Archived Faith in Humanity restored (Questions on Gratuity)

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Ok, so I am new here, but I have this great story from yesterday, part of why I signed up finally.

I am a CA and I do my job as does everyone else. I came in yesterday at 11:30am to a dead empty cart well (It looked how the well looks on Black Friday). I got to work going out and getting the carts, pushing it and just getting it done in general.

It took me quite a while to get the well close to full again and I also had to provide backup as well. We are a P-Fresh location and had to call up every team member in the store to cashier yesterday morning (3 back rooms, seasonal, hardlines, softlines, operator, and even one of the pharmacists and 3 of my ETLs). That is how busy it was. I would have been on register too if not for the lack of carts.

So, enough backstory, lets get to what happened. I finally got around to the bathrooms and it was nearly 2:30pm. The store was still rage busy at this point, but it was starting to slow down (I got the cart well about half full which is passable enough). I will spare you all of the graphic detail, but let us say the bathrooms weren't in great shape at that point.

I was told previously by one of my GSTLs that I am not supposed to let guests into the Women's room when I am cleaning it. On average waiting on guests for this bathroom can take upwards of 10 mins if I don't speak up frequently or tell people they can't go in. Waited until it was empty and began cleaning (first the sinks/mirrors and the baby table, then the stalls) I told a guest to wait and she said she can't and just ignored me and went in anyways to the last stall (we have 4) while I was cleaning the first stall. This guest mindset continued and I just kept cleaning the stalls as they opened up, minding my own business, not saying a word as guests use the first 2 stalls I just cleaned.

6~10 different guests came in while I was cleaning and would not wait though I did give up on asking all of them to wait (once you have 2-3 people in there it gets pointless). I open the 3rd stall and it is the worst I have ever seen one at Target. I realize I might need to mop, but I don't have time to mop, so I just scrub the literal shit out of the floor by hand with paper towels and spray. I spot clean the floor regularly on checkups just to save the mop trip anyways, but normally it is just dirt from a light FL rain.

I manage to clean the last stall finally and check the first 2 again before I leave. Of course I have to go over the first one again because someone was nice enough to pee all over the seat. I think I audibly said "Really? I just cleaned this". Keep in mind this is all just the women's room. Men's room is always simple because no one really uses it.

I was literally thinking that cleaning the women's room is a thankless job on my way out and this happens. A guest walks up to me as I exit the restroom and says "Here" and hands me a gift card envelope. I originally assumed it was just an envelope to put back, because I have had guests do that before with merchandise, but I felt the gift card inside. I tell her I can't take this and she pushes it back in my hand and says "No, You are doing a good job, Merry Christmas" then leaves. I assume she was one of the guests that saw me cleaning the restroom because she was waiting outside. It probably took nearly 20 mins to clean too.

After I was done I go to Starbucks on my break and check the card to see how much is on it. I expected like $5.00 maybe? Turns out it is $30.00! Sad part is I probably wouldn't recognize the guest again if I saw her because I see so many people everyday. All I know is she was short, dark hair and had glasses, probably old enough to have kids my age or a few years younger. Lots of guests would fit the description.

So to my point, was it ok for me to accept this gift? I tried politely declining, but she wasn't having any of it. I don't really know all of Target's policy on this, but I do know from talking to Starbucks that we aren't supposed to accept tips. Just wanted to share this story because well, it was nice. For those curious how the day ended, instead of getting off at 4:30 I cashiered until 8pm because 2 people called in. Thanks for reading.
 
At our store, we are never allowed to accept tips or gifts from guests. Even if they make a purchase and they receive a promo gift card and decide they don't want it or forget to take it, we are never allowed to keep them. If the guest is very insistent that we take, we were told to politely accept it and than immediately turn it in to the LOD. We've had guest who "accidently dropped" their money or gift cards for someone to find and even taped gift cards to carts ($50-100) for a pay it forward moment. It may depend on the store, but if you are caught accepting tips, than you could be simply coached or termed. It's almost always an instant term if you keep a promo gift card that a guests declines or forgets to take. Any found money typically goes into the service desk register and gift cards maybe logged into lost and found or destroyed. I've never heard exactly how those are handled.
 
As skullfire said, Spot doesn't want you taking tips and will coach you for it.
So even though they pay you close to what food service workers make, you aren't allowed to take the one thing that makes their pay scale bearable.
 
That's s awesome she did that for you. What an act of kindness in your day. Of course you aren't allowed to keep it, and you tried to turn it down.

At this point? If I were in your shoes, I would just never mention it to anyone and keep it. There isn't much else you can do but turn it over to Spot, who, frankly, doesn't need it nearly as badly as you likely do.
 
Officially, TMs are not to accept gratuity for any services. If the guest is determined to you taking a tip by putting in your pocket or hand, just report it the LOD.

I had a lady catch me in the parking lot saying her car battery was dead. Technically we are not supposed to jump guests' cars. But the lady was diabetic, getting dark, and needed to get home ASAP. I walkied the message to the LOD. And they said, Go ahead. I jumped her car, and she was very presistant on me taking a $10 bill. I told the LOD the result. And she said, "Tip?...What tip? I didn't see you or that bill. That's final."
 
Alright thanks guys. I definitely don't want to get termed over something as small as 30$. I will talk to my Front End ETL about it.
 
Chances are no one saw it. If it was even on camera, someone watching could assume it was something like a card or a Chick Tract. You're probably fine.
 
Any found money typically goes into the service desk register and gift cards maybe logged into lost and found or destroyed. I've never heard exactly how those are handled.

It typically gets put into the donation fund and is given out to local schools and charities for fundraisers.
 
No don't do that didn't you read the replies? Be very gracious to the guest and then keep quiet.

Yeah next time I mean. Sorry tired after working and posted quick before dinner. I meant it more in a future reference kind of way but it came out wrong.:wacko:

EDIT: Btw, who is it that actually watches the cameras? STL? My AP TL is super chill. Helps me do stuff in backroom and comes up and watches front lanes when GSTL's take meal. I am also friendly with both Target cops since I see them so much as a CA.
 
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No don't do that didn't you read the replies? Be very gracious to the guest and then keep quiet.

Yeah next time I mean. Sorry tired after working and posted quick before dinner. I meant it more in a future reference kind of way but it came out wrong.:wacko:

EDIT: Btw, who is it that actually watches the cameras? STL? My AP TL is super chill. Helps me do stuff in backroom and comes up and watches front lanes when GSTL's take meal. I am also friendly with both Target cops since I see them so much as a CA.

AP watches cameras... But they're usually watching them to research/review activity and gather information
 
Do not tell anyone about this incident. Remember it's not what you know, it's what you can prove. Powerful words from a powerful man.

If you want to accept a tip, tell the person to drop the money on the ground, then drop something like your walkie or a tissue, and then bend over and pick it up and put it back in your pocket.
 
Do not tell anyone about this incident. Remember it's not what you know, it's what you can prove. Powerful words from a powerful man.

If you want to accept a tip, tell the person to drop the money on the ground, then drop something like your walkie or a tissue, and then bend over and pick it up and put it back in your pocket.
I have seen people written up for accepting gratuity and didn't notify the LOD/TL.
 
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