Archived Unorganized ETLs and Other Complaints

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diamond92

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Anyone else feel that the ETLs at their store really just don't care about team members? I'm a new hardlines team member and according to my training schedule, today was my last day of training. I have a full 8-hour the next time I'm supposed to come in, but I have something I wanted to go to so I put my shift on the swap shift board a week in advance and someone took it. It wasn't until today (a day before the shift) that an ETL signed off on it even though I've been constantly reminding that the signing off needed to be done.

When I approached a certain ETL today, she said that this looks bad on my part because I should have put my shift up sooner. I don't know how this even matters because someone took it, and it's her fault for not paying attention to the board until today. Not only that, but she had the audacity to say that because I'm still training (according to my paper and online schedule, I am not training anymore but whatever), I can't just give up a shift so I will have to make it up later. I don't see the big deal, since I've been performing pretty well lately and have even gotten good remarks from other ETLs.

Something else that annoyed me was when another ETL had the nerve to say "we need 29 more REDcards today, I know we can do it!" Easier said than done. I do not ask "guests" if they want a REDcard when I am up at the register anymore because I literally don't give a fuck. And I have finally experienced the annoying congratulatory messages given over the walkies when a certain team member has had a guest sign up for a REDcard. That really does not need to be broadcast over the walkies and should be something that it said one-on-one.

Today's events really just annoyed me and now I dislike the uppers at my store even more than before. Regular team members are fine and seem to work well despite the lack of organization and attention from the ETLs. I guess they're used to it. I have only been working at Target for 2 weeks but I was so tempted to walk out today. At least I have talked to other team members and they share my feelings of not caring about the store.

Sorry for all this. I just needed to vent. I'm hoping for a better week next week.
 
escalated_quickly.jpg


My ETL Log has unrealistic expectations and can be a bit scatterbrained. I'll be working on one thing, get moved to something else, be moved back to the other thing, round and round. It's probably why nothing ever gets done.

I dont know how you guys deal with REDcard goals. I couldn't do it.
 
see spot save said:
escalated_quickly.jpg


My ETL Log has unrealistic expectations and can be a bit scatterbrained. I'll be working on one thing, get moved to something else, be moved back to the other thing, round and round. It's probably why nothing ever gets done.

I dont know how you guys deal with REDcard goals. I couldn't do it.
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You just reminded me of something else that happened today. They were constantly calling for backup at the registers and I kept answering but like WTF all I wanted to do was finish the pushes that I was assigned. As soon as I walked away from the registers and made it back to where I left my push, there was another call for backup and because I was one of the few team members nearby, I kept getting asked to come up. This is ridiculous. Have more cashier shifts on busy days so that sales floor can do their job! Jesus...
 
You've been working for spot for a whole two weeks, so I guess you must know everything by now.

I can't tell you how many shitty team members (especially around seasonal time) think they've earned the right to bitch about their leadership and the way that the store runs.

The things that you're complaining about are minor issues, and ones that you're probably in the wrong for. It's not the etls job to watch the swap shift board. If you wanted to swap, you coulve taken the sheet to any of your lods and had them sign it on the spot. Also, you shouldn't be giving up shifts on your training schedule. I don't care whether it says "training" or not. If they put it on there, I guarantee there's a reason why they specifically scheduled you for it even if it's not technically training. As the one who makes the training schedules, I usually make sure the first few regular shifts for each tm run concurrent with an established trainer so they're not completely alone on their first day.

Also, as much as the red card push is annoying at times (and as a gsa trust me it's worse for us), there are goals for a reason. The ultimate measure of front end success according to district is red card numbers, and the store (and gstls and gsas) can quickly end up on the shitlist if they don't meet goals. So your attitude of not asking when you back up is a detriment to the hard-working front end team and the store as a whole. If you worked at my store and you refused to ask about redcards, I'd make sure you got paid out at the end of your shift.
 
If you think your leadership is bad then imagine the demands they get from their leadership. ETLs don't make up RedCard goals. This is how Target works - TM is pushed by TL, TL is pushed by ETLs, ETLs are pushed by STL, STL is pushed by DTL, DTL is pushed by GroupVp, group vp is pushed by regional vp, etc.

ETLs don't make up these demands. Everyone is pushed by someone to get something done. Most of the time it's unrealistic.
 
I agree that it falls from above. But it all falls on someone. It's fine for the GroupVP to say ... Hey, district x needs 1578 redcards this week and relay that to the dtl. Who relay it to the stls.

But they don't have to do the work to achieve the goal.

I'm not saying they won't be held accountable. And that must stink being held accountable for a goal you can't control.

But I'd wager upper management gets paid a whole lot more than a cashier who is told to get the cards.

If Target was serious about pushing these cards, tie them to sales items to get the sale price. "Eureka vacuums $79.99 with your red card."
 
Hah! As i was reading the original post, i thought i guarantee two people will have a lot to say about this . And the first comment was from. .....
The sweater man
What about Kartman? He needs to weigh in on this topic
 
A lot of goals are based off the best performing store in the group. They figure if they can do it so can the other stores. So if RedCard numbers are high, that's because another store is reaching that goal and they expect the same results from other stores - without taking common sense into consideration (i.e different demographic, higher income, etc).

If you're losing Logistics payroll that's because another store is efficient at those levels. They figure if minimum wage team A can do it, so can team B. Remember - they don't consider all factors and some stores don't follow best practice to achieve excellence. Some stores are corporate run and may be more efficient but ASANTS (Target doesn't always feel that way).

An example - our store was struggling to get 2% conversion while another store was consistently getting 6%. District level raised the minimum to 4% - if we can't get 2% how the fuck do we get 4%? Very unrealistic. What TMs don't know is that the DTL calls each STL every morning at 5am if you didn't reach the daily goal. Then the STL pressures the ETL and the shit continues rolling downhill.

Some leaders can handle the pressure while others go bat shit crazy.
 
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Producer said:
You've been working for spot for a whole two weeks, so I guess you must know everything by now.

I can't tell you how many shitty team members (especially around seasonal time) think they've earned the right to bitch about their leadership and the way that the store runs.

The things that you're complaining about are minor issues, and ones that you're probably in the wrong for. It's not the etls job to watch the swap shift board. If you wanted to swap, you coulve taken the sheet to any of your lods and had them sign it on the spot. Also, you shouldn't be giving up shifts on your training schedule. I don't care whether it says "training" or not. If they put it on there, I guarantee there's a reason why they specifically scheduled you for it even if it's not technically training. As the one who makes the training schedules, I usually make sure the first few regular shifts for each tm run concurrent with an established trainer so they're not completely alone on their first day.

Also, as much as the red card push is annoying at times (and as a gsa trust me it's worse for us), there are goals for a reason. The ultimate measure of front end success according to district is red card numbers, and the store (and gstls and gsas) can quickly end up on the shitlist if they don't meet goals. So your attitude of not asking when you back up is a detriment to the hard-working front end team and the store as a whole. If you worked at my store and you refused to ask about redcards, I'd make sure you got paid out at the end of your shift.
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I'm definitely not in the wrong for giving up the shift. According to my schedule, my last day of training was yesterday, so how was I supposed to know my shift today was still training and that I'm not allowed to give it up? The person who led orientation made it clear that we can give up shifts, so I don't see how I'm in the wrong. If anything, it's the uppers' fault for not making that small detail clear. And besides, if I remind you like 5 times that I need you to sign off on the shift swap, then I expect you (as someone who is above me) to take that responsibility since it is your job.

In regards to the REDcard thing, I'm not the only team member at my store who doesn't ask guests. Apparently there is only one cashier who really racks them in. And if I am scolded or even fired for not getting them, whatever. I understand that as someone who has to back-up cashier, it is my job to help get REDcards but they really should have people who are good at asking do backup cashier instead of just whoever is working. I'm at Target so I can make money this summer, not so that I can stay with the company for years. I did not go to college to work in retail and am just here before I can land myself a job in my field. I'm not trying to make myself seem too good for the company, but at the same time I don't feel like I should have to deal with obviously poor ETL behavior. This ETL in particular has been rude since I was first interviewed for the position. I had hoped that she was just having a bad day when she interviewed me but nope, she is just like this on a regular basis. I may have only been at Target for 2 weeks, but that is enough time for me to feel the way I feel. I don't appreciate that my feelings are being invalidated by some people who responded to my post because I haven't been with the company long enough, especially since other team members are my store feel exactly like I do.
 
These are normal frustrations. Good luck in all you do.
 
I'm normally sympathetic to these kinds of rants, but wow, your entitlement is huge. It is your job to ask about those stupid redcards. Doesn't matter if "nobody else does it." And ETLs have about a million other things more important to worry about than remembering to sign off a shift swap for a TM they probably hardly know. Next time bring the sheet and a pen to them, if you told them about it once and it didn't get done.
 
diamond92 said:
I'm at Target so I can make money this summer, not so that I can stay with the company for years. I did not go to college to work in retail and am just here before I can land myself a job in my field. I'm not trying to make myself seem too good for the company
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Great. Suck it up then and stop complaining if you're just leaving at the end of the summer
 
I always stayed later and never gave up my hours. And they came to me to ask too before anyone else even when I was the 'new' guy. Leaders take notice on both ends
 
diamond92 said:
I'm definitely not in the wrong for giving up the shift. According to my schedule, my last day of training was yesterday, so how was I supposed to know my shift today was still training and that I'm not allowed to give it up? The person who led orientation made it clear that we can give up shifts, so I don't see how I'm in the wrong. If anything, it's the uppers' fault for not making that small detail clear. And besides, if I remind you like 5 times that I need you to sign off on the shift swap, then I expect you (as someone who is above me) to take that responsibility since it is your job.

In regards to the REDcard thing, I'm not the only team member at my store who doesn't ask guests. Apparently there is only one cashier who really racks them in. And if I am scolded or even fired for not getting them, whatever. I understand that as someone who has to back-up cashier, it is my job to help get REDcards but they really should have people who are good at asking do backup cashier instead of just whoever is working. I'm at Target so I can make money this summer, not so that I can stay with the company for years. I did not go to college to work in retail and am just here before I can land myself a job in my field. I'm not trying to make myself seem too good for the company, but at the same time I don't feel like I should have to deal with obviously poor ETL behavior. This ETL in particular has been rude since I was first interviewed for the position. I had hoped that she was just having a bad day when she interviewed me but nope, she is just like this on a regular basis. I may have only been at Target for 2 weeks, but that is enough time for me to feel the way I feel. I don't appreciate that my feelings are being invalidated by some people who responded to my post because I haven't been with the company long enough, especially since other team members are my store feel exactly like I do.
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You know, there's a form in HR called the "voluntary termination" you might want to look into that.
 
So... the ETL's in my store are cool people but... LoL. I expect more of myself and my work than they do of me and my work. Plus, if I have to train you to do what you are expecting of me than that's a problem. I know times of the "old" TGT are gone but I miss when I could learn something from my execs. I think I'm just tapped out from learning anything from them. Also, I don't like how they just let the people that don't work get away with not working and then the people that do work, they treat them like crap and expect them to carry the rest of the team, then act like that's supposed to be ok.
 
The Dude Abides said:
This is what happens when a company hires nothing but 22 year old hospitality management majors to be ETLs.
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A few months back we had an ETL intern at our store. Don't think she's ever seen the inside of a cash register and she was immature as hell. I've been in retail for almost 10 years and watching these people come in at 22 and get paid what they do because they are attractive are willing to drink the Kool-Aid.... It disgusts me.

And our STL constantly tells team members "on the bench" that to become team leads, they need to show how they've improved their departments and have been cross trained in multiple departments. Are you $@&!ing kidding me?!

Last year, one of our senior team leads was hired after applying for a regular sales floor team member job. He has a bachelors degree, but was just looking for something part time while he got a "real job" in his field. When he came in for his interview, they noticed he had a bachelor's degree (and looks like one of the models from the men's department signing) and told him he would make a great TL. Hired him as a senior team lead with no retail experience whatsoever. He is a pretty cool guy though and usually has my back. But damn is Target hypocritical. I even read stories of Wal-Mart cashiers that became store managers. Never would happen at Target.
 
diamond92 said:
I don't feel like I should have to deal with obviously poor ETL behavior.
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How in the world would you know what poor ETL behavior looks like? That's like a four year old telling his parents that they're doing a bad job.

You have a disgusting work ethic that is evident by your dismissal of this job as a summer job that you don't really care about.

I have a bachelors degree and I'm still a team member. I don't plan on making Target a long term career, but I still come into work, do my best, do as I'm told by my supervisors, and try to provide a great experience for the guests and the rest of the team. Why would I do that for minimum wage? Because I know my work ethic will carry on to other jobs in the future. You can get your Masters degree and find a job in your field, but you won't be able to wash the asshole off of you.
 
I just learned today my former store's STL got fired on Friday! too many unhappy Team members, people quitting left and right, the store was unorganized! I do NOT feel sorry for her AT ALL!
 
Mhugh220 said:
If you're losing Logistics payroll that's because another store is efficient at those levels. They figure if minimum wage team A can do it, so can team B. Remember - they don't consider all factors and some stores don't follow best practice to achieve excellence. Some stores are corporate run and may be more efficient but ASANTS (Target doesn't always feel that way).
Click to expand...

Oh. Reading this and having more experience now and being in Deli rather than Softlines... There is evidently another store in my district whose Deli scrapes by on a little more than half the hours I'm pretty sure my Deli needs. They're not a high traffic store (mine is) and the overnight cleaning crew is supposed to clean their Deli (from their constant red scores, pretty sure this doesn't actually happen). Now our Deli is being given the same amount of hours by whomever/whatever decides those numbers above the store level. So the STL is moving hours from other areas into Deli... which is going to make it look like those other areas can function on lower hours and is likely to affect the number of hours given to those areas in the future at hour store and at other stores.

This is going to snowball and ruin payroll hours, isn't it?
 
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