Archived Flow Team & Box Cutters

[JTPyle92]

Sorry to revive an old post but, I've recently started working as a Seasonal Sales Team Member late October, and I was never given/told about the box cutters for Target, eventually I was given one by another Sales Team Member, and to be honest, it was quite flimsy, the blade fell out constantly and all around it was just unsafe.

At the same time of being taken on as a Team Member my brother was taken on as a Sales Team Member at Walmart, and he was given one of these:

I thought it was a pretty cool and quite safe cutter, so I went and bought myself one.

After a few weeks of using it I was approached by a team member saying I was not allowed to use it, they said to just keep using it until one of the Team Leaders said not to, so I did, but the same person mentioned it again, I ignored them, then one of the TLs asked for one of the cutters we used when opening a box, I didn't have one so I handed them mine, they thought it was great, and even liked it, but said it had to be "OSHA approved"

www.easyboxcutter.com

 

[xNightStockerx]

The reason why your suppose to use the one given by the company is that the blade doesn't go to far into the box so you don't damage the product.
I just put a magnet inside my front pocket and the blade on the outside....sticks really strong but it's easy to get at...faster the better in flow team.

 

[commiecorvus]

Yep, you're only supposed to use the ones that the store provides.
It isn't really about OSHA approval per se, I'm sure there are other box cutters that fit that criteria.
Spot just doesn't want people going out and getting their own and having to check to make sure they are approved so they make everyone use the cheapest ones they can get that are.
Also they don't want carpet cutters that will damage the product.

 

[JTPyle92]

The reason why your suppose to use the one given by the company is that the blade doesn't go to far into the box so you don't damage the product.
I just put a magnet inside my front pocket and the blade on the outside....sticks really strong but it's easy to get at...faster the better in flow team.

There's actually a slider on the cutter itself that goes from being locked to setting 1, ,2, and 3, plus a video is on the site provided showing the creators opening a box with a balloon inside, the cutter being used was the one I showed above, and the balloon was not popped.

 

[Bosch]

I'm not a Flow TM myself, but when I first started I could never find a box cutter; so I just use my keys to open boxes instead to avoid wasting time and hassle trying to find a cutter lying around. Less likely to injure myself as well, and works just as effectively.

This is really bad for your keys, it does wear on the pattern and it would suck to not be able to start your car or get in your house cause you wore your keys down. Don't do this.

 

[thatcashierdude]

I'm not a Flow TM myself, but when I first started I could never find a box cutter; so I just use my keys to open boxes instead to avoid wasting time and hassle trying to find a cutter lying around. Less likely to injure myself as well, and works just as effectively.

This is really bad for your keys, it does wear on the pattern and it would suck to not be able to start your car or get in your house cause you wore your keys down. Don't do this.

TMs/TLs use their store keys if they have them at my store. I use my own keys because I rarely have to open boxes and when I do it's usually not for the whole day.

 

[semantics]

Like TiedAndDropped said, bend the bottom end out to prevent the box cutter from opening. It doesn't always work perfectly, but it's an improvement. Another suggestion: Put your cheap Target-issued box cutter on the floor and stomp on it a few times to flatten out the case, this will also make it harder for the blade to open while in your pocket.

Using a magnet inside your shirt or pocket to hold the box cutter on the outside is also popular at my store; using a backstock clip's magnet is something new to me but sounds like a great idea. I have someone at my store who wears his box cutter in the middle of his chest because he has a magnet on the inside of his shirt to hold it.

My fiancee used to work at Target as well, she had her SFT/facilities guy punch or drill a hole in the bottom of the handle, then she bought one of those retractable keychains and had her cutter hanging by it attached to her belt. Her SFT did that for most of her flowteam, it was a pretty popular option.

I know a long-term flow TM who has his own high-end box cutter, as well as our signing TM has a multi-tool with a knife she wears on her belt. It's my understanding that both of these are against Target policy but they work hard and have never been harassed about it. I also have to assume they know to be low-key with those items when the higher-ups are around, just to avoid raising questions.

That's what i did, I don't quite get why I get chewed out by HR bringing in my own much safer box cutter but i can modify the existing one. I didn't use retractable keychains i just tied thin climbing rope through the hole and a carabiner, I also added colored duct tape to the side that the blade it on so i can always see or feel which side has the blade. I also used a vice grip to tighten up the case and bend the end so it doesn't go to far out or fall out. Really don't get why i have to use their 100 for 20 bucks box cutters.

 

[Circle9]

My first day on flow nobody mentioned I needed a boxcutter and I never thought to ask, until after I'd been ripping boxes open bare-handed for the last three hours. Whereupon we find out the store's out of boxcutters except wait, there's one left! I can keep it or put it back in the cabinet when I'm finished. Which, being a trusting sort, I put it back at the end of the day. Of course it isn't there the next morning. Good thing I perfected my "hands of steel" technique already because that was a long shift.

So I ended up finding a boxcutter at home and using that 90% of the time now. Fits my hand better anyways and looks cooler. I'll carry the store-issued ones, mainly so when somebody forgets theirs I have a spare. Probably one of two or three people in the store with their own blade I think.

I just put it in my back pocket. I've never had any issues with cutting myself.

A few TMs at my store will put the magnet from a nametag into a pocket, then stick the cutter on the outside. Holds it for easy reach I guess but I've never tried it.

 

[Megaparsec]

I'm kind of curious by the people who say the Target-issued box cutters are dangerous. They almost always have a story of "This person cut himself 180,002 times in one day from these death devices!!!! So I NEED to use a different cutter!!!"

Ummm, if you're cutting yourself that many times, maybe you shouldn't be around sharp objects... I've cut myself maybe 3 times in 6 years.

 

[commiecorvus]

I'm kind of curious by the people who say the Target-issued box cutters are dangerous. They almost always have a story of "This person cut himself 180,002 times in one day from these death devices!!!! So I NEED to use a different cutter!!!"

Ummm, if you're cutting yourself that many times, maybe you shouldn't be around sharp objects... I've cut myself maybe 3 times in 6 years.

Most of the people I've heard complaining about them aren't upset about upset about cutting themselves.
Usually it's about holes in their pants or the darned things not working correctly.
I had a leather tool belt so there wasn't a problem with cutting my clothing.

 

[Noiinteam]

At my store flow tm's have been told to stop using a non target box cutter. I saw, today, a seasonal, on his 2nd day whip out a box cutter that is not brand. Whatever. I don't care one way or the other.

 

[JustJoe]

At my store our STL ordered a ton of new safety cutters. Unfortunately for me he only ordered right handed ones and I'm left handed. I'm still using a cheap Garvey cutter since I can't do knives very well with my off hand.

 

[POGguy]

People at my store use just about anything to open boxes. Anything from the basic box cutter target gives you to things like pens, keys, "the orange thing", screwdrivers, and screws. I even saw a seasonal flow tm carrying around just a razor blade because he forgot his knife and was scared to ask for another one.

 

[pfreshdude]

Use your bare hands or keys. That's what I do.

For most things it is actually faster to just use your hands. For C+S and pfresh most of the boxes are super easy to open. There are a few in each department that are a pain though and taped 10 different ways.

 

[Dave Johnson]

Ive always used my own after the brand one opened up in my pocket and cut my leg off.

 

[odie]

The reason why your suppose to use the one given by the company is that the blade doesn't go to far into the box so you don't damage the product.

This simply isn't true though. Since my last post in January (I think), my $40 blade crapped out on me, so I've resigned to only using my triple digit blade. My benchmade has destroyed a lot less product than the box cutters flow team uses. My personal peeve is when they wreck something like a bag of dog food, and then back stock it anyway instead of just taking it to be defected. Then I go to put the dog food (in this instance) on the shelf, and it falls out all over the place. They always destroy the worst things too. Dog food. Cat litter. Anything that can fall all over the floor really. I can say for certain I've ruined under ten products with my knife in years. I've had a lot more than ten ruined things on pulls in my time. Corporate might frown on using personally owned knives, because of liability issues, but I don't care. I know how to use a real blade. I own close to, of not more than $1,ooo in real blades. Real blades work better for me. I only have to sharpen my blade once every few months. If my cut myself I don't go blaming the company (to this point, I've only had two minor scratches with a knife). The way I look at it, if you're really REALLY anal about corporate responsibility, use only what they provide. If you care more about personal responsibility, use whatever you want, unless any higher up is OCD about using only company provided things. I'm not trying to get anybody fired, so take all of this with a grain of salt, but for me personally, I carry a benchmade barrage and have gotten away with it for over a year now, if not two at this point. If the time ever came that my store in particular mandated using only company provided box cutters, I'd quit. I don't like being babied. I'm an adult. I'll use what I deem proper to do my job, and if my job doesn't like that, I'll find a new job.

 

[Reshop Ninja]

Screw box cutters, I carry a nail file with a pointy tip with me instead. I got in the habit of keeping one on hand during my cashiering days because my nails kept breaking. It cuts boxes open very well without the risk of damaging any merchandise or myself for that matter.

 

[Kompa]

The reason why your suppose to use the one given by the company is that the blade doesn't go to far into the box so you don't damage the product.

This simply isn't true though. Since my last post in January (I think), my $40 blade crapped out on me, so I've resigned to only using my triple digit blade. My benchmade has destroyed a lot less product than the box cutters flow team uses. My personal peeve is when they wreck something like a bag of dog food, and then back stock it anyway instead of just taking it to be defected. Then I go to put the dog food (in this instance) on the shelf, and it falls out all over the place. They always destroy the worst things too. Dog food. Cat litter. Anything that can fall all over the floor really. I can say for certain I've ruined under ten products with my knife in years. I've had a lot more than ten ruined things on pulls in my time. Corporate might frown on using personally owned knives, because of liability issues, but I don't care. I know how to use a real blade. I own close to, of not more than $1,ooo in real blades. Real blades work better for me. I only have to sharpen my blade once every few months. If my cut myself I don't go blaming the company (to this point, I've only had two minor scratches with a knife). The way I look at it, if you're really REALLY anal about corporate responsibility, use only what they provide. If you care more about personal responsibility, use whatever you want, unless any higher up is OCD about using only company provided things. I'm not trying to get anybody fired, so take all of this with a grain of salt, but for me personally, I carry a benchmade barrage and have gotten away with it for over a year now, if not two at this point. If the time ever came that my store in particular mandated using only company provided box cutters, I'd quit. I don't like being babied. I'm an adult. I'll use what I deem proper to do my job, and if my job doesn't like that, I'll find a new job.

I like how say if you're "really anal bout corporate responsibility use the brand blade" yet you'd quit if they store made you follow best practice. That;s like saying if you were a CA you'd bring your own chemicals from home instead of using what they provide. You sound like a BR member anyway so your blade usage is minimal. If anything, you sound more anal than anyone if you'd really quit because you'd have to use a target blade instead when you agreed to it when you applied.

 

[xNightStockerx]

The reason why your suppose to use the one given by the company is that the blade doesn't go to far into the box so you don't damage the product.

This simply isn't true though. Since my last post in January (I think), my $40 blade crapped out on me, so I've resigned to only using my triple digit blade. My benchmade has destroyed a lot less product than the box cutters flow team uses. My personal peeve is when they wreck something like a bag of dog food, and then back stock it anyway instead of just taking it to be defected. Then I go to put the dog food (in this instance) on the shelf, and it falls out all over the place. They always destroy the worst things too. Dog food. Cat litter. Anything that can fall all over the floor really. I can say for certain I've ruined under ten products with my knife in years. I've had a lot more than ten ruined things on pulls in my time. Corporate might frown on using personally owned knives, because of liability issues, but I don't care. I know how to use a real blade. I own close to, of not more than $1,ooo in real blades. Real blades work better for me. I only have to sharpen my blade once every few months. If my cut myself I don't go blaming the company (to this point, I've only had two minor scratches with a knife). The way I look at it, if you're really REALLY anal about corporate responsibility, use only what they provide. If you care more about personal responsibility, use whatever you want, unless any higher up is OCD about using only company provided things. I'm not trying to get anybody fired, so take all of this with a grain of salt, but for me personally, I carry a benchmade barrage and have gotten away with it for over a year now, if not two at this point. If the time ever came that my store in particular mandated using only company provided box cutters, I'd quit. I don't like being babied. I'm an adult. I'll use what I deem proper to do my job, and if my job doesn't like that, I'll find a new job.

The reason why your suppose to use the one given by the company is that the blade doesn't go to far into the box so you don't damage the product.

This simply isn't true though. Since my last post in January (I think), my $40 blade crapped out on me, so I've resigned to only using my triple digit blade. My benchmade has destroyed a lot less product than the box cutters flow team uses. My personal peeve is when they wreck something like a bag of dog food, and then back stock it anyway instead of just taking it to be defected. Then I go to put the dog food (in this instance) on the shelf, and it falls out all over the place. They always destroy the worst things too. Dog food. Cat litter. Anything that can fall all over the floor really. I can say for certain I've ruined under ten products with my knife in years. I've had a lot more than ten ruined things on pulls in my time. Corporate might frown on using personally owned knives, because of liability issues, but I don't care. I know how to use a real blade. I own close to, of not more than $1,ooo in real blades. Real blades work better for me. I only have to sharpen my blade once every few months. If my cut myself I don't go blaming the company (to this point, I've only had two minor scratches with a knife). The way I look at it, if you're really REALLY anal about corporate responsibility, use only what they provide. If you care more about personal responsibility, use whatever you want, unless any higher up is OCD about using only company provided things. I'm not trying to get anybody fired, so take all of this with a grain of salt, but for me personally, I carry a benchmade barrage and have gotten away with it for over a year now, if not two at this point. If the time ever came that my store in particular mandated using only company provided box cutters, I'd quit. I don't like being babied. I'm an adult. I'll use what I deem proper to do my job, and if my job doesn't like that, I'll find a new job.

It has nothing to do with me being "anal" at all. My boss told me what I needed to use and I'm using it. I have been with Target for a couple years now and I have never destroyed any protect with my blade.

 

[thetargetman]

I use a pocket knife and it works so much better than the Target issued ones! our Forman in the back room uses his own box cutter. The LOD and STL and AP-ETL have seen me use my pocket knife many times and they never said anything to me. If it were truly a problem they would have said something.

 

[Jack of all Workcenters]

I use a pocket knife and it works so much better than the Target issued ones! our Forman in the back room uses his own box cutter. The LOD and STL and AP-ETL have seen me use my pocket knife many times and they never said anything to me. If it were truly a problem they would have said something.

It just means if you hurt yourself with it target won't cover any medical bills. Alternatively if they ever want to get rid of you they could use the pocket knife against you.

 

[thetargetman]

I use a pocket knife and it works so much better than the Target issued ones! our Forman in the back room uses his own box cutter. The LOD and STL and AP-ETL have seen me use my pocket knife many times and they never said anything to me. If it were truly a problem they would have said something.

It just means if you hurt yourself with it target won't cover any medical bills. Alternatively if they ever want to get rid of you they could use the pocket knife against you.

Yes but for right now I have a very good reputation and have never gotten in trouble, but I am sure anything could happen if they do not like me.

 

[RAWRstatus]

This was actually brought up in a store huddle in my store. The ETL said we could bring our own box cutters as long as they are similar to the target provided cutters. Seems as though they just don't want us using any type of industrial cutter where safety would become an issue.

 

[RunForACallBox]

So have any other stores received the rollout of these new box cutters? Pretty nifty with its own holster. I like them!

 

[PullMonkey]

Oh
my
god

WAAAAAAAAANT