Archived Why does the FR have Operator duties?

[Ad Queen]

Interesting. My operator trainer told me to always park on 218# and answer on 228# for the phones with the cord. None of them know how to transfer via cordless so they couldn't teach me. I wonder if all Target stores use the same type of cordless phone. If so, I could really use your advice on the cordless. What buttons do you press to transfer or place on hold?

I can let you know Wednesday when I go back to work. I don't answer the phones anymore so I forgot but I can go look at the little cheat sheet they have at the fitting room

 

[HRLady]

I can let you know Wednesday when I go back to work. I don't answer the phones anymore so I forgot but I can go look at the little cheat sheet they have at the fitting room

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[Ahem]

The only weird thing about them is at our store we normally transfer our calls to 2280, 2281, etc. but if you're parking the call while on a cordless phone you have to press 2180, 2181, etc. instead but still announce that the call is on 2280. Gets a little confusing lol

The 21/22 thing is true of the corded phones as well. Our cordless never works (there's an error message that comes up) and when it seems to be working, the one person who knows how to use it isn't there to show us lol. I don't worry about getting it to work because in my store we don't have to go far. We just have to fix rtw clearance racks and tidy up accessories. Both are close enough to the fr that you can get back to the corded phone. But if they ever did get the cordless consistently working and trained everyone to use it, they'd probably add more responsibilities lol

 

[Tessa120]

Interesting. My operator trainer told me to always park on 218# and answer on 228# for the phones with the cord. None of them know how to transfer via cordless so they couldn't teach me. I wonder if all Target stores use the same type of cordless phone. If so, I could really use your advice on the cordless. What buttons do you press to transfer or place on hold?

When talking on the phone, you press the green talk button, 218# (don't go above 5), listen for the beeps to stop, press the green talk button again and then press the red end call button.

When handling multiple phone calls, make sure you route them all to different hold lines. If you have any question about the call on 2280 having been picked up yet or not, play it safe and route it to a different line. If you send two people to the same hold line, the second one is actually disconnected.

 

[PackAndCry]

When talking on the phone, you press the green talk button, 218# (don't go above 5), listen for the beeps to stop, press the green talk button again and then press the red end call button.

When handling multiple phone calls, make sure you route them all to different hold lines. If you have any question about the call on 2280 having been picked up yet or not, play it safe and route it to a different line. If you send two people to the same hold line, the second one is actually disconnected.

Too bad. I was hoping it'd make them talk to each other.

 

[Ad Queen]

Awesome! Thanks!

Ok I just looked at their note and it says to park/transfer a call on a cordless you press Flash, 2180 or whatever the extension, wait to hear 3 beeps, then hang up. We use some cheap looking maroon Panasonic phones.

 

[HRLady]

When talking on the phone, you press the green talk button, 218# (don't go above 5), listen for the beeps to stop, press the green talk button again and then press the red end call button.

When handling multiple phone calls, make sure you route them all to different hold lines. If you have any question about the call on 2280 having been picked up yet or not, play it safe and route it to a different line. If you send two people to the same hold line, the second one is actually disconnected.

Ok I just looked at their note and it says to park/transfer a call on a cordless you press Flash, 2180 or whatever the extension, wait to hear 3 beeps, then hang up. We use some cheap looking maroon Panasonic phones.

Thank you, Jenna120 and Ad Queen!

 

[Tessa120]

Make sure you hit the green talk button a second time, after the beeps, before hanging up.

 

[RightArm]

Maybe you should talk to your STL about getting cordless phones... our fitting room, guest service, & electronics have 2 cordless phones each.

The only weird thing about them is at our store we normally transfer our calls to 2280, 2281, etc. but if you're parking the call while on a cordless phone you have to press 2180, 2181, etc. instead but still announce that the call is on 2280. Gets a little confusing lol

Some stores aren't set up for cordless. That's our current situation. We're set up for switchboard calls and apparently something about the wiring keeps us from using a cordless in the FR. Not sure I entirely get it because they have a cordless up at GS and one in Electronics to answer the calls we park. *shrug*

 

[Frontlanegirl]

So two carts of AA defectives showed up at GS today. Hmmmmmm......Wish I could bill AA for doing their work

 

[Tessa120]

Some stores aren't set up for cordless. That's our current situation. We're set up for switchboard calls and apparently something about the wiring keeps us from using a cordless in the FR. Not sure I entirely get it because they have a cordless up at GS and one in Electronics to answer the calls we park. *shrug*

Service phones will also pick up from the overhead.

So two carts of AA defectives showed up at GS today. Hmmmmmm......Wish I could bill AA for doing their work

If you are at my store, I was taught how to salvage out my own stuff when E2E was just moving from theoretical to actually happening. Then the big bosses said nope, take it all to guest services. I've never been told otherwise since.

 

[Ashfromoldsite]

Just curious. I'm a relatively new SL/AA team member who is often assigned to the FR as most SL TM's in my store hate the job and, understandably, the lowest on the totem poll gets the duty.

Most just don't want to be in FR because of the operator duties since a) many of the transferred calls don't get answered by electronics, market, GS, HR, etc. and bounce back and then you are talking with someone who is now annoyed because you don't have answers to their questions and can't get someone who knows on the phone and b) putting calls on hold while begging other TM's to locate items in their department for a guest on the phone is very hit and miss. Mostly miss, especially for a new TM. I say this because I've asked on the walkie for help with no response and then another more experienced SL TM hears my repeated requests and will repeat my request because they call a colleague by name, and voila, a response is received.

I will say, in my store, walkie calls to the backroom to find items and bring them to GS for pick up goes well, although takes several minutes which is challenging when multiple calls and guests are being handled. So, why is the FR instead of Guest Services or HR or ?? doing this task?

Mind you, FR also includes greeting guests, assigning them to the FR, fetching other sizes (lol), suggesting other options, folding/hanging reshop, labeling clearance items, repack, and in my store zoning men's, clearance, and a good portion of RTW.

Since I work a lot of closings in FR, the operator duties really prevent me from zoning/reshop many SL departments as I have to sprint back to the phone when it rings (why isn't the phone cordless???).

When I applied to the SL department I was told I would be working on the floor in clothing, not answering a phone. I didn't apply to be a receptionist where I had few answers for callers and no one available to take the calls. It isn't a great experience for many callers and certainly not great for TM's. I know of new SL team members who have quit because they were always scheduled for FR and hated it.

How is this the best plan for an optimal guest and TM experience, because in my opinion, the guests aren't being served and the TM's hate the assignment. There must be a better way.

Doesn’t matter WHO answers the phone. The result would be the same.