Archived One important question.

[Hart07]

I am starting my second month this week. Things are good and I believe the TL's see that I am working hard and getting things done. There is one thing. I never answer the call for backup help at the register. Its one of those things where you wait a little while until another TM answers the call. Then you are off the hook so to speak. When you are evaluated after the 90 days, is something that is brought up as a negative or not mentioned at all? The one day that I trained for register was for an hour, and all it was was cash or credit transactions, simple. I guess I am just a little scared to go up there and 'everytime' have to ask a GSTL to help me with a transaction, it kind of defeats the purpose of actually helping. I am at a lost, because I do love working hardlines, but when that call comes and it comes every hour it seems, I block it out. I know that's bad, but what can I do, BESIDES a shift as cashier.

Looking for other alternatives pleasee

 

[RetailWorld]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves...is new TM's not answering walkie requests. It has been the deciding factor in keeping some TM's past their 90 days.

Do you at least answer other requests? Like call buttons or DPCI requests? At the very least you should be acknowledging that you are being requested for something over walkie. A simple "This is XXXXX, I'm in the backroom doing cardboard at the moment, do we have anybody else closer?" or "This is XXXXX, I'm currently with a guest".

Honestly, I typically have a "You need to respond more" convo with my new TM's by their 2nd non-training shift.

But as far as you being intimidated by the register...you really shouldn't be. It walks you through it. And you'll never learn it by avoiding it. Yes, you'll probably run into a few situations where you don't know what the hell to do, like an item with no barcode, or how to ring up a service plan, or what to do with a redcard...but the only way you'll learn is by doing it and asking questions. Ask your GSTL, or even your Salesfloor TL...they'll appreciate the fact that you recognized an area of opportunity in your training and you are actively addressing it. Or hell, ask us here.

Plus, if you want to stay past your 90 days...do you really expect to NEVER have to cashier in the months/years you'll spend with Target?

 

[Hart07]

I hear what you are saying. I absolutely answer walkie requests for everything else but back up. My LOD calls me constantly to do other things. Tonight I am working and if a backup call comes through, I will be the first to answer. Who knows, maybe it will be my calling. Thanks for the advice and the reprimand.

 

[redandkhaki]

as a gstl i appreciate when new people come up even when they have questions. Bite the bullet, get it done and you'll see it was a walk in the park! Good luck!

 

[Retail Girl]

Yep, I expect to be asked questions by new people. I tend to be nervous when they don't ask questions...because then I can't help fix what you don't know.

But the longer it goes by with you avoiding it, I will already expect that you should know some of this stuff because theoretically you've been doing it for a little bit now.

So come up! Ask questions! Believe me, they notice who isn't responding to back up.

 

[mrknownothing]

I never answer the call for backup help at the register. Its one of those things where you wait a little while until another TM answers the call. Then you are off the hook so to speak.

We're all guilty of that one; however, ignoring back-up calls is one of the cardinal sins of working on the sales floor.

The only way you'll get comfortable on register is by just doing it. Respond to back-up. If it means picking up a cashing shift, then by all means, pick up a cashing shift. And remember, the majority of TMs are willing to help you. As a cashier, I was more than willing to help noob sales floor TMs who were backing up.

 

[Mhugh220]

You'll do great. The process itself is straightforward and your GSA or GSTL can help answer any questions.

If you're feeling extra satisfied after your back up performance, take a fiver from the register after you're done and buy yourself lunch.

 

[Producer]

You can't imagine how embarrassed I was when I back-up cashiered for the first time two months into my tenure at Target and the GSTL had to give me access to the register. She looked at me puzzled and asked why I had never cashiered. Oops.

 

[Circle9]

Chances are at your store there's a few people who are always responding to backups because nobody else responds. It gets kind of old after a while, spending 30 minutes of a 4 hour shift on a register when you have a list of things that need to get done.

Please start helping the other TMs out.

 

[whippingboy]

Learn it now before Black Friday comes, you won't regret it.

 

[PinkZinnia]

At my store new floor tm's are starred on the schedule to be the first backups. We always ask if they are comfortable when they come up. If they say no, we will try to put them either where GSTl's/GSA's will have easy access to them or wedged between veteran cashiers who can help them out.
It can be intimidating at first, but you will get the hang of it pretty fast. The majority of the sales are easy. Once in awhile you will have a guest from hell (usually because they see you are a "newbie"- just flip on your flashing light for help. Other times the problems will be no dpci, just flip your light on. That's what the gstl/gsa's are for. You will get the hang of it in no time. And will be a front end life saver.When I call for back up it's because I have no where to speed guests any more. If the team hears me on the walkie they know it's out of desperation. Unless we are at a skeleton floor crew, I will have back ups respond pretty fast. If they aren't available, someone from tsc will come out to ring up a few sales to help bring the lines down.

The more you come up, the faster you will get at ringing, the faster the lines will go down, the shorter amount of time you will have to be up there. You will hear gripping form other floor tm's about backing up, but that's mainly because of the ones who ignore it and then they get stuck up there for an hour, causing their own work to fall behind.