As a Target employee, I have many interactions with my fellow workers on a daily basis 
that help to uplift me in my job. However, as an area specialist, I don’t see those other team members nearly as often as I will see guests, who ask me many questions, some of which are very interesting, and some of which I don’t know the answers to, but I find them. This edition of Keeping it Brand is all about the guest experience, my stories.
First off, I am a food specialist. My particular area is perishables, so we’re talking about food that has a very short shelf life, so I have to keep them up. In no way am I a specialist in other parts of the store, but during the course of my day, I find myself many other places where people ask me questions and where I have my interactions with guests.
** I was passing through Entertainment when this security guard stops me. She was probably about 5 feet tall, so I towered over her, and I had been pushing a cart full of frozen items for the bakery table. I braked my cart, parked it next to Toys (there’s a juxtaposition for you if you choose to see it), and went over to the CDs to help this lady. She said she was looking for the “new” Ludacris album. Now, I might not be the biggest Luda fan, but I didn’t think he had a new album out, and I told her this. She then proceeded to rap (for a solid minute) in the Ludacris style, apparently what she had heard, a testament to me being wrong. After the minute was up (and I tried not to laugh — I think I succeeded, maybe), I did an exhaustive search, but we found nothing. However, I did manage to sell her on the latest R. Kelly (without any singing, thank you very much).
** I was passing through Furniture (I told you these interactions happened all over the store), and this older lady stopped me to ask about vacuum cleaners. Now, I am an expert on the vacuum cleaner that we have at home, but that’s a Dyson Animal (I know, we’re cool), but that’s about it. I tried my best, however, reading the features from the box to the lady, who had misplaced her reading glasses. In the end, I ended up selling her on the model one step up from the one she had come in for, rang it up for her, and personally took it out to her car. She tried to tip me for exemplary service, and I told her I was just doing my job, thank you very much, but I couldn’t accept her tip. That’s all part of the Target service.
** Speaking of checking people out, I was on the registers once (again, not my job, but we do backup when needed) when it was really crowded, and this couple comes through my lane, a couple of regulars actually. Side note: A Target “regular” is someone who comes in so often, and so… regularly, that I recognize them on sight, and on some occasions, we are even on a first name basis. Anyway, so these regulars were ones I had always encountered over in the Market area, and they started when they realized I was on the registers. The lady asked me, “Wait. You’re not a regular cashier, are you?” To which I replied, “No.” Then she said, “So, why are you up here now?” And I told her that when the lines start to get long, we call for backup, and anyone on the sales floor can be drafted into service. She said, “That’s why I like coming to Target, the little things like that.” It made my day.
** I’ll leave you with a story from my area of expertise. Every morning I have a routine I do, making sure we have the freshest produce, dairy, meat, and bakery items we can possibly have on the shelf. Well, I was deep into my routine the other morning when a guest came in looking for tea. I knew exactly where the tea was, so I began walking her toward the aisle. She had stopped walking, though, and asked me if I could just point her in the direction because she had to pick up some toothpaste first, but she wasn’t sure where that was either. It turns out she had never been in our store, or any Target for that matter, so I dropped my routine right then and there, and I became her personal shopper for the rest of her trip to the store. She was so amazed that I would stop my whole routine as if it was nothing, and help her out like that. We found all of the items she needed in record time, and as she left the store (I rang her out personally as well), she looked back at me, smiled, and said she would be back soon. I honestly think that Target, because of that experience, became her store of choice. And I hope she enjoys those black bras I helped her find, too.
Keeping it brand. It’s not just a slogan. It’s a culture.
Sam
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