Archived Manipulating The Call Box...

[Kartman]

Corporate, pay attention!

OK, they've cut hours to the bone to where after 6 PM I am the ONLY one on hardlines. One TM in softlines and nobody in electronics.

I'll be back by the compactor and a call will come in for guest service at xbox.

I'm NOT gonna run to clear it, I don't run.

OK, you see the scenerio... the call time will be exceeded.

What if, to offset that, I pressed a call button (from anywhere) and responded to it myself.

Would doing that make up for the previous failed call? At least help?

 

[Bosch]

Don't bother.

 

[signingminion]

Corporate, pay attention!

OK, they've cut hours to the bone to where after 6 PM I am the ONLY one on hardlines. One TM in softlines and nobody in electronics.

I'll be back by the compactor and a call will come in for guest service at xbox.

I'm NOT gonna run to clear it, I don't run.

OK, you see the scenerio... the call time will be exceeded.

What if, to offset that, I pressed a call button (from anywhere) and responded to it myself.

Would doing that make up for the previous failed call? At least help?

Math my friend...it takes many successful boxes for each failed box. Better to learn to hustle...

 

[NKG]

60 seconds is not enough time. In Target's mind someone is always available but lets be realistic not everyone is gonna know how to handle an electronic question or know where to find electric can opener.

 

[signingminion]

60 seconds is not enough time. In Target's mind someone is always available but lets be realistic not everyone is gonna know how to handle an electronic question or know where to find electric can opener.

You don't have to have the answer. Just clear the box and ask on walkie for answer, location of item, or a team member to come over who knows more. That's why it's imperative that the closest person move their butt, not just ignore it "because I don't know anything about ______department". Just keep them busy til someone else can mosey over.

Fwiw I can make it from the front corner to the opposite corner in 60 seconds. My legs are not long.

 

[carramrod]

I know for a fact that an ETL in my former store would tell team members to push and then immediately clear call boxes multiple times if they exceeded. She said on the walkie one night "(TM) Can you push that call box and clear it five to ten times? We need the score to be green." Unethical? Maybe. Effective? Seems like it.

 

[glo]

Sales floor speed is worth 5 pts on the year-end store review. We were just .3% below green which I think was 90 or 95%... that was with multiple weeks of call boxes not functioning correctly leading to a large dip in our score. We may have pushed/cleared call boxes a dozen or so times that last week.

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

You don't have to have the answer. Just clear the box and ask on walkie for answer, location of item, or a team member to come over who knows more. That's why it's imperative that the closest person move their butt, not just ignore it "because I don't know anything about ______department". Just keep them busy til someone else can mosey over.

Fwiw I can make it from the front corner to the opposite corner in 60 seconds. My legs are not long.

My store is not much diff than most stores and it takes me 2 minutes total even walking at full stride to get from the back room loading area up into TSC...60 seconds is enough time if you are on the floor but if you're in the front office or in the back it could take up to 2 minutes to get there. Fact is you cant just leave whatever you're working on in the middle of the backroom or in the middle of an aisle to go clear a call box. You gotta move it off to the side and walk safely without rushing. Ever seen a team member run into a guest because they were in a rush? I have...it's embarrassing for them and hilarious for everyone else. Also could cost their job if they are already on CA. Best bet is to call out to your team AND LOD where your location is and what your situation is and say you'll get there asap. More often than not the LOD will instruct a closer team member to cover the call box for you til you can get there.


No kidding though, takes me 2 minutes to walk from the baler to the front desk...tested it many times when going to my 15 minute breaks. Lol I am not fat or lazy or slow even. Just how it is.

 

[glo]

I know for a fact that an ETL in my former store would tell team members to push and then immediately clear call boxes multiple times if they exceeded. She said on the walkie one night "(TM) Can you push that call box and clear it five to ten times? We need the score to be green." Unethical? Maybe. Effective? Seems like it.

What's unethical is expecting all calls be cleared in a timely manner with payroll allotted by corporate, then punishing employees for not being able to make it. There's times I have to run from one corner of the store to the other because we have no payroll.

 

[redeye58]

There's times I have to run from one corner of the store to the other because we have no payroll.

At my store we call it the 'Target Fitness Program.'

 

[Kartman]

Can you push that call box and clear it five to ten times? We need the score to be green." Unethical? Maybe. Effective? Seems like it.

That's what I was wanting to hear.

Pay attention to this shit, corporate.

 

[Kartman]

My next thread topic...

BACKSTOCK

Millions are being wasted...

 

[Bosch]

My store is not much diff than most stores and it takes me 2 minutes total even walking at full stride to get from the back room loading area up into TSC...60 seconds is enough time if you are on the floor but if you're in the front office or in the back it could take up to 2 minutes to get there. Fact is you cant just leave whatever you're working on in the middle of the backroom or in the middle of an aisle to go clear a call box. You gotta move it off to the side and walk safely without rushing. Ever seen a team member run into a guest because they were in a rush? I have...it's embarrassing for them and hilarious for everyone else. Also could cost their job if they are already on CA. Best bet is to call out to your team AND LOD where your location is and what your situation is and say you'll get there asap. More often than not the LOD will instruct a closer team member to cover the call box for you til you can get there.


No kidding though, takes me 2 minutes to walk from the baler to the front desk...tested it many times when going to my 15 minute breaks. Lol I am not fat or lazy or slow even. Just how it is.

Also keep in mind those pesky guests. In my store you can make it from the baler to the front quickly but you are NEVER getting across the store from say the baler to electronics without getting stopped.

 

[redeye58]

you are NEVER getting across the store from say the baler to electronics without getting stopped.

Aka: the store obstacle course.

 

[Greenie]

LOD: Team, who is clearing that call?

Radio silence

LOD: Team, who is helping me out here?

*15 seconds remain*

LOD: Hardlines, Softlines, Price Change do you copy?

*Service level exceeded*

LOD: Team, I really need you to get these calls

HL: Sorry LOD, I was with a guest.

SL: LOD I'm back from lunch.


Every. Single. Day.

 

[Kartman]

Something is wrong with this pitcher...

 

[garbage]

Something is wrong with this pitcher...

Pitcher of beer?

 

[pinkp2ie]

I've had some guests before hit the electronics callbox and clear it on there own. They didint work for target.

 

[HRZone]

LOD: Team, who is clearing that call?

Radio silence

LOD: Team, who is helping me out here?

*15 seconds remain*

LOD: Hardlines, Softlines, Price Change do you copy?

*Service level exceeded*

LOD: Team, I really need you to get these calls

HL: Sorry LOD, I was with a guest.

SL: LOD I'm back from lunch.


Every. Single. Day.

Bonus points when that lod is in their office texting.

 

[HRZone]

I heard our ETL HL before I came to this store was termed for falsely setting and clearing call boxes. Seems risky to me

 

[Logo]

Bonus points when that lod is in their office texting.

double bonus when all team members are backing up and the LOD & ETLs are all in an office discussing what to get for lunch.

 

[NKG]

Fastest way to PO the LOD is not to answer a call box. Though Kartman is right, Im not gonna run from HB to Electronics to answer a call box. My point was people purposely don't help out with call boxes because they don't know the department well enough. I think it should be-

Fast Service Needed in Furniture, who's responding?

15 seconds....

Fast service still needed in furniture, who's responding?

15 seconds later-

Lod-Service time has exceeded. Are you responding? 15 seconds remaining.

It makes them responsible on answering the call box when your team obviously can't. Then you hold everyone non cashier responsible.

 

[qmosqueen]

Games people play. Just do your job to the best of your ability

 

[signingminion]

I've had some guests before hit the electronics callbox and clear it on there own. They didint work for target.

Hubby used to love to push the interactive touch pad one in videogames. He would then clear it because nobody else would know how half the time.

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

Also keep in mind those pesky guests. In my store you can make it from the baler to the front quickly but you are NEVER getting across the store from say the baler to electronics without getting stopped.

My leaders allow me to tell the guest I'm on a "service call" which is NOT a lie...c'mon people. This is the same way you treat a guest bothering you while you're on the PHONE with a guest. Service call is a fair term and it's where you're headed. I offer to them to follow and wait or they can wait for me to get time to walkie a TM...but it's gonna be a rough process because this is not their section...so..yeah.

Also the feeling when you tell the guest to wait there and you give the aisle/area the guest is waiting at to your TM and leave the guest waiting there so you can go finish your task--- hoping your TM is competent enough to not ruin that guests experience by never showing up and making ME and Target look like complete asses. Never got a bad comment card about it but it has happened and I have lost trust in those TMs. I should tell a leader but I sweep it under the rug.