SCO calling for backup

[Lordisgood]

Hello. So I am a guest advocate cashier and new working at Target and I've had a couple of experiences where I'll go on self checkout, usually to cover someone's break or lunch, and I'll be helping a guest with a request that would require me to step away for more than a minute. All of the sudden 2 or 3 other people need help and I'm the only one there and sometimes there's no one around that I can quickly ask to help (SD is busy, no leaders around, all the cashiers at their registers are busy). I want to think like "oh I'll just quickly help these people since their request if faster" if I see on their screen they just want something cancelled or just to remove a yellow security tab or something but that one simple request could quickly turn into "oh and could you also...?" Am I allowed to call for backup on the walkie and if so how do I phrase it when I ask? Thank you so much for any input or advice.

 

[DBZ]

What kind of request?

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Nothing at SCO should require you to step away for more than a minute. Do you have a zebra on you?

 

[Lordisgood]

Like one time a guest forgot to attach a gift receipt so I had to go to the service desk to get one printed. Another time I simply didn't have a pin yet for self checkout and they already told the girl before me to go on her lunch so I had to go to the desk to make a pin (amidst them trying to help other guests). One other time the register ran out of change and I had to go hunt down the money bag and the keys to open the register. So I guess more often it's not guest related per se, it's more like a technical issue or something like that comes up, or I simply need help or assistance with something bc a guest would have a request or question that I don't know the answer to (like I said I'm very new)

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

You need more training.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Like one time a guest forgot to attach a gift receipt so I had to go to the service desk to get one printed. Another time I simply didn't have a pin yet for self checkout and they already told the girl before me to go on her lunch so I had to go to the desk to make a pin (amidst them trying to help other guests). One other time the register ran out of change and I had to go hunt down the money bag and the keys to open the register. So I guess more often it's not guest related per se, it's more like a technical issue or something like that comes up, or I simply need help or assistance with something bc a guest would have a request or question that I don't know the answer to (like I said I'm very new)

Our cashiers call the tl or captain when they need change. They don’t leave sco for that. If someone doesn’t print a gift receipt we send them to the service desk. We don’t leave sco for that.
If you step away, things will be stolen.
You should be carrying a walkie and have your leader switch to another channel to ask questions.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Our cashiers call the tl or captain when they need change. They don’t leave sco for that. If someone doesn’t print a gift receipt we send them to the service desk. We don’t leave sco for that.
If you step away, things will be stolen.
You should be carrying a walkie and have your leader switch to another channel to ask questions.

This. If a guest forgets a gift receipt, tell them that a service desk ™ can happily print a new one. You should not walk over there and do it and leave SCO.

for change, you should call a leader.

bottom line, when watching SCO, you should never leave SCO. That’s prime time for theft.

 

[Lordisgood]

Thank you all for answering. Yes, more training would be good but you know Target. They throw you on since day 1 & it's like they don't care if you have to piss off a couple of guests while learning the ropes. I was actually told by a leader to go to the service desk to print the gift receipt and I just assumed she was going to send someone to cover self checkout (bc she's the one who put me there and knew I was the only one so why would she be telling me to step away???). So to call the leader that would be on the #1 or #3 line? I'll ask ofc when I go back to work for more clarity...

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Thank you all for answering. Yes, more training would be good but you know Target. They throw you on since day 1 & it's like they don't care if you have to piss off a couple of guests while learning the ropes. I was actually told by a leader to go to the service desk to print the gift receipt and I just assumed she was going to send someone to cover self checkout (bc she's the one who put me there and knew I was the only one so why would she be telling me to step away???). So to call the leader that would be on the #1 or #3 line? I'll ask ofc when I go back to work for more clarity...

Each store does walkie channels differently. My store, everyone is on 1, and 234 are for extended convos. Your store may be different

 

[Nauzhror]

Our cashiers call the tl or captain when they need change. They don’t leave sco for that. If someone doesn’t print a gift receipt we send them to the service desk. We don’t leave sco for that.
If you step away, things will be stolen.
You should be carrying a walkie and have your leader switch to another channel to ask questions.

If I gave the keys to a newbie at SCO, I'd get written up for it. We have a small handful of TM's that are allowed to get change, and even fewer that know anything about SCO that requires keys.

 

[Lordisgood]

They always give me the keys! Like I basically only work self checkout when I'm covering people's lunch or break so they always just hand over their gear to me. And it was actually one of the GSTL's who called over a team member one time to teach me how to refill the SCO registers!

 

[Nauzhror]

They always give me the keys! Like I basically only work self checkout when I'm covering people's lunch or break so they always just hand over their gear to me. And it was actually one of the GSTL's who called over a team member one time to teach me how to refill the SCO registers!

We only have one set of keys that aren't directly those of a TL. Each SETL has their own set they take home, then there's one other set for TM use. But "For TM Use" basically means, for one of like, 5, specific TM's.

I am sure it's very much a thing that varies store to store though.