Target GiftCards: why are access codes so hard to read - and inconsistently placed?

[Amanda Cantwell]

any one of my team members pressing no thanks (or doing that cute little price inquiry trick) without actually asking the guest is getting a documented coaching. circle is so easy to talk to guests about so there's really no excuse for not doing it.

You’d literally be coaching almost my entire front end. I agree circle isn’t hard to talk about but the current card reader implementation is horrible. They desperately need to fix it.

 

[redeye58]

...and at Starbucks when there's a line to the door.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

...and at Starbucks when there's a line to the door.

My favorite is at GS when we’re generating a “make it right” gift card, we have to clear it. 🙄

 

[JAShands]

Last week I had to help out up front a lot due to call outs and had no problem asking every last guest about Circle, but I kept it pretty short and to the point. Just a simple, will you be using Target Circle, formerly Cartwheel, with us today? From there I would either ask for a barcode or prompt them to enter their phone number, or to tap No Thanks. If they seemed a little confused as to the program or where to tap I would No Thanks them while explaining its a digital coupon within the app on their smart phone. The older guests usually don’t want to bother and I’m not going to force them to be educated. (There is a retirement village close by and that’s who I’m thinking of when I refer to older guests. The ones shopping with chaperones and nurse aides.)

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

I usually say "if you have a phone number for target circle, enter that, otherwise hit no thanks on the card reader"

 

[REDcardJJ]

You’d literally be coaching almost my entire front end. I agree circle isn’t hard to talk about but the current card reader implementation is horrible. They desperately need to fix it.

it sounds like your leaders haven't properly set expectations. that's a culture issue. my team knows what i'm expecting and they are performing accordingly.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

it sounds like your leaders haven't properly set expectations. that's a culture issue. my team knows what i'm expecting and they are performing accordingly.

They’ve properly set expectations— they’re just different than yours. Not better or worse, just different. When there’s a line, we’re expected to go quickly. We’re performing accordingly.

 

[REDcardJJ]

They’ve properly set expectations— they’re just different than yours. Not better or worse, just different. When there’s a line, we’re expected to go quickly. We’re performing accordingly.

i mean when your whole job is “educate guests about loyalty offerings” and you aren’t educating guests about loyalty offerings, you aren’t really doing your job. this is the exact reason that the card reader prompt exists and why it probably isn’t going away. the goal is 40% of transactions include circle. are you meeting that consistently? i’m willing to bet not if your entire team isn’t even asking. it physically isn’t possible.

 

[Tessa120]

But what about great guest experience, including not making everyone in line wait for a circle explanation to the first person in line?

Think like a guest sometimes. Think if you would like it. I think I'm not the only person who would find it completely unreasonable to have to wait. And I think I'm by far not the only person who would go nuclear on a manager over a stupid policy.

 

[SallyHoover]

I also have added kids under the age of around 15 -with or without their parents present who I circumvent the system with inquiry. If a parent is pushing an 8 year old to pay with their own cash (gift money) or gift card just as we didn't market redcards to minors, I am not going to ask them to put in their phone number. If they have their phone out with the target app and barcode (parent or child) I will happy scan it.

I also get annoyed guest who are using their red card and don't like to use the app and see no point in putting in their phone number even after I have explained the system to them. I do remind them if they are ever not using their red card (cash or gift card or if they forgot their red card) to make sure they put in their phone number so they will earn 1 % on those transactions too.

 

[Cinnamon2005]

But what about great guest experience, including not making everyone in line wait for a circle explanation to the first person in line?

Think like a guest sometimes. Think if you would like it. I think I'm not the only person who would find it completely unreasonable to have to wait. And I think I'm by far not the only person who would go nuclear on a manager over a stupid policy.

Our SE ETL doesn't care if other guests have to wait while each advocate gives the Circle spiel. Of course, she isn't the one dealing with irate guests.

 

[jackandcat]

I saw a new cashier reach over and hit ‘no thanks’ for every guest without saying anything, during training, with the trainer standing next to him.

Did the trainer teach them to do that? Much as I dislike the distraction of Circle on small transactions, where I actually do want to talk about the RC, what you've observed is flat-out unethical.

 

[jackandcat]

i mean when your whole job is “educate guests about loyalty offerings” and you aren’t educating guests about loyalty offerings, you aren’t really doing your job. this is the exact reason that the card reader prompt exists and why it probably isn’t going away. the goal is 40% of transactions include circle. are you meeting that consistently? i’m willing to bet not if your entire team isn’t even asking. it physically isn’t possible.

I'd offer a different take. The S&E Guest Advocate's whole job is NOT just "educating guests about loyalty offerings", though it is a big part. Our primary job is to greeting our guest, thanking them for shopping with us while at the same time scanning and bagging their items and processing their payments, including irksome Target Giftcards.

If we don't actually give our guests a satisfactory checkout experience - including accurately and efficiently scanning and bagging stuff and processing payments including Giftcards - then "educating" unhappy guests about Target's loyalty offerings becomes moot. Guests who are unsatisfied with the checkout experience are less likely to remain "loyal" guests. The store loses sales, hours are reduced for TMs. I don't believe anyone here wants that to happen.

 

[jackandcat]

Most of us who contribute here make an effort, at least occasionally, to consider how our valued guest is experiencing the checkout process at our store. IMHO, that is why the poorly-designed Giftcard access codes, awkwardly-designed Target Circle login, chip-card reader malfunctions and so forth can really mess up the guest experience. Unhappy guests who don't like frequently experience long checkout lines, along with a perception of time-consuming high-pressure haranging about Circle/App/RC loyalty programs won't be "loyal": their shopping will be focused on just loss-leader sale items and not much else.

Target's past, present and future success is to earn the trust and loyalty of guests who will WANT to spend more of their money with us. We contribute to this by giving our guests a pleasant, low-stress, hassle-free purchase experience at checkout, by thanking them for their business, and by personally offering them (not "hard-selling" them) additional channels for us to reward them for shopping at Target.

 

[Mikuhl]

Any of you saying anything other than "do you have a phone number here?" And pointing to the prompt, are over complicating it. Works 99% of the time. The more information the less likely they are to do it.

 

[Anelmi]

I can't tell you how many people (potential Circle sign-uppers) put in their phone number and then read the bit about text messages and say "nope" and cancel.

 

[happygoth]

I am so used to using SCO and scanning my Circle barcode that all of this sounds so strange to me. Anyone who shops at Target with any regularity should be using the Target app to scan for deals and have the barcode scanned at checkout - no phone number needed, no text messages required. Hell, no cashier needed if using SCO. Our guests need to get with the times!

 

[jackandcat]

I am so used to using SCO and scanning my Circle barcode that all of this sounds so strange to me. Anyone who shops at Target with any regularity should be using the Target app to scan for deals and have the barcode scanned at checkout - no phone number needed, no text messages required. Hell, no cashier needed if using SCO. Our guests need to get with the times!

Keep in mind that the majority of Target guests do not actually use the Target app. Not all smartphone users want to use an app at each and every store where they do business. Some smartphones have limited memory capacity, and not every smartphone user wants data on their personal spending patterns tracked via cellphone. The phone number and text message approach still tracks spending patterns but is seen as less intrusive. You do raise really good points about encouraging use of the app - but America is a free country (unlike China) and if we demand that "our guests need to get with the times!" in order to buy a loaf of bread or package of toilet paper from us those guests will shop elsewhere.

The irony in all of this is that anyone using a debit card or credit card is in fact leaving a data trail of their purchases with Target even if they opt out of Circle, the App and the RC. That's why the service desk can easily process no-receipt returns by having the guest insert their payment card into the card reader, then scanning the item to determine if it shows up on their receipt history. The only way to be "under the radar" at Target is paying with paper currency and coins, and forfeiting the benefits of our rewards plans.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Does Target ever send you text messages if you just have Circle? I don't think I've ever gotten a text message from them except for verifying my phone number. I have Redcard and the app, though.

 

[Leo47]

I’ve never gotten a text from target at all. And same I have redcard and the app. I do get SO many emails from target though

 

[jackandcat]

Does Target ever send you text messages if you just have Circle? I don't think I've ever gotten a text message from them except for verifying my phone number. I have Redcard and the app, though.

I haven't received any text messages from Target recently other than the first verification call. Oddly enough, I've received some text messages from Target in the past so it's a bit odd that I don't receive them today.

 

[Tessa120]

I’ve never gotten a text from target at all. And same I have redcard and the app. I do get SO many emails from target though

Unsubscribe. Should be a link in micro print at the bottom of the emails. If that fails, mark as spam.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

Unsubscribe. Should be a link in micro print at the bottom of the emails. If that fails, mark as spam.

RC holders get 10% off on their anniversary, but only if you're subscribed

 

[Tessa120]

Then spam. Still subscribed, you just don't see it.

Or set a filter and have it go to a folder where you won't see it.

 

[NewKidGSTL]

Keep in mind that the majority of Target guests do not actually use the Target app. Not all smartphone users want to use an app at each and every store where they do business. Some smartphones have limited memory capacity, and not every smartphone user wants data on their personal spending patterns tracked via cellphone. The phone number and text message approach still tracks spending patterns but is seen as less intrusive. You do raise really good points about encouraging use of the app - but America is a free country (unlike China) and if we demand that "our guests need to get with the times!" in order to buy a loaf of bread or package of toilet paper from us those guests will shop elsewhere.

The irony in all of this is that anyone using a debit card or credit card is in fact leaving a data trail of their purchases with Target even if they opt out of Circle, the App and the RC. That's why the service desk can easily process no-receipt returns by having the guest insert their payment card into the card reader, then scanning the item to determine if it shows up on their receipt history. The only way to be "under the radar" at Target is paying with paper currency and coins, and forfeiting the benefits of our rewards plans.

You don’t have to use the app. That’s the point of the phone number. You can add the deals via target.com/circle and enter your phone number or have target.com/circle pulled up in your web browser.