October 31, 2013 - Unappreciated1
A Testimonial of my experience at Target. (Walkthrough)
As I told the degenerate LOD who “Let me go” I was going to write a summary of what I learned, observed, and experienced while working there. This post will be informative and eye-opening for any of whom wish to apply to one of these corporate ran backwards establishments.
I am a college student, been with girlfriend for years, am a mid stage entrepreneur making around 3k a month as it is. I applied to Target in late August to build Job History in retail for a job offered to me when I graduate. On my resume: 3 Months with Intel, 4 Months with Geek Squad, and months with various jobs such as construction, warehousing, etc. They put me on Sales Floor, even when I had requested Electronics due to an opening back there.
I quickly made friends with alot of TM’s and some TL’s. However there were those TL’s who were honestly just fuckwads who wanted to harass you about everything. I played passive and took their mighty bullshit up the ass as usual with all jobs. I got a few shifts here and there in electronics and drove sales harder than anyone. I was frankly the most educated in the department and even the entire store in Electronics. The Electronics TL didn’t even know how converter cables worked, or how to explain properly what RAM is. Alright, whatever.
I noticed that the LOD/TL’s are all very close-knit, I tried to play this to my advantage by making friends with all of them (yes, even the god forsaken fucking idiots) to better promote my presence within the store. After a few weeks I quickly learned all the positions and began to do them well (I was the only “Zoner” who could actually Zone properly in hardlines). I Vibed (A way to “Drive” sales, which actually drives the guests fucking crazy by being bombarded with “Can I help you find something” to the point where they leave) every fucking guest which was more than any other TM did, and being the taller and stronger employee they had i did all the carry outs if the guest attendant was busy.
I got to know alot of TM’s stories and personal hardships while working there and even hung out with a few outside of work. A story i’d like to share is one that is so stomach-turning it made me cringe after hearing it. One my great buds back in Electronics was demoted for not Vibing the cunt secret-shopper when he was already busy with the tasks burdened on him by the lazy LODs. He is barely making it by and is the only TM in electronics who actually knew the department and everything about it, he was also one the friendliest and more hard-working employees target had. He didn’t have any chance to appeal to his demotion, it was just done, nothing more. What’s even better is that he had requested a promotion for his great sales and work, and was told he wasn’t working hard enough even though he has statistically the best numbers. The MMB TM was promoted to a TL and his position opened, and was filled by a lazy bag of shit in electronics who knew nothing of anything back there. (Backwards? Right?)
This is only one of the many stories I have heard and felt for. I am merely giving the example of the unconventional way things work at Target. From my findings, if you show them you work very hard (like i did) in the first week, they will assign you bigger zones to do. I recommend you do about half the work you can do, they won’t give a shit and will just give you normal zones. I read a sign that said “Own your accomplishments in the break room”, this is also bullshit. Most of the time people who did nothing will claim credit for your work, and if you aren’t the first to tell a TL about it, they will label you a liar. In some cases even when I did do a good job (4 redcards in one day in Electronics) they will give you a sarcastic “Good work back there” in a condescending voice.
This brings me to my next point. There is absolutely positively no fucking motivational incentive to working hard for this company. If you sell a Redcard, you get nothing. If you work hard, you at best get a “Good Job”. If you work extra hours or go out of your way to do something, you will not be appreciated. If you are sick and can’t go to work, they will consider you a bad worker with a bad work ethic. If you do a shit job zoning, they will not care, and will probably not even check. One of the LOD’s is a fat bitch who litterally strolled around for 8 hours telling people how to do their job and never showed them examples.
This is another great point, the LOD’s will almost never do anything but walk around. They don’t even supervise competently. They get payed shit tons more to do no work, we do everything for shit wages and bend over backwards for these people. I have complied a quick list to success with company and one on how they have systematically set themselves up for failure.
How to keep your job after 90 days. (Granted, you want to stay with the most corrupt and backwards retailer of all time.) and ways to exploit their shit system :
Stay under the Radar: Be Nice, Be Fast, but don’t build relationships with all the TL’s. Suck there dick and do what they say. Don’t cause commotion or try to get noticed.
Zone and do just that: Zone well, don’t slack, and make sure you Vibe guests while doing so. One unvibed DTL secret shopper will get you fired. Never do more than what you were assigned.
Don’t over work yourself for the company: They will not recognize you, I promise you this. Don’t make your personal life harder for Target, they will not care.
Avoid taking shifts unless you need them: TM’s will try to guilt trip you into taking their shift. DO not take it unless you need the hours, you probably have your own plans.
Show up early, leave late: Always clock in 5 minutes early, always ask to stay later to help.
If you suck in your department: Tell a LOD and GET SWITCHED, make the effort to get out of Softlines for Hardlines if you suck in Softlines. They will keep you there if you don’t stand your ground.
Try to pass time with conversation: Try to talk with guests for long periods of time, this looks great to LOD’s and also helps you get through the shift faster. It is also fun talking with wise guests.
The Guests will always be more welcome than you: It is tradition to make guests feel more at home than the actual workers, there is nothing you can do, just accept it.
Requisition as much as possible: If you have a old pair of shoes, ripped khakis or a itchy shirt, purposely destroy any unwanted attire, they will “Replace” it everytime.
Never Steal: DO NOT STEAL, it is illegal and will be recorded.
Try not to get sick, and if you do just go to work. I was fired for having the flu, and not being able to work. Backwards huh? They even express not to come in while sick.
Here’s why Target will only degrade in sales:
Vibing does not work. Asking if they have Questions is much more effective.
Target does not put department specialists in their specific specialty areas. (They put me, an Tech geek in softlines)
They are too politically correct. We can’t tell off any unjust or bad behavior (Such as kids destroying a aisle i just zoned and not picking up their mess)
They push RED card sales on you too hard, not everyone wants a shit card from you Target. 5% is nothing special.
They overwork, over promise TM’s and under achieve, and under deliver “incentives”. One of our incentives for getting RED cards was a TL wearing a costume. Are you fucking serious? How is this beneficial for us you r*****s, this is fun for you guys. We are college kids, with no money, and barely making it by.
They have lazy management, which makes lazy TM’s, and they wonder why sales suck.
I’m sure I could go on for days about Target. In the end a few days ago, I was “Let go” for leaving work early due to the flu ( I threw up and had diarrhea.) Despite being sick I came in the next day against my better judgement. I noticed my TM # was not found when signing in. This is how you know you are being let go. As soon as you see this, begin to think up your leaving speech and justify yourself, do not let them cut you out unheard. I made my LOD cry after he realized just how right I was about himself and the store, him even agreeing.
Do no work that day, do nothing but resent the place if you don’t deserve to be fired. Some of you may have been genuine lazy fucks, so this does not apply to you. He called me into the office, said they had no interest in my employment with them anymore, I went off, made incredibly valid points, and said this has been the most backwards work environment i have ever witnessed and swore I would resent and hate Target in it’s entirety until I die. I HIGHLY recommend you do not apply here, you will get shit pay, no benefits, and no hours. Thanks for reading, we all hate Target. If you are a LOD/TL/ETL whatever bullshit corrupt title you possess, Fuck you. If you are a TM beginning to figure out how awful Target is, put your 2 weeks in. Ask alot of questions to older TM’s and understand why it sucks there.
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Good story, true and valuable in what happens there everyday at any store. I can't afford to drive so I've never tried the test or to get a car. My Target job is close to where I live so that's nice that I just walk to work, but the job absolutely sucks. I always do the job good and get the work done, I don't ask for the red card crap, I just lie my ass off and smile at the TLs who tell me to ask every guest for the red card and say yeah I will try my best, I can't make a guarantee, but I try. Than I almost never do unless prompted on the screen for it. They are nothing but hypocrites at my Target, one says go to break on time, another says if there is a bunch of guests, help the extra guests and than go on break. So, what the hell, break on time or a few minutes after for some extra guests? I can't do both, I'm one god damn person. Taken me to front side manager offices 3 times this Month of October for break times and low conversion of red card sales cause I am a cashier. WTF? Seriously, if anything, I keep my guests coming back, Target is making millions, and I have a good time telling guests about there products, talking about seasons and weather and hollidays and music and movies. I'm getting the guests back to make Target millions of dollars, we the employees make the guests come back, not the red card. TL says red card gets guests to come back over and over so they stay with us. With 5% off, we're making a tiny bit less, and while I am not selling red cards, Target is making more money and less loss of profits. OMFG, they don't understand shit. I have ideas, they don't follow, I reccomend another because the other didn't work, no. Regular employees get no say. They say I can't even tell guests I have to go on break, I have to wait until it's clear open. Fuck you Target, fuck you, I will say whatever the fuck I want as you will not terrorize against the first amendment, the freedom of speech by any person of the United States of America!
If you got fired for leaving work early because of an illness, then they really wanted you gone.
You probably were too smart and had to many critical reasoning skills for their liking.
And to find out by your number being deleted and making you come in for nothing…that's cold. I've seen two people fired and they both worked their whole shifts before they got the news.
I've left early because I was sick (I actually faked it) and I no called no showed once (they have never even mentioned it to me) and I'm still around.
I agree 100%. I have also noticed that if you are "out shining" someone who is a TL, they'll shit all over you to make themselves look better. I quit before my 90 days. Fuck that place. The pay wasn't bad. As a Barista I was getting $9 an hour in Florida which is well over minimum wage but it isn't worth the way they treat you. Half of the people I went through orientation with quit before their 90 days as well AND as I was coming into the department another girl was leaving. Our TL was a raging piece of shit, lazy bitch whose "Do as I say, not as I do" was such total bullshit.
As a current target employee this testimonial is spot on and extremely accurate I have worked at more than one target quoting the first one for these exact same reasons stated only to find out that this May be true at all target stores make target a job not a career