Archived In our store Red Cards are the only things that matter.

[BullseyeBabe]

In our store Red Cards are the only things that matter. It was pretty bad before the breach and now it is even worse. Our hours have been cut to the point it is ridiculous. Moral is low and call outs are killing us. We are all on the registers for back ups and the lines are longer than I've ever seen them. Leaders are frantic. No matter what happens all we hear about is Red Cards. Every few minutes they are on the walkies pushing Red Cards. They have made all cashiers sign documents stating they will be coached/terminated if they don't meet quotas for Red Cards. I've seen several cashiers crying after being “coached.” Being “coached” means being yelled at and threatened. One ETL has at least twice (when I was working and heard it myself) told team members on walkies, “If you don't have a Red Card come up front and apply now!!! She was also bugging individual team members (including me) to apply even if they had applied before. They have completely lost perspective. The guests no longer matter. Only one thing matters. It makes me sad.

 

[BullseyeBabe]

We seldom have huddles anymore but at a recent one an ETL was saying, "On Sunday, we had a really bad day. We only got 4 Red Cards." I wish I was brave enough to ask, "Really? We had a bad day? How about guests that got frustrated because there was no one to answer their phone calls? What about guests that left mdse. on belts at registers and walked out when no one came to check them out? I think they're the ones that,
"Had a bad day." Sorry, but I'm just so disgusted and need to vent.

 

[redeye58]

Welcome to the new nightmare that is front end. It's the main reason I left for SB/FA.
Forget about helping the guest by checking them out quickly & with a smile.
Forget the vibe, being FFF, giving them a good shopping experience or anything else.
It's red cards or else.

 

[SIGNZERO]

Welcome to the new nightmare that is front end. It's the main reason I left for SB/FA.
Forget about helping the guest by checking them out quickly & with a smile.
Forget the vibe, being FFF, giving them a good shopping experience or anything else.
It's red cards or else.

Yea its bad, i cant believe they have a quota also. Its hit or miss with red cards. You can say the same line and get 5 red cards in two hours and the next day you cant get a single one. Plus the whole breach thing really closed the door on some people even thinking about it.

 

[Bosch]

Get a copy of that red card document, unemployment I have a feeling would not like it.

 

[The Dude Abides]

Any ETL who attempts to force their employees to sign up for the Red Card should be reported to your STL. If your STL is on board with it then you need to call integrity hotline.

 

[konk]

I can't really complain about my workload because at least I can control how much I do. Feel bad for cashiers. I still want them to zone their check lanes better though.

 

[BullseyeBabe]

I wouldn't say forceing, more like badgering.The GSA called over and over for backups the other day but got no responce. The LOD called him on the walkie and berated him for not talking enough Red Csrds on the walkie. They tie up channel one so often there are times I can't ask for guest assistance.

 

[ZombiePanties31]

I'm so sorry, BullseyeBabe. That's awful! Your store has really lost perspective. I have a feeling that the guests don't appreciate the constant pressure to sign up for a redcard, either. Let's face it: for the majority of people who regularly shop at a Target, they either already have one, or have decided that they do not want one. Add the data breach into the mix, and it's a miracle that we are still getting ANY new red cards at all!

I have lots of guests (mostly old women), who clearly do not trust Target anymore. People regularly say to me "Oh, I have to use cash here now, " or they will use a check. Or, they will ask if we got that "thing" taken care of, or they will make passive-aggressive comments about how their bank cancelled their debit card because of us (like it was personally my fault). The red debit card has been really hard to sell (and that was the most popular thing) because people no longer have any faith that their information will be secure (despite the fact that it's probably safer now than ever!) But the end result of the shaken-confidences is that people are largely suspicious of red cards.

 

[redandkhaki]

how can you have a redcard quota when you're only suppose to ask on prompts? We have no pressure at our store. it's great!
In fact, we got an email on monday saying that the district redcard captain had been out and about shopping and he was hearing cashiers asking every guest and not just when prompted and we were to stop that asap and only ask when prompted.

 

[Retail Girl]

Clearly the rest of us are working in the wrong district. We are expected to be badgering full force.

 

[Bosch]

My store made a promise of a specific conversion rate for next few weeks to the DTL, so it harass every guest. No exceptions.

We are not allowed to make judgment calls, we get enough international guests that use cash so it prompts for a red card, we have to ask now or face a coaching, umm if they are from France they can't use a red card.

 

[redeye58]

....and if they don't have a SS#, they can't get a red card since they took away the passport option..

 

[Barcode]

Sounds like you're in a particularly bad store OP.. Haven't seen things get that bad here yet, people seem to be maintaining rationality at my store.

Of course none of what you said surprises me in the slightest...

 

[BullseyeBabe]

I wish we could focus on treating the people who shop at our stores like welcome guests. Guest service is what I love about my job. I wish we could concentrate on giving each of them a great experience in our store. Yes, the leaders at my store have lost perspective. Letting people use expired coupons and change prices isn't going to win the hearts and minds of our guests. The last thing they want is to tie up the lanes getting a RC after waiting in line to check out.

 

[Triscuit]

how can you have a redcard quota when you're only suppose to ask on prompts? We have no pressure at our store. it's great!
In fact, we got an email on monday saying that the district redcard captain had been out and about shopping and he was hearing cashiers asking every guest and not just when prompted and we were to stop that asap and only ask when prompted.

Really? Our store wants us to ask each and every guest. Get real, I am too scared to even ask when prompted half the time because of the backlash and snarky comments that are given. I am so glad I am not a full time cashier. I only do it when I pick up shifts (cashier shifts are the only shifts people give up now a days)

 

[Dying Sun]

our store is the same way. we are expected to harass and hound guests into the cards by any means nessicary, short of holding them at gunpoint. its at the point where I have given up on those blasted things. and to any guests who might have stumbled upon our little forest clearing, enough with the backlash, enough with the dirty looks and enough with accusing us about trying to hack your accounts again with our demonic card you filthy shmucks. you don't know how much pressure we are under to sell those things. we don't like it any more than you do so suck it up and get off our backs. a simple no will suffice. ok rant over

 

[Bosch]

....and if they don't have a SS#, they can't get a red card since they took away the passport option..

But I am not allowed to make that call anymore, that is what is really aggravated.

 

[Unreturnable]

In all honesty, I've only worked retail for a year a half but I detest it. There is such a lack of reason and compassion in all business decisions made around me that it feels like an evil circus most of the time. I am truly grateful that I work in the back of the store and rarely have to look a guest in the eyes. At one point I did push for my cashier training and had a guest who was buying toys for her god-children. She was obviously not the brightest person in the world, but was so enthusiastic about the toys for her god-children and she had to tell me all about them. I asked her about the Red Card like my training said, and she told me she hardly ever shops at Target, has credit trouble, but she would certainly go get a check from her car and apply for a Red Card if it would help me. I very quietly told her, "Don't worry, ma'am, you don't need one of these cards, please have a lovely day."

I'm sorry for all the people who get bullied about getting Red Cards, that's such a frustrating and fruitless task to badger someone over. I still get the Target B.S. but at least I don't have to harass unsuspecting customers. Also, @BullseyeBabe my backroom was once told we would be automatically coached for missing pull times and causing baffles, basically we were told to expect a corrective coaching every time we didn't 100% meet or exceed goals. Nobody in my store, even a 10-year veteran trying his/her best, could meet our goals. We have so many issues that sometimes actions like these get jammed down the pipelines - someone higher up yells at the DTL who yells at the STL who yells at the ETL who yells at the TL, and somewhere along the line a couple of them have brainstormed on solutions and hit upon a REALLY BAD one like what you're experiencing with Red Cards, and my backroom had with coaching for baffles. Change in leadership helped my problem a little, but it's still the same store with the same problems, just not as stressful. Best of luck to you in your situation.

 

[Barcode]

AFAIK best practice right now is to only ask when prompted... Stores that are "asking everyone" are going against corporates' policy. Wonder if someone at the Store/District Level is trying to get RedCard numbers up and keeping quiet how they are doing it.

 

[redandkhaki]

that's why we were told to ONLY ask when prompted. They're still trying to figure out if conversion expectations are what they should be so if stores are asking more and getting more than the ones that aren't are going to get screwed. Luckily in my district all of us except one store are all about getting 2.0 MTD. the one other store is at a 7.5 MTD. You can't tell me they're only asking when prompted.

 

[pellinore]

I'm so sorry, BullseyeBabe. That's awful! Your store has really lost perspective. I have a feeling that the guests don't appreciate the constant pressure to sign up for a redcard, either. Let's face it: for the majority of people who regularly shop at a Target, they either already have one, or have decided that they do not want one. Add the data breach into the mix, and it's a miracle that we are still getting ANY new red cards at all!

I have lots of guests (mostly old women), who clearly do not trust Target anymore. People regularly say to me "Oh, I have to use cash here now, " or they will use a check. Or, they will ask if we got that "thing" taken care of, or they will make passive-aggressive comments about how their bank cancelled their debit card because of us (like it was personally my fault). The red debit card has been really hard to sell (and that was the most popular thing) because people no longer have any faith that their information will be secure (despite the fact that it's probably safer now than ever!) But the end result of the shaken-confidences is that people are largely suspicious of red cards.

Sounds like you work at my store!!

 

[pellinore]

At my store we've been told "ask every guest, every time." What we really need is a new letter from corporate to clarify what we're REALLY supposed to do.

I hate asking every guest.....every time I have a guest, I pray that they pull out a RedCard so that I can say "Great, you already have a RC!" Say it loud enough (and hopefully quite often) and then your leadership can't give you as rough a time....because they hear you say "Great....."

It also ticks me off to ask because I've been at my store for quite awhile and many of my guests have made their decision about a RC....and yet, I still have to ask them about a RC....each time I see them?" (arghh! talk about pissing people off!)

 

[pellinore]

I've started joking with my fellow cashiers that one day I'll tell people that they can only get checked out in my line if they are going to get a RC!

You know, doing that would probably be worth the coaching and the corrective action form!!

 

[Retail Girl]

The problem is, the official policy, even before the breach was to only ask when prompted (see the cashier training book if you don't believe me). So that's all Spot will ever say officially...but unofficially they will be putting the pressure on stores so we have to ask everyone.