Target

So I have been reading many complaints about employee treatment...and I thought I would add my experience as it is possibly unique and not unique at the same time, Here it goes:

I moved from my home state over the summer because I could not find a job in my home state because of the economic downturn (20% unemployment in some areas.) I decided to move cross-country and after a month with no job in a new city I needed something fast. I have an undergraduate degree in business but I was still having trouble finding employment, with a place that would accommodate my schedule ( I was pursuing a masters in a non-business related field.) I happened upon a new target store, and it said that they were still looking for candidates. I like Target...they have cool stuff...If you're kind of drunk it's fun to walk around in the store and play with the toys, and the employees always looked kind of happy, I guess.

So I applied, was asked to come to a mass interview, where they asked the most ridiculous questions, like it was a job for Proctor and Gamble and I would be leading the invention of the world's first toothpaste that you can swallow. (My first job as a researcher for an asset management company didn't ask that many questions and we were responsible for millions of peoples hard earned cash.) So I had applied for several positions, I applied for several leadership positions as well as a position on the "sales floor." I was offered a position, and I was running out of money so I accepted, at the awesome wage for the sales floor of $8.40 an hour. I felt a little bit insulted, but hey I had not had a job for a while, and at least I found a job and would be making some money. I was asked to take a piss test, because Target is a drug-free work place (good thing I quit toking up a month before the interview, because I ran out of money.) I passed, and they scheduled me for orientation.

Orientation gets moved to a week later and had to move around travel plans to see friends in a neighboring city...no biggie.
Orientation is kind of stupid, but the people that would be my managers seemed nice, so I wasn't too upset about, plus it's paid and it wasn't really that bad.

During the set up of the store...it's a new store...so the future employees help set it up (not sure if this is standard?) but that was cool...except...one day I got asked if I minded doing some "more" physical activities. I did not realize that I would be forced to stand outside and haul tons of metal from location to location and THROW IT IN THE DUMPSTER. That's right folks no recycling. As a former business student I asked my store ETL if we could possibly try to sell the scrap for the store to make some money before we open. Apparently Target doesn't allow that either. It almost felt wrong to throw away dumpster after dumpster of scrap, and the person I was doing this with all day also noted how wrong it felt. I thought Target was into recycling and being greener...whatever companies lie all the time, no biggie...I had worked for worse before, and I still had a job even though I had mentioned an idea that was very un-brand.

During "plan-o" as they call it, I get asked to train for the Starbucks in Target. I did so...and that was cool too, still no major complaints, and I met some awesome people in the process. What concerns me about the Starbucks in the Target is that the baristas are not allowed to accept tips. This was very awkward during the Holidays when customers want to tip you and you have to think of something to say, like, "we can't accept tips because we are all Target 'team' members" or "Well I would love too, but we are all commrade's and we toil for the betterment of mother-target." I don't know why Target would do this...it isn't coming out of their bottom line. Anyways, that's enough about the Starbucks...everything else was okay.

I worked part in Starbucks and part on the Sales-floor, I got tons of hours, too many in fact and asked repeatedly to be cut back because I was also going to grad school full time. The one instance that stands out as completely absurd, was a couple weeks we did not meet sales, and they cut peoples hours. Well they didn't cut any of the managers hours, and I am not sure how they got by without all the serfs toiling around the store stocking shelves and moving products around like siamang's. My hours were cut to 8 hours a week. For those two weeks, and frankly I just laughed. I asked one manager who I was closer with how she expected me to eat, let alone pay rent, and she said that they had to train a whole bunch of people for the Holiday season. I asked if they were going to buy me lunch on the days when we worked together. She didn't say anything, but got my point and ended up fanaggling more hours for me. This brings me to my next point.

I was not harassed nor was I treated as an inferior by anyone of my Management team, quite the contrary. I feel as though I was given preferential treatment because I was around the same age and same education level, if not more educated. They were accommodating to almost every one of my strange requests throughout my time at Target. However, this was not the case to all my fellow co-workers who deserved treatment. I don't know why they did this or the reasons I was selected for special treatment, I am a white male and did not plan on becoming a manager, I was working on a masters degree.

While I was there I saw many things that bothered me...I saw things that have consequently made me never return to Target. Was there bullying and un-fair treatment towards others...You betcha. Was there dicrimination...You betcha. Did people get fired for no apparent reasons...Of course. My overall experience was negative, not for anything done to me, but for the suffering and humiliation imparted to fellow human beings working there. People felt terrible everyday, I know because I asked. People were made to feel that if they messed up, they would be fired, because they could be replaced. I had a series of panic attacks and subsequently quit...most likely due to school, but I feel somewhat better now that I don't work there. I feel bad for the people that do however. It is not a great place to work, and the treatment of employees at Target on a store management and corporate level is downright wrong. Allowing people to make racist comments, allowing people to bully, allowing others to gossip and say false things about others to get them fired is wrong and should not be tolerated. At my store it was, and that is another reason why I left.

Target gave me a job when I needed one, and for that I am grateful...hopefully with this people will see that not everybody has a downright terrible experience, but I warn everybody that things are not as they seem. Don't just drink the kool-aid because it's your favorite color. I hope that this presented a more articulate and unbiased view of my time at Target, that will help anyone who decided to read it.

Thank you for your time.

Peace

I ordered three items related to car batteries (special jumper-cable type products that work through the cigarette lighter in the car or cars) back in early August. After several attempts to use them (one was solar-powered, and designed to keep a car battery from running out of juice when not in use), with little or no success--I finally started my car by rolling it down the hill!--I decided to return the worthless products to the nearest Target store (as it said I could do when I ordered them), then shop for some other things that I might want.

My next bad experience was looking for a non-existent receipt. When I went back on-line, the web site said I had never ordered anything at all! Luckily I still had the box, with my name and address and the return address, as well as the credit card bill with the charges from Target, so I decided to go to the store anyway.

When I arrived, they (naturally) said I would need a receipt, and we went to their store computer, which repeated my previous experience. Luckily, when I persisted (and since I had the box, the three items and my credit card bill) the clerk made a phone call to someone who was able to confirm the purchases and authorize her to refund the original cost, minus the shipping charges.

I asked if they were going to refund the shipping charges, since the items were clearly useless, and the person on the phone suggested that I go home and call Target. I absolutely refused, since at that point I would no longer have the items, there was no receipt, and no one could see my credit card bill over the phone or on line!

At that point I asked for a supervisor, who spent almost thirty minutes on the phone to get my lousy $16 worth of shipping refunded. The supervisor, who was very nice and understood (and knew that the lack of a receipt was an ongoing problem) should have had the right to make the refund on the spot, without wasting any more of my time (or hers). I was there for nearly an hour at the counter to return three defective items, mainly because of Target's defective computer system compounded by their defective policies toward almost everyone!

I left the store without buying anything at all, and I can't really think of a reason ever to buy anything from Target Stores again, either on-line or in person.

I am a retiree of target in california and virginia stores. No gray and black are the dress code for uniform. A team leader suppose to set the example. Not wearing clothes sloppy a shirt hanging outside their pant and dirty shoes and wrinky pants and nasty rule mouth. Proper uniform brown belts and shoes red khaki pant. No team member should have cellular phones on the floor. Only team leader and management should have phones. Yesterday the girl in food avenue was standing behind the wall on the phone. I stood their 9 minutes waiting for to waited on me. Her name was Tastra . No pockets or purse or backpack are supposed to be these area. to prevent theif. All Team members are suppose to be well groom. No bedroom shoes or sippers of any kind. This is a family store no gospel standing around gospeling with friends when they come in. No profanity thier are kids in the store on the time. When I mention this to the store manager. He response thier is not much he can do. Sally is the Team leader that dress sloppy. I mention to her about the insect poisons need to be put on a higher self for satefy of the kids. she response oh well. She was very disrespective. her attitude she does not care. This is the worse store 1872 I have never been in. Since I retired from Target. I was going to bring it to the New Media. I will let you know this store does not use any of the rules and regulation . We were trained by. The even hide stuff in the barn. When a visit come comes from head offices and the make team member are there who have questions. Susan worked with clerial was actually talking on the floor in food avenue during the week about team member she does not like. This is inexcusable behavior. She was very rule when I called to say to the HR. He was not available. Management need to change with some positive target training. The team member name Tastra did not clean up. Her response was she was in a club late. That is something to tell a guestor employee in front of a guest.

I am a team member at the target store in Monroe, Louisiana and we have a senior team leader whom left money out in the store over night. The money was left at the front lanes by the cashier registers. Her name is Ashley Hill. She is the senior team leader in softlines. Our store number is 1469 located in Monroe, Louisiana. Her acts were irresponsible and unprofessional.

I recently shopped in your store and purchased some wine. I was insulted when they asked for my ID. I am 64 years old. I shop at Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, and our local store Martins. I am never asked for an ID. Also I had many bags at checkout and no on helped to put them in the cart. I had to hold up the line to put them in my cart! This is ridiculous that you have no baggers or even put them in a cart for customers. Every store I shop at takes care of you. You need to update your whole checkout system! There is too much competition and you are at the bottom of where I will shop next time!

I have worked at Target for almost a year and I have to say that I have NEVER been treated as awfully as I've been treated while there. I'm currently in the process of looking for a replacement job because, unlike many of the lazy, couch loafing kids that were hired, and get more hours than I do, I actually NEED a job to live off of. However, my ETLs and Team Leads (all incompetent) seem to think I can live off of 20 hours a week at $7.50/hr. Their constant excuses of not having enough payroll to give out better hours is, not only irritating, but very, very much a lie. I have never seen so much favoritism in my life. Most of the ETLs are female and seem to have centered their eyes on a couple of guys on the salesfloor and I can't help but notice that they get more hours while the rest of us get the excuses. (And, yes, even GSTLs have come to me about the unfairness of certain people getting hours because of favortism. I don't make this stuff up; it's too messed up.)

Of course, let's not forget, the wonderful "guests" that I have the most amazing pleasure of getting to deal with everyday. Excuse me if I can't let you get that shirt for 50% off just because another customer lazily threw it on the clearance racks instead of where it belongs. (I've never had someone try to get an item at a LOWER discounted price because the tag read 50% off but was sitting in the 30% off bin. Oh no, but if there's a 50% tag on an item in the 75% bin, they'll kick and scream like their annoying children to get what they want.)

I would like to make it clear, though, that I used to work at a different store before this one and I had a much better experience there. These managers are mostly all new because it's a brand new store and they have no idea what they're doing. My Store Team Lead absolutely HATED me and didn't care to hide it. Take this for example, when I told management that my boyfriend and I had NO food to eat, no money to pay rent and didn't know what to do. Instead of offering more hours or to train us in other areas to be able to pick up different shifts, my STL gave me a pamphlet of food drives in my area. Now, this may seem like a nice gesture, but I don't feel comfortable standing in a line with people that have no jobs and no real way of supporting themselves when I have an actual job that should be paying my bills! I feel like I'm stealing! Of course, when my mom got fed up with the crap and went over to complain to her about the unfair treatment (you gotta love protective moms) she always seemed to dodge having to actually speak with her and her attitude changed real quick after that.

So yeah, Target can brag all they want about how they give so much money to charity and blah, blah, blahcity. However, some of that goodwill should be shown to the supposed 'team members' that keep that worthless corporation together. I know this may seem like a lot, but I have a lot to say and have been through a lot because of this place. So, for those of you thinking about working for the "fast, fun, and friendly team" at Target, I beg you, follow your dreams instead and do what you love. Otherwise, you'll find yourself washed up and torn down, bleeding/sweating for the "worst company ever". I used to work for a Christian daycare in New Mexico. Boy, do I miss that. There, I felt like a valued member of a fantastic team. Here, the corporate machine seems to have taken over the minds, and possibly hearts, of once normal people.

By the way, you better bet when we've found better jobs and are moving on, I am going to leave the most incredible "Thank you, but f*** off" notes in the mangers' mailboxes :)

I shop often at the Target at Tanforan Mall in San Bruno, CA. Most of the cashiers are pleasant, making it a point to greet and thank customers. There are a few cashiers, however, every time I see them on duty, I avoid their lane. But, if I'm in a hurry and their line is short, I have to grit my teeth and go to their lane anyway. This Target has got to undertake employee continuing education because there is one cashier who has an awful behavior. She not only doesn't greet or thank customers, her attitude is one that makes customers think she's doing them a favor. And this isn't the half of it either. On the occasions I've run into her, she scrutinizes the items I'm buying, and then makes some nasty comment, such as today, when I was buying some tins of soup. She picked up on of the tins to scan the price, and then spent 30 seconds reading the nutrition facts label, and muttered "Too much sodium." Another time when Target had a donation campaign going on (customers could choose to donate to the charity while paying at the checkout), I ran into this same cashier, and she asked whether I would like to donate. I declined. Well, Target must have had an employee incentive going on, probably rewarding employees who got the most customers to donate, because this cashier kept begging me to donate, saying that she had high blood pressure, and couldn't pay her medical bills, etc., etc., etc. Doesn't this Target have a staff manager observing employee-customer interaction? If not, they'd better get on the ball and do so. This type of employee behavior is such a put-off.

My newest complaint against Target is putting people into positions they do not deserve. Especially electronics where things turn up missing all the time. Examples. The last two working that department. A Felon and an alcoholic kid. Of course the felon made off with stuff. That was to be expected. The kid well some stuff, big stuff came up missing. He's still there. But then did he steal the items?

Why would anyone put people who profile out as potential thieves into that department in particular? Stupid? Naive?
Or something entirely different...Looking for Fall Guys.

If you got a problem visit the 'official' Anti Target Blog

http://hellstruth.blogspot.com/

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I have worked for Target for 2 1/2 years. About a year ago, my mom passed away. I had to immediately leave for her funeral. While I was gone Target gave away my job and reasonable accommodation! When I came back I had nothing. They just wanted me to go home and I said no. I will not leave this store until you get me a job and get it now! However, the job they got me was not in line with my reasonable accommodation. They, Target, claim that it is/was. I know it is not. I am standing 70% of the time and my restriction is much lower than that. Target accepted this restriction when I was hired and now lied to me. I have turned them into the EEOC for disability discrimination. I would not advise anyone to work there. They are nothing but a dictatorship in a democracy or at least that is how they operate.

I WAS a Target customer for many years and was thrilled to create a Club Wedd Registry last year for my late September wedding. One of the items I had on the list was the Jade Moon 16-piece Dinnerware Set ($79.99). I requested and received three boxes of it. My husband and I bought our home in January and decided that the dinnerware didn't go with our Tuscany theme. We were so happy to see that Target had the perfect set instead, the Tuscan Sunflower Dinnerware Set.

We took the three boxes to their Hackettstown, NJ store. Our plan was to get a credit for the Jade Moon to use towards the purchase of the Tuscan Sunflower. The guest services representative printed out our registry. She told us that since it has been over 90 since our wedding date, we were not entitled to a credit but could do an exchange for something else in the store but it had to be from one specific aisle (dinnerware). Unfortunately, the Tuscan Sunflower Set is available online only. I told her I would place the order right then and there in the store and she said that would not be possible. We were appalled and left the store.

When I got home I called their customer service number of [protected]. I explained my problem to the representative, who I could hardly understand because of his heavy Indian accent. He found two of the orders because the gift givers purchased them online. His exact words were "you are stuck with them" because it was 90 days after the purchases were made. 90 days had passed before I even received them at my bridal shower! First the policy is 90 days after the wedding date, now it is 90 days after the purchase?

Being aware of their return policy of being able to return items without a receipt for $70 per year, we visited their Toms River, NJ location to return one box. We were prepared to "eat" the $9.99. We were told that because the price is over $70, it could not be returned! WHAT?

I will NEVER shop at Target again. Saying their return policy SUCKS is an understatement, especially for a registry!

I always found it easier to save payment information with different creditors so that in in just a click or two my payment is made! However, NEVER do this with target. Once my payment information changed I went online to update my account number and make my payment. Not a good decisioin. Even though I filled out the forms that they provided, my new payment was still sent through my old account. As a result I then had $89 worth of fees including a late payment fee and returned check fee, not to mention my monthly payment. Even after calling severl times the representative was unable to both figure out my situation or help me change my payment information. I filled the forms out again and made another payment that also went through my old account. At this point my account was in such bad shape Target agreed to allow me to pay out my balance through a draft in which THEY selected the date. The date was the 21st of each month. I think GREAT.. they got me staright and my payments are being made! Nope. Although they decided my payment should come out on the 21st, a late payment is being charged to my account on the 20th of every month?!?! When will the cycle end. With all the fees my bill is unbelieveable! What can I do?

I wanted to purchase a wicker rocking chair at a Target store in the Cincinnati Market, they had the floor model that they would not sell, I checked all the other stores same thing none in stock. Store will not order one for you. You have to go to the website and find it. Here is where the problem arrives, the shipping charges for 100 pounds is $385.00 which cost more than the chairs. Are they insane? Their customer service sucks, they cannot adjust the shipping charges, will not order anything for you to go to the local store and when you call customer service you speak to someone who cannot speak English clearly. Shop Sears they are much better with servicing the needs of the customers. Target does a lot of sales preventives for the customers.

Target is the worst company in the universe. I worked for Target for 3 years. I started as a Team Leader which is an hourly position. I was promoted to an Executive Team Leader position which is a salaried management position. Eventually, I was told I was topped out because I did not have a college degree. I was told by my store manager that they loved my results, but without a degree I had gone as far as I was going to go. I left the company- working a 2 week notice. Two years later, I applied at Target. I could not even get an interview because I did not have a degree. I had excellent performance reviews, left in good standing, and had actually performed the job I was applying for- but oh...no degree...no interview. This company wants cookie-cutter fresh out of college kids who don't want to do physical work, but they fit the "image" Target wants to portray. I didn't have a degree when I was promoted, but I was told I was an exception because of my strong performance. In the end, Target is a technology forward company that I admired, but they are very single-minded about hiring. Getting a degree shows commitment, but so does years of experience. They sell themselves short with their single-minded pursuit of college educated candidates.

I went to target to buy some pepsi cola products in 12 packs sizes. I had about 15 twelve packs of sodas & some six packs of other sodas. I run a small business, so i usually shop at wal-mart, target and other big stores for business needs. So when i reached the counter to pay for them, the cashier who was newer and was nice, rang up all the items, and, I asked her if she could accept the california state issued sellers permit, in order to do the sale tax exempt. And since I had used it in the past at target very many times, I told her how she can use it, by pressing some keys on the register. she was doing it, AND then an employee of target named MYRON showed up at the register, and inquired what was this. She handed the permit to him.He looked at it from every angle possible, then said this is the copy of permit, you can not copy it, & said his parents had it, thats how he knows. And asked to bring the original, PLUS he said that California State does not allow you to keep the permit in your pocket and go shopping place to place. I argued that i should be able to copy it, But he took the permit to a seperate room to show it to someone, and came back after about 15 minutes, and refused to make the sale . At that moment there were about 20 to 25 people were there listning to all of this, he said some other words also. It was very bad & harasing experience. He was portraying me as if i was to get every thing without paying for it. It was hard to walk those four steps to exit the TARGET. I think they should teach all there employees that what customer service is called. And I would like to know that what the target company did to this complaint.Is he repriminded or did he got the promotion.

I've been reading about people getting hurt at Target and not getting their medical bills paid. I guess I'm not alone. I slipped on some Gel back in May of '08 and got injured at a Target Store in Norridge Illinois. I hired a lawyer who said he would get my medical bills taken care of, along with a small settlement for work time lost...etc.

However after dragging things out their insurance company (Sedgwick) didn't pay us a dime. I'm stuck with a several thousand dollar doctor's bill.

I'm the founder and part of an organization called "Citizens United Against Corporate Corruption." We need more members. Please contact my e-mail address if interested. We've already been contacting Target shareholders and asking them to sell out. But I think we also need to spread the word throughout the country with fliers and mass mailing to warn as many people as possible to stay away from Target.