Archived What's going on, softlines?

[lucyisadog]

I've been at Target as a hardlines team member for about 4 months now, and though I feel like I know most everything about hardlines, I know nothing about softlines. At my store, they seem to have few pulls but plenty of abandons. Regardless, they always seem so busy.

Whenever the front lanes call for backup, softlines almost never answers until the front calls a second or third time. There have even been times where all of hardlines responded and are on registers and we've neede more backup, and softlines were still barely responding.
Yesterday I walked by the infant clothing section and a guest asked me if we had a certain item. I didn't know, so I went over the walkie and asked if a softlines team member could come over to help. No answer. Tried again, still no answer. I went to go find a softlines team member, and there were three just standing and talking at the fitting room. Later on in the day, I had a guest ask me a question about shoes that I didn't know the answer to, and even the softlines team members didn't know the answer or how to help.

Like I said, I really don't know anything about softlines so I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it's a bit frustrating. Is there more to softlines than I'm seeing? What's it like at your store?

 

[jenna]

Your LOD should be stepping up to get the softlines team to answer the questions. Or the LOD should attempt to answer the questions.

You might have to call one of them out by name. You need to figure out who the most experienced person is within softlines.

In our store, that person in the Softlines Brand tm that sets almost all the POGs (sets the clothes on the tables and fixtures in softlines.)

 

[thatcashierdude]

Softlines could be chatting in the fitting room as the backup lady is screaming and they will ignore it until the LOD goes apeshit, calls for market, hardlines, and finally softlines. Maybe they get ignored because they have the highest profit margins of any items in the store. Profitable to pay those Indonesians to make clothing for pennies and sell it for $20.

 

[Retail Girl]

And in my store softlines answers all the calls for backup and handles many guest service requests inside and outside of hardlines because hardlines either doesn't respond, or will always be "in the backroom" when we call for back up.

All stores are not the same.

 

[Deli Ninja]

At my store, the "slacker" team seems to rotate depending on who's on the schedule and how disillusioned the newest hires are.

 

[mrknownothing]

At my store, it's usually softlines, but there are a few hardlines TMs that avoid back-up cashing like the plague.

 

[evilSF]

At my store, I work all over the floor so I'm not biased.

Softlines: always has too much to do, not enough people or time. Guests are sloppy beyond anything I've seen. When they are zoning an area close to the registers, they are told to hop on, not using the walkie. They are also the last to finish at night. Their pulls are time consuming. So even if they only get one every drop, it takes much longer than you'd think.

Hardlines: they are vibing like nobodies business. Guests are constantly asking if someone is in the back room or where something is located. When backup is needed, it usually occurs when they have a guest and they turned their walkie down to hear said guest. Green gets the worst pulls.

Market: there's only so many in each department. In order to backup and ring out that one guest, requires a lot of work to be able to handle food again.

Backroom, electronics and guest services just can't backup. When you only have one person on the floor in softlines, you're less likely to jump up. Especially when they have to fend for themselves at close. Hardlines will have one person that can go up, since electronics can't. They are less likely to go up.

It boils down to pressure. We're all told to be done at a certain time. We skip breaks and work hard, hoping we don't need to jump on a register.

 

[LogisticsFox]

Green gets the worst pulls.

What all is in your green world? I can usually do a green pull in about 10 minutes. I would consider red world being a ton more difficult since the bed fill group almost always pulls a box of pillows.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

when calling for backup I've learned that nobody will come until I say all three of the magical phrases:

"Hey team I need backup to the frontlanes"
"Team, who is responding for backup?"
"TEAM, if you're not with a guest I need you here for backup"

And then sometimes it's necessary to start calling out departments.

But softlines generally responds first especially if a certain couple of TMs are working that day.

 

[Bullselle]

Softy here. This shit would never fly at our store. The GSAs and ETLs are always calling softlines to the registers, especially if we're at the front of the store. Sometimes the ETLs will just wander around softlines until they find somebody to get on the registers. The young people in softlines as well as hardlines and market seem to get called up the most, I guess because the GSAs assume they don't have any "real" work to do.
Also, like @evilSF said, reshop is hell and our lovely guests always mess up the tables and leave stuff on the ground. We're constantly busy over there and if we just spend most of our time talking in the fitting room, the LOD would definitely notice.
People assume that the softlines team is just a bunch of ladies folding tables all day. Well, remember that the areas have to be constantly maintained, which means that they have to be zoned several times in one shift. And you can't leave until your area is completely zoned. I don't know how your softlines team has managed to get away with what they're doing, but either they're doing more work than you think, or they have some coachings and write ups coming their way.

 

[NeoDarikona]

Some stores have the gossiping monstrosities for softline workers. Those are the worst as they'll come up with any excuse about how miserable their lives are and why they JUST. CAN'T. RESPOND. But they sure as hell can apparently stand at the fitting room talking about some vapid comment on why Josie is a fat ass or that new girl Melissa is such a slut. Which is such BS because I've been the biggest slut at my store for years and I ain't letting no new girl come in to take my hard earned crown.

 

[Amly_221B]

It amazes me how different stores can be. Softlines are our only responders to back up in my store. Hardlines just ignores it until they need all backup cashiers. Drives our softlines team crazy too because we could have responded the last 5 calls and then if we try and not respond to the next call the lod usually calls us out on it, "Hey softlines can you respond?"

And softlines is always busy. I don't think hardlines people understand how much work one person shopping can be. In hardlines they usually only take what they need and if they do make a mess you pick it up on put it on a shelf/peg. In softlines they take apart the whole pile of clothing. Or mess up the spacing and sizing on the racks. And then theres the package openers. (Do you not know your underwear size? Really?) Not to mention one girl can easily want to try on 20 plus items (and intend to buy none of them..,) so you've got return go-backs, plus fitting room go-back and a zone to try and maintain. And don't forget to vibe!

 

[salesfloor10]

My store (for dayside at least) has no Hardlines team members, 1 electronics tm, 1 pfresh tm and lately, 2 softlines tms. So, softlines has to respond (and they cover electronics lunches/breaks). Pfresh can't backup most of the time because they have perishable/frozen product on the floor.
So now Plano and pricing get to back up cashier since there's never anyone on the floor from 11:30-1:30.

 

[evilSF]

What all is in your green world? I can usually do a green pull in about 10 minutes. I would consider red world being a ton more difficult since the bed fill group almost always pulls a box of pillows.

Green is mu cheaper worse then red at my store. Red is usually pretty quick wit larger items.

Green is furniture, cosmetics, appliances, storage, baby care and all the toiletries. You tend to get at least 3 pulls on the line on every drop.

One time I came in to work, was scheduled late due to payroll. I was expecting all the pulls to be about finished. I was quite surprised to see 7 pulls on the line. Two of them were filled with small items. If I didn't have the rest of my team jump over and help me, I would have never zoned.