I'm Lost! The REDCard Thread

[SFSFun]

Around the Christmas season a new batch of cashiers were hired as is customary. One cashier in particular made it her life goal to get Reds. I mean really get them. For awhile she was celebrated as a wunderkind. "Did you see ____ got 20 Redcards last week!!" Then one day I was getting my reshop. The GSA was with a guest, but I wasn't paying much attention to what was being said until the guy left & the GSA said, "I apologize again sir." I gave him a look like what was that about? He said -cashier- had been signing people up for RedCards & the guest had no idea what was going on. Since then our front end team has kinda slowed down on stressing the cards & when wunderkind is working (which seems to be everyday now) they keep a close eye on her.

How did that cashier not get fired?

Better yet, how did the guests not realize what was happening?

 

[thetargetman]

so even if the guest says no after you explain the benefits of the card, we still have to push it? what do I say, i know you said no, but CAN YOU PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE sign up for one?

I pretty much just give up after I say "how about a Redcar?!" If I think I could convince them than I try to push it but I don't over try.

 

[thetargetman]

Around the Christmas season a new batch of cashiers were hired as is customary. One cashier in particular made it her life goal to get Reds. I mean really get them. For awhile she was celebrated as a wunderkind. "Did you see ____ got 20 Redcards last week!!" Then one day I was getting my reshop. The GSA was with a guest, but I wasn't paying much attention to what was being said until the guy left & the GSA said, "I apologize again sir." I gave him a look like what was that about? He said -cashier- had been signing people up for RedCards & the guest had no idea what was going on. Since then our front end team has kinda slowed down on stressing the cards & when wunderkind is working (which seems to be everyday now) they keep a close eye on her.

I work with a lady who would lie to the guests that it is a credit or debit card or she would pretend not to hear and practically hold the guest's stuff hostage until they finished signing up. She has not done that for a long time so I am sure a number of guests have complained (and rightfully so!)

 

[buliSBI]

Unless store management gets a cashier for not asking or muddling through the Red Card speech, they cannot really put you on Corrective Action.

If they want to be A-holes, they can probably continually coach (corporate bullying) to do better. But no corrective action can be conducted.

Just CYA make sure you ask everyone. Ifs its a big purchase, I have asked twice. But I would never engage my guests to the point they were annoyed.

 

[redcounts]

Managment at my store , says if your caught asking 4 guests in a row, explain the benefits etc and the guest says no, the gstls write you up for corrective action, and you can get fired just like that.

is this not fair?

 

[Retail Girl]

Unless store management gets a cashier for not asking or muddling through the Red Card speech, they cannot really put you on Corrective Action.

If they want to be A-holes, they can probably continually coach (corporate bullying) to do better. But no corrective action can be conducted.

Just CYA make sure you ask everyone. Ifs its a big purchase, I have asked twice. But I would never engage my guests to the point they were annoyed.

Problem is, some of our guests are annoyed when I simply ask, "do you have a Target debit or credit card?" And I can't say that I blame them!

 

[Retail Girl]

Do you guys not have the mail in applications at your store? There is a spot on them for you to write your TM number and store number so you get the credit. The downside... The guest has to pay for their own postage.

We just encourage the guests to do it online. While we don't get personal credit, if the guest lives in one of the zip codes covered by our store, then our store gets credit. If we suspect that a guest lives in a town covered by another store, (we have stores really close together around here) then we tell them they have to come back in. ;-)

 

[thatcashierdude]

Managment at my store , says if your caught asking 4 guests in a row, explain the benefits etc and the guest says no, the gstls write you up for corrective action, and you can get fired just like that.

is this not fair?

No, it's not fair, you can't change their decision not to sign up for the card.

 

[IndyTM12]

How did that cashier not get fired?

Better yet, how did the guests not realize what was happening?

I have no idea on both. She's also a bit of wanderer. She'll go and mark her red card count on the white board the gstl/gsa's have up front.

 

[IndyTM12]

Problem is, some of our guests are annoyed when I simply ask, "do you have a Target debit or credit card?" And I can't say that I blame them!

When I go for back up or have a cashier shift I'll ask just like you said. The response I get the most is "I don't want hacked!"

 

[sigma7]

I have no idea on both. She's also a bit of wanderer. She'll go and mark her red card count on the white board the gstl/gsa's have up front.

So she's basically the Target lady?

 

[Starry]

I spent a year as exclusively a cashier. I got, maybe, 4-5 cards in said year. I almost never pushed for them, because A.) most people had one or B.) they declined/weren't interested.

Of course, I had the GSTLs get on to me for not "pushing hard enough", but I was never fired or written up. I eventually was put back onto the sales floor (which was where I was trained, anyway) and I have been there since.

 

[asidius]

I admit I'm guilty of not asking about redcards unless the guest is making a large purchase or doesn't have their payment ready (I usually ask after I tell them the total). HR has started giving me cashiering shifts so that's gonna change real quick.

 

[mrknownothing]

Managment at my store , says if your caught asking 4 guests in a row, explain the benefits etc and the guest says no, the gstls write you up for corrective action, and you can get fired just like that.

is this not fair?

That's bullshit. They'd better get ready to hire a whole new store team if they go through with that.

 

[commiecorvus]

Managment at my store , says if your caught asking 4 guests in a row, explain the benefits etc and the guest says no, the gstls write you up for corrective action, and you can get fired just like that.

is this not fair?

I don't understand.
Are they saying if you ask four guests and the four guests say no, no matter what the reason, you will be put on a CA?
Not only is that random as hell but seems really unlikely.

First they have an obligation to teach you how to present the card better if that's the problem.
Second, the odds may not have been in your favor that one time and you had four people who just didn't want another card in their wallet.
As @mrknownothing pointed out they might as well just fire their entire front end.
But then I suspect if they keep those rules they'd have to do it all over again or a little of both.

So either this is a wild exaggeration on their part or they have truly awful managers.

 

[POGguy]

All stores are not the same. But I'm feeling some exaggeration.....

 

[sigma7]

So you're telling me that if you do 80 transactions, your ETL and TL expect you should have 20 REDcards minimum? That's definitely low balling the amount of transactions a cashier handles on a normal day at my store. All of my cashiers would be on a final within two shifts. And no TL is going to spend the time (or hell, even have the time) to write up all those coachings. I know some stores are crazy, but if this is true, then this one easily takes the cake.

Mix this front end with jack's logistics and you have a store that is on the brink of imploding.

 

[ShyCashier]

Managment at my store , says if your caught asking 4 guests in a row, explain the benefits etc and the guest says no, the gstls write you up for corrective action, and you can get fired just like that.

is this not fair?

That's not fair at all. What I wish management would understand is that you can't force people to do what they don't want to do. I feel like there's an element of luck when it comes to pitching redcards, as far as getting someone who doesn't know about it, doesn't have one, and is receptive to hearing about it.

 

[PJ5]

Do you guys not have the mail in applications at your store? There is a spot on them for you to write your TM number and store number so you get the credit. The downside... The guest has to pay for their own postage.

No 🙁 we only have the postcard sized info pamphlets we hand out when someone is unsure if they want to sign up. I don't understand why we don't have the mail ins, i never knew they even existed.

 

[PJ5]

When I go for back up or have a cashier shift I'll ask just like you said. The response I get the most is "I don't want hacked!"

I was coached today because I got 1 red card in 6 weeks because I'm not pushy with my pitch and the ETL mentioned that excuse, "Target has high concern for it's guests security and fixed it right away, the system is safer than ever".

 

[Produce Queen]

I was coached today because I got 1 red card in 6 weeks because I'm not pushy with my pitch and the ETL mentioned that excuse, "Target has high concern for it's guests security and fixed it right away, the system is safer than ever".

I would not have been able to keep from laughing if that were said to me. I'm highly allergic to kool-aid.

 

[redcounts]

It's the management at my store. it's scaring cashiers away and now they are calling out all the time looking else where. its not right. I've had a cashier tell me they wrote her up. And I've witnessed her actually trying to get guests to sign up for red cards.

Most guests get irrated when they are asked if they want another credit or debit.even if you try to ask they will talk over you and say no I'm not interested. I don't want to further Aggrivate them by trying to convince the person. Little does corporate know, if we keep begging people all thd time to sign up, theres gonna be those few people who are going to not want to shop at target anymore because they have to be bothered to sign up for a card.They want to go home.Some people don't want to bother signing up for the credit because they might have bad credit themselves. It's embarrassing getting denied a credit card. Not to mention, guests REMEMBER what happened last year with the breach. No one likes to enter their ssn in the computer.

corporate needs to make something more convincing because 5% isn't enough.

Like if a guests signs up for their credit card and is approved they get 25% off their entire purchase if they are approved. Or the guest gets a free 10$ target gift card after they sign up.

same thing for the debit card. If the guest signs up for one, 25% off their purchase or a free 10$ target gift card

 

[redeye58]

^This.
The times I'm at SB & someone asks if they can pay with their redcard, I tell 'em "Absolutely! AND you're saving 5% off your drink!" Some folk prefer to use their red card over their gold card.
That being said, 5% is passe.
If spot wants to get back to standing out & not being a shadow of WM, they'd best sweeten the deal.
The ideas above are a good start; so many folks go nuts for a $10 giftcard.
Instead of bringing back the 10% upon opening an acct, make it 10% just for applying; then 10% off house brands.

 

[commiecorvus]

If they could hook up with one of the airlines for their credit card I'm willing to bet they would do a lot better.
I know a lot of people who are loyal to their cards because they get miles.
But then that's because the only way to get out of here is to fly.

 

[redcounts]

Yes. 5% Is nothing. Unless you have a 300$ purchace, maybe a little, but target needs to make some weekly specials for the red card or something.

Like put in their weekly Sunday flyer, sign up for your first red card today and get a free $10 target gift card + 5 % off your purchace if your approved for our credit card.