Archived Coupon policy change!

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I had already been doing this for years. I won't get too specific, but I worked in a store that was green on the vibe for a long time! And we turned down coupon scammers all the time. It honestly doesn't affect anything if the one crazy one decides to fill out a survey, because you just pleased many more guests by keeping your travel size aisle in stock than letting one person clear it out and pay nothing.

Ultimately, there are tools available to turn them down. Not only can we deny coupons (most of the time the coupon says something specific you can repeat to the guest) but we can limit quantities all we want on the product too! If its not a reasonable amount of shampoo and they are not leaving enough for other guests, we can restrict what they buy whether they use coupons or not.

AND the big difference is that its no longer 4 identical coupons per transaction, its 4 identical coupons per person per DAY!!! Get out of my store crazy lady!
 
Rock Lobster said:
I had already been doing this for years. I won't get too specific, but I worked in a store that was green on the vibe for a long time! And we turned down coupon scammers all the time. It honestly doesn't affect anything if the one crazy one decides to fill out a survey, because you just pleased many more guests by keeping your travel size aisle in stock than letting one person clear it out and pay nothing.

Ultimately, there are tools available to turn them down. Not only can we deny coupons (most of the time the coupon says something specific you can repeat to the guest) but we can limit quantities all we want on the product too! If its not a reasonable amount of shampoo and they are not leaving enough for other guests, we can restrict what they buy whether they use coupons or not.

AND the big difference is that its no longer 4 identical coupons per transaction, its 4 identical coupons per person per DAY!!! Get out of my store crazy lady!
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I swear to god I thought you were leading with "I've been extreme couponing for years!"
 
So after the first dat of us actually enforcing this new policy, it seems my store may actually stick to its policy for once. We denied one couponer and severely limited a couple others. Hopefully we continue this and finally have them go somewhere else for their scams.
 
Those of you who are denying these people....any of them calling corporate in front of you? This is where our problems always start.
 
The denials that I have witnessed usually just end up with the guest moaning and complaining to the GSTL/GSA that they aren't doing returns or making any profit and that they just need to save money (highly doubt that). The only time I have had someone call corporate in front of me was when a guest tried to use a bunch of coupons that were clearly fake (they gave items for free without having to buy anything eg. One free box of redbull with no limitations other than stating what the specific item was that you get for free) and I called the GSTL over and he didn't take the coupons. One thing led to another and the guest pulled out his phone to call corporate on us. But to answer your question, as far as I know, the extreme couponers at my store have not called corporate to complain about us, at least not while in the store. That may change as more of them come in because we haven't had that many come on since the policy change.
 
Retail Girl said:
Those of you who are denying these people....any of them calling corporate in front of you? This is where our problems always start.
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I've never had anyone call corporate right at Guest Service. However, I have had them claim that they called corporate previously and that, "They said to do it." I don't expect to see them call corporate, because they would have to leave out key information. I kind of want to make a phone call to corporate posing as a guest, to see what kind of information corporate asks for. They're aware of these kinds of scam, I seriously doubt they're saying stores will take the returns. I think that's coming from the DTLs.

I just had that today. I had a guest bring in a bag of HBA. I told her that I needed a receipt to do the return. She said she had called corporate about it and that they said to do it. I apologized and insisted that I was going to need a receipt, or that she was going to have to go to the same store the items came from. She claimed they were from this store. So I called her bluff. I said, "Okay, no problem, let me just call my AP guy so he can look up your receipt for you." She got huffy, and told me never mind. Despite that, she questioned me again saying, "You can't just use the card? Why can't you just do it?" To which I assured her, "I can return your items, I just have to call our AP to get a receipt." Of course she didn't want to do that.

She also wanted to exchange a pair of shorts, so she walked off. While she was gone, I told our LOD-AP about it. He said he'd take care of it, and came over to Guest Service. Sure enough, when she came back, she stopped questioning the return. She just told him, "I was going to return these, but she told me she couldn't" Our AP is great, because he basically said, "Okay" and didn't offer to return the items either.
 
thecabbage said:
The denials that I have witnessed usually just end up with the guest moaning and complaining to the GSTL/GSA that they aren't doing returns or making any profit and that they just need to save money (highly doubt that). The only time I have had someone call corporate in front of me was when a guest tried to use a bunch of coupons that were clearly fake (they gave items for free without having to buy anything eg. One free box of redbull with no limitations other than stating what the specific item was that you get for free) and I called the GSTL over and he didn't take the coupons. One thing led to another and the guest pulled out his phone to call corporate on us. But to answer your question, as far as I know, the extreme couponers at my store have not called corporate to complain about us, at least not while in the store. That may change as more of them come in because we haven't had that many come on since the policy change.
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Calling corporate is such a weak threat. But it's the biggest threat these people have. It's nothing more than an intimidation tactic. What do they expect to happen? That the representative on the other line is going to say, "OMG NO WAI! OMG GIVE DEH PHONE TO THE MANAGER RIGHT NAOW!!! IMMA FIRE DEM!"
 
Retail Girl said:
After two weeks of throwing a fit about it, the scammers would realize the company is serious and they will go away.

But for now, the store execs are too afraid of not being backed up by the people in the district/group so they won't go with the new policy. It's sad, really.
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At my store there was a woman who was a very good couponer, she would always come to me on the same day around the same time. During one transaction the GSTL got involved (im very glad about this) and she got cut off. the woman asked me after the GSTL left if I could add her coupons but I told her I cant contradict my supervisor. well I have not seen for almost a whole month now... oh well I think she found a new store to go to. :Dwell I am paid to do my job... not be her friend!
 
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Probably need to ask your leadership.
I'm no longer with spot so I don't have access any more.
 
Unfortunately I don't see my store's leadership actually enforcing this. It took our STL being reamed out by our DTL on a visit for us to stop selling to resellers.
 
The Dude Abides said:
Unfortunately I don't see my store's leadership actually enforcing this. It took our STL being reamed out by our DTL on a visit for us to stop selling to resellers.
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Resellers are definitely a headache. I was shopping on my own time one day at a different Target from the one I work and a reseller tried buying almost 3 grand worth in ITunes we had on sale and when the GSA cut him off he turned to me after arguing with all the managers he turned to me and asked "do you think I am being treated unfairly?" I looked at him and with the straightest face I said "I am NOT getting involved... this is between you and the management"
 
The real question is, did they also notify the people who answer the corporate line? At our store, whenever a guest calls corporate, the idiot on the other end of the line is usually clueless and gives in to the guest's demands...
 
tgtcpht said:
The real question is, did they also notify the people who answer the corporate line? At our store, whenever a guest calls corporate, the idiot on the other end of the line is usually clueless and gives in to the guest's demands...
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That's why I'm wondering if anyone has had a scammer throw a fit over this and call the guest line right then and there.

It sounds like from my gstl that we won't be able to enforce this because the dtl won't go for it. *sigh*
 
My former store is too. I was talking to my peeps from SB & a GSTL buddy told me about it.
She was positively gleeful.
 
This hasn't even been mentioned at my store. I was telling a GSA about it yesterday and she was clueless. She also told me she would take their returns anyway, regardless if management told them not to. I was thinking 'who do you think you are?'
 
Retail Girl said:
Yeah, I suspect the ones who are more concerned about guest surveys are going to not be on board with this.
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This is similar to the reseller situation we had back in electronics about 5 years ago. Eventually, they will stop coming. Sure, you might get a few bad surveys at first and but it will get better. It's important that the store stays consistent with the new rule and all tm and ETLs are aware and stand by it.
 
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