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

[AngryElec]

So what do your veteran pog members do the other 6 days they aren't doing pogs? I can't imagine they hang around for one day a week. I've been at Target 15 years, 12 as pog/signing, I wouldn't stay at anything less than 38 hours week.

Welcome to Modernization, pog teams don't exist anymore!

Also they haven't existed at our store for like 2 years now after the last ones quit, they canablized us from a couple other departments. As I said, two of us are Electronics, one was electronics, then GSA, and now is Grocery. The other is an Ex gsa, and is now guest service.

 

[unknown]

The last three sets had each of us veteran Plano members paired with another person who was taught beginning to end on how to work. There were 3 regular plano members (Two of us electronics, and another is kind of a wildcard...there's a fourth veteran joined in usually as well but works with the other old electronics worker because they work well togetheR). We each get our pairs and do our teaching.

I mean, what do those veteran Plano members do the rest of the week? Do they work?

 

[AngryElec]

I mean, what do those veteran Plano members do the rest of the week? Do they work?

Yes, I'm a 40 hour Electronics TM, another is a 32-40 hour TM, another is close to 40 hour, and the last...has weird availability so they get the same hours they've always gotten

 

[Send me a sign]

I saw the truck arrive.

My pallet was nicely built.

The one behind mine was tipping over. I'm so sorry for whatever store is getting that.

When I took off one of my huge Cat & Jack boxes, I came across a squished BLT underneath it. I felt bad for the poor guy who was packing my pallet while eating his lunch and then suddenly his sammie disappeared.

 

[Llamanatee]

I mean, what do those veteran Plano members do the rest of the week? Do they work?

Not at my store. Most of them have quit because of it.

 

[AngryElec]

So, what is actually kind of crazy to me is that at our store, we used to kind of hate it, but then I come on here and you guys are way worse off than us....and I hear stories from other stores in the district and they are way worse off....are we the shiniest turd in the toilet?

 

[unknown]

So, what is actually kind of crazy to me is that at our store, we used to kind of hate it, but then I come on here and you guys are way worse off than us....and I hear stories from other stores in the district and they are way worse off....are we the shiniest turd in the toilet?

I can't answer fully because we are in flux at my store. We still have two price change tm. As for pog, there's me, another tm, and the tl. But that'll change soon. I'm good with changes. But like I said, if my hours drop, I'm gone.

We supplement heavy weeks with a trained person from sfs and another from the front end.

My best guess is that stores will have trouble keeping knowledgeable TMS if they can't find them hours. My opinion.

 

[AngryElec]

I can't answer fully because we are in flux at my store. We still have two price change tm. As for pog, there's me, another tm, and the tl. But that'll change soon. I'm good with changes. But like I said, if my hours drop, I'm gone.

We supplement heavy weeks with a trained person from sfs and another from the front end.

My best guess is that stores will have trouble keeping knowledgeable TMS if they can't find them hours. My opinion.

So, don't take this the wrong way cause I don't know you whatsoever

I find that, at least at our store, people who are losing hours are the ones who are not doing their job properly or efficiently. Everyone else is getting tons more hours than ever before, the only ones who have low hours are the underperforming individuals. People that were in random areas have since moved into departments now and we are moving strongly with the changes for Modernization. If they did not have the availability required for the modernization changes, they were cut, yes, but the regular pushers from truck now get full shifts even in the departments they were put to. Pricing has moved into departments (with all departments owning their own pricing)...

But as reiterated, hours with us is usually due to bad performance, and usually one is too confident in themselves to be able to objectively give themselves a proper review. But I mean if your leaders all think you're great nad you're still getting trashed....bad management

 

[SigningLady]

Oh, apologies for the misunderstanding. So we actually usually do this pretty strategically. So most of the time we manage to swap each others aisles. So sometimes one entire aisle is staged and worked on last, maybe a flat or a uboat full of product. Then one team sets that empty aisle, as it's all moved into the next it keeps clearing up the next aisle. Most people are able to swap items, some things fit on an a flat with an 2 or 3 boxes high. OTC worked pretty much like that for us. There's usually not that much and the floor is about half cleaned up by open at 8 (after four hours of work) with us working vehicles off the floor from there

Gotcha. The flat full of repacks wouldn't work for us, mostly because none of us (TLs and ETLs included) do not want to start that early in the day anymore. Life priorities have changed for us all. And our OTC area is heavily shopped all day long so having to take time to dig through boxes kills our efficiency so we avoid it as much as possible. We manage pretty well; our STL is always amazed at how little we tear apart/demerch an area when transitioning.

I'm struggling with seeing many of our other current team members learning Plano (there is a small group in hardlines that have been trained on salesplans at least). There's a reason we haven't tried to cross train them already when we've had heavier weeks and needed more people- they just don't have the capacity to get it. Some have tried and it didn't work out, others just annoy the shit out of us and we don't want to be stuck working with them all day, lol.

However, given we will continue to have a transition team and those team members will only be responsible for salesplans and revisions, it may not be so bad. They can't mess those up too much.

 

[AngryElec]

No offense but that kind of mindset is going to stunt your transition going forward into Modernization. You are personally stunting your other team members from learning their duties, as a transition team should also consist of some of the members from that department. Like Beauty TM's helped with Beauty transition, so on so forth. As they keep saying, everyone has to learn to do everything

 

[SigningLady]

No offense but that kind of mindset is going to stunt your transition going forward into Modernization. You are personally stunting your other team members from learning their duties, as a transition team should also consist of some of the members from that department. Like Beauty TM's helped with Beauty transition, so on so forth. As they keep saying, everyone has to learn to do everything

No offense taken; I fully recognize with modernization there will be things I have to adapt to. Some come easier than others for me.

Guess I'll have to see how my store wants to play this out. With Beauty and more recently electronics, the TL of both helped set a few of the pogs but anyone else she had scheduled from those teams for the transition only helped with fillback, pulls, and backstock. Team members in both those areas do know how to set salesplans and revisions at least.

Transition guides for both those sets only gave direction that those teams should "partner with the presentation team" for the Transition. They did not spell out exactly how to do that so we planned out what we felt worked best for us. Both sets went exceedingly well, but I do realize we are not fully modernized yet so that likely played a part.

You've definitely made me think about where my store is at on the journey to fully modernized and now I have more questions for my TL on how we are going to execute workload going forward. Thanks!

 

[Iknowstuff]

Anyone else not able to print transitions / Early set notes? I get the first page and 16 blank pages

 

[unknown]

Anyone else not able to print transitions / Early set notes? I get the first page and 16 blank pages

Haven't had that issue yet. But they are still sending more copies of the small screen TV pog. That's about 30 copies so far.

How modern of Target to waste paper and resources.

 

[Far from newbie]

Anyone else not able to print transitions / Early set notes? I get the first page and 16 blank pages

You are not alone, same here.

 

[SugarSugar]

Anyone else not able to print transitions / Early set notes? I get the first page and 16 blank pages

I had similar issue when printing in Chrome. Try viewing it using Adobe Acrobat if you have that or another program.

 

[oath2order]

4AM POG SET TOMORROW FOR WHATEVER CRACK-ADDLED REASON YAY

 

[AngryElec]

4am shifts are the best shifts :/. Who wants to set transition while guests are in the way

 

[oath2order]

4am shifts are the best shifts :/. Who wants to set transition while guests are in the way

I'm annoyed because it's Sunday and there's no reason for it.

 

[GreasyGary]

I'm annoyed because it's Sunday and there's no reason for it.

Idk, some of our flips in OTC were pretty crazy. We debated going 4am.

Unless you meant no need for the Sunday thing. In which case, I might agree, but there's a new First Aid brand launch that they wanted out by this weekend, so if you guys didn't get that out this weekend, then I guess it would be needed.

 

[oath2order]

Idk, some of our flips in OTC were pretty crazy. We debated going 4am.

Unless you meant no need for the Sunday thing. In which case, I might agree, but there's a new First Aid brand launch that they wanted out by this weekend, so if you guys didn't get that out this weekend, then I guess it would be needed.

Yes, no need for Sunday.

We got Welly out and the Gilette/Vera Bradley endcap. Both before the weekend.

 

[GreasyGary]

Yes, no need for Sunday.

We got Welly out and the Gilette/Vera Bradley endcap. Both before the weekend.

Ok yeah then there really is no need. I'm guessing they just scheduled it that way a couple of weeks back when the word came down that there was a Sunday launch and never looked back.

On the bright side, you'll only be on an open salesfloor for 4 hours of a Sunday morning!

 

[oath2order]

Ok yeah then there really is no need. I'm guessing they just scheduled it that way a couple of weeks back when the word came down that there was a Sunday launch and never looked back.

On the bright side, you'll only be on an open salesfloor for 4 hours of a Sunday morning!

True.

It's also 4AM to 12:30PM Monday Tuesday and Wednesday.

I know inventory is on Thursday but like there's really no need.

I am kind of happy I get to do new releases for four hours before we open.

 

[gsa4lyfe]

Gotcha. The flat full of repacks wouldn't work for us, mostly because none of us (TLs and ETLs included) do not want to start that early in the day anymore. Life priorities have changed for us all. And our OTC area is heavily shopped all day long so having to take time to dig through boxes kills our efficiency so we avoid it as much as possible. We manage pretty well; our STL is always amazed at how little we tear apart/demerch an area when transitioning.

I'm struggling with seeing many of our other current team members learning Plano (there is a small group in hardlines that have been trained on salesplans at least). There's a reason we haven't tried to cross train them already when we've had heavier weeks and needed more people- they just don't have the capacity to get it. Some have tried and it didn't work out, others just annoy the shit out of us and we don't want to be stuck working with them all day, lol.

However, given we will continue to have a transition team and those team members will only be responsible for salesplans and revisions, it may not be so bad. They can't mess those up too much.

I try not to tear down more than 8 feet. I typically plan it out so I can pull down 4 feet and then set and remerch as I go. I did the cough and cold early to get a head start and only had to take down the cough drops. It’s an easy product to dig through if a guest wants some and I always feel bad at my old store when they would tear down an entire aisle to set.

 

[SigningLady]

I try not to tear down more than 8 feet. I typically plan it out so I can pull down 4 feet and then set and remerch as I go. I did the cough and cold early to get a head start and only had to take down the cough drops. It’s an easy product to dig through if a guest wants some and I always feel bad at my old store when they would tear down an entire aisle to set.

That is how I try to plan out too. As little demerched as possible.

We started with setting cough/cold pogs first too. Set the lipcare endcap, moved those items out of inline, then started setting that section since it was empty. Only had to demerch 8ft onto a tub for a couple hours to set 24ft (2 pogs) and all the product was easily accessible on the tub, no repacks needed. DTL was in for a visit and couldn't even tell we were doing a pog, thought it was just a revision, lol.

 

[oath2order]

Tampons and pads stayed same, did those.

Moved condoms and pregnancy into where diabetes and some of digestive care was. Moved diabetes and the two sections of digestive to where diapers were. Moved liners to the shrunken pads.

Male diapers went to diabetes, female diapers went to the old condoms, pregnancy, and liners.

Setting the middle shit tomorrow.