Service & Engagement Can I speak to a manager?: A front end thread

[Tangled]

Watching 8 self-checkout registers with a lengthy line waiting all alone bouncing around solving red lights when a guest required that I review or not her EBT food/non-food purchases. After her I spun around to help others. I a minute or two she required help again. She got angry saying she will go to the lanes. With little time to react she tossed her bags in her cart and pushed past me. I called AP at once. AP came back shouting at me saying I should have taken her bags and escorted her to the lanes. She went out the door without paying. Now if she went out the door, she was going to go out the door when she threw her bags in the cart. If I had tried to stop her if at all I could, if she started pushing me or hitting me, would I get in trouble? I always understood that we are not to confront guests accusing them of theft or confronting them when they are going out the door. Was I right to let her run? Or was AP right to tell me I should have stopped her?

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

You could’ve walked her to the lanes but we can get instantly termed for accusing the guest of anything and especially any sort of physical contact. We can say “stop, wait”, but we can’t actually stop them.

 

[Hope4Future]

You know, I'm actually curious about this too as I was once watching self-checkout and a guest ticket-switched a Dyson vacuum for a much cheaper item, and AP was upset that I didn't notice it (although there was an AP team member at the exit at the time and he said he messed up in not checking the receipt). He emphasized that with high-value items like that, offering service isn't enough and he wanted me to scan the item for the guest to ensure they either pay for it or don't walk out without paying for it. However, he never made it clear what to do if the guest physically tried to stop me from scanning their item or if they became confrontational.

 

[DBZ]

You know, I'm actually curious about this too as I was once watching self-checkout and a guest ticket-switched a Dyson vacuum for a much cheaper item, and AP was upset that I didn't notice it (although there was an AP team member at the exit at the time and he said he messed up in not checking the receipt). He emphasized that with high-value items like that, offering service isn't enough and he wanted me to scan the item for the guest to ensure they either pay for it or don't walk out without paying for it. However, he never made it clear what to do if the guest physically tried to stop me from scanning their item or if they became confrontational.

Make a note of it and report it to AP.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

You know, I'm actually curious about this too as I was once watching self-checkout and a guest ticket-switched a Dyson vacuum for a much cheaper item, and AP was upset that I didn't notice it (although there was an AP team member at the exit at the time and he said he messed up in not checking the receipt). He emphasized that with high-value items like that, offering service isn't enough and he wanted me to scan the item for the guest to ensure they either pay for it or don't walk out without paying for it. However, he never made it clear what to do if the guest physically tried to stop me from scanning their item or if they became confrontational.

I don’t scan for the guest (that’s weird IMO) but you should just walk by and glance at the screen to ensure it’s scanned in

 

[idkwhattodo]

i’ve always done a “oh i’m not sure if that scanned correctly. let me help you with that.” or offer a large bag to get a closer look at the screen, bag it and then scan it if they have not.

i used to LIVE for catching tag switchers and scammers at SCO. i’m not scheduled over there much anymore, but i was always pretty good at over apologizing for any inconvenience (tag switching, mostly) and acting like i was just trying to help out even if i have to dumb myself down a little.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

I would always say “oh, just so you know, you can use the hand scanner to get that big item”

legit guestsliked having the tip, scammers knew I was watching them

 

[Hope4Future]

I don’t scan for the guest (that’s weird IMO) but you should just walk by and glance at the screen to ensure it’s scanned in

I agree with you but the AP team member was really adamant that we cannot let guests leave without paying for those kind of high-value items. I'm guessing that AP is busy and they cannot monitor everything so they expect us to pay extra attention and deter guests from taking high-value items.

 

[Coqui]

I agree with you but the AP team member was really adamant that we cannot let guests leave without paying for those kind of high-value items. I'm guessing that AP is busy and they cannot monitor everything so they expect us to pay extra attention and deter guests from taking high-value items.

No, it’s not the Guest Advocate’s job to basically hold the guest hostage. Their job is to try and minimize as much theft at the checklanes as possible but that’s it. AP’s job is to investigate and apprehend them. The TSS is giving you wrong information.

 

[Captain Orca]

OK let's get real about this detaining bullshit. Customer grabs a Dyson and strolls through the door. AP sees them coming. AP questions them. Booster knows how to do this, they're a pro. Get-away buddy is near by in the car. What then is AP supposed to do? Call the cops, yes. Booster is outta there in a flash. Dyson gone. No apprehension. If AP lays a hand on them Booster drops Dyson and knocks his teeth out, or Booster sits there waiting for the cops. Did the product get out the door? Nope. Lawsuit. Either way the Dog loses. Holding a thief is a very dangerous thing to do. What if they're armed? AP gets cut....then my friends....AP loses his job. Ain't worth the bullshit.

 

[happygoth]

Agree with the Captain here. I worked security for years, back in the day when anything went, including chasing, tackling, restraining, handcuffs, etc. Those were crazy times. As more people got hurt and more lawsuits happened, things transitioned to a hands-off policy, but it was wink-wink, nudge-nudge, erase the tape and fudge the report as long as no one got hurt. The minute something became an issue, your District manager would throw you under the bus and say "You know you're not supposed to pursue/restrain/step off the sidewalk." Yes, the same manager who a couple weeks earlier, when one of my guys got hit by a shoplifter, said "I hope he hit him back." That's when I knew it was time to get out of the game.

Companies would be much better off focusing on deterrence, not apprehensions. If the AP team is doing their job, it will show during inventory when your shrink numbers are good. Not as sexy as apprehension numbers, but the point is to stop theft, not rack up shoplifter stats.

 

[Captain Orca]

Yea, a skinny little 23 yr old with a nice crisp AP shirt and cuffs up against a rough and tumble street smart in shape 35 yr old pro booster...sure! They should stop ass kissing the customers ad nauseum and do what Costco does. I bought a chicken last week at my local Costco, showed the friendly lady at the door with the magic marker my receipt, she smiled and said "they're good, aren't they"? I said yup, nice door lady said yup and off I went. Store was crowded, her check up procedure took all of 15 seconds. Chicken was wonderful. Costco is wonderful.

 

[Captain Orca]

Weekly I take Mrs. Captain to Costco for the hot dog and unlimited soda luncheon. Fine dining at its best, all for about $3.50 total, yup 2 lunches and all the diet Pepsi you can hold. Diet: gotta keep that youthful boyish figure. Next trip will be for dental chews for the dog.

 

[Nauzhror]

no one at my store will answer if you call for the lod. just complete silence until you call for an etl by name

We usually call for LOD. Calling someone by name only works well if you have a grid, to know who to call for, and a grid is something most certainly not available to most TM's.

 

[DBZ]

Here is a scenario I would like your feedback on...

Guest returns an item and the system decides it should go to toss, donate, or def salvage, so it prints a sticker for the TM to place on the item. Then a TM decides to use a zebra to void the sticker and then she buys the item. I'm not so sure this is ok.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Here is a scenario I would like your feedback on...

Guest returns an item and the system decides it should go to toss, donate, or def salvage, so it prints a sticker for the TM to place on the item. Then a TM decides to use a zebra to void the sticker and then she buys the item. I'm not so sure this is ok.

Violates multiple policies, that ™ could be termed.
If it’s high value items, consider telling AP, but they probably already know.

 

[IWishIKnew]

You can void defectives?

 

[happygoth]

Here is a scenario I would like your feedback on...

Guest returns an item and the system decides it should go to toss, donate, or def salvage, so it prints a sticker for the TM to place on the item. Then a TM decides to use a zebra to void the sticker and then she buys the item. I'm not so sure this is ok.

It's definitely NOT ok.

 

[starmaster1000]

You can void defectives?

Yes, you can void any defective label now. Just scan it with the myDevice on the myWork app. It'll give you two options (generally). [Void label] and [Add to ESIM Bin] (which I think is meant for the Receiver to do, as it does not, as I thought, print an ESIM label - it asks you to "scan" the ESIM bin number).

 

[starmaster1000]

We usually call for LOD. Calling someone by name only works well if you have a grid, to know who to call for, and a grid is something most certainly not available to most TM's.

No más LOD. Pre-Modernization terminology. 🤦‍♂️

 

[Nauzhror]

It's definitely NOT ok.

It's better than them reshopping it, but still a nono IMO.

I say better than reshopping it because at least the TM knows it was supposed to be tossed and wants it anyway. A guest buying it after it is reshopped has no idea it was supposed to be tossed.

A lot of the food that is defected upon being returned is perfectly fine, we just don't resell it on the off chance it was tampered with. A TM buying it doesn't harm the store in any way, unless they somehow get sick as a result and sue the store - which is why it would be frowned upon despite otherwise benefiting the store.

 

[happygoth]

It's my understanding that salvage should not be purchased by TMs. If an item has gone zero, it should be sent out. We make exceptions for guest if they want to buy something they got on the floor, because how would they know the item is zero, that's our bad for not removing it from the salesfloor. This was definitely the policy at Sears, but I thought I read it in the Target handbook as well, but I could be wrong.

 

[Nauzhror]

It's my understanding that salvage should not be purchased by TMs. If an item has gone zero, it should be sent out. We make exceptions for guest if they want to buy something they got on the floor, because how would they know the item is zero, that's our bad for not removing it from the salesfloor. This was definitely the policy at Sears, but I thought I read it in the Target handbook as well, but I could be wrong.

Not sure how the math works out on missed salvage, but I doubt the last clearance price is ever so low that the store would prefer to salvage it than sell it. If it was, I'd expect the items to go missed salvage before ever reaching that price.

I had more meant things like returned food though that are immediately set to be tossed. The reason there is safety, and if the item gets reshopped and a guest buys it without knowing it is potentially unsafe that in my eyes is much worse than a TM buying it despite knowing the potential risk.

 

[Frontlanegirl]

Here is a scenario I would like your feedback on...

Guest returns an item and the system decides it should go to toss, donate, or def salvage, so it prints a sticker for the TM to place on the item. Then a TM decides to use a zebra to void the sticker and then she buys the item. I'm not so sure this is ok.

Um, not...not OK.

 

[SallyHoover]

Not sure how the math works out on missed salvage, but I doubt the last clearance price is ever so low that the store would prefer to salvage it than sell it. If it was, I'd expect the items to go missed salvage before ever reaching that price.

I had more meant things like returned food though that are immediately set to be tossed. The reason there is safety, and if the item gets reshopped and a guest buys it without knowing it is potentially unsafe that in my eyes is much worse than a TM buying it despite knowing the potential risk.

I think they would rather salvage than sell it because it could encourage TM to hide items until they go salvage so they can purchase at last clearance prices. It's the same reason that you can't keep tossed items because it would encourage you to toss them to keep them.