Archived "Acknowledging Every Guest" Rule

[IcePeasant]

We’ve had surveys detailing TMs ignoring guests, being rude and not knowing where products are. One was about how a TM didn’t know where HHC was, when it was right around the corner. That’s when we reminded the team that Guest experience is the No. 1 priority, directing the guests ourselves to the location, etc.
Is salesfloor speed still a measured metric? I looked for it and I couldn’t find it where it usually was.

 

[PackAndCry]

Yeah I think my biggest issue is the people act like this is some big nuisance to their job. Acknowledge doesn't mean repeat "can I help you find something".

I give people a head nod, or "hi there" and that is just as good.

If you ignore guest it will kill you in guest surveys. Some of the lowest scoring stores get reports of their tms texting or purposely ignoring guest

The worst part is that half the "texting" complaints are probably TMs using Zebras and the guests not realizing it's not their personal phone.

 

[Kaitii]

I usually go with a "hi, good morning" I'll only ask if they need help if they look like they actually need it. I'll just smile and nod if I see a guest wearing headphones or having a conversation with someone they're with or something tho.

I'll admit to avoiding guests that haven't noticed me and take the long way around to avoid them.

My store told me that we're supposed to greet a guest and be like "Hi my name is X and I'll be around Y if you need my help"

I think introductions are really awkward so I kinda refuse to do that and leadership doesn't seem to mind that as long as I acknowledge them at least.

 

[Tessa120]

We’ve had surveys detailing TMs ignoring guests, being rude and not knowing where products are. One was about how a TM didn’t know where HHC was, when it was right around the corner. That’s when we reminded the team that Guest experience is the No. 1 priority, directing the guests ourselves to the location, etc.
Is salesfloor speed still a measured metric? I looked for it and I couldn’t find it where it usually was.

As far as not knowing where stuff is, I can see why that might happen and it not be the TM's fault. One day I was in baby hardlines, right across from the books and DVDs and an aisle away from toys. Someone needed help with finding a specific DVD, I didn't have a zebra, all I could do was apologize and explain I wasn't familiar with that section and direct them to the Electronics TM. Other times people will be somewhere in softlines and I will hear them ask my coworkers where the sewing supplies are or the compression socks or backpacks. I'm slowly replacing everything in my house and therefore have a good idea where a lot of things are in general, but not knowing where to locate the surge protectors or the Keurigs is something that a typical softlines TM shouldn't be dinged on.

 

[HiddenPenguin]

HHC?

 

[IcePeasant]

As far as not knowing where stuff is, I can see why that might happen and it not be the TM's fault. One day I was in baby hardlines, right across from the books and DVDs and an aisle away from toys. Someone needed help with finding a specific DVD, I didn't have a zebra, all I could do was apologize and explain I wasn't familiar with that section and direct them to the Electronics TM. Other times people will be somewhere in softlines and I will hear them ask my coworkers where the sewing supplies are or the compression socks or backpacks. I'm slowly replacing everything in my house and therefore have a good idea where a lot of things are in general, but not knowing where to locate the surge protectors or the Keurigs is something that a typical softlines TM shouldn't be dinged on.

I understand, but sometimes, especially with the TMs we have on the floor, some aren’t too open with guest experience and helping the guests out, some of the young ones have attitudes and think they can do whatever. But generally, Everyone on salesfloor has a walkie, our team always knows if you’re on the salesfloor, Softlines or hardlines, walkies are always available. You can easily ask your team where an item is, the Softlines team knows this as they all cover operator and have a habit of asking. “Team, does anyone know where ___ is?” and our team responds. ASANTS, but we have walkies readily available and if the team uses them, they can help the guests even though they may not have a mydevice. I also encourage the team to use the Target app because that helps as well. I’ve said it in another post, especially with cashiers, it’ll save time if the cashier could look for an item to find the DPCI on their phone rather than having the GSTL who may have multiple blinkers going off or a call box.

HHC?

Household Commodities

 

[HRZone]

Is salesfloor speed still a measured metric?

Myperformance under Guest Experience.

 

[PackAndCry]

I also encourage the team to use the Target app because that helps as well.

I don't even bother trying to find anything in myWork, the search on the Target app is so much more broad and seems to prefer items that are carried in-store when it knows you're in the store.

 

[REDcardJJ]

I don't even bother trying to find anything in myWork, the search on the Target app is so much more broad and seems to prefer items that are carried in-store when it knows you're in the store.

the technology already exists, so why can't they just take what they use in the Target app and put it in myWork? hold on, let me take out my phone to search for an item in the Target app, then get the DPCI and put it into myWork on my myDevice so I can tell you where it's located...

 

[PackAndCry]

the technology already exists, so why can't they just take what they use in the Target app and put it in myWork? hold on, let me take out my phone to search for an item in the Target app, then get the DPCI and put it into myWork on my myDevice so I can tell you where it's located...

Why can you see the full size image for a markdown item in Price Change mode in mywork but not in regular mode? Ugh.

 

[vngoghlvr]

Not only have we been given the pep talk on greeting and offering assistance to every guest, they also want us to try to suggest add ons to whatever the guest is buying. They literally told us to glance in their carts or to offer suggestions on whatever we were helping them with. For example, saying oh, I love making that market item too, I always use this when I do. etc... It's obnoxious. I make eye contact and smile at everybody. If they make eye contact with me I say hello/good morning/good afternoon and then ask if they are finding everything ok. You can tell the people that don't want to engage, they will purposefully avoid eye contact.

 

[Tessa120]

I’ve said it in another post, especially with cashiers, it’ll save time if the cashier could look for an item to find the DPCI on their phone rather than having the GSTL who may have multiple blinkers going off or a call box.

And what happens when the cashier drops his or her phone while trying to maneuver it to look up a dpci? "Oops, sorry, yeah I wanted you to save time and not bother the GSTL. I hope you have insurance on that phone." Or is still on the family plan and Mom & Dad have a data limit and all those searches blow the data limit? "Well hey, sorry you had a data overage on your bill, pass my apologies along to your folks." If people are willing to use their phones, fine, but don't make it an expectation.

 

[HRZone]

Not only have we been given the pep talk on greeting and offering assistance to every guest, they also want us to try to suggest add ons to whatever the guest is buying.

To be honest I don't mind this. Beauty market electronics and apparel team members all got a raise with the expectation they would become selling experts.

Plano, log, etc all got nothing. I don't feel awful they are being asked to do a little more for their raise.

Now if you're a hardlines tm or cashier. I apologize lol

 

[Times Up]

And what happens when the cashier drops his or her phone while trying to maneuver it to look up a dpci? "Oops, sorry, yeah I wanted you to save time and not bother the GSTL. I hope you have insurance on that phone." Or is still on the family plan and Mom & Dad have a data limit and all those searches blow the data limit? "Well hey, sorry you had a data overage on your bill, pass my apologies along to your folks." If people are willing to use their phones, fine, but don't make it an expectation.

Yes, please don't make it an (unrealistic) expectation. Maybe Target should provide phones for TMs to use to assist our guests. A cheap phone that could run off of the store's wifi and doesn't have a data plan should be less expensive than our "high quality" equipment.

 

[Times Up]

To be honest I don't mind this. Beauty market electronics and apparel team members all got a raise with the expectation they would become selling experts.

Plano, log, etc all got nothing. I don't feel awful they are being asked to do a little more for their raise.

Now if you're a hardlines tm or cashier. I apologize lol

Apology accepted, Besides, I'm too busy trying to get through my line of 3-5 guests to try and up sell them something. If I did, I'd have 10 in line!

 

[IcePeasant]

And what happens when the cashier drops his or her phone while trying to maneuver it to look up a dpci? "Oops, sorry, yeah I wanted you to save time and not bother the GSTL. I hope you have insurance on that phone." Or is still on the family plan and Mom & Dad have a data limit and all those searches blow the data limit? "Well hey, sorry you had a data overage on your bill, pass my apologies along to your folks." If people are willing to use their phones, fine, but don't make it an expectation.

We have Target WiFi, easy to connect-most of the time sucks but still free WiFi. Majority of people have a smartphone in 2018. If not, I can see why and we don’t hold it to them, but my point being, there’s always a way to find what a guest needs.

The GSTL likes the team to be self sufficient, knowing there’s ways to help a guest rather than just standing there waiting for GSTL to get to their blinker when there’s 5 others going off. If the cashier finds the item before the GSTL gets to their register, time saved and possibly a better survey than having a guest wait 5-10 minutes on a busy GSTL and a survey stating long lines, long wait time, etc.

Like I stated, we encourage it. I don’t make it an expectation for TMs to use their phone for work.

 

[IcePeasant]

Yes, please don't make it an (unrealistic) expectation. Maybe Target should provide phones for TMs to use to assist our guests. A cheap phone that could run off of the store's wifi and doesn't have a data plan should be less expensive than our "high quality" equipment.

Target wouldn’t force you to use your own personal phone for work, which is why we encourage it.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

The worst part is that half the "texting" complaints are probably TMs using Zebras and the guests not realizing it's not their personal phone.

This!! I've had a guest complain to me that I should not be on my phone. Um, I am using this device to look up an item for a guest. Shut her up really fast.

 

[Times Up]

Target wouldn’t force you to use your own personal phone for work, which is why we encourage it.

Is there really any difference in the minds of most leadership? We are not subcontractors, we are actual employees of the Target, and should be given the equipment to do our jobs.

Quite frankly, it's not "brand" for us to NOT have the tools to do our job. It's not that terribly expensive to purchase phones to help us sell product/save sales. Spot spent over half a BILLION in cash to purchase Shipt...Spot has access to a few hundred thousand for phones or some other inexpensive device.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Its not that hard to look up and say hi to every guest within 10 feet of you. It’s not ridiculous or annoying. That’s what we’re here for. To serve the guest.

 

[IcePeasant]

Is there really any difference in the minds of most leadership? We are not subcontractors, we are actual employees of the Target, and should be given the equipment to do our jobs.

Quite frankly, it's not "brand" for us to NOT have the tools to do our job. It's not that terribly expensive to purchase phones to help us sell product/save sales. Spot spent over half a BILLION in cash to purchase Shipt...Spot has access to a few hundred thousand for phones or some other inexpensive device.

They had those, the iPod MyDevices. Those things sucked, the zebras are slowing down IMO.
Quite frankly, with a store that has almost 40 Zebras, when you have the truck team coming in, along with the rest of the early morning workcenters, how many Zebras can you plausibly think we have left over. I can’t recall how many times I see a Flow TM with two Zebras in the morning. I can tell you as a TL, I go without a device because either there’s no equipment or lack of control over it. With Item search disappearing on the PDAs, what does that leave you, with almost nothing. By 11am I usually can find a couple charging, and that’s when I’ll grab one.

The store will give you the tools to the best of their ability; it’s one thing if you have leadership who doesn’t give two sh*ts about you doing your job properly and not taking a hint that “oh, maybe we need more equipment”, but -at my store- when you have team members who couldn’t care less about devices, leaving them around the store or backroom, breaking them, or not even caring about proper equipment control, then one must ask if it’s leadership’s fault for lack of equipment or is it something else? The week mycheckout rolled out, the designated device and attachment went missing. Not leaderships’ fault if the team member knows the expectations around equipment control and yet still neglects to take care of that $$$$ device. To be fair, we had less than 20 at the start of the Zebra roll out, and got almost 20 more in when they realized it wasn’t enough to support the store functions, I doubt HQ will allow us more if TMs keep losing or breaking them.

As far as Shipt is concerned, it’s an app set out to deliver great personalized guest experiences, like Prime Now or InstaCart, much like what Target wants to do with 2018, all about Guest Experience.. So it is funneling it’s money into this new type of business to reach its audience with yet another way to deliver great guest experience. Cost, maybe a little overpriced, but hey, that’s Target.

 

[Times Up]

They had those, the iPod MyDevices. Those things sucked, the zebras are slowing down IMO.
Quite frankly, with a store that has almost 40 Zebras, when you have the truck team coming in, along with the rest of the early morning workcenters, how many Zebras can you plausibly think we have left over. I can’t recall how many times I see a Flow TM with two Zebras in the morning. I can tell you as a TL, I go without a device because either there’s no equipment or lack of control over it. With Item search disappearing on the PDAs, what does that leave you, with almost nothing. By 11am I usually can find a couple charging, and that’s when I’ll grab one.

The store will give you the tools to the best of their ability; it’s one thing if you have leadership who doesn’t give two sh*ts about you doing your job properly and not taking a hint that “oh, maybe we need more equipment”, but -at my store- when you have team members who couldn’t care less about devices, leaving them around the store or backroom, breaking them, or not even caring about proper equipment control, then one must ask if it’s leadership’s fault for lack of equipment or is it something else? The week mycheckout rolled out, the designated device and attachment went missing. Not leaderships’ fault if the team member knows the expectations around equipment control and yet still neglects to take care of that $$$$ device.

Yes, actually it is leadership's fault ( in part). The leaders need to do a better job of managing their talent. Set a clear tone for expectations and hold their team accountable.

 

[Tessa120]

Target wouldn’t force you to use your own personal phone for work, which is why we encourage it.

It shouldn't even be encouraged. There should either be absolutely nothing that even subtly hints at using personal phones, not at all. It should in fact be mildly discouraged, so that it is clear that it's use your phone at your own risk. There are a lot of people out there, especially people who Target is their first job, that would take encourage to mean demand and requirement.

 

[IcePeasant]

Yes, actually it is leadership's fault ( in part). The leaders need to do a better job of managing their talent. Set a clear tone for expectations and hold their team accountable.

In my store we do. It’s an automatic corrective if you lose, damage or misplace your equipment, even if you’re a TL or ETL; the team knows this and they still do it.

It shouldn't even be encouraged. There should either be absolutely nothing that even subtly hints at using personal phones, not at all. It should in fact be mildly discouraged, so that it is clear that it's use your phone at your own risk. There are a lot of people out there, especially people who Target is their first job, that would take encourage to mean demand and requirement.

I would rather have TMs not have their phones in the cases of loafing. According to my HR, whom I spoke with regarding Loafing issues and cell phone usage, they stated we can’t ask TMs to place their phones in their lockers because of some sort of paper that’s signed. I don’t know what it was they didn’t elaborate but I thought it was ridiculous. How I see it is if Target would discourage it, how would they promote their Target App, Cartwheel, and other services. 100% of applicants are asked “are you okay with promoting target services such as etc, etc,” during their interviews. I’ve never had a TM say no. Having a visual example and demonstration would increase the chances of a guest downloading the app and actually using cartwheel than a TM just telling them to download it.

 

[vngoghlvr]

To be honest I don't mind this. Beauty market electronics and apparel team members all got a raise with the expectation they would become selling experts.

Plano, log, etc all got nothing. I don't feel awful they are being asked to do a little more for their raise.

Now if you're a hardlines tm or cashier. I apologize lol

I'm in Price Accuracy, lol. Definitely no extra pay for it.