Archived PA support thread for Q4

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Seasonal hiring makes our shifts so chaotic and I wanted to make a thread where we can vent and relieve the stress that results.

I'll start. I have to follow my core routines and complete them on time. Simple, right? I wish. Along with culling, qmosing, pushing, tpcing, sdaing -- there's market endcaps that your CTL delegates to you and other PA. 45 aisles, 90 endcaps. Rotates out every 3-4 weeks, not to mention ad rotations. There's also pushing dairy, not to mention ensuring freezer, dairy cooler, ambient room, produce and meat coolers are swept and mopped. On top of that, cleaning gondolas, wiping down freezer doors, etc.

But wait, there's more! Dealing with vendors, doing the scorecard and following up on issues that aren't Brand or food safety related (expired product). On top of all that, there's usually those pesky hourly CAFs that drop starting at noon.

Oh, and also having to deal with any issues associated with the Truck unload process, violations of food safety guidelines, having to fill out an trailer unload form if needed.

Sometimes, things go wrong and there's product located in wrong places, chicken on top of deli, so on. The constant need to communicate and follow up to ensure daily processes are smooth and sticking to best practices.

Not to even mention the order and ensuring you order just the right amount while remaining green! Oh, guest service always comes first before anything else!

That being said -- due to massive seasonal hire and payroll getting a big freaking chunk cut out of it -- I have to do silly things like push FDC truck myself with the help of a TM from another work center because ETLs made flow leave by 4.5 hours into their shift. Oh, you want me to get the carts in parking lot too, then push the paper flow didn't get done either? Why not? I've got plenty of time!

Oh, sometimes zone in market isnt done by close? I'm sorry, but I'm more than just a sales floor TM who just pushes and zones. Sometimes, zoning is at the bottom of my list of priorities.

Oh, BR freezer still has backstock left from truck two days prior and today? BRTM can't finish freezer by end of BR day shift, due to having to do all his auto fills and Plano bringing all their revision backstock in 30 mins after morning BRTMs leave. Hell, why not? I'll jump into freezer and help get that stuff stoed do I can do my exfs and make sure I have no outs and meet brand!

No problem!

Shoot, cashier backup gets called and I gotta run across the entire store with my coat on!

So, mm yeah. **** you for questioning why I didn't get my zone done. You're just a TL with sales planners. I would pay you to do my shift for a week. Literally. On the condition that I get to shadow you around and eat a bag of chips while heckling you, as warranted.

That horse you're on is mighty high and I'm sorry you don't understand that my job has far more responsibilities and accountability than yours ever will. That fall is going to hurt.
 
I'm just praying that we're going to have enough sales floor coverage to get someone to help out with the zone in dry market. Those were the good old days.
 
A few LODs at my store seem to understand that we need the help. However, most nights they say to me, "I hope you don't need help tonight because we don't have any to give." I still don't think the majority of our store leadership understands how much work goes into closing market and I am kind of at a loss on how to explain that to them.
 
Sounds like your guys' CTL really sucks. I would never leave all of that on the shoulders of my PA's. The day I leave salesplanners, scorecards, and vendor relations to my PA's is the day my position is no longer needed. Tread carefully but you might wanna have a chat with your ETL-HL about what the hell your CTL even does in your store.
 
Lol i got chastised by a sr today. Worked a mid shift on a truck day. Spent 2 hrs working on the truck then basically back up cashiered for 4 hrs straight. Came bac to my area around 3:45 started working on filling the floor and picking and choosing some random truck push outs to fill. Like half way thru my massive flat they stary calling for cashiers.

I responded saying that i had cold product on the floor and that i could head up in a few mintues after i brought my flat to the back room.

Then he lights into me about not responding immediately was a complete joke lol. Just shows that most lods dont understand the market area.
On top of all this i had to coordinate my closing team members to do a ton of different little things while i worked on flexing out seasonal items and missing produce. I also got stuck with about 200 pieces of qmos and another 300 that came out on the br sda.

Basically 5 hrs work and abt an hr to do it all with two tm's who basically just know how to zone. That also doesnt acct for the 20 guests that i have to help bc were severly understaffed on a payroll day (end of month)

Also as u pointed out ive jad to several times sift thru frozen backstock to get items we need.

Another note about the backstock in the br is that it fills up the limited 3 tier carts that we have. Pretty sure this causes batches to get burned which i thwn have to go back and fix with research which hopefully is done by 11...or im pulling it as well lol
 
Sounds like your guys' CTL really sucks. I would never leave all of that on the shoulders of my PA's. The day I leave salesplanners, scorecards, and vendor relations to my PA's is the day my position is no longer needed. Tread carefully but you might wanna have a chat with your ETL-HL about what the hell your CTL even does in your store.

Just giving that particular CTL enough rope.. Plus said CTL is sometimes LOD and also has to do sales planners in another part of store.

That said.. Why am I not being paid at CTL level since my other PA and I are effectively tag teaming to relay information and doing his job?
 
CTL's are not supposed to be Senior TL's...its in Best Practice. If thats the case he should be moved to another position. Definitely sounds like an issue with the way the store is ran. You shouldnt be doing CTL work but sounds like you wouldnt get far bringing it to upper management's attention or it wouldnt be happening in the first place. Probably will just get some bs about "needs of the business". Idk guys thats pretty ridiculous.
 
Just giving that particular CTL enough rope.. Plus said CTL is sometimes LOD and also has to do sales planners in another part of store.

That said.. Why am I not being paid at CTL level since my other PA and I are effectively tag teaming to relay information and doing his job?

Your CTL is a SR....eessh...That was a bad decision by the store unless they let them just focus on market and not bounce around the whole store all the time
 
Your CTL is a SR....eessh...That was a bad decision by the store unless they let them just focus on market and not bounce around the whole store all the time

Yeah, he doesn't focus on market much. Responsible for sales planners in other parts of stores/ad rot. Here and there, sure. CTL is literally a bouncing ball.
 
Seasonal hiring makes our shifts so chaotic and I wanted to make a thread where we can vent and relieve the stress that results.

I'll start. I have to follow my core routines and complete them on time. Simple, right? I wish. Along with culling, qmosing, pushing, tpcing, sdaing -- there's market endcaps that your CTL delegates to you and other PA. 45 aisles, 90 endcaps. Rotates out every 3-4 weeks, not to mention ad rotations. There's also pushing dairy, not to mention ensuring freezer, dairy cooler, ambient room, produce and meat coolers are swept and mopped. On top of that, cleaning gondolas, wiping down freezer doors, etc.

But wait, there's more! Dealing with vendors, doing the scorecard and following up on issues that aren't Brand or food safety related (expired product). On top of all that, there's usually those pesky hourly CAFs that drop starting at noon.

Oh, and also having to deal with any issues associated with the Truck unload process, violations of food safety guidelines, having to fill out an trailer unload form if needed.

Sometimes, things go wrong and there's product located in wrong places, chicken on top of deli, so on. The constant need to communicate and follow up to ensure daily processes are smooth and sticking to best practices.

Not to even mention the order and ensuring you order just the right amount while remaining green! Oh, guest service always comes first before anything else!

That being said -- due to massive seasonal hire and payroll getting a big freaking chunk cut out of it -- I have to do silly things like push FDC truck myself with the help of a TM from another work center because ETLs made flow leave by 4.5 hours into their shift. Oh, you want me to get the carts in parking lot too, then push the paper flow didn't get done either? Why not? I've got plenty of time!

Oh, sometimes zone in market isnt done by close? I'm sorry, but I'm more than just a sales floor TM who just pushes and zones. Sometimes, zoning is at the bottom of my list of priorities.

Oh, BR freezer still has backstock left from truck two days prior and today? BRTM can't finish freezer by end of BR day shift, due to having to do all his auto fills and Plano bringing all their revision backstock in 30 mins after morning BRTMs leave. Hell, why not? I'll jump into freezer and help get that stuff stoed do I can do my exfs and make sure I have no outs and meet brand!

No problem!

Shoot, cashier backup gets called and I gotta run across the entire store with my coat on!

So, mm yeah. **** you for questioning why I didn't get my zone done. You're just a TL with sales planners. I would pay you to do my shift for a week. Literally. On the condition that I get to shadow you around and eat a bag of chips while heckling you, as warranted.

That horse you're on is mighty high and I'm sorry you don't understand that my job has far more responsibilities and accountability than yours ever will. That fall is going to hurt.

HOLY HELL you do alot. I have done most of those things you have put on there. I work at a lower volume store so when they call backup and there is only 1 salesfloor I usually have to respond as well. I usually wait til last resort though, I dont immediately answer since market is like electronics and is its own workcenter. I have dealt with vendors on occasion, usually my CTL deals with them or they wait til the days the CTL is in and just pass along information. As far as setting endcaps. My CTL occasionally does some, I have done some a few times, but most times when it changes out every month and all of the endcaps change (or so it seems) Plano does them all.

By pushing the FDC truck do you mean C+S and/or the items you ordered, which would include produce, cooler, freezer, or is it dry market? Either way its rediculous. You shouldnt have to do that practically by yourself. There should be LOGISTICS hours dedicated to that. Hell my FOOD BP told me there are logistics hours built into working out the morning pulls yet I still have to do them. Pushed carts many a time, usually mid day. Had to fill paper endcaps to since its right next to market. Usually something the LOD notices on the walk and they make me do it when a #*%*#% salesfloor team member is dinking around doing who knows what and could do it.

I understand your frustration. While I might not do as much as you do or the frequency of those things, it is a little crazy how much they expect to be done with minimal help or without any help which is more the case. I dont get help with fresh and full by 4. Dont get any help with morning CAFS. Have to zone all of market by myself during closing. Take care of receiving and staging product when C+S comes in. The most help I usually get is backroom holding a door open as I wheel a pallet in. I do all the paperwork and everything while the LOD basically just lets the guy in or out and MAYBE stands there and watches. Sometimes I really think that the job of a PA does have more responsibilites and more accountability that most of the regular TLs in the store minus my CTL. Usually I just see the other TLs in the building making endcaps or working clearance and thats about it (stuff I also do) It is a very demanding position and you have to really know how to balance your time. The only thing I wish I could nail down better is cleaning routines. With everything else I have to do sometimes that just falls to the wayside because you dont really have a choice, the CAFS cant just sit there til the next day, or the zone cant just not be done or the LOD will be up your ass.
 
HOLY HELL you do alot. I have done most of those things you have put on there. I work at a lower volume store so when they call backup and there is only 1 salesfloor I usually have to respond as well. I usually wait til last resort though, I dont immediately answer since market is like electronics and is its own workcenter. I have dealt with vendors on occasion, usually my CTL deals with them or they wait til the days the CTL is in and just pass along information. As far as setting endcaps. My CTL occasionally does some, I have done some a few times, but most times when it changes out every month and all of the endcaps change (or so it seems) Plano does them all.

By pushing the FDC truck do you mean C+S and/or the items you ordered, which would include produce, cooler, freezer, or is it dry market? Either way its rediculous. You shouldnt have to do that practically by yourself. There should be LOGISTICS hours dedicated to that. Hell my FOOD BP told me there are logistics hours built into working out the morning pulls yet I still have to do them. Pushed carts many a time, usually mid day. Had to fill paper endcaps to since its right next to market. Usually something the LOD notices on the walk and they make me do it when a #*%*#% salesfloor team member is dinking around doing who knows what and could do it.

I understand your frustration. While I might not do as much as you do or the frequency of those things, it is a little crazy how much they expect to be done with minimal help or without any help which is more the case. I dont get help with fresh and full by 4. Dont get any help with morning CAFS. Have to zone all of market by myself during closing. Take care of receiving and staging product when C+S comes in. The most help I usually get is backroom holding a door open as I wheel a pallet in. I do all the paperwork and everything while the LOD basically just lets the guy in or out and MAYBE stands there and watches. Sometimes I really think that the job of a PA does have more responsibilites and more accountability that most of the regular TLs in the store minus my CTL. Usually I just see the other TLs in the building making endcaps or working clearance and thats about it (stuff I also do) It is a very demanding position and you have to really know how to balance your time. The only thing I wish I could nail down better is cleaning routines. With everything else I have to do sometimes that just falls to the wayside because you dont really have a choice, the CAFS cant just sit there til the next day, or the zone cant just not be done or the LOD will be up your ass.

You and I both. I do more endcaps in market than my CTL manages to do. Between my other PA and I, we manage. As for cleaning routines, I feel you there. On night I close, I will literally not start my zone until after 7:30. Especially if Dairy cooler is in dire need of cleaning. I literally use the closing shift to do some cleaning because I don't have the time during days/truck. I could give two flying ****s about zone. I'd rather pass Steritech inspections. **** the Salesfloor best practices.

I literally had to push all of dairy, produce, freezer and meat because our idiot ETLs literally cut payroll hours in the triple digits over a two week period. Words fail to adequately express my hatred of those idiot college kids who do not know how to manage people.

When they complain about my zone, I tell them to get corporate to allocate more payroll hours and get a regular market TM to zone dry. I don't got the time. Zone is the least of my priorities.
 
Oh, and market is not assigned its own work center. We're assigned under Salesfloor. It's just hilarious.
 
You and I both. I do more endcaps in market than my CTL manages to do. Between my other PA and I, we manage. As for cleaning routines, I feel you there. On night I close, I will literally not start my zone until after 7:30. Especially if Dairy cooler is in dire need of cleaning. I literally use the closing shift to do some cleaning because I don't have the time during days/truck. I could give two flying ****s about zone. I'd rather pass Steritech inspections. **** the Salesfloor best practices.

I literally had to push all of dairy, produce, freezer and meat because our idiot ETLs literally cut payroll hours in the triple digits over a two week period. Words fail to adequately express my hatred of those idiot college kids who do not know how to manage people.

When they complain about my zone, I tell them to get corporate to allocate more payroll hours and get a regular market TM to zone dry. I don't got the time. Zone is the least of my priorities.


I'm glad you LITERALLY did those things. It would be bad if you FIGRATIVELY pushed all of dairy, produce and freezer.
 
Oh, and market is not assigned its own work center. We're assigned under Salesfloor. It's just hilarious.

hmmm...thats weird. As I understood it market was allocated a certain ammount of hours. For our store I think it is around 90-100 a week. Nobody that works market is scheduled under salesfloor.
 
You and I both. I do more endcaps in market than my CTL manages to do. Between my other PA and I, we manage. As for cleaning routines, I feel you there. On night I close, I will literally not start my zone until after 7:30. Especially if Dairy cooler is in dire need of cleaning. I literally use the closing shift to do some cleaning because I don't have the time during days/truck. I could give two flying ****s about zone. I'd rather pass Steritech inspections. **** the Salesfloor best practices.

I literally had to push all of dairy, produce, freezer and meat because our idiot ETLs literally cut payroll hours in the triple digits over a two week period. Words fail to adequately express my hatred of those idiot college kids who do not know how to manage people.

When they complain about my zone, I tell them to get corporate to allocate more payroll hours and get a regular market TM to zone dry. I don't got the time. Zone is the least of my priorities.

You know what pisses me off the most about the zone is that I will do my closing shift and do this,

Prep backroom, Receive Truck, and stage product (produce and dairy comes in day before push, freezer day of push).
Push all pfresh CAFS, including milk, bananas, eggs, (hard alcohol in the morning)
Zone all of dry market, coolers, freezers which is G6-G46 or so. (always have a full cart of reshop collected with defectives and empty cardboard)
Pfresh walk (not sure how its actually supposed to be done but we walk with the LOD and go over everything, sometimes takes 20-30 minutes)
Do the daily cleaning and if I have time any other cleaning (which I dont ever have time so only daily gets done)
Cull through market and do QMOS, push bin to compacter.
Put on meat coupons (have them locked up in a cabinet in the ambient room and the key is behind guest service)
Record the hard alcohol amounts for whatever reason (long story about hard alcohol at our store, everything is locked and limited amounts are put out)
Attend huddle which for whatever reason takes 15-20 minutes, and then they try to do a working huddle in shoes it seems (never go to that, too much stuff to do)
Occasionally have to backup cashier
Sometimes asked to work out market reshop
Sometimes do the backstock on my product if only a few of it comes back

YET, salesfloor does

CAFS (dont even do all of them backroom usually does the 5's it seems)
Zone (for hardlines when I leave at 9 they arent even close to finishing A which is pets, pharmacy, cosmetics, HBA and electronics does toys, sporting goods, electronics, entertainment, luggage basically E and F and I do G)
Reshop (sometimes they dont really even get much reshop done or they have a big cart at the end of the night
Back Up (although the last few hours there isnt much backup)


I mean seriously WTF do they do. It seems I get more of a zone done than them, half the time do my areas reshop AND do all my own pulls. I bust my ass off, never take any of my breaks, just take lunch. Seems they dont even start the zone til after huddle 6:30-7. And usually the CAFS arent even done or just getting done right before huddle. Market has so much to do and not enough time. To top it off we get no overlap in market (even electronics gets an hour or two) AND we leave an hour before store closes so 9 M-Sat and 8 on sunday. At least for our truck push we get a team of 4-5 people for 4 hours and get it all out.
 
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I think they put it under Salesfloor instead of market so they can use hours allocated for pfresh and spread it among Salesfloor. Lately, they've even been cutting hours in pfresh. On non truck days, including weekends, start an hour later than usual. Yet we're expected to get the same amount of work done while maintaining brand.

It's bull****. Even when they do that, I still wind up staying an hour later anyway. I never clock out on time because I just have too much stuff to do. I could give two ****s about their payroll. I'm assigned 36 hours total for a week, I still wind up leaving 30 mins early to avoid OT.

Target is just a complete ****ing joke. Corporate needs to stop nickel and diming its team members and actually give hours. It's either that or we start unionizing.
 
I think they put it under Salesfloor instead of market so they can use hours allocated for pfresh and spread it among Salesfloor. Lately, they've even been cutting hours in pfresh. On non truck days, including weekends, start an hour later than usual. Yet we're expected to get the same amount of work done while maintaining brand.

It's bull****. Even when they do that, I still wind up staying an hour later anyway. I never clock out on time because I just have too much stuff to do. I could give two ****s about their payroll. I'm assigned 36 hours total for a week, I still wind up leaving 30 mins early to avoid OT.

Target is just a complete ****ing joke. Corporate needs to stop nickel and diming its team members and actually give hours. It's either that or we start unionizing.

Sounds more like your store doesnt understand or care about food, food safety, or pfresh at all. Also doesnt help that your CTL isnt fully invested into their role and market. You need to get in the ear of your CTL about this and if they dont care talk to your ETL-HL or even STL. I have a pretty good relationship with the leadership team not sure about your situation though.
 
Sounds more like your store doesnt understand or care about food, food safety, or pfresh at all. Also doesnt help that your CTL isnt fully invested into their role and market. You need to get in the ear of your CTL about this and if they dont care talk to your ETL-HL or even STL. I have a pretty good relationship with the leadership team not sure about your situation though.

My STL, thankfully cares about pfresh, food safety and freshness. I close with the STL one night a week now, and they've been quite helpful, not to mention proactive about sending a sales floor TM over to dry after they get their zone done.

I have a good relationship with the leadership but things at my store are stretched thin. My CTL has LOD duties a few times a week and responsible for sale planners in other sections. So he delegates to me since I know what I'm doing, trained in all work centers and get things done.

If it doesn't get better, I'll try and talk to my stl.
 
My STL, thankfully cares about pfresh, food safety and freshness. I close with the STL one night a week now, and they've been quite helpful, not to mention proactive about sending a sales floor TM over to dry after they get their zone done.

I have a good relationship with the leadership but things at my store are stretched thin. My CTL has LOD duties a few times a week and responsible for sale planners in other sections. So he delegates to me since I know what I'm doing, trained in all work centers and get things done.

If it doesn't get better, I'll try and talk to my stl.

I really think your CTL needs to be over another area and someone else needs to step in if they are LOD a few times a week. That means they are in their own area less than both their PAs and probably do less. IDK what best practice is but if there was one TL that shouldnt be an LOD its market, but thats just my opinion.
 
Best Practice for PFresh/Market specifically states that the CTL is not to be LOD. I agree that maybe we need a new CTL who is in market more often, but he obviously got signed off by STL and DTL. So it may not apply?

Honestly, if I didn't have to do 80+ endcaps every 3 weeks along with ad rotations nor deal with vendors, it would be a lot easier to get all my routines done which includes cleaning.
 
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