Archived Looking for a bit of Advice

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I'm actually a little new to the forums and actually found this place almost by accident. But going through some of the forums here, I'd say I found a good place to discuss work related issues and actually hopefully give me some help to do better at my job.

That being said, I have a bit of a situation that I want to know how I may do something about.

I've been working at my current location for about seven months. I am currently going through a bit of a situation that I'm wondering if I can get any actual advice on. Mostly how to do better. But first a bit of background:

I started working at my store and have been a part of the Sales Floor team while also knowing cashiering. My concerns come with cross training, which seems to be something that is near impossible for me (it seems to be... just me) to do at my store. This began with actually just asking about Electronics. And the only reason I even asked about that in the first place was because my Sales Floor ETL was putting me there from time to time. Especially during the time that one of the the employees was actually gone. About a week or so after this I began to get much interested. Since then, I asked my ETL about going through the official training. To which I was immediately disbarred from actually working back there again on account of "not being trained." I thought that was odd considering at this point, they'd had no qualms putting me there, but now it seems I'm not allowed. Yet I am still allowed to cover breaks and be called in should someone not show. Yet I'm not allowed to be scheduled there (ironically enough, the very next day after I was told this I was immediately called to cover someone's shift).

Upon asking what I could do I was basically told I must do an interview. Unfortunately none of my ETLs seem to be that interested in helping me get to that point. This is only the first time. I have asked about instocks, backroom, Guest Services and each time my ETLs either give me the reply of "We'll see..." or I received no actual feedback at all. This was in September. So I continued to work Sales Floor without any questions.

Recently I went and asked again, only this time I was told that the reason I was not given the training was because I don't zone fast enough. This struck me as odd because, once again, it did not explain why they were more than willing to let me work in Electronics and be open to letting me work elsewhere BEFORE I actually asked. I can definitely pick up the pace when it comes to zoning, but I still find it very strange that suddenly my wanting to be cross trained became an issue when before I was simply put in an area. Now that I actively ask there's an issue with it where as before when I didn't ask they were okay sticking me whereever they needed someone.

I have been to HR and was told that I do not zone fast enough, which I said I could work on. However, it found it odd that I was never actually given any feedback by my TLs or ETLs in the first place.

It does not end there. I have watched as new people and seasonal workers have come in over the past few months and weeks who have found themselves cross trained and able to help out more after just being there for mere weeks. A fellow co-worker was crossed trained in almost every morning activity there despite only being there for three weeks. Another is already a team trainer after just a month. Neither one asked for these things (the team trainer had specifically asked NOT to be a team trainer) and yet they were just handed to these employees despite being there for such a short time. After six months I feel as though I have been treated just a little unfairly in pursuing more opportunities.

Am I doing something wrong?

What can I do to remedy the situation?

Most importantly, how can I be cross trained in other areas if it seems as though the TLs and ETLs are keeping me down or giving me the run around? I get no feedback whenever I ask now and everyone else around me is moving ahead without even inquiring. I do not understand what it is I did wrong.
 
welcome! challegene yourself for starters. try multi task & get your zone & reshop before the store closes. then, answer walkie quickly for questions about your area, you are zoning in. it realty cool when you beat the tl's or etl's to answer every day. i have a night tm who is great at this & has correct answer without a pda about items in the store. approach, ask, & help guests.

to help you speed up on zoning or getting notice is:
1. when pushing cafs/pulls, zone quickly that shelve or one 4 ft section you are restocking in.
2. do the same thing when reshoping too. it helps the team too.
3. drive sales, know your items locations & take the guest there.

doing all this could lead you to better things. spot numbers are not our friends. sales, product knowledge, & ge are important for electronics.

by the way, how many Extended service plans(esp) or red cards did you get this past weekend? honest answer, please.
 
I have not been placed in Electronics in quite some time. Or any other section on the Sales Floor. Like I said, once I actually asked about getting more knowledge back in September they simply pulled me from there all together and haven't really wanted to put me back. I have worked only two shifts since, and only because the electronics team member called out and I happened to be the only one in the building that knew the area. So this past weekend I did not get any ESPs or Redcards. I was not at a register to do so. I could only talk to guests about these things. Ever since I simply asked about gaining more knowledge to be able to help more they have pretty much kept me from working electronics. There was no reason actually given until I asked just yesterday. But this was well after they pulled me from there as it is. And back then my zoning was never brought up as an issue.

So I can't give you an answer for the ESP or Redcards. I was scheduled on Black Friday, but not at a register. I was on the Sales Floor doing pulls all day and assisting guest. On Saturday I was not scheduled on account of I had reached forty hours. I was also not scheduled on Sunday.
 
when helping guests on the floor, essecially on big stuff. if your big chance to ring them up & get that card or esp. be proactive.
 
How's your attitude? Super positive to the point of people in other parts of your life wondering who the heck you are?

I had this issue as well....sort of. They were giving me accolades right and left when I first started as a cashier....dragged into the ETL's office every so often with promises of a better life. But then, I kept getting the run around on cross-training. Everyone kept telling me 90 days, which was crap, because no one else who orientated with or after me had to wait nearly that long.

I finally got "aggressive." They gave me the spiel of "we are thinking about training you for GS." So I went that day and asked for a GS training manual. They also knew I wanted to train in hard lines, were positive about it, but were dragging their feet. But at this time of year, my store can't give the hours away, we have so many. So one night, after my regular shift, I asked the SrTL if I could help out in hard lines for the night. He agreed to let me stay two extra hours. I asked the LOD a bit later how long I could stay, and she let me close. Boom! Trained and likely scheduled there in a couple of weeks on both of those.

For me, I took the opportunities right on the spot when they came up and there was time and they couldn't put it off or come up with any other reason to say no. Of course for you, there may be other, underlying issues.
 
You write good and show you have some intelligence, so I'm going to say the reason isn't that you're an immature teen who just wants to work in electronics (we all know the type). There's some reason they don't want you back there but without knowing you or working with you I can't tell what it is. Are you too talkative? Do you have a tendency to hang out at the boat? Do you balance tasks and guest service? Take Retail Girl's advice, offer to stay when there's a call out or when they need an extra hand closing. One last thing though, do not pester them every 5 minutes about it. That gets old and annoying real fast, there are lot's of times we want to cross train people or move them to different work centers but due to things we can't control it has to wait.
 
One last thing though, do not pester them every 5 minutes about it. That gets old and annoying real fast,

Be proactive, but not obnoxious.

there are lot's of times we want to cross train people or move them to different work centers but due to things we can't control it has to wait.

Like a lack of hours. My store kept pulling that **** with me for about 9 months before they finally gave me a learning plan for hardlines.
 
Speak to a Hardlines TL! Let them know you're open to learning news areas and ask them for advice!
 
The way I finally got my guest service training done was to pick-up a shift there.

Over a few months I had a GSTL & a GSA who were letting me spend time at GS to learn things...especially on mornings when there weren't many guests in the store. I got to be pretty good at being at GS. I kept asking about getting trained and kept getting no real answer....so one time when I saw a GS shift on the swap sheet I signed-up for it. When I had the LOD approve it, I did point out that I hadn't worked at GS before. Well...wouldn't you know....before my shift came up they got a few hours to train me and they got my learning plan.....and now I'm over at GS scheduled on a regular basis.

Sometimes you've got to be a little sneaky about getting trained. I was lucky and was able to take advantage of the whole situation.
 
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