Archived Something about Black Friday...

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EyesforT

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I was approached by an ETL about working the external line or something like that during black Friday I was in the middle of assisting a guest so I was not fully paying attention and just said yes I would do it (bad move I know). Anybody have any insight about what this is and what I should expect?? What have I gotten myself into?? lol
 
A lot of:
Here's a map of the store.
No I dont know where "X product" is, look at the map I just gave you.
Have an undersized candy bar.
No I cant hold an ipod for your daughter, no ma'am, not even for that amount of money.
Ma'am, stay on the sidewalk
Yes, you can buy a gallon of milk tonight, but be aware of the wait times to get to the register, there will be a wait.
No, I dont know what the deal is in toys'r'us, wrong store.
Yes I know we wear the same color as them, I still dont know about the sales in toys'r'us.

Just crowd control, it's easy if you enjoy it, still easy if you don't enjoy it. You'll have assistance from AP and maybe local law enforcement.
 
EyesforT said:
I was approached by an ETL about working the external line or something like that during black Friday I was in the middle of assisting a guest so I was not fully paying attention and just said yes I would do it (bad move I know). Anybody have any insight about what this is and what I should expect?? What have I gotten myself into?? lol
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Crowd control. Pretty easy job usually .
 
EyesforT said:
I was approached by an ETL about working the external line or something like that during black Friday I was in the middle of assisting a guest so I was not fully paying attention and just said yes I would do it (bad move I know). Anybody have any insight about what this is and what I should expect?? What have I gotten myself into?? lol
Click to expand...
You will be working outside making sure Guest stay in line. You will also be vibeing with them, hanging out store maps, and talking about Red Cards. Make sure you dress warm!
 
Not necessarily crowd control as most stores should have their team selected for this already. There is a new service initiative they are trying called Line Service Ambassadors. They are just supposed to focus on the guest and answering any questions that they may have. Really similar to crowd control but they technically aren't crowd control. Personally the more bodies outside the better in my book.
 
My store had all management down to GSA, cart attendants and anyone else they feel will be doing crowd management, do training and take a quiz.

It's about what to expect and how to handle lines.
If you do have to do the training, there are little cartoon videos on what to do when you are placed in different locations
Watch the cartoon guy who is handing out carts to the guest coming in the store who have been waiting on the line.
It looks like he is taking them from the well and pushing the cart right at the guest. It made me laugh.
 
Crowd control was fun! 😀

It was the signing ninja and I last year. (and AP, naturally) It kind of got boring because they sent us out like 30 minutes early so we walked the line 5 times and there was nothing left to do other than keep walking.

This year it's an instocks TM, me, our comp shopper, my GSA friend, a back-up GSA, and a presentation TM that have to do the quiz. TBH, good team this year
 
PinkZinnia said:
My store had all management down to GSA, cart attendants and anyone else they feel will be doing crowd management, do training and take a quiz.

It's about what to expect and how to handle lines.
If you do have to do the training, there are little cartoon videos on what to do when you are placed in different locations
Watch the cartoon guy who is handing out carts to the guest coming in the store who have been waiting on the line.
It looks like he is taking them from the well and pushing the cart right at the guest. It made me laugh.
Click to expand...
Yeah taking the cart from the well and handing it to the guest is a requirement this year.
 
Amaazingdude said:
PinkZinnia said:
My store had all management down to GSA, cart attendants and anyone else they feel will be doing crowd management, do training and take a quiz.

It's about what to expect and how to handle lines.
If you do have to do the training, there are little cartoon videos on what to do when you are placed in different locations
Watch the cartoon guy who is handing out carts to the guest coming in the store who have been waiting on the line.
It looks like he is taking them from the well and pushing the cart right at the guest. It made me laugh.
Click to expand...
Yeah taking the cart from the well and handing it to the guest is a requirement this year.
Click to expand...

On this note, my store just had like 3 hardlines TMs standing at the cartwell handing out carts and baskets.
 
If it's actual crowd control you will have to take an online course and they will give you a nifty jacket.
 
[QUOTE="PinkZinnia, post: 148352, member: 7685]Watch the cartoon guy who is handing out carts to the guest coming in the store who have been waiting on the line.
It looks like he is taking them from the well and pushing the cart right at the guest. It made me laugh.[/QUOTE]
Yes! This! And at one point during that part I glanced away for a tiny second and when I looked back it looked like someone had keeled over dead in the entrance way...so it showed how they stopped the line until the body was cleared away, or whatever that was.
 
CaptainRevision said:
Screw money, I do NOT want to work on Black Friday no matter what!
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It's actually not as bad as it's made out to be, well, at least at my store it hasn't been that big of a deal. The rush does slow down after a while once the crazies, I mean guests, have had their fill of our merchandise and go elsewhere and do whatever it is they do after a shopping binge. If you really think Black Friday is bad then you don't even want to be anywhere near Target during tax free weekend or back to school.
 
Reshop Ninja said:
CaptainRevision said:
Screw money, I do NOT want to work on Black Friday no matter what!
Click to expand...
It's actually not as bad as it's made out to be, well, at least at my store it hasn't been that big of a deal. The rush does slow down after a while once the crazies, I mean guests, have had their fill of our merchandise and go elsewhere and do whatever it is they do after a shopping binge. If you really think Black Friday is bad then you don't even want to be anywhere near Target during tax free weekend or back to school.
Click to expand...
Tax free week/back to school Saturday was a nightmare.. Lines down to market.. New etl's had no idea what to do.. I had to call seasoned tl's to come to the front.. Had to tell the tell etl where the barrier posts were and had ap put them up.. Another seasoned cashier and I got the lines in order before a veteran etl came in and helped take over so we could start ringing..
In the past.. Black Friday hasn't been that bad. I think because it is all planned for and everything is in place before the guests get inside..we are armed and ready - not so much for tax free week.. Oh and during tax free week this year, target had the wrong day for the last day of tax free for our state.. Every clothing & shoe item had to be addressed and tax taken out.. Lpda's and pda's were blowing up with every change..
 
BF is a few crazy busy hours and then rush dies down...then it's just a normal seasonal business day.

Tax free weekend/BTS come before we have enough staffing and it's busy all day, all weekend. And the place gets trashed! And office pulls galore!

I'll take BF over Tax Free weekend any day!
 
We don't have tax free weekends, but back to school doesn't come close to black friday in terms of business at our store. Not even in the same league. BTS I worked 30-35 hours a week. 4th quarter I can swing 50 hours a week every week for almost two months because we're so busy that limiting payroll is not a concern.
 
You will be outside with the crazies.

Expect those women to come up at the last second to say they just want a gallon of milk (direct her to 7-11, anyplace else you know is open, or the back of the line.. lol)

You will also get "handicapped" people in wheelchairs trying to go in first. My AP has them wait outside the barricades and then lets them in the cart door when their space in line has come.

You are watching and listening for any line-cutters or any kind of disruption that could escalate into something bad.

You will mostly be saying "hey thanks for coming, here's a map of the store, do you want a granola bar? Tvs are here, apple products are only sold in electronics at the counter, blah blah blah. No running, no pushing.. if you do not remain calm you will not be buying anything and asked to leave.. if at any time the line becomes out of hand we will close the doors until everyone is under control.. we are giving tickets out for this tv.. they are limited quantities.. first come first serve, no you cannot bribe me.. yes I volunteered to be here, don't pity me.

Our AP usually calls us in 5 minutes prior and repositions us as Internal line monitors, and we basically just weave the line up and down aisles in electronics and through A-block and around into G-block eventually.


Honestly its probably the most exciting part about black Friday
 
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