Archived the vibe

[Punch Correction]

Is there a way to check and see how many total people submitted a survey for any given week?

Please share.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

On workbench, under my performance or ge, there is a report gives out info. Since, we are doing "be bold" thing, makes it even more scarier to some folks.

 

[Logistics princess]

We just got the official "BE BOLD" huddle yesterday. funny thing, message board today says not to put titansfall on hold for anybody. way to "be bold" for the guests...

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

It does not matter. Just fill product on the shelves for the guest. Don't have it? Sub a top seller, for it. Be bold reminds me of chips..

 

[BullseyeBabe]

They still haven't said anything to anyone about Be Bold at my store. However some of the ETLs have started treating the cashiers and GSAs like we are doing Be Bold. For example:
Guy is trying to use fake gift cards and coupons along with a fake Military ID. GSA called AP and LOD. LOD told him to, "Make it right for the guest."
Another guest was trying to buy something that clearly had a barcode sticker for another product stuck on it.
Cashier asked for help and they told her the same as above. Then she got coached for it. She was hurt and confused.
I could give more examples. I just can't understand why they aren't telling us anything about "Be Bold" or "Say yes!"
Morale is so low now.

 

[Triscuit]

I overheard a convo on the walkie, someone at guest services bought an item over a month ago and it was on sale in this weeks ad so of course they came in trying to get the price adjusted and get a refund on the difference. Normally we do this within two weeks, not something bought over a month ago! The LOD said over the walkie "Well, we usually only do it within two weeks but since we are trying to make things right for the guest you can go ahead and do it. be bold" I understand making things right for the guest, but if they are just going to break rules and do anything the guest wants things are going to get out of control

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I had to not laugh out loud on this be bold example:
For the guest at fan central who wants a Dallas cowboys fan shirt & we don't carry it at my east coast store. We supposed to call another store in Dallas & have them shipped the shirt to our store for that guest.
That's crazy!
I would of said, target.com would be much easier & free shipping with red card, etc...

 

[Dreamwolf31]

I had to not laugh out loud on this be bold example:
For the guest at fan central who wants a Dallas cowboys fan shirt & we don't carry it at my east coast store. We supposed to call another store in Dallas & have them shipped the shirt to our store for that guest.
That's crazy!
I would of said, target.com would be much easier & free shipping with red card, etc...

WHAT?!

 

[Logistics princess]

Yup. We got the jersey example too. I was dying laughing at huddle. My STL was even chuckling.

 

[brobley]

We've been getting talks about the vibe at our huddles this week, because our vibe scores suck. Mind you, sales are up more than expected, but guests are saying they aren't finding what they came in for.

I've had half a dozen guests the past weeks I've vibed the fuck out of, and walked all around the store with only to learn we didn't carry what they were looking for. Simple things like eyeglass cleaner (we sell reading glasses, but nothing to clean them with - I guess you're supposed to throw them away when they're dirty), battery operated radios (we cut our radio selection to nothing with the new EE reset), glue gun sticks (we sell the guns, but not the refills).

How am I supposed to sell things we don't carry? Should I be taking notes about what people want but can't find, and submitting them to someone?

 

[brobley]

Also, wtf is up with those surveys? We keep being told we must get people to fill out surveys, and we must get only 9s and 10s on a ten point scale. They frame it like it's our responsibility to decide for the guest how they respond, and an 8 is as bad as a zero. Nevermind that half of the people who fill out those surveys only do it when they have a problem. People who get what they want and get out with no issue can't be bothered to follow up on something like that.

 

[Life201]

Also, wtf is up with those surveys? We keep being told we must get people to fill out surveys, and we must get only 9s and 10s on a ten point scale. They frame it like it's our responsibility to decide for the guest how they respond, and an 8 is as bad as a zero. Nevermind that half of the people who fill out those surveys only do it when they have a problem. People who get what they want and get out with no issue can't be bothered to follow up on something like that.

Pestering customers for Red Cards is bad enough. Begging them to take surveys starts to border on the desperate & if I was a customer, I'd be annoyed.

When I shop, I don't like to be hounded by sales people. I usually stay away from stores where the help descends on me with glassy eyes.

 

[salesfloor10]

I had to not laugh out loud on this be bold example:
For the guest at fan central who wants a Dallas cowboys fan shirt & we don't carry it at my east coast store. We supposed to call another store in Dallas & have them shipped the shirt to our store for that guest.
That's crazy!
I would of said, target.com would be much easier & free shipping with red card, etc...

It was hilarious! Corporate is so out of touch with the actual capabilities of our under staffed stores (not that I'd ever want to be that bold and try to do all that for one guest).

 

[paidtosmile]

I overheard a convo on the walkie, someone at guest services bought an item over a month ago and it was on sale in this weeks ad so of course they came in trying to get the price adjusted and get a refund on the difference. Normally we do this within two weeks, not something bought over a month ago! The LOD said over the walkie "Well, we usually only do it within two weeks but since we are trying to make things right for the guest you can go ahead and do it. be bold" I understand making things right for the guest, but if they are just going to break rules and do anything the guest wants things are going to get out of control

See, it's things like this that don't make sense to me. And here's why: If we're going to be "empowered" to do missed coupons and discounts and whatnot regardless of the time of purchase, they need to update the POS systems or at least give the "supervisor status" TM/TL's the ability to key in all these ridiculous "be bold" things correctly. If somebody comes in with a receipt and a $10 off coupon a week after purchase, and we're expected to give it to the guest, we should be able to correctly key it as a missed coupon; not do a sketchy k5/wrong price or something a week later just to get the $10 back out of the receipt. If they want us to be empowered, most of which happens at a register somewhere, they need to take out those time-variables and let us "be bold" accurately and correctly.

 

[brobley]

So this morning I'm working on some POG revisions and a guy comes up to me with this shy little 2 or 3 year-old girl. He tells me the little girl was in the store with her father (My guy is maybe an uncle or grandfather? Or perhaps kidnapper? Not my job.) last week and she fell in love with a stuffed monkey. Her dad ditched the monkey before checkout, but the girl was attached and wants the monkey still. Can I find it? Guy has no other information and the little girl won't talk.

This was 10 minutes after a huddle warning about secret shoppers coming in, and a general order to drop anything and everything to help a guest as long as it takes. So I drop what I'm doing and help him. Take him to Toys, show him the stuffed animals. There were two monkeys there, but not the right ones. Guy is able to coax out of super-shy girl that it was "dark and light" and "smaller and fatter than that one" (which she said while waving her pointed finger at all stuffed animals).

I run "toy monkey" through Item Check, find three possible matches in Infant Hardlines. Tell the guy to keep browsing toys, I'll bring him back every monkey there. I find one stuffed one, grab it, the other listings are for monkey rattles. Shit. So I eye-scan the three aisles in IH that contain toys for abandoned stuff. I want at least two monkeys to bring back to the guy for the vibe, but the little girl is too old for the monkey rattle, so I find this little weird-looking thing, all alone - looks more like the reddit logo than a monkey - but it's small and stuffed and two colors, so I figure I can pass it off as something I mistook for a monkey.

Run back. "I found two monkeys, are either of these the right one?" Her eyes widen as she looks at the reddit-creature. "That's my monkey!" she says, in that slow, funny way kids say things when they're processing their thoughts at exactly the same time they're articulating them.

Probably my best vibe moment yet. Guy shakes, my hand, so fucking happy, I made uncle/grampa/kidnapper/whatever a HERO! Kid is smiling and hugging her $3 last-of-its-kind monkey as I tell her the monkey seemed lonely, and was probably waiting for her to come back, and would be glad to be with his friend again. Guy is so pleased and keeps telling me "Thank you, brobley!" beaming.

It was awesome, but do you think that guy filled out a survey? No. Because he got what he wanted, and he thanked me personally, kindly. Did I ask him to fill out a survey because he might win a gift card (smarmy sell), then advise him that he could only rate me a 9 or 10 or it would count as a zero? No, I did not, because that would be a super-creepy addendum to a very nice moment.

Vibe score = 0. Actual Vibe = Probably higher.

Target needs to get away from its metrics and back to trusting humanity.

 

[BullseyeBabe]

What a wonderful story! You did a great job and your actions WILL make money for Target. Word of mouth advertising is still the best & you can bet that "kidnapper" guy lol, will share that story.

 

[Dreamwolf31]

Lovely story Brobley!

 

[redeye58]

Our longest-serving barista assembled a 10-drink order for 2 ladies picking up SB for their office. She had them tucked into drink trays each labeled clearly & knocked out in record time. One of the women tried to slip her $5 but she demurred, asking if they could take time to do the survey & give us a nice score since that would help the whole team. The women looked at each other then said, "Nah, takes too much time." and left.

 

[commiecorvus]

Our longest-serving barista assembled a 10-drink order for 2 ladies picking up SB for their office. She had them tucked into drink trays each labeled clearly & knocked out in record time. One of the women tried to slip her $5 but she demurred, asking if they could take time to do the survey & give us a nice score since that would help the whole team. The women looked at each other then said, "Nah, takes too much time." and left.

That's the thing, in New York or any busy city, the customers will be happy to drop a big tip for excellent service but they are in a hurry.
Most of the time they are just not going to mess around with a survey.
They figure if they're going to show their appreciation for good service it should be quick and direct to the person who gave it.

 

[Guest]

Tips would be awesome. And yes, I wouldn't tell anyone if I was getting them. I'd keep that crap as secretive as possible. Nobody will be touching my extra piece of the pie. It's not what you know, it's what you can prove.

 

[redeye58]

Tips would be awesome. And yes, I wouldn't tell anyone if I was getting them. I'd keep that crap as secretive as possible. Nobody will be touching my extra piece of the pie. It's not what you know, it's what you can prove.

Except that there's 2 cameras over us at SB & they get REAL interested if they see a TM stash something in their pocket.

 

[Bored Food Aver]

I had to not laugh out loud on this be bold example:
For the guest at fan central who wants a Dallas cowboys fan shirt & we don't carry it at my east coast store. We supposed to call another store in Dallas & have them shipped the shirt to our store for that guest.
That's crazy!
I would of said, target.com would be much easier & free shipping with red card, etc...

Do you tell the guest to wait right there while you order it from Dallas store or do you exercise your right to "BE BOLD" and hand deliver it to their home for them?

 

[Bored Food Aver]

Tips would be awesome. And yes, I wouldn't tell anyone if I was getting them. I'd keep that crap as secretive as possible. Nobody will be touching my extra piece of the pie. It's not what you know, it's what you can prove.

Except that there's 2 cameras over us at SB & they get REAL interested if they see a TM stash something in their pocket.

 

[Guest]

Alonzo Harris said it best. It's not what you know. It's what you can prove.

They can't really prove that you got a tip unless you have the money on you right? Spend that shite or put it in your underwear or socks.

 

[lovecats]

Alonzo Harris said it best. It's not what you know. It's what you can prove.

They can't really prove that you got a tip unless you have the money on you right? Spend that shite or put it in your underwear or socks.

Underwear.........EWWWWWW!!!😱 When I worked at Family Dollar we used to have those women who would pull their money out of their bra. It was really bad in the summer when it was hot out.