Archived Mini Rant

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lifewithtarget

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So yesterday was just an awful day. I asked for cart attendant shifts which I spoke about on another thread and I just now begun my shifts.

I get there at 12 and it's busy due to Easter Weekend, so I go out and start grabbing carts. Throughout my entire shift, all I seem to get was a bigger target on my back. I found myself falling behind because I was covering a 15 minute break at Guest Service for an hour and the GSTL never came back to let me go. He finally asked me to wrap it up when there's no carts in the store so of course I fell behind and everytime I came back in, I felt like an LOD was glaring me down or my GSTL says "Having trouble keeping up?"

It irritated me and I almost exploded before my shift was over. I realize that it is busy and I am out here grabbing carts as fast as I can. But, you fail to acknowledge that the cart pusher was in the middle of where the carts go in the front of the store and you never bothered to move it for me considering I told them I don't know how to use the cart pusher.

Then I have team members going "Well you're gonna have to get over your fear of the cart pusher" and it just irked me even more. The cart pusher is a machine, a machine that I need to get certified on. No one wants to offer to come out with me and show me how to do it, they just want to continue to mock me and nag at me when I am doing my job. I wasn't slacking off, talking, I was sweating and working my butt off the entire shift.

I told my HR at the end that Carts isn't going to work out and she said okay and I'm glad she didn't ask why. My anger was boiling over and it's sad to see that someone who works hard can get a target on his back and literally feel like everyone is judging him with one shift.

I should have been given a training shift or at least shown how to use the pusher but no they just keep pointing out that I'm scared. Well considering I got stuck in the parking lot and almost took out a car on my first run, please elaborate how I should feel

Rant over. Sorry I just had to get this off my chest
 
Wow, sometimes I wonder if they even have a legal department. I have never seen a company that opens themselves up for liability like Spot does. I'll tell you what I tell everyone, "Document!
Document! Document!"
 
Wish I could've come over & given you a quick go-thru.
During my yrs up front, I was trainer for every area & had the highest rate of sign-offs for my trainees.
It's just pathetic how they neglect things now.
 
I was covering a 15 minute break at Guest Service for an hour and the GSTL never came back to let me go. He finally asked me to wrap it up when there's no carts in the store so of course I fell behind and everytime I came back in, I felt like an LOD was glaring me down or my GSTL says "Having trouble keeping up?"

Let me challenge you on this. If you were covering a 15, why didn't you reach out to the GSTL after 20 minutes and let them know you were still there?

I can understand a few extra minutes on a break, really... but any more than 5+ minutes late on a busy day calls for the follow up.

If you were there for an HOUR without notifying anybody, then it is on you.
 
I was covering a 15 minute break at Guest Service for an hour and the GSTL never came back to let me go. He finally asked me to wrap it up when there's no carts in the store so of course I fell behind and everytime I came back in, I felt like an LOD was glaring me down or my GSTL says "Having trouble keeping up?"

Let me challenge you on this. If you were covering a 15, why didn't you reach out to the GSTL after 20 minutes and let them know you were still there?

I can understand a few extra minutes on a break, really... but any more than 5+ minutes late on a busy day calls for the follow up.

If you were there for an HOUR without notifying anybody, then it is on you.

Agreed but if the store was nuts like mine the GSTL would do "give me a minute" routine as long as they can cause they can't be bothered cause the lanes and guest service was so slammed. And they needed the help, carts don't really matter until someone notices and it takes longer than the "back up" call from the lanes.

But the training good for the OP for standing their ground send refusing to use the equipment. And that is what you tell everyone. "Not trained, can't use it."
 
So yesterday was just an awful day. I asked for cart attendant shifts which I spoke about on another thread and I just now begun my shifts.

I get there at 12 and it's busy due to Easter Weekend, so I go out and start grabbing carts. Throughout my entire shift, all I seem to get was a bigger target on my back. I found myself falling behind because I was covering a 15 minute break at Guest Service for an hour and the GSTL never came back to let me go. He finally asked me to wrap it up when there's no carts in the store so of course I fell behind and everytime I came back in, I felt like an LOD was glaring me down or my GSTL says "Having trouble keeping up?"

It irritated me and I almost exploded before my shift was over. I realize that it is busy and I am out here grabbing carts as fast as I can. But, you fail to acknowledge that the cart pusher was in the middle of where the carts go in the front of the store and you never bothered to move it for me considering I told them I don't know how to use the cart pusher.

Then I have team members going "Well you're gonna have to get over your fear of the cart pusher" and it just irked me even more. The cart pusher is a machine, a machine that I need to get certified on. No one wants to offer to come out with me and show me how to do it, they just want to continue to mock me and nag at me when I am doing my job. I wasn't slacking off, talking, I was sweating and working my butt off the entire shift.

I told my HR at the end that Carts isn't going to work out and she said okay and I'm glad she didn't ask why. My anger was boiling over and it's sad to see that someone who works hard can get a target on his back and literally feel like everyone is judging him with one shift.

I should have been given a training shift or at least shown how to use the pusher but no they just keep pointing out that I'm scared. Well considering I got stuck in the parking lot and almost took out a car on my first run, please elaborate how I should feel

Rant over. Sorry I just had to get this off my chest

Does the cart pusher even save that much time? We dont even have cart attendants anymore at our store its usually the GSTL, Cashiers or someone from salesfloor grabbing 6-7 and bringing them in. On friday I went out twice in the last 3 hours of my shift to grab carts without it and it would seem it would take just about as long with the pusher.

Also where the heck was guest service? Did they just cashier for 30 minutes or something? That GSTL sounds terrible if they just let you cover guest service when guest service was actually back from break and on the floor again.
 
To me, Friday was very busy. All I was told was that the GSTL was going on his 15 minute break and that I was going to cover it.

I should have asked him sooner, but in that situation I wasn't sure if he got caught up, if he forgot, or if he wanted me to stay over there, but I couldn't leave because it was slammed up there.

My reason for being angry is the fact that they let the carts get so low and then proceeded to get me off of Guest Services, knowing I don't use the cart pusher. However, they set me up for failure by letting the carts get low and then sending me out so I had a harder time getting back caught up.
 
if you are keyed as a cart attendant, then you should have a cart attendant learning plan completed. If the learning plan was completed, you would have been certified on the pusher. Do not use that pusher until you are certified. If you would use it without being certified and you get hurt, Target could deny your claim. I would suggest going to your HRETL or ETL-GE and let them know that since you are a cart attendant could she/he please tell you who to see to get certified on that piece of equipment so you can be more efficient while working. Again do NOT use any power equipment that you are not certified on.
 
I would never use the cart pusher without being certified. This is what I have been saying all along. My training consisted of the GSTL telling me what the controls on the pusher and the remote was, he never went out with me and showed me how to use it.

This is why I'm having this problem. Lack of training and no one seems to care which is why I told my HR I'm not doing anymore cart shifts because of this
 
I am not certified to use the cart pusher. But, I do know how to use it. I don't use it, because it faster to bring 5 to 7 carts at a time to refill cartwells. I laughed at my current Ca's who say I need the pusher to help me. Just stay off your phone & you will catch up....
 
Coming from you, what's a good strategy to keep up. Do you try to fill the row of carts closet to the entrance or do you try to fill up the other rows first. If you have any advice or good strategies, let me know!
 
The row next to building has become non existent. We have grassy area has a lotof carts, which makes an easy grab for 20 carts. That will give you time to catch up from the middle area of carts. My store has 2 doors. My etl starts from the opposite side & me from the other side. The goal is fill the cartwells fast for guests. We do it.
My suggestion is to challenge yourself & figure the fastest way to get carts in the building. Then, teach others do the same thing. Study & beat it. If you can add carts to the wall next to the building will help you.
 
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