Got a $400 Target gift card in the mail today

[StateofTarget]

So earlier today I got a letter in the mail from Target. I assumed it was probably some employee mailing list they hadn't taken me off of or something and didn't pay attention to it.

Just opened it up, and it is a $400 gift card with a letter from a VP at Target HQ apologizing for an incident I had with a team member at a store I visit. (I'm a vendor) Basically just some corporate spiel about "our continued business partnership with you and the company you represent is of utmost importance to achieving our goals".

I have to admit, when I quit my job as a TL who had been at Target for years, I felt like the company had really taken a nose dive in every regard.... but they have been a class act when I have dealt with them from a vendor perspective. Maybe not always when dealing with TMs (obviously), but from ETL on up they have really done their best to act professionally.

I wouldn't be surprised if my manager gets one of these too.... I will have to ask him.

FYI - I am not naive enough to think this was anything that personal. It is obvious the letter is probably pre-printed, (especially since it doesn't actually mention what happened... just some line about "the incident you experienced with our company representative") and I assume they probably have a stockpile of these waiting to go out whenever they have an incident with a vendor.... I'm sure STLs/DTLs probably have some form on workbench they just fill out to have these auto-sent, but I still think the fact they even do this is pretty classy.

 

[invictustaylor]

I'll give you 200 cash right now for it!!!

 

[StaticSun]

Congrats.

 

[mrknownothing]

Nice! Good for you, SoT.

 

[buliSBI]

I need to start complaining to Target a lot more then. Maybe I can think of story for my last store...wouldn't be to hard. That place is a mess of trouble for that district from what my old contacts say about it.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

Good Job! Your A$$ has be officially ki$$ed!


LOL!!

 

[AssetsProtection]

If this was because of the event that happend in your last topic

Are you kidding me

 

[naterstx]

Still don't believe any bit of your story, but Congrats all the same.

 

[MrMrIce]

I think it's because Target has little power over you guys so they have to keep good relations with you. Unlike it's own employees who Target has full power over and abuses it.

 

[redeye58]

Perhaps you should give it to your predecessor who told you about the job opening.
None of this would've been likely had he not given you a heads-up about leaving his position.

 

[buliSBI]

What you need to do is find that same Electronics TM if they are still working there, and act like you are buying all sorts of PS3 attachements through him with the gift card. Then tell him, "I'm sorry, you told that guest the PS3 is crap," and turn to another TM and buy it through them.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Stupid question, a $ 400.00 gift card given to a vendor rep, could be considered as a "payoff or a conflict of interest?".

 

[StateofTarget]

What you need to do is find that same Electronics TM if they are still working there, and act like you are buying all sorts of PS3 attachements through him with the gift card. Then tell him, "I'm sorry, you told that guest the PS3 is crap," and turn to another TM and buy it through them.

That same electronics TM is no longer working for Target.

Honestly, I feel bad about what happened to him. But IMO - as a former electronics TL and a rep - he was way out of line. If I was still a TL at Target, I never would have tolerated a TM intentionally sabotaging sales in my department. As a rep, I wouldn't be doing my job if I just let him go unreported. We pay millions to Target to have our products displayed/sold.... not to have them trashed because a TM doesn't personally like them.

I like my job. I like getting a paycheck. I wouldn't have that pay check if every retail employee out there did what this TM did.

I am sure TMs at his store like their job and like getting a paycheck also. I wonder, how would his fellow TMs feel knowing that this guy was doing his part to kill his stores sales in electronics? Are the TMs that have their hours cut because their store missed sales going to be sympathetic to this guy? (not saying his store missed sales goals because if this TM, but he was certainly doing his part to make that happen) Everyone here is acting like this TM was a victim, but the fact is he was doing his part not only to screw over the company I work for, but his fellow TMs as well. Who knows how long he was doing this. Was he doing it with other products in electronics? How much damage did he do to his stores sales, and how many hours did TMs at his store lose because of what he was doing? Who knows. But if he was willing to act like he did in front of me, chances are it was not the only time he had pulled a stunt like this. The fact is, he was doing his part to screw over his team at his store just as much as Sony.

People on this forum are acting like he was a victim because they are not personally affected by him because more than likely he doesn't work at their store. But I bet if he was working at your store, and you had your hours cut because he was spending his time in electronics trying to kill your stores sales, you would probably be the first one wanting him termed.

 

[StateofTarget]

Stupid question, a $ 400.00 gift card given to a vendor rep, could be considered as a "payoff or a conflict of interest?".

Lol. Target is a private company not the government or the mafia. It would be a "payoff" if they gave it to me and asked me to go do something illegal for them. They can give an apology gift to anyone they want. They are a private company.

Most stores have a vendor appreciation day once a year when they give us gifts too. (that includes Target, Best Buy, Gamestop) Those companies all give us gifts annually - sometimes gift cards. Looks like there are a lot of "payoffs" going on. Better call the FBI.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Lol. Target is a private company not the government or the mafia. It would be a "payoff" if they gave it to me and asked me to go do something illegal for them. They can give an apology gift to anyone they want. They are a private company.

Most stores have a vendor appreciation day once a year when they give us gifts too. (that includes Target, Best Buy, Gamestop) Those companies all give us gifts annually - sometimes gift cards. Looks like there are a lot of "payoffs" going on. Better call the FBI.

Just wondering....
Here's a link to the original thread for background info:
http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/2167

 

[buliSBI]

I am with you State. The TM was in the wrong. Provided poor and misleading information. And they lost a big sale.

 

[Crohl]

Still don't believe any bit of your story, but Congrats all the same.

This. Stopped believing his story once he started talking about a meeting with the dtl. I think he simply likes attention.

Not to mention doesn't giving vendors any sort of compensation outside of what's in their contract violate target business ethic guidelines and several federal laws.

Sorry, don't buy it. Not any of it.

 

[naterstx]

This. Stopped believing his story once he started talking about a meeting with the dtl. I think he simply likes attention.

Not to mention doesn't giving vendors any sort of compensation outside of what's in their contract violate target business ethic guidelines and several federal laws.

Sorry, don't buy it. Not any of it.

Yup, not a single word (aside from maybe the original story of the TM being a JA), is believable to me.

An STL talking to a vendor? Rare.

DTL? Never.

VP sending a letter to a freaking vendor b/c his butt got hurt? No way in hell.


SOT is full of it, JMO. Maybe he's not, but aside from uploading a picture of this "letter" there's nothing he'll do convince me he isn't FOS.

 

[invictustaylor]

This. Stopped believing his story once he started talking about a meeting with the dtl. I think he simply likes attention.

Not to mention doesn't giving vendors any sort of compensation outside of what's in their contract violate target business ethic guidelines and several federal laws.

Sorry, don't buy it. Not any of it.

That's what I'm saying. I'm thinking a good post for the "Going out with a bang" thread would be:

If I got fired from target, I would make up a story about getting a great job with a company that treated me so well it made up for the years I lost trying to promote to senior teamlead at target. I would then troll thebreakroom.org with constant posts supporting etls and cutting down team members. I would also make up scenarios in which teammembers misbehave and I am handsomely rewarded for saving the day.

 

[daninnj]

pics or it didn't happen

 

[ptl]

That's what I'm saying. I'm thinking a good post for the "Going out with a bang" thread would be:

If I got fired from target, I would make up a story about getting a great job with a company that treated me so well it made up for the years I lost trying to promote to senior teamlead at target. I would then troll thebreakroom.org with constant posts supporting etls and cutting down team members. I would also make up scenarios in which teammembers misbehave and I am handsomely rewarded for saving the day.

He's on my ignore list so I don't know the story here (just what I've seen from other people's posts) but I must say... ROFL.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Wait! Did I sell a spot ESP with that ps3? Not a sony product.... Did I violate the vendor contract?

 

[StateofTarget]

Yup, not a single word (aside from maybe the original story of the TM being a JA), is believable to me.

An STL talking to a vendor? Rare.

DTL? Never.

VP sending a letter to a freaking vendor b/c his butt got hurt? No way in hell.


SOT is full of it, JMO. Maybe he's not, but aside from uploading a picture of this "letter" there's nothing he'll do convince me he isn't FOS.

Yea, because talking to a DTL is like talking to the president of the united states. :boredom:

If you had *any* idea what it was like working in a more professional business environment, you would understand... but until you experience it, you simply can't. It was a whole different world for me when I left Target to SCEA. I had zero experience outside of Target, and I had no idea how different a business environment would be.

FYI - your playstations reps title is not "rep". Our actual title that we use as Sony employees is "Marketing Associate". On my paycheck stub, my Outlook contact profile at work, and my employee ID card - that is my job title.

Most people don't realize it, but visting retail stores is only about 10% of our job. I spend about 30% of my job working from home, and the remaining 60% working at a Sony corporate office. We are actually part of the marketing division of SCEA, and we handle all promotions within our city as a team at work. We do all kinds of things externally, from going to trade events (like E3) to meeting with marketing people from other companies like EA and 2k Games. You guys seem to think all a "playstation rep" does is visit stores. Sorry, that's only a small part of the job.

Just so you know, two floors above the floor I work at is the office of a Sony VP that runs the corporate office I work at and all divisions in it. He directly communicates with executives at retailers and game developers. (and I mean real executives - those companies VPs and presidents) He is part of the coordination between Sony and other companies. I don't know exactly what he does beyond that, but I know it involves promotional deals between companies and Sony that cost millions of dollars. He pulls in about $20 million a year. A DTL is a little ant in comparison, and yes, our VP was made aware of the incident. That is part of the reason Target upper management actually dealt with the issue.

The fact is - you work at a retail store. I spend 60% of my working time during the week working at a corporate office. It is a completely different world. And no, you have no idea how business relationships work in the corporate world. That much is obvious....

 

[filmer88]

Now I am not trying to say by posting this "oh don't be mad or upset with SOT, you don't know him" blah, blah, blah. However, what I will agree with him on his "professional" environment statement. When I got my job with the company I now presently work for, my view of what a business environment was, was flipped upside down from what I had saw. I wasn't required to wear red and khaki anymore, instead for the first couple weeks I came in, in business casual attire, then as I was informed of the specifications of dress code, I became a bit more relaxed, I had forgotten what is was like to wear SHORTS to work, lol. Though I am still in training, what I have learned about the job so far I believe I will enjoy it. Yes it is looking at a computer screen and being on a phone all day, but hey I needed a change from Target backroom stuff. and the company rewards its employees much like Sony Playstation "Marketing Associates", being that we get complimentary satellite TV service and such.

 

[naterstx]

Yea, because talking to a DTL is like talking to the president of the united states. :boredom:

If you had *any* idea what it was like working in a more professional business environment, you would understand... but until you experience it, you simply can't. It was a whole different world for me when I left Target to SCEA. I had zero experience outside of Target, and I had no idea how different a business environment would be.

FYI - your playstations reps title is not "rep". Our actual title that we use as Sony employees is "Marketing Associate". On my paycheck stub, my Outlook contact profile at work, and my employee ID card - that is my job title.

Most people don't realize it, but visting retail stores is only about 10% of our job. I spend about 30% of my job working from home, and the remaining 60% working at a Sony corporate office. We are actually part of the marketing division of SCEA, and we handle all promotions within our city as a team at work. We do all kinds of things externally, from going to trade events (like E3) to meeting with marketing people from other companies like EA and 2k Games. You guys seem to think all a "playstation rep" does is visit stores. Sorry, that's only a small part of the job.

Just so you know, two floors above the floor I work at is the office of a Sony VP that runs the corporate office I work at and all divisions in it. He directly communicates with executives at retailers and game developers. (and I mean real executives - those companies VPs and presidents) He is part of the coordination between Sony and other companies. I don't know exactly what he does beyond that, but I know it involves promotional deals between companies and Sony that cost millions of dollars. He pulls in about $20 million a year. A DTL is a little ant in comparison, and yes, our VP was made aware of the incident. That is part of the reason Target upper management actually dealt with the issue.

The fact is - you work at a retail store. I spend 60% of my working time during the week working at a corporate office. It is a completely different world. And no, you have no idea how business relationships work in the corporate world. That much is obvious....

Dude, you're an idiot.

Youre talking to former army sf... That's special forces. I've dealt with governors and prime ministers, but your "months" of experience at interpersonal relationahips trumps mine? I've pissed out more relationship knowledge than you'll ever know. Challenge someone in your league next time "video game rep". I'm significantly out of it.