Archived Target RedCard opinions?

[TTGOz]

I think it's absolute bubkis that the RedCard is going to define if I get promoted out of Cashier or not. I've only gotten one and that was because they straight up were there just to sign up for a RedCard.

I've come to the conclusion that everybody either already has a RedCard, or absolutely does not want a RedCard. I was thinking maybe if the RedCard had a 25% sign on bonus off the transaction you got signed up on a LOT of people wouldn't hesitate. Or if RedCard stocked all Cart Wheel deals and you automatically got those deals if you had items that were on Cartwheel, although that would take the fun out of Cartwheeling itself.

Idk I just hate how RedCards are going to hold me hostage in my Cashier position when I was first hired to do Cart Attending but I was told "redcards really help in securing getting any transfers you want or need." and it's hard because people have no motivation to sign up for a RedCard on the spot or at all.

What is your opinion?

 

[garbage]

My opinion is that the whole "RedCards drive guest loyalty" is complete and utter bullshit. Long lines, no team members on the sales floor, and getting haggled to sign up for a RedCard when you finally check out is going to kill guest loyalty. Stupid executives can't understand that.

 

[Kartman]

How can they be woken up?

 

[Produce Queen]

How can they be woken up?

If the media starts doing stories about Targets tactics for Redcards including the threat to cashiers of being fired for not getting them when policy states you just have to ask each guest.

Something along those lines ought to cause a shift in corporates Redcard directives.

 

[pellinore]

The question that remains is...how do we alert the media?

 

[Kartman]

Shout it out loud!

 

[snoboy8999]

I think the question is why do you think you're unsuccessful at getting Redcards.

 

[Dave1988]

How can they be woken up?

Their bonus depends on sales and redcard numbers. Take away the redcard incentive and maybe they will ease up.

 

[Flabbergasted]

The sad truth is, as much as we would like to think otherwise, the REDcards are still generating profits for corporate. Otherwise they would ease on the pushiness at least a little. But they haven't because it really is true, corporate rakes in great profits from all the interest the cards generate. That's why almost every retailer with a store credit card is pushing them, not just Target. When profits are involved, corporations could give two shits about their employees. But of course, you wouldn't dare see Brian Cornell or one of his lackeys on a register pitching the REDcard. He'll just reap the benefits of other people doing it for him.

The only effective way to protest is for guests to take issue with it and then the cards no longer generate revenue. But that will never happen because people just don't care. They have chosen to put up with it. Just like they put up with the skeleton crews.

 

[dannyy315]

My opinion is that the whole "RedCards drive guest loyalty" is complete and utter bullshit. Long lines, no team members on the sales floor, and getting haggled to sign up for a RedCard when you finally check out is going to kill guest loyalty. Stupid executives can't understand that.

Exactly. Redcards by themselves would drive up guest loyalty, but dumb business practices counteract that and leave a lot of guests frustrated.

 

[aj76257]

The sad truth is, as much as we would like to think otherwise, the REDcards are still generating profits for corporate. Otherwise they would ease on the pushiness at least a little. But they haven't because it really is true, corporate rakes in great profits from all the interest the cards generate. That's why almost every retailer with a store credit card is pushing them, not just Target.

While that's true, I don't think interest is the primary concern as otherwise there wouldn't be a debit card as well. REDCards generate more sales because the 5% off makes people feel like they can spend more since they're saving. Plus, it's usually customers (I refuse to get brainwashed into calling them guests) who shop regularly and are already buying a lot who have REDCards.

In my opinion, signing up for a REDCard does increase loyalty as you are making a commitment to Target by giving them additional personal information and paying directly through them. The 5% off and other incentives make you more likely to return.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about the REDCard. As a cashier, I can't stand having to meet impossible quotas. I feel like the market is saturated. Basically everyone that wants a REDCard already has one. Nobody else wants to actually take the time to learn more about the program, and I respect that. If I didn't work for Target and hadn't felt pressured into getting the debit card so I could get the team member discount, I wouldn't have bothered to sign up for one simply out of ignorance. I feel like the REDCard is a good deal and I find myself wondering why so many people refuse to try the debit card since it seems to have no downsides (other than sacrificing your privacy by giving Target more data about your shopping habits), but then again I have to remember that working for the company has made me biased.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Another red card thread

 

[glo]

Redcards aren't going away. A redcard holder is more likely to shop at target than at a competitor. While it may seem like redcard goals are unfair, that's part of a cashier's job and if they're not fulfilling that part of the job, why would the higher ups think that the cashier could fulfil other requirements for another position? The best way to promote is to become universal. See if you can crosstrain into sales floor, backroom, or flow. Go all out and stand above your peers. Get yourself noticed for your hard work and reliability. Continue to train in other areas, train others yourself, and take on more responsibility and then express your interest in whichever position you want.

 

[ChecklaneChica]

I think it's absolute bubkis that the RedCard is going to define if I get promoted out of Cashier or not. I've only gotten one and that was because they straight up were there just to sign up for a RedCard.

I've come to the conclusion that everybody either already has a RedCard, or absolutely does not want a RedCard. I was thinking maybe if the RedCard had a 25% sign on bonus off the transaction you got signed up on a LOT of people wouldn't hesitate. Or if RedCard stocked all Cart Wheel deals and you automatically got those deals if you had items that were on Cartwheel, although that would take the fun out of Cartwheeling itself.

Idk I just hate how RedCards are going to hold me hostage in my Cashier position when I was first hired to do Cart Attending but I was told "redcards really help in securing getting any transfers you want or need." and it's hard because people have no motivation to sign up for a RedCard on the spot or at all.

What is your opinion?

To be quite honest and based on my personal experience, I think you'd have to be mediocre at selling red cards to be cross-trained out of cashier. If you don't get enough redcards, they'll tell you that you need to become better at that before they'll consider training you elsewhere. On the other hand, if you become a beast at selling redcards, they'll want to keep you as cashier (because a store is only as good as the number of redcards it gets). The ETL who hired me made it seem like getting cross trained was a breeze. Nah. It took six months just to get trained at the service desk. Would've been longer if they hadn't been short on people and I hadn't been persistant in asking.

 

[Kartman]

I suck at selling red cards and that's just the way I like it.

 

[Deli Ninja]

The ETL who hired me made it seem like getting cross trained was a breeze. Nah. It took six months just to get trained at the service desk. Would've been longer if they hadn't been short on people and I hadn't been persistant in asking.

They're doing this to every single new hire right now at my store it seems like. "Oh, you won't be getting 40 hours but you can totally pick up cashiering hours and get cross-trained and pick up hours that way, too!" Then, when asked about cross-training or even getting trained on a register... "Oh, we don't have any training hours." The last two Deli TMs we hired never got cashier trained, and one quit. The other seems OK with the hours he's getting right now, thankfully.

 

[Flabbergasted]

I was terrible at getting REDcards as a cashier and was told repeatedly that just to be cross-trained at the *service desk* I would need to improve my numbers. Not long after I was a regular closer @ the SD and, when it was convenient for them, promoted to GSA. They never took my REDcards as a cashier or service desk TM into account.

Honestly when they're telling cashiers that bullshit it's usually because they don't want you to cross-train or get a promotion. It's just an easy excuse to say "Oh, we can't let you cross-train because you don't get enough REDcards."

 

[BeelzeBecky]

The red card is a marketing research tool.
I'm sure it generates sales for Target but it also allows the corporation to track trends. They can learn what items to discontinue or what to stock up on based on certain demographics.

As far as selling them, I hate that term. We're not "selling" red cards, we're signing people up. We're "offering" them.
We're manipulating little old ladies into signing up for a card that they have no idea what it is. We're badgering customers over and over and over until they know that instead of saying "fine and you?" they automatically say "don't ask, I don't want a card."

I can sell the shit out of them but I hate them. I'm so happy when I work service desk so that I'm not expected to be as pushy on red cards.

 

[Anelmi]

I'm so happy when I work service desk so that I'm not expected to be as pushy on red cards.

Same.

 

[PassinTime]

I can sell the shit out of them but I hate them. I'm so happy when I work service desk so that I'm not expected to be as pushy on red cards.

My store expected SD to get sign ups figuring that at the SD you had more time with the guest. Meaning more time to seal the deal.

 

[signingminion]

My store expected SD to get sign ups figuring that at the SD you had more time with the guest. Meaning more time to seal the deal.

My sd regulars are super stars at turning returns into redcards. It's like voodoo. So no rest there. Lol.

But they have metrics for market saturation. After five years is was under 10%. Needled to say most others in the district were also under 20%.

Either drink the koolaid or kiss cross training goodbye.

 

[TTGOz]

I noticed that all the people I've gotten to sign up for RedCards have been the elderly people. Honestly the redcard is a good thing to have and I got it myself to save a little bit of money + my team discount + cartwheel. Just wish there was more incentive for guests to sign up, more of a on the spot reason.

 

[sher]

A gsa asked me yesterday if I had a redcard, I said yes, and he goes "both of them? You can apply for the other one." And I laughed in his face. I told him I was denied already to shut him up and he goes "you can still apply again." Laughed in his face again. I've had cashiers try to get me to apply for the other one before, too. I'm not getting a hard inquiry for your metrics.

If they're harassing team members there's no doubt in my mind that there are customers out there who hate tf out of this redcard nonsense. If redcards are still generating profits, okay, I understand, but if I pull out my redcard to pay, don't offer me another redcard. If a guest says no once, don't harass them. And don't encourage your staff to do that. It's annoying and reeks of desperation. Idk, maybe it's just my store that's doing that, but man, I hate it

 

[themusicalfruit]

You know, I love my RedCard. I use it every time I go and buy something. But, as a cashier, I hate having to push it on everyone. My store is near a college that gets a lot of international students and when they come in, I can tell they are fairly confused by it all. Old people barely understand the chip card reader. I get mega coupon users who like to pay in cash rather than use a card (probably because most of our couponers are hispanic and live in a state that contains a lot of illegal immigrants) and they are not interested.

On top of asking, Target is obsessed with our RG scores. How can they expect me to be fast and efficient at bagging and scanning, engage with the customer without being fake, and also coerce them into signing up for a company credit or debit card while a line of customers streams out into the main aisle because they only scheduled for one cashier to be on duty for several hours? Plus, with the new self-check outs going up in stores, customers now don't even have the chance to be asked.

Idk. I love my job for the most part but their cashier expectations are a little whacky.

 

[aj76257]

They're doing this to every single new hire right now at my store it seems like. "Oh, you won't be getting 40 hours but you can totally pick up cashiering hours and get cross-trained and pick up hours that way, too!" Then, when asked about cross-training or even getting trained on a register... "Oh, we don't have any training hours." The last two Deli TMs we hired never got cashier trained, and one quit. The other seems OK with the hours he's getting right now, thankfully.

Honestly, it doesn't seem like anybody who wasn't originally hired as a cashier got proper cashier training, and it's pretty annoying. I often have to help hardlines TMs with things, and hell, there's stuff that I'm still learning that I wish I'd been taught on day one.

My store expected SD to get sign ups figuring that at the SD you had more time with the guest. Meaning more time to seal the deal.

Really? If I were just making a return or so upset about something that I had to go to the service desk, I would absolutely not want to hear any redcard bs.

Old people barely understand the chip card reader.

Ugh, nobody understands the chip reader. I got so sick of people asking about it that I taped a little "Yes, we chip!" sign to the card reader for a week, but some people were too stupid to read it and assumed it meant we weren't chipping. It's such a mess and it won't be fixed until swipe cards are phased out over the next few years.

On top of asking, Target is obsessed with our RG scores. How can they expect me to be fast and efficient at bagging and scanning, engage with the customer without being fake, and also coerce them into signing up for a company credit or debit card while a line of customers streams out into the main aisle because they only scheduled for one cashier to be on duty for several hours? Plus, with the new self-check outs going up in stores, customers now don't even have the chance to be asked.

Personally, I wait until the last few items to ask so I already know I'll be okay on time, and I squeeze my three sentence pitch into about 3 seconds. I'm surprised they even care about your RG scores though. I get laughed at by the GSAs and GSTLs for having an obsession with trying to stay above 95%. When I tell them I want to have the highest rating out of everyone in the store, they just tell me to focus on redcards.

Also, how many stores have self-check outs? I thought that most consumers hated self-check outs.

Idk. I love my job for the most part but their cashier expectations are a little whacky.

Preach!