Archived "Can a team member drive me home?"Ta

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So today in Minnesota about mid day, it started snowing to the extreme. like extreme. We are suppose to get in between 8-12 inches. So awhile after it started snowing, a guest comes in to the store, covered in snow. She said she had walked from a restaurant which i believe is on the other side of town, and asked the guest service team member to call the police for her and ask for a 'non emergency' ride home from an officer because she has no car and says she can't walk home in the snow. It sounded like her apartment was on the other side of town too. So the service desk team member does that, the police tell them 'there are too many people stuck driving in the snow or had an accident or what not that they don't have the personal to help her'. So the service desk calls the GSTL over for advice. We offer to call a cab, she says she can't do that cause she has no money. So then she ask 'Can a team member drive me home?' I have no idea what their reaction was, but I do know our Target Cafe team leader was nice enough to drive her home. But really who thinks that is an option?! And if you don't have a car why are you out walking around in the blizzard to begin with?!?!
 
I'd nominate the TM for beatification but they placed themselves at risk by doing so.
If they'd had an accident on the way home, the guest would've sued despite the TM being off-duty.
If it was a male TM giving them a ride, they could've accused them of "unseemly behavior" or any number of things.
 
I'd nominate the TM for beatification but they placed themselves at risk by doing so.
If they'd had an accident on the way home, the guest would've sued despite the TM being off-duty.
If it was a male TM giving them a ride, they could've accused them of "unseemly behavior" or any number of things.

I agree but I like to think not everyone is that terrible of a person! :(
 
Thats a big NO NO!

As a Team Member, you are not to provide any services to a guest other than what you do in the store. No matter how in the guest is or you are being very generous. Its a big liability and safety issue.

It would be another thing if you personally know the guest.

But before 2004-2005, my former stores used to help jump start guests vehicle when they had dead batteries. But then it was deemed that Target could be held liable if wescrewed up the jump, or the guest could come back complaining about a future problem and claim it was caused by the jump.

We even stopped overheading to inform guests a vehicle's lights were still on. Apparently, there was a situation a while back where creepy people would find a car, report it, and wait for the guest to come out and jump them.
 
I've had a disabled person get mad at me because I wouldn't let one of my team members help her in the restroom....

"Miss, I'm sorry, but as our TM are not licensed medical assistants, I cannot authorize someone to assist you in the restroom."

Then a TM got mad at me for being "heartless" towards her...

I had to explain to the TM that:
-We could be sued if you/guest was injured while assisting her
-We are not trained in assisting anyone
-The risk of being accused for sexual abuse is too great and/or being considered a pervert
 
I've had a disabled person get mad at me because I wouldn't let one of my team members help her in the restroom....

"Miss, I'm sorry, but as our TM are not licensed medical assistants, I cannot authorize someone to assist you in the restroom."

Then a TM got mad at me for being "heartless" towards her...

I had to explain to the TM that:
-We could be sued if you/guest was injured while assisting her
-We are not trained in assisting anyone
-The risk of being accused for sexual abuse is too great and/or being considered a pervert

If somebody wanted to clock out and go help them (same gender) you could safely avoid all of that BS.
If something happened they would be covered under Good Samaritan and they wouldn't be acting as an employee.
 
I've had a disabled person get mad at me because I wouldn't let one of my team members help her in the restroom....

"Miss, I'm sorry, but as our TM are not licensed medical assistants, I cannot authorize someone to assist you in the restroom."

Then a TM got mad at me for being "heartless" towards her...

I had to explain to the TM that:
-We could be sued if you/guest was injured while assisting her
-We are not trained in assisting anyone
-The risk of being accused for sexual abuse is too great and/or being considered a pervert

If somebody wanted to clock out and go help them (same gender) you could safely avoid all of that BS.
If something happened they would be covered under Good Samaritan and they wouldn't be acting as an employee.

If you seriously think that "clocking out" would put an end to liability issues, think again. Good Samaritan laws aren't as strong as you may think, but even if the PERSON was covered by them, the CORPORATION would not be. You represent the company in this instance whether you think you do or not.
 
I'm sure there would be some ambulance chasing scumbag who would be happy to go after the company but if you're acting as a private citizen, not on the companies time and you are making a good faith effort, you'll be covered.

Not saying I recommend it.
As anyone can see it's way more complicated than it really should be but if your human decency gets the better of you...
 
In America, one has to be super duper careful. Esp, when certain people, can spill coffee and there lap, and sue a company for millions.

It's a sad development, but, a few bad apples, always ruin things for everyone.
 
I've had a disabled person get mad at me because I wouldn't let one of my team members help her in the restroom....

"Miss, I'm sorry, but as our TM are not licensed medical assistants, I cannot authorize someone to assist you in the restroom."

Then a TM got mad at me for being "heartless" towards her...

I had to explain to the TM that:
-We could be sued if you/guest was injured while assisting her
-We are not trained in assisting anyone
-The risk of being accused for sexual abuse is too great and/or being considered a pervert

If somebody wanted to clock out and go help them (same gender) you could safely avoid all of that BS.
If something happened they would be covered under Good Samaritan and they wouldn't be acting as an employee.
It depends, Good Samaritan laws vary from state to state. In some states, they only cover "trained personnel", and almost universally, it has to be an "emergency" situation, where the person's life is in "peril". Going to the bathroom does not fall under this category.
 
So I had a guest come up to me, with her son, about 6 years old, insistent that she check out RIGHT NOW because she was late for a birthday party. I sent her up to guest services to get her out of my hair. Over an hour later, she was still there. Turns out, she managed to lock her keys and entire contents of her purse inside her car. Since she hadn't been real pleasant to me to start with, I was thinking this was a bit of karma.

She was beginning to drive the GSTL who was working guest services crazy. Apparently the fact that she had managed to do this was somehow our problem, and we needed to solve it for her. She was being rather rude, unreasonable, spent probably an hour and a half at guest services insisting that the GSTL make all the calls, figure out what she was supposed to do, etc. The six year old was alternating between crying and kicking his mother and just hanging around making a mess of things.

When I realized what was going on, I went up to the guest and asked her if she and her son would like anything to drink: coffee, water, soda...figuring I would be bold. Her response? "No. We drove an hour to get here, the party is four miles from here, and we are an hour late. You need to find someone to drive us there."

Umm...well, that deflated my bold moment of offering something to drink! I thought of this thread, explained I couldn't do that, and shuffled away, leaving my GSTL to deal with this guest.
 
So I had a guest come up to me, with her son, about 6 years old, insistent that she check out RIGHT NOW because she was late for a birthday party. I sent her up to guest services to get her out of my hair. Over an hour later, she was still there. Turns out, she managed to lock her keys and entire contents of her purse inside her car. Since she hadn't been real pleasant to me to start with, I was thinking this was a bit of karma.

She was beginning to drive the GSTL who was working guest services crazy. Apparently the fact that she had managed to do this was somehow our problem, and we needed to solve it for her. She was being rather rude, unreasonable, spent probably an hour and a half at guest services insisting that the GSTL make all the calls, figure out what she was supposed to do, etc. The six year old was alternating between crying and kicking his mother and just hanging around making a mess of things.

When I realized what was going on, I went up to the guest and asked her if she and her son would like anything to drink: coffee, water, soda...figuring I would be bold. Her response? "No. We drove an hour to get here, the party is four miles from here, and we are an hour late. You need to find someone to drive us there."

Umm...well, that deflated my bold moment of offering something to drink! I thought of this thread, explained I couldn't do that, and shuffled away, leaving my GSTL to deal with this guest.

We can call you a cab and they will drive you there.
Of course we aren't going to pay for it but maybe someone at the party will front you a few
bucks.
Crazy people.
 
You know, I didn't think of that, but it's just as well, she would have suggested that we pay for it, I'm sure.

Or, she could have called someone at the party.
 
Welcome to my world. I get calls all the time. "I can't get an appointment for six weeks - what are you going to do about that? How are you going to fix that?" Fix what? That you have to wait your turn to see a doctor? Deal with it or to outside our system, get an appointment and pay a LOT more.
 
This kind of follows how the guest constantly ask Me (electronics) to set up their equipment, even if it was for money on the side, I have to refuse, based on how it could be seen as a tip, and Target be responsible. I wouldn't Mind target setting Some Electronics TM's as possible Techs, where we can make some extra Money for some "side jobs".
 
Welcome to my world. I get calls all the time. "I can't get an appointment for six weeks - what are you going to do about that? How are you going to fix that?" Fix what? That you have to wait your turn to see a doctor? Deal with it or to outside our system, get an appointment and pay a LOT more.
AMEN!!!
 
So I had a guest come up to me, with her son, about 6 years old, insistent that she check out RIGHT NOW because she was late for a birthday party. I sent her up to guest services to get her out of my hair. Over an hour later, she was still there. Turns out, she managed to lock her keys and entire contents of her purse inside her car. Since she hadn't been real pleasant to me to start with, I was thinking this was a bit of karma.

She was beginning to drive the GSTL who was working guest services crazy. Apparently the fact that she had managed to do this was somehow our problem, and we needed to solve it for her. She was being rather rude, unreasonable, spent probably an hour and a half at guest services insisting that the GSTL make all the calls, figure out what she was supposed to do, etc. The six year old was alternating between crying and kicking his mother and just hanging around making a mess of things.

When I realized what was going on, I went up to the guest and asked her if she and her son would like anything to drink: coffee, water, soda...figuring I would be bold. Her response? "No. We drove an hour to get here, the party is four miles from here, and we are an hour late. You need to find someone to drive us there."

Umm...well, that deflated my bold moment of offering something to drink! I thought of this thread, explained I couldn't do that, and shuffled away, leaving my GSTL to deal with this guest.
She probably could've walked the 4 miles in that hour and a half, but again, then everyone at the party would've found out what a dumbass she was~LOL!
 
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