Archived Firing over not selling enough red cards?

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Anelmi said:
I basically get one per shift. Most of the time, though, it's a 7-10 days and we'll get back to you but it still counts so I don't care. They really push REDcards at my store cuz I guess we are in the bottom for them. Whatever. So over the past 2 weeks, I've gone to 3 different Targets. Was I ever asked about a REDcard? Nope. So clearly most cashiers don't give flying flip or their stores aren't being neurotic about pushing them.

I agree that a cashier's job should be about FAST, FRIENDLY service. As a customer, I want to get out the door and home. Maybe have a nice chat while checking out? That's it. Surveys, REDcards, wtf? People like to shop at Target. Getting a REDcard isn't going to prove their loyalty.
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Sorry,

Wrong Redcards are a huge loyalty driver. A guest with a Redcard is gonna come back to target over a competitor! Having a Redcard also increases basket size by 30%.. Stop complaining and start educating! Any job is gonna require you to meet certain metrics... Whether retail or not!
 
RedCards are so fucking stupid! I loved not asking every single person my last day! I only asked those who were buying like 100 bucks worth of shit. :D
 
I want THEM to buy a redcard for me for picking up their diapers and full drink cups.

Why so full???
 
Gs1017 said:
Sorry,

Wrong Redcards are a huge loyalty driver. A guest with a Redcard is gonna come back to target over a competitor! Having a Redcard also increases basket size by 30%.. Stop complaining and start educating! Any job is gonna require you to meet certain metrics... Whether retail or not!
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone takes issue to metrics. We get it, we work retail. We're in the business of selling things and corporate wants to make money. That's fine! If I were the CEO, I'd want us to be profitable too. What I and many others do take issue with is the manner in which the company tries to get its employees to reach metrics. Like I said before, I work at Lowe's now. They have a store credit card too and we are encouraged to sell it. But there's no one coaching, yelling or calling me or my cashiers worthless if we don't sell them. There's no hard quota and we don't have to pitch the card to someone buying one or two small inexpensive items. If someone's spending a lot of money? I will absolutely push the credit card to that person because those are the people who actually benefit from it. At Spot, they want you to pitch the REDcard to an elderly woman buying a carton of eggs or a batch of bananas. If you can't get granny to sign up, you must be a bad cashier! That is how Target plays this game. That isn't fair, plain and simple. Consider that many Target shoppers aren't throwing down hundreds of dollars all the time -- sometimes, people just want one or two small things and they wanna get out as quickly as possible. Lowe's tells us not to oversell to these kinds of people, because they do exist and by overselling to them when they clearly don't want it, we would actually be driving away their business. Now there's a novel concept Target has yet to figure out.

Metrics are fine. But a blanket approach to reaching certain metrics like getting people to open up credit cards is a bad idea. It's simply a fact that a lot of people, for various reasons, do not and will not ever want to sign up for a REDcard. Target doesn't care because it falsely believes that every single guest can be convinced otherwise. And if you as a cashier can't convince every person to sign up, you must be doing something wrong. Maybe, just mayyybe, it's actually Target who is in the wrong by taking that kind of approach!
 
Honestly, getting RedCards isn't that difficult and anyone can be worked with to be more successful at it. Unfortunately not every team lead is willing to help put in the effort and would rather just pretend to care about it because it makes them look good or bad.
 
Flabbergasted said:
I don't think anyone takes issue to metrics. We get it, we work retail. We're in the business of selling things and corporate wants to make money. That's fine! If I were the CEO, I'd want us to be profitable too. What I and many others do take issue with is the manner in which the company tries to get its employees to reach metrics. Like I said before, I work at Lowe's now. They have a store credit card too and we are encouraged to sell it. But there's no one coaching, yelling or calling me or my cashiers worthless if we don't sell them. There's no hard quota and we don't have to pitch the card to someone buying one or two small inexpensive items. If someone's spending a lot of money? I will absolutely push the credit card to that person because those are the people who actually benefit from it. At Spot, they want you to pitch the REDcard to an elderly woman buying a carton of eggs or a batch of bananas. If you can't get granny to sign up, you must be a bad cashier! That is how Target plays this game. That isn't fair, plain and simple. Consider that many Target shoppers aren't throwing down hundreds of dollars all the time -- sometimes, people just want one or two small things and they wanna get out as quickly as possible. Lowe's tells us not to oversell to these kinds of people, because they do exist and by overselling to them when they clearly don't want it, we would actually be driving away their business. Now there's a novel concept Target has yet to figure out.

Metrics are fine. But a blanket approach to reaching certain metrics like getting people to open up credit cards is a bad idea. It's simply a fact that a lot of people, for various reasons, do not and will not ever want to sign up for a REDcard. Target doesn't care because it falsely believes that every single guest can be convinced otherwise. And if you as a cashier can't convince every person to sign up, you must be doing something wrong. Maybe, just mayyybe, it's actually Target who is in the wrong by taking that kind of approach!
Click to expand...
Not to mention there are plenty of people who are not eligible or able to sign up for one or both kinds of Red Card.
 
snoboy8999 said:
Honestly, getting RedCards isn't that difficult and anyone can be worked with to be more successful at it. Unfortunately not every team lead is willing to help put in the effort and would rather just pretend to care about it because it makes them look good or bad.
Click to expand...
Wow I didn't know all it took was some work! Damn all those times my GSTL tried practicing with me and giving me different approaches and advice must not have been enough! It's not like people have things they're good and bad at, perish the thought! Everyone can be good at literally everything, even all the socially anxious TMs who are practically bullied into pushing harder! Holy crap it's a miracle I just need to push all my anxieties aside and have my GSTL try harder!!

I have seen the light
 
Flabbergasted said:
I don't think anyone takes issue to metrics. We get it, we work retail. We're in the business of selling things and corporate wants to make money. That's fine! If I were the CEO, I'd want us to be profitable too. What I and many others do take issue with is the manner in which the company tries to get its employees to reach metrics. Like I said before, I work at Lowe's now. They have a store credit card too and we are encouraged to sell it. But there's no one coaching, yelling or calling me or my cashiers worthless if we don't sell them. There's no hard quota and we don't have to pitch the card to someone buying one or two small inexpensive items. If someone's spending a lot of money? I will absolutely push the credit card to that person because those are the people who actually benefit from it. At Spot, they want you to pitch the REDcard to an elderly woman buying a carton of eggs or a batch of bananas. If you can't get granny to sign up, you must be a bad cashier! That is how Target plays this game. That isn't fair, plain and simple. Consider that many Target shoppers aren't throwing down hundreds of dollars all the time -- sometimes, people just want one or two small things and they wanna get out as quickly as possible. Lowe's tells us not to oversell to these kinds of people, because they do exist and by overselling to them when they clearly don't want it, we would actually be driving away their business. Now there's a novel concept Target has yet to figure out.

Metrics are fine. But a blanket approach to reaching certain metrics like getting people to open up credit cards is a bad idea. It's simply a fact that a lot of people, for various reasons, do not and will not ever want to sign up for a REDcard. Target doesn't care because it falsely believes that every single guest can be convinced otherwise. And if you as a cashier can't convince every person to sign up, you must be doing something wrong. Maybe, just mayyybe, it's actually Target who is in the wrong by taking that kind of approach!
Click to expand...
Amen! Target is run by idiots who don't seem to understand that if the guest does not want the fucking Redcard... They DONT want the fucking Redcard!!!
 
PassinTime said:
Just didn't see the 5% savings worth giving away so much personal info, plus like the perks of my credit cards.
Click to expand...

And I think THAT is the issue with many people. 5% is crap. With Target's data breach, people are still kinda leery...even with the chip card (which absolutely sucks, btw). And even if the debit card is a better choice than a high-interest cc, who carries blank checks with them anymore? So you get a guest sold on the idea of a debit card and then you say, "I'll need a blank check" and the whole thing is shut down. This is happened to me so many times and it's really aggravating.
 
Anelmi said:
And I think THAT is the issue with many people. 5% is crap. With Target's data breach, people are still kinda leery...even with the chip card (which absolutely sucks, btw). And even if the debit card is a better choice than a high-interest cc, who carries blank checks with them anymore? So you get a guest sold on the idea of a debit card and then you say, "I'll need a blank check" and the whole thing is shut down. This is happened to me so many times and it's really aggravating.
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Yea but to be fair there are plenty of other stores that got data breeched. But yea I had so many guest who were just so reluctant to open the card. It isn't like a had their arms twisted behind them or forced them to do it. :D
 
5% is really not crap. People are using regular credit cards instead of red cards that are only giving them 1-2% back. If you use Target for your groceries and other stuff, you will save a lot. I have a family of 5 and I am already over $100 in red card savings just since January 1.

That said, I am sick of asking for red cards and completely agree "that either you want it or you don't." Probably 20% of people interrupt as you start your little red card talk to say they don't have it and they don't want it. I also got talked to for not asking someone if they wanted a red card when I could clearly see the food stamp card in her hand.
 
jayray said:
I also got talked to for not asking someone if they wanted a red card when I could clearly see the food stamp card in her hand.
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This is a good one. Another favorite of mine was when our ETL-GE had the GSTLs coach cashiers who suggested going online to sign up whenever there was an issue with signing up in store or something. Since our scores were "abysmal," directing guests to apply for the card online was tantamount to committing one of the 7 deadly sins. Instead, we would ask the guest to come back another day and apply in our store again. Who wants to do that for a credit card?
 
jayray said:
5% is really not crap. People are using regular credit cards instead of red cards that are only giving them 1-2% back. If you use Target for your groceries and other stuff, you will save a lot. I have a family of 5 and I am already over $100 in red card savings just since January 1.

That said, I am sick of asking for red cards and completely agree "that either you want it or you don't." Probably 20% of people interrupt as you start your little red card talk to say they don't have it and they don't want it. I also got talked to for not asking someone if they wanted a red card when I could clearly see the food stamp card in her hand.
Click to expand...

You're not saving money. You're just getting 5% more stuff. If something is $500 and you get it for $400, you didn't save $100....you spent $400.

All we can do is inform guests about the card. If Target expects more beyond that, then they need to hire sales people to be at the registers, not cashiers.

Regardless of what your GSTLs tell you, remember one thing. You can NOT be fired for not getting Red Cards. However you can be for not asking guests. So ignore whatever scary nonsense you're told. Just ask and educate and don't worry about the numbers to a point where it causes you stress.
 
Target NPC said:
You're not saving money. You're just getting 5% more stuff. If something is $500 and you get it for $400, you didn't save $100....you spent $400.

All we can do is inform guests about the card. If Target expects more beyond that, then they need to hire sales people to be at the registers, not cashiers.

Regardless of what your GSTLs tell you, remember one thing. You can NOT be fired for not getting Red Cards. However you can be for not asking guests. So ignore whatever scary nonsense you're told. Just ask and educate and don't worry about the numbers to a point where it causes you stress.
Click to expand...

Sure you're saving money.
I buy what I need at Target. If I were going to buy it anyway, saving 5% is still saving 5%
I'm a typical suburban mom, so whether I worked at Target or not, I'd be a Target shopper. If I need $100 of groceries, HBA, TP, and lightbulbs, it will cost $95 if I use my red card vs $100 if I don't. That's saving $5. I was going to buy that stuff anyway. Not buying my family toilet paper is not an option! lol.
 
COextraordinaire said:
Sure you're saving money.
I buy what I need at Target. If I were going to buy it anyway, saving 5% is still saving 5%
I'm a typical suburban mom, so whether I worked at Target or not, I'd be a Target shopper. If I need $100 of groceries, HBA, TP, and lightbulbs, it will cost $95 if I use my red card vs $100 if I don't. That's saving $5. I was going to buy that stuff anyway. Not buying my family toilet paper is not an option! lol.
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Yes, that's the idea/marketing logic. That's one of the main selling points for a red card. "Hey, it's stuff you need anyway!" But it's not really how it works. Target doesn't offer a 5% discount out of the generosity of their hearts. They do it because in the long run, they make more money. That's the case because with an incentive of 5%, you're more likely to go to Target than a competitor because you feel more in control of your savings. Even if a competitor might even have lower prices on some of the same items. You're also more likely to make larger purchases there, on entertainment purchases. Meaning, stuff other than necessities, because you have some incentive. You get more stuff for your money, yes. But, in the long run, people typically spend more. It's why grocery stores have "Reward Cards." It gives an illusion of savings. Rather than just sell everything 5% cheaper, they sell items at a slightly higher price, and then make you sign up for a debit card that saves you 5%. When in all actuality, you're probably spending about the same amount of money either way.

I'm skeptical about whether or not you're actually saving money because that's not typical and it's incredibly unlikely, nor do I think you've got a detailed graph comparing your spending habits in retail/grocery stores over the past several years compensating for things like your income, and trends in prices on merchandise. However, I fully believe that you THINK you're saving money. Again, if you save $100 a year on necessities, but you spent $1000 overall, you spent $1000. You didn't save $100.
 
Gs1017 said:
Sorry,

Wrong Redcards are a huge loyalty driver. A guest with a Redcard is gonna come back to target over a competitor! Having a Redcard also increases basket size by 30%.. Stop complaining and start educating! Any job is gonna require you to meet certain metrics... Whether retail or not!
Click to expand...
Ah yes, 5% and free shipping that we give out like candy often enough. Yes fantastic benefits to the TARGET Redcard. Sod off, there's literally little benefit to push the card to people much like Cartwheel. The only people interested in Cartwheel are moms looking to save on clothes or people who want to swing by Guest Service to specifically tell me UP YOURS AND TELL YOUR MANAGER THAT TOO.

Honestly I'm glad I left front end because the constant threat of being pulled aside for not asking a little kid buying a candy bar is a coaching? Yeah okay transfer me to Hardlines or Backroom so you can get someone more willing to ask every single guest.
 
SnorlaxTM said:
Honestly I'm glad I left front end because the constant threat of being pulled aside for not asking a little kid buying a candy bar is a coaching? Yeah okay transfer me to Hardlines or Backroom so you can get someone more willing to ask every single guest.
Click to expand...
How did you manage to escape because they literally are trying to keep me on fucking lock up here
 
Target NPC said:
Yes, that's the idea/marketing logic. That's one of the main selling points for a red card. "Hey, it's stuff you need anyway!" But it's not really how it works. Target doesn't offer a 5% discount out of the generosity of their hearts. They do it because in the long run, they make more money. That's the case because with an incentive of 5%, you're more likely to go to Target than a competitor because you feel more in control of your savings. Even if a competitor might even have lower prices on some of the same items. You're also more likely to make larger purchases there, on entertainment purchases. Meaning, stuff other than necessities, because you have some incentive. You get more stuff for your money, yes. But, in the long run, people typically spend more. It's why grocery stores have "Reward Cards." It gives an illusion of savings. Rather than just sell everything 5% cheaper, they sell items at a slightly higher price, and then make you sign up for a debit card that saves you 5%. When in all actuality, you're probably spending about the same amount of money either way.

I'm skeptical about whether or not you're actually saving money because that's not typical and it's incredibly unlikely, nor do I think you've got a detailed graph comparing your spending habits in retail/grocery stores over the past several years compensating for things like your income, and trends in prices on merchandise. However, I fully believe that you THINK you're saving money. Again, if you save $100 a year on necessities, but you spent $1000 overall, you spent $1000. You didn't save $100.
Click to expand...

If I'm already at the checkout lane, I've already made the decision to buy those items at Target. I've already looked at the price while I shopped. If I put it in my cart, I've deemed it a "fair" price. Most of us know the "going rate" for our usual staples.

I have sat in front of the milk cooler, knowing that milk was 50cents cheaper that week at Kroger. But also knowing that saving 50 cents wasn't worth driving 5 miles out of my way to run a separate errand at Kroger. So I decided to buy the milk at Target. The 5% wasn't the deciding factor though. Conversely, I have looked at a pound of chicken for $4/lb knowing I could buy it at Sprouts tomorrow for $1.69/lb and I leave it at Target. Having a 5% discount (or as an employee 14.5% discount) isn't worth it.

By the time I get to the checkout, my decision has been made. I'm buying these items at Target. Based on quality, convenience, and price, I have deemed the items in my cart a good value. The only question is, how will I pay? Pull out my Chase debit card for $100 or my Target debit card for $95? If I use my Target card, I just saved 5% on the items I was already planning on buying, red card discount or not.
 
Kaitii said:
How did you manage to escape because they literally are trying to keep me on fucking lock up here
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I was mediocre at getting Red Cards and asked if I could be cross trained elsewhere. Since I was already doing SFS part of the time, they sent me to the back which I was fine with.
 
COextraordinaire said:
If I'm already at the checkout lane, I've already made the decision to buy those items at Target. I've already looked at the price while I shopped. If I put it in my cart, I've deemed it a "fair" price. Most of us know the "going rate" for our usual staples.

I have sat in front of the milk cooler, knowing that milk was 50cents cheaper that week at Kroger. But also knowing that saving 50 cents wasn't worth driving 5 miles out of my way to run a separate errand at Kroger. So I decided to buy the milk at Target. The 5% wasn't the deciding factor though. Conversely, I have looked at a pound of chicken for $4/lb knowing I could buy it at Sprouts tomorrow for $1.69/lb and I leave it at Target. Having a 5% discount (or as an employee 14.5% discount) isn't worth it.

By the time I get to the checkout, my decision has been made. I'm buying these items at Target. Based on quality, convenience, and price, I have deemed the items in my cart a good value. The only question is, how will I pay? Pull out my Chase debit card for $100 or my Target debit card for $95? If I use my Target card, I just saved 5% on the items I was already planning on buying, red card discount or not.
Click to expand...

Are you mentally incapable of understanding the concept of what "savings" means in the context of rewards cards from retailers?

1.) Companies use rewards cards to drive in sales. Advertising that customers "save" money generates PROFIT. Now, I want you to really think about this. How does you saving money = the company making more money than usual?

2.) If you have an annual budget of $1000 for groceries, that $1000 will go to either Target, or to some other competitor. You aren't saving money if you spend the same amount of money at Target with a 5% discount, than at Kroger, with no discount. It's still $1000. It's not a savings if Store A is more expensive, yet offers a discount on their higher price. In fact, because you have an incentive to spend, you're more likely to purchase more than you normally would. That's how companies profit off loyalty cards.

3.) Spending, is the opposite of savings.

4.) It's called a "loyalty card" because it means you're more likely to shop there, not because you'll save more money than you would anywhere else. With all your saved money, you're more likely to invest that money again into the same store. Hence, loyalty.

You don't have positive income or savings because of a small discount that is even less than sales tax. Your spending is most likely the same if not more, and like I said, unless you've actually done the research into your own spending trends, YOU don't even know for sure how your savings have paid off. All you have to go off of, is the tally on your receipt saying you saved $100....despite spending thousands. It's a drop in the bucket.

I'm not saying that Target's 5% isn't nice or valuable to some degree, and my skepticism doesn't mean I'm trying to say marketing is somehow insidious and evil. Both consumer and retailer benefit. However, I am saying that your outlook on the matter plays perfectly into the marketing behind it, and isn't totally logical. 5% doesn't save you money, you just leave with 5% more stuff in the long run. Your loyalty means your dollar may stretch a little further with Store A, but you're still going to spend the same amount of money, and you're likely to spend more because of the savings you think you've accrued. It's not likely you're getting positive income into your pockets, which means you aren't "saving" any money. Spending, is the literal opposite of saving. Below are some sources to back up my claims about the psychology at work here marketers use to drive sales.



Consumer behaviour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Target NPC said:
You're not saving money. You're just getting 5% more stuff. If something is $500 and you get it for $400, you didn't save $100....you spent $400.

All we can do is inform guests about the card. If Target expects more beyond that, then they need to hire sales people to be at the registers, not cashiers.

Regardless of what your GSTLs tell you, remember one thing. You can NOT be fired for not getting Red Cards. However you can be for not asking guests. So ignore whatever scary nonsense you're told. Just ask and educate and don't worry about the numbers to a point where it causes you stress.
Click to expand...

I live in at-will employment state. They can fire you at anytime for any reason
 
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