OB3RG
Former Front End Wizard
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2015
- Messages
- 3
For starters, I would like to say that my time at Target has been quite educational. I have met some truly wonderful people, and I have what it means to work an actual job. Sadly, I must inform you that I am voluntarily terminating my employment here at Target.
There is something that has troubled me to a disturbing level. This is, of course, the over emphasis on Red Cards. I am much newer to Target than most at the store, so I still have a very much “consumer friendly” approach to customer service. As my hours increased throughout the summer, I noticed a fatal flaw with the emphasis on Red Cards: There is such a lack of reason and compassion in all business decisions made around our store that it feels like an evil circus half of the time. Being forced to badger and harass guests into applying for a credit card or debit card is poor customer service, and even worse than that, it is completely going against what should be the MOST important thing in any store: The Vibe. Making each guest feel like just that: guests.
The leadership team in our store, at least at the front end, seem to think that our Red Card rate will be higher if we annoy each guest, each time. And when Red Cards cashiers are not getting Red Cards, it is their fault.
Rather than possibly burdening a guest, and inconveniencing her, I did what is the key to working in any retail/customer service position; Being a friendly, efficient, fast, and accommodating human being. Team Members like 'MD' and 'S' get so many Red Cards because they do not take no for an answer. My own mother was turned off of getting a Red Card for years because 'MD' was always so insistent on her getting one EVERY time she came into the store. People to not come to Target to get credit or debit cards. They come to get quality, affordable products in a friendly and fast environment. I know it has been several years since many of our Team Members have been true “guests” at Target, undiluted by their position in the store.
Because of this, many may have forgotten that when one goes to pick up the week’s supply of groceries, buy some new clothing, or even just buy a pack of AAA batteries, they do not want to hear someone harp on and on about the “benefits of a Red Card.” I know that when I buy things from a store, I want to get in and get out with as few bumps and bruises as possible. I tailor my job after this philosophy. I am simply there to make someone else’s life easier and more efficient for at most five minutes. If two of those five minutes are spent talking about a card that requires more effort from the guest and can be an inconvenience to them, rather than taking to them about their children, their grandchildren, the weather, their newborn, their favorite movie they just bought on Blu-Ray, or anything a friendly person making smalltalk would say, I have this statement: You are not doing your job correctly.
If my friendly and non-intimidating attitude toward the guest warrants coachings, corrective action forms, or termination, then so be it. After all, as corporate says to potential guests on the website: "Whether you're shopping in our stores, online or on a mobile device, we work hard to ensure your experience is always enjoyable and exciting. How do we do it? Friendly service from team members ready to assist with your list; fully stocked products and a speedy checkout process. That means making Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional experiences.” Let’s get back to that philosophy, shall we?
It has been a pleasure working with all of you, but I do hope that you will remember what should always come first in a retail setting; the customer, not the credit card.
We'll see how it goes!!! Wish me luck!
There is something that has troubled me to a disturbing level. This is, of course, the over emphasis on Red Cards. I am much newer to Target than most at the store, so I still have a very much “consumer friendly” approach to customer service. As my hours increased throughout the summer, I noticed a fatal flaw with the emphasis on Red Cards: There is such a lack of reason and compassion in all business decisions made around our store that it feels like an evil circus half of the time. Being forced to badger and harass guests into applying for a credit card or debit card is poor customer service, and even worse than that, it is completely going against what should be the MOST important thing in any store: The Vibe. Making each guest feel like just that: guests.
The leadership team in our store, at least at the front end, seem to think that our Red Card rate will be higher if we annoy each guest, each time. And when Red Cards cashiers are not getting Red Cards, it is their fault.
Rather than possibly burdening a guest, and inconveniencing her, I did what is the key to working in any retail/customer service position; Being a friendly, efficient, fast, and accommodating human being. Team Members like 'MD' and 'S' get so many Red Cards because they do not take no for an answer. My own mother was turned off of getting a Red Card for years because 'MD' was always so insistent on her getting one EVERY time she came into the store. People to not come to Target to get credit or debit cards. They come to get quality, affordable products in a friendly and fast environment. I know it has been several years since many of our Team Members have been true “guests” at Target, undiluted by their position in the store.
Because of this, many may have forgotten that when one goes to pick up the week’s supply of groceries, buy some new clothing, or even just buy a pack of AAA batteries, they do not want to hear someone harp on and on about the “benefits of a Red Card.” I know that when I buy things from a store, I want to get in and get out with as few bumps and bruises as possible. I tailor my job after this philosophy. I am simply there to make someone else’s life easier and more efficient for at most five minutes. If two of those five minutes are spent talking about a card that requires more effort from the guest and can be an inconvenience to them, rather than taking to them about their children, their grandchildren, the weather, their newborn, their favorite movie they just bought on Blu-Ray, or anything a friendly person making smalltalk would say, I have this statement: You are not doing your job correctly.
If my friendly and non-intimidating attitude toward the guest warrants coachings, corrective action forms, or termination, then so be it. After all, as corporate says to potential guests on the website: "Whether you're shopping in our stores, online or on a mobile device, we work hard to ensure your experience is always enjoyable and exciting. How do we do it? Friendly service from team members ready to assist with your list; fully stocked products and a speedy checkout process. That means making Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional experiences.” Let’s get back to that philosophy, shall we?
It has been a pleasure working with all of you, but I do hope that you will remember what should always come first in a retail setting; the customer, not the credit card.
We'll see how it goes!!! Wish me luck!
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