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Post Info TOPIC: New Year and apparently New Procedures/(mini vent)...
Bakerchick25

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New Year and apparently New Procedures/(mini vent)...
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So I was on closing again tonight as per usual. And as per usual didn't have much help and was left with cookies to label, floor to fill(which I normally would have let it go if there was just a few holes. But they damn near cleaned out the place tonight. As we are getting another incoming of heavy snow this weekend. So I knew they'd really be bitching about that come the morning when they saw it that empty), trash to run on my own, Packzi and doughnuts to slack out, supplies to put away, and naturally all of the cleaning.

Welp, I got just about everything done save for cleaning the floor behind the counter(got it swept but it definitely needed to be hosed down do to a lot of the icing the one college chick got all over it when she was back up decorator). To which, I was about to hose it down and leave when I get a call from the store manager asking me what time I'm scheduled to. Which I told her and what I was doing is why I was over a little bit. But I was matter of factly informed that it was time to get out.

Which I'll admit kind of surprised me that she would call about something like that. But hey, didn't have to pull my leg, I just put the broom away and the card board on the cart and took the RF guns upstairs. And when I put the guns up, I told her that this is why we need more closers and also could she guarantee that I wouldn't have to hear any lip for not getting the floor done behind the counter. And she was like, "well they can't say much since I told you to leave, so..."

So long story short, I got my stuff and left. I'm not naive enough to believe I won't hear something come Friday when I'm back on. But at the same time I really have no clue as to what it will take for them to get that something needs to change. Either one more closer at night, someone that solely works the sales floor and trash, better ways of handling blue lines for the trash. Hell even the simple fact of the matter or asking one of the deli peeps to come down and help with labeling and putting away supplies or help with cleaning the floor or something while I work the sales floor and do the other stuff. As it's more than clear that I don't "have it" as together as they want me to all the time. As it's becoming clearer and clearer to me, I have only enough work in me for one person. Not the 20 they would like for me to have. And if people aren't willing to work as a team, then it's safe to say that a whole lot more won't be getting done either.



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That's how it is everywhere. Not enough help, but they don't want to use OT either. Departments are being run on skeleton crews and tasks are left unfinished but then they still do daily store walks and grade us on how set to standards we are. Its impossible to hit that goal of 85 every day when you only have 2 or 3 people working in the bakery a day.

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Bakerchick25

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4hourrush wrote:

That's how it is everywhere. Not enough help, but they don't want to use OT either. Departments are being run on skeleton crews and tasks are left unfinished but then they still do daily store walks and grade us on how set to standards we are. Its impossible to hit that goal of 85 every day when you only have 2 or 3 people working in the bakery a day.


 I don't think we are close to an 85 these days. In stock is low and our friendliness score is way down again. But again, how can one be friendly when under pressure. And things are going to get even more tight when we lose the one college hick that is graduating in the summer. Cause unless she can get a job in accounting(her degree) with  Kroger, she is leaving as well. And they even said the back up bakery manager was thinking that if that were to happen, she will step down and do only floor set and back up decorating. Do to the pressures of the job.

Add in snow storms, not being able to keep any one that we hire...and well it's just one good ol' time of hell in a hand basket at the moment. Still kind of makes me wonder how peeps handle this sort of thing year after year.



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Bakerchick25

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4hourrush wrote:

That's how it is everywhere. Not enough help, but they don't want to use OT either. Departments are being run on skeleton crews and tasks are left unfinished but then they still do daily store walks and grade us on how set to standards we are. Its impossible to hit that goal of 85 every day when you only have 2 or 3 people working in the bakery a day.


 And can I add too, why does it seem like only folks on here seem to understand and realize this being an issue. I mean seriously going to work just about everyday, people act like it's not even a real issue. I mean, have peeps become so numb/used to the fact that we are vastly under staffed. And the only way to make it through it all is bitch at the underlings when things still aren't getting done?

I mean I get they say what doesn't kill can make you stronger(or in this case some kind of insane after a while), but how does store management not even have some ideal/contingency or something in place to help make up the difference in regards to getting things done? I mean is it really that much of a pain in the ass to set of a schedule when particular departments can do a blue line? Or find some way in which supplies can I don't know be delivered on particular days during the afternoon. When it can be taken care of earlier and not being left til the end of the night. Or I don't know, when you see there is a department with only one person on. Maybe, I don't know give a shout out to lend a hand over in that direction(they do it all the time for the FE and even for the floral department at my store. But once more when I'm on closing, I can barely get a hand with trash, in particular when I have nights where about every blue trash can plus the blue cart to take out).

And I get out of saying all of this, there are things that even *I* can change in my own work ethic to make my closing nights more productive. However, with a bunch of my own tweaks, to get through a closing shift. It still really won't off set some of the things that I feel that management can put their hands into and help with to make things run a little more smoothly for everyone.



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Anonymous

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Bakerchick25 wrote:
4hourrush wrote:

That's how it is everywhere. Not enough help, but they don't want to use OT either. Departments are being run on skeleton crews and tasks are left unfinished but then they still do daily store walks and grade us on how set to standards we are. Its impossible to hit that goal of 85 every day when you only have 2 or 3 people working in the bakery a day.


 And can I add too, why does it seem like only folks on here seem to understand and realize this being an issue. I mean seriously going to work just about everyday, people act like it's not even a real issue. I mean, have peeps become so numb/used to the fact that we are vastly under staffed. And the only way to make it through it all is bitch at the underlings when things still aren't getting done?

I mean I get they say what doesn't kill can make you stronger(or in this case some kind of insane after a while), but how does store management not even have some ideal/contingency or something in place to help make up the difference in regards to getting things done? I mean is it really that much of a pain in the ass to set of a schedule when particular departments can do a blue line? Or find some way in which supplies can I don't know be delivered on particular days during the afternoon. When it can be taken care of earlier and not being left til the end of the night. Or I don't know, when you see there is a department with only one person on. Maybe, I don't know give a shout out to lend a hand over in that direction(they do it all the time for the FE and even for the floral department at my store. But once more when I'm on closing, I can barely get a hand with trash, in particular when I have nights where about every blue trash can plus the blue cart to take out).

And I get out of saying all of this, there are things that even *I* can change in my own work ethic to make my closing nights more productive. However, with a bunch of my own tweaks, to get through a closing shift. It still really won't off set some of the things that I feel that management can put their hands into and help with to make things run a little more smoothly for everyone.


 Supply trucks already come in on preassigned days. This is an issue with management (who are required to partially breakdown Peyton trucks to remove tobacco products and secure them) being lazy and not taking a few minutes to also put supplies in their designated location. Our supply trucks usually arrive in the early afternoon but I don't know the routine for your store. But that's something out of the hand of anyone at the store, unless the supplies have been delivered and the boxes are camping out in receiving because nobody wants to move them. You likely don't have TRANSVIEW access or you could see the exact times your supply trucks are delivered, the contents, etc.

With regards to understaffing, that's an issue with just about every company, not just Kroger. Kroger is especially bad at it due to micromanagement above the store level, but it's a challenge for everyone. And honestly, with deli/bakery being a smaller part of the business, it's rarely going to get OT preference over, say, grocery. Because while your Department Head may complain about things not being done at night, they can suck it up compared to shelves being bare or a bulk of the store not being conditioned properly. He/she will just need to spend a few minutes less talking or grabbing a coffee in the morning and get to work prepping the area for the day. I can tell you that Second Shift at my store does jack for the most part, and half the time the coolers are not prepped for truck deliveries, but I just clean it up at night *some* because I still have to unload the perishable trucks regardless of what other people do. But I've been known to load pallets in front of trash and other items just to prove a point that the department's closing member didn't do their job the night before.



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Bakerchick25

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Anonymous wrote:
Bakerchick25 wrote:
4hourrush wrote:

That's how it is everywhere. Not enough help, but they don't want to use OT either. Departments are being run on skeleton crews and tasks are left unfinished but then they still do daily store walks and grade us on how set to standards we are. Its impossible to hit that goal of 85 every day when you only have 2 or 3 people working in the bakery a day.


 And can I add too, why does it seem like only folks on here seem to understand and realize this being an issue. I mean seriously going to work just about everyday, people act like it's not even a real issue. I mean, have peeps become so numb/used to the fact that we are vastly under staffed. And the only way to make it through it all is bitch at the underlings when things still aren't getting done?

I mean I get they say what doesn't kill can make you stronger(or in this case some kind of insane after a while), but how does store management not even have some ideal/contingency or something in place to help make up the difference in regards to getting things done? I mean is it really that much of a pain in the ass to set of a schedule when particular departments can do a blue line? Or find some way in which supplies can I don't know be delivered on particular days during the afternoon. When it can be taken care of earlier and not being left til the end of the night. Or I don't know, when you see there is a department with only one person on. Maybe, I don't know give a shout out to lend a hand over in that direction(they do it all the time for the FE and even for the floral department at my store. But once more when I'm on closing, I can barely get a hand with trash, in particular when I have nights where about every blue trash can plus the blue cart to take out).

And I get out of saying all of this, there are things that even *I* can change in my own work ethic to make my closing nights more productive. However, with a bunch of my own tweaks, to get through a closing shift. It still really won't off set some of the things that I feel that management can put their hands into and help with to make things run a little more smoothly for everyone.


 Supply trucks already come in on preassigned days. This is an issue with management (who are required to partially breakdown Peyton trucks to remove tobacco products and secure them) being lazy and not taking a few minutes to also put supplies in their designated location. Our supply trucks usually arrive in the early afternoon but I don't know the routine for your store. But that's something out of the hand of anyone at the store, unless the supplies have been delivered and the boxes are camping out in receiving because nobody wants to move them. You likely don't have TRANSVIEW access or you could see the exact times your supply trucks are delivered, the contents, etc.

With regards to understaffing, that's an issue with just about every company, not just Kroger. Kroger is especially bad at it due to micromanagement above the store level, but it's a challenge for everyone. And honestly, with deli/bakery being a smaller part of the business, it's rarely going to get OT preference over, say, grocery. Because while your Department Head may complain about things not being done at night, they can suck it up compared to shelves being bare or a bulk of the store not being conditioned properly. He/she will just need to spend a few minutes less talking or grabbing a coffee in the morning and get to work prepping the area for the day. I can tell you that Second Shift at my store does jack for the most part, and half the time the coolers are not prepped for truck deliveries, but I just clean it up at night *some* because I still have to unload the perishable trucks regardless of what other people do. But I've been known to load pallets in front of trash and other items just to prove a point that the department's closing member didn't do their job the night before.


Yea, I mean I get there are preassigned days for the supplies to come in. As they do a page for all departments to come back and get their stuff. But I don't know, I just wished they would let us know when those days are in the department. So that we can be better prepared to take a few folks back there and get it and be able to put it away based off that knowledge. As opposed to a "this is yours'" and they just chuck it on either one of our prep tables or one of the side walk ways blocking the bread slicer. And in bakery's case, when you have one person doing everything else as no one else is going to stop baking, decorating, slacking stuff out, etc. That unexpected drop off just winds up being a pain in the ass unless the deli back up has a spare moment to lend a hand. Most especially these lovely "drop offs" tend to happen during the evening hours. Right when other folks are about to leave at 4 or 5. And I or other closers have to get going on closing duties or get even further behind, after doing catch up from the afternoon.

Oh there is also micro-management in the department level as well. Particularly from the bakery back up manager at times. And even the store managers thinking X,Y, and Z is a really great time to have something done by. When they fail to realize that closers often have to come in and finish off stuff from the afternoon. Not to mention, it seems of late(and I don't know what is being said when I'm not there or behind my back), but lately when people say they will help me out with the labeling or whatever so I can get on top of the closing stuff. They are flaking out of it left and right(had one chick learning how to make a bale on Thanksgiving, had another chick just HAD to take this cake order and was talking to the peeps for 20 mins. Both quite important. But when there are 20+ cookies and so forth that still need to be labelled or tables that could have been cleaned or the floor swept, heck even a quick touch up to the floor being done while I slice the bread, and work on the doughnut case and doughnut slack out. But nada, that just doesn't seem to enter into their brains and means I have even more stuff to catch up on). Add in the time it takes to do trash, collecting all those trash bins up AND the blue cart, cause once again nobody deems it necessary to at least grab one or two for ya as you have the third one and the blue cart to work from. It's just a hot mess.

As for my DH, he is just something else most days. And definitely agree that he can assist more in helping with things too. But of course he comes in rather early and leaves just as early too. So in a way not much help sometimes. And sorry to hear that about the second shift at your store. To be honest, I think the one college girl that does the back up decorating, is so messy with the icing when she decorates, just to prove or see who is doing their job at night. To which, rather she did that sort of thing or not, I would still clean the floor. I just didn't have time to last night, do to the wait time with the trash and how bad the sales floor was decimated( holes galore that needed attention). But I'm sure since I was off today, and with particular "personalities" on. I was dubbed all kinds of the lazy ass that can't get her job done for not doing the floor(even though I put away supplies, labeled the cookies, put them away, filled what I could of the floor, worked on the doughnut case, slacked out more doughnuts and Packzis, ran trash and even assisted customers as per usual). But yet, I'll still be the receiving end of getting the jackass of the week award. >_<



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Anonymous

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Finding out the day would be easy. For our store I think supplies come every Monday and Thursday. It's grouped with Peyton trucks, so if you know the Peyton schedule (Biscoff and the Mazola oil for your department comes in on these nights), you can guess your supplies schedule. Peyton trucks tend to arrive in the early afternoon/evening, at least at my store, so getting your supplies around that time of day sounds right. But you can't worry about what others say; just do your job the best you can and collect those paychecks. Eventually there might be an opportunity to progress onward, potentially at a different store. Openings come up all the time.



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Bakerchick25

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Anonymous wrote:

Finding out the day would be easy. For our store I think supplies come every Monday and Thursday. It's grouped with Peyton trucks, so if you know the Peyton schedule (Biscoff and the Mazola oil for your department comes in on these nights), you can guess your supplies schedule. Peyton trucks tend to arrive in the early afternoon/evening, at least at my store, so getting your supplies around that time of day sounds right. But you can't worry about what others say; just do your job the best you can and collect those paychecks. Eventually there might be an opportunity to progress onward, potentially at a different store. Openings come up all the time.


 I'll have to keep that in mind on the truck stuff, thanks. And yea, I know I shouldn't care what other say so much. I just hate how incompetent they make me feel at the end of the day when something isn't done just so. It's like dude, where in the world is the empathy? As they've been through the same **** before as well. Nobody's perfect and it's not like someone deliberately is leaving something a hot mess, just so we ALL get screwed by Eco lab, health department, or store management the next day. Just one, "I've been there... or Yea, **** happens" goes a long way. Doesn't mean it's okaying something not getting done, but at the same time, it is a quick address of the issue and folks can move on from it. Kind of shifts the energy in a more progressive direction.



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