Archived Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

[phibot]

Immediately after seasonals aren't needed (after Back to College here, also Christmas), everyone's hours get chopped drastically. Everyone knows this, no need to elaborate.

Anyway, some of these seasonal hires, the ones that get kept, also have their hours minimized for a little while. You all know how it goes. I've given up a shift here or there to these newbies to help them out so they don't go running for the hills with $10 paychecks. It hurts me a decent amount considering my hours are also hurting, but I've yet to regret this kind of investment. We have some wonderful people in my store and I'm proud to say I've helped make them feel welcome.

Also, I like to "pay it forward" with tms. Not very long ago, I was walking/biking to and from work every day. I had a few offers from tms to take me home, which were of course greatly appreciated. Whenever I see a tm in that situation now that I have a vehicle of my own, I always offer rides. phibot the Target uber tm!

I always feel like I'm going to identify myself on here with this anecdote or that. Oh well. Haven't said anything I don't stand by. When I tell newbies as they walk the store with their orientation questions that "my favorite vibe moment" is when I feel good knowing that I've helped a guest or tm out, no matter how, they know I mean it sooner or later.

Except people asking about NES classics or Hatchimals. I still laugh at them. Fuck those guys

 

[Pale]

Except people asking about NES classics or Hatchimals. I still laugh at them. Fuck those guys

I've legit laughed at a guest that was asking for hatchimals and an NES at my location. Dumb fuck was there at 8 pm on a truck day, and tried saying brick-seek siad we have hatchimals and NES' in. Laughed and walked off after telling him we had neither.

 

[Noiinteam]

We had a tm whose husband was laid off just before Christmas. Another tm and I each gave her a $25.00 gift card from Target. I too have given rides home and hours to people that need money to live.

 

[DoWork]

I keep the toilet seat in the bathroom warmed up. Does that count

Only one thing is worse than a cold toilet seat -- a warm toilet seat

 

[soyaxo]

I don't mind helping guests but for some reason when I help TMs without making sure I'm actually doing fine myself, disaster strikes. Most recently, I let an ex-TM stay with me and she trashed my apartment, and my neighbours said she was very loud whilst I was at work.

 

[defang]

I've given rides, jumped cars, scraped cars, picked up people from their homes without cars and I just considered it being helpful, not above and beyond. Am I crazy or was it just how I was raised?

 

[Bosch]

I've given rides, jumped cars, scraped cars, picked up people from their homes without cars and I just considered it being helpful, not above and beyond. Am I crazy or was it just how I was raised?

Some of us were just raised to lend a hand when we can. A jump start doesn't cost anything, I consider it a teaching moment for some of our much younger TM's. They have no idea. Parents don't have those skills as basic as they are so they don't get passed down to them. Or they always just call AAA. I have them and it's just silly to ever be stuck cause you have a flat. So little 20 y/o just moved away from home, here is an adulting lesson. Tire change 101.

 

[carafe]

Jumped a guest's car once, drove a coworker to the autoshop to pick up his car... nothing too beyond

 

[commiecorvus]

I've given rides, jumped cars, scraped cars, picked up people from their homes without cars and I just considered it being helpful, not above and beyond. Am I crazy or was it just how I was raised?

Growing up in a cold weather state those were things you did just to survive.
Back in the day you also picked up anybody hitch hiking in the winter too.
You just didn't leave people to freeze.
A lot of that has changed.
I've seen people drive past people who were stuck in the ditch just assuming that the person could call for help when at one time they would have always stopped to help.

You were raised right.

 

[Pale]

Growing up in a cold weather state those were things you did just to survive.

This is the story of what I do to survive.

 

[boobooduck]

I have given TMs/TLs money and told them not to worry about it b/c I knew they had fallen on hard times. I told them it came with 1 condition-that I remain anonymous. If you cannot help those around you, then who should you help?

 

[Him]

I have given TMs/TLs money and told them not to worry about it b/c I knew they had fallen on hard times. I told them it came with 1 condition-that I remain anonymous. If you cannot help those around you, then who should you help?

Yes I too take pleasure in helping others especially when they might be down on they luck or whatever. I do it not only for good karma, but it really is just the right thing to do. I too asks who I have helped not to publized it as I don't help others for glory

 

[buliSBI]

I used to jump guest cars. But then my old stores got strict and said "No guest assistance other than for shopping" for liability/safety reasons.

If we saw a guest try to drive on of the electric carts outside, we were directed to stop them. As one of my store's had a guest hit by a car while riding one of the carts across the crosswalk, and the carts were not good in weather.

 

[ranger1821]

I once walked into a restroom and there was a senior citizen guest sobbing inside a locked stall. After wrapping up my business, I tapped on his stall door and asked if he was okay. He told me he could not clean himself because the stall was out of toilet paper. I fetched him a roll of TP and slid it under the door. But, he kept crying, uncontrollably. I again asked if he was okay and he said no because he was late for his bus pickup. The seniors bus only makes a 45 minute stop, and he was late because he could not leave the bathroom. I felt super bad for him. I only had 20 minutes left on my shift so I asked my TL if he was cool with me giving the guest a lift. I have the best TL of all time, and of course he was good with it - he even offered the guest a complimentary Starbucks while I was grabbing my jacket and keys. I drove him to the senior home about a mile away. Once he calmed down, he was a super cool dude. He told me about how he used to be a beermaster at Anheuser Busch and his job was tasting each batch. A week later, the senior's bus rolls into the store and he left an envelope for me at GS. I stopped over to pick it up, and it contained five paper-clipped $100 bills with a post-it that said, "Thanks" and signed by Raymond.

I had nothing going on that evening after work, so I picked up a 6 pack of Budweiser and went to his complex. I spent 2 hours watching the ballgame and drinking straight diesel with him. I tried returning the money to him, but he was having nothing of it. I occasionally stop by and watch a ballgame with him and our paths cross almost every week when he comes into the store. He does not have any local family, so my folks invited him to spend Thanksgiving with us. He spent the entire day with us telling stories about his time in the brewery and growing up. At his age, it is amazing how full of life he is. He has become a cherished family friend. Crazy how a sacred roll of TP can bring two men together!

 

[Bosch]

I once walked into a restroom and there was a senior citizen guest sobbing inside a locked stall. After wrapping up my business, I tapped on his stall door and asked if he was okay. He told me he could not clean himself because the stall was out of toilet paper. I fetched him a roll of TP and slid it under the door. But, he kept crying, uncontrollably. I again asked if he was okay and he said no because he was late for his bus pickup. The seniors bus only makes a 45 minute stop, and he was late because he could not leave the bathroom. I felt super bad for him. I only had 20 minutes left on my shift so I asked my TL if he was cool with me giving the guest a lift. I have the best TL of all time, and of course he was good with it - he even offered the guest a complimentary Starbucks while I was grabbing my jacket and keys. I drove him to the senior home about a mile away. Once he calmed down, he was a super cool dude. He told me about how he used to be a beermaster at Anheuser Busch and his job was tasting each batch. A week later, the senior's bus rolls into the store and he left an envelope for me at GS. I stopped over to pick it up, and it contained five paper-clipped $100 bills with a post-it that said, "Thanks" and signed by Raymond.

I had nothing going on that evening after work, so I picked up a 6 pack of Budweiser and went to his complex. I spent 2 hours watching the ballgame and drinking straight diesel with him. I tried returning the money to him, but he was having nothing of it. I occasionally stop by and watch a ballgame with him and our paths cross almost every week when he comes into the store. He does not have any local family, so my folks invited him to spend Thanksgiving with us. He spent the entire day with us telling stories about his time in the brewery and growing up. At his age, it is amazing how full of life he is. He has become a cherished family friend. Crazy how a sacred roll of TP can bring two men together!

You done good.

 

[Produce Queen]

@ranger1821 What a great story. I got the happy chills.

 

[commiecorvus]

@ranger1821 thanks for that.
Reminds me that human beings are worth while.
Good job.

 

[Bosch]

haha too funny... I needed a jump and had to get one from a guest... team members couldn't help while on the clock.

I have taken my break a lot to do a jump start. Then take an actual break.

 

[signingminion]

It sickens me how often granny is left to go potty by herself. I seem to be guided to these folks at restaurants. I'm an expert now at juggling granny, her walker, and getting her lady bits covered back up.

I've jumped guests, helped tm check fluids, offered rides, etc. Bought coffee, muffins. I bake, less now, but fudge/cookies/marshmallows. At the end of the shift we are a family and we try to make sure everyone is ok. My photographic memory usually gets me hugged a couple times a year- the last something for a gift or replacement when away from home or the exact thing one of our truckers needs. It takes a village...

 

[ForeverInMMB]

An elderly regular was moving and was going to purchase boxes for her move. I was like "??? No, I'll find you some and take them to you after I get off work." I miss her. She was a little cooky but she meant well. I found all the good boxes I could for her.

 

[redeye58]

It sickens me how often granny is left to go potty by herself. I seem to be guided to these folks at restaurants. I'm an expert now at juggling granny, her walker, and getting her lady bits covered back up.

This.
I was called to the women's restroom by a CA when he walked in to a bare-bottom elderly woman trying to wash out her soiled pants in the sink.
She said her son had run home to get her a change but she had nothing in the meantime so I got a large towel from the CA closet that they use to dry carts with & gave it to her to wrap herself in.
Her walker had a bench so she could sit down while she waited & I got a plastic bag to put her soiled clothing in.
When her son arrived with the clothes, I helped her change in the handicapped stall & soon they were on their way.
She wanted to tell my STL how helpful I was but there wasn't really a delicate way of describing it so I told her not to worry about it.

 

[james0707]

I worked all of my shifts without telling my STL or ETLs what I thought of them or how incompetent they are. I just mentally made notes of the daily examples of incompetence.