To that one Team Member - II

[Tessa120]

One thing I always wondered. Is it the front end is horribly understaffed? Or is it just really easy to ask for people, knowing one's decision likely won't be questioned, when a rush is actually manageable but the front end will have to work a little harder to clear it?

 

[happygoth]

True enough. But it really bugs me that it's all one-way, even when there are NO guests for cashiers to be checking out.
Can they grab a few reshop items close to the front end and take care of them? Can they maybe straighten some of the clothing tables or pick up a hanging item that's fallen to the floor - in the apparel section directly across from them? Can they help the DBO stocking One Spot - who's the closest to respond for back-up when it's needed?
Nope, sorry, but they can stand around and chat.
I actually kind of like cashiering for short stretches. But when I get stuck on a lane for 45 minutes and don't get my truck pushed? Not so much.

Yeah, it's hard for me to have sympathy for front end when they call for backup with three people at GS doing nothing. Or you get there and there's no line. Or you see them playing games or scrolling on their phones, yet they have "no time" to sort and hang reshop properly. Pffft.

 

[happygoth]

One thing I always wondered. Is it the front end is horribly understaffed? Or is it just really easy to ask for people, knowing one's decision likely won't be questioned, when a rush is actually manageable but the front end will have to work a little harder to clear it?

It is often the latter, seen it with my own eyes. It gets to be a "boy who cried wolf' situation sometimes.

 

[lucidtm]

It is often the latter, seen it with my own eyes. It gets to be a "boy who cried wolf' situation sometimes.

This. They call immediately when maybe ONE person is waiting and there are 3 lanes open so that later on, when they DO need help and call for it they get mad that no one is responding and an ETL has to get involved. How about stop calling us when it's unnecessary. Recently they did it and the SD noticed. He was not amused, thankfully, and told them to basically make better choices. Did they? Nope. But it was still awesome.

 

[IWishIKnew]

One thing I always wondered. Is it the front end is horribly understaffed? Or is it just really easy to ask for people, knowing one's decision likely won't be questioned, when a rush is actually manageable but the front end will have to work a little harder to clear it?

Yeah, this is what pisses me off the most. I've complained about SETLs calling for backup (2-3 TMs, even) when there's nobody waiting past the end of the checklanes (even with social distancing) and there are self checkouts open and neither of the SETLs are on a lane themselves or checking with service desk/OPU for backup.

This would be most of our SETLs, by the way. There's one of them that I will respond to because I know she respects our time, but most of them do not. It irritates the fuck out of me.

 

[TheCartGuy]

Yeah, this is what pisses me off the most. I've complained about SETLs calling for backup (2-3 TMs, even) when there's nobody waiting past the end of the checklanes (even with social distancing) and there are self checkouts open and neither of the SETLs are on a lane themselves or checking with service desk/OPU for backup.

This would be most of our SETLs, by the way. There's one of them that I will respond to because I know she respects our time, but most of them do not. It irritates the fuck out of me.

The same goes for the front end ETL. I wish mine respected the cart attendant's time, but alas...

 

[StyleMaven]

True enough. But it really bugs me that it's all one-way, even when there are NO guests for cashiers to be checking out.
Can they grab a few reshop items close to the front end and take care of them? Can they maybe straighten some of the clothing tables or pick up a hanging item that's fallen to the floor - in the apparel section directly across from them? Can they help the DBO stocking One Spot - who's the closest to respond for back-up when it's needed?
Nope, sorry, but they can stand around and chat.
I actually kind of like cashiering for short stretches. But when I get stuck on a lane for 45 minutes and don't get my truck pushed? Not so much.

For a very short time, cashiers at my store were asked to help with tables and hanging clothes on the very front isle of softlines, directly facing check lanes. Nothing major. Just grab the hardlines stray off the front tables, straighten the folded, pick the hanging up off the floor. And, only during slow times, if possible. They moaned and groaned. Did the worst, half-assed jobs possible (really, hanging a shirt on a hanger shouldn't require a full training session). Then were told that they didn't need to help anymore.
I think one of the cashiers was being spiteful. She was softlines before being moved to cashier. I'm told she was moved out of softlines because she was lazy.
Some of our cashiers shop softlines and destroy it. I was recently folding my jeans wall when a cashier came and started pulling every pair of her size jeans out of the stacks. She crumpled them up and shoved them back, messing up everything. I asked her what was up? She said "what? I'm shopping." Disgusting behaviour. We're co-workers. Show some common decency!

 

[PerishSong]

TTOTL- LORD was it exhilarating having you come stampeding at me demanding to know why I was on my phone, and threatening to WRITE ME UP and we haven't even TALKED/BEEN INTRODUCED prior to that day!! Couldn't even be ASSED to apologize once you realized I was on LUNCH. The only difference between you and I is a grid and probably about a dollar pay difference. I PROMISE there are bigger fish to fry than trying to bully some newbie zoning out by the cheezits.


I feel like I should mention that literally 90% of my TL's have been absolutely amazing and I swear I'm not dunking on them, this one is just uhhhh VERY excited to prove herself, I guess.

 

[IWishIKnew]

For a very short time, cashiers at my store were asked to help with tables and hanging clothes on the very front isle of softlines, directly facing check lanes. Nothing major. Just grab the hardlines stray off the front tables, straighten the folded, pick the hanging up off the floor. And, only during slow times, if possible. They moaned and groaned. Did the worst, half-assed jobs possible (really, hanging a shirt on a hanger shouldn't require a full training session). Then were told that they didn't need to help anymore.
I think one of the cashiers was being spiteful. She was softlines before being moved to cashier. I'm told she was moved out of softlines because she was lazy.
Some of our cashiers shop softlines and destroy it. I was recently folding my jeans wall when a cashier came and started pulling every pair of her size jeans out of the stacks. She crumpled them up and shoved them back, messing up everything. I asked her what was up? She said "what? I'm shopping." Disgusting behaviour. We're co-workers. Show some common decency!

On the very rare occasions when we have an extra cashier, they generally set them to doing hardlines abandons. Most of them prefer it and complain about having to go back to cashiering.

We used to have extra help slightly more often (eg weekly, instead of monthly) but with modernization they stopped letting us overschedule cashiers knowing that several call in every day. Super annoying.

 

[Captain Orca]

The mere mention of the phrase "write you up" is without a doubt nauseating and unprofessional. When a leader (can't stomach that one either) threatens to "write you up" you basically are fucked for your career as long as (they) are on board. They are looking for "points" from their superiors (another sickening word) and will shove a sharpened #2 pencil into your eye for the slightest praise.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

To my favorite etl's, thanks for helping out flex all day!

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Thanks to the tech & style for supporting flex teams today. We had call offs in flex.

 

[BurgerBob]

I amazed flex tm by just being like "hand me your device I'll do your tech shopping" I had their whole batch of 10 items done in 2 minutes. Vs watching them walk back and forth from their cart then finding me for another item.

 

[RedcardRebel]

TTOTM: I appreciate that you took time out of putting your bare feet up on the team leads chairs, waiting for your shift to end, to talk about me to my own people. You don't even know my name even though I say hello to you all the time. You probably addressed me as something disrespectful because you have no filter and no common workplace decency. I only hope that you find a productive hobby for all the extra time you have to put your feet up and talk about your coworkers for no reason. If only you knew what all they say about you. Have a blessed one.

Id like to also add a positive.

TTOTM: I am so happy you are finally being developed. You are an asset to this team and always have everyone's back no matter what you are doing! You are every example of what a TL should be and I can't wait to see you finally claim the spot you've earned. You did things the right way and it is finally paying off. Congratulations! You inspire me!

 

[seasonaldude]

TTOTM: THANK YOU! Your productivity has always been the lowest on the team, but you're still an asset because you know how to find things. We were swamped today and you really stepped up picking more units by far than you've ever picked before. And, you did it keeping your INFs below 3%. Do you now get what I told you? The trick to OPUs is that picking more leads to lower INFs as long as you are looking for things efficiently. I really appreciate what you did today. So much so, that after you left when our ETL asked how things were going I started off by singling you out for praise. We could not have kept up with orders without you today.

 

[IWishIKnew]

TTOSD: This may be hard to believe, but our store actually functioned quite well before you came around, so the level of micromanaging you've been showing, particularly of the front end, is kind of insulting. Our SETLs are more than capable, believe me, of calling for backup when needed, and it's really not necessary to call one us up from the floor every time there's a guest waiting.

Also, two of the SETLs on today responded to you about line busting the grocery SCO line, so there was really no need to call out the third SETL by name 30 seconds later because "someone really needs to deal with this line." I'm not sure if your previous store was small, or what, but it does actually take a minute or so to make it from one side of the store to the other, and it was pretty damn rude to call someone else after the others had already responded.