Archived Does your store make you lock up your cell phones?

[Kompa]

Normally ours didn't, but they seem to be cracking down on SFTMs and cashiers. They seem to leave Backroom and Flow alone though. Seems a little unfair

 

[Nauzhror]

Uhh, no, definitely not, mine's in my pocket all day every day.

 

[StaticSun]

Haha, no.

 

[Bosch]

Yeah right. Come try and take it.

 

[jm13]

At my orientation (mix of cashiers, flow, and softlines), they encouraged us to keep our phones handy and have the Target app installed to assist guests.

 

[Retail Girl]

My GSTL took away the cell phone of one cashier one day because she wouldn't stop texting on the lanes.

I have another cashier who, upon insisting on using the restroom every half hour, I have started telling her I will take over her lane and watch over her phone while she uses the restroom. Those restroom breaks have become a lot shorter and a lot less frequent when I'm around.

 

[FlowbieCanuck]

Mine doesn't. No one even bats an eye if someone's phone goes off during a huddle or anything.

I believe my store allows people to carry their phones on the premise that its their only "timepiece," (seriously. No one seems to wear watches nowadays) but that's it.

 

[redeye58]

Our leadership encouraged everyone to carry their phones so they could demonstrate the apps, Cartwheel, etc so they are kinda stuck when TMs are standing around texting.

 

[radiochu]

my store also encourages us to keep our phones on us to push the app and Cartwheel and so on. honestly sometimes it's our only resource for some tasks. I've never seen anyone abusing the privilege, but I suppose I'm probably just being an idealist lol.

 

[oath2order]

My store doesn't. I use my phone constantly because when it comes to Item Search vs Target App Search, the App wins 9 times out of 10.

 

[trowa03]

In the DC side having your phone out on the floor is auto corrective action... : (

 

[xNightStockerx]

We are told not to have cell phones on the floor....but its a joke! Almost everyone I see has a phone in their back pocket.

 

[awbuckit]

Everyone at my store has their phone on them.
I was just reading an article on Workbench about this very thing. When you log on, over on the left click on something about RED. I can't remember exactly how it's worded. Some article refers to using your devices while on the clock. More or less it says to only use it for Target purposes, don't text your friends/family, don't surf the internet, etc.....
There's been times where myself and other cashiers are genuinely looking up stuff on Cartwheel to tell guests and the GSA will tell us to put our phones away. So annoying. They don't believe that we are really doing work related stuff. I'm of a "mature" age and hate being told this by a not-yet-21 yr old GSA. Maybe YOU should not hang out at the service desk and help the cashiers....

 

[Nauzhror]

I'd ignore said GSA, continue using the phone to help the guest, and then explain to them that if they'd like me to not use the phone that perhaps they should respond to blinking lights faster so that I don't find it necessary to do their job for them.

I'm pretty sure they'd be quite flustered at that point and feel rather foolish.

 

[Backroom81]

AFAIK once the Target app and Cartwheel rolled out, the policy on banning phones on the floor was lifted as Spot wants us to be able to show guests the apps. Before that we were using Target's mobile site as an item search tool since it tended to work better than the PDA search function.

 

[RedMan]

Cashiers can use their phones at the checklanes for Target stuff. But if I see them on the phone with no guest, they'll get a coaching.

 

[Dying Sun]

Everyone at my store has their phone on them.
I was just reading an article on Workbench about this very thing. When you log on, over on the left click on something about RED. I can't remember exactly how it's worded. Some article refers to using your devices while on the clock. More or less it says to only use it for Target purposes, don't text your friends/family, don't surf the internet, etc.....
There's been times where myself and other cashiers are genuinely looking up stuff on Cartwheel to tell guests and the GSA will tell us to put our phones away. So annoying. They don't believe that we are really doing work related stuff. I'm of a "mature" age and hate being told this by a not-yet-21 yr old GSA. Maybe YOU should not hang out at the service desk and help the cashiers....

I'd ignore said GSA, continue using the phone to help the guest, and then explain to them that if they'd like me to not use the phone that perhaps they should respond to blinking lights faster so that I don't find it necessary to do their job for them.

I'm pretty sure they'd be quite flustered at that point and feel rather foolish.

right ours would throw that logic right back at you and report you for defiance. actually scratch that only one would and she is a 20 yr old ditzy blonde. Im right there with you awbuckit, I cant stand being ordered around by her when she does the exact same thing on a daily basis

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I carry my ipod on the floor, only.

 

[Nauzhror]

I don't think it'd get them very far for reporting me at my store. It might result in a LOD speaking with me, but I'd tel them the same thing I told the GSA, I suspect the GSA'd be more likely to get reprimanded about doing their job and not jumping to assumptions than I would be for being snarky.

 

[awbuckit]

We (3) cashiers, all of a mature age, were talking about the coupon policy and major couponers at our store and we were basically told to break it up by the aforementioned GSA.
Really? Everyone else gets to discuss their jobs...goals, plans for the day...but Nope, to them it just looks like we're shootin' the breeze. It's so freaking annoying. I know we're a reflection on them and how they're doing their jobs but I think after 8 yrs (for all of us 3) we can be trusted to take care of the guests and do our jobs correctly and efficiently.

 

[Vomitar]

I will not lock up my phone, it stays on me at all times.

 

[neversaynever]

I carry mine, I use it as a timer when i'm on break (and I rarely hike back to the break room for it). I'm probably the only one up front that actually takes JUST 15 minutes for break.

I will only glance at any messages if I get multiple in a row - like if I think there is a kid crisis going on at home. But that is it until break time.

I have used it to show cartwheel occasionally - the other night I had a show a guest what it looked like once they got logged in.

 

[Kompa]

We (3) cashiers, all of a mature age, were talking about the coupon policy and major couponers at our store and we were basically told to break it up by the aforementioned GSA.
Really? Everyone else gets to discuss their jobs...goals, plans for the day...but Nope, to them it just looks like we're shootin' the breeze. It's so freaking annoying. I know we're a reflection on them and how they're doing their jobs but I think after 8 yrs (for all of us 3) we can be trusted to take care of the guests and do our jobs correctly and efficiently.

Does the GSA have any real power? I wouldn't know because I'm the farthest from the front end you could possibly be? I'm Backroom and sometimes when we get carts from the front, the GSA will try to yell at us and tell us to go outside in the snow/rain/heat and get them and we kinda just blow them off >.>

 

[SoftlinesTL]

I encourag my team to always have theirs so that they can help guests with cartwheel or use the target app if they need to. I also encourage sales floor TMs to have it when LOD because it's there are times where it's easier to use your phone to help a guest than a PDA.

It's generally obvious if a TM is abusing the privilege and needs to be coached, but overall I think there are more pros to having it than not.

 

[desertcoyote]

Working at the service desk and photo , i always have my phone on me. It's far more convenient than using the iPad locked at the end of the counter. Also helpful to show guests how to use the My Kodak Moments app.