Archived The 20%/$20 Rule

[NewCashierLT]

I just started my cashier position at Target a few weeks ago and although I understand about 80% of my job in working at a cash register, I still have a question about how to handle price corrections/adjustments.

For example, yesterday I had a guest who bought two Lays potato chips bags in their purchase. They claimed that there was a sale of two Lays bags for $5, but it didn't come up on the machine, and each bag scanned for $3.99. When they complained about it, I simply changed the price to $2.50 each through K1, and then the Guest Price Challenge option.

Obviously, the difference from the original price of $3.99 to $2.50 is $1.49, which is less than $20, but the percentage change is 37.5% off from the original price, more than 20% off.

I want to know how should I have handled this situation? Since the price change was $1.49, should I have done it like I did in order to make the guest happy? Or should I have called over a superior watching the registers/self-checkout area?

For what it's worth, I have spoken to someone who works in the Team Service Center and a superior who interviewed me for the cashier position about how to handle price corrections. The person in the Team Service Center said to always ask about price changes no matter how small they may be, and the superior who interviewed me for the position said he wanted me to be more independent and make my own decisions as a cashier. I don't know whose word I should trust. I didn't use the terms GSA, GSTL, STL, etc. even though I know what they stand for, because I still don't know who in my store is a GSA, GSTL, or STL.

I appreciate all of your help and suggestions and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[HRLady]

For what it's worth, I have spoken to someone who works in the Team Service Center and a superior who interviewed me for the cashier position about how to handle price corrections. The person in the Team Service Center said to always ask about price changes no matter how small they may be, and the superior who interviewed me for the position said he wanted me to be more independent and make my own decisions as a cashier. I don't know whose word I should trust. I didn't use the terms GSA, GSTL, STL, etc. even though I know what they stand for, because I still don't know who in my store is a GSA, GSTL, or STL.

I appreciate all of your help and suggestions and I look forward to hearing from you.

If you hear different things, the safest would be to go with whoever is in the highest position within your direct chain of command. For cashier, it would be STL (highest) to ETL-GE to GSTL to GSA (lowest).

Example: ETL-GE vs GSTL, go with what the ETL-GE says.

 

[NKG]

I just started my cashier position at Target a few weeks ago and although I understand about 80% of my job in working at a cash register, I still have a question about how to handle price corrections/adjustments.

For example, yesterday I had a guest who bought two Lays potato chips bags in their purchase. They claimed that there was a sale of two Lays bags for $5, but it didn't come up on the machine, and each bag scanned for $3.99. When they complained about it, I simply changed the price to $2.50 each through K1, and then the Guest Price Challenge option.

Obviously, the difference from the original price of $3.99 to $2.50 is $1.49, which is less than $20, but the percentage change is 37.5% off from the original price, more than 20% off.

I want to know how should I have handled this situation? Since the price change was $1.49, should I have done it like I did in order to make the guest happy? Or should I have called over a superior watching the registers/self-checkout area?

For what it's worth, I have spoken to someone who works in the Team Service Center and a superior who interviewed me for the cashier position about how to handle price corrections. The person in the Team Service Center said to always ask about price changes no matter how small they may be, and the superior who interviewed me for the position said he wanted me to be more independent and make my own decisions as a cashier. I don't know whose word I should trust. I didn't use the terms GSA, GSTL, STL, etc. even though I know what they stand for, because I still don't know who in my store is a GSA, GSTL, or STL.

I appreciate all of your help and suggestions and I look forward to hearing from you.

In that case just do it based of dollar. Ive had guests tell me something was 30% onclearance and it was obviously not so in that case Id verify price. If all else fails you can call your GSA/GSTL over to give the final say.

 

[Times Up]

In that case just do it based of dollar. Ive had guests tell me something was 30% onclearance and it was obviously not so in that case Id verify price. If all else fails you can call your GSA/GSTL over to give the final say.

In other words, just give it to the guest for whatever price they want. My GSTL tells me she trusts me, yet when something feels scammy or unreasonable and I ask for input, she just gives it to the guest anyway.

 

[Anelmi]

As a new cashier, I would call over the GSA/GSTL for confirmation/clarification. I know at my store, they don't want newbie cashiers to make price change decisions right away. Once the GSA/TL is comfortable with you and feels you know your stuff, then you'll probably get the go-ahead to do it independent of review.

 

[Schind]

Rules on price changes depend on the store, but anything under $5 is almost always okay. My store tells us up to $20 if it sounds reasonable, and my personal cutoff is around 20% (with more leeway if the item is inexpensive). It's case by case, of course. In your case, I'd do it without hesitation.

Another way to think of it is by asking yourself if an item would ever be on sale for that amount.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Call your gsa/GS tl to help you. Also, the ad has chips sizes shown there too.

 

[TTGOz]

Whenever a customer brings up an issue with the price "Oh that was suppose to be 2/$5" I start first by looking in the ad that's suppose to be at the checklane. Usually chips on sale for 2/$5 is a worthy enough sale to be in the ad-book, I try to find out if he/she saw a sign, I mean it's obvious there's a sign there but I've had people go "Oh, well... no, I just thought they were on sale."

If it's Sunday, it's new ad day, and not all ads get taken down, that's not the make or break in my decision of honoring someone's price change but I know for a fact not all ad gets taken down some nights, and creates hassle at the front end. If it's more than $3 I try my best to get a hold of someone back there or get my GSTL to help me out. If it's under $3 I'll usually just change it, it's whatever.

Next time the GSTL or GSA can help you, but what you did was pretty much right in regards to the price change. Your GSTL would have probably just done the same.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

@Amanda Cantwell

For 2/5 I'd check the ad. if it's not in there, say "oh i'm sorry I don't see it..." trailing off and see if they say "oh well never mind then" which some do. if they don't for that price honestly I'd just do it, since it could have been a deal last week. make sure the ad doesn't have 2/5 for a smaller size. @TTGOz is right-- sometimes on sundays ads don't all get taken down. definitely after they leave ask a hardlines tm or wherever dpt it is to check.

also looping in @Hazza43

 

[Hazza43]

Most of our prices changes are changed if they sound reasonable... we don't really use that whole 20% thing in my store, we stick to the whole $20... well because they can't physically go above it. If it doesn't sound reasonable we defiantly go and check if there is either an expired sales sign or the item was "the only one" and was in the wrong location. But if a guest comes up to guest services saying the price is different by $1 when it was $15 we would do it but if the change was like $6 that's definitely getting verified... definitely if you feel uncomfortable changing the price turn on your blinker because it's better to question it then to get in trouble later for basically a 90% off kind of thing

 

[Militantagnostic]

At my store I was told if it's a 50% or more, or $10+ dollar difference then it needs approval. The system can be flawed so I always notify my GSTL when discrepancies keep coming up. If it seems resonable go with the flow, if it doesn't feel right hit the light!

 

[Xanatos]

Price inquiry is your friend, especially on Sundays! If you hit price inquiry and then scan an item, you can see the regular price, the sale price (if it's on sale at all), and the price someone would get if they returned it without a receipt (which should be the lowest price in the last 90 days or something).

If an item rings up at $3.99 and the guest says it's supposed to be $2.50 and the lowest price (out of the 3 that come up when you scan under price inquiry) is $2.50, then it's probably an old sign that is still up and you should change it. If the price happens to be less than $2.50, then you can definitely still go with the $2.50 that the guest said. If it's like $3, then the guest has made a mistake (or lied) or the item is in the wrong spot, but yeah it's still pretty reasonable because that item has been on sale for a similar price recently.

If it says $3.99 (this item just never goes on sale)... well then you need to know how your particular store handles this. It's still a very small dollar amount, so the company policy is to just give it to them because it's not worth the fight. Your GSTL/GSA might want you to call them over so they can call someone on the sales floor to double check to make sure the items are in the right spot.

 

[beachlover]

I'm assigned SL but seem to spend about 15% or more of my shifts backing up cashier. In my store and ASANTS, I was told to use the $20 mark for an entire order - never heard the 20% mark. Especially when backing up, the lines are long and people are cranky, my store would rather discount a bucks and close the transaction then question the guest. And, when backing up, the GSTL is usually helping on other lanes. That said, one of the GSTL's, who I grown to respect said, hey use your gut, if you think the guest is taking advantage of a busy time and they see us call a back up cashier to the front, flip the light and question the guest.

I wouldn't be shy about asking your TL for clarification as to store policy. Just let him/her know that you are trying really hard to follow the rules while focusing on an optimal guest experience.

 

[GoodyNN]

Also, FYI, when you do a K1 guest price challenge, it sends an alert out to the MyDevices so someone can check signage and so that the GSTL and LOD are aware that an over-ride took place.

 

[NewCashierLT]

Thank you so much for all of your help!! I will use all of the advice I have received here when cashiering in the future.

Price inquiry is your friend, especially on Sundays! If you hit price inquiry and then scan an item, you can see the regular price, the sale price (if it's on sale at all), and the price someone would get if they returned it without a receipt (which should be the lowest price in the last 90 days or something).

If an item rings up at $3.99 and the guest says it's supposed to be $2.50 and the lowest price (out of the 3 that come up when you scan under price inquiry) is $2.50, then it's probably an old sign that is still up and you should change it. If the price happens to be less than $2.50, then you can definitely still go with the $2.50 that the guest said. If it's like $3, then the guest has made a mistake (or lied) or the item is in the wrong spot, but yeah it's still pretty reasonable because that item has been on sale for a similar price recently.

If it says $3.99 (this item just never goes on sale)... well then you need to know how your particular store handles this. It's still a very small dollar amount, so the company policy is to just give it to them because it's not worth the fight. Your GSTL/GSA might want you to call them over so they can call someone on the sales floor to double check to make sure the items are in the right spot.

I didn't know that when using Price Inquiry, the price someone would get if they returned it without a receipt was the lowest sale price in the last 90 days. I will definitely keep that in mind.

Also, FYI, when you do a K1 guest price challenge, it sends an alert out to the MyDevices so someone can check signage and so that the GSTL and LOD are aware that an over-ride took place.

This is actually something that I am afraid of. I would like to make my decisions on price challenges by myself, but I am worried about the GSTL and LOD knowing that I changed the price through the Guest Price Challenge. Wasn't there an option that allowed you to change the price without sending the alert to MyDevices? I will try to look for it on this forum, but if somebody could provide details about that, I would appreciate it.

 

[REDcardJJ]

Thank you so much for all of your help!! I will use all of the advice I have received here when cashiering in the future.



I didn't know that when using Price Inquiry, the price someone would get if they returned it without a receipt was the lowest sale price in the last 90 days. I will definitely keep that in mind.



This is actually something that I am afraid of. I would like to make my decisions on price challenges by myself, but I am worried about the GSTL and LOD knowing that I changed the price through the Guest Price Challenge. Wasn't there an option that allowed you to change the price without sending the alert to MyDevices? I will try to look for it on this forum, but if somebody could provide details about that, I would appreciate it.

Why do you need to change the prices without an LOD or GSTL knowing? If the sale signage is legitimately still up, they need to have someone go fix it. It's really not a big deal as long as you're not abusing it. It depends on your store, but the cutoff at my store is $5 for Store Coupons and $20 for price adjustments. We always make it right and we hand out $5 GiftCards like candy. If you're really unsure about your store's policy, ask your GSA or GSTL.

To answer your original question, if they said it was supposed to be 2 for $5, I'd just give it to them. A $1.50 difference is really no big deal compared to the sales that my store does in a day (according to my GSTL). Instead of using price adjustment though, it might be a better idea to apply a store coupon for the difference to make it 2 for $5.

 

[NewCashierLT]

Why do you need to change the prices without an LOD or GSTL knowing? If the sale signage is legitimately still up, they need to have someone go fix it. It's really not a big deal as long as you're not abusing it. It depends on your store, but the cutoff at my store is $5 for Store Coupons and $20 for price adjustments. We always make it right and we hand out $5 GiftCards like candy. If you're really unsure about your store's policy, ask your GSA or GSTL.

To answer your original question, if they said it was supposed to be 2 for $5, I'd just give it to them. A $1.50 difference is really no big deal compared to the sales that my store does in a day (according to my GSTL). Instead of using price adjustment though, it might be a better idea to apply a store coupon for the difference to make it 2 for $5.

In regards to the general situation, to be completely honest, there have been other times when guests have stated that a certain item should have a lower price than what came up on the register machine. Usually, the guests say that they saw a sign that said this item was on sale. In these cases, using a Guest Price Challenge to alert the GSTL or LOD about a sign and the possibility that a sign was in the wrong place or that items were left on the wrong shelves would be the best option.

To be more specific about the Lays 2 for 5$ sale, I believe that this sale was in the weekly ad at my location, but it may have been from a previous week, which is why it did not come up on the register when I scanned them. The guest however, was very firm in their belief that it should have been 2 for 5$, which led me to change the price to match the sale that they insisted upon.

The reason that I asked about this exact situation is that I admit that I want to make the guest happier and if it means reducing the price on an item, I have a tendency do just that most of the time. Maybe it's because I have only worked a few weeks at Target, but I am still uneasy about handling price challenges and I don't want to call over an LOD or GSTL for every price change, especially when it is busy and I have a line at my register, but I also don't want to be coached or warned about being too easily manipulated by guests.

I do realize that I should also learn the leadership positions (who is GSTL, STL, GSA etc.) and like HRLady said, follow the advice of whoever is highest in the chain of command.

 

[Anelmi]

Okay yes the Lays are 2 for $5 but I bet the size of bags she got were larger than the ones advertised. In which case, she bullied her way into you changing the price.

Keep in mind, frequent guests know the new cashiers and will seek them out if they are trying to get away w stuff.

The GSA/TL are there to help you. Use them. And being afraid to trigger an alert? Hmmm.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

You should never need to make a price change without GSA/TL knowing. You don’t always have to ask, but you shouldn’t need to hide it from them.

 

[Xanatos]

In regards to the general situation, to be completely honest, there have been other times when guests have stated that a certain item should have a lower price than what came up on the register machine. Usually, the guests say that they saw a sign that said this item was on sale. In these cases, using a Guest Price Challenge to alert the GSTL or LOD about a sign and the possibility that a sign was in the wrong place or that items were left on the wrong shelves would be the best option.

To be more specific about the Lays 2 for 5$ sale, I believe that this sale was in the weekly ad at my location, but it may have been from a previous week, which is why it did not come up on the register when I scanned them. The guest however, was very firm in their belief that it should have been 2 for 5$, which led me to change the price to match the sale that they insisted upon.

The reason that I asked about this exact situation is that I admit that I want to make the guest happier and if it means reducing the price on an item, I have a tendency do just that most of the time. Maybe it's because I have only worked a few weeks at Target, but I am still uneasy about handling price challenges and I don't want to call over an LOD or GSTL for every price change, especially when it is busy and I have a line at my register, but I also don't want to be coached or warned about being too easily manipulated by guests.

I do realize that I should also learn the leadership positions (who is GSTL, STL, GSA etc.) and like HRLady said, follow the advice of whoever is highest in the chain of command.

If they're anything like anyone I have ever met, they'd see that alert and mentally (or audibly) say "oh who the fuck cares, I have better things to do". The only way you'd get approached is if you consistently gave people $50+ discounts. Literally everything is tracked at Target. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a keylogger on every register and every computer. Almost every button you press on the register shows up on a computer report called insidePOS - it's detailed enough that you can basically track the thought process of the cashier. If you're stealing or helping people steal, they will catch you. If you're not doing anything wrong, you're fine.

 

[MrGSTLman]

I use the rule of thumb that if you think the price change is reasonable just go ahead and do it. There is no sense making the guest wait while we try and prove them wrong. Change it and we can deal with it later.

That being said, if it was a large or egregious difference, or you have a sense the guest is trying to put one over on you, then call a GSTL/GSA.

I wouldn't get yourself too worked up about it, to be honest. I have been at this a while and I can tell when guests are trying to cheat us, and when it is a legitimate mistake on our end.

 

[NewCashierLT]

I realize that I may have left a negative impression because I implied that I wanted to hide the price corrections that I had to and will have to handle in the future, and I apologize for that.

Like MrGSTLman said, hopefully I can get used to dealing with guests and as I gain more experience in handling price challenges.

 

[HRZone]

I realize that I may have left a negative impression because I implied that I wanted to hide the price corrections that I had to and will have to handle in the future, and I apologize for that.

Like MrGSTLman said, hopefully I can get used to dealing with guests and as I gain more experience in handling price challenges.

You're fine. It shows you care to even ask

 

[NewCashierLT]

Kind of related, but today I had an odd situation that started with a guest talking to the GSTL. Now, this GSTL is a really nice guy, but he pretty much always sides with the guest when it comes to price challenges.
Apparently, the guest convinced the GSTL that a bedding item he wantes to buy should be $28.99. The GSTL instructed me from afar to change the price of the item after he discussed the matter with the guest.
When I rang up the bedding item, the original price was $69.99. I changed it to $28.99 using guest price challenge, but without a supervisor override needed. I was really surprised since most price changes over $20 require a supervisor override.
After closing, I asked my GSTL why the price change went through without a supervisor code. He explained that sometimes, price changes over $20 are allowed without a supervisor override depending on the situation.
I know that the GSTL told me to change the price, so if AP asks about this, the GSTL will take responsibility for the price change, but I am wondering if anyone else has encountered something like this. To be frank, I almost wish the supervisor override screen appeared so that it would be 100% clear that the GSTL approved the price change.

 

[idkwhattodo]

Kind of related, but today I had an odd situation that started with a guest talking to the GSTL. Now, this GSTL is a really nice guy, but he pretty much always sides with the guest when it comes to price challenges.
Apparently, the guest convinced the GSTL that a bedding item he wantes to buy should be $28.99. The GSTL instructed me from afar to change the price of the item after he discussed the matter with the guest.
When I rang up the bedding item, the original price was $69.99. I changed it to $28.99 using guest price challenge, but without a supervisor override needed. I was really surprised since most price changes over $20 require a supervisor override.
After closing, I asked my GSTL why the price change went through without a supervisor code. He explained that sometimes, price changes over $20 are allowed without a supervisor override depending on the situation.
I know that the GSTL told me to change the price, so if AP asks about this, the GSTL will take responsibility for the price change, but I am wondering if anyone else has encountered something like this. To be frank, I almost wish the supervisor override screen appeared so that it would be 100% clear that the GSTL approved the price change.

I had this situation the other day with a price match. I was unsure I should do the price match for a team member. I don’t think it was anything like shady, but it just felt off to me amd I don’t trust that the team member 100% knows the price match policy, so I called over my GSTL. She looks at it real quick and says it’s good to go. It was a $30 change, so I figured it would promp for a supervisor code, but nope! I obviously got approval from a supervisor, but I was kind of scared it would fall back on me in some way.

Anyway, we tested out the system and for some reason it is prompting supervisor codes at the $20 limit on some items/ some circumstances and then letting us go on other items even well above the $30 threshold. Another GSTL of mine agreed that it’s a little scary to give that much power to certain individuals.