I'm Lost! The REDCard Thread

We stopped doing incentives a yer ago....I guess that the $5.00 requisitions were getting to be too much....we overspent and we haven't had any fun requisitions in over a year.
 
Your store is much higher pressure than mine. First of all if someone has one, we are not expected to get a second one from them, or even ask. We have to "push past the first no". Basically what you do-- if they say no once, we have to try one more time. After that, we don't have to say anything about it.
 
Do you guys think they will ever stop pushing as hard for them? They've been out for years. I feel like everyone who really wants one has gotten one. I mean we should still advertise but I don't think we need to have these "you need to be hounding every single guest to get one and if they have one ask them if they want another" type thing to meet this crazy goal. I really don't get why Target is so obsessed with them.

Today I was pulled off the lanes by 3 different GSTLs and was told I need to push more for them and try harder. Not once have I been talked to or asked about any other aspects of cashiering (speed, bagging, general friendliness etc). Only "oh you're new? Nice to meet you how many red cards have you gotten"

It's gotten to the point where cashiers who have been there for a long time will try to get me to sign up for a red card, while we're both on a register, even after I tell them I have one already.

I just can't ask again after people say no. I usually ask "will you be saving 5% with your red card today?" And after the "no thanks" I say "would you like to? It's totally free and just like a regular old debit card except you get the extra benefit of the 5% off" after I hear no again, I stop. Obviously they don't want one. But I was told I am not pushing enough and I need to be talking about it the entire transaction :( I really don't want to be annoying lol

Okay I didn't mean for this to be a rant lol. I guess I was just wondering if anyone thought this crazy pressure will ever lighten up. It's literally the only thing I don't enjoy about my job because I feel I can never do a good job in this aspect, and it's the only thing anyone pays attention to

Sorry to hear that. If it helps, as a GSTL I can tell you it's an aspect almost every GSTL hates too. The LOD is constantly on the walkie "GSTL can I get a RedCard update?" "GSTL we're only at X anount of RedCards, we need X amount, make sure you're having conversations with your cashiers!" "GSTL go to 4...on 4...what's going on with RedCards!"

Target isn't going to lighten up on RCs because that interest rate is high. Looking at the stats like 15 - 17% of shoppers use RCs. Now spot sees that and goes "we're missing out on 85%!". They're not factoring in the people who have them but don't use the card, people who just don't want it, and people who had one but account was closed.

The fact of the matter is it's not a great product. 5% is laughably low and the APR is high. Good products you don't have to push so hard. I always wondered why the idea of Cartwheel wasn't tied to the RedCards. Exclusive deals, using the Cartwheel app as a tracker. 5% just isn't enough.

TL;DR

No they're not going to let up on RCs. ETLs' bonuses, money from interest rates, and focus from corporate is tied to RCs. Just make sure you're asking otherwise there is nothing they can do to you. Please know you can not be written up for not getting RCs, only not asking. Also if cashiers call the hotline because they're being pressured too hard, Spot does take that seriously, because cashiers start doing whatever it takes to get RCs.
 
Your store is much higher pressure than mine. First of all if someone has one, we are not expected to get a second one from them, or even ask. We have to "push past the first no". Basically what you do-- if they say no once, we have to try one more time. After that, we don't have to say anything about it.

Wow I wish. Pretty much in my store the goal is to get 30 before 3:30pm, then the closers need to get 30 total as well. That means each cashiers had to pull for 3-5 per shift.
 
Requisitions stopped in my store. We have no incentives anymore. We used to but at some point it backfires because they start feeling entitled to it. Often I have a talk with the team members and let them know how well they're doing. I've took it upon myself to buy breakfast for everyone if we did very well they day before. I might bring in donuts or something. We have ridiculous goals like 46/per day, 50/per day, etc. Therefore I feel they should be rewarded every now and then.

Easy trick I do is look at how many cashiers I have. Let's say I have like 10 cashiers for the morning and I opened. Our goal is 20 RCs before the closers come in. I talk to the cashiers and ask them to try to get 2 RCs for their shift. If they all get two we'll make the 20.

You have some cashiers that can get more than 2 and others who may only get one, but it balances out.
 
Easy trick I do is look at how many cashiers I have. Let's say I have like 10 cashiers for the morning and I opened. Our goal is 20 RCs before the closers come in. I talk to the cashiers and ask them to try to get 2 RCs for their shift. If they all get two we'll make the 20.

You have some cashiers that can get more than 2 and others who may only get one, but it balances out.

I'm at a high volume Super Target and I can't remember the last time we got more than 10 RedCards in a day, let alone 20...

That being said our current ETL GE only cares about surveys and Bullseye's Playground.
 
Speaking as a TM, my store has seen incentives of all kinds, from absurd to practical.

Absurd:
Make LOD's do push ups
Throw water balloons at the skinny female LOD with the big boobs (offensive as hell)
Make LOD wear a funny hat (scarf, glasses, etc)

Practical:
Food/drink of any kind provided the recipient can ingest it. Some of our TM's can't have certain things because of medical reasons.
$5.00 gift cards but that ended ages ago.

Our store won't req anything for prizes now so TL's are bringing in crap from their homes to offer as prizes or making food at home to offer as a prize.

It's very pathetic that a huge company can't be bothered to reward a TM for getting 3 or more red cards in a shift. That's really good performance but at my store, we don't get anything, just the occasional "good job" over the walkie.
I think callouts are not very well handled when the guest can hear it as they're walking past SD and they know that they're just a statistic. "Beelzebecky just got her 3rd red of the day! Team we have 9 more to go to reach our goal". Tacky.

I don't think we need prizes for getting just one red card. It *is* our job after all. But when we get 3 or 5 or 6 I think we deserve more than a past-the-best-by date piece of candy or medium soda from cafe.

I realise ASANTS but surely there is some kind of budget in place for team rewards? Or did my ETL just spend it all and we're stuck with nothing until next quarter?
 
According to my etl GEs their number one priority is now a positive guest experience/Good surveys even ahead of red cards. Red cards are still a big deal but since AE2017 they are no longer the top priority.
 
Free drink/free food from Food Ave
Target dogs
Giftcards (Target/external)
TM store items
Store T-Shirts
Req'ed clearance items - Camping chairs, backpacks
Jeans day for RC
Hour lunch
ETL took out top RC performers to the neighboring restaurant

ETLs rented a dunk tank - Forever Redcard TMs got to throw 2-3 balls each.

And old co-worker of mine his store slimed their ETLs
 
I'm at a high volume Super Target and I can't remember the last time we got more than 10 RedCards in a day, let alone 20...

That being said our current ETL GE only cares about surveys and Bullseye's Playground.
20 or 30 is the goal for the opening team in my store. The closers have to match it too.

Therefore, our goal is 40 - 60 a day. Looking at this forum our store goal is beyond the ridiculous stage and in the astronomical stage. Last year we would hit 70 - 80/ day. Now we're struggling to reach our usual goal of 40.
 
Wow I wish. Pretty much in my store the goal is to get 30 before 3:30pm, then the closers need to get 30 total as well. That means each cashiers had to pull for 3-5 per shift.
Yikes. At my store we're expected to get one a day, it's good if you get 2-3. But no one gets mad if you have a 0 day, or even a 0 week. (Consistent 0 weeks will probably get a convo with GSTL/A)
 
According to my etl GEs their number one priority is now a positive guest experience/Good surveys even ahead of red cards. Red cards are still a big deal but since AE2017 they are no longer the top priority.

Yep. They're really focusing on guest experience/surveys for Guest Service. Apparently corporate is very focused on that area. However, they're also a priority for the checklanes too.

It's making stores bend to the ridiculous will of the guests who are unreasonable.
 
We have done at a ton of different things and nothing produced results.
We gave away stuff, we had cashier team, we gave longer breaks, let people go home a little early etc. Played games where cashiers won prices etc. Our store has the highest red card usage in the district, 1/3 of our guests have a red card or two. The other 2/3 don't want it lol.
 
According to my etl GEs their number one priority is now a positive guest experience/Good surveys even ahead of red cards. Red cards are still a big deal but since AE2017 they are no longer the top priority.
This is what I was told when I was hired but clearly they didn't mean it lol
 
Free drink/free food from Food Ave
Target dogs
Giftcards (Target/external)
TM store items
Store T-Shirts
Req'ed clearance items - Camping chairs, backpacks
Jeans day for RC
Hour lunch
ETL took out top RC performers to the neighboring restaurant

This stuff right here - I could use some new shirts and a backpack, and jeans day would be AWESOME!
 
I basically had like a wet dream the other day where I got 5 red cards in a 4 hour shift. This pressure is too much lol
 
Hello! I've been a cashier for a long time. So far I have sold 150 RedCards. Our supervisors are really pushy about it. They seem to think I have control over how many RedCards I get. Anyway, I was wondering how one can approach selling a RedCard more efficiently? It seems more like luck than anything else. And, more often than not, RedCards are sold to those who already wanted one and came prepared, so again it seems to be about luck, i.e. which register the customer approaches. But that's just what I've noticed about my region. I feel stressed because of this, even though I'm doing my job efficiently in all other regards. Any tips about this?
 
It *is* all about luck. But by asking, your odds go up. And from what I've seen, some people are just better sales people than others. Doesn't mean they aren't all asking but some people are more "in-your-face" about their pitch. And tbh, if I was a guest and was consistently hounded by a cashier, I would start avoiding that cashier altogether.
 
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I got a tip from my GE-ETL....she suggested engaging the guest (about the RedCard) early in the transaction and not waiting until it is time for the guest to pay....because by paying time, the guest just wants to go and not be bothered.

I've started a new order of a transaction.....(of course you start to ring the guests' items up as you do this....)

1) greet the guest
2) ask if they've found everything they were looking to get
3) ask if they need a gift receipt
4) start to talk about the RedCard......right away you'll get a feeling for if the guest is interested, wants more information or has no interest at all.
5) if possible let the guest know that the RedCard is available as a debit card
6) complete the transaction

once the ReedCard stuff is out of the way it makes it easier to continue the check-out process and have any guest interaction as needed.

I've been luckier since I've started to do things this way.
 
I've never really cared much about selling red cards, but I've recently become interested in becoming a car salesman... for the first time in my entire Target career, I am interested in seeing how well I can fare with redcards, if I want this electronics position I was told to improve my redcard sales. Lets do this! Anyone have any techniques to share?

My usual schpeel starts off with "Hey, how you doing today! Are you using a Target Redcard today?" and if they say yes or no my response has always just been "Oh okay, nice!!" or "No problem!"

but I need some real pointers after that, I've sold a lot of ladies when I actually tried with the Starbucks and free shipping. I've been away from those days for far too long, what do YOU guys do after the customer says yes or no to using a redcard?
 
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