Archived Instocks
- Thread starter mv3981
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run
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Have a PDA & a good trainer for starters. Then, grab a walkie.
IhaveaDream
Punching Bag
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If ya dunno wut to do let them know that.
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If the store is anything like mine, you're going to get maaaaybe one of those. And it'll probably be the PDA after you spend ten minutes trying to beg, borrow and steal one. I'd find out if this is a "hey so we really need an extra hand on instocks for a shift or two" or a "so we're going to put you on the schedule for instocks" so that if you do take the offer, you know if you need the Cliff Notes or the actual training.
Instocks is a slow and tedious job if you're doing it right. Looking for items, counting items, cursing the TMs who don't know how to properly push or zone, dealing with guests. Possibly having to carry a printer and flex d-code. Can't go into too much detail since I don't know what your store's instocks process is (there's like 2 or 3 different ways of doing it now I think?). Some tips though, based on what I've learned from a year of fumbling around in instocks (my training was pretty much a shift of "here's a beepy machine, scan what it tells you to" and countless "hey so you screwed this up..."):
-Standalone Research app changes item counts for the whole store. Sometimes it asks for the POG label but otherwise you're zeroing out the whole floor or something. Hope you don't have to use it.
-Standalone OUTs doesn't change item counts. It probably does something else though.
-If your store makes rainchecks and substitutions, make them when the PDA tells you to. Otherwise instocks' scores get hit and bosses get grumpy.
-Ask questions. If you do this, try to scan with an instocks person.
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Aren't AP, ETL Logistics or the Instocks TL the only ones who are supposed to do that? Or so I've heard at my store from my TL, even as he kept letting another instocks TM work on it because he always had done it. Until that guy got transferred away from instocks; now I don't know whose doing it and I don't really care.
APredux
APTL
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Varies from store to store. For example, my store doesn't have a dedicated Instocks TL. We do have a TL that covers Instocks, but he also covers Backroom and Flow, so he has a lot on his plate. The three regular Instocks TM's do the drastic count report.
And although I've heard of AP doing it, we shouldn't. And I'm not saying that to pass the buck. Because AP actually has a separate drastic counts audit report that we do have to complete every week, and if we are doing both the regular drastic count report and our drastic count audit report, well it completely defeats the purpose of the system (which is that AP is "auditing" whoever does the actual report). Like a lot of things that are not AP-only, drastic counts are something that AP is supposed to influence, not own.
Ringwraith917
Professional Badass
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The "instocks team" is about to be over & done with. Read up on Project Viper. Every backroom & sales floor team member will need to know how to work their instocks tasks. So now is a good time to learn.
Instocks is physically easier than just about anything else in the store. But it will make you think your fellow TMs are idiots & will frustrate you to no end. One 4 hour shift should be a breeze though.
Instocks is physically easier than just about anything else in the store. But it will make you think your fellow TMs are idiots & will frustrate you to no end. One 4 hour shift should be a breeze though.
Stocker
Old Team Member
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Like all the answers above. I mainly work Instocks so yes it can be very tedious depending on the day. If you have never done Instocks before hopefully you are working with someone that normally does...it will make the day much easier. If you are scanning outs it is fairly easy just need to scan new outs. Research is a bit more complicated since you need to scan ALL outs and grey dots plus critical lows and it takes longer since you are actually changing counts on items. Also please make sure to check 2nd locations. The HBA area of your store will take the longest to scan usually. Hmm how many stores are using the new Out of Stock stick on pads instead of the old rainchecks. Just started at my store. Not sure if guests like them but definitely makes things faster instead of tying 20 rainchecks to an aisle.
Ringwraith917
Professional Badass
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We use them at my store.
Ringwraith917
Professional Badass
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There is supposed to be a raincheck pad in every spill station now. Write on the raincheck pad the following: the DPCI of the sub item, the word "SUB" and either the percentage off of the sale item or the new price of the sub item.
"SUB 15%
249 76 1111"
"SUB 9.99
249 76 1111"
RunForACallBox
General Merchandise Expert (Stationery)
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I went through myself and put them in all spill stations. Wether anyone besides myself will remember they are in there when needed, I don't know, but I announced it at our huddle so, I did my part.
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Everyone thinks instocks is easy and it should be if everyone else did what they are supposed to do. You have to develop a sixth sense. Whenever I go to a item location I'm looking up, down, left and right. I'm looking for legit dual locations where one location maybe full and the other completely empty where you'd then evenly distribute product across both locations. I'm also looking for a single location that a TM may have over pushed onto an adjoining location which would cover an legit out. You're gonna have to think like a flow team member. "Not all this product will go out so where is some empty shelf space I can stick the rest?" Once you start to recognize when things are out of place, scan the product and verify it against the shelf tag. Anybody can scan an out when nothing is on the shelf but IMO the job is finding those hidden outs.
Ringwraith917
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Lol @jenna that reminds me of once, at a huddle, an instocks TM at my store told a group of new hires "I hope you can read cause the people already here can't" or something to that effect. She got coached. But we all think the same thing multiple times a day. She doesn't work at Target anymore btw.
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reading is not a requirement for a job at Target only a basic understanding of the english language, to include things like numbers but being able to actual use those numbers is not required.
Ringwraith917
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There is a prize. Not having to backstock it. [Especially pertaining to the flow team, where they get audited on backstock they send back, to make sure it won't go out, but not on the aisles they worked to make sure it was pushed correctly. I watched a flow team member put a stack of orange towels in a location clearly meant for green towels, considering there are green bath sheets above and green hand towels, washcloths, and bath rugs below. I as a lowly instocks TM walked with the ETL for receiving and called out 3 different TMs stocking "by sight," not to POG. And that was just between 6 aisles in domestics. I always felt that the flow team is pushed too hard to meet time goals and not hard enough to meet accuracy goals. I have had some conversations with leadership at my store where I struggled to maintain professionalism because it's so hard to see why they can't just do the f&@*#% job right the first time. That a good accurate zone is second only to great guest service.
I'm kind of glad for the end of the instocks team.
/rant]
TL;DR: Instocks will drive you crazy
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We just had a visit where the bigwig(i was off that day) said to toss out all the R/C pads since they were not needed anymore. So this is a cluster just like every other roll out. Directly contradicts best practice.
To the OP, if you are just helping out, just try to fill empty spots, pull what you are sure of and pass on what you are not. Scan the product not the label, when it asks you to count a specific item. Pull down obvious overstock and safety issues(stacked way to high on a top shelf). And remember you are the whipping post for everyone in the store cause its our fault or they don't have to care cause they know In-Stocks will fix it.
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I know, but we are getting mighty testy about it.
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I was wondering what we were supposed to do with the two boxes of rainchecks we still have. We're also out of grey dots and no idea when more will arrive. No worries though we have plenty of green and red stickers for...whatever they're for.
Instocks is such a mess sometimes. I spent my shift pushing autos instead of scanning, as per the ETL-Logistics orders.
Instocks is such a mess sometimes. I spent my shift pushing autos instead of scanning, as per the ETL-Logistics orders.
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