Archived A few questions - embarrassed to ask in store

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Hello fellow Target team members! This forum seems like a really good place to ask a few questions I'm not comfortable asking in-store.

Our store uses the two digit extension phone system for red phones/in-store phones.

1. I keep accidentally hanging up on people when trying to put them back on hold. I have maybe a 50% success rate. Am I not waiting long enough to hang up the phone after choosing an extension? Or is it possible I'm choosing an extension that is now no longer available?

2. This one is super embarrassing - how do I answer an incoming unanswered call using one of the red phones? We are ULV, so we don't typically have an operator. Often, sales floor team members need to answer incoming calls. I was shown maybe twice in my first month, but I've typically been too busy with other duties to answer many incoming calls. Our spill stations do not have a comprehensive phone system guide in them.

3. Do the guest assistance call boxes or red phones sometimes require you to hold down the clear button? We sometimes have trouble getting our call boxes/phones to clear guest assistance requests.

4. How do I clear a guest assistance call using only the handset/phone and not the button on the side?

This next question is more career related. I am not looking to move into an ETL position in the next year or two for various reasons, but am hoping that a TL or SrTL position will open up for me sometime soon. What would you expect the maximum time frame for such a promotion (or series of promotions) to be given the following:

In my first few months, I have already cross-trained in sales floor, in-stocks, pricing/presentation, and electronics. I will hopefully also become back room certified sometime in the next two months. I also have more than one prior management experience, and I would rate all of them as having been positive experiences.

My thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide!
 
This is just my experience with that: because I am also cross trained in quite a few departments and also have retail management experience- but I think it really boils down to your personal relationships with the higher ups: ETLS and the STL. I have a great relationship with 2 of the ETL's, the STL and a Senior TL who all think I would be great as a TL (my STL actually told me the other day that she wants me to be one of her TL's soon). Just work hard and make the ETL's/STL aware of it and you should be fine.
 
This is just my experience with that: because I am also cross trained in quite a few departments and also have retail management experience- but I think it really boils down to your personal relationships with the higher ups: ETLS and the STL. I have a great relationship with 2 of the ETL's, the STL and a Senior TL who all think I would be great as a TL (my STL actually told me the other day that she wants me to be one of her TL's soon). Just work hard and make the ETL's/STL aware of it and you should be fine.

That can work. Keep on going.
 
1. I keep accidentally hanging up on people when trying to put them back on hold. I have maybe a 50% success rate. Am I not waiting long enough to hang up the phone after choosing an extension? Or is it possible I'm choosing an extension that is now no longer available?

If you've hung up on the guest, it means you held the button for too long. When parking a call, press the button quickly. If you don't hear anything, the guest is still on the line, so try pressing it again for a microsecond longer. If you hear the dial tone, you've hung up. If you hear a funny beep that's not the dial tone, you've done it right. Now dial the extension (33, 34, etc.), and if you hear the dial tone, you may hang up.

3. Do the guest assistance call boxes or red phones sometimes require you to hold down the clear button? We sometimes have trouble getting our call boxes/phones to clear guest assistance requests.

I'm not certain if it's required, but I always hold it anyways for good measure. Sometimes it takes a little while for the indyme to clear on the walkie ("the request has been cleared: [area]"), especially if there are other indymes going off.

I've never picked up a call from the night bell and my store's phones have the button on the side, but the thread Hardlinesmaster posted may have those answers.
 
Thank you Mrknownothing. I've sort perfected my call parking technique in the last few days. Still don't know how to answer an incoming call properly. Any help on that one?

Before someone asks, yes I'm really that busy most days. I literally forget to ask ALL day at an appropriate time. Only when I'm unwinding back at home do little nagging questions pop into my head.
 
Say you are with a guest on walkie. Hit 34' 35 on a red phone & say toys, can I help you find something? That's it.
 
Thank you Mrknownothing. I've sort perfected my call parking technique in the last few days. Still don't know how to answer an incoming call properly. Any help on that one?

Before someone asks, yes I'm really that busy most days. I literally forget to ask ALL day at an appropriate time. Only when I'm unwinding back at home do little nagging questions pop into my head.

I'm glad I could be of assistance. One of the #1 rules at Target is don't be afraid to ask questions. Communication and training are huge opps throughout the company, so it's easy to miss out on important info.

Say you hear the operator on the walkie: "Toys, you have a call on 33. Toys, 33." Pick up the phone, dial 33, and say "Hello, this is Toys. Can I help you find something?" Or you can thank them for holding if you'd like. If you're picking up a call from the night bell because you don't have an operator, you'll need to say something different. But always ask CIHYFS.
 
Ahh. I had forgotten about how similar it was to answer an unanswered call and one that had already been placed on hold by an operator. Thank you.
 
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