Archived Red-Card Insanity

[2nice2people]

If you're at my store transferring to a different department does nothing to escape the never-ending redcard spiel. Hell, I've heard a joking/not-joking ETL ask the fitting room if they've vibed up the benefits of the redcard with guests. -.- And I know for a fact they're performancing out some of our better cashiers because they're not good at closing the redcard but they are super great at the rest of their jobs. But who cares about any other metric of job performance, amirite?

All hail the mighty redcard. Long may it reign.

Believe it or not the sales floor is the best place to get REDCards with a higher success rate, because you have more time to interact with the guests and educate them on the benefits, rather then on the register where your window is short without making them feel impatient.

I don't feel stores stress the REDCard enough to the sales floor team and they usually don't hold them accountable to REDCard metrics unless they are on a register. REDCards is usually viewed as a GE metric, when in reality the whole store should be playing a role. If the whole store plays in getting REDCards from fitting room, SL, HL, logistics, you name it, I guarantee your metrics will be through the roof. Because if you think about, what the REDCard offers is actually pretty good and if you can get the guest past that belief of it just being another credit card, you will be golden.

I agree BUT they spend so much time & rewarding the cashier for getting it, that it sucks when you told them on sales floor . I know some POG / truck don't want to start that & than some cashier get the woo woo or the free Starbucks

 

[Anonymous12345]

@commiecorvus I never said anyone is not good enough but yeah I do feel people should stop complaining so much.

But I guess we can agree to disagree.

 

[tgtguy]

No I get it, you want this forum to be a place where people can bitch and complain about their jobs. Well I believe their is another forum out there for that.
I just don't feel that does any good for anyone. If a person is so frustrated, then express those concerns with your supervisor or HR but to complain on a forum, why waste your time and energy.

I like to come on to this forum to find solutions to problems and here about people's success stories not here about how they hate their job.

But hey, maybe that's just me.

We all have different ways of venting when we are frustrated. Some of us are not so blessed to have ETLS or HR that we can go to and discuss issues with. I don't think all ETLs are bad...there are some good ones out there. However, the bad ones...don't care about what you are going through ...they will listen to you...then turn around and talk about you behind your back once you leave. If you have ETLS you can talk to and you feel comfortable doing so. I honestly think that's great but once again not all of us are that blessed. ... I would rather come on here and vent...with people who are going through the same things and can relate......

 

[Anonymous12345]

@2nice2people Usually I tell Salesfloor TMs if they get a guest to want a REDCard then they should walk the guest up and ring them up to get the credit, or sometimes if they are busy they will give their number to the GSTL to make sure they get the credit for the REDCard.

But I guess if you educate the guest on it and they say they will think about and then the cashier seals the deal, well I guess that would suck but nothing you can do about that but just consider it a team effort.

 

[Anonymous12345]

@tgtguy You don't have one TL or ETL in your store that you feel comfortable venting to???

 

[tgtguy]

@Anonymous12345 ...no I don't. I did but he left about two weeks ago. ...and even then I was not 100 % comfortable venting everything to him. If you have that kind of relationship with your ETL's I honestly think that's great...but like I said not all of us are so blessed.

 

[neversaynever]

I ended up getting 7-8 this week... It was sheer luck. I'm screwed next week. I bet I still won't be drawn in the drawing we have either.

I on thin ice, I'm well paid and that next change it looming. I show up, I'm reliable, I've never called out or had an NCNS.

But the RC insanity will be how they get rid of me. Working on a back-up palm but it is hard.

Right now retail best fits my availability with my kids needs. UGH.

(Oh and I'm pretty sure prior I only have 7-8 total in the whole time I've been there)

 

[SoftlinesSerf]

My store has gone insane when it comes to the RC. Today our GSA was dressed in one of the monkey pajama suits that you find in men's, and was attempting to push RC's on the guests (not very professional in my opinion). Yesterday, who ever got RC got to elect a team member to wear a pink feather boa and crown. We met our goal today, so the STL bought the entire team pizza.

I'm glad I work in Softlines, I would hate to have a leader breathing down my neck to sell one of those cards. To those in the front lanes, I salute you!

 

[BullseyeBabe]

@Anonymous12345. We work there, we know all this. The guests don't want to hear it anymore and neither do we. Corporate much?

Wow! This! This! This!
I've had a looooong hard day and you sound like the "Blah blah blah...RedCards...blah blah...backups...blah..." that I had to listen to ALL day on the walkie. Our ETL/LOD said on the walkie that getting 20 RedCards was our top priority today. The guests waiting in the long lines at the registers heard that. The guests trying to buy the things we are out of heard that. The guests who could not find anyone to help them heard that. If you really don't understand our frustration we can't explain it to you. I'm all out of FF&F tonight & you are just pissing me off!

 

[awbuckit]

I'm pretty sure when going through the interview process to be a cashier they don't tell people "Oh and by the way, we are going to make your life hell here by making sure you ask every guest to sign up for a redcard and then write you up when you don't and shortly after that fire you."
Pretty sure these people think they're getting a minimum wage job to pass items over a scanner, make sure it beeps and take the guest's payment. Pretty sure no one signed up to be a salesperson. Normally, salespeople make a commission.
I mean, enough is enough already!

 

[mrknownothing]

As has been said many times:

Our job is to ask guests if they would like to open a Red Card. There is no (legal and non-harassing) way to make a guest open one. The best we can do is offer them and educate the guest about the benefits, but we can't make the guest want one.

 

[redeye58]

I'm all out of FF&F tonight...

* me slides a venti mocha cookie crumble frappucino down to Babe*

 

[BullseyeBabe]

Thanks! Sorry, I guess BTS is finally getting to me.

 

[redeye58]

It's getting to us all because it's getting harder all around but that's what we're all here for.
I spent so much time in the walk-in cussing out asinine guests that I started getting frostbit

 

[Rock Lobster]

I'm pretty sure when going through the interview process to be a cashier they don't tell people "Oh and by the way, we are going to make your life hell here by making sure you ask every guest to sign up for a redcard and then write you up when you don't and shortly after that fire you."
Pretty sure these people think they're getting a minimum wage job to pass items over a scanner, make sure it beeps and take the guest's payment. Pretty sure no one signed up to be a salesperson. Normally, salespeople make a commission.
I mean, enough is enough already!

It can and should be brought up in interviews. I bring up the vibe and loyalty drivers during every single interview I do. You cannot ask tons of questions in an interview off script, but clarifying job descriptions and asking if they are able to perform them is acceptable.

 

[commiecorvus]

@commiecorvus I never said anyone is not good enough but yeah I do feel people should stop complaining so much.

But I guess we can agree to disagree.

Dude, I'm a huge fan of agreeing to disagree.
That's how I as the child of Irish Socialist Jews who grew up hunting can have friends who are Republicans, Libertarians, Muslims, and gasp, even Vegans.

But once again you were looking at the words and not getting to the meaning.
Breaking it down, my friend, I was trying to tell you that if you wanted the folks here not to take you for a corporate douche than you might want to try another way of phrasing things.
I'm sure you mean well but it doesn't come off that way on the page.

I'm just trying to give you the heads up, not trying to be a downer.
If you have a dream for the board you probably want to sound more like Martin Luther King and less like Gordon Gekko.

 

[BobLoblaw]

That's how I as the child of Irish Socialist Jews who grew up hunting can have friends who are Republicans, Libertarians, Muslims, and gasp, even Vegans.

I wasn't aware Vegans had friends #flawinyourargument.



Both sides are understandable. It is completely out of hand when unattained metrics are raised but I feel the leadership team may be at fault if a cashier feels slighted by REDcard goals. I want more than anything for my team to succeed. I want to share what I know and how I learned it with every team member and guest that will listen. I honestly don't care if we meet our conversion goal but I'm a good pretender. Seems to be working for now.

This forum rules, I've done plenty of complaining and a bit of lecturing I think. I've had terrible days because of REDcards and I've had great days despite them.

I don't like having to push conversion but I do it. And I do it in a way that is fair and reasonable. Our cashiers that ask every guest, even just "can I save you 5% today" are historically more successful than those that pick and chose. Attitude plays a part but simply asking will make it happen!

As delicately as possible, I have a cashier that lacks the ability to recognize social cues. This TM is not great at connecting with guests, has off-putting mannerisms and speech patterns but through a little education on WHY we push so hard, has become one of my most consistent in conversion. I know, I'm awesome for helping my fellow man/woman succeed but the point is that anyone can do it. It's asking a question and educating another person...if you're getting coached on conversion percentage instead of your effort you should jot down the number from one of the amazing TV lawyers we see all day in the breakroom.

What are you passionate about? Can't get over saving that $100 AND free shipping on your 70" TV...tell ALL the guests! Your kids' school got a check for $10k last year...flipping sweet! Don't give a shit about the guest or job...do it anyway so you can keep your job, buy video games and eat fast food every day! (This may or may not be, but definitely is, my motivation)

This may be a more lectury post, (fuck off red line, it's a word) but keep up the effort, my friends. It sucks, will probably continue to suck, but sucks less than a lot of things.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Wait, if there is no guests in the store to ask the question, how can you? Our cashiers do ask & get no, a lot of times. Plus, I am seeing very few guests after 9pm, at my store. I can count them on 1 hand.

If you have very few guests then that means you probably have very few prompts, which means just getting probably one REDCard will get you to green.

I can go on all day with this one lol

Hey, all I am saying is stay positive, negative energy will get you no where in life. If your not happy with your circumstances, do something about, don't complain about. That's all I'm trying to say.

I was stating a fact that happens at my store at least once a night during the week. I wasn't complaining.
Now back to red cards topic, spot doesn't own the red card side anymore, they need to realize their mistake in selling it.

 

[tgtguy]

I work in the logistics process...so I am not having to push the red card the way the cashiers do. I will say that to the cashiers and the front end team at my store and every other store...you do have my respect.

 

[blugirlami21]

I understand that we have to sell redcards as part of our jobs but I hate that it's not about the guest anymore. We are so focused on meeting a ridiculous conversion goal that it makes us desperate and overzealous. I would never shop at a Target store if I didn't work there. Who wants to go to a store and be harassed every time you go? And make no mistake we are at the point of harassing people.

Our store got 19 redcards yesterday which is great but it's never enough. I also hate that you can meet your goal for the day and still have an unsatisfied LOD. It's always, you got 8 redcards, you met your goal! Now can you get eight more?

As a gsa the pressure is so intense and that kind of attitude makes it hard for me to care too much about it. I'm happy when we meet our goals but I'm not going to kill myself if we don't.

 

[MissionStarlight]

Anon--I have a wicked dark sense of humor. I like my job and I'm really, really good at it. Me not liking the focus on RCs has nothing to do with how I feel about the Big Spot Who Guides Our Steps and everything to do with the fact I know a few things about personal finance (however I gently encourage each and every guest to sign up because I <3 my paycheck). I have a RC myself and I find it makes it easier to sell it because I can use the other benefits as good jumping off points so I don't bore myself (let alone guests) to death with "Wouldyouliketosave5%withaRCtodayandeverytimeyoushop". We have lots of yellers. It makes it a very defensive transaction because none of us blame the fed up guests. We're fed up too.

And thank you, bluegirlami21! You said it much better than I was trying to--why don't we focus on actual guest service and clean stores before driving unrealistic loyalty program goals? Goals are nice but once they're reached they should mean something not moving the dang goal post.

 

[Eternal]

It's reading posts like this that I am so glad we don't have half this red card stuff in Canada. If you get one your name goes down just to keep track. Yes the GSA's do mention the daily goal but no one cares, we know we never meet it. The only time I mention it is if someone is doing a massive purchase in that case why the hell wouldn't you get one.

 

[neversaynever]

I left at 3:30 today... We had 3, all by the RC Queen that is getting worse at beating guests down. Three.

With 5 cashiers plus back up...

I had two that would have gotten them if it had been 10%. What I'd like to see is something like old navy does, and extra 10% off your first 30 days. In our case, get them back I to the store and used to using the card.

Oh and apparently we are at a 4.3 conversion, I finally checked.

 

[oath2order]

The ones that are getting performed out for not getting REDCards are the same ones that would probably get performed out for calling out or not working with urgency in logistics or sales floor.

If a TM is just naturally not good at being personable with guests and tries their best to get REDCards but is never successful but they are truly a good TM with the right intentions, I'm sure most stores would allow them to transfer to another department to excel rather then just performance them out.

I know all stores are different but I don't think they're that much different, I worked at plenty to know. I just feel to many people like to gripe and complain rather than making the best of their situation, whether that be with Target or just finding something else outside of Target to satisfy your needs.

Retail is not for everyone!

There is a massive difference cashiering and sales flooring.

 

[ZombiePanties31]

I understand that we have to sell redcards as part of our jobs but I hate that it's not about the guest anymore. We are so focused on meeting a ridiculous conversion goal that it makes us desperate and overzealous. I would never shop at a Target store if I didn't work there. Who wants to go to a store and be harassed every time you go? And make no mistake we are at the point of harassing people.

Our store got 19 redcards yesterday which is great but it's never enough. I also hate that you can meet your goal for the day and still have an unsatisfied LOD. It's always, you got 8 redcards, you met your goal! Now can you get eight more?

As a gsa the pressure is so intense and that kind of attitude makes it hard for me to care too much about it. I'm happy when we meet our goals but I'm not going to kill myself if we don't.

Yeah, our goal is ten a day, which we rarely meet. We DID get 16 the other day, and when the LOD found out, she said "OK, team can we get it to 20?" You could get 100 Red Cards in a day and they would want 101!

I used to be a very nonchalant and friendly cashier, but I am at the point of pressuring and coaxing guests to get the card. My raise depends on it.