Archived New HardLines TM! Many Questions!

[Legacys]

Hey everyone! New team member here, currently going through training. I have a mound of questions that I'd like to ask. So if it's not too much to ask I'd like as much help as I can get since it's my first job I'm not in any rush for answers either so take your time please if you're willing. Thanks Fam!

Hardlines:

1) How do you read the numbers on the MyDevice that tell you where the location of the item is.

For example: "B-12 5-3-3.9" Something like that. I'm aware that the first number is the aisle. Also there are different letters that appear sometimes like X/O/P/any other letters I should know about?

2) How should I handle catching someone stealing an item? I've seen many open boxes of small and even medium size items (someone stole a whole waffle iron). What do I do if I catch them in the act? Confront them and call AP or just call AP and give a description?

3) In your opinion, what would be the most efficient way to learning where everything is?

4) Dealing with harassment. There's bound to be some cases in the future where people harass you because they feel like they have the power to do so since team members have to be nice to guests or some logic along those lines. Whether it be young kids, or young adults, or whatever, what would be the best way of dealing with this?

5) This one is a bit embarassing but is there a technique to pushing flat bed carts (the things for moving large items from the backroom)? Is there a lock on the wheels? I tried all of them and they were hard to control since the front left wheel was stuck compared to the rest of the wheels. So as I result, there I was ramming into aisles with my flatbed cart w/ and w/o something on it. I've never really had to deal with "heavy" objects in the past other than lifting, so maybe my technique was off? I was trying to push it as if it was a shopping cart and I was using my hips to try and turn it but it would eventually swerve off to the side and i'll have to move it from the front. Maybe I just need to hit the gym.

6) What should I do with stray produce items? Like if I find a carrot at toys or something like that.

7) Folding items. I know I can simply undo something that's folded to see how it's done, but is there some rule of thumb to folding items? My first job was folding towels and I was taught the "target triple fold" technique, but I vaguely remember that. It's fine if you skip this question because again, I can just undo something to see how it was done. This is purely just for convenience sake.

Cashiering:

1) Most efficient way to double bag an item?

2)Say there are many different kinds of the same fruit/vegetable, how do I know which kind it is? Is it okay to input any of the fruits of that kind.

Ex) X Apple code: 8044 Y Apple Code: 3214 Z Apple Code: 9912 . But there's no way for me or the customer to know what kind of apple, I would just put in any apple code?

3) How do I check the price of an item? This guest was urging to me that an item was 50% off but I had no idea what to do until my trainer came back since the machine kept telling me it was full price. She went over to a different register to confirm the price and I forgot to ask her at the end of my shift. Also where exactly on the screen would I be looking out for "This item is on sale if ____". Since the guest's item ended up being buy 1 get the other 50% off.

4) How exactly do I handle non-barcoded items? We went over it very briefly in training.

5) When would I use "Suspend Retrieve"? I don't understand the use for it.

6) If i'm signing someone up for a red card does that not allow me to scan more items? If so, would I have them do the red card application at the end of the transaction?

7) Any newbie specific tips for cashiering? Been struggling a lot my first few days.

Miscellaneous:

1) TM discounts. Am I able to use those for self-checkout? Also I'm aware that I'm able to use my discount for immediate family members (I think?). How would I go about doing that?

2) How long does it usually take to get a team number? I've been doing punch corrections for the past few days rather than clocking in.

Any other additional tips? I need all the help I cant get. Thank you everyone

 

[ElectronicsTM]

1) How do you read the numbers on the MyDevice that tell you where the location of the item is.

For example: "B-12 5-3-3.9" Something like that. I'm aware that the first number is the aisle. Also there are different letters that appear sometimes like X/O/P/any other letters I should know about?

B12(1) 5-3-3.99

B12 is the separate aisle number.

Aisles are made up of sections that are generally four feet in width. You can see that with the shelves being four feet in width too and with the dividers on the back of the aisle. Each section is assigned a cumulative number with the aisle that goes around the store (sometimes called the racetrack) being used as the starting reference point.

When you look down a valley of aisles (two aisles that face each other) from the main aisle that goes around the store, the aisles on the left are what we call "standard". The aisles on the right are "reverse".

When you are standing in a standard aisle and looking at it, you count from the left and proceed to the right. When standing in a reverse aisle, you count from the right and go to the left. In both cases, section 1 will always begin in the first section closest to the "racetrack". There are some exceptions (like in movies and CDs where things are mostly alphabetical so section 1 will not always be closest to the racetrack), but you will likely never come across those.

In the examples of B12(1) 5-3-3.99, it does not matter what the aisle is or if it is standard or reverse. Stand in the main aisle facing the two, count 1 section in, and begin your counting with the rest of the numbers.

That number in parenthesis will change to begin a new section of the aisle if there are different types of products in the aisle. This makes it easier to handle different categories of products in a single aisle. On the paper wall, you might have A50(1) be paper towels, A50(13) begin Clorox bleach, A50(16) begin toilet paper, and A50(24) begin tissues.

The other numbers tell you which section to go to in reference to the starting section, which shelf up from the bottom, and which space along the shelf the product goes.

In the case of B12(1) 5-3-3.99, you will count 5 sections in from starting at the racetrack, 3 shelves up from the top, and 3 spots along the shelf for the correct product placement.

If it was B12(4), 2-3-3.99 you will count four sections in and treat that 4th section as a logical section 1 and start counting from there. So the product would go in what would physically be the 5th section, three shelves up and three spots over on that shelf.

The .99 simply means at some point that product was added or moved since the aisle was created (or "set") last It has nothing to do with you physically putting something there.

How should I handle catching someone stealing an item? I've seen many open boxes of small and even medium size items (someone stole a whole waffle iron). What do I do if I catch them in the act? Confront them and call AP or just call AP and give a description?

You NEVER confront a suspected booster. You NEVER accuse a guest of theft. You NEVER put a guest in a situation where they outright feel they are being accused of theft.

You do have two options. Either guest service them to death ("Can I help you find something?") so they get spooked enough to cease their activities (this works wonderfully with multiple team members) or leave the situation alone until the guest is gone and then contact AP. Assets Protection would love if you could accomplish the first, but be safe about it!

Never put yourself or others in a dangerous situation to save Target money. It is not your money so do not try to protect it. If someone is demanding you give them money and they are threatening you, do everything they ask and notify someone when you are safe.

In your opinion, what would be the most efficient way to learning where everything is?

Stocking it and helping guests is the best way to go about it.

Dealing with harassment. There's bound to be some cases in the future where people harass you because they feel like they have the power to do so since team members have to be nice to guests or some logic along those lines. Whether it be young kids, or young adults, or whatever, what would be the best way of dealing with this?

Get out of the situation quickly, notify your team lead, their executive, your HR-ETL or the LOD for the day and deal with it in your own way. Finding out what works for you is on you. I am sure either of those people might be able to provide tips.

This one is a bit embarassing but is there a technique to pushing flat bed carts (the things for moving large items from the backroom)? Is there a lock on the wheels? I tried all of them and they were hard to control since the front left wheel was stuck compared to the rest of the wheels. So as I result, there I was ramming into aisles with my flatbed cart w/ and w/o something on it. I've never really had to deal with "heavy" objects in the past other than lifting, so maybe my technique was off? I was trying to push it as if it was a shopping cart and I was using my hips to try and turn it but it would eventually swerve off to the side and i'll have to move it from the front. Maybe I just need to hit the gym.

There is no lock on the wheels. Something might have been stuck in the wheel or under the wheel. It happens. Pull is back a few feet and try again.

How do I check the price of an item? This guest was urging to me that an item was 50% off but I had no idea what to do until my trainer came back since the machine kept telling me it was full price. She went over to a different register to confirm the price and I forgot to ask her at the end of my shift. Also where exactly on the screen would I be looking out for "This item is on sale if ____". Since the guest's item ended up being buy 1 get the other 50% off.

There is a button on the registers that say "Price Inquiry" that will tell you the price of an item. For BOGO (Buy One, Get One) offers like that the best thing you can do is scan the items and see if the deduction comes off. A MyDevice (the red scanners) and PDAs (the black scanners) will tell you about promotions like that, but you will not likely have one as a cashier.

How exactly do I handle non-barcoded items? We went over it very briefly in training.

My store will make every attempt to find the same item or the item's unique DPCI for no-barcode items. The person in charge of the frontend will call out to someone on the sales floor to find the information they need so our inventory is properly adjusted with the sale and the right price and any promotions are handled correctly.

Some items like no-contract phones and pre-loaded gift cards of all kinds that require activation cannot be sold as no-barcode items or they will not work.

When would I use "Suspend Retrieve"? I don't understand the use for it.

When you must transfer the transaction from one register to another or save the transaction for later use. If I am checking out a guest in electronics and they decide they want to pick up another item, I can suspend the transaction and save the receipt to scan later. This will pull up the transaction just as I left it so I don't have to rescan everything.

Suspending can also be used as a trick to get around cashier time scores if a guest is taking a while doing something like fishing for change or their card(s). I am sure someone at the frontend can help you with more information on that.

If i'm signing someone up for a red card does that not allow me to scan more items? If so, would I have them do the red card application at the end of the transaction?

You would be able to scan more things, but it's usually best to do it last or in a separate transaction. I prefer suspending and going with a second transaction personally.

1) TM discounts. Am I able to use those for self-checkout? Also I'm aware that I'm able to use my discount for immediate family members (I think?). How would I go about doing that?

Ask your store's leadership about using the team member discount at your self-checkout registers.

It is not okay for someone else to use your card. If you have a spouse or dependents, you can request individual cards for them to use via eHR.

You can use your own card however you want so long as you are paying for it. It is when you are not paying for it that can lead to trouble. If you are using your card, you must pay.

If you are with one or more people and splitting the cost between you, you must pay an equal share or the largest share. For example, if I am with three people on a transaction of $10.66 and we are splitting the cost between the three of us, if someone is paying the highest value of $4 then I must pay at least $4 too while the third person gets the $2.66. If I pay anything less then that is discount fraud. AP does watch for discount fraud so be careful.

How long does it usually take to get a team number? I've been doing punch corrections for the past few days rather than clocking in.

It could take up to a week or two.

 

[stockboy]

1) How do you read the numbers on the MyDevice that tell you where the location of the item is.

B-12 5-3-3.9 • B12 refers to the aisle, 5 would be the section in that aisle, 3 would be the third shelf, and 3.9 would be the exact location on that shelf

2) How should I handle catching someone stealing an item? I've seen many open boxes of small and even medium size items (someone stole a whole waffle iron). What do I do if I catch them in the act? Confront them and call AP or just call AP and give a description?

Haven't experienced this so couldn't really help you. Just never confront a thief, always leave it to AP

3) In your opinion, what would be the most efficient way to learning where everything is?

Easiest way to learn where objects are is by doing constant reshop. I also learned from when a guest asks me and I have to find it

4) Dealing with harassment. There's bound to be some cases in the future where people harass you because they feel like they have the power to do so since team members have to be nice to guests or some logic along those lines. Whether it be young kids, or young adults, or whatever, what would be the best way of dealing with this?

Hold your tongue and smile...last thing you want is to bash out on a guest, even if they deserve it. If anything, be passive aggressive...

5) This one is a bit embarassing but is there a technique to pushing flat bed carts (the things for moving large items from the backroom)?

Might've just been a broken wheel. Pretty easy to push, just know that only the front two wheels turn, the back wheels stay forward.

6) What should I do with stray produce items? Like if I find a carrot at toys or something like that.

Just put it in your out of world cart. Anything food, especially open vegetables & fruit, shouldn't be put back. You don't know how long its been there.

7) Folding items.

The big towels, fold in half twice, same way each time. Then do the triple fold, leaving the tag on top. Smaller ones are harder to explain through here.

Cashiering:

1) Most efficient way to double bag an item?

Bag first, then take that bag and put it into another.

2)Say there are many different kinds of the same fruit/vegetable, how do I know which kind it is? Is it okay to input any of the fruits of that kind.

There should be a little sticker on it that has the code to input. Only bananas are different (says 4011, but the code is 8011)

3) How do I check the price of an item?

Press the price inquiry button, on there it will tell you the original price, any sale price, the return price, and the return without a receipt price.

4) How exactly do I handle non-barcoded items? We went over it very briefly in training.

On the screen, there is a 'no barcode' option (one of the K's) and you can just input whatever price it is. Make sure to check on the price though.

5) When would I use "Suspend Retrieve"? I don't understand the use for it.

If it takes too long, or something goes wrong, you can suspend the transaction. This means that you can take more guests if your current one is taking too long, or you can move them to another register if there is something wrong with yours.

6) If i'm signing someone up for a red card does that not allow me to scan more items? If so, would I have them do the red card application at the end of the transaction?

Yes, once you scan the barcode and they begin the application, you can continue to scan items. This is why you ask before you scan.

7) Any newbie specific tips for cashiering? Been struggling a lot my first few days.

When you put your TM number in, dont put your password in yet. On the screen you get an option to print out a barcode. This will allow you to scan that instead of typing your tm number each time.

Miscellaneous:

1) TM discounts. Am I able to use those for self-checkout? Also I'm aware that I'm able to use my discount for immediate family members (I think?). How would I go about doing that?

You can only use the discount with Cash, Gift Card, or REDcard. Only you can use it, no family, unless you're married, then they can get their own card. I don't believe you can use it in self checkout. If there's ever a long line at the front lanes though, you can usually go to the electronics boat and check out there.

2) How long does it usually take to get a team number? I've been doing punch corrections for the past few days rather than clocking in.

You should have gotten your TM before you even started. I got mine before orientation ended. Talk to HR about it.

 

[Legacys]

B12(1) 5-3-3.99

B12 is the separate aisle number.

Aisles are made up of sections that are generally four feet in width. You can see that with the shelves being four feet in width too and with the dividers on the back of the aisle. Each section is assigned a cumulative number with the aisle that goes around the store (sometimes called the racetrack) being used as the starting reference point.

When you look down a valley of aisles (two aisles that face each other) from the main aisle that goes around the store, the aisles on the left are what we call "standard". The aisles on the right are "reverse".

When you are standing in a standard aisle and looking at it, you count from the left and proceed to the right. When standing in a reverse aisle, you count from the right and go to the left. In both cases, section 1 will always begin in the first section closest to the "racetrack". There are some exceptions (like in movies and CDs where things are mostly alphabetical so section 1 will not always be closest to the racetrack), but you will likely never come across those.

In the examples of B12(1) 5-3-3.99, it does not matter what the aisle is or if it is standard or reverse. Stand in the main aisle facing the two, count 1 section in, and begin your counting with the rest of the numbers.

That number in parenthesis will change to begin a new section of the aisle if there are different types of products in the aisle. This makes it easier to handle different categories of products in a single aisle. On the paper wall, you might have A50(1) be paper towels, A50(13) begin Clorox bleach, A50(16) begin toilet paper, and A50(24) begin tissues.

The other numbers tell you which section to go to in reference to the starting section, which shelf up from the bottom, and which space along the shelf the product goes.

In the case of B12(1) 5-3-3.99, you will count 5 sections in from starting at the racetrack, 3 shelves up from the top, and 3 spots along the shelf for the correct product placement.

If it was B12(4), 2-3-3.99 you will count four sections in and treat that 4th section as a logical section 1 and start counting from there. So the product would go in what would physically be the 5th section, three shelves up and three spots over on that shelf.

The .99 simply means at some point that product was added or moved since the aisle was created (or "set") last It has nothing to do with you physically putting something there.


You NEVER confront a suspected booster. You NEVER accuse a guest of theft. You NEVER put a guest in a situation where they outright feel they are being accused of theft.

You do have two options. Either guest service them to death ("Can I help you find something?") so they get spooked enough to cease their activities (this works wonderfully with multiple team members) or leave the situation alone until the guest is gone and then contact AP. Assets Protection would love if you could accomplish the first, but be safe about it!

Never put yourself or others in a dangerous situation to save Target money. It is not your money so do not try to protect it. If someone is demanding you give them money and they are threatening you, do everything they ask and notify someone when you are safe.


Stocking it and helping guests is the best way to go about it.


Get out of the situation quickly, notify your team lead, their executive, your HR-ETL or the LOD for the day and deal with it in your own way. Finding out what works for you is on you. I am sure either of those people might be able to provide tips.


There is no lock on the wheels. Something might have been stuck in the wheel or under the wheel. It happens. Pull is back a few feet and try again.


There is a button on the registers that say "Price Inquiry" that will tell you the price of an item. For BOGO (Buy One, Get One) offers like that the best thing you can do is scan the items and see if the deduction comes off. A MyDevice (the red scanners) and PDAs (the black scanners) will tell you about promotions like that, but you will not likely have one as a cashier.


My store will make every attempt to find the same item or the item's unique DPCI for no-barcode items. The person in charge of the frontend will call out to someone on the sales floor to find the information they need so our inventory is properly adjusted with the sale and the right price and any promotions are handled correctly.

Some items like no-contract phones and pre-loaded gift cards of all kinds that require activation cannot be sold as no-barcode items or they will not work.


When you must transfer the transaction from one register to another or save the transaction for later use. If I am checking out a guest in electronics and they decide they want to pick up another item, I can suspend the transaction and save the receipt to scan later. This will pull up the transaction just as I left it so I don't have to rescan everything.

Suspending can also be used as a trick to get around cashier time scores if a guest is taking a while doing something like fishing for change or their card(s). I am sure someone at the frontend can help you with more information on that.


You would be able to scan more things, but it's usually best to do it last or in a separate transaction. I prefer suspending and going with a second transaction personally.


Ask your store's leadership about using the team member discount at your self-checkout registers.

It is not okay for someone else to use your card. If you have a spouse or dependents, you can request individual cards for them to use via eHR.

You can use your own card however you want so long as you are paying for it. It is when you are not paying for it that can lead to trouble. If you are using your card, you must pay.

If you are with one or more people and splitting the cost between you, you must pay an equal share or the largest share. For example, if I am with three people on a transaction of $10.66 and we are splitting the cost between the three of us, if someone is paying the highest value of $4 then I must pay at least $4 too while the third person gets the $2.66. If I pay anything less then that is discount fraud. AP does watch for discount fraud so be careful.


It could take up to a week or two.

Thank you so much for the assistance! This was a huge help and I didn't expect to get such an excellent response! Especially the detailed information about the MyDevice and shoplifting.

I do have two follow-up questions for clarity about the MyDevice and Red Cards.

1) So for the MyDevice something like B10(5) - 3 - 3 - 2.4 would be B10(aisle) (5)count as 1 section so it would be in the (physically) 7th section, 3rd row up, 3 spots over?

2) So if I'm doing a red card application near the end, I can give it to them at the end of the transaction, suspend the transaction while they're doing the red card application, and then take the next customer? Or did I misinterpret?

Thank you so much for the information, you're amazing!

 

[Legacys]

1) How do you read the numbers on the MyDevice that tell you where the location of the item is.

B-12 5-3-3.9 • B12 refers to the aisle, 5 would be the section in that aisle, 3 would be the third shelf, and 3.9 would be the exact location on that shelf

2) How should I handle catching someone stealing an item? I've seen many open boxes of small and even medium size items (someone stole a whole waffle iron). What do I do if I catch them in the act? Confront them and call AP or just call AP and give a description?

Haven't experienced this so couldn't really help you. Just never confront a thief, always leave it to AP

3) In your opinion, what would be the most efficient way to learning where everything is?

Easiest way to learn where objects are is by doing constant reshop. I also learned from when a guest asks me and I have to find it

4) Dealing with harassment. There's bound to be some cases in the future where people harass you because they feel like they have the power to do so since team members have to be nice to guests or some logic along those lines. Whether it be young kids, or young adults, or whatever, what would be the best way of dealing with this?

Hold your tongue and smile...last thing you want is to bash out on a guest, even if they deserve it. If anything, be passive aggressive...

5) This one is a bit embarassing but is there a technique to pushing flat bed carts (the things for moving large items from the backroom)?

Might've just been a broken wheel. Pretty easy to push, just know that only the front two wheels turn, the back wheels stay forward.

6) What should I do with stray produce items? Like if I find a carrot at toys or something like that.

Just put it in your out of world cart. Anything food, especially open vegetables & fruit, shouldn't be put back. You don't know how long its been there.

7) Folding items.

The big towels, fold in half twice, same way each time. Then do the triple fold, leaving the tag on top. Smaller ones are harder to explain through here.

Cashiering:

1) Most efficient way to double bag an item?

Bag first, then take that bag and put it into another.

2)Say there are many different kinds of the same fruit/vegetable, how do I know which kind it is? Is it okay to input any of the fruits of that kind.

There should be a little sticker on it that has the code to input. Only bananas are different (says 4011, but the code is 8011)

3) How do I check the price of an item?

Press the price inquiry button, on there it will tell you the original price, any sale price, the return price, and the return without a receipt price.

4) How exactly do I handle non-barcoded items? We went over it very briefly in training.

On the screen, there is a 'no barcode' option (one of the K's) and you can just input whatever price it is. Make sure to check on the price though.

5) When would I use "Suspend Retrieve"? I don't understand the use for it.

If it takes too long, or something goes wrong, you can suspend the transaction. This means that you can take more guests if your current one is taking too long, or you can move them to another register if there is something wrong with yours.

6) If i'm signing someone up for a red card does that not allow me to scan more items? If so, would I have them do the red card application at the end of the transaction?

Yes, once you scan the barcode and they begin the application, you can continue to scan items. This is why you ask before you scan.

7) Any newbie specific tips for cashiering? Been struggling a lot my first few days.

When you put your TM number in, dont put your password in yet. On the screen you get an option to print out a barcode. This will allow you to scan that instead of typing your tm number each time.

Miscellaneous:

1) TM discounts. Am I able to use those for self-checkout? Also I'm aware that I'm able to use my discount for immediate family members (I think?). How would I go about doing that?

You can only use the discount with Cash, Gift Card, or REDcard. Only you can use it, no family, unless you're married, then they can get their own card. I don't believe you can use it in self checkout. If there's ever a long line at the front lanes though, you can usually go to the electronics boat and check out there.

2) How long does it usually take to get a team number? I've been doing punch corrections for the past few days rather than clocking in.

You should have gotten your TM before you even started. I got mine before orientation ended. Talk to HR about it.

Thank you so much for this answer! Your tips were very helpful, especially the TM number barcode and pricing information!

I do have a few follow-up questions for clarity if you don't mind:

1) How can I check the non-barcoded item's price? Just flip my light to call a TL?

2) So for suspend retrieve I would suspend a guest(1) who is taking too long, it would print a receipt, I'd start the next transaction for guest(2), guest(1) finally gets their money or whatever ready, so I suspend this transaction (guest2) and scan guest(1)'s receipt, register pulls up guest(1)'s transaction, complete the transaction then resume guest2's transaction by scanning guest2's receipt, correct?

Thank you for the reply! These answers have been a lifesaver!

 

[ElectronicsTM]

1) So for the MyDevice something like B10(5) - 3 - 3 - 2.4 would be B10(aisle) (5)count as 1 section so it would be in the (physically) 7th section, 3rd row up, 3 spots over?

That is factually correct. You should also no longer see any decimal point other than .90 and .99. .90 means nothing changed about that location the last time the aisle was revised or changed while .99 means it was.

2) So if I'm doing a red card application near the end, I can give it to them at the end of the transaction, suspend the transaction while they're doing the red card application, and then take the next customer? Or did I misinterpret?

The RedCard application uses the card terminal for the guest to input data and requires a few actions from you to complete. You will not be able to take another guest during the application. The process can usually take 5-10 minutes so it is recommended you turn off your register light to help prevent a line forming behind the guest doing a RedCard application.

 

[commiecorvus]

Welcome to The Break Room.

 

[Legacys]

Welcome to The Break Room.

Hey! Thanks!

 

[ElectronicsTM]

1) How can I check the non-barcoded item's price? Just flip my light to call a TL?

Yes. Your blinking light will get a GSA, GSTL, or GSTM over to you and they can help you with that.

2) So for suspend retrieve I would suspend a guest(1) who is taking too long, it would print a receipt, I'd start the next transaction for guest(2), guest(1) finally gets their money or whatever ready, so I suspend this transaction (guest2) and scan guest(1)'s receipt, register pulls up guest(1)'s transaction, complete the transaction then resume guest2's transaction by scanning guest2's receipt, correct?

Not quite. One guest at a time.

If guest 1 is taking too long to pull out their money and counting coins, you could suspend the transaction. If you do not suspend the transaction, it is likely you will have a R on your cashier speed and that contributes to a lower overall score. Suspending stops the clock, so to speak, and allows you to pick it back up once they have all their money in order. Ask your front end leadership for more information on cashier speed.

You should not take another guest during that time. That would be a bit rude to the guest standing in front of you

The other registers in the store (electronics, guest services, etc.) do not have timed transactions so suspending a transaction is only used for convenience or to move the transaction to another register.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Be patient, you will have a trainer to help you along.