Archived When did Target stop caring?

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I haven't been with Target very long (probably around six months now) and I do actually enjoy working for the company, at least so far. Maybe part of it is because I'm AP and don't have to deal with some of the stuff the rest of the team does. I find at my store, I'm treated almost like management even though I'm just a TPS. The ETL's will come into my office and hang out for a while to shoot the shit, we talk about sales figures and all that fun stuff, and generally I feel like I'm treated almost similar to a team lead, which is probably why I like my job thus far. Anyways, to get back on topic, this is actually something I've noticed too, and I can't really pin down what the problem is. I've noticed that there is a huge lack of effort/dedication at my store that simply did not exist at the previous retailer I worked at. We have team members walking around talking on their phones on the sales floor or hanging out in big groups and talking for half an hour, doing nothing, while half the store looks like a disaster. This would not have flown at my previous job. People got sent home if they were caught using their phone even once during their shift, and management would very openly call you out if you were slacking off or not doing your job. My old bosses would have a stroke if they saw my Target. The weird part is though, people absolutely loved working at my previous retailer. There was a lot of competition to get a job there and very little turnover, even though the expectations were high and the compensation wasn't really any better than Target. I just think, at least at my Target, there is a sort of ingrained culture of not caring, and it just won't go away. I can't say when or why this started, because it was already going on when I started working here, but it is certainly present.
 
thetargetman said:
Oh I know! Most ETLs I have worked with are only in their early 20s! What I can not wrap my mind around is when I started at spot they were still in middle school and now they boss me around with such little retail experience! I am sure the people who have worked for spot 20 years find it a huge spit in the face!
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This is one of the reasons I have honed in on as a root for the negative culture at my store. All of our ETL's are experienced and we don't really have any newbies, but I think there is at least a perceived lack of opportunity for advancement, which is discouraging to a lot of team members. I came in and gave it 110% from day one because that was just how I was raised, and I feel that I really have gotten the recognition I deserve. I've been here for only a short time, and am already being encouraged to apply for an APTL role that will be opening up soon because all of the AP leaders in my district seem to love me. Again, this is probably different for me because I'm AP.
I will say though that morale was much higher at my old job, where almost all of the promotions came from within...I doubt that's just a coincidence.
 
We were told today Spot as going to invest all this cash into logistics, supply and style. Nothing about I store or supporting the store, training or staffing. The opposite in fact. So why would the workers care, we are tired of being yelled for not being in three places at once. And now they want four places.
 
Bosch said:
We were told today Spot as going to invest all this cash into logistics, supply and style. Nothing about I store or supporting the store, training or staffing. The opposite in fact. So why would the workers care, we are tired of being yelled for not being in three places at once. And now they want four places.
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Last week we were told something similar. STL said that the cuts in February were across all levels of the pyramid and that saved money was going into "technology" (i.e., developing new handhelds and the such).

Personally, I feel that if the company still made money for February with these insanely drastic cuts, you can bet it will become an annual tradition.
 
I will be with spot 5 yrs this year. I have definitely noticed it going downhill, for me, the past 2 yrs. The hour cuts this first quarter were way more severe than last yr. All of a sudden now I'm getting 30 hrs compared to 20. The store is trashed across the board. It's embarrassing. I can't believe a quest hasn't asked why it's such a mess. We sometimes get gm trucks done (1900-2200) 4 times a wk. but now c&s delivers 3 times a week same days as gm truck. On a good day we have 18 people on flow. It ain't working. My Etl just wants it done. Well we all want it done but we aren't miracle workers. They are hiring but no one is coming in. I'm about ready to go out to the main road with a big ass sign. I can't wait for our college kids to come back. They rock. Hopefully now that hrs are picking up things will improve. The only good thing is they are holding back the dreaded push all till we get our heads above water. Of course with a 6am process and not enough tms to do the push all we will probably fail again (4th time we will try)What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Nope, don't believe that
 
I've only been with the company for about 5 months, so I really can't comment heavy on how well they are running internally. I can only hazard a guess and say the company is still in the midst of a transition that started years back. Recovering from the Canadian expansion, credit hack and then the sale of the pharmacy to CVS, I actually believe the company to be recovering fairly well. Store by store basis I'm sure there are going to be discrepancies between hours, headcounts, promotions/hiring, but overall I want to be optimistic and see it as just a stage where it'll turn out better at some point.

Leadership at my store did mention they are trying to focus on internal promotions, talent development and employee retention not just in my store but district wide, so that at least is a step in the right direction.
 
mrknownothing said:
In her defense, she actually was very nice. She respected us enough to let us go about our business; a very hands-off LOD. The problem was that she lacked the ability to Target.
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Ours will openly contradict us when we do something a certain way. Like fake out a check lane end cap on Saturday knowing it was going to get blown up Sunday morning by Pog. Nope fully pack it out with extra One Spot stuff not Easter like two of us wanted so there was a huge amount of backstock that could be pushed out to nowhere. Easter would sell and could be pushed back to seasonal or filled from seasonal if needed.
 
carramrod said:
This is one of the reasons I have honed in on as a root for the negative culture at my store. All of our ETL's are experienced and we don't really have any newbies, but I think there is at least a perceived lack of opportunity for advancement, which is discouraging to a lot of team members. I came in and gave it 110% from day one because that was just how I was raised, and I feel that I really have gotten the recognition I deserve. I've been here for only a short time, and am already being encouraged to apply for an APTL role that will be opening up soon because all of the AP leaders in my district seem to love me. Again, this is probably different for me because I'm AP.
I will say though that morale was much higher at my old job, where almost all of the promotions came from within...I doubt that's just a coincidence.
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I agree 100% I don't like to put all ETLs in the same caldron of criticism and I don't like to begrudge people's success but I just wish Target would have given me a fair chance instead of giving me false hope of advancement and just giving me more responsibilities so they wont have to pay me as a team lead.
 
It may be a trend. I am not trying to generalize all flow team members because I know some who are very good, but at my store we have similar problems. It literally takes an act of Congress to get these people moving. From an AP standpoint, it is extremely frustrating because they put everything out without merchandise protection, leaving my team as well as respective dayside departments to go through and clean up after them. I've literally spent entire shifts preparing for APBP visits, ensuring everything is wrapped and squared away, and then got roasted the next day on te visit because flow put out a bunch of high-dollar merchandise without protection after I left that was never wrapped or locked up before the APBP arrived.
 
qmosqueen said:
it's not "when" but .......... "why" did Target stop caring ??
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Profits over people.

When even Walmart has a higher base pay than Target, you know something's screwed up. While Gregg got a golden parachute after a massive credit card breach happened under his watch, lower-level workers who strive day in and day out to keep stores running get the shaft. How much did Brian take home last year? Something like $30 million?? Yet cashiers who have to deal with the stress of REDcards or cart attendants who clean literal shit off the floor make $9. It's all one big joke.
 
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I think that if you were to ask Target "do you want it done fast, or do you want it done right?" The honest answer would be "fast". It stopped being right a while ago.
 
Sammy said:
I think that if you were to ask Target "do you want it done fast, or do you want it done right?" The honest answer would be "fast". It stopped being right a while ago.
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Yes. This. And then if you do it right and not fast, you're chastised.
 
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