Archived GSTLs/GSAs who can't get REDcards

[Flabbergasted]

Basically I am really bad at getting REDcards on my shifts. It's not that I'm not motivating my team, and it isn't that they aren't asking (because they are), but I just can't get them. Unfortunately, it's often the same way with the other GSA. I haven't been coached on the issue yet but they often wag their fingers at me in a disappointed manner. It doesn't help that our goal shot up completely unreasonably and we can't reach it as a store, so now we're consistently red. What are some things I can do to have less bad days with REDcards so I'll stop feeling like shit about it and that any day now they're going to pull me into an office and counsel me?

Do any other GSTLs/GSAs on this forum struggle to meet goal?

 

[redndkhaki]

A tip to you is vibing with the guest. Make sure you make a "connection" with the guest and bring them into the conversation gradually. Don't just ask if they want to get a red card. For example if they have a big purchase, just say "Big purchase today huh? Did you know you could save 5% today with a red card?" That should be your 1-2 punch. Say that only after a conversation you had with a guest or any small talk.


Now with your team, run contests all weekend long. Hopefully that gets the momentum going to the week.

 

[FrontEndFirecracker]

My store does not expect GSA or GSTL to get redcards because we are never supposed to be on a register, EVER (unless the LOD is watching the front and taking care of breaks/change/guest issues/bathroom checks). Our store coaches the GSA/GSTL if they are scheduled as such and they are on a register without the LOD watching the front.

Now, if we re scheduled at SD for an entire shift, we are expected to get at least 1 per every 4 hours working. SD and electronics the two easiest places in the store to get them, though.

We used to run contests all the time, but our new STL stopped them because he doesn't think that people should be rewarded for doing something that is part of their core roles.

 

[RetailWorld]

We used to run contests all the time, but our new STL stopped them because he doesn't think that people should be rewarded for doing something that is part of their core roles.

I can kinda agree with this. I rarely see stores having contests for logistics who finish the truck on time or for AP getting an apprehension or In-Stocks for keeping the drastic count clear or market for having a good steritech visit.

 

[signingminion]

I can kinda agree with this. I rarely see stores having contests for logistics who finish the truck on time or for AP getting an apprehension or In-Stocks for keeping the drastic count clear or market for having a good steritech visit.

Yup, and the Redcard prizes are unfair to people who don't have the time to spend pitching them every day. Yes I backup daily, but hopefully for less than an hour total. Get x cards and get a prize it's unrealistic.

I rarely get a thanks for a great visit.

 

[Flabbergasted]

I may have confused some of y'all. I wasn't meaning that I, myself can't sell REDcards. I was actually really good at it when I was a cashier. I mean that my cashiers don't seem to get them on my shifts, which of course reflects badly on me.

 

[FrontEndFirecracker]

Yup, and the Redcard prizes are unfair to people who don't have the time to spend pitching them every day. Yes I backup daily, but hopefully for less than an hour total. Get x cards and get a prize it's unrealistic.

I rarely get a thanks for a great visit.

We didn't do a flat redcard prize system. Without giving my store away, we did something like

get 1 card, get x prize
get 2 cards, get y prize
get 3 cards, get z prize
get 4-6 cards, get x+y
get 7-9 cards, get y+z
get 10+ cards, get x+y+z

This was WEEKLY, not daily. People have bad days. Some of our top performers would get 7 one day, 0 the next, then 9 the third day.

The top performer each week would also get an extra 15 on a 4+ hour shift.

 

[FrontEndFirecracker]

I may have confused some of y'all. I wasn't meaning that I, myself can't sell REDcards. I was actually really good at it when I was a cashier. I mean that my cashiers don't seem to get them on my shifts, which of course reflects badly on me.

Do you talk to your cashiers about conversion, benefits of the cards, etc? Do you listen to them talk to guests? If you hear any cashier not educating a guest (not a child or something), it's a teaching moment. We can't coach obviously - but we can say "what stopped you from asking that guest if they were saving his or her 5% today? Depending on the answer you get, that could lead to the TM simply being tired and forgetting, or outright refusing. I keep track on the break grid of who I do and don't hear asking. I also document who I speak with about it. I put that in the email I send at shift end to every ETL and TL and GSA in the store, that way it can be tracked. I'm doing my part. If they aren't getting the cards, I have documented why.

 

[suzieQ]

Basically I am really bad at getting REDcards on my shifts. It's not that I'm not motivating my team, and it isn't that they aren't asking (because they are), but I just can't get them. Unfortunately, it's often the same way with the other GSA. I haven't been coached on the issue yet but they often wag their fingers at me in a disappointed manner. It doesn't help that our goal shot up completely unreasonably and we can't reach it as a store, so now we're consistently red. What are some things I can do to have less bad days with REDcards so I'll stop feeling like shit about it and that any day now they're going to pull me into an office and counsel me?

Do any other GSTLs/GSAs on this forum struggle to meet goal?

Today when i left at 330 we had 1 redcard. i was off fri, sat, sun.. we had 6 saturday and 2 sunday. what we started doing at my store the last weekend i worked was giving each cashier a vibe card with their name on it. the gstl/gsa would have grey dots on them and every time the cashier was observed doing something (aside from getting redcards) like stepping out and greeting guests, talking up cartwheel, circling the survey, asking for redcards, etc.. they would get a grey dot. at the end of the day whoever had the most grey dots got a little prize (like a candy bar or drink.. just something small.) it made it a lot more fun up front and it's a way to recognize the cashiers for everything else they do aside from just getting redcards. we ended up getting 23 between saturday and sunday.

 

[unknown]

I can kinda agree with this. I rarely see stores having contests for logistics who finish the truck on time or for AP getting an apprehension or In-Stocks for keeping the drastic count clear or market for having a good steritech visit.

I disagree. It is not in the cashiers core role to "get" red cards, no matter what anyone on here might say to the contrary. It says to offer the guest the red card and educate them on the benefits.

It IS part of flows core role to finish within their timelines. And market to maintain cleanliness to a certain degree.

Am I wrong? If so, please educate me.

 

[commiecorvus]

I disagree. It is not in the cashiers core role to "get" red cards, no matter what anyone on here might say to the contrary. It says to offer the guest the red card and educate them on the benefits.

It IS part of flows core role to finish within their timelines. And market to maintain cleanliness to a certain degree.

Am I wrong? If so, please educate me.

This is where you get into the the classic battle of Definition (which is what you are doing) VS Meaning (which is what you are going to get hit with when you don't get enough redcards).
Yes, your core role is described as offering the card and educating the customers as to the benefits but that means you had better sell them on the card and met the goals.

This is how people get conned into taking jobs all the time when they read the definition of what they have to do only to find out the meaning is something entirely different.

 

[unknown]

It gets trickier when you want to coach or ca that person though. For example, I can say on pog ... You didn't research your set. We've talked about this before. Etc etc.

But what do you say to a cashier who is asking? You didn't ask loud enough? You didn't force them to sign up?

Oh sure, you can make something up.

I'd be curious to know what exactly a coaching or ca states when concerning red cards. Anyone willing to share?

 

[Sickofspot]

You cannot coach or write-up,for Redcards, so to speak. But, you can challenge them on not fulfilling their core roles at the front. Essentially, you are coaching them on it in a round about way.

 

[monkeyman90]

It gets trickier when you want to coach or ca that person though. For example, I can say on pog ... You didn't research your set. We've talked about this before. Etc etc.

But what do you say to a cashier who is asking? You didn't ask loud enough? You didn't force them to sign up?

Oh sure, you can make something up.

I'd be curious to know what exactly a coaching or ca states when concerning red cards. Anyone willing to share?

as far as i know, we can't coach on redcards anymore since there's no red/yellow/green.

we can coach for not asking and maybe for the asking at the end and not giving a counter to no i don't need a cc

 

[Flabbergasted]

My store's goal today and tomorrow is 30 for EACH day if we want to make our goal for the week. We finished tonight with 10.

I am so tired of the unreasonable expectations. So damn tired. It's exhausting to have to listen to this bullshit and not be able to challenge them when they put up such trite unbelievable nonsense. How can they sit there, tell me with a straight face that we need 30 REDcards two days in a row when we can't even get half of that? How does that register in their heads as reasonable, logical?

I've barely started in this role and I want out. I can't handle the harassment over some fucking cards.

 

[Sickofspot]

@Flabbergasted , unfortunately this will only continue to get worse. The goals get higher and higher, when it feels like almost everyone has a redcard already.

 

[redandkhaki]

What is your weekly goal total?

 

[GSRose17]

At times I feel like I just get lucky getting a whole bunch of redcards. I'm from a low volume store and we average about 6 a day, even though our goal is 9. Today I heard all of my cashiers asking, as well as having a hot potato prize floating around but by the time my shift was up we only had 3. When I walkied to the LOD I was leaving and that we had three redcards, she walkied back, "Only 3? Thats kind of embarrassing. Oh well, I'll let the STL know."
I expected some pressure moving to GSA, but now I see why everyone quits at my store. It's crazy.

 

[Flabbergasted]

What is your weekly goal total?

Over 100 and we struggle to get 75.

 

[copycopy]

I have found that it is all about MY attitude as a leader. I get them, I lead by example. I get my team excited and motivated to get redcards. They are complaining about low hours. Explain the whys, eg. Redcards are sales drivers->higher sales mean more overall hours. It follows my overall philosophy of not complaining about something, just find a solution and make it work. Redcard metrics are not going away. You have to find a way to make it work in your store.
I have an observation sheet which I do on the spot coachings off of. I will role play with the cashiers not asking, and step into their interactions where they should be asking.
Most of them have stepped up. We are making/going over goal each week. Which is good because it's going up by 18 in a month.

 

[Patty]

I feel sorry for the GSA/GTSLs . They HAVE to stay enthusiastic sbout the cards and they cant get snarky on the walkie when they announce that stuff. I couldnt do it . Sometimes I am glad my biggest challenge involves reshop carts. Wrinkly clothes and organic baby food is bad enough, getting excited about red cards is a whole different kettle of fish.

 

[iVibe]

They are trying to groom me into a GSA position and are trying to develop me. I know one reason - one of the current GSA's are trying to quit because the job is too stressful.I'm perfect as a leader when GSA's let me cover their breaks but I won't be one permanently. Not for that crappy rate of pay.

That..and the red cards. Oy. I hear enough of them as a cashier/guest services TM. I don't hate them, but I sure as hell don't think they're the second coming of Christ.

 

[Flabbergasted]

Anyone know what happens to stores that never get green? Do they just get continually harassed or do people eventually start getting performanced out?

 

[Retail Girl]

I would suspect eventually heads would start to roll. I think the GSAs might be fairly safe, but the GSTL could have their neck on the chopping block.

 

[PinkZinnia]

I ask each and every one of them (when they don't have a guest) to please try as hard as they can to get redcards. To some of my little girls - as I call them - (teens or early 20's) I will say - if you love me you will try. They laugh. I sometimes buy Some kind of candy and when I hear them asking often, I will give them a pack. Tell them they are doing a great job and keep asking.
I tell them all that I believe in them. When I see a cashier is struggling at getting cards I will take them to an empty register far away from guests. I will role play to help them change up their speech. Sometimes I will be the guest. Sometimes I will be the cashier. I ask them to make it a fun project.
Sometimes I have them partner with another cashier to make a contest out of it.
Usually on weekends and when we are in a lull we will play games and give out prizes.

Keep being a positive force behind them.