MEGATHREAD Signing Tips, Tricks and Quips (along with howls of despair)

[greydot]

I just got everything yesterday. I am swamped with boxes. I got two ISM pallets, one DTS pallet of holiday/misc large late signs/IHP shippers, and two large seasonal focal boxes through Fed Ex. also got about 5 huge boxes of holiday monday - no pallet, right off the truck. I feel like i have about 30 boxes for the Premium Wrap. Anyone else? a lot of the large kits I got two boxes of (same kit/job #) as well. i hope they're not dups.

i think i have to build my way out.

 

[ISM Master]

I just got everything yesterday. I am swamped with boxes. I got two ISM pallets, one DTS pallet of holiday/misc large late signs/IHP shippers, and two large seasonal focal boxes through Fed Ex. also got about 5 huge boxes of holiday monday - no pallet, right off the truck. I feel like i have about 30 boxes for the Premium Wrap. Anyone else? a lot of the large kits I got two boxes of (same kit/job #) as well. i hope they're not dups.

i think i have to build my way out.

Have a lot of big boxes too. They keep rolling off the truck too. Got the late signs yesterday from FedEx and a few boxes off last night's truck.

Luckily I had time this week and started to build some of the signing. Hopefully nothing else comes in.

 

[commiecorvus]

Have a lot of big boxes too. They keep rolling off the truck too. Got the late signs yesterday from FedEx and a few boxes off last night's truck.

Luckily I had time this week and started to build some of the signing. Hopefully nothing else comes in.

Wow, what I wouldn't give for some spare time.
It doesn't even look too promising next week either with what seems like a ton of softlines revisions.

I have discovered what is actually worse than babysitting the plano team.
That is having part time team members that we have brought on due to the huge work load from the price accuracy and backroom teams, who were trained (with Spot's usual lazy fair attitude) way to quickly.
They don't know when they need to call me so I walk by and find out that a set they are working on that I have backer paper for already has most of the pegs up.
Or the signing needs to be put in behind the product and they've already pushed it.
I love my job, I love my job, I job ... who am I kidding, I need a drink.

 

[dek067]

Wow, what I wouldn't give for some spare time.
It doesn't even look too promising next week either with what seems like a ton of softlines revisions.

I have discovered what is actually worse than babysitting the plano team.
That is having part time team members that we have brought on due to the huge work load from the price accuracy and backroom teams, who were trained (with Spot's usual lazy fair attitude) way to quickly.
They don't know when they need to call me so I walk by and find out that a set they are working on that I have backer paper for already has most of the pegs up.
Or the signing needs to be put in behind the product and they've already pushed it.
I love my job, I love my job, I job ... who am I kidding, I need a drink.

only if you share with the rest of us
ditto on the help. my etl asked what hltm i wanted to help during TAT. the last one just talked repeatedly and wandered around being bossy to people who didn't know any better. i'd rather struggle mentally with the threat of not finishing than babysit. plus the etl uses pog as a salesfloor crash course.
oh, and the trend aisle shippers for the set next week... SERIOUSLY ANNOYING. i mean, lets send something in a million pieces that will not work exactly right because of the product size (even when moving the dividers).

 

[greydot]

only if you share with the rest of us
ditto on the help. my etl asked what hltm i wanted to help during TAT. the last one just talked repeatedly and wandered around being bossy to people who didn't know any better. i'd rather struggle mentally with the threat of not finishing than babysit. plus the etl uses pog as a salesfloor crash course.
oh, and the trend aisle shippers for the set next week... SERIOUSLY ANNOYING. i mean, lets send something in a million pieces that will not work exactly right because of the product size (even when moving the dividers).

My old TL used to be able to pick out the good people to help out Plano during heavy workloads by haggling with other TLs and knowing the schedule and who was good. This one just takes whatever drek isn't currently on the salesfloor schedule (its usually for a reason). And our best salesplanner person just termed. now i've spent the past two days holding the hands of the two HLTMs thrown into the salesplanner nightmare/focal-palooza that is going on.

Trend run shippers.....SUCH big boxes. so much plexi. I'm doing the intimates and sporting goods shippers tomorrow, and going from there.

What has everyone built so far? How did it go? Problems/concerns? Today I had a "cleanup" day which was well over a week overdue. Still have to do my paperwork from this week and last and also figure out the build time on everything since all i've been hearing is "so when are you going to be finished? Can i get a time on that?"

 

[ISM Master]

What has everyone built so far? How did it go? Problems/concerns? Today I had a "cleanup" day which was well over a week overdue. Still have to do my paperwork from this week and last and also figure out the build time on everything since all i've been hearing is "so when are you going to be finished? Can i get a time on that?"

Built the three intimate shippers. Built the wrapping paper bins (same as last year), tree wrap bin endcap, ribbon and bow holders, and the tree pots stand. Still have the two large focals to build, the Rockefeller tree stand bin, and the Christmas trees. Plus whatever else comes in. Haven't built any of the trend run bins yet since we haven't set them yet. Probably get to them early next week since our store is a little behind with these huge workload weeks.

Next week's workload looks heavy because of all the saleplanners (a lot of focals), trend runs, and softlines.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

Finished most of Christmas today, except 2 wrapping (yawn) & the Trend runs. Guess that will be tomorrows task.

Rockefeller tree stand bin??? I got 2 Rockefeller boxes, but when I opened them, they were only top of tree and bottom of tree ornaments for decorating. Am I missing something?

Good idea to prebuild the Rear Seasonal overhead stars. When you first fold them, they don't stay "popped" out. I have mine laying on the ground with a slight weight on them to hopefully fix the problem. We'll see........

 

[ISM Master]

Finished most of Christmas today, except 2 wrapping (yawn) & the Trend runs. Guess that will be tomorrows task.

Rockefeller tree stand bin??? I got 2 Rockefeller boxes, but when I opened them, they were only top of tree and bottom of tree ornaments for decorating. Am I missing something?

Good idea to prebuild the Rear Seasonal overhead stars. When you first fold them, they don't stay "popped" out. I have mine laying on the ground with a slight weight on them to hopefully fix the problem. We'll see........

From looking at the visual adjacency, it looked like the Rockefeller tree sat on something. Either a table or a stand of some sort. Haven't opened any of those boxes. I know I have the blue and green focals to build.

For building the overhead stars I pressed them flat before attaching the adhesive tape.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

From looking at the visual adjacency, it looked like the Rockefeller tree sat on something. Either a table or a stand of some sort. Haven't opened any of those boxes. I know I have the blue and green focals to build.

For building the overhead stars I pressed them flat before attaching the adhesive tape.

I flattened mine out too, but I may have the tape too tight, or the severe angles was intentional? Oh well....

Think all this is bad, wait until more comes next week!!:hysteric:

 

[greydot]

All you guys talk about building I am anxious to get this stuff built. I have to sit on it for a bit though since once their built there is no place to store them and they will linger for an entire week unless Halloween is absolutely decimated this weekend. The visual adjacency has the Tree coded as a table on the map, but in the pictures it is unclear. If anyone knows for sure, let the rest of us know. I hope my pallets come late - like Tuesday or Wednesday, that will give me time to tetris this stuff around and make it all fit. I can't even think about overheads until the week of Halloween, I definitely don't have space to store them at all.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

There is a free standing table with a 4' Thick cardboard tree in the middle. Its the one that we had $1 ornaments on it last year. Took about 2-3 hours to build. If you start on anything early, do the 10/21 trend runs, and begin the wrapping paper. Just one box of wrapping has a 7 hour build time (actual time was less but still lots of work for very little results) . I got 3 of those plus an endcap.

I keep getting more and more Christmas boxes arriving every day. 2 more Large boxes today.

Spent all day doing the displays, PPAs, 3x5s for small appliances. Got 0 pre-building done.

 

[commiecorvus]

I'm beginning to wonder if the boxes are going to stop.
I'm not going to have anyplace to put the stuff I have to build because it's already taken up with boxes.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

Definitely seems like it wasn't well planned. I'm lucky enough to have the space this year, but its going to be a struggle to implement the 10/21 kits and pre build the 10/28 kits at the same time.

 

[ISM Master]

Hopefully I have gotten all the boxes already. I've already built the wrapping paper bins, wrapping paper bin endcap, the step for the other wrapping paper aisle, tree pot stand, bow and ribbon shelf holder, and rear seasonal overheads. I know checklanes is coming up to set so hopefully I can use that time to build since they will not need me. The only ones I know I haven't gotten in yet are the overheads and endcap tree toppers that go all around the store. Saw the layout in the instructions that came with the rear seasonal overhead signs. We've only gotten in about 6-7 tree displays in off the truck so hopefully more come in this weekend and I can build them all at once next week.

The first thing I will do next week is build the trend run signs/fixtures. I think I also have to put up the Nate Berkus focal signs/backerpaper since I don't think my PTL knows that it comes out on Sunday.

 

[greydot]

Luckily Berkus *officially* wasn't street dated (workbench message posted on Friday) so ours is all already out. No special overheads so that saves me from a Sunday morning shift. We have intimates and checklanes so hopfully that will give me some solid build time. From what everyone else has mentioned it seems like I will start with the Trend runs, then move on to Prem Wrap, and finish with the Focals. I had two intimates bins - I hope there's not another one lingering somewhere. Its really interesting to see really how different the order we all have for our workloads. Sm App was done a week early at my store, but I have yet to get the Vac plano back so I have that order still sitting on TIPP. We will see next week if all the late-to store App Displays come in. Received one so far.

All my holiday signing took up two solid pallet spaces, and then the oversized pallet that the intimates bins/trend boxes came on. It seems like almost every box I had was for Premium Wrap...so many.

 

[commiecorvus]

Anybody else missing pieces from their shippers.
I've had two that have come without pieces missing.

 

[greydot]

I was all set up for today. Everything was staged. My area was completely swept, and ready to go today. Come in this morning and its trashed. I call my TL over to witness just so the time I spend cleaning it up is justified and they go "Oh yeah, we couldn't find xyz over the weekend....."

Great start. More and more shippers keep arriving. I pulled most of the trends today. They went fine save for the one I separated on Friday - I set all the plexi parts aside and when I came in this morning they were nowhere to be found. Does anyone know why the "williamsburg" trend is so big? Or is it a focal? maybe I got them confused. Basically I just stacked three days worth of boxes on a flatbed, and am just working down the pile.

 

[ISM Master]

So far not missing anything, although almost every big box of mine is busted open on the sides. Got in more boxes today (about 11 boxes of overhead signs and the baking endcap). Going to try to build the Christmas focals tomorrow, but I am running out of room. I don't even know where I am going to store the display trees yet.

The Williamsburg is a trend run. There are 4 shippers and four small shelves that need to be built. That's why the box is so big.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

Done with the 21st-28th......Unless more flows in tomorrow!
Commie, I was missing the tops/signholder of the FOL shippers and the instructions for the pegged IHP shipper(that was fun), otherwise, all the rest were complete.

Also missing a couple red wraps for the wrapping paper endcap. Probably laying somewhere in receiving where the boxes busted open.

My vote for the best kit was the Baking Focal. All the pieces fit together perfectly and the instructions were right on.

Worst was the shippers. Those side clips kept sliding out (not glued) or glued in backwards. Pieces didn't line up easily, Very flimsy end result.

Anyone start the signs for the 4th? Problems??

 

[ISM Master]

I'm done building everything but the display trees, which I will try to start tomorrow. I put the endcap tree toppers up today. Hopefully I can start hanging overheads around the racetrack at the end of the week. I know its early but next week is going to be just as busy.

Haven't received the gifting trees for softlines yet for the 4th. Just when I thought that most of the building was done, my PTL shows me a picture of the trees and asks if we had them yet. Looks like next week will be finishing up the overheads, building the softline trees, and building the mini seasonal shippers. Plus all the regular plano signs and the new price match signs. Hope there's no new surprises waiting.

 

[greydot]

Well, I am officially out of space. I build the baking focal tomorrow, but after that its all only Jenga for the rest of the week. Unless I talk to my LOG ETL and for some reason he lets me take like 3-4 pallet spaces, but I doubt that. I hope Halloween gets absolutely decimated. I doubt it from how its going, but if we can move the focals to the floor Monday that will be my only hope to not seeing everything I've built completely smashed.

Didn't like the red style shippers they sent out. The clips didn't have a great alignment and made it a giant PITA (turns out leaving the kickplate til last made it WAY easier). Built the cuddle-duds shipper early on and saw that the insert was mis-aligned and problematic. THEN I found the replacement part. Oh well. The price matching signs should be interesting, and by interesting I mean - a four hour excursion that I didn't factor into my plans for Monday.

 

[commiecorvus]

Built the cuddle-duds shipper early on and saw that the insert was mis-aligned and problematic. THEN I found the replacement part.

Yep. Same thing happened to me.

Got more stuff today. I hope this is it or I am so screwed.
I've built all the shippers, going to do the baking focal tomorrow.

 

[dek067]

hey guys! hope everyone's not suffering from cardboard gashes!

what do you do if your entire signing/fixtue pallet comes in damaged? our rlog refused it, but the etl said we had to accept it and fill in a damage report piece by piece. problem---it didn't have any type of paperwork with it. the rlog is uncomfortable because he said he signs the sheet stating it is wrapped and in good condition when we accept it, and he thinks the store is out of $$ just reordering it if we do that. ours was not wrapped and completely crushed, with a lot of the fixtures looking like pancakes. thanks as always for the help!

 

[commiecorvus]

If you order the pieces right away and put in that they were damaged you don't get charged for them.

Also you can file a report, just like a standard report that they file for damaged pallets.
The question is will it amount to anything.
We did one a couple of months ago and so far, nothing.

 

[greydot]

If you have items come to you damaged you can reorder them on TIPP at no cost to your store. Make sure when you order on TIPP that the pull-down menu for "damaged" is selected.

What Target wants you to do in this situation is go through everything you have, find what is not damaged and use that and then only order what you need based on the individual instruction sheets. This is the most cost-effective measure and works find for missing a piece or two. However we all know how incredibly impractical this is especially in cases such as these which happen ridiculously often. In this case I would say pull up your online packslip. This will have your listing of all your ISM materials and cartons. From here you will get your carton names and numbers. Find out if anything is salvageable (by the carton) since the less you are missing the better. Go onto MySupport and submit a support for damaged/missing signs/fixtures. Have you Carton name and Job number for everything you need replaced. Submit what you are missing. Stress that the pallet was completely destroyed. Tell them that you need an immediate replacement carton sent to store ASAP. They will usually respond with "here is a link to the instruction sheet on TIPP, please reorder what you are missing". Which is insane. Could you imagine reordering one of those focals individually piece by piece? I usually have good luck reporting the carton numbers. Be firm, polite, and stress the urgent nature of your need to have new cartons sent to store. If you must you may have to order it via TIPP piece by piece but you can try to avoid that this way. Also - since it is no cost to your store if you have to do that do each carton on a separate order so that you order form is will also serve as your needed materials for when it comes in.

Also if they don't give you the answer you like always provide feedback and if necessary you can try and see if your STL will escalate it. I know for BTC I had this issue and they sent me the cartons after my MySupport requests. Just make sure you check them and stay on top of them, and even resubmit if you have to.