Archived 979 "Make the Guest Happy" Account

[Flabbergasted]

I used the 979 account for the first time today, to vibe a $5 GiftCard for a guest. Rather than scanning a GiftCard and keying in a non-existent coupon, which everyone else at my store does, I felt better doing the requisition way. It seemed like best practice, to me. Does anyone else use this account at their stores? I've seen it mentioned sparsely on this forum but I literally cannot find any other mention of it elsewhere -- it's not listed on the Store Account Dictionary on Workbench and it's not on any official list that I know of, but it does exist. @Retail Girl said it was the "Make the Guest Happy" account.

Any other GSTLs/GSAs know about this account?

 

[redndkhaki]

Be careful with using that account, i heard that you need LOD approval to use that account and/or requisition a gift card.

 

[Flabbergasted]

My store doesn't require LOD approval for requisitions, though.

 

[Retail Girl]

I've used it without LOD approval...but only a couple of times. They've never put any limits on us requisitioning things....but I imagine they would if things got out of hand.

 

[redndkhaki]

Sorry, I misphrased that. On workbench, we need LOD approval for gift card requisition to make the guest happy. Everything else we don't.

 

[Flabbergasted]

Sorry, I misphrased that. On workbench, we need LOD approval for gift card requisition to make the guest happy. Everything else we don't.

Where on Workbench does it say this? I think Workbench says you need LOD approval for ALL requisitions. We don't follow that at my store.

 

[redndkhaki]

It's under guest service best practice for some reason. Yeah, you're right workbench says you need approval for all requisitions. I guess it's another case of A.S.A.N.T.S. Because at my store you don't need LOD for requisition except when giving a gift card to a guest. It can just be a verbal approval through the walkie or the phone.

 

[Flabbergasted]

At my store you don't need LOD approval for anything, ever when it comes to requisitions (unless it's something that looks weird / AP may need to be made aware of). It's a case of "You have supervisor numbers, so you should be able to decide when it is or isn't reasonable to requisition items." And that's how it should be.

 

[Coqui]

I only requisition when I absolutely have to, like when we have no sharpies or we run out of ice or when there are no more market pantry milk, then I requisition Alta Dena so we can continue operating. Other than that, I don't nor do I let other TLs or ETLs know I have supervisor numbers. It's annoying as it is when all these TMs come to Starbucks saying that some ETL said they could get a drink from us requisitioned.

 

[Flabbergasted]

I only requisition when I absolutely have to, like when we have no sharpies or we run out of ice or when there are no more market pantry milk, then I requisition Alta Dena so we can continue operating. Other than that, I don't nor do I let other TLs or ETLs know I have supervisor numbers. It's annoying as it is when all these TMs come to Starbucks saying that some ETL said they could get a drink from us requisitioned.

I didn't know SBUX TMs could have supervisor numbers? Or are you a TL? If you're a TL, then they all already know you have that level of access. It wouldn't make sense if you didn't.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I didn't know SBUX TMs could have supervisor numbers? Or are you a TL? If you're a TL, then they all already know you have that level of access. It wouldn't make sense if you didn't.

They may have to do a refund & give cash back.

 

[Coqui]

I didn't know SBUX TMs could have supervisor numbers? Or are you a TL? If you're a TL, then they all already know you have that level of access. It wouldn't make sense if you didn't.

I'm an FSA, it's like Starbucks/ Food Ave version of a GSA.

 

[redeye58]

A couple of our longtime SBTMs had sup numbers after they changed the return policy for SB merch.
It used to be that they could return the stuff to service desk & get cash back because the guest 'tossed' their SB giftcard. Folks who got free SB cards (usually promos) would do this to cash them in. It was abused so much that they changed it to returns at SB register only & gave sup numbers to a couple of SBTMs who are there the most.

 

[Flabbergasted]

FSA

How odd. I'm assuming this position only exists in higher volume stores?

 

[Coqui]

How odd. I'm assuming this position only exists in higher volume stores?

I'm not sure about that. That's a good question.

 

[The Dude Abides]

It definitely exists in smaller stores as well. My store is ULV and we have an FSA in addition to a Starbucks/Food Ave TL.

 

[paidtosmile]

So these accounts (our old store called it the FFF account and used a different account number) are listed on myPerformance as "non-payroll controllable expense accounts." In other words, everything charged to these accounts is considered an expense that's considered to be completely controllable and your store has to keep it within budget of what the store gets allocated.

Couponing out giftcards for guests, on the other hand, isn't considered a controllable expense (as far as I know, anyway) so when you coupon out a giftcard for a guest you're just increasing the amount of sales discounts that are being subtracted from total sales revenue. This is a sales discount for a guest.

If you requisition giftcards, it shows up on myPerformance as a hit on your stores expenses that they could otherwise use for things like snacks in the breakroom or fun events for team members. If you coupon them out for guests, it shows up as a sales discount for guests and doesn't use up the CE money your store could be spending on fun things for the team

 

[Flabbergasted]

So these accounts (our old store called it the FFF account and used a different account number) are listed on myPerformance as "non-payroll controllable expense accounts." In other words, everything charged to these accounts is considered an expense that's considered to be completely controllable and your store has to keep it within budget of what the store gets allocated.

Couponing out giftcards for guests, on the other hand, isn't considered a controllable expense (as far as I know, anyway) so when you coupon out a giftcard for a guest you're just increasing the amount of sales discounts that are being subtracted from total sales revenue. This is a sales discount for a guest.

If you requisition giftcards, it shows up on myPerformance as a hit on your stores expenses that they could otherwise use for things like snacks in the breakroom or fun events for team members. If you coupon them out for guests, it shows up as a sales discount for guests and doesn't use up the CE money your store could be spending on fun things for the team

But the 979 account has its own money, doesn't it? 549 is the recognition account, not 979. What's the point of separate accounts if they all pool from the same exact amount of money?

 

[paidtosmile]

But the 979 account has its own money, doesn't it? 549 is the recognition account, not 979. What's the point of separate accounts if they all pool from the same exact amount of money?

Oh, hmm. I wasn't aware of that. The location i GSA'd at just used 549 or 601 for everything, we never used the other accounts. I'd think they'd all show up under non-payroll controllable expenses the same way that the $3 apology coupons come out of CE accounts. It's been a few months, though, so I'm a little rusty

 

[mrknownothing]

It definitely exists in smaller stores as well. My store is ULV and we have an FSA in addition to a Starbucks/Food Ave TL.

That may be because you only have one TL over both areas.

 

[redeye58]

Oh, hmm. I wasn't aware of that. The location i GSA'd at just used 549 or 601 for everything, we never used the other accounts. I'd think they'd all show up under non-payroll controllable expenses the same way that the $3 apology coupons come out of CE accounts. It's been a few months, though, so I'm a little rusty

601 is used for supplies/items for store use, 549 is team recognition (giftcards, gifts, etc), 979 is guest vibe - things apology coupons or giftcards won't cover (ex: replacement for clothes/property damaged on store premises).

 

[paidtosmile]

601 is used for supplies/items for store use, 549 is team recognition (giftcards, gifts, etc), 979 is guest vibe - things apology coupons or giftcards won't cover (ex: replacement for clothes/property damaged on store premises).

Well yes, they all pool together in the bigger picture is what i was getting at, sorry if i didn't make that clear

 

[MrBullseye]

It definitely exists in smaller stores as well. My store is ULV and we have an FSA in addition to a Starbucks/Food Ave TL.

I think that it's not an officially headcounted position. So they can kind of hand it out at will if your HR/STL are willing to bend some rules..

 

[Coqui]

I think that it's not an officially headcounted position. So they can kind of hand it out at will if your HR/STL are willing to bend some rules..

I don't know why it wouldn't be. FSA is at a higher paygrade than a GSA.

 

[MrBullseye]

I don't know why it wouldn't be. FSA is at a higher paygrade than a GSA.

I know there are stores that have way more GSAs than they should.