@idkwhattodo, do you and I work at the same store? JK.
@seasonaldude, I agree that I can tell if DU time is going to be under 2 by who is working. When the hustlers are there, it’s green unless something went horribly wrong.
We don’t have people who are scheduled for DU specifically but I think we should. It’s always the same 2 or 3 people doing it when assigned to guest service and the other folks either can’t for medical reasons or are princesses who refuse to do it. I’ve tried to say people should be assigned to a role when they are scheduled at guest service.
(This is what would happen in my fantasy Target where no one called out, people were properly trained, and leadership held team members accountable.) On a weekend, you would have 3 people scheduled for DU. One of those people would be the main runner who brings the orders out to guests. One of them gathers the orders and preps them. We use guest carts and put a sticker on the handle to say whose order it is and, if there are cooler or freezer items, we also put a sticky on the handle. The third person is a combo runner/gatherer. If there is any down time, for DU, these folks can do damages, sort reshop, hang clothes, clean out the lost and found bin, clean around guest services, do small Shipt orders, help with OPU, etc. But they should not be taking guests with returns or problems that can get them taken away from DU for a long period of time.
Then you have 2-3 people helping the guests with returns, OPUs, large Shipt orders, placing Target.com orders, etc.
In my opinion, the DU machine breaks down when one of the people take their break and no one is designated to assist while that person is gone. I see this especially when we only have 2 people doing DU and for 30 minutes or so, the other DU person is prepping and running while the people at the desk are folding clothes or doing damages. If everyone knew what their job was upfront, there wouldn’t be this confusion. Now the honk goes off and I’ve seen three people stand around chatting at guest service while one person is running their ass off prepping orders and bringing them out.
When I do DU, to keep under 2 minutes, I scan the bags as I get them from the shelves. For cooler and freezer items, I scan those too, and then leave them So when I grab them from the freezer or cooler, when the guest is here or close, I don’t have to scan them. I don’t do guest returns or anything that’s going to potentially take a lot of time. Sometimes this can’t be avoided if we are short handed and no one can back up guest service but a leader will usually come to back up or even do drive up. If I have like 3 people coming within 4 or 5 minutes of each other, I’ll bring them all with me out to the parking lot. While I’m putting the order in 1 car, the other orders show up and I’m right there. The thing about this is making sure you know whose order is whose. You don’t want them mixed up. (Which I have done.) If someone else has prepped the order, I try to go and scan the bags so if I’m bringing them out, I can just slide the thingy to enter the guest code or scan their bar code. Try not to have to scan the bags when the guest has already beeped.
I would really like to know where the 2 minute time limit came from and when corporate is going to it. Especially with COVID people are using DU to do their entire grocery shopping in some cases. When DU first started it was usually the odd order that was huge. Now, especially on the weekends, every order is a cart full and it’s in different locations. Keeping the 2 minute time limit is possible but difficult and you have to have the right team doing it. I would love to see it extended to 5 minutes. Because honestly, when I’m out there in a minute, the guest has to log in and get their bar code or numbers. Or the guest is using GPS and they are stuck at a red light but their order beeped so there went 30-50 seconds down the drain. Plus, the guest doesn’t know we’re supposed to be out there in 2 minutes. When it’s been longer and I apologize, they’re like “uh whatever, I’ve waited longer for a Big Mac at McDonald’s”.
Sorry this is so long and cranky. This is my biggest gripe in my store right now and I’m worried about what’s going to happen as we get closer and closer to the holidays.
