Archived New Signing Specialist

[signingminion]

I took over the role of signing specialist a little bit ago. The previous signing specialist moved up and I was suggested to get out of my stressful area and into something new-with the dangling carrot of possible development (previous tm lead the plano/pricing team when the TL was away). I'm going to miss Pfresh something awful, but I have at least one replacement trained and ready (who has already interviewed and been given my spot) so hopefully I can still shop for food at my store without fear.

I've spent my time so far working through our signing trailer to purge old crap, unearth the desk, and will be moving on to sorting and labeling the bins on the shelving and cleaning out my signing carts. I've got ISM packages unopened going back to 2013. Next will be to take on the fixture room, although I've spent a couple midday zones with the PPTL going through throwing out broken stuff, sweeping and putting shelving on the wall instead of in tubs/carts already.

So I've decided who cares if I out myself, lol. I need your ideas and support more than I need to worry about TLs at my store knowing I'm on here-or spilling the secret that this is why I have so many "friends" at stores not near me. I really doubt any of the TLs I have left are on here or even think about the possibility of this place existing.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Congrats!
Here is a link to the signing thread:
http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/help-with-signing.11413/
There is a lot of great ideas there.

 

[Unintended BM]

Signing is fun. My store treats the position like a Presentation team member who occasionally unloads signing pallets and puts stuff up. I've fought for the use of my own time for the past year. My advice is to not let leadership jerk you around.

Signing is an easy job if you have cool bosses and a good pog team, but you have to get lucky.

 

[signingminion]

Congrats!
Here is a link to the signing thread:
http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.php?threads/help-with-signing.11413/
There is a lot of great ideas there.

I have already been working my through the thread prior to accepting the position. We have been without what I would consider a strong signing specialist since right after I started. Everything I know about signing he taught me when I had the chance to shadow him for the day and help put up holiday overhead signing.

Signing is fun. My store treats the position like a Presentation team member who occasionally unloads signing pallets and puts stuff up. I've fought for the use of my own time for the past year. My advice is to not let leadership jerk you around.

Signing is an easy job if you have cool bosses and a good pog team, but you have to get lucky.

I'm pretty lucky in the fact that my PPTL knows better than to screw with me. POG team has been slacking a lot lately. Its driving me insane to have to not only clean up the mess accumlated from the past couple years but also the stuff they don't even try to set correctly. I'm not here to put up backer paper and headers. Seriously.

I've had to be very firm about the "stealing me for _____today" crap. And the half signing half plano hours in a 8hr shift. I NEED to get things in order to be effective during BTS and fourth quarter. This is the only time I will be able to fight for hours purely for housekeeping. But I was very clear with my STL and PPTL: this is not a promotion or a raise for me. Taking this is helping them more than it does me. And I won't be shoved around and become slave to another group for the same pay, while having to take on new things and more responsibilities (again). They want to give me a raise I'm all about slaving a bit.

 

[vendordontmesswithme]

I have already been working my through the thread prior to accepting the position. We have been without what I would consider a strong signing specialist since right after I started. Everything I know about signing he taught me when I had the chance to shadow him for the day and help put up holiday overhead signing.

I'm pretty lucky in the fact that my PPTL knows better than to screw with me. POG team has been slacking a lot lately. Its driving me insane to have to not only clean up the mess accumlated from the past couple years but also the stuff they don't even try to set correctly. I'm not here to put up backer paper and headers. Seriously.

I've had to be very firm about the "stealing me for _____today" crap. And the half signing half plano hours in a 8hr shift. I NEED to get things in order to be effective during BTS and fourth quarter. This is the only time I will be able to fight for hours purely for housekeeping. But I was very clear with my STL and PPTL: this is not a promotion or a raise for me. Taking this is helping them more than it does me. And I won't be shoved around and become slave to another group for the same pay, while having to take on new things and more responsibilities (again). They want to give me a raise I'm all about slaving a bit.

You go girl! Others may ask why you need so much time for signing. Doing the cleaning and organizing and getting rid of old signing will pay off going into BTS and 4th quarter.

 

[commiecorvus]

Welcome to the team of one that is the Signing Ninja.
A few suggestions if I may.
See what you can do about getting some training at another store.
I'd say fight for it but you do have to pick your battles.
Carry a notebook with you at all times, use it for part numbers and writing down when you get conflicts about how to use your time.
When in doubt, throw it out.
Sure it will suck if you need it in six months and have to order it but at least you won't have been tripping over it for six months.

 

[Unintended BM]

What drives me crazy about my pog team is that if I'm not there, they'll never even set foot in the fixture room to find their signing and stuff. I have everything color coded and labeled, and they still don't even take the time to look. Like you said, I'm not there to put up their backer paper.

Anyways, enough ranting. Have fun in your new position. It's a good job on good days.

 

[signingminion]

I am not going out. But then again neither is the person I'm replacing. We both got in-house training "because why send you out to learn bad habits when we've got awesome people here to train you" *insert eye roll here* I was promised a full week of training, I was given two partial days. I'm ruminating on whether I want to force more in-house time or ask to spend a day at another store. I've got a couple to choose from that are led by previous TLs I respect and are actually awesome.

I always have a clipboard and/or notebook on me. I have ever since I started, even in softlines. I have a running useful SAP list from Pfresh. Its coming with me to my new role. I told my replacement she needed to start her own, cause mine really only makes sense to me.

The POG team is going to have to come to an understanding with me. Once the trailer and fixture room are organized there will be no more calling me every time they need to go in the trailer or find something. Some of the worst offenders have been at our store since it opened and know better than to not set backer paper on a focal. I mean really? The PPTL will have to back me as well if she wants my help with POG and pricing all the time. Cause once I get my crap together I will have plenty of time in the 40hr week to cleanup after the rest of her crew. Minus the copious bitching and whining.

My biggest hurdle and what I've yet to really get training on is the work flow and how to judge what to expect to need done when. The last guy was horrible at time management and organization. The PPTL has pushed back about answering simple questions saying the last guy would have time to teach me. I added all these quick links to help me, but I've got no real idea how to utilize them. So instead I've got the PPTL asking "hows it going" or "what are you working on today" and asking the same thing every couple hours all day....which is why I'm tempted to pull strings and get a day or so out of store to see someone else's process.

 

[BigEyedPhish]

I am not going out. But then again neither is the person I'm replacing. We both got in-house training "because why send you out to learn bad habits when we've got awesome people here to train you" *insert eye roll here* I was promised a full week of training, I was given two partial days. I'm ruminating on whether I want to force more in-house time or ask to spend a day at another store. I've got a couple to choose from that are led by previous TLs I respect and are actually awesome.

I always have a clipboard and/or notebook on me. I have ever since I started, even in softlines. I have a running useful SAP list from Pfresh. Its coming with me to my new role. I told my replacement she needed to start her own, cause mine really only makes sense to me.

The POG team is going to have to come to an understanding with me. Once the trailer and fixture room are organized there will be no more calling me every time they need to go in the trailer or find something. Some of the worst offenders have been at our store since it opened and know better than to not set backer paper on a focal. I mean really? The PPTL will have to back me as well if she wants my help with POG and pricing all the time. Cause once I get my crap together I will have plenty of time in the 40hr week to cleanup after the rest of her crew. Minus the copious bitching and whining.

My biggest hurdle and what I've yet to really get training on is the work flow and how to judge what to expect to need done when. The last guy was horrible at time management and organization. The PPTL has pushed back about answering simple questions saying the last guy would have time to teach me. I added all these quick links to help me, but I've got no real idea how to utilize them. So instead I've got the PPTL asking "hows it going" or "what are you working on today" and asking the same thing every couple hours all day....which is why I'm tempted to pull strings and get a day or so out of store to see someone else's process.

I am a PA and this made my laugh, you should see the notes I write about our back coolers, before I do every order...

Anyone but me, would think wtf is this?

Also is Signing TM a higher PG than PA? I have a feeling that our signing ninja is moving up soon, so I was thinking about slipping in.

Also if you are a GOOD PA in market, you already have an innate sense of otherworldly time management.

 

[signingminion]

I am a PA and this made my laugh, you should see the notes I write about our back coolers, before I do every order...

Anyone but me, would think wtf is this?

Also is Signing TM a higher PG than PA? I have a feeling that our signing ninja is moving up soon, so I was thinking about slipping in.

Also if you are a GOOD PA in market, you already have an innate sense of otherworldly time management.

I have a notebook with cheat sheets for bbcode for order intake. Random parts numbers, my TINV master cheat sheet of what to do to run it. Turkey inventory mini sheets and a couple sheets of do-its.

Nope, lateral move. No more pay, and possibly a harder fight for 40hrs a week...but the PPTL has offered to help develop me the same way she supposedly the last signing tm so....

 

[Kartman]

Bastids!

 

[Unintended BM]

At my store PA is 50 cents higher than base pay and signing is a dollar more than base pay.

 

[signingminion]

At my store PA is 50 cents higher than base pay and signing is a dollar more than base pay.

Ours is equally $1 more unfortunately. GSA is only fifty cents above.