# Anybody else expected to do TL stuff as a cashier?



## Winter (Nov 23, 2019)

My store wants us to be more self-sufficient, so we don't get a team lead in until about 10am, even though we open at 8am. One morning I had to get keys that I'm not really supposed to have in order to unlock the cash drawer so that I could get another cashier some change for her drawer- because guests like to break $100s in the morning. In addition, I have witnessed this be abused as some cashiers won't even open a register, but do meaningless tasks like putting bags on registers (not taking the heavy boxes from the closet)

Yet our Black Friday days are the worst, they want me to do a lot the things that a team lead should do, like resolving flashing lights. I don't mind helping out with this, although recently it's only other cashiers that are expected to be able to take care of themselves. But in order to do that, we require more experience in dealing with these problems. I received one pay raise in the last two years, of about .08 cents, and then everybody got raised more than that to the new store minimum, including myself. 

Either way, I can't be the only one who thinks that team members who have more experience, and do the same things that team leads do should get paid more than new people who can't do that same thing? I mean I know it's retail, but this might be the reason I quit in the end. I don't mind helping out, but my job shouldn't consist of basic paygrade duties and the same duties as people who get paid more than me... it's pretty much $13 an hour at my store, although TLs get more.


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## Anelmi (Nov 23, 2019)

I feel the same.


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## Xanatos (Nov 23, 2019)

I wouldn't say those duties are just for TLs to deal with. Not too long ago, GSAs did all of that for no extra pay. A flashing light is generally just used when a cashier isn't experienced enough to answer a question (ie it is their job, they just don't know how to resolve it yet), or when the guest asks for a manager.

I'll agree that the pay raises have helped new TMs a heck of a lot more than veterans, which is pretty discouraging. At the end of the day, it still results in more money in my pocket, so I try not to think about it too much, but I wish they handled it differently.


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## Switch23 (Nov 23, 2019)

Yeah at my old store TMs with experience were often expected to do some stuff like that, or at least asked to.


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## Nauzhror (Nov 23, 2019)

TM's being treated like TL's is nothing new.

As a GSA I carried the GSTL keys (which also opened the keybox, and all the stores keys). I had keys to the equipment cabinet and was usually the person unlocking it for people to get mydevices and walkies from it. I got people change. I gave my entire team tasks and coached them. I answered LOD calls when closing if the actual LOD was busy because they were usually the only TL in the building. Similarly I took calls for managers, and responded to guest requests to speak to a manager. Perhaps most awkwardly, when the stores only GSTL was on LOA, I helped the ETL-GE write the yearly reviews for the front-end.


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## Marcellow (Nov 23, 2019)

That whole pseudo-TL position and making the same as a new TM coming in pretty much had me jump ship the moment I got a job offer.


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## Winter (Nov 23, 2019)

Nauzhror said:


> TM's being treated like TL's is nothing new.
> 
> As a GSA I carried the GSTL keys (which also opened the keybox, and all the stores keys). I had keys to the equipment cabinet and was usually the person unlocking it for people to get mydevices and walkies from it. I got people change. I gave my entire team tasks and coached them. I answered LOD calls when closing if the actual LOD was busy because they were usually the only TL in the building. Similarly I took calls for managers, and responded to guest requests to speak to a manager. Perhaps most awkwardly, when the stores only GSTL was on LOA, I helped the ETL-GE write the yearly reviews for the front-end.



Yeah, I didn't initially have a problem with helping out at first, although after a while it's almost taking advantage of the fact that we will do higher end work without higher end pay. I have to help people because I have more experience than them, but our pay is the same. Although if you're in a good enough position to write yearly reviews, you should really just apply to be a team lead if you can, and get the full experience rather than simply the extra work.  Personally, it kind of feels like I'm working extra for free.


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## Anelmi (Nov 24, 2019)

Because we are...


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## Bullette (Nov 25, 2019)

All team members don't have the devices that team leads have so they can't check on things as well. When you give new team members authority that they don't know how to use it gets very iffy. Recently had a new guy come over and override a price on my register. Two weeks before he didn't even know how to process a gift card for payment.


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## RedcardReba (Nov 26, 2019)

Modernization means all service advocates will be able to do former GSA tasks.

I like it.  These aren't hard tasks.  And it's so nice to not be micromanaged.

We will get 2 raises next year....to 15 by end.


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## Anelmi (Nov 26, 2019)

But here’s the thing: service advocates are *different* than checklanes advocates. And I am functioning as a GSA even for those who know what they are doing.  Trained service advocates (and even those who have been doing it well before modernization) constantly ask me for final word on what they are doing and defer to me as the authority figure.

I have keys, get change, close registers, do order pickup, salvage, and handle issues ALL FOR $13/HOUR while Ms Teen Lazy checklane advocate sits on her phone and can barely move to zone a cooler or take reshop back to GS during slow times.

And please before you spout the service/checklanes advocates are not supposed to do SETL things, spare me and ASANTS because Target set this up with their TLs can only have mid shift crap. Well there are 3-4 hours before closing when they are gone and someone has to take ownership and it’s not the Closing LOD bc they have the whole store to worry about.

Somewhat irritated right now bc the workload is most definitely not the same.


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## SallyHoover (Nov 26, 2019)

I gave up being angry about it years ago.  Why stay and be angry?  Quit if it bothers you. Or stop caring and do a crappy job.   There are team members with a lot more experience then you who are also doing it for the same $13.  Another choice is try to get promoted.  Since I know I can't/won't give Spot enough hours to be promoted and I am not the kind of person to not do my best (most of the time), I realized that one aspect that Target will give in on is schedule flexibility.  I have worked maybe 5 Sunday's in the last 6 years and that was my choice helping someone out.  I don't start before 2pm.  I take off about 6 weeks each summer and most Easter weeks.


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## Anelmi (Nov 26, 2019)

I have the most experience thus me being the de facto authority figure. Target is my second job. I’m not angry...I just wish I got paid more and things were a bit more equitable. And it’s not in my DNA to do a crappy job.


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## Times Up (Nov 26, 2019)

Winter said:


> Personally, it kind of feels like I'm working extra for free.



YOU ARE.


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## happygoth (Nov 26, 2019)

It's true. Making the extra money is sweet, no doubt, but the reorganization of roles throughout the store has definitely caused an inequitable distribution of work. There are Guest Advocates and salesfloor DBOs who have more responsibilty than others for the same pay. Not all Style TMs do price changes and set VMG. Some come in and push some reshop and zone, just like before, with no other responsibilities. 

The company can make up for this by actually giving the DBOs who do more work MORE HOURS. I would not give a crap about what anyone else does or how many hours they get if they would just give me a steady 27-28 hours a week. I could easily squeak out another one or two hours and stay just under the "full-time" benefits threshold.


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## Corrin (Dec 2, 2019)

I try to look at it positively. I am a regular advocate who almost always has the keys to get to the cash drawer etc. I also bank the lanes at night and I do cash office at least once a week. I was not a GSA before Modernization so this is all new to me, but they tell me I'm doing well and honestly? It keeps me busier than just standing around on a register. The time goes by faster and that's what I focus on. I hate not feeling useful at work and this lets me be able to help everyone else. I enjoy it, in as much as one can enjoy a retail job.


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## buliSBI (Dec 2, 2019)

Winter said:


> My store wants us to be more self-sufficient, so we don't get a team lead in until about 10am, even though we open at 8am. One morning I had to get keys that I'm not really supposed to have in order to unlock the cash drawer so that I could get another cashier some change for her drawer- because guests like to break $100s in the morning. In addition, I have witnessed this be abused as some cashiers won't even open a register, but do meaningless tasks like putting bags on registers (not taking the heavy boxes from the closet)
> 
> Yet our Black Friday days are the worst, they want me to do a lot the things that a team lead should do, like resolving flashing lights. I don't mind helping out with this, although recently it's only other cashiers that are expected to be able to take care of themselves. But in order to do that, we require more experience in dealing with these problems. I received one pay raise in the last two years, of about .08 cents, and then everybody got raised more than that to the new store minimum, including myself.
> 
> Either way, I can't be the only one who thinks that team members who have more experience, and do the same things that team leads do should get paid more than new people who can't do that same thing? I mean I know it's retail, but this might be the reason I quit in the end. I don't mind helping out, but my job shouldn't consist of basic paygrade duties and the same duties as people who get paid more than me... it's pretty much $13 an hour at my store, although TLs get more.


Its the company trying their best to minimize and eliminate the GSTL role.  

Your core roles are to make sure the lanes, no matter the position, are stocked and zoned.  As I trained other cashiers, I told them don't look idle.  Find something.  Zone across the runway.  Navigate guests to the lanes.  

I don't agree  that the store should open on Black Thursday and Friday without a TL on the lanes.

I suggest telling your leadership to rotate Front roles throughout the day.  Make sure everyone is accountable for all roles.


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## starfishncoffee (Dec 2, 2019)

Oh yes, we finally have two SETLs but they still treat me like a GSA despite the fact I'm not one.

I don't object to helping out. Truly, I don't. But if our store want all Advocates to act as GSAs/SEAs/whatever we were when it went away, then we need to start developing our Advocates. Now isn't the time to bite the bullet and have that conversation, but I'm going to once we all survive Q4.

@buliSBI, do you really believe minimizing/eliminating SETL is the goal? I ask because you aren't the first one I've heard say that. That would be insane.


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## Hardlinesmaster (Dec 3, 2019)

Yes.


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## buliSBI (Dec 3, 2019)

starfishncoffee said:


> Oh yes, we finally have two SETLs but they still treat me like a GSA despite the fact I'm not one.
> 
> I don't object to helping out. Truly, I don't. But if our store want all Advocates to act as GSAs/SEAs/whatever we were when it went away, then we need to start developing our Advocates. Now isn't the time to bite the bullet and have that conversation, but I'm going to once we all survive Q4.
> 
> @buliSBI, do you really believe minimizing/eliminating SETL is the goal? I ask because you aren't the first one I've heard say that. That would be insane.


I was a TM years back in the early 2000s when the company was different; good kind of different.  The TL position for the Front has changed dramatically.  Some of my previous stores went from 5 TLs for the Front down to 1 TL & 3-4 GSAs when those positions existed.


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## Hope4Future (Dec 3, 2019)

Winter said:


> My store wants us to be more self-sufficient, so we don't get a team lead in until about 10am, even though we open at 8am. One morning I had to get keys that I'm not really supposed to have in order to unlock the cash drawer so that I could get another cashier some change for her drawer- because guests like to break $100s in the morning. In addition, I have witnessed this be abused as some cashiers won't even open a register, but do meaningless tasks like putting bags on registers (not taking the heavy boxes from the closet)


I completely agree with your point and it annoys me when I am asked to watch the front when the advocate doing so goes on their break. How am I supposed to watch self-checkout (where I'm usually scheduled) if I have to get change for the cashiers or answer a guest's questions and go to the register? 
There's also that one advocate at my store who avoids cashiering by distributing bags, which is helpful but he also likes to go to the Dollar Spot area and zone instead of dealing with guests unless a TL asks him to open up.


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## REDcardJJ (Dec 3, 2019)

i don't think getting a blinker or answering a question that a fellow team member has is TL stuff


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## Coqui (Dec 11, 2019)

It’s actually part of the core roles of the Guest Advocate to have keys and the alerts on and do those tasks if the S&E Leader isn’t there. It’s not really TL level tasks.


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## Pattern Finder (Dec 13, 2019)

My store always have at least one SETL opening and the other closing, sometimes they even have mids. There are in total four SETLs. 

No one except maybe one (1) guest advocate has open, but a few of us (myself included) were trained to close if needed. Thanks to being authorized supervisor privileges, I go ahead do the basic functions they granted me like reprint a receipt when it didn’t print or re/authorize TMs to ring up at a register. We’re also expected to get change for any registers/self-checkout machines when needed. Anything else that needs to be addressed or resolved without calling for a SETL becomes our responsibility. 

I like moving around and keeping myself busy, so it works out for me. However, I do feel like I gotta specify with people especially seasonal TMs that I am not a TL. 

It was weird when service advocates who have been here long before remodernization happened asked me to sign off the vendors. I did it otherwise they would have to wait for 45 minutes until SETL came back from lunch


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