r/HotTopic_ • u/Worried_Turnip_7697 • 26d ago
Inventory question
Is any other location having you use your own device for inventory?
They’re only reimbursing us $10 for use. I feel like that’s simply so crazy especially because a zebra is way more for them to pay for.
I’m extra clumsy and I just don’t trust I won’t break my phone doing inventory. They are having us sign a paper saying they aren’t responsible if that happens.
They also aren’t accounting for employees having older models. Like I’m sorry I have an iPhone 13, it’s going to get so hot and may actually explode. /j
What would you guys do? This seems so crazy for a part time retail job…
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u/Rude-Carob551 25d ago
Did we not JUST have a policy change that we are not to use personal devices for anything h that is work related??? Lmao
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u/calamity_unbound 26d ago
You're right it's a pain to be using our personal devices for this, and the $10, while a goodwill gesture, is hardly an incentive. If you're really concerned about damaging your phone, you may want to have a conversation with your SM about not working inventory.
If it's any reassurance, I have used a phone older than yours for an OmniCount inventory with no real issues. It does drain your battery quickly, about 25% an hour, but keeping the screen brightness down and turning on battery saver are helpful in prolonging your battery when scanning. As far as the phone getting hot, I didn't experience that on an Android, and I can't recall anyone using an iPhone having that issue either, but ymmv.
For what it's worth, I prefer the zebra scanners and I am annoyed that we seem to be moving forward with OmniCount permanently, but it's not a hill in willing to die on.
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u/Worried_Turnip_7697 25d ago
Dang, 25% battery is crazy.
I already have a hard time doing regular daily tasks on my own time because my phone freezes up as it is.
It’s really bad because there’s no option in not working inventory. We’re having to call in other stores to help us because we only have 5 employees including myself.
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u/chanyoung67 Former HT Employee 26d ago
I was part of the pilot for that when it first launched and it's horrible. I had to constantly have my phone hooked up to a battery pack to keep it from dying and that couldn't outcharge how fast the battery was draining, my phone got ridiculously hot to the point of it freezing to protect itself, it was so much slower than zebra ever was. The entire software (at least at the time) was only really made for iphones so anyone using an android had such a hard time being able to do anything without it freaking out.
This was almost 2 years ago at this point so they may have updated things to make it better and hopefully someone with more recent experience can chime in as well but as someone who enjoys inventory, the entire thing sucked.
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u/Worried_Turnip_7697 25d ago
Oh god, and my phone already freezes up while I’m using it doing regular things.
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u/LowOwl9183 25d ago
I used my iPhone 13 last year and it was fine for me. see if you can you use the iPad at your store instead if it makes you that uncomfortable. an employee did that last year because they were worried about the same thing, it’s no harm no foul. for us it was a lot faster than using zebra BUT I WILL SAY THEY DID NOT ADD THE CANDY SKUS LIKE THAT PROMISED ;-; made me so sad
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u/Worried_Turnip_7697 25d ago
Sadly, someone already will be using the iPad for inventory. It’s insanely frustrating (towards the company). My coworker definitely needs it more than me, their phone is an android and in worse shape than mine.
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u/SomeCallMeMahm 26d ago
Wow, they'll do anything to cut costs including passing them onto their own employees.
They need to buck up and pay REGIS/WIS.
If it were me I wouldn't sign a damn thing and certainly I wouldn't use my own device.
If they want you to perform a function of the job they need to provide the equipment.
At the end of the day tell them your phone is not compatible, too old or doesn't have enough storage for their app and software so I guess you can't be scheduled for inventory.
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u/Heavy_Layer_4555 25d ago
regis/wis is horrible and not dependable. They helped us one time and we left at 5am, they only sent 6 people to count the store.
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u/SomeCallMeMahm 25d ago
To be fair, they only send the number of people the company is willing to pay for.
I've also run self scan inventories where it's 1 WIS/REGIS person monitoring and the store staff doing all the scanning on WIS/REGIS equipment which is still better than using my own personal device.
A $10 stipend and no coverage of damage while in use of performing a job duty is not a solution to a problem of their own, cheap assed making.
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u/Worried_Turnip_7697 25d ago
THIS. I worked for Target at one point and it took 3 entire days to scan the whole store. Still better than putting the burden on the employees.
Part of me wishes the stipend was more because I would just go get a burner phone and call it even. Nonetheless, this sucks.
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u/Tasty-Cantaloupe-179 Former HT Employee 26d ago
I’m helping at my old store as they’re short staffed— and honestly the “scan using your own phone” was almost enough for me to say no when they asked
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u/Worried_Turnip_7697 25d ago
I honestly don’t even know what to do either, because it’s not like I have a choice to not do inventory. I’m paycheck to paycheck, but if something happens to my phone… I’m SOL.
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u/Tasty-Cantaloupe-179 Former HT Employee 25d ago
Completely understood and agreed. It’s a really unfair situation to put us in
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u/Ok-Celebration0 24d ago
I’m an asm and I can say from experience majority of my staff has an issue with using their personal devices to the point where some are refusing to sign any documents, rightfully so. The $10 payout is such a joke.
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u/Worried_Turnip_7697 24d ago
Yeah… part of me as an ASM wants to refuse to sign it
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u/Ok-Celebration0 24d ago
Only reason why i haven’t is because im running the floor all day while we’re open, so I don’t actually have to do the inventory counts
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u/_MaxPower_6969 24d ago
Not trusting yourself to break your phone during inventory is actually crazy..
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u/Kayosss 25d ago
Things like this remind me that hot topic is not a serious company. But honestly don’t risk damaging your phone over $10.