Archived Help!!! Transferring calls

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Idkanythingman

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So I’ve been working at target for a about a month and sometimes I cover fitting rooms but I don’t know who to transfer the calls to sometimes b/c I don’t know all the departments or what they specialize in when it comes to calls. Can someone plz list the departments or lmk?? Thanks.
 
You should probably learn the departments ASAP if you are going to be filling in for fitting room. Isn’t there a reference/cheat sheet at the desk?
 
You should probably learn the departments ASAP if you are going to be filling in for fitting room. Isn’t there a reference/cheat sheet at the desk?

OR..... I don't know.... maybe a A&A TL that can/could/SHOULD train you on answering the phones? And if they can't..... they can/could/SHOULD pair you up w/ a Learning Mentor to show you how.
@Idkanythingman .....There's an A&A Learning Plan w/ numerous steps and activities your TL should be using to make sure you are properly trained. It's a checklist, of sorts, and answering the phones is listed on there.
 
Learning the departments is kinda important for anyone though. GS needs to know for directing guests, Salesfloor needs to know for the same but also for sorting reshop, fitting room for phones. That’s not really something covered in training but should be learned by every TM, except maybe cashiers IMO.
 
Note 1: As the name suggests, the position "Fitting Room Attendant/Operator" consists of two roles, Fitting Room Attendant and Operator. Since FRA is a fairly simple position compared to Operator, I have dedicated this post to the various how-tos of being an Operator and will post a FRA guide further down in this thread.

Note 2: There seem to be two (possibly more) different phone systems used by Target. The following guide reflects the system in use at my store, and while the general information should be applicable to Operators in either setting, the specific extensions may differ from store to store.

Operator


Guest Calls
These usually show up on the caller ID as either “AT&T” something-or-another, “STORE-MAIN” something-or-another, or “GUEST CALL” (I know: duh, right?). Answer all incoming guest calls with: “Thank you for calling [name of city] Target, this is [your first name]. Can I help you find something?”

Calls from Within the Store

These will show up on the caller ID with the name of the workcenter/lane calling, e.g. “ELECTRONICS”, “LANE 14”, etc. Answer with, “Operator; can I help you find something?”

Indymes (those red salesfloor phones)
When you answer the phone, you will hear a ding-dong sound accompanied by the department from which the guest is calling, e.g. “Ding-dong: Sporting Goods”. This message will continue until you push a number, any number, to patch yourself through to the guest. Greet them with, “Operator; can I help you find something?” Assist them to the best of your ability. Most guests use the indymes because they want to know where something is located, so use a PDA to do an item search or ask a fellow TM via the walkie if you don’t know the location off the top of your head. If the guest would like a TM to meet them at their location, tell the guest to remain by the Indyme and let them know that someone will be with them shortly. Wait for the guest to hang up, then press “1” and hang up. This will set off the Indyme over the walkie, alerting the Salesfloor team that a guest needs help at that location.

Parking Calls, aka Putting Calls on Hold

Tell the caller that you will be placing them on hold and that someone will be with them momentarily. Then press the following buttons: “Trnsfr” + “PARK” + two-digit extension (e.g. “80”, “81”, etc.) + “Trnsfr”. Then hang up the phone and use the walkie to radio the appropriate party to pick up the call (e.g. “Could I please have someone take a call for Sporting Goods on 2280?”). The “22” is the code the TM must enter to access the call and the “80” is the hold extension. If the call were on extension “81”, you would say “2281”, etc.

Transferring Calls to Other Department Phones
To transfer a call directly to another phone without putting the call on hold, simply let the caller know that you will be transferring them, then push: “Trnsfr” + extension (e.g. 3256, 3241, etc.) of the department to which you are transferring the call + “Trnsfr”.

Making Overhead Pages
To do this, you can either push the “PAGE” button on the phone or dial “52#”; either one will put you on the intercom. You will hear three beeps; when those beeps stop, you are “on air”, so to speak. Depending on your store’s paging policy, you may need LOD approval before you make a page; if unsure, ask just to be safe. The format to follow is: “Good morning/afternoon/evening, Target guests, may I please have [guest’s first name] to [location]? [guest’s first name] to [location].” Once you have finished speaking, push down the phone’s receiver with your finger, then hang up the phone. This will prevent any noisy feedback on the intercom.

Filling Shifts

If a TM calls off and the LOD asks you to fill a shift, pull out the copy of the weekly schedule and the file box of TM phone numbers. Ideally, the schedule will be broken down by work center, so pull up the work center of the shift you need to fill. You can call anyone listed as “Available” provided that: 1) the TM will not hit overtime (i.e. go over 40 hours) if they were to take the shift and 2) the TM will not work seven days on that week’s schedule. Personally, I start with whoever has the fewest hours and work my way up to the person with the most hours, or if I know that a specific TM is looking for a shift on that day, I will call that person first. If you call everyone in the work center and no one wants the shift, try calling people who are crosstrained. Some work centers go well together; for example, Softlines TMs are often crosstrained as Operator, Cashiers are often crosstrained as Guest Service, Guest Attendant, etc., and Hardlines TMs often know Electronics. Let the LOD know via the walkie when/if you find someone to fill the shift, and even if you can’t find anyone, let the LOD know anyway.

The Opening Shift
The start time may vary by store, but at my store, the opening Operator usually clocks in at 7:45 AM, fifteen minutes before the store opens. Once you've started your shift, it's time to get equipped. Call the LOD to TSC if necessary and sign out: 1) the Fitting Room keys, 2) a PDA/LPDA, and 3) a portable printer. Ask the LOD to print you out a copy of the daily grid and put it on the Operator clipboard (we keep ours in a mail slot by TSC). Push the "SEND CALLS" button on the phone by TSC; this will turn off the night bell. Then it's time to head to the Fitting Rooms.

Once you get to the Fitting Rooms, put your equipment on the desk and use your keys to unlock the filing cabinets (I'm assuming your store will have them like mine; we use them to keep TMs' phone numbers, copies of the schedule, and misc. office supplies). Your main role throughout the day is to answer all calls in a timely manner and direct people to the appropriate department, but since the phone doesn't (usually) ring non-stop, you'll have time to focus on your other tasks.

The morning is when people usually call off, so you may need to start filling shifts from the get go. The LOD will tell you which shifts need to be covered, so try and get those taken care of early before you get swamped with guests and people who are off make plans for the day. Report any success or failure to the LOD so they can update the schedule accordingly. Make sure you keep a list of who you call and for what; that way, anyone who covers or comes in after you will know what's going on should someone you leave a message with call back when you're not there.

If there are any unsorted carts of reshop around your desk, start sorting them so that the reshop can be pushed by the zone team. Hang or fold clothing neatly, making sure nothing is inside out and fastening any buttons or buckles. You can usually spot folded items because they almost always have a strip on the front that has the brand name and size; follow the creases in the clothing and try to make it look as nice as you can, using a folding board if you prefer. When hanging clothing on the Z-rack, separate Mens' Women's, Girls', Boys', and Infants'; then separate further by brand. If necessary, use carts and organize the clothing onto those; for example, you could put any Infant HL items in the basket part of the cart, then place any hanging Infant SL on the handle, making it easy for a TM to push as reshop.

If there are no reshop carts that need sorting, check around the desk for any defects or items that need tags and process what you find. Make sure that any defects you process are sorted into the appropriate bin or, if there are a lot, that they are neatly boxed up so that the Guest Attendant can take them to the back.

If you've finished sorting carts and doing defects and needs info and it's STILL slow, you can: zone the area around the Fitting Rooms, push out reshop that belongs nearby, clean the Fitting Rooms by wiping down the walls/doors/mirrors, etc.

The Closing Shift

Not very different from opening: sort carts, fill shifts, process defects, keep the Fitting Rooms clean, etc. As the night winds down, zone the area around the Fitting Room and push out reshop if you have time. Try to finish any defects/needs info and leave a note for the next day's opener if there's anything they need to know, such as shifts that you're trying to fill or have filled. Make the following closing announcement fifteen, ten, and five minutes to closing, using the overhead paging system:
"Good evening, Target guests, the time is now [insert time] and our registers will be closing in [insert however many minutes to closing] minutes. At this time we ask that you please take your final selections to the front lanes. Thank you and have a great evening."
At closing, make the following announcement:
"Good evening, Target guests, the time is now [insert time] and Target is now closed. At this time we ask that you please take your final selections to the front lanes. For your shopping convenience, Target will be open tomorrow from 8 AM to [whatever time you close the next day; it varies by day and by store]. Thank you for shopping at your friendly [insert city name] Target and have a great evening."

Lock up the filing cabinet and take your keys and equipment back up to TSC to sign in. Put the clipboard in the Operator mail slot and push the "SEND CALLS" button on the phone by TSC to activate the night bell.

Last edited: Jun 29, 2011
May help some.
 
If it's clothing, jewelry, watches, purses, shoes or baby items, it's you.

If it's any type of media (books, DVDs), electronics, sporting goods, toys or luggage, it's Electronics.

If it's edible, it's Market.

If it's on the sales floor and does not fit the above categories, it's hardlines.

If it's a return question, lost and found, bag/item left behind while checking out, online order and half the "I want to talk to a manager", it's GS.

If it's a job applicant, find out how they want you to handle it. My store, it's a nice and polite "don't call us, we'll call you".

If it's a job applicant needing to transfer the application or a new hire with orientation questions, it's HR. Find out who specifically takes those calls.

Now, to make the above people love you, figure out how to search on the zebra. (Personally I find it easier to search on target.com and then punch the dpci into MyWork.) If it says zero quantity, don't bother the other people, say "We're out of stock". If it says there's a bunch, don't bother the other people unless the caller wants it held, just say "We have it". Ask GS to explain the return policy, so you can answer the simple questions rather than bothering GS. Ask GS to explain how online ordering works, so you can answer those simple questions.
 
So I’ve been working at target for a about a month and sometimes I cover fitting rooms but I don’t know who to transfer the calls to sometimes b/c I don’t know all the departments or what they specialize in when it comes to calls. Can someone plz list the departments or lmk?? Thanks.
at my store it's electronics, toys, sporting goods, domestics, small appliances, household paper/chem, beauty, stationery, guest services, and market. fitting room handles any calls related to softlines
occasionally calls also come in which get parked for HR, the GSA/GSTL, target tech, and starbucks (and the LOD of course). if the call is for something specific the operator will just say over the walkie "can someone answer a call about vacuums on 80" or something like that
 
Thank u so much this was really helpful
 
@Jenna120 Search on the zebra :rolleyes:
Tell that to our fitting room team member. Every other call on the walkie from them is “where is this, do we sell this?”
 
I do that sometimes, when the zebra is winky or I get a thousand hits. I really think though that people don't realize how many calls the FRO handles without passing them on.
 
@sprinklesontop ive never been actually trained at fitting room. They basically put me there and said “good luck.” We are poorly trained at my target store. There is no “checklist”
 
Lol yeah they never told me about that
 
@Hardlinesmaster not a clue what a “zebra” is...
It’s a thing that kind of looks like a bulky black iPhone, you should be able to sign one out at your store or if there aren’t very many you can ask over the walkie if anyone has one you can use or borrow. You can check the store’s stock by opening up the app called MyWork, then you search in the search bar for the item you want. Items with an aisle location (i.e. A29) are in your store but you have to tap on them to actually see if you have any, it’ll give you a number for on the floor and in the back.
 
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