Archived What would you do if a guest hit you?

[seasonal]

If a guest struck you, would you run away and scream for help or hit back? I was told if a guest strikes a tm, you have to run and scream for help. I see this as a lose lose situation. If you hit back, you will get fired, if you run a scream for help you are going to look like a punk. Since i'm just a TM, i would hit back. TL's might feel some other way.

 

[The Dude Abides]

Regardless of how hard I was hit, I would fall to the ground like a ton of bricks. Then I would sue the living pants off of the guest that hit me.

 

[anathema]

I'm not sure I would care about looking like a punk. I would step back defensively while I called LOD/AP over. Though, if you're in a heated situation, why would you wait until it got to that point to call someone over?

 

[RhettB]

That is something that most people can't answer unless they are in that situation. If a punk kid trying to steal liquor hit me, I'd probably knock him on his ass. If a big gang-member looking person did, I'd go the other way providing I was able to get off the floor.

Again, you'd probably have to be directly faced to know how you'd really react.

 

[MrGeorge]

When I do the AP part of orientation, this is probably by far the most commonly asked question of me. I usually start off by telling them that you should have left the area long before this happens and found an LOD or AP. Would you get fired? depends. Our HR and AP ETL's both say if its in self defense it would generally be ok. If they swing at you and you hit or push back just to get distance so you can get help, is way different then did they swing and you lay them out and pummel their heads in with a nearby metal weights from sporting goods.

Everyone wants to be the tough guy, but in most self defense you goal is to just get out of the situation with minimal or no injury, if that means turn and walk away, or turn and run away, then you should do that. If you have to push them so you can run, do that. This isn't a movie, or a sporting event, if your really at risk of getting "beaten up" or injured then you have to take advantage or vulnerable areas. A police officer isn't going to show up and say oh you hit them in the groin, and throw a flag on the play.

Just going to add, If you do want to stay and fight and duke it out, its hard to say it was self defense when you have a way out, and yes you might get fired. It might look like your a punk, but you will be the punk without a black eye and a job.

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

Anytime you feel threatened, hold the talk button down on your walkie. The language alone should have all ETLs come running. If anyone did hit me, I would have them arrested for assault. And then I would have emotional issues that were job related......

 

[Kompa]

Kick their ass. I honestly don't get paid enough to get hit. Yelled at, sure. Struck with force, that first swing better knock me out

 

[anathema]

That is something that most people can't answer unless they are in that situation. If a punk kid trying to steal liquor hit me, I'd probably knock him on his ass. If a big gang-member looking person did, I'd go the other way providing I was able to get off the floor.

Again, you'd probably have to be directly faced to know how you'd really react.

Please, it's a fist fight, not a hold up. I somehow doubt you've never been confronted face-to-face in your whole life.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Our tm got hit & called Lod and hl4 after the event. The suspect was after iPods.

 

[stateoftarget11]

Regardless of how hard I was hit, I would fall to the ground like a ton of bricks. Then I would sue the living pants off of the guest that hit me.

Good luck with that. Most guests that would hit a TM are usually ghetto trash thugs on welfare... you would be lucky to get $5 from them because that's all they have.

The moment anyone puts hands on me, it's on. I've done it before and lost a job. But guess what? The moment anyone puts hands on you, it is already an "incident" and 99% of the time even if you punk out and run away you are still getting fired. So, my logic is, make them pay for it when you have the chance.

(Don't think Target won't fire you... the moment a guest is touched - even if they are the ones doing the touching - Target will fire you even if you run away like a punk. I have seen it happen to TMs who walked away and did nothing in response to it) The one any *only* exception I can think of this not happening was with a seriously mentally handicapped cart attendant we had who was assaulted and hit back. The only reason he wasn't fired was because he could have easily sued for disability discrimination alleging that his mental disability prevented him from understanding how Target wanted him to respond to the situation.

 

[The Dude Abides]

Regardless of how hard I was hit, I would fall to the ground like a ton of bricks. Then I would sue the living pants off of the guest that hit me.

Good luck with that. Most guests that would hit a TM are usually ghetto trash thugs on welfare... you would be lucky to get $5 from them because that's all they have.

The moment anyone puts hands on me, it's on. I've done it before and lost a job. But guess what? The moment anyone puts hands on you, it is already an "incident" and 99% of the time even if you punk out and run away you are still getting fired. So, my logic is, make them pay for it when you have the chance.

(Don't think Target won't fire you... the moment a guest is touched - even if they are the ones doing the touching - Target will fire you even if you run away like a punk. I have seen it happen to TMs who walked away and did nothing in response to it) The one any *only* exception I can think of this not happening was with a seriously mentally handicapped cart attendant we had who was assaulted and hit back. The only reason he wasn't fired was because he could have easily sued for disability discrimination alleging that his mental disability prevented him from understanding how Target wanted him to respond to the situation.

If Target fired me that would be even better. If I get assaulted on Target property and they fire me for it, you'd better bet I'm getting myself an attorney and filing a civil suit against Target. Even if the guest doesn't have a lot of money (many people in my area do), I know Target does. We also happen to have many very good lawyers in my area who specialize in this kind of thing.

 

[oath2order]

Regardless of how hard I was hit, I would fall to the ground like a ton of bricks. Then I would sue the living pants off of the guest that hit me.

Good luck with that. Most guests that would hit a TM are usually ghetto trash thugs on welfare... you would be lucky to get $5 from them because that's all they have.

The moment anyone puts hands on me, it's on. I've done it before and lost a job. But guess what? The moment anyone puts hands on you, it is already an "incident" and 99% of the time even if you punk out and run away you are still getting fired. So, my logic is, make them pay for it when you have the chance.

(Don't think Target won't fire you... the moment a guest is touched - even if they are the ones doing the touching - Target will fire you even if you run away like a punk. I have seen it happen to TMs who walked away and did nothing in response to it) The one any *only* exception I can think of this not happening was with a seriously mentally handicapped cart attendant we had who was assaulted and hit back. The only reason he wasn't fired was because he could have easily sued for disability discrimination alleging that his mental disability prevented him from understanding how Target wanted him to respond to the situation.

If Target fired me that would be even better. If I get assaulted on Target property and they fire me for it, you'd better bet I'm getting myself an attorney and filing a civil suit against Target. Even if the guest doesn't have a lot of money (many people in my area do), I know Target does. We also happen to have many very good lawyers in my area who specialize in this kind of thing.

If I got hit, I'd try to get back and first thing I'm saying on the walkie is "AP LOD to [location] immediately"

I would totally sue the guest and Target if I got fired.

 

[Bosch]

Getting fired is not what I care about, I will do what I do. Strike back or not but I will protect myself first screw Target they and what they think is a distant second in the train of thoughts.

 

[Anonymous]

That's right. If someone attacks you, then Backstock your foot up their ass.

 

[commiecorvus]

Like everything, it's a matter of context.
Why is this person attacking me?
Are they crazy and just attacking anybody they can?
In that case, if I run away the next person they attack might be unable to get away or defend themselves so I need to call AP and take this person down.

Is it because an argument has suddenly escalated out of control?
I would hope I'd be able to control it but if not I'd be calling AP and backing out without raising a hand.
It's like school, you might 'just be fighting back' but you've created more of a problem.

Every situation is different and requires a cool head and common sense.
Unfortunately there are little in the way of pat answers to a question like that.

 

[brobley]

I would ask him if he would like 5% off each purhase with a Target Red Card. Then I would punch him.

 

[xxTheDudexx]

I'd recite the creed of Guest Service:

 

[Dreamwolf31]

I would ask him if he would like 5% off each purhase with a Target Red Card. Then I would punch him.

LOL, I'm in stitches now.

 

[Dreamwolf31]

For some reason I've always thought about this scenario in my head : I'm cashering and someone doesn't like the way I'm bagging, so they smack my hand. I would tell them they needed to leave/go to someone else's lane.

What would you do...?

 

[RhettB]

That is something that most people can't answer unless they are in that situation. If a punk kid trying to steal liquor hit me, I'd probably knock him on his ass. If a big gang-member looking person did, I'd go the other way providing I was able to get off the floor.

Again, you'd probably have to be directly faced to know how you'd really react.

Please, it's a fist fight, not a hold up. I somehow doubt you've never been confronted face-to-face in your whole life.

Wrong you are. 22 years ago when I managed in food service I as on the receiving end of a loaded gun during a robbery.

Shut your face.

 

[SwitchBlade]

If a "guest" ever put their hands on me, rest assured they will be the one needing AP

 

[GrumpyAP]

... And scene.

 

[anathema]

That is something that most people can't answer unless they are in that situation. If a punk kid trying to steal liquor hit me, I'd probably knock him on his ass. If a big gang-member looking person did, I'd go the other way providing I was able to get off the floor.

Again, you'd probably have to be directly faced to know how you'd really react.

Please, it's a fist fight, not a hold up. I somehow doubt you've never been confronted face-to-face in your whole life.

Wrong you are. 22 years ago when I managed in food service I as on the receiving end of a loaded gun during a robbery.

Shut your face.

The proposed scenario is being assaulted, not robbed. You don't need specific experience in a scenario where someone wants to physically hit you at work, which is what you implied. I said that it's NOT a holdup, which is obviously different. Please work on that reading comprehension before replying.

 

[RhettB]

That is something that most people can't answer unless they are in that situation. If a punk kid trying to steal liquor hit me, I'd probably knock him on his ass. If a big gang-member looking person did, I'd go the other way providing I was able to get off the floor.

Again, you'd probably have to be directly faced to know how you'd really react.

Please, it's a fist fight, not a hold up. I somehow doubt you've never been confronted face-to-face in your whole life.

Wrong you are. 22 years ago when I managed in food service I as on the receiving end of a loaded gun during a robbery.

Shut your face.

The proposed scenario is being assaulted, not robbed. You don't need specific experience in a scenario where someone wants to physically hit you at work, which is what you implied. I said that it's NOT a holdup, which is obviously different. Please work on that reading comprehension before replying.

I made no explicit implications. You are the one who needs reading compression.

 

[Guest]

I would act like an NBA player and flop the crap out of it. I would try to milk for all it's worth meaning I would try my best to get a lawsuit filed.