I'm noticing an increasing trend where I'm at. When I or someone else from a department other than the front end (obviously) is called upon to surge check, we're often told now "don't sign off" when we're done on the register. The problem with that is, the next time we're called upon to surge check, we get the message "operator is still signed on register #" when we try to sign on because we're still signed on somewhere else, and then we have to find someone with an override to sign on, or we need an override to sign someone else off. The front end is doing this because they're "Action Now" number is a lot of times higher than their "lanes open" number. Well then, shouldn't that make it obvious that not enough cashiers are being scheduled at certain points in the day? Instead of addressing the problem, we're just asked to stay "signed on" so the numbers match up on the Que Vision screen... but in reality, the lanes open number means nothing because some of those lanes technically aren't open at all. Isn't that cheating the system so the reports corporate gets make it look like there are the required lanes open even though that's not the case? Corporate came up with Que Vision... why ignore a valuable component of it? If the system is telling you you need more lanes open, then the schedule needs to be tweaked so that there are actual cashiers manning those lanes. I guess the reality is though corporate cares more about the money than honestly analyzing Que Vision numbers and following through with practical solutions.
This is why so many of us have a hard time getting fully behind the whole "Customer 1st" and "Faster Check-Out" concepts. If corporate doesn't care, it makes it harder for us to care. I'm curious though if this practice is being followed at other stores, where registers aren't being manned but employees are asked to sign on so the system thinks more lanes are open than actually are.
Yes, and i refuse to sign onto any register I'm not actively manning. I don't care about their report - their "dips" - and I've told my manager that it's cheating the employee and cheating the customer out of a valuable experience. Get your lanes open. Get your lanes manned. Stop trying to cheat the system and just make your customers happy.
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Que vision has gotten so screwed up at my store that the people in the office don't even look to see if the front end is busy. They look at their screen in the office. The other day our head office person called for all the departments to come up front because the numbers were screwy. But there wasn't a single customer in any checkout lanes including u scan.
Que vision has gotten so screwed up at my store that the people in the office don't even look to see if the front end is busy. They look at their screen in the office. The other day our head office person called for all the departments to come up front because the numbers were screwy. But there wasn't a single customer in any checkout lanes including u scan.
I've noticed that happen a few times where I'm at, myself. Sometimes it crashes and the screen goes blank for a bit other times, it displays ridiculously high numbers that end up being way off. A lot of times though, the "Action Now" number is pretty much right on the money and I think Que Vision could be a valuable tool if it was used in the manner it was designed for.
As for refusing to sign onto a register, well, I can see the reasoning behind that, but out of all the fights that are worth picking at Kroger, for me, that's not really one of them. I do it, but it's a pain getting that override later sometimes, especially when it's busy and customers are waiting.
I'm not going to name co-managers, but I know of a specific one that is called up front often, but never actually goes and does anything about it. She is fairly new, but when people are calling people up to the front your duty as a co-manager should be is to head up stairs. I hear that they're tired, but we're all tired and we work hard to provide service to our customers. I don't have time to be tired to help the needs of the business.
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My Views and Opinions do not reflect that of the Kroger company. I'm an indivdual expressing my 1st amendment right.
Let me be very specific to all the posters on this topic: signing a checklane on/off just to match the predictor screen without actually opening that lane to take customers DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR 1+1 SCORE IN ANY WAY AND IS 100% WASTED EFFORT. YOUR SCORE IS NOT AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY ANYTHING ON THE PREDICTOR SCREEN. YOUR 1+1 SCORE COMES FROM THE ACTUAL QUEUE LENGTHS AS DETERMINED SOLELY BY THE SENSORS OVER THE CHECKLANES.
And what if a checker who has a vendetta against someone uses their number rather than call for an override to sign off? Guess what? Any "mistakes" made will go on the PRIEVIOUS checkers' number. And THEY will be in trouble. NOT the one who actually did it. If this isn't corporate policy, then it's STUPID to do so. It CAN and WILL generate problems.
Let me be very specific to all the posters on this topic: signing a checklane on/off just to match the predictor screen without actually opening that lane to take customers DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR 1+1 SCORE IN ANY WAY AND IS 100% WASTED EFFORT. YOUR SCORE IS NOT AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY ANYTHING ON THE PREDICTOR SCREEN. YOUR 1+1 SCORE COMES FROM THE ACTUAL QUEUE LENGTHS AS DETERMINED SOLELY BY THE SENSORS OVER THE CHECKLANES.
Let me be very specific to all the posters on this topic: signing a checklane on/off just to match the predictor screen without actually opening that lane to take customers DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR 1+1 SCORE IN ANY WAY AND IS 100% WASTED EFFORT. YOUR SCORE IS NOT AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY ANYTHING ON THE PREDICTOR SCREEN. YOUR 1+1 SCORE COMES FROM THE ACTUAL QUEUE LENGTHS AS DETERMINED SOLELY BY THE SENSORS OVER THE CHECKLANES.
There are plenty of times though when I see the lanes they have open aren't backed up, but the "Action Now" number is higher than the "Lanes Open" number. That's when I and others are asked to stay signed on. Even when there aren't more than two people waiting, we're still being asked to do this so that the numbers match up.
AnonymousCutter wrote:
I'm not going to name co-managers, but I know of a specific one that is called up front often, but never actually goes and does anything about it. She is fairly new, but when people are calling people up to the front your duty as a co-manager should be is to head up stairs. I hear that they're tired, but we're all tired and we work hard to provide service to our customers. I don't have time to be tired to help the needs of the business.
Some co-managers allow their frustrations to show more than others, which while understandable, isn't the kind of example to set. Sure, the stores would look better and provide better service if more hours were allotted and employees performed the way they should, and yeah, more would get done, but the reality of the situation is we have to work with what we've got and we have to make the best of the situation for ourselves and the customers. I think we all have days where we simply can't bring ourselves to perform at our best, but as long as that isn't something that's happening every day, I don't see that as being anything one needs to beat himself or herself over.
The head clerks themselves sign on to lanes that are not being used to create a "ghost checker", and tell checkers not to sign off during breaks. When a checker is actually on a lane and it goes into "Terminal Secured", they tell us to "Sign off, then sign back on" to get the numbers to change. Another high tech waste of money by Kroger.
If a manager tells you to do something you know and they know is wrong tell them to put it in writing and sign it. See what a "managers" reaction is then.
Since Que-vision began our office people and managers had been signing someone on because they knew the passwords that went with the cashier numbers. Some people were being signed on even though they were not even scheduled to work that day. IF YOU ARE A SURGE CASHER, BE SURE TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD AND DON'T LET ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT IS. The Union caught wind of this procedure and took it to HR. It ended real quickly. Also check with your Union and I am pretty confident that they will tell you, you DO NOT have to sign on during breaks or after you leave the register.
At my store, which has the highest or 2nd highest quevision in the district, here's what we do - we absolutely make sure our que is 1+1. If screen says we need 5 open but only have 4, and the ques are not long, we sign on just to match the numbers. if the lines get long, we jump on a register and have a manager fes or just wing it for the time being. we know that quevision only counts the heat sensors, not the predictor, but we've been told it has something to do with hours when we're signed on and matching the numbers. We've never just needed a register or 2 with long lines, signed on, and didnt ring.
Edit:
Also, the reason your quevision might say a higher action now number when there's no customers is because the system is also tied into your ring tender effectiveness. If all your cashiers are really slow, the quevision adjusts for it and reflects how many lanes should be open to maintain 1+1 with your slow cashiers holding up the lines
-- Edited by SCO on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 10:34:03 AM
At my store, which has the highest or 2nd highest quevision in the district, here's what we do - we absolutely make sure our que is 1+1. If screen says we need 5 open but only have 4, and the ques are not long, we sign on just to match the numbers. if the lines get long, we jump on a register and have a manager fes or just wing it for the time being. we know that quevision only counts the heat sensors, not the predictor, but we've been told it has something to do with hours when we're signed on and matching the numbers. We've never just needed a register or 2 with long lines, signed on, and didnt ring.
Edit:
Also, the reason your quevision might say a higher action now number when there's no customers is because the system is also tied into your ring tender effectiveness. If all your cashiers are really slow, the quevision adjusts for it and reflects how many lanes should be open to maintain 1+1 with your slow cashiers holding up the lines
-- Edited by SCO on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 10:34:03 AM
Your "number matching" method is the problem we've been talking about. You're cheating your people out of hours and being a general annoyance to every single one of your co-workers because of it. The only thing that "number matching" does is make you feel good and pleases your current on duty manager. ****ing suck ups.
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At my store, which has the highest or 2nd highest quevision in the district, here's what we do - we absolutely make sure our que is 1+1. If screen says we need 5 open but only have 4, and the ques are not long, we sign on just to match the numbers. if the lines get long, we jump on a register and have a manager fes or just wing it for the time being. we know that quevision only counts the heat sensors, not the predictor, but we've been told it has something to do with hours when we're signed on and matching the numbers. We've never just needed a register or 2 with long lines, signed on, and didnt ring.
Edit:
Also, the reason your quevision might say a higher action now number when there's no customers is because the system is also tied into your ring tender effectiveness. If all your cashiers are really slow, the quevision adjusts for it and reflects how many lanes should be open to maintain 1+1 with your slow cashiers holding up the lines
-- Edited by SCO on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 10:34:03 AM
Your "number matching" method is the problem we've been talking about. You're cheating your people out of hours and being a general annoyance to every single one of your co-workers because of it. The only thing that "number matching" does is make you feel good and pleases your current on duty manager. ****ing suck ups.
Ok BagBoy, got some strong feelings when it comes to quevision huh? First of all, I'm not cheating "my people" out of hours, I'm a PT cashier and sometimes help out at service desk and I do what I'm told by my csm and store management if/when i have to play FES. Whether it steals hours or not, that's just how my csm wants it done and that's how the whole office does it at my store, it has nothing to do with making me "feel good" or trying to please my ******* store managers.
I don't really understand how matching the #s would steal hours, but either way, i'm sure thats how my csm and acsm's will continue to do it. if you wanna go ahead and tell me how it steals hours then fine, but dont go calling me a suck up when i'm just doing what i'm told by my boss.
At my store, which has the highest or 2nd highest quevision in the district, here's what we do - we absolutely make sure our que is 1+1. If screen says we need 5 open but only have 4, and the ques are not long, we sign on just to match the numbers. if the lines get long, we jump on a register and have a manager fes or just wing it for the time being. we know that quevision only counts the heat sensors, not the predictor, but we've been told it has something to do with hours when we're signed on and matching the numbers. We've never just needed a register or 2 with long lines, signed on, and didnt ring.
Edit:
Also, the reason your quevision might say a higher action now number when there's no customers is because the system is also tied into your ring tender effectiveness. If all your cashiers are really slow, the quevision adjusts for it and reflects how many lanes should be open to maintain 1+1 with your slow cashiers holding up the lines
-- Edited by SCO on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 10:34:03 AM
Your "number matching" method is the problem we've been talking about. You're cheating your people out of hours and being a general annoyance to every single one of your co-workers because of it. The only thing that "number matching" does is make you feel good and pleases your current on duty manager. ****ing suck ups.
Ok BagBoy, got some strong feelings when it comes to quevision huh? First of all, I'm not cheating "my people" out of hours, I'm a PT cashier and sometimes help out at service desk and I do what I'm told by my csm and store management if/when i have to play FES. Whether it steals hours or not, that's just how my csm wants it done and that's how the whole office does it at my store, it has nothing to do with making me "feel good" or trying to please my ******* store managers.
I don't really understand how matching the #s would steal hours, but either way, i'm sure thats how my csm and acsm's will continue to do it. if you wanna go ahead and tell me how it steals hours then fine, but dont go calling me a suck up when i'm just doing what i'm told by my boss.
The reason it steals hours are as follows:
1) it wastes time actually doing it by the employees who could be doing other tasks
2) has no effect on the outcome of the actual numbers
3) causes the front end to stress unnecessarily (should the bagger be on register, when we have no one, or doing a restroom check?)
4) the better you do on quevision the less hours you receive. (goal is 95% actual effectiveness is 85%)
Just because your store manager, csm, office clerk, head cashier says it it doesn't make it correct to do in operation. They are too focused on the numbers instead of the customer number.
1+1 is 100% what you need to be focused on. The numbers on that little screen mean: NOTHING. AT. ALL.
__________________
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Wow. How disheartening that a store would do that. At my store..the manager is constantly keeping an eye out and keeps the customers moving ..getting cashiers up there to get them checked out with hardly any wait time.
Wow. How disheartening that a store would do that. At my store..the manager is constantly keeping an eye out and keeps the customers moving ..getting cashiers up there to get them checked out with hardly any wait time.
Well honestly it's sad that they have to do that because that's the floor supervisor's job.
Unless they're up there because the floor supervisor is already on a register, in which case ignore my previous statement.
At my store, which has the highest or 2nd highest quevision in the district, here's what we do - we absolutely make sure our que is 1+1. If screen says we need 5 open but only have 4, and the ques are not long, we sign on just to match the numbers. if the lines get long, we jump on a register and have a manager fes or just wing it for the time being. we know that quevision only counts the heat sensors, not the predictor, but we've been told it has something to do with hours when we're signed on and matching the numbers. We've never just needed a register or 2 with long lines, signed on, and didnt ring.
Edit:
Also, the reason your quevision might say a higher action now number when there's no customers is because the system is also tied into your ring tender effectiveness. If all your cashiers are really slow, the quevision adjusts for it and reflects how many lanes should be open to maintain 1+1 with your slow cashiers holding up the lines
-- Edited by SCO on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 10:34:03 AM
Your "number matching" method is the problem we've been talking about. You're cheating your people out of hours and being a general annoyance to every single one of your co-workers because of it. The only thing that "number matching" does is make you feel good and pleases your current on duty manager. ****ing suck ups.
Ok BagBoy, got some strong feelings when it comes to quevision huh? First of all, I'm not cheating "my people" out of hours, I'm a PT cashier and sometimes help out at service desk and I do what I'm told by my csm and store management if/when i have to play FES. Whether it steals hours or not, that's just how my csm wants it done and that's how the whole office does it at my store, it has nothing to do with making me "feel good" or trying to please my ******* store managers.
I don't really understand how matching the #s would steal hours, but either way, i'm sure thats how my csm and acsm's will continue to do it. if you wanna go ahead and tell me how it steals hours then fine, but dont go calling me a suck up when i'm just doing what i'm told by my boss.
The reason it steals hours are as follows:
1) it wastes time actually doing it by the employees who could be doing other tasks
2) has no effect on the outcome of the actual numbers
3) causes the front end to stress unnecessarily (should the bagger be on register, when we have no one, or doing a restroom check?)
4) the better you do on quevision the less hours you receive. (goal is 95% actual effectiveness is 85%)
Just because your store manager, csm, office clerk, head cashier says it it doesn't make it correct to do in operation. They are too focused on the numbers instead of the customer number.
1+1 is 100% what you need to be focused on. The numbers on that little screen mean: NOTHING. AT. ALL.
For those numbers on that little screen meaning nothing, the supervisors and one of our co-managers sure do stress out over them. Not only are they signing on to closed registers in order to get the "Action Now" and "Lanes Open" number to line up, they're actually signing on to enough registers where the "Lanes Open" number is higher than the "Action Now" number. It's aggravating enough getting pulled away from work somewhere else in the store because the front end isn't scheduling enough cashiers, but it becomes even more frustrating getting up there, getting on a register, only to find it's secured under someone else's numbers, and then having to hunt down someone with an override. They are more worried about the numbers up on that screen than scheduling checkers, it seems. Like, does it really make any sense whatsoever for there to be a five hour gap between your opening checker coming in and the second checker arriving? That's not putting the customer first. That's being cheap and not wanting to spend money on help!
Lastly, I will say that I found out today that out of all the stores in the district that we reside in, there were two stores that were "in the red" when it came to Que Vision, and our store was one of them. Clearly, there is something really wrong here but nobody wants to fix the problems. I guess it's because there are no consequences, so why bother? Instead, let's all just worry about signing onto enough registers so that one number is higher than the other number. Yeah... now that's a plan, right there!
-- Edited by GenesisOne on Wednesday 26th of February 2014 10:31:55 PM
At my store, which has the highest or 2nd highest quevision in the district, here's what we do - we absolutely make sure our que is 1+1. If screen says we need 5 open but only have 4, and the ques are not long, we sign on just to match the numbers. if the lines get long, we jump on a register and have a manager fes or just wing it for the time being. we know that quevision only counts the heat sensors, not the predictor, but we've been told it has something to do with hours when we're signed on and matching the numbers. We've never just needed a register or 2 with long lines, signed on, and didnt ring.
Edit:
Also, the reason your quevision might say a higher action now number when there's no customers is because the system is also tied into your ring tender effectiveness. If all your cashiers are really slow, the quevision adjusts for it and reflects how many lanes should be open to maintain 1+1 with your slow cashiers holding up the lines
-- Edited by SCO on Tuesday 25th of February 2014 10:34:03 AM
Your "number matching" method is the problem we've been talking about. You're cheating your people out of hours and being a general annoyance to every single one of your co-workers because of it. The only thing that "number matching" does is make you feel good and pleases your current on duty manager. ****ing suck ups.
Ok BagBoy, got some strong feelings when it comes to quevision huh? First of all, I'm not cheating "my people" out of hours, I'm a PT cashier and sometimes help out at service desk and I do what I'm told by my csm and store management if/when i have to play FES. Whether it steals hours or not, that's just how my csm wants it done and that's how the whole office does it at my store, it has nothing to do with making me "feel good" or trying to please my ******* store managers.
I don't really understand how matching the #s would steal hours, but either way, i'm sure thats how my csm and acsm's will continue to do it. if you wanna go ahead and tell me how it steals hours then fine, but dont go calling me a suck up when i'm just doing what i'm told by my boss.
The reason it steals hours are as follows:
1) it wastes time actually doing it by the employees who could be doing other tasks
2) has no effect on the outcome of the actual numbers
3) causes the front end to stress unnecessarily (should the bagger be on register, when we have no one, or doing a restroom check?)
4) the better you do on quevision the less hours you receive. (goal is 95% actual effectiveness is 85%)
Just because your store manager, csm, office clerk, head cashier says it it doesn't make it correct to do in operation. They are too focused on the numbers instead of the customer number.
1+1 is 100% what you need to be focused on. The numbers on that little screen mean: NOTHING. AT. ALL.
For those numbers on that little screen meaning nothing, the supervisors and one of our co-managers sure do stress out over them. Not only are they signing on to closed registers in order to get the "Action Now" and "Lanes Open" number to line up, they're actually signing on to enough registers where the "Lanes Open" number is higher than the "Action Now" number. It's aggravating enough getting pulled away from work somewhere else in the store because the front end isn't scheduling enough cashiers, but it becomes even more frustrating getting up there, getting on a register, only to find it's secured under someone else's numbers, and then having to hunt down someone with an override. They are more worried about the numbers up on that screen than scheduling checkers, it seems. Like, does it really make any sense whatsoever for there to be a five hour gap between your opening checker coming in and the second checker arriving? That's not putting the customer first. That's being cheap and not wanting to spend money on help!
Lastly, I will say that I found out today that out of all the stores in the district that we reside in, there were two stores that were "in the red" when it came to Que Vision, and our store was one of them. Clearly, there is something really wrong here but nobody wants to fix the problems. I guess it's because there are no consequences, so why bother? Instead, let's all just worry about signing onto enough registers so that one number is higher than the other number. Yeah... now that's a plan, right there!
-- Edited by GenesisOne on Wednesday 26th of February 2014 10:31:55 PM
The managers, CSM, Floor supervisors, and cashiers think that quevision is the little numbers on the screen, but it's actually a combination of green half hours and the 1+1 queuing system. Which is all based off of the heat sensors at the entrance and above the registers.
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It is dumb to try and cheat the system. They will catch that on camera if they try hard enough. We have very good camera's at our store and they can match the time's and put 2 and 2 together and then Mrs. Turd face gets fired.
Who the hell cares how many registers you have open? It's all about how many people are standing in line. 1 checking and 1 waiting. If you're bull****ting your lane open count you must have some REALLY good cashiers.
Who the hell cares how many registers you have open? It's all about how many people are standing in line. 1 checking and 1 waiting. If you're bull****ting your lane open count you must have some REALLY good cashiers.
No most of the time, that's not even remotely true. We're talking about signing in lanes that aren't being used when the screen says you need more lanes open than you have. This doesn't happen when you have fast cashiers, it happens when you don't have enough cashiers.
things like balloons at registers will screw the sensors up. if you have a hot bar too close too.
my new co manager was looking at our then dead silent front end and the screen saying we needed all but two lanes open and thinks the sensors are screwed up in our store. they could be but the system adjusts based on how fast we react to open lanes. if we're too quick to open it'll change action now more slowly. it'll never predict rushes which is an issue. it slows down to bring you back to 85% effective which is why it hardly makes sense when they freak out if you're performance for a day is under 90%.
you can cheat the system to a point but it also washes out some things overnight and you get a final report in the morning.
you're right about the overmanned undermanned thing. that's about following the predictor so you want people to sign off to match.
none of this does anything for customers and holy hell that new keyboard layout is screwing with us big time. i'm thinking of ways to help us improve things.
I was a floor supervisor and that is a very difficult job since we had to be on top of carts in the lobby, store sweeps, and long lines. Keeping up with all of that is very hard to do when youre on a register for your 8 hours. You cant say anything unless youve walked a mile in another persons shoes. Thats all I have to say.
Let me be very specific to all the posters on this topic: signing a checklane on/off just to match the predictor screen without actually opening that lane to take customers DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR 1+1 SCORE IN ANY WAY AND IS 100% WASTED EFFORT. YOUR SCORE IS NOT AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY ANYTHING ON THE PREDICTOR SCREEN. YOUR 1+1 SCORE COMES FROM THE ACTUAL QUEUE LENGTHS AS DETERMINED SOLELY BY THE SENSORS OVER THE CHECKLANES.
Exactly. I see so many people do this and it does Jack ****ing ****. Actually it hurts you, because ELMS sees the register signed on but not doing any transactions so it thinks you don't need that cashier and won't ever forecast it. You actively hurt you labor forecasting when you do this.
Signing on the register just makes the Quevision number "Lanes Open" increase. ELMS Forecasting does not look at anything except completed transactions, which includes items sold, coupons entered/scanned and tender type. Ringing an items on the FE, actually determines Cashier hours, but also earns hours in other departments too. Yes, each department will have a min. staffing level, but if sales/item could increase over the level they would earn/forecast more hours. Quevision and ELMS are completely different systems and have not connection, you can be 100% on Quevision, but will miss ELMS majorly (over scheduled). Actually, the only 1 correlation that they have it if ones is HIGH, the other one will most likely be LOW. The only way to cheat on Quevision is to enter/exit a lane with a corresponding transaction.
lol. My store does this all the time. They have that one lane where they always sign on, to keep up with the quevision numbers. Guess they don't know they're doing it for nothing.
I was a floor supervisor and that is a very difficult job since we had to be on top of carts in the lobby, store sweeps, and long lines. Keeping up with all of that is very hard to do when youre on a register for your 8 hours. You cant say anything unless youve walked a mile in another persons shoes. Thats all I have to say.
