I'm Lost! The REDCard Thread

@Jill of All Trades here it is.

Belen: Start being pushier. Don't pause and give the guest the opportunity to say no. Don't ask the guest questions- TELL the guest about the benefits of having a redcard. Watch them for a spark of interest and then expand on what you were saying right then. Have retorts for every excuse-

"I get cash back from this card." "Do you get 5% cash back?"
"I just have so many cards" "But how many of those cards really SAVE you money- the redcard saves you 5% yada yada"
"No." "Did you know you can also save with Pharmacy Rewards/TCOE/free shipping?"
"I have bad credit" "The debit card does not affect your FICO score in any way and the savings can help you build positive credit with your own bank!"
"I'm worried about the breach." "Because of the technology we use, neither the target redcard credit nor the target redcard debit was susceptible to the kind of attack that caused the data breach in 2013."

Key phrases:

"All I need is your drivers license about about three minutes" or
"All I need is a check from the account you want to use"
"LET me hook you up with $(5% of purchase) in savings today and 5% off all your future purchases."
"It's totally free- no fees!"



Okay I'm done now. I feel dirty
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I've been working at target as a cashier for about a month now and I do feel like there is sometimes more of a focus on pushing the red card than actually making the guest happy. I often see guests who immediately have an "oh boy here we go again" look on their face when I start the whole spiel on redcards. One time I even had a lady (who I forgot to mention the redcard to) say "thank you so much for not harassing me about not having a card. I get that every time I shop here". That made me realize that sspot takes priority on redcards and not guest service.
 
The redcard bullshit makes everyone not be able to concentrate on more important matters, especially in management.

The STL needing to ask the service desk "where are we at on redcards?" seems like a waste of time.

But what do I know... mine is not to wonder why.
 
belen said:
I was hired as a cashier and in a few days it will my first month working there. Our store is in the top 20 stores in the district that give great guest service and the one that gets most target redcards. Since I started working I have been able to get at least one target redcard but recently one GSA has been on my back on why I haven't gotten one. Unfortunately, it's been twice that I haven't gotten a target redcard when I have her as a GSA. Yesterday she pulled me aside and said that they have worked to build a team that is great at getting redcards and if she sees that am not trying then that they would have to let me go. She keeps saying that she doesn't hear me saying all the benefits. I start a conversation with each guest but when I ask if they would they to get a target redcard they immediately say no. I even try to tell them that there is a debit card if they are not interested in the credit. I don't want to annoy the guest neither. Should I speak with the ETL instead, I don't want to lose my job and it's not like I haven't got redcards since I started.
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Cant fire you for not getting red cards only performance and your GSA was overstepping her boundaries by stating that to you. If you feel intimated take it up with your TL first then ETL if all that fails HR is the last to go to. I only let my cashiers go if they do not educate the guest on the red card. not much so on getting redcards because its really up to luck then it was say 4 years ago. Just relax and you will be fine unless are your leaders are dicks and then say fuck this bullshit lol just joking.
 
belen said:
I was hired as a cashier and in a few days it will my first month working there. Our store is in the top 20 stores in the district that give great guest service and the one that gets most target redcards. Since I started working I have been able to get at least one target redcard but recently one GSA has been on my back on why I haven't gotten one. Unfortunately, it's been twice that I haven't gotten a target redcard when I have her as a GSA. Yesterday she pulled me aside and said that they have worked to build a team that is great at getting redcards and if she sees that am not trying then that they would have to let me go. She keeps saying that she doesn't hear me saying all the benefits. I start a conversation with each guest but when I ask if they would they to get a target redcard they immediately say no. I even try to tell them that there is a debit card if they are not interested in the credit. I don't want to annoy the guest neither. Should I speak with the ETL instead, I don't want to lose my job and it's not like I haven't got redcards since I started.
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Speaking with an ETL will likely do nothing for you. You won't get a free pass of any kind. Your GSA, however, was inappropriate in the way that she spoke to you. Instead of threatening you with your job (she can't term you anyway, she's a regular team member) she should have worked with you to help you develop your skills. She's supposed to be there to help build you up and provide support so you can be successful in your role.

My suggestions:
1. Really study what @Jill of All Trades had to say. She has some amazing advice.
To add to that - Do not ever ask at the beginning of the transaction if they would like to sign up for the red card. 99.9 percent of the time they hear the words "sign up" and immediately say no. You haven't even gotten to tell them the benefits or anything, cuz they've already shut you down. So don't give them that opportunity. You can start with "are you saving 5 percent on your purchase today?" or something along those lines. *note- i like to begin the redcard chit chat after they have put all their items on the belt but before they have pulled out any form of payment...reason being 1.)their attention is focused on what im saying, not getting their crap onto the belt and 2.) once they've pulled out their card or swiped it, its a little too late- theyre ready to go*
When they say no, start throwing out the benefits, and use the techniques @Jill of All Trades suggested.

Also, at the end of your transaction, reiterate that it will save them on their current transaction as well. I've had plenty of guests who didn't want it until I told them it would save them on their current transaction. This also gives you a close to your spiel, and they can either accept or deny your offer.

I'd also suggest emphasizing the debit card more than the credit, since a lot of people are worried about hurting their credit. The debit wont do that. If they don't have a blank check with them then you can let them know all they need for the credit is an i.d. About half who wanted the debit but don't have a check will go ahead and go for the credit.

Lastly, if there is another GSA or GSTL that you are more comfortable with (hopefully there is, I'd hope they don't all act that way) then you need to let them know you're struggling a bit and why you think you may be struggling, but that you would like to improve. Make sure you're open to whatever feedback they have to give you. Good luck!
 
Sometimes, guests won't have a check with them so I suggest that they sign up for a credit card to get the savings and then, at home, or later they can also apply for the debit card.

Sometimes when guests don't have a check or say that they want to get the check debit card I will take one of the brochures that explain the three redcards and I will write the word "CHECK" on the front of it and then let them use it as a reminder when they get home.....to either get a blank check....write VOID on it and then put it in their wallet for their next trip to target......or they can just sign up for the Redcard on their own.

I've had 2 guests come back to my line with the brochure and tell me that they have the check and want to sign up for the Redcard. I know that our store often has several people sign up on line for Redcards. While we might not get the credit at our store (for the on-line sign up) at least the guest is getting the REDCARD.
 
well today as I had my one minute huddle I learned with redcards being so low for our store the next step is "counseling" I totally get that it is a "scare tactic" but to threaten people with being fired for not getting redcards is despicable. Fuck the ETL-GE for thinking that is the best way to "motivate" me!
 
We had a cashier try a new Redcard tactic. She told the guests that didn't have a check for the debit card version that they could slide their credit card and their information would be pulled from that card and they would get the debit card. Worked awesome for her, she got 8 cards in one day. Although I haven't seen her at work in the last week or two, could that be a coincidence....
 
KillerTL said:
We had a cashier try a new Redcard tactic. She told the guests that didn't have a check for the debit card version that they could slide their credit card and their information would be pulled from that card and they would get the debit card. Worked awesome for her, she got 8 cards in one day. Although I haven't seen her at work in the last week or two, could that be a coincidence....
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How the hell does someone even fall for that?
 
KillerTL said:
We had a cashier try a new Redcard tactic. She told the guests that didn't have a check for the debit card version that they could slide their credit card and their information would be pulled from that card and they would get the debit card. Worked awesome for her, she got 8 cards in one day. Although I haven't seen her at work in the last week or two, could that be a coincidence....
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What the f? So what im picturing is that they don't have a check, so she signs them up for the credit with the false impression impression that they're really getting a debit, and has them slide their debit card at some point during the app to make it look as though it's linking the account and disguise the fact she just had them complete a credit application. Cuz if she chose the debit option, she couldn't even get through the application without a check anyway.

Clever? Kind of. Fucked up? Hells yeah. If it was my store though, leadership probably would have whistled and walked the other direction. We have a cashier who was signing people up for the credit under the impression it was a rewards card. She got 7 or 8 apps a day...then people started calling and complaining because they got a credit card in the mail. One of my GSTLs told me I needed to listen to what the cashier was telling the guests because she was leading them to believe it was a rewards card and signing them up for credit, and people were calling angry. I brought this up a few days later to my Sr. GSTL to see what he had to say about it, and all he had to say was "Well...we're gonna pick and choose our battles."

Don't get me wrong, I actually like that cashier, she's a sweet lady and the Sr. GSTL is a friend and wonderful mentor to me, I love them both, but that was one of the things that left a bad taste in my mouth. If they didn't put our jobs on the line with those fucking REDcards, maybe people wouldn't do such twisted shit when it comes down to getting apps.
 
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The sad part is people start getting desperate when their jobs seem to be on the line.
They will do stupid things that hardly make any sense at all under any other circumstances.
Then the bosses stand around wondering why the TMs are all stressed out and doing unscrupulous things.
Seriously, what the hell did you expect when you chivy and harass them every damned day?
 
commiecorvus said:
The sad part is people start getting desperate when their jobs seem to be on the line.
They will do stupid things that hardly make any sense at all under any other circumstances.
Then the bosses stand around wondering why the TMs are all stressed out and doing unscrupulous things.
Seriously, what the hell did you expect when you chivy and harass them every damned day?
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Exactly. And when these people get desperate and start doing these things, it defeats the purpose of it all. The point of having someone be a redcard holder is because they statistically spend more money...but when all these applications are inauthentic, who's spending more money? We're getting credit for the apps and keeping our jobs, but basket size is not increasing for those false applications. If anything, we're driving them away by lying and fucking around with their credit.
 
I had a guest a couple of months back, who tried to use his redcard credit card, but it was declined, as it had been since the first month he got it, but he couldn't figure out why. Oddly enough, he kept insisting it was the debit card that came directly from his checking account. I finally got it through his head that it was a credit card, and the reason it was being declined after the first month is that he likely had an unpaid bill to take care of.

I felt bad. I mean, if you read the information as you are signing up, it clearly says credit card, but you also don't expect an employee of a business to outright lie to you.
 
Our Redcard goal today was 12. When I got done working at 7pm we had only one card......and that was one that our STL got. The closing LOD was in quite a tizzy because we had so few cards.

Told my GSA today that, even if I got $100.00 per Redcard it wouldn't make any difference......guests keep saying "No." Now, if I could tell guests that I'd get $100.00 if they signed up, then I sure would get a lot of people to sign up!

Our Guest survey comments have been reflective of the pestering we do to our guests. I've been asked a couple of times if we get any commission for getting Redcards. I've told them "No.....getting cards is part of our job." I'd love to be able to tell them more!

I know that our STL constantly texts our LODs to see how many Redcards we've gotten. I'm sure glad that I'm not the one to get texted every 15 minutes!
 
KillerTL said:
We had a cashier try a new Redcard tactic. She told the guests that didn't have a check for the debit card version that they could slide their credit card and their information would be pulled from that card and they would get the debit card. Worked awesome for her, she got 8 cards in one day. Although I haven't seen her at work in the last week or two, could that be a coincidence....
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ugh.... that is pretty slimy to lie to the guests like that! If they fired her she deserved it!
 
KillerTL said:
We had a cashier try a new Redcard tactic. She told the guests that didn't have a check for the debit card version that they could slide their credit card and their information would be pulled from that card and they would get the debit card. Worked awesome for her, she got 8 cards in one day. Although I haven't seen her at work in the last week or two, could that be a coincidence....
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Perhaps she got promoted and is in Business College for six weeks. She may come back as your new ETL GE.

ETA: OK, that's probably not true, but it is kinda funny, right?
 
We have one lady who used to basically hold people's stuff "hostage" until they signed up for the card and she would lie or pretend not to hear questions. she toned it down from what I hear but she will do whatever she can to get people to sign up even it is with deception. If I do get fired for not getting Redcards I will have no problem burning bridges and telling management they can fuck themselves.
 
commiecorvus said:
The sad part is people start getting desperate when their jobs seem to be on the line.
They will do stupid things that hardly make any sense at all under any other circumstances.
Then the bosses stand around wondering why the TMs are all stressed out and doing unscrupulous things.
Seriously, what the hell did you expect when you chivy and harass them every damned day?
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it is sad that management will use scare tactics like that and they will wonder why people are lying to the guests to get them to sign up. I used to be scared but than I started thinking about it and realized I would have to not be asking what so ever and have very low numbers on everything else to be in danger of getting fired.
 
pellinore said:
Our Redcard goal today was 12. When I got done working at 7pm we had only one card......and that was one that our STL got. The closing LOD was in quite a tizzy because we had so few cards.

Told my GSA today that, even if I got $100.00 per Redcard it wouldn't make any difference......guests keep saying "No." Now, if I could tell guests ....
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pellinore said:
Our Redcard goal today was 12. When I got done working at 7pm we had only one card......and that was one that our STL got. The closing LOD was in quite a tizzy because we had so few cards.

Told my GSA today that, even if I got $100.00 per Redcard it wouldn't make any difference......guests keep saying "No." Now, if I could tell guests that I'd get $100.00 if they signed up, then I sure would get a lot of people to sign up!

Our Guest survey comments have been reflective of the pestering we do to our guests. I've been asked a couple of times if we get any commission for getting Redcards. I've told them "No.....getting cards is part of our job." I'd love to be able to tell them more!
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No, that's not part of my job. When I was hired, I was asked if I felt I would be able to ask guests to sign up, not MAKE them sign up. I am paid cashier wages, not sales person wages. Most sales people get a commission on what they 'sell'. Although my store does reward us well for getting Redcards now. Seems they've figured out that better incentives get better results and have figured out where in the budget to get that $$$. Maybe that's why raises were small other than getting bumped to $9. I had 2 RCs on Sunday and was rewarded nicely due to the luck if the draw.
 
My store does recognition like a grab bag.

There's a bag full of gift cards in envelopes. The gift cards have anything from Free SB drink to $10 shopping spree to gift cards from $5-$50 (guess how often they put a 50 in there, that's rare) skewed more towards lower amounts, to the once monthly "Write your own schedule for a week". You get an RC you can either go in the grab bag for a GC or have the GSTL give you a flat $10 GC.
 
NitroKing2110 said:
My store does recognition like a grab bag.

There's a bag full of gift cards in envelopes. The gift cards have anything from Free SB drink to $10 shopping spree to gift cards from $5-$50 (guess how often they put a 50 in there, that's rare) skewed more towards lower amounts, to the once monthly "Write your own schedule for a week". You get an RC you can either go in the grab bag for a GC or have the GSTL give you a flat $10 GC.
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Guaranteed $10...sweet! I like the idea of not having to grab out of a bag and getting a $10 gc. We can get a $10 gc, with the luck of the draw. Just depends what tile you grab out of the bag. However, $10 is our top 'incentive'. We can also get a free SB, free meal at FA, 12 pack of soda. Way better than the goodie bags they were making up with stuff from the dollar spot.

Besides the $50, what other denominations of gc's are available?
 
PassinTime said:
Guaranteed $10...sweet! I like the idea of not having to grab out of a bag and getting a $10 gc. We can get a $10 gc, with the luck of the draw. Just depends what tile you grab out of the bag. However, $10 is our top 'incentive'. We can also get a free SB, free meal at FA, 12 pack of soda. Way better than the goodie bags they were making up with stuff from the dollar spot.

Besides the $50, what other denominations of gc's are available?
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5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 25, 35, 50. So it's really a game of luck if you try.
 

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