Archived Responding on walkie - what is your store's philosophy?

[stupid rules]

You guys must have a completely different store then mine. The cashiers or GSTL helping out on the floor with reshop or zone never happens. The other night there were 4 cashiers standing there talking, when I asked the gstl to burrow two of them for reshop I was told no. I explained they were doing nothing but of course she needed them for something. It's that crap along with 1.00 price checks and constant calls for back-up while people working on the front end are standing there. Perhaps you guys do run a great front end but I can tell you in MY store that the position could be eliminated and it wouldn't matter. For all of you guys saying 'come work in my shoes, you don't know what we go through', etc. Yes, I do.

 

[chevalier]

If you cannot appreciate the different challenges each workcenter faces and how we deal with them, I would highly recommend you hit the "Log Off" link on the top right hand side of this webpage and go take a walk, buddy. If you dare be so ignorant, I DARE you to go up to a GSTL in a different store and tell them you think they're a waste of payroll.

In that case, I really think the backroom day position should be eliminated, with the exception of 11-5. If they're not pulling CAFs, they don't need to be there! Right? If you need a guest check, a SFTM can do it!

And ya know what, let's eliminate the cart attendant while we're at it. Guests can do carryouts themselves! What about the stray carts? Let's do a wave-zone of the parking lot before we all clock out and we'll all grab carts.

GSTL/GSA? Yeah, whatever! Let's have the ETL-GE or the ETL-GE/Softlines take care of reviews, performance and attendance issues! We can have cashiers go do their own price checks. Speedweave? Pfft. Guests don't care what line they're in, as long as they eventually get out. Right? Oh, and the cashiers can take their breaks whenever they want. Need a supervisor override? Haha. Okay. Tell the LOD to stay at the checklanes all night. Or, give every cashier access to the changefund/supervisor override privileges. Nothing can go wrong, right?

After the night I just have, I could be a lot more uncivil and call you some really nasty names for being such an ignoramus. But, I'll let you figure out how I really feel about what you just said.

I'll be waiting for an apology for your super ignorant and downright disrespectful attitude.

While you have a few valid points, you drowned them in pushy, whiny complaining. Which is exactly why most people can't stand their GSTLs.

And I've got an overwhelming workload too, and I don't have a backup button to haul team members out of their workcenters to help me.

 

[Retail Girl]

While you have a few valid points, you drowned them in pushy, whiny complaining. Which is exactly why most people can't stand their GSTLs.

And I've got an overwhelming workload too, and I don't have a backup button to haul team members out of their workcenters to help me.

If your workload is a long line of guests waiting for your help, you had better be on your walkie calling for assistance.

 

[StaticSun]

While you have a few valid points, you drowned them in pushy, whiny complaining. Which is exactly why most people can't stand their GSTLs.

And I've got an overwhelming workload too, and I don't have a backup button to haul team members out of their workcenters to help me.

I have a great relationship with my SF team, including the ETLs and TLs. On weekends, I'll frequently have at least two cashiers in the morning and two in the evening pulled to do reshop/CAFs. I can't usually do it on the weekdays as we're so short staffed, but when I have a cashier that I don't need, I send them to the floor.

Likewise, when I'm short staffed, I will and DO call for salesfloor TMs to respond for backup. Yes, I'm also right there on the lanes with them. A few nights ago, I was on the lanes. I called for the LOD -- no answer. TLOD? With a guest. I called my backroom TL to come up and watch the lanes while I had a line of 1+5. It's a good thing she did, too. I pointed her to a checklane with a newbie cashier and a coupon scammer. She knew the coupon policies, and stopped the guest from buying $500+ worth of merch with fraudulent/wrong coupons that the cashier otherwise would've put through. She then went to guest service (nowhere near the checklanes in our store) and did a supervisor override. LOD? He was outside smoking a cigarette and talking to his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, I'm on the checklanes with my cart attendant, one hardlines, and one softlines TM for about 15 minutes while we managed the rush of people.

So, you can take what you read here and say what you like, but when it comes down to it, the LOD sets the tone. If the LOD won't step in and take one of the cashiers that's just standing around doing nothing, there's your problem. Not the GSTL who is doing the cafe walk, backing up guest service, writing out the break schedule, doing paperwork, etc.

 

[ISIS639]

If your workload is a long line of guests waiting for your help, you had better be on your walkie calling for assistance.

There are somethings that you won't understand as a front end team member, if you've never had floor experience. One thing, as a sales floor team member, your primary job is also to help guests, if the whole floor is up on back-up, there is no one to bring the cashier a 12pk of toilet paper the guest forgot. No one to answer the phone calls, no one to answer call buttons.

Now, this next one goes for basically every other area of the floor. They each have a job to do. If they don't get it done, they will be held accountable. If no one responds for back-up, the whole store might get talked to, but no 1 team member is going to get coached on it. A team member WILL be coached if they don't complete all their workload. I'm not saying this is a good way to run a business, but unfortunately, that's the culture at Target. Don't blame the team members.

So, those of you who work at the front end. Use every resource available to you. Never sacrifice guest service, but don't take for granted those who come up to help. When I say don't take them for granted, I don't mean, say "thank you", I mean, respect their time and avoid having to call them if possible. Now, my last thing. This is to all GSTLs/GSAs , when you speed weave, do so from the main aisle. When you do this, direct guests to the shortest lanes, including small purchases to guest service. This is before you need back-up. If there are no guests to direct, walk to the lane, remove hangers, put handles on paper towels, etc. Then head back to the main aisle and direct traffic again. You cannot effectively direct traffic if you are not in the main aisle. This is huge. Its awkward if you're not used to it, but it is Best Practice and its a good one. I so rarely see GSTLs do this and it is the best way to run the lanes. Give it a try!

 

[Retarget]

Our gstl's recently had a great idea for sf/cashiers to get carts after their breaks/lunches until the ca gets there.

Then they wanted flow/early morning tms to do it as well. Ever seen 20+ tm's getting ushered to get carts at 815-830 am right after the store opens? Mind you there's probably a grand total of 10 carts out there. Wasting 5 minutes of push/Br per person I'm this scenario is essentially throwing away an hour and a half of work. It's shenanigans like this that causes flow/br/pog/pc to fall behind.

Our gstl's have been on power trips ever since they got promoted. They are enraging to work with. Have you ever had to do a price check on a 79 cent fancy feast that the guest thought was 75 cents? Have you ever been coached for giving someone attitude about said price check? I have.

Tl;Dr ulv gstls are true nightmares

 

[SuzyTarget]

You guys must have a completely different store then mine. The cashiers or GSTL helping out on the floor with reshop or zone never happens. The other night there were 4 cashiers standing there talking, when I asked the gstl to burrow two of them for reshop I was told no. I explained they were doing nothing but of course she needed them for something. It's that crap along with 1.00 price checks and constant calls for back-up while people working on the front end are standing there. Perhaps you guys do run a great front end but I can tell you in MY store that the position could be eliminated and it wouldn't matter. For all of you guys saying 'come work in my shoes, you don't know what we go through', etc. Yes, I do.

sr--It does sound like your store culture is dysfunctional and I'm sorry you have to put up with that. I hope that changes for you.

OP--I feel slightly responsible for hijacking this thread which started out with such a simple question. However, I think the turn that it has taken emphasizes my original point about the value of strong communication. It promotes understanding, cooperation, respect and problem-solving and reduces the kind of misunderstanding and undervaluing of others' contributions that have been expressed here. Regardless of what area any TM works in we should all be pulling in the same direction even if we pull on different areas of the rope. So I guess my final point is--Geez, guys, quit being so mean to each other.

 

[Barcode]

There are somethings that you won't understand as a front end team member, if you've never had floor experience. One thing, as a sales floor team member, your primary job is also to help guests, if the whole floor is up on back-up, there is no one to bring the cashier a 12pk of toilet paper the guest forgot. No one to answer the phone calls, no one to answer call buttons.

Now, this next one goes for basically every other area of the floor. They each have a job to do. If they don't get it done, they will be held accountable. If no one responds for back-up, the whole store might get talked to, but no 1 team member is going to get coached on it. A team member WILL be coached if they don't complete all their workload. I'm not saying this is a good way to run a business, but unfortunately, that's the culture at Target. Don't blame the team members.

So, those of you who work at the front end. Use every resource available to you. Never sacrifice guest service, but don't take for granted those who come up to help. When I say don't take them for granted, I don't mean, say "thank you", I mean, respect their time and avoid having to call them if possible. Now, my last thing. This is to all GSTLs/GSAs , when you speed weave, do so from the main aisle. When you do this, direct guests to the shortest lanes, including small purchases to guest service. This is before you need back-up. If there are no guests to direct, walk to the lane, remove hangers, put handles on paper towels, etc. Then head back to the main aisle and direct traffic again. You cannot effectively direct traffic if you are not in the main aisle. This is huge. Its awkward if you're not used to it, but it is Best Practice and its a good one. I so rarely see GSTLs do this and it is the best way to run the lanes. Give it a try!

Yes sf has guests but not as many. I've done closing sales floor at my store (3-1130) and its mostly just pulls and zone. Sure some days are busier than others, but as a general rule the front end has more frequent service opportunities than sf.

Also you can be coached if you don't respond and you're not helping a guest. They might not call you out on 1, but if they notice you never respond they might eventually talk to you. Service is #1.

 

[AmICrazy]

Same thing everyday at my store.

Not the case at my store. If it is not myself and my softlines team there would no responding to calls.

 

[Retail Girl]

*sigh* So I spent a lot of time zoning soft lines tonight as we weren't busy. I enjoy doing it, but I couldn't help to think back to this thread and think that it ultimately may not even be appreciated by those I am trying to help.

 

[redandkhaki]

*sigh* So I spent a lot of time zoning soft lines tonight as we weren't busy. I enjoy doing it, but I couldn't help to think back to this thread and think that it ultimately may not even be appreciated by those I am trying to help.

If you were at my store it would be greatly appreciated! A lot of the things in this thread really pisses me off. I hope they did appreciate it and let you know!

 

[Retail Girl]

My GSA (who does some soft lines work and was the one who directed me that way) appreciated it.

 

[ISIS639]

Yes sf has guests but not as many. I've done closing sales floor at my store (3-1130) and its mostly just pulls and zone. Sure some days are busier than others, but as a general rule the front end has more frequent service opportunities than sf.

Also you can be coached if you don't respond and you're not helping a guest. They might not call you out on 1, but if they notice you never respond they might eventually talk to you. Service is #1.

Saying the SF has guests, but not as many, makes absolutely no sense. Where exactly do you think the guest going through the check lanes are getting their merchandise? For every guest who pushes a call button, there are probably 10 more who needed help, but didn't push the button. So many guests just give up and walk out without the merchandise they came in for!! There needs to be a constant presence on the sales floor. If as a SFTM, you weren't finding service opps, you weren't asking CIHYFS enough. If the guests at the check lanes see a long line, they might huff and puff, but people rarely walk out without their merchandise. If they can't find their merchandise in the first place, well that's a whole different story. I know you are/were a GSA. Think of your title as a whole. GUEST SERVICE attendant. Don't think of it as a front end attendant. Take it upon yourself to make sure every guest in the store gets great guest service. The ones on the sales floor and the ones on the front end (which are, coincidentally, the same guests). Do this by utilizing all your resources at the front end before pulling from the sales floor team and the other teams in the store. Don't count on the guest to come to guest service or use a phone to ask for help. They will more than likely just walk right out those doors, $50 still in their pocket.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

we have been having that issue also! we do all carry outs, respond first to all back up calls and cover the electronic and gstl breaks. and softlines normally has 2-3 more team members typically on any day than HL

Same thing everyday at my store.

Not the case at my store. If it is not myself and my softlines team there would no responding to calls.

To avoid misunderstanding, I do the same thing that user nicthay does..

 

[stupid rules]

*sigh* So I spent a lot of time zoning soft lines tonight as we weren't busy. I enjoy doing it, but I couldn't help to think back to this thread and think that it ultimately may not even be appreciated by those I am trying to help.

Oh it would be greatly appreciated at my store and we would let you know it!

 

[Barcode]

Saying the SF has guests, but not as many, makes absolutely no sense. Where exactly do you think the guest going through the check lanes are getting their merchandise? For every guest who pushes a call button, there are probably 10 more who needed help, but didn't push the button. So many guests just give up and walk out without the merchandise they came in for!! There needs to be a constant presence on the sales floor. If as a SFTM, you weren't finding service opps, you weren't asking CIHYFS enough. If the guests at the check lanes see a long line, they might huff and puff, but people rarely walk out without their merchandise. If they can't find their merchandise in the first place, well that's a whole different story. I know you are/were a GSA. Think of your title as a whole. GUEST SERVICE attendant. Don't think of it as a front end attendant. Take it upon yourself to make sure every guest in the store gets great guest service. The ones on the sales floor and the ones on the front end (which are, coincidentally, the same guests). Do this by utilizing all your resources at the front end before pulling from the sales floor team and the other teams in the store. Don't count on the guest to come to guest service or use a phone to ask for help. They will more than likely just walk right out those doors, $50 still in their pocket.

I service loop the sales floor every now and then, and i CIHYFS everyone around the entire racetrack and get maybe 2 people who need help... We just remodeled too lol. Service volume is much higher on the front end. We're always ringing people up/addressing guest issues. On sales floor you're not with a guest every second of your shift.. Anyways at my store when SF responds, someone else will cover that area of the stores' callboxes, and if the backup is big where 3-4 or more responders are needed, ETLs will usually either hop on or go out to the floor. If your ETLs aren't supporting your team during peak rushes, you might need new ETLs lol.

 

[sdoug2]

My STL was closing tonight and he did something so unbelievable to me. He decided that announcing over the walkie (on channel one) what our sales were so far for the night and how much more we needed to make that night. Obviously guests heard this and I know there were at least 2 sales floor team members on the register ringing out guests. So I thought this was crazy, but I was wondering what anyone else thought about this.

 

[StaticSun]

Remember - the STL can do whatever he/she pleases! Why? Because!

We announce unidentified sales, redcards, attachments, and sales data via the walkie if we don't have a physical huddle.

 

[sdoug2]

Yeah I know the STL does no wrong. We never have huddles, but I don't know, I just found it very odd and un guest friendly.

 

[cjllonewolf]

If you cannot appreciate the different challenges each workcenter faces and how we deal with them, I would highly recommend you hit the "Log Off" link on the top right hand side of this webpage and go take a walk, buddy. If you dare be so ignorant, I DARE you to go up to a GSTL in a different store and tell them you think they're a waste of payroll.

In that case, I really think the backroom day position should be eliminated, with the exception of 11-5. If they're not pulling CAFs, they don't need to be there! Right? If you need a guest check, a SFTM can do it!

And ya know what, let's eliminate the cart attendant while we're at it. Guests can do carryouts themselves! What about the stray carts? Let's do a wave-zone of the parking lot before we all clock out and we'll all grab carts.

GSTL/GSA? Yeah, whatever! Let's have the ETL-GE or the ETL-GE/Softlines take care of reviews, performance and attendance issues! We can have cashiers go do their own price checks. Speedweave? Pfft. Guests don't care what line they're in, as long as they eventually get out. Right? Oh, and the cashiers can take their breaks whenever they want. Need a supervisor override? Haha. Okay. Tell the LOD to stay at the checklanes all night. Or, give every cashier access to the changefund/supervisor override privileges. Nothing can go wrong, right?

After the night I just have, I could be a lot more uncivil and call you some really nasty names for being such an ignoramus. But, I'll let you figure out how I really feel about what you just said.

I'll be waiting for an apology for your super ignorant and downright disrespectful attitude.

Maybe at your store the GSTL pulls their weight but at ours they just stand around and tell us that the store is busy. I understand there may be more to it that sales floor is ignorant to but that completely pales in comparison to other workcenters' ignorance to what we deal with on the sales floor. Ill give you front end people a break and steer attention to your ugly cousin Logistics for a second. Logistics (at our store at least) is the only department that gets to pull from all other departments at the drop of a dime to finish their tasks, they never step in to help another department, and then have the balls to constantly cry about their workload. Sales floor has to pick up the slack for EVERY other department: Pricing, Plano, Logistics, Front End, Ad-set, etc. We dont get to dump our workload on anyone else because failing to complete our workload is not even an option. We stay til its done. Ill make you a deal, you wait for your apology and Ill work until I feel overwhelmed at the Front End...we'll see which one happens first

 

[Softlines Owns My Soul]

I've done a lot of work at guest service/cashier/softlines...

They all are very important, and I understand the need for backup calls and the need for the sales floor to respond promptly. However, someone noted before that the sales floor TMs might be worried that they will be coached for not getting their zone and reshop done (not working with a sense of urgency) if they're constantly getting taken away for backup. It really is an issue. Our store now has backup times for our sales floor closers (each TM gets an hour where they are responsible for answering any calls for backup). Usually one from softlines and one from hardlines will suffice. If they're really busy a GSA can hop on or someone is available from guest service. Problem solved.

 

[planoguy]

There is so much I want to say in response to several remarks in this thread but they honestly don't really deserve an explanation. Until you come work in my shoes at my store you honestly don't know what i do for my entire shift. So for you to say that they should get rid of my position is really insulting.

Wish this had a like button

 

[planoguy]

My STL and ETLs are usually the first to respond to backups if they are close...great leading by example!

 

[researchr]

My STL and ETLs are usually the first to respond to backups if they are close...great leading by example!

Last week we were light on the sales floor (I know, shocking). We were getting long lines and our STL called all ETLs up for backup and left the sales floor alone. It was awesome!

 

[Redrunner]

I know this is going to sound awful... Occasionally I am too strapped on time to back up. When I am in the back corner with a tub of shelves/fixtures/merchandise it is difficult to drop all items to run to the front to check out one or two people and then run back... And repeat 5 or 6 times.