Guest gave me a Target gift card! What should I do?!

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xomal12

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During my last cashier shift, a guest insisted that I keep the $5 gift card he got for purchasing certain items. I told him that we were not allowed to accept tips of any kind, but he kept insisting and was getting a bit agitated. Reluctantly, I took the gift card from him. This happened towards the end of my shift, so I was going to hand the gift card to the GSTL/GSA before I clocked out and explain to her what had happened. I couldn't find her at the end of my shift and I had to clock out already since it was 4:05 and my shift was supposed to end at 4:00. So I clocked out, thinking that I would just give Guest Service the gift card on my way out.

I completely forgot to give them the gift card since I got a call right as I was getting my stuff from the locker and it totally went through my head to head to Guest Service. I didn't realize that I still had the gift card until I got home and checked my pocket as I was changing our of my uniform.

In other words, what should I do? Should I talk to the GSTL about the gift card and hand it over? I had this shift yesterday on Saturday and won't be working again until Monday.

(I normally work in softlines, but they had me cashiering for 2 weeks straight, which was hell.)
 
All right, I'll do it tomorrow. I really hope I don't get coached or written up for this incident. It was an honest mistake and I really did just forget to hand it in. I've been working here for 2 years and have had a clean record so far.
 
xomal12 said:
During my last cashier shift, a guest insisted that I keep the $5 gift card he got for purchasing certain items. I told him that we were not allowed to accept tips of any kind, but he kept insisting and was getting a bit agitated. Reluctantly, I took the gift card from him. This happened towards the end of my shift, so I was going to hand the gift card to the GSTL/GSA before I clocked out and explain to her what had happened. I couldn't find her at the end of my shift and I had to clock out already since it was 4:05 and my shift was supposed to end at 4:00. So I clocked out, thinking that I would just give Guest Service the gift card on my way out.

I completely forgot to give them the gift card since I got a call right as I was getting my stuff from the locker and it totally went through my head to head to Guest Service. I didn't realize that I still had the gift card until I got home and checked my pocket as I was changing our of my uniform.

In other words, what should I do? Should I talk to the GSTL about the gift card and hand it over? I had this shift yesterday on Saturday and won't be working again until Monday.

(I normally work in softlines, but they had me cashiering for 2 weeks straight, which was hell.)
Click to expand...

AP would take point on this matter if it was a disciplinary matter so it'd probably be best if you just came clean to your APTL and turned over the gift card. Doing so would still fall into the realm of acting in a timely manner and there would be nothing dishonest going on, assuming you didn't use that card.

But you should know that AP will be looking for any reason at all to think you stole that card from the guest so hopefully camera footage shows something that verifies your version of the events. Ideally the camera recorded you handing the card to the guest and he returned it to you, if it fully changed hands at least once then you might be in the clear.
 
That gift card is tied to your employee number since you're the one who scanned it. If you ever use that card with your employee number (or possibly with a red / credit card with your name on it) it will flag AP, and absolutely nothing good will come of it for you.
"But the guest told me I could have it!" sounds like a lie even if it's true. The quick and dirty version is if you use that gift card you'll probably get fired.
 
SweatyShirts said:
AP would take point on this matter if it was a disciplinary matter so it'd probably be best if you just came clean to your APTL and turned over the gift card. Doing so would still fall into the realm of acting in a timely manner and there would be nothing dishonest going on, assuming you didn't use that card.

But you should know that AP will be looking for any reason at all to think you stole that card from the guest so hopefully camera footage shows something that verifies your version of the events. Ideally the camera recorded you handing the card to the guest and he returned it to you, if it fully changed hands at least once then you might be in the clear.
Click to expand...

I am 100% sure that the security camera footage will support my side of the story. I'm not sure who the APTL is. Would it be okay if I just talked to the GSTL?
 
SurefireWolf said:
That gift card is tied to your employee number since you're the one who scanned it. If you ever use that card with your employee number (or possibly with a red / credit card with your name on it) it will flag AP, and absolutely nothing good will come of it for you.
"But the guest told me I could have it!" sounds like a lie even if it's true. The quick and dirty version is if you use that gift card you'll probably get fired.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! I definitely wouldn't want that to happen.
 
Let me tell you a true story. I know if at least 10 TM's who were termed for gift card fraud in my low volume store in the last two years.
I found a gift card in my car. I checked it. $10.
I took it to AP and asked them to check it, as I knew if I had it by mistake, they'd know. They went through the records/computer whatever they do and told me later that day that it was mine from a big grocery run that I did.

Just take it to AP, tell them what happened and hand it to them.
If your Guest Service Department is anything like mine is, they'll have no idea what to do (other than to call AP and hand it over to them).
 
Sorry, didn't think it was that serious.

In all fairness, I still have zero clue why we cant accept it lol but rules are rules. I've been given small tips cart attending, no more than $3 though. One lady have me a $10 cariboi coffee giftcard which I promptly lost in the snowstorm later that night.
 
TTGOz said:
Meh, just keep it, if anyone says anything then whatever.
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Yikes, bad advice.

AP flags promotional gift cards used by team members. It happens so often where people hide gift cards they were supposed to give to guest.

At my store you turn those and found gift cards go the gstl and we use them to buy food for the team on FFF days
 
HRZone said:
Yikes, bad advice.

AP flags promotional gift cards used by team members. It happens so often where people hide gift cards they were supposed to give to guest.

At my store you turn those and found gift cards go the gstl and we use them to buy food for the team on FFF days
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Yeah, my bad. In all honesty I've never actually had to deal with this situation in my 2 years of the front end, other than finding a $20 on the floor and giving it to my GSTL.
 
TTGOz said:
Yeah, my bad. In all honesty I've never actually had to deal with this situation, other than finding a $20 on the floor and giving it to my GSTL.
Click to expand...

It's all good I saw your post taking it back later.

You did the right thing in that situation. Honestly when a guest gifts you a non target gift card it's a little different and being a cart attendant most of your tips/etc will come in the parking lot.

While I wouldn't take a tip anywhere. I might think about it outsids the store. Taking one in the store is just poor judgement.
 
TTGOz said:
Sorry, didn't think it was that serious.

In all fairness, I still have zero clue why we cant accept it lol but rules are rules. I've been given small tips cart attending, no more than $3 though. One lady have me a $10 cariboi coffee giftcard which I promptly lost in the snowstorm later that night.
Click to expand...
Gift cards are a bigger issue than other tips, because it's a huge red flag to spend a gift card with your TM discount if that gift card was rung up with your TM numbers. It implies theft.
 
Unfortunately, in my store, you'd be lucky to still have a job. We've had a lot of incidents in the past involving tm gift card theft so they take anything like this seriously.
 
I had something similar. An older guest tried giving me his gift card after he earned it and attempted to give it to me. He took it back after i refused it several times.
 
SurefireWolf said:
That gift card is tied to your employee number since you're the one who scanned it. If you ever use that card with your employee number (or possibly with a red / credit card with your name on it) it will flag AP, and absolutely nothing good will come of it for you.
"But the guest told me I could have it!" sounds like a lie even if it's true. The quick and dirty version is if you use that gift card you'll probably get fired.
Click to expand...

This sounds fake and made up to me. I highly doubt that Target can track gift cards like this. Target can't afford modern working equipment, or to pay employees a living wage but they can afford to track gift cards. If this is true it makes Target seem even worse to me.
 
shortstuffishere said:
I had something similar. An older guest tried giving me his gift card after he earned it and attempted to give it to me. He took it back after i refused it several times.
Click to expand...

Well, this guest would not take no for an answer. I would've called a GSTL over, but he was in a hurry and too busy talking on the phone. I had a feeling he wouldn't want to spend more time than he has to at Target talking to a GSTL.
 
greg yarms said:
This sounds fake and made up to me. I highly doubt that Target can track gift cards like this. Target can't afford modern working equipment, or to pay employees a living wage but they can afford to track gift cards. If this is true it makes Target seem even worse to me.
Click to expand...

I don't know for sure but sounds legit. If a TM is issuing gift cards excessively it should flag AP as suspicious. Otherwise you could issue a gift card to someone you know without being tracked? Seems like it'd be an opportunity to steal if that wasn't tracked. You log in to the register it'd be easy to tie those numbers together.
 
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