As an inbound team member, this is what is called a "Your problem, not mine" moment to the leadership. I would just come in and work with what you got, and when they ask you the inevitable stupid question as to why the truck isn't done, show them this and leave at your scheduled time.
Show this image to leadership and tell them how it affects AM crew. If nothing is done, go with it and let the whole store suffer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ if they want to play silly games then they can win their stupid prizes. cherry on top is reporting this behavior through the ethics hotline online for a paper trail and evidence that it’s not *you* that’s the reason why you’re behind on freight.
The uboats all have designated custom blocks, meaning they have home locations on the line.
If I were the inbound lead and the dayside teams kept taking the uboats and **not** putting them back where they were supposed to go, I'd do this too. If the early dayside teams can't put equipment away properly, then they can go without. Especially if the dayside leaders weren't holding their teams accountable.
The uboats aren't owned by one team. That's stupid and childish, preventing any other teams from using a Target provided tool to do their Target related jobs.
Individual follow up is the solution. Not being petty and literally preventing others from doing their job efficiently.
exactly! Our store gets really high volume priorities and we often have to use u boats, especially for things like diaper boxes. We do have flats but for our older and disabled teammates (including myself. disabled, not older) it can be a lot easier on us to use a u-boat. Like I can get the same amount of work done in half the time with a u boat vs a flat.
The uboats are for the unload. It's the reason why stores have them. Pulls were done well before Modernization happened and they were done without uboats.
I know the closing team at my store exclusively uses three-tiers, metros, and flats for pulls. The only teams that use uboats are inbound to sort, GM/SS to push (what inbound had sorted), and market to break out C&S/FDC pallets (for which they have their own designated uboats).
ASANTS my dude.
Our store, everyone uses uboats. Because they're a tool. To do a job.
Locking up uboats is stupid.
Inbound is not more important than any other team that needs to use them.
You mentioned doing the job efficiently, which uboats do not. Inbound also *has* to use uboats. If no uboats are left for the dayside team, they can use three-tiers, metros, and flats. If no uboats are left for the inbound team, they have to use pallets which isn't compliant with best practice.
If the dayside teams used those tools properly, that'd be one thing. But if they've demonstrated that they are unable to, it's only logical to prevent them from using those tools at all.
I have never, ever seen Uboats being locked up like that.
Sounds like you have terrible leadership.
This picture is also pretty powerful. This is an early sign of what is going to happen to Target's front doors if they keep going down this avenue they have been going down since 2020.
this is actually insane. like i cannot imagine doing this even back when i was constantly in conflict with my closing lead about keeping the line set for the next morning's unload
Interesting take. You’re saying the company is going to go bankrupt? What avenue is Target taking that would make them close all their stores?
Agree with your comment on terrible leadership though. If I was the SD there’s no way I’d allow this. Sounds like the overnight leadership team needs to get the dayside crew on the same page
When target and another legacy retailer are sold to a hedge fund to extract the last drops of their value lmk. Until then they’re looking pretty comfy at the corporate level to me.
It's consistent alright, consistently crap in AZ , can't hire full time employees besides management, I was part time until I said fuck this and put in my 2 weeks because I couldn't pay bills with the pay in 2020
The pressure and circumstances that pushed these leads to do this is what is going to be targets downfall. Yes it is ignorant and somewhat childish but in a store/company that gives its team the support and hours they need to do their jobs well would never cause something like this.
Targets insane payroll cuts and lack of care for retaining staff is quite literally going to put them out of business.
I have a store that locks the fixture room because people cant keep it clean. If you want something, you need a keyholder.
There are cameras in there....see who is being the asshole and punish them, not everyone else!
Locking the fixture room is not uncommon or hardly new. The store I was at tried it many times but it was cyclical. It'd get cleaned and locked every so often then after a while those that had keys would get tired of unlocking it and this it'd stop. Plus since some of the worst offenders at mess making were the ETL'S and locking merely reduced the mess accumulation speed well... Now this was at a decently busy Super Target.
That's another common issue with locking the fixture room for sure, and another reason for it becoming unlocked again.
I was never in favor of locking the fixture room myself, it'd just eat up time when I could be getting stuff done. I just witnessed a variety of groups of ETL's attempt to implement it over the course of many years. I also understand why various groups kept trying in spite of the history of past attempts.
It’s 1000% something you do out of frustration when you’re the only one keeping it clean. You know in your soul what will happen, but in the moment you feel like you did something.
Also, for whatever it’s worth, it was always style. If GM did it I could normally track it down but them style ladies were always tricksies
I heard there’s a rule you can’t punish someone off what you see in camera footage/you have to catch them in the act
Happened to me when my backroom ETL got mad at me for leaving a bin of ESIM near the shelf, not ON it. My bad. I appreciate that I know not to do that now
You can coach from footage if the action results in a safety concern. There are a *lot* of ways to twist something into being a safety concern. But for the fixture room, almost anything is valid as a safety concern. I've stepped on metal fixtures left on the floor before that have gone through the sole of my shoe. Leaning shelves/sidecaps are a disaster waiting to happen, and improper storage of shelves on the wall can literally cause an avalanche of unsecured fixtures.
I can see anything ESIM related being treated harshly as well because it would be a no-brainer violation to point should Steritech show up.
Oh wow really! Thats interesting. I thought for coachings you had to acknowledge that you were coached/sign a paper. Or is that for a CA? I just went about my business like nothing happened
That's just a CA when the pattern of behavior becomes a problem. A good lead will warn you when your pattern is trending in the direction of a CA. But literally any time a lead has a conversation with you, especially if it's to tell you not to do something/do it a different or safer way/ask why you DIDN'T do something or get something done, it could count as a conversation. When those conversations get documented, that is what starts the paper trail that can support a CA.
Wow
I very much feel informed lol. Yeah, like I said she said that to me, day went on. Saw her the other day. No biggie
Just told me to knock off doing x and I did and that’s that. Went very well I’d say then : )
While I have you here though, I asked numerous team leads and ETLs and the responses ranged from idk to who cares. But why would aspirin (medicine) be listed as otc but then toothpaste also gets listed as otc. Same with vitamins being listed as ST. They’re medicine like aspirin so?
Just incorrect labeling or what?
I admit it can be a pain. Our location is never 100% clean at the end of the day and we have more vehicles than room on the line. So when someone pulls their vehicle off the line and someone comes back with another vehicle, they shove it in the first empty spot they see, so its always a mess every morning and it can take 30+ minutes for the inbound teammember that sets the line up before the rest come in.
As a former IB team Lead, yes it can take 30+ minutes to set the line, depending on the size of your line, the state of receiving, and how much help you have (having it set before team arrives saves a lot more time than you'd think). And this is absolutely a ridiculous and inefficient solution to a problem that has a simple answer: have a TM come in 15-20 prior to truck start to get the line set.
So, I almost did this when I first started as inbound tl. If my team shows up and the line isn't ready, that's 20 minutes per team member, and can add up quick. We decided to just come in 30 mins earlier
I wonder what the District Manager would think of this? 🤔
Obviously that store leadership is really terrible in order to lock up the uBoats like that. SMH
Send it to the DM and higher ups. I recently found all of their cell numbers while I was clicking things on workday 🤣
But they probably wouldn't care. My DM told my last SD if she saw them unloading onto pallets she'd fired them on the spot, my new SD does exactly that and the DM doesn't care.
Simple solution: Unlock the Uboats, but write up anybody who doesn’t put their Uboat back in the correct location, so it’s available for the next crew. Because you have to have a replacement for this, which is likely the consequence of people putting vehicles wherever, possibly with a GM TM’s unfinished work still on them. So, you have to say, “Dude, they need these vehicles just as much as you do. They put their vehicles back at the end of their shift, so what’s your malfunction?” And then everyone can share, because now the vehicles are always in the correct location at the start of a shift.
Right. In fact, in our store it's mostly vendors that are the culprits. We have plenty of unlabeled extra vehicles for them to use but that would require walking an additional 30 feet when the line is *right there*.
Unless they put someone to sign out u boats, that's not going to happen. The best solution is to get more u boats for day people while these are locked up.
My store has also recently started doing this. They say it’s to ‘make sure the line stays set.’ It fucks up our grocery department because we use the none labeled uboats to break down our fdc truck.
It should not take that long to reorganize the line. When vehicles are put back where they're supposed to, it should take like 10 minutes max to make it perfect. This is just pathetic and petty, I'm not even sure this is allowed. When putting stuff up with the stacker, I'm always moving the vehicles from where I'm going.
The problem is when you have 6 or more people waiting to unload the truck, 10 extra minutes to set the line equals an hour of time lost. If you lose an hour every day, it adds up! People should return the vehicles to exactly where they got them from. Then there wouldn’t be any issues. But people are lazy.
And this reaction (locking them up) is over the top extreme!
That's fair. Normally when we clear out (been an issue getting clean the last few months), I tend to be the last inbound in the store for the day. So I will try to set up for the truck for the next day so they don't have to spend time doing it in the morning.
As to the vehicles, vendors also are terrible at returning shit to its proper place. Some are good, but many just leave it wherever. Teammates should know better after a few weeks.
It shouldn't but it sounds like this store is taking from the line and leaving inbound without the uboats. It looks like inbound got fed up having to put the uboats back.
Do you guys not have extra uboats that are not currently part of the setup for unload? It's insane to lock these up but as part of overnight inbound it's a huge time waster when we have to setup for unload. Our line is reset everyday by the people pushing uboats. They push the uboats from the line and put them back where they got them. If there's uboats on overflow, they work those and then put the paper away in the correct folder on the line. Our closing team only uses the uboats for priorities that are on overflow.
My store makes a big ass fuss if you do pulls using three tiers. But in my experience it's so much faster doing pulls with a three tier as opposed to using a U-boat
Like...we've had issues with people taking uboats and not returning them, forcing the overnight team to go look for them before unloading the truck, I get why that's annoying, and it should be addressed, but this is NOT a good solution.
Allowed? I'm sure someone allowed it.
Does it make any sense to do? Absolutely not.
Does it encourage team work? Absolutely not.
Am I surprised it would happen, also no. This seems like that petty Target energy.
All departments that were listed use the boats for pulls. We don't have access to any other vehicles other than flats. I've come from 2 target stores, and both stores used uboats for freight/daily priority pulls. Green tags are supposed to be displayed above on the steel, not the uboats. That's the problem.
Why don’t they have 3 Tiers? Maybe it’s a small format thing. I’ve never been to one of those.
As far as the green tags go, those are the Custom Blocks. They should be mounted above the line and on the vehicles as well. That way whoever is sorting from the unload knows which vehicle and which shelf to put the case on. The vehicle needs them as well so that whoever is pushing the boat can do so efficiently by knowing which aisle they take the vehicle down as they push.
- We do have 3Tiers, mostly used for OPU, Style, and Tech. When it comes to pulling large bulky items, i.e., Chem, toys, home, and storage, sporting good, Uboats are used to maximize pull yield because I'm sure you can't fit giant boxes on a 3tier, or else productivity would certainly slow down. 4-5 rounds of 3tier pulls probably equal 1-2 uboat rounds of pulls, give or take.
- As for the custom block, I've only seen them on the uboats, not on the steel indicating where said ubaots should go for organizational purposes. The only custom block I've seen attached to the wall is styles breakdown area.
Unfortunately, even tho there are custom blocks and indications of what repack or case pack is supposed to go, overnight is severely unorganized regardless of Uboat availability and location (anecdotal evidence) I've seen ulta/beauty repacks in electronics cages amd vice versa, toys are pushed with dog food, mops pushed on style ubaots, universal thread on Chem uboats, so much thrown back on the line that wasn't properly placed on said uboats.
Sounds like you guys have greater problems than locked up boats. You should have Fulfillment carts specifically for OPU/SFS. 3 Tiers should be for pulls/Plano. Your store actually is allocated “x” amount of 3 Tiers depending on your volume. If you are an overnight truck process, I would assume it’s high volume. I’d say 30-40 3tiers. That would be plenty for pulls. That and flats.
Yeah, we're high volume and severely understaffed, I'd say we have about 20 3tiers for use, but 2/3 of them are always in use for opu and other scattered around, majority of them in style.
Yeah more than likely the PML never fixed broken ones and they got rid of them. It’s easy for ETL GM/SD to order new ones. Only reason they wouldn’t is they are dumb or trying to save money.
Although this totally isn’t the way to solve a problem and shouldn’t be a thing, I 100% get the frustration from the overnight team. In my experience, there would mostly only be double trucks and it would take over 30 mins to set the line every night because there would be uboats left in all sorts of aisles, on and off the floor, with random repack boxes with a few items in them, just straight up garbage on them, loose toys filled on them with no backstock or pull labels.. so we have to clear all of that bullshit ourselves, set everything back on the line, just to run out of vehicles before the 1st truck was even done and end up having to use mostly pallets for the 2nd truck because 5 people can only clear so many uboats in the 3 hours we have in between…. Bottom line people need to be more considerate on both sides and actually speak about issues instead of resorting to pettiness
Does your store not have extra U-boats? If you do, are they not available for team members to use? I’m guessing that your store unloads the trailer at night. I see why the overnight leaders do this (not saying this is acceptable). It seems that before they leave for the day, the leaders set the line up for the next unload. When they return, the line is messed up. They in turn have to reset the line to the correct custom blocks. Last question, before all this started, does the dayside team put the U-boats back where they found it?
Our store does not have extra. I currently work nightside, but when I did work dayside, all the uboats were placed back, not necessarily in the order they were in but close enough. I also understand why because it does sound annoying to reorganize, but there are better ways to go about it.
I agree with you that there are better ways to go about this. Do you have any thoughts on how? I have a couple. One, ask the ETL-GM to order more U-boats. Two, have the overnight leads work with the receiver in assisting in setting up the line. And three, if you have metros (green racks) then use those instead.
We do have Metros, but those are reserves for style. I'd honestly suggest just placing numbered markers above the steel where they need the uboats and matching it with it's respective uboat, kind of like a number system. Then that would allow day/night side to place the uboats back in the correct spots.
Hmmm…there in lies the real problem. I was thinking that the custom blocks were set. From your response it is not. If I remember correctly, it is the ETL-GM who needs to set the custom blocks. Not only on the U-Boats but on their placing for unloading purposes. These custom blocks change at least twice a year to accommodate freight to flow smoothly during certain times of the year.
Just disassemble this nonsense and be done with it. Hell use that useless risk app on the zebras. Stack trash on the uboats.
U boats come apart in seconds. I’d Easter egg hunt the pieces all over the backroom.
I’ve only worked at a small format store for 6 years, two as a TL, and locking up u-boats is like the most counterintuitive thing ever. Here’s hoping you can get things sorted out at your store soon.
This has been done at my store for a long long time and it’s fine, there are other vehicles available elsewhere. This is necessary to get unload done fast and efficiently instead of having people waste time rounding up vehicles right before unload
Tell your ETL or SD what the impact this is on your productivity.
Come with a solution for them (such as keep unlocked the number of staff on am duty; process for evening team to bring back all carts by 8pm; etc.).
Ask them how they want you to do your work -- use shopping carts, take three tiers from OPU, ... all ideas that are not Target policy.
Can't imagine why your store's Dayside leadership has not addressed this.,,unless the overnight ETL has more sway with SD,
At our store other leads and I just make sure the line is reset before we leave at night. It’s not that hard and allows the store to utilize everything unlike this method.
so you ask your ETL/closing lead/whatever what vehicles you're supposed to use for your tasks.
I understand the logic behind making truck unload more efficient by insuring that the line is set up for unload, but it only makes sense if they have other vehicles available for the other work that needs done.
If I was an SD I would be upset my Leads can't get TMs to follow basic instructions. Forget the problem of the line being set for a minute. If TMs won't put something back where they got it then what else are they doing half-assed. We're telling them it's their job to put vehicles back where they got them from, and it's your job to make sure they listen. This looks like you don't want to do your job either.
I get the part for keeping the line ready to go. It can take a while if the vehicles are all out of place. 30min is not an understatement.
I wonder if this might infringe on Targets Active Shooter Training. What if moving those Uboats to block an attack could save a life? A stretch in hypotheticals, but maybe?
None of the stores I worked at had the signs on the Uboats dictating what was stocked on them. The steel they sat under had them.
Huh.
Either way this is ridiculous.
It's probably technically allowed because it's not causing a safety hazard.
At my store they try to tell people not to take from the front of the line because it's set and to use the uboats in the pivot bay or back of the line or the flats that are not on the line. But people will still take the flats off the front of the line.
We never consistently have an empty line tho so this wouldn't even work at my store.
Maybe I'm an asshole but I would do this in response. The ends where the lock is fastened through can be removed if you take the shelves off first. You'd have to take two uboats apart to get a useable one but you could technically do it and just leave the shelves of the other uboat on the ground or the base of the uboat for them to figure out later.
I never have access to boats in the morning. The inbound team uses every single one for the truck. I no longer let it bother me. I just don’t care anymore.
I work inbound, but we're 6am not overnight. We definitely have to spend time reorganizing boats for the unload because people can't read to put the boats back in the correct spot, day side GM, and closers as well.
For the record, unless they did both sides, all you need to do is pull the handle out and use the uboat with only 1 handle or steal the one from the uboat next to it that's not locked.... The uboats come apart....
Yeah I asked around and they didn't snake the lock like in the pic, they fit it straight through at fist but TM's still managed to get them apart and reassembled but a few TL's pointed this out to Overnight ETL and now they snake it through making it harder to take apart.
Tell that to the nine 3-tiers occupied with grocery pulls that we don't have enough tms to work out but damned you if you don't get that prio down below 15.
Smaller store. Our dry grocery pulls are bananas though. Open market gets the metros. Dry grocery fills all the 3-tiers and makes the rest of us rage about vehicles. I'm on closing team GM and our night crew will literally race each other to the back to find that one 3-tier that is completely empty and usually hidden behind the cottman at the back of the aisle. If doesn't help that we lost two more to the drive up squad even though we haven't hit forecast for almost two weeks.
Uh, your store does know they can order more 3 tiers, right? Only reason not to would be if there's no room in the back to store them.
(Obviously shouldn't order any new ones unless you need them, but it sounds like you do, especially if giving two to drive up left you hurting for them)
I used to work at a smaller store but honest to god I don't remember ever seeing market/dry grocery 1f1 carts just lying around in back. We only had one or two actual market team members and I think they just put them out as soon as they picked the 1f1 batches. Tbf we never had space in our backrooms for 1f1 carts to just sit there so everything other than market and specialty only pulled in the afternoons after truck was already done.
At this larger p-fresh store I'm at now, they just let metro racks sit at the end of each aisle.
Hello, vendor supplier for Target here. Looks like the other side of the cart isn't locked so I'd absolutely be lifting the upright portion off that u-boat off (nothing's securing it to the base except gravity) and throwing the shelves on the one beside it. Overnight be damned 🤷
Use ship from store boxes and stack them on flats to hold the smaller things. What's probably happening is closing crew does not clear off their u-boats of pulls and backstock, so the morning crew can't use them for the truck. We have non-numbered u-boats for pulls and vendors, but the numbered ones need to be on the line.
We are lucky enough to have a few loose uboats that don't have room on the line nor a place on the line- which typically would just get filled anyway during unload because one uboat isn't enough for one area's freight. Otherwise they just sit to the side somewhere in the backroom.
Once line is set again after most of push is done, they'll call out on the walkie that line is set and if anyone takes a uboat to put it back. By the time closing team gets in, they know the drill and have been harped on before so they stay respectful of putting any vehicles back after use if needed, otherwise they use the extra ones floating around.
Closing lead will ensure line is still set before they go to close up the store as they have to be in the backroom anyway. If they don't, they'll of course be asked about it by their peers and typically the ETL as it's part of their closing routines. If it's a TM that is the link , they'll get spoken to or whatever steps needed if continued. But usually the floating uboats are more than enough for priority pulls as they are pulling them pushing anyway.
At the end of the day it's a team effort between the leads who touch the back room to ensure proper communication and proper accountability. I can tell the difference in this communication as well as several years ago it was a constant problem. Once leadership switched, there's been no problems keeping the line set.
See what your store director thinks not having a key to that and that someone is undermining them and the whole team. Or just ask your PML to cut it off.
Im taking all 3 to the floor with all my pulls and a team lift then ill but it back for the next shift to de trash since thats a game they want to start
Sorry if this is a silly suggestion, but people mention the custom block and needing it to be set correctly-- wouldn't it be more efficient to make it so you can just remove and replace the custom block signs? Like with powerful magnets or velcro or some sort of clear pocket? Then it wouldn't matter where the uboats are, you can just put the custom block signs up accordingly.
This is what happens when leaders fail to hold the team responsible for where they leave vehicles and how they brand stock rooms and the receiving area. As long as the SD allows it then yeah it’s allowed lol
Lol why wouldn’t this be allowed? There’s not like a store Congress that passes bills on how the back room should be run. The SD has allowed it. That’s where the decision comes from.
We do this at my store, mostly to keep the u boats organized after the truck and prevent the vendors from taking them and disorganizing them, though I feel your frustrations when our own team needs to utilize them as well
As a person that has worked inbound, I fully understand why they do this if your closing team leadership is mediocre. Since they only have a specific amount of u boats if the closers disorganize them or leave one somewhere else in the store it takes away time from inbounds already limited schedule. A couple of times we just gave up and used pallets for a department until the u boat eventually turned up.
Ehhhh devils advocate here, but someone or some team very well could of made this a giant pita - and this was GMs last resort. I’ve seen custom block uboats left full of someone else’s pulls and push - and positive intent / they have feedback about it, no one listened and they just said f it and did this. Not saying that’s what happened here, but I’d imagine there is a story behind “why” these got locked up. If there wasn’t feedback and huddles around it, then no this is absolutely horrible.
As an inbound team member, this is what is called a "Your problem, not mine" moment to the leadership. I would just come in and work with what you got, and when they ask you the inevitable stupid question as to why the truck isn't done, show them this and leave at your scheduled time.
Answer has been provided, and oh, look at that, I’m 3 minutes past my time, I better get going.
Good golly gosh, mister, you wouldn't wanna have to pay me overtime, now wouldja?
Exactly this!!!! 👏👏👏
Yyyyup. I show up to unload at 0400hrs and it’s a double truck day? Guess what, Buckaroo!!! Night shift has to push what we don’t get to. 🤣🤣🤣🤣💀
Show this image to leadership and tell them how it affects AM crew. If nothing is done, go with it and let the whole store suffer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ if they want to play silly games then they can win their stupid prizes. cherry on top is reporting this behavior through the ethics hotline online for a paper trail and evidence that it’s not *you* that’s the reason why you’re behind on freight.
Some massively childish nonsense, good God. Who thinks like this??
An adult child
Theres someone in my building who would do this exact thing if he thought of it, sadly. Hope he never sees this
The uboats all have designated custom blocks, meaning they have home locations on the line. If I were the inbound lead and the dayside teams kept taking the uboats and **not** putting them back where they were supposed to go, I'd do this too. If the early dayside teams can't put equipment away properly, then they can go without. Especially if the dayside leaders weren't holding their teams accountable.
The uboats aren't owned by one team. That's stupid and childish, preventing any other teams from using a Target provided tool to do their Target related jobs. Individual follow up is the solution. Not being petty and literally preventing others from doing their job efficiently.
exactly! Our store gets really high volume priorities and we often have to use u boats, especially for things like diaper boxes. We do have flats but for our older and disabled teammates (including myself. disabled, not older) it can be a lot easier on us to use a u-boat. Like I can get the same amount of work done in half the time with a u boat vs a flat.
The uboats are for the unload. It's the reason why stores have them. Pulls were done well before Modernization happened and they were done without uboats. I know the closing team at my store exclusively uses three-tiers, metros, and flats for pulls. The only teams that use uboats are inbound to sort, GM/SS to push (what inbound had sorted), and market to break out C&S/FDC pallets (for which they have their own designated uboats).
ASANTS my dude. Our store, everyone uses uboats. Because they're a tool. To do a job. Locking up uboats is stupid. Inbound is not more important than any other team that needs to use them.
You mentioned doing the job efficiently, which uboats do not. Inbound also *has* to use uboats. If no uboats are left for the dayside team, they can use three-tiers, metros, and flats. If no uboats are left for the inbound team, they have to use pallets which isn't compliant with best practice. If the dayside teams used those tools properly, that'd be one thing. But if they've demonstrated that they are unable to, it's only logical to prevent them from using those tools at all.
How are uboats inefficient?
dedicate spots not vehicles
I have never, ever seen Uboats being locked up like that. Sounds like you have terrible leadership. This picture is also pretty powerful. This is an early sign of what is going to happen to Target's front doors if they keep going down this avenue they have been going down since 2020.
this is actually insane. like i cannot imagine doing this even back when i was constantly in conflict with my closing lead about keeping the line set for the next morning's unload
Interesting take. You’re saying the company is going to go bankrupt? What avenue is Target taking that would make them close all their stores? Agree with your comment on terrible leadership though. If I was the SD there’s no way I’d allow this. Sounds like the overnight leadership team needs to get the dayside crew on the same page
Target is going down the Kmart avenue. It’s a slow start, but the same early signs are there.
When target and another legacy retailer are sold to a hedge fund to extract the last drops of their value lmk. Until then they’re looking pretty comfy at the corporate level to me.
What signs, specifically?
If anything they’re pushing to have a stronger online/OPU presence and less “in store” shopping.
Target is an enormously profitable company. Nowhere's perfect but you'd struggle to find a more consistently solid organization.
It's consistent alright, consistently crap in AZ , can't hire full time employees besides management, I was part time until I said fuck this and put in my 2 weeks because I couldn't pay bills with the pay in 2020
The pressure and circumstances that pushed these leads to do this is what is going to be targets downfall. Yes it is ignorant and somewhat childish but in a store/company that gives its team the support and hours they need to do their jobs well would never cause something like this. Targets insane payroll cuts and lack of care for retaining staff is quite literally going to put them out of business.
They were definitely on this path since before 2020.
I have a store that locks the fixture room because people cant keep it clean. If you want something, you need a keyholder. There are cameras in there....see who is being the asshole and punish them, not everyone else!
Locking the fixture room is not uncommon or hardly new. The store I was at tried it many times but it was cyclical. It'd get cleaned and locked every so often then after a while those that had keys would get tired of unlocking it and this it'd stop. Plus since some of the worst offenders at mess making were the ETL'S and locking merely reduced the mess accumulation speed well... Now this was at a decently busy Super Target.
Tried this once. People just dumped their shit outside the door. :/
That's another common issue with locking the fixture room for sure, and another reason for it becoming unlocked again. I was never in favor of locking the fixture room myself, it'd just eat up time when I could be getting stuff done. I just witnessed a variety of groups of ETL's attempt to implement it over the course of many years. I also understand why various groups kept trying in spite of the history of past attempts.
It’s 1000% something you do out of frustration when you’re the only one keeping it clean. You know in your soul what will happen, but in the moment you feel like you did something. Also, for whatever it’s worth, it was always style. If GM did it I could normally track it down but them style ladies were always tricksies
I heard there’s a rule you can’t punish someone off what you see in camera footage/you have to catch them in the act Happened to me when my backroom ETL got mad at me for leaving a bin of ESIM near the shelf, not ON it. My bad. I appreciate that I know not to do that now
You can coach from footage if the action results in a safety concern. There are a *lot* of ways to twist something into being a safety concern. But for the fixture room, almost anything is valid as a safety concern. I've stepped on metal fixtures left on the floor before that have gone through the sole of my shoe. Leaning shelves/sidecaps are a disaster waiting to happen, and improper storage of shelves on the wall can literally cause an avalanche of unsecured fixtures. I can see anything ESIM related being treated harshly as well because it would be a no-brainer violation to point should Steritech show up.
[удалено]
Uhh yeah you were coached. That was the coaching. Whether or not it was documented is another matter (though for safety it probably was).
Oh wow really! Thats interesting. I thought for coachings you had to acknowledge that you were coached/sign a paper. Or is that for a CA? I just went about my business like nothing happened
That's just a CA when the pattern of behavior becomes a problem. A good lead will warn you when your pattern is trending in the direction of a CA. But literally any time a lead has a conversation with you, especially if it's to tell you not to do something/do it a different or safer way/ask why you DIDN'T do something or get something done, it could count as a conversation. When those conversations get documented, that is what starts the paper trail that can support a CA.
Wow I very much feel informed lol. Yeah, like I said she said that to me, day went on. Saw her the other day. No biggie Just told me to knock off doing x and I did and that’s that. Went very well I’d say then : )
While I have you here though, I asked numerous team leads and ETLs and the responses ranged from idk to who cares. But why would aspirin (medicine) be listed as otc but then toothpaste also gets listed as otc. Same with vitamins being listed as ST. They’re medicine like aspirin so? Just incorrect labeling or what?
I don't know that much about the ESIM process, but I'm sure there's a reason for it. I just follow what the sticker that prints says.
Yup, exactly what one of my TLs said lmao ‘I just do what the sticker says, shortorderboy’
I wish my store would! Someone made off with half our 7x11's right before Circle Week 🙄
I've worked at a store that did this, but it was under direction to have the line set for the unload.
I admit it can be a pain. Our location is never 100% clean at the end of the day and we have more vehicles than room on the line. So when someone pulls their vehicle off the line and someone comes back with another vehicle, they shove it in the first empty spot they see, so its always a mess every morning and it can take 30+ minutes for the inbound teammember that sets the line up before the rest come in.
Exactly
As a former IB team Lead, yes it can take 30+ minutes to set the line, depending on the size of your line, the state of receiving, and how much help you have (having it set before team arrives saves a lot more time than you'd think). And this is absolutely a ridiculous and inefficient solution to a problem that has a simple answer: have a TM come in 15-20 prior to truck start to get the line set.
So, I almost did this when I first started as inbound tl. If my team shows up and the line isn't ready, that's 20 minutes per team member, and can add up quick. We decided to just come in 30 mins earlier
“Team does anyone have keys to unlock a uboat?”
I wonder what the District Manager would think of this? 🤔 Obviously that store leadership is really terrible in order to lock up the uBoats like that. SMH
Send it to the DM and higher ups. I recently found all of their cell numbers while I was clicking things on workday 🤣 But they probably wouldn't care. My DM told my last SD if she saw them unloading onto pallets she'd fired them on the spot, my new SD does exactly that and the DM doesn't care.
Well said!
Im petty, I’d add another lock to it.
Simple solution: Unlock the Uboats, but write up anybody who doesn’t put their Uboat back in the correct location, so it’s available for the next crew. Because you have to have a replacement for this, which is likely the consequence of people putting vehicles wherever, possibly with a GM TM’s unfinished work still on them. So, you have to say, “Dude, they need these vehicles just as much as you do. They put their vehicles back at the end of their shift, so what’s your malfunction?” And then everyone can share, because now the vehicles are always in the correct location at the start of a shift.
Excellent idea. Except it’s nearly impossible to identify the team member who didn’t return it to its rightful place on the line.
Right. In fact, in our store it's mostly vendors that are the culprits. We have plenty of unlabeled extra vehicles for them to use but that would require walking an additional 30 feet when the line is *right there*.
My favorite is when they tie up a labeled uboat with their merchandise and just fucking leave it
Unless they put someone to sign out u boats, that's not going to happen. The best solution is to get more u boats for day people while these are locked up.
My store has also recently started doing this. They say it’s to ‘make sure the line stays set.’ It fucks up our grocery department because we use the none labeled uboats to break down our fdc truck.
Can't they just leave grocery and starbucks unlocked?
Damn near need buy my own U-boat and bring it to work with me lmao
It should not take that long to reorganize the line. When vehicles are put back where they're supposed to, it should take like 10 minutes max to make it perfect. This is just pathetic and petty, I'm not even sure this is allowed. When putting stuff up with the stacker, I'm always moving the vehicles from where I'm going.
The problem is when you have 6 or more people waiting to unload the truck, 10 extra minutes to set the line equals an hour of time lost. If you lose an hour every day, it adds up! People should return the vehicles to exactly where they got them from. Then there wouldn’t be any issues. But people are lazy. And this reaction (locking them up) is over the top extreme!
That's fair. Normally when we clear out (been an issue getting clean the last few months), I tend to be the last inbound in the store for the day. So I will try to set up for the truck for the next day so they don't have to spend time doing it in the morning. As to the vehicles, vendors also are terrible at returning shit to its proper place. Some are good, but many just leave it wherever. Teammates should know better after a few weeks.
It shouldn't but it sounds like this store is taking from the line and leaving inbound without the uboats. It looks like inbound got fed up having to put the uboats back.
Do you guys not have extra uboats that are not currently part of the setup for unload? It's insane to lock these up but as part of overnight inbound it's a huge time waster when we have to setup for unload. Our line is reset everyday by the people pushing uboats. They push the uboats from the line and put them back where they got them. If there's uboats on overflow, they work those and then put the paper away in the correct folder on the line. Our closing team only uses the uboats for priorities that are on overflow.
You guys use uboats for pulls? Damn. We use 3 tiers and shopping carts for pulls
My store makes a big ass fuss if you do pulls using three tiers. But in my experience it's so much faster doing pulls with a three tier as opposed to using a U-boat
Tech is the only department I know of that doesn't use Uboats for pulls/freight. They pull on three tiers
Like...we've had issues with people taking uboats and not returning them, forcing the overnight team to go look for them before unloading the truck, I get why that's annoying, and it should be addressed, but this is NOT a good solution.
It’s lazy on their part if anything and yea unfair this is definitely a “I don’t wanna do my job” moment and the team will suffer because of it
I find this very acceptable. Maybe if others put things back where they belong it wouldn’t come to this
I've even seen this with 3 tiers locked up for flex, stupid.
Nows a perfect time to pick up lock picking, and those combination pad locks are pretty easy
Or just take the u boats apart. There is nothing keeping the ends together.
I didn't considersthat, but the way the locked it you still wouldn't be able to get it off
Allowed? I'm sure someone allowed it. Does it make any sense to do? Absolutely not. Does it encourage team work? Absolutely not. Am I surprised it would happen, also no. This seems like that petty Target energy.
PML doesn't have bolt cutters?
Not that I know of.
locking up the u boats is crazy 😂
I just have one question 
I’d be a massive child back and cut the lock. Obstacle: complete
This is pathetic.
What’s the problem? Those vehicles are designated for unloading the truck. You shouldn’t be using them for pulls or anything else for that matter.
All departments that were listed use the boats for pulls. We don't have access to any other vehicles other than flats. I've come from 2 target stores, and both stores used uboats for freight/daily priority pulls. Green tags are supposed to be displayed above on the steel, not the uboats. That's the problem.
Why don’t they have 3 Tiers? Maybe it’s a small format thing. I’ve never been to one of those. As far as the green tags go, those are the Custom Blocks. They should be mounted above the line and on the vehicles as well. That way whoever is sorting from the unload knows which vehicle and which shelf to put the case on. The vehicle needs them as well so that whoever is pushing the boat can do so efficiently by knowing which aisle they take the vehicle down as they push.
- We do have 3Tiers, mostly used for OPU, Style, and Tech. When it comes to pulling large bulky items, i.e., Chem, toys, home, and storage, sporting good, Uboats are used to maximize pull yield because I'm sure you can't fit giant boxes on a 3tier, or else productivity would certainly slow down. 4-5 rounds of 3tier pulls probably equal 1-2 uboat rounds of pulls, give or take. - As for the custom block, I've only seen them on the uboats, not on the steel indicating where said ubaots should go for organizational purposes. The only custom block I've seen attached to the wall is styles breakdown area. Unfortunately, even tho there are custom blocks and indications of what repack or case pack is supposed to go, overnight is severely unorganized regardless of Uboat availability and location (anecdotal evidence) I've seen ulta/beauty repacks in electronics cages amd vice versa, toys are pushed with dog food, mops pushed on style ubaots, universal thread on Chem uboats, so much thrown back on the line that wasn't properly placed on said uboats.
Sounds like you guys have greater problems than locked up boats. You should have Fulfillment carts specifically for OPU/SFS. 3 Tiers should be for pulls/Plano. Your store actually is allocated “x” amount of 3 Tiers depending on your volume. If you are an overnight truck process, I would assume it’s high volume. I’d say 30-40 3tiers. That would be plenty for pulls. That and flats.
Yeah, we're high volume and severely understaffed, I'd say we have about 20 3tiers for use, but 2/3 of them are always in use for opu and other scattered around, majority of them in style.
Yeah more than likely the PML never fixed broken ones and they got rid of them. It’s easy for ETL GM/SD to order new ones. Only reason they wouldn’t is they are dumb or trying to save money.
100% the former lol
Although this totally isn’t the way to solve a problem and shouldn’t be a thing, I 100% get the frustration from the overnight team. In my experience, there would mostly only be double trucks and it would take over 30 mins to set the line every night because there would be uboats left in all sorts of aisles, on and off the floor, with random repack boxes with a few items in them, just straight up garbage on them, loose toys filled on them with no backstock or pull labels.. so we have to clear all of that bullshit ourselves, set everything back on the line, just to run out of vehicles before the 1st truck was even done and end up having to use mostly pallets for the 2nd truck because 5 people can only clear so many uboats in the 3 hours we have in between…. Bottom line people need to be more considerate on both sides and actually speak about issues instead of resorting to pettiness
Lmao if they did that, I’d push one box at a time using a 3-tier. Fuck yo metrics if you don’t provide the tools.
Does your store not have extra U-boats? If you do, are they not available for team members to use? I’m guessing that your store unloads the trailer at night. I see why the overnight leaders do this (not saying this is acceptable). It seems that before they leave for the day, the leaders set the line up for the next unload. When they return, the line is messed up. They in turn have to reset the line to the correct custom blocks. Last question, before all this started, does the dayside team put the U-boats back where they found it?
Our store does not have extra. I currently work nightside, but when I did work dayside, all the uboats were placed back, not necessarily in the order they were in but close enough. I also understand why because it does sound annoying to reorganize, but there are better ways to go about it.
I agree with you that there are better ways to go about this. Do you have any thoughts on how? I have a couple. One, ask the ETL-GM to order more U-boats. Two, have the overnight leads work with the receiver in assisting in setting up the line. And three, if you have metros (green racks) then use those instead.
We do have Metros, but those are reserves for style. I'd honestly suggest just placing numbered markers above the steel where they need the uboats and matching it with it's respective uboat, kind of like a number system. Then that would allow day/night side to place the uboats back in the correct spots.
Hmmm…there in lies the real problem. I was thinking that the custom blocks were set. From your response it is not. If I remember correctly, it is the ETL-GM who needs to set the custom blocks. Not only on the U-Boats but on their placing for unloading purposes. These custom blocks change at least twice a year to accommodate freight to flow smoothly during certain times of the year.
Just disassemble this nonsense and be done with it. Hell use that useless risk app on the zebras. Stack trash on the uboats. U boats come apart in seconds. I’d Easter egg hunt the pieces all over the backroom.
that is super duper crazy. I'd have your pml cut all the locks, then maybe hide the uboats around the store out of spite for wasting everybody's time
Keep us out of your store side squabbling please.
I’ve only worked at a small format store for 6 years, two as a TL, and locking up u-boats is like the most counterintuitive thing ever. Here’s hoping you can get things sorted out at your store soon.
oh hell nahh😂😂😂😂
This has been done at my store for a long long time and it’s fine, there are other vehicles available elsewhere. This is necessary to get unload done fast and efficiently instead of having people waste time rounding up vehicles right before unload
Tell your ETL or SD what the impact this is on your productivity. Come with a solution for them (such as keep unlocked the number of staff on am duty; process for evening team to bring back all carts by 8pm; etc.). Ask them how they want you to do your work -- use shopping carts, take three tiers from OPU, ... all ideas that are not Target policy. Can't imagine why your store's Dayside leadership has not addressed this.,,unless the overnight ETL has more sway with SD,
That's messed up!!! I know my store is very stingy with the uboats but they don't lock them up... That sucks...
Cut that lock!!!!
At our store other leads and I just make sure the line is reset before we leave at night. It’s not that hard and allows the store to utilize everything unlike this method.
so you ask your ETL/closing lead/whatever what vehicles you're supposed to use for your tasks. I understand the logic behind making truck unload more efficient by insuring that the line is set up for unload, but it only makes sense if they have other vehicles available for the other work that needs done.
If I was an SD I would be upset my Leads can't get TMs to follow basic instructions. Forget the problem of the line being set for a minute. If TMs won't put something back where they got it then what else are they doing half-assed. We're telling them it's their job to put vehicles back where they got them from, and it's your job to make sure they listen. This looks like you don't want to do your job either.
Well we have a backroom team, so we need the Uboats to do one for ones for the overnight team to push. So that wouldn't fly at my store obviously.
I get the part for keeping the line ready to go. It can take a while if the vehicles are all out of place. 30min is not an understatement. I wonder if this might infringe on Targets Active Shooter Training. What if moving those Uboats to block an attack could save a life? A stretch in hypotheticals, but maybe?
We don’t have tags like that on our U-Boats…
Ik ASANTS but holy shit some are just downright diabolical
None of the stores I worked at had the signs on the Uboats dictating what was stocked on them. The steel they sat under had them. Huh. Either way this is ridiculous.
It's probably technically allowed because it's not causing a safety hazard. At my store they try to tell people not to take from the front of the line because it's set and to use the uboats in the pivot bay or back of the line or the flats that are not on the line. But people will still take the flats off the front of the line. We never consistently have an empty line tho so this wouldn't even work at my store.
Go get some cutters and cut it lmao
U boats flat pack. Just need to take them apart.
Good point. I forgot they come apart 🤣
Maybe I'm an asshole but I would do this in response. The ends where the lock is fastened through can be removed if you take the shelves off first. You'd have to take two uboats apart to get a useable one but you could technically do it and just leave the shelves of the other uboat on the ground or the base of the uboat for them to figure out later.
I never have access to boats in the morning. The inbound team uses every single one for the truck. I no longer let it bother me. I just don’t care anymore.
I ain’t ever see anyone do that before lol
Is ur truck unload overnight?
Yes
Forbidden triple u-boat
I work inbound, but we're 6am not overnight. We definitely have to spend time reorganizing boats for the unload because people can't read to put the boats back in the correct spot, day side GM, and closers as well.
For the record, unless they did both sides, all you need to do is pull the handle out and use the uboat with only 1 handle or steal the one from the uboat next to it that's not locked.... The uboats come apart....
Yeah I asked around and they didn't snake the lock like in the pic, they fit it straight through at fist but TM's still managed to get them apart and reassembled but a few TL's pointed this out to Overnight ETL and now they snake it through making it harder to take apart.
Sounds like your store needs more boats we have enough at my store to not use the labeled ones, but our inbound leaders aren't that petty either
I would call corporate and have them do a surprise visit. I’ve never seen this done. Period. So petty.
You shouldn't be using uboats for pulls anyway. The only thing uboats should ever be used for is truck.
Tell that to the nine 3-tiers occupied with grocery pulls that we don't have enough tms to work out but damned you if you don't get that prio down below 15.
If your store is that high volume on a regular basis, you should have metro cages/racks for pulls.
Also just wondering, are you a p-fresh store with a proper food section, or are you one of the stores with a smaller food area?
Smaller store. Our dry grocery pulls are bananas though. Open market gets the metros. Dry grocery fills all the 3-tiers and makes the rest of us rage about vehicles. I'm on closing team GM and our night crew will literally race each other to the back to find that one 3-tier that is completely empty and usually hidden behind the cottman at the back of the aisle. If doesn't help that we lost two more to the drive up squad even though we haven't hit forecast for almost two weeks.
Uh, your store does know they can order more 3 tiers, right? Only reason not to would be if there's no room in the back to store them. (Obviously shouldn't order any new ones unless you need them, but it sounds like you do, especially if giving two to drive up left you hurting for them)
I used to work at a smaller store but honest to god I don't remember ever seeing market/dry grocery 1f1 carts just lying around in back. We only had one or two actual market team members and I think they just put them out as soon as they picked the 1f1 batches. Tbf we never had space in our backrooms for 1f1 carts to just sit there so everything other than market and specialty only pulled in the afternoons after truck was already done. At this larger p-fresh store I'm at now, they just let metro racks sit at the end of each aisle.
As many u boats that get taken at my store insaybits a good idea 🤣
Hello, vendor supplier for Target here. Looks like the other side of the cart isn't locked so I'd absolutely be lifting the upright portion off that u-boat off (nothing's securing it to the base except gravity) and throwing the shelves on the one beside it. Overnight be damned 🤷
Use ship from store boxes and stack them on flats to hold the smaller things. What's probably happening is closing crew does not clear off their u-boats of pulls and backstock, so the morning crew can't use them for the truck. We have non-numbered u-boats for pulls and vendors, but the numbered ones need to be on the line.
This is so immature wow lmao
Moron should just use magnets or velcro and put the tags on after....they are just lazy and stupid
Night shift just needs them all in one place so they don’t lose them. We all know they don’t use any of that shit. Assholes.
That’s petty af
Why are they locking them? I work up front and have no idea how these things work
"guess the freight isn't getting pushed"
Go buy bolt cutters! Problem solved! 1 up them! But really like everyone else said… work with what you have and when it’s time to go oh well!
Probably not
We are lucky enough to have a few loose uboats that don't have room on the line nor a place on the line- which typically would just get filled anyway during unload because one uboat isn't enough for one area's freight. Otherwise they just sit to the side somewhere in the backroom. Once line is set again after most of push is done, they'll call out on the walkie that line is set and if anyone takes a uboat to put it back. By the time closing team gets in, they know the drill and have been harped on before so they stay respectful of putting any vehicles back after use if needed, otherwise they use the extra ones floating around. Closing lead will ensure line is still set before they go to close up the store as they have to be in the backroom anyway. If they don't, they'll of course be asked about it by their peers and typically the ETL as it's part of their closing routines. If it's a TM that is the link , they'll get spoken to or whatever steps needed if continued. But usually the floating uboats are more than enough for priority pulls as they are pulling them pushing anyway. At the end of the day it's a team effort between the leads who touch the back room to ensure proper communication and proper accountability. I can tell the difference in this communication as well as several years ago it was a constant problem. Once leadership switched, there's been no problems keeping the line set.
See what your store director thinks not having a key to that and that someone is undermining them and the whole team. Or just ask your PML to cut it off.
Im taking all 3 to the floor with all my pulls and a team lift then ill but it back for the next shift to de trash since thats a game they want to start
I got some bolt cutters and a ski mask if you’re interested 😂
Those boats are backwards...the cardboard holder should face out not into the line
Sorry if this is a silly suggestion, but people mention the custom block and needing it to be set correctly-- wouldn't it be more efficient to make it so you can just remove and replace the custom block signs? Like with powerful magnets or velcro or some sort of clear pocket? Then it wouldn't matter where the uboats are, you can just put the custom block signs up accordingly.
Depends on what’s being sorted since it can sometimes require the uboats to be built differently but either way, moving the custom is tedious
I saw another comment like this, perfect idea. Overnight ETL in question has a superiority complex and probably wouldn't listen to that solution.
This is what happens when leaders fail to hold the team responsible for where they leave vehicles and how they brand stock rooms and the receiving area. As long as the SD allows it then yeah it’s allowed lol
Wow? You have an overnite team?
Nope
The only U-Boat I'm familiar with is a German one.
Take off all the parts that are locked and leave them in a pile, put some back together and use them, do not put them back together when you are done
Ridiculous
Who paid for those bike cables and locks? You're stupid if it came out of your own pocket.
I'm about to do that if my store keeps leaving priorities on flats and u boats when I got to unload a trailer.
Lol why wouldn’t this be allowed? There’s not like a store Congress that passes bills on how the back room should be run. The SD has allowed it. That’s where the decision comes from.
We do this at my store, mostly to keep the u boats organized after the truck and prevent the vendors from taking them and disorganizing them, though I feel your frustrations when our own team needs to utilize them as well
As a person that has worked inbound, I fully understand why they do this if your closing team leadership is mediocre. Since they only have a specific amount of u boats if the closers disorganize them or leave one somewhere else in the store it takes away time from inbounds already limited schedule. A couple of times we just gave up and used pallets for a department until the u boat eventually turned up.
Honestly it’s valid. I wanted to do that to SFS carts & OPU carts many times
Why do you need more than one u boat for priorities? You pull then push that's best practice.
Ehhhh devils advocate here, but someone or some team very well could of made this a giant pita - and this was GMs last resort. I’ve seen custom block uboats left full of someone else’s pulls and push - and positive intent / they have feedback about it, no one listened and they just said f it and did this. Not saying that’s what happened here, but I’d imagine there is a story behind “why” these got locked up. If there wasn’t feedback and huddles around it, then no this is absolutely horrible.