thing that sucks is that I have worked there 2 years longer than he has. He's a pathological liar who has everyone feel bad for him, because he milks any little thing into a huge tragedy. I just don't think I can continue working with him if leadership will reward his laziness and fraudulent behaviors.

My mom raised me to respect my elders but I always remember going to her one day and complaining about the rather disgusting behavior of one grownup.
How was I supposed to respect someone who called me a girl and a queer, I asked.
"I never told you to assholes, no matter what their age." she said.
The man is a TM who isn't doing his job, treat him as such, keep pushing him and reporting him if necessary.
Don't let him get to you.

That's actually nice to hear. Funnily enough, I am the only female and the only lgbt in electronics, but he makes so creepy comments to me. Like how I would look so good in tall high heels and if he wasn't married, he would take me out on a date. Gag. Not only is he like 30 years older but also, it's no secret that I play on a different team. He's just makes me uncomfortable and frustrated.
 
That's actually nice to hear. Funnily enough, I am the only female and the only lgbt in electronics, but he makes so creepy comments to me.
Like how I would look so good in tall high heels and if he wasn't married, he would take me out on a date.
Gag. Not only is he like 30 years older but also, it's no secret that I play on a different team. He's just makes me uncomfortable and frustrated.

If he is hitting on you and making you feel uncomfortable on a regular basis that puts things on another level all together.
You will want to write everything down and bring it to the attention of your HR ETL.
That kind of consistent unwanted attention is unacceptable.
My youngest daughter plays softball too, and had a boss who had a serious crush on her, until he saw the gun in her purse.
 
Last edited:
Your attachment scores should be tracked.

My former store made a binder for attachments. It had all the specifics on the core items and exactly would qualify for an attachment. Then it had list for what core item the guest purchased and what the attachment was.

Always engage the guest for attachments. Find out what they are wanting, and steer them into the attachments. If they are wanting a TV, suggest a wall mount or HDMI cable. Xbox suggest an extra controller or game. Don't be pushy but just get them to re-think their purchase.

I would just document everything this TM is doing, and forward it to your TL and ETL-HL. No need to take to the Hotline.
 
Your attachment scores should be tracked.

My former store made a binder for attachments. It had all the specifics on the core items and exactly would qualify for an attachment. Then it had list for what core item the guest purchased and what the attachment was.

Always engage the guest for attachments. Find out what they are wanting, and steer them into the attachments. If they are wanting a TV, suggest a wall mount or HDMI cable. Xbox suggest an extra controller or game. Don't be pushy but just get them to re-think their purchase.

I would just document everything this TM is doing, and forward it to your TL and ETL-HL. No need to take to the Hotline.

As stated, I have talked to them both, TL 5 plus times and once to ETL of Hardlines in a formal sitdown. Also, thanks for the tips on AAR, but I know what I am doing in electronics-thanks. And yes, also as stated, we also track our AAR ourselves.

The point is, I have talked to them both about a serious INTEGRITY problem and have done nothing for close to a year. He is now getting monetarily rewarded for bring a fraud. I think that the next reasonable step is the hotline. This guy is a multitude of layered issues and is toxic to the department.
 
Either one they are making their case against the TM. Which in Target speed is...taking forever. Or they are going with the flow because this TM is making the store look great. So if this TM is buddy buddy with the TL and management, trying to further make your case can make you look disgruntled.

The problem with going Hotline is that you already identified yourself to your ETL and TL about the problem. Any escalation such as calling the Hotline will more than likely be traced back to you even if make an anonymous complaint is made.

I would suggest continuing to document anything that looks suspicious and against policy. Document only stuff you witness yourself. Don't make any assumptions or take any other TM's word. If you have other TMs that are on your side, get them to do the same.
 
Okay all I saw was that she said she was lgbt and then you said "my daughter plays softball too".
 
So if I'm understanding this correctly, he is not writing down all the transactions, including transactions without attachments? That is quite a small issue to be worried about. It's on your TL for not enforcing the policy of writing down all attachments. I wouldn't worry so much.

Calling Integrity won't do anything, it'll be forwarded on to your ETL hr and STL. You've already talked to both of them.
 
Okay all I saw was that she said she was lgbt and then you said "my daughter plays softball too".

I could be reaching, but are you familiar with the expression "batting for the other team"?
 
Yes and also Bostonians saying "batting for the Yankees". Not sure what that has to do with this. I realize that many college softball players are lesbians, just not something I had heard before.
 
I was being overly cute, wasn't really supposed to be an issue.
But yea, my kiddo is gay and a hell of a softball player.
Sorry if I was confusing.
 
Yes and also Bostonians saying "batting for the Yankees". Not sure what that has to do with this. I realize that many college softball players are lesbians, just not something I had heard before.

Ouch. That's homophobic. Red Sox fans hate the Yankees. I'm a Red Sox fan and I've lived in New England and I've actually never heard that expression before. I'm sure fans in other cities have been known to have their own version of this saying.
 
This Thread sure took a interesting turn...


Anyhow, Commie I really do admire you as a parent, being supportive of your Daughter. I sure wish, my parents could have been...
 
I think it was the Real World Seattle. They had those two guys from Boston that knew each other.
 
This sorta fits in this thread I think but is there anywhere that I can grab a complete list by Dept or is there a specific list of which departments will attach to which core items? Our aar binder still won't update to reflect gps and portable dvd players not being tracked anymore and workbench still has a dated list, thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer, I'm writing my first Status as a TM being developed for TL and I want to be able to train the team better, thanks again all!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top