Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Adventures at Target Part 2

So...the people at Target generally scare me sometimes.  It's kind of a miracle that they've managed to survive in the world long enough to get to the point where they are now that they can "afford" a 50" LED television.  But even scarier is that fact that the managerial staff are somehow qualified to call themselves such sometimes.

Take for instance this scenario:

My department was starting to get a little busy, but nothing I couldn't handle.  A really cute girl had come up and asked me to sell her a camera, so I more than obliged.  I proceeded to sell up the cameras she was looking at, and overall started to make sure that she knew what she was purchasing (ie: what features it has and all that fun jazz).  Very suddenly my walkie goes off with a very pissy voice "ELECTRONICS YOU HAVE A CALL ON 34, SECOND REQUEST, CAN I GET A COPY?!"

Mind you I hadn't heard the first request, which was then confirmed by the guest I was assisting and confirmed again by the tech-installation guy.  Tech guy says to me "I got this," and picks up his own walkie "Tom's currently assisting a guest and is more than a little busy, can someone else get the freaking call?"

My manager jumps down the walkie's throat "If Tom's so busy he should be calling for backup, I'm sending someone back to electronics now".

The three of us stare at each other in bewilderment.  "I don't think he quite got the message..." the guest starts in.

I dash over to the phone, answer the inane "Do you have XYZ in stock?" and "Can you put that on hold until tomorrow?" questions they always seem privy to ask, and returned to the girl I was helping.

Nearly 10 minutes later "backup" arrived.  Really?  What if it had actually been an emergency?  What if I had a line of 20 people all wanting to be rung out for their crap at once?  What if they all wanted iPads, and me as a single human being couldn't handle them all at once?

But whatever, it's the thought that counts.

Backup then leaves, I sell her the camera, and we part ways.  Not 5 minutes later did a massive crowd appear.  "Can I get backup to electronics?  It's starting to really get swamped back here and could really use a hand."

Manager: "Copy that, great communication!  Alright team, let's remember to keep the communication up so we can really push guest experience!"

Silence.

Myself: "So uh...how about that backup?"

It literally took another 10 minutes for backup to arrive, which, by that time all of the other guests had already left or I had taken care of them.


2 comments:

  1. Thats why I never call for back up, I move at my own speed and if a line form because of it, then those bitches are going to wait

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    1. I totally agree. My teamlead though has sort of been on our case about raising up the "Service in Electronics is Fast" score on the stupid surveys.

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