GUEST SERVICES GUIDE

Table of Contents8 Guest Services Layout

POS Terminals
Returns Baskets
Defective Tubs
Registry Kiosks/ Cradle Deck
Holds/ Paid & Left/ Exchange Area

8 Return Policy, etc.

Returns w/ a Receipt
How to Process
DPCI’s on clothing; shoes
Missing Original Packaging
Even Exchanges; Price Guarantee slip
Bike Returns/ Repair
Breast Pumps, Car seats, etc.
InsidePOS receipts
Electronics Returns; Sirus Dealer
Receipt Lookup
Online Returns
How to Process
Problems w/ that process
“No Receipt”
Four types of “No Receipt” returns
w/ a Gift Registry
Food/ Recall item
718— Refund “Authorization”
Adjustments

8 Other POS Functions

Merchandise Locate
Reports/ Readings
Mainframe/ Host

8 Registry Kiosks

Basic Kiosk Functions :
o Accessing a registry
o Finding a gift list
o Reading a registry
o What if a registry can’t be found?!
o Registry Speech!
Breakdown of fast service scores
Fast Service buttons and how to improve scores
Paper Jams/ Paper Outs
“MP Letter Feeder” error
Keyboard/ tracker error
Leaky Toner/ how to replace cartridges
“Transmission Error”

8 POS Problems

“Printer Communications Error”- EJ
Scanner trouble
Food stamp Problem

8 Defectives

Breakdown of how to keep boxes (stoplight fashion)
Best practices of how to process defectives
Special Handling/ Vendor Pick-up
Chargeback Area/ Pallets
Single shoes

8 PDT/PDA Functions

Location Check/ NOP
Reverse Logistics:
o Floor Defective
o LP Audit/ Void
Pricing:
o NOF (Not on File)
o Rewrap (As Is)
o Reticket + Monarch Gun
QMOS (Quantity Mark Out of Stock)


8 Other Problems/ Miscellaneous

How to process returns with a receipt dated after 90 days!
All the things to do on a REDphone
Problems with Online Returns
CSC + Outside Line/ CSC Ticket spreadsheet
Closing Checklist
Weekly Checklist
Monthly Checklist

POS Terminals
The most important parts of the service desk are the six registers (registers 122-127) from which we can assist our guests with almost any problem they have. The most commonly used registers are 124 and 125 (those facing the sales floor, closest to the bend of the desk), and, thus, are the registers that give us the most trouble (see “Printer Communications Error,” p. 38). For optimum guest service, we like to use registers 122-125, simply because they face the guests and allow us to present ourselves in an open and accessible manner. Register 126 (the one closest to the bend, but facing the two laser jet registry kiosks) is often used for processing defectives, and any merchandise that needs to be defected is often kept nearby. Register 127 is commonly never used, unless it is needed to process defectives, as well.

Returns Baskets
We keep six large baskets of returns up at Guest Services, divided up by department so that the sales floor can more easily take them back to where they belong! If you’re facing the baskets (with your back to the sales floor), you start from the left with Grocery; next comes Softlines; after that you have two baskets for Green Side— the leftmost includes Checklanes, OneSpot, Cosmetics, Candy, Mini Seasonal, HBA, Baby, Pets, Plastics, and Small Appliances; we put Domestics and Housewares in the other basket; finally, the last two baskets we keep for Blue Side— the leftmost includes Entertainment (Video Games, DVD players, Batteries, CD’s, etc.), Seasonal, Garden, Greeting Cards, Stationary, Home Office, and “Do Your Room;” we put Automotive, Hardware, Toys, and Sporting Goods in the other basket. We also like to keep a small hand basket for MMB (Music, Movies, and Books) merchandise, just below the rightmost returns basket. Try to fit any large returns below the cart, or put them just behind the carts themselves— this will reduce clutter up front and help with both safety and safeness! Many stores have a different setup, smaller GM stores have bins for each 'zone', Softlines than A-G for Hardlines, with extras for Paid and Left, Red, Vendor, Cart Attendant, and NOF.

Defectives TubsWhen we process defective merchandise, we keep it in boxes within a tub just to the left of the Grocery return cart. There are three types of defectives (more on this in the “Defectives” section of the handbook): Green (Salvage), Yellow (CRC), and Red (Destroy). We keep the boxes in a stoplight fashion: the green box remains closest to the service desk; the yellow box comes next, and, finally, the red. Ensure that you toss each defective into the corresponding box— it’s very important that we keep our defectives straight! If you have a large defective item that can’t fit into a box, you can place it in the corner of the back wall closest to the door. Any items that are waiting to be processed as defective can go in the “Reticket, NOF (Not on File), and SDEF (Sales Floor Defective)” box. Any “Special Handling” or “Vendor Pick-Up” defectives can be placed in the appropriate tub. If you need any more defective LP’s (license plates— green, yellow, or red), check the drawers near the last register, or if you have a supply shelf check there. If you can’t find them there, try Chargeback. There should be some in boxes just above the computer.

Registry Kiosks/ Cradle Deck
Perhaps the most important component of Guest Service is the gift registry— it is the only service we provide [at the guest service desk] where Target actually makes money, as opposed to the negative sales we induce by returning items! Therefore, it is important that we make guests feel welcome when they use the registries, and that we know how to fix any problem that might occur in their operation. A good chunk of this book is devoted to serving your registry needs, and the daily operation of the kiosks is explained there in detail. For now, all you’ll need to know is that we have two laser jet kiosks (those closest to the photo lab, in the corner), as well as the thermal kiosk (on the island in front of Guest Service) [Location and types of printers vary per store]. We also have scanner guns we provide to registrants so that they can add items to their registries; these are located in the cradle deck, just above the defectives tub behind the wall.

Holds/ Paid & Left/ Exchanges
AreaAlong the back wall we have a set of fixtures on which we set the tools we need for great guest service, as well as certain merchandise that we may need to hold for guests. There are stickers indicating where we keep most items, but I’ll give a quick layout of how the back wall should look just in case we need to zone the service desk to planogram, as it were! Just above the cradle deck, we keep the registry booklets (wedding tote bags and baby booklets. Above this, there should be replacement toner for the laser jet printers and rolls of paper for the thermal printers. To the left of the cradle deck, there should be two rows of fixtures reserved for guest exchanges.

If a guest needs to exchange an item, it’s best if we keep them along these two rows as opposed to on the ledge in front of the baskets of returns, for proper brand management! Tape any receipts the guest may have to the applicable merchandise. Above these rows, we should keep extra laser printer paper and telephone books. To the left of all of this, there should be a box for Lost and Found, as well as for Paid & Left Merchandise. We also keep cleaning supplies, bandages, defective stickers, and gift card “fast packs” along these rows.

The last section, on the far left, is reserved for guest overnight holds. Along the back wall, we should keep the hanger rack for clothing on hold, a broom and dustpan, the hanger bin, as well as a small hand basket to keep any fixtures that appear at guest service. Once that basket is full, we can take it back to the fixture room and place each fixture in its appropriate spot.

Returns with a Receipt
Ninety percent of the guests you’ll encounter at Guest Service will have their receipts ready when they’re returning merchandise. This makes it very easy to process returns, and makes us thankful for the wonders of modern technology!

I.) How to Process

Ensure receipt is valid (i.e. fewer than 90 days old); N.B. even if receipt is older than 90 days, POS may still take it as valid, and you may be able to complete the return. Thus, scan all receipts. Ask the guest if there was anything wrong with the items (defective).
Scan the barcode located at the top of the receipt. If this will not scan, enter the 18-digit receipt ID located near the bottom of the receipt (ex: 2-6168-4218-0125-7867-4); additionally, enter the VCD# (ex: 752-257-438) when prompted to do so.

POS will ask if any items are defective; press K3 for “no” and process defectives later, or press K1 for “yes” and you’ll be able to process defectives during the transaction [Note, If you do hit K3 for No, You can always select the item and hit K6 during the transaction to defect the item out].

Scan each item or manually enter its DPCI; if the item is returned on the same day during which it was purchased, it will prompt you to enter the price of the item from the receipt.

After all items have been returned, press “TOTAL,” and POS will have options of tenders to give back to guest. A gift card is always an option (K5) provided the return total is over $5; otherwise, the guest can receive cash (K1 or K2).

The guest will normally receive the money back in the tender with which they purchased the items (option K1—“Recommended Refund”); however, if the guest wrote a check, it takes an average of 7-10 days for that check to clear the Target “central bank.” During that period, if the guest chooses to return an item, they will have to receive a gift card. Nevertheless, interestingly enough, sometimes the guest will be able to receive cash back for a check purchase, provided they return the item on the same day at which it was purchased.

For credit card returns, the money will automatically go back to the card (no need to swipe it!); this process normally takes 3-5 days, and can take as long as a week, or as few as 24 hours, depending on the credit card company. Sometimes, however, “CREDIT” will be displayed as the recommended refund, in which case you’ll have to swipe the original card. Often this will happen if a guest returns an item within 24 hours, or before the transaction posts on their account.

For debit card returns, you can either ask to see the guest’s original card, have them enter their PIN, and the money will go directly back to the card, or you can give the guest cash back. Return to top!

II.) DPCI’s on Clothing; Shoes
Every item in the store has a specific, 9-digit item number called a DPCI; this stands for DePartment-Class-Item. It is often embedded in the barcode of an item, and for many Target specific items, the DPCI will be printed on the label itself. Often, if an item of clothing does not have a tag with a barcode, you can find the DPCI under the tag at the neck of shirts, or at the waist of pants; you can also find it under a tag near the abdomen of shirts. For shoes, you can often find the DPCI under the lip or on the side. Some sandals will also have a clear sticker somewhere on the shoe.

This is helpful if a guest returns items of clothing or shoes without a tag— we’re able to locate the item number that way and match it with the DPCI from the receipt. It might also be a good habit just to look for the DPCI on the item itself and key it in; we’ve had people pin tags of more expensive clothing to clearance clothing and return it, getting the money for the more expensive item. Always check to verify that the DPCI’s on the tag match those on the clothing itself. Moreover, finding DPCI’s can be helpful at the checklanes if an item doesn’t have a tag— that way, you can key it in manually. Sometimes, if a guest returns an item of clothing that didn’t have a tag originally, the cashier may have keyed in that DPCI, or they may have given in the general 099 dept. and keyed in a price. They may have also keyed in the appropriate dept. code (for instance, 093 for children’s shoes) and given it a price, but, more than likely, if they knew how to do that, they’ll know how to find the DPCI on the clothing itself!

III.) Missing Original Packaging
Luckily, original packaging is not required for a return. If a guest is not satisfied with the product, they have every right to return it. To process a return like this, you can either get the DPCI from the receipt (at the far left hand column), or you can have the guest get the item (with the barcode!) from the sales floor. This ensures that the DPCI you enter is indeed the one for the item the guest is returning. Often, they’ll want to exchange the item anyway, in which case you’ll want to give them the item in the same condition as we received it. Basically, once you process the return, open the new package and give them back whatever they gave you. This allows us to keep the package and put the defective item in that, allowing for better packaged defectives. It also ensures that they don’t receive duplicate merchandise for which they didn’t pay.

Also, on a missing package return that comes up Yellow defect, the original contents of the package MUST be present, that includes all of the manuals. This is required for us to send back the Yellow defect to the proper company to get our money back. If the guest does not have the full contents, you may have to do an even exchange for the exact same item and take what they did not return.

IV.) Even Exchanges/ Price Guarantee slips
Often, guests will bring back merchandise wanting to exchange it for the exact same item. Sometimes, they will have bought the merchandise on sale, in which case, when processing the exchange, POS will say that they owe a bit extra for the product they’re buying. For instance, the guest may be returning a defective crock pot that they purchased on sale at $47.00. When they run to get the new one and you process the exchange (return the item, press TOTAL, then press K7 for “Sale”), the new crock pot rings up $59.99 at the regular selling price. POS will prompt the guest to pay the $12.99 difference plus tax, but since it’s the exact same item, there’s no need for them to pay the difference! There are two ways you can process this: if you’ve already processed it as a normal exchange, simply press K1 for Price Change and K5 for Even Exchange. Press K1 again for a $ amount, and key in the price they paid (in this case, $47.00).
You can also start the transaction as an even exchange; once you scan the receipt and press K3 for no defectives, press K1 for “Even Exchange” and follow the prompts so that the guest owes nothing in the exchange. This is also helpful when processing an exchange where a guest has purchased an item at another Target where the tax is more expensive or cheaper. They’ll either owe a few cents or get back a few, whatever the case may be. You can change this on the Tax Options (K5) once you’ve processed the exchange so that they owe nothing, but it might be easier to make it even from the start!

Another useful, similar function is the Price Guarantee slip. When a guest returns the $47.00 crock pot, it will recognize the price discrepancy in the system and prompt for a Price Guarantee slip to print. This way, if a guest has more shopping to do, they can simply get the crock pot they need and buy it from the check lanes. Once they present the Price Guarantee slip to the cashier, they’ll only have to pay the $47.00 that they paid originally. In this way, the slip acts as a retroactive rain check of sorts. It also prevents the guest from waiting in line at guest service to process the exchange up there. You can simply give the guest their money along with the Price Guarantee slip, and they’ll be ready to rock and roll.

V.) Bike Returns/ Repair
If a guest wants to return a bike with a receipt, make sure to call the LOD so that they can make the call. This past summer, we were not allowed to return any bikes that had been used— the only option we had was to offer the guest our bike repair service. A bike repairman actually comes in and provides this service to our guests. The bike policy is beginning to get a bit more lax, but try to always offer the bike repair service to guests, because more than likely that’s all they’ll need. You can find the bike repair booklet in the drawer below register 125 or 126, but you might not be able to find any bike repair slips left. Fill out all the appropriate information and make two more copies— one to give to the guest and one to keep up at Guest Services. Tape the original to the bike and wheel it back to your stores designated bike area in the stock room (Check with the backroom team, they should know, or your Specialist or Team Lead in charge of handling the Bikes).

VI.) Breast Pumps/ Car Seats
If a guest wants to return a Breast Pump or a Car Seat with a receipt, by all means take them back! We want to be pleasant with all of our guests, but expecting or new mothers are part of our largest contingent of shoppers (remember the registries!), so we want to be extra-kind to them. Process the return, and if you expect the item has been at all opened, you’ll want to immediately defect it out. These items are a big health and safety issue, because we don’t want to put a possibly defective car seat back on the sales floor. This ensures that our guests remain as safe as possible.

VII.) InsidePOS/ E-Journal receipts
Here’s a situation to ponder: for Christmas, Santa Clause bought a TV at Target. When he gave it to a little boy, the TV stopped working soon after Christmas! The parents of the little boy came back into the store to return the TV, acting as Santa’s proxy, hoping to exchange it for the exact same one. We didn’t have the TV in stock at that time, so they got their money back ($178.00). They also received a Price Guarantee slip, because the TV had gone back off sale since Santa purchased it (up to $259.99). They came back in once we had the TV in stock, but by that point they had lost the Price Guarantee slip! There’s a neat way of dealing with these situations— Target keeps electronic records of all the transactions each store has processed within the past 90 days in a system called InsidePOS. What we did in this case was to get the date around which they returned the TV, the mother’s name, as well as the DPCI of the TV.

With all of this, you can narrow your search in InsidePOS and find the transaction within the system. We found her return receipt on there, along with the line of text where the Price Guarantee slip had printed. This gave us the proof we needed to process the transaction and give her the price she had originally paid! Situations like this come up all the time, and you have to be on your toes and know how to use InsidePOS effectively to be able to utilize its power. You can search by date and register, and get the first transaction, last transaction, a specific transaction, or search by text (DPCI’s, names on credit cards, etc.) to find the transaction. The most important part of information is the date, because you have to search by each specific day to scroll through the electronic journal.

An important note: you are able to return items using an InsidePOS receipt if you must. It gives you a receipt ID, but the EJ (Electronic Journal) receipt provides no VCD. You have to call 718 and process it as a “no receipt” return, in which case the guest will not be charged one return on their license (more on this later). It’s tough to get done (especially since 718 is often hard-nosed about using EJ receipts), but sometimes it’s the only way to process a return for a guest!

VIII.) Electronics Returns/ Sirus Dealer
If a guest is trying to return a DVD, CD, video game or other computer software, and they have opened it, the guest must exchange it for the exact same item. Statutes of copyright law actually govern all retailers on these returns. The reason is simple: if a guest buys a CD and burns it, they can return it and get their money back, but they will have the burnt songs for free at that point. Such policies on our part prevent this kind of theft. Therefore, if a guest brings in a CD that they’ve opened, with or without a receipt, tell them that they’ll have to exchange it for the exact same item. Once they get the item and you process the exchange, make sure to open the new CD, as well. This way, they can’t walk into another store and exchange it for something different, stealing new songs all over again. Opening it ensures that we present the new merchandise in the same condition as we received it, and prevents intellectual copyright violations for which Target might be held responsible.

Furthermore, for large entertainment returns (video game consoles), you’ll want to open the package and ensure that each and every piece of equipment is intact. Many times a team member will take back say an Xbox box that was full of bricks instead of the merchandise— whoops! If everything is there and the guest has his receipt, you can process the exchange. If you’re at all suspicious of the return, call AP and have them take a look. If the guest does not have his receipt, we can offer manufacturer’s assistance (more on this later), but there’s also a number you can call to see at what date the model was purchased and whether or not the manufacturer’s warrantee is still available. The Sirus dealer keeps track of this information for all retailers, and their number is 1-800-255-3788. It even lets us know if it was bought at Target, as an added assets protection bonus! This is a useful tool that could save the guest service and AP team lots of time when processing electronics returns for guests.

Receipt Lookup
When guests don’t have their receipt for an item, we still have plenty of options, one of which is receipt lookup. If the guest paid using a Credit Card, Target Gift Card, Check, or Debit Card, we’re able to lookup the transaction, provided that it’s within 90 days. On the main POS screen, simply press K1 for receipt lookup, press K3 for no defectives, and press the appropriate button for the applicable tender (K1 for Credit Card, K2 for Gift Card, K3 for Check MICR or K4 for Debit Card). Scan or swipe the tender used, and scan the item. It should pop right up and you’ll be able to give them back the money as per normal procedure, in the tender in which they paid.

A few important notes: Debit cards can be used as Credit cards, and often will be, so make sure, when dealing with plastic, to check both options. Furthermore, checks take an average of 7-10 days to clear the Target corporate bank, during which time you won’t be able to find transactions using receipt lookup. Finally, while you’re cashiering, tell guests about the option of receipt lookup if they’re using a gift card. Instead of tossing gift cards with a zero balance, ask guests if they’d like to keep them just in case they lose their receipt. Many guests will be thankful you asked!

Online Returns
I.) How to process
Luckily, guests can return items they purchased online at any Target store. All they have to do is bring in is the item they’re returning, as well as the packing slip on which the order number is located. If they have the online receipt, that makes it even easier, but it’s also easy to look up from the packing slip itself. Just go to any registry kiosk and click the icon for Target.com at the bottom left hand corner of the screen.

At the top of the Target.com main page, click on the icon for “My account.” There are two columns of options: click the one titled “return items” at the top of the right-hand column. It will ask if the guest bought the item or if they received the item as a gift. Choose the applicable bubble and proceed. If they purchased the item, it will prompt the guest for their account information, from which they’ll be able to choose their order and print the receipt from it. If the guest received the item as a gift, it will prompt you to enter the order number from the packing slip (include the hyphens!). Then, the guest will have to enter their shipping information, and they will choose items from that order which they are returning. Once they’re done, print the receipt and proceed with the return like normal. The item might show up Not on File if we don’t carry it in the store— see the NOF information under PDT/PDA Functions for more information.

II.) Problems w/ that process
Sometimes, we have a bit of trouble processing online returns for guests. Often, the order number won’t go through online when we try to enter it. Other times, once you print the receipt, the system won’t see the items on the transaction, even though you can manually verify that the DPCI’s match! These are the result of software issues with Target.com’s return system, which you can bypass by calling 718 Refund Authorization and pressing “1” for a Target.com return. Explain to the associate on the line what your problem is, and they’ll be able to fix it for you. You might even be able to get the shipping and handling back for the guest if they purchased the item— ask and see if ye shall receive!

“No Receipt” returns
Four types of “No Receipt” returns
This section will need to be revised again on August 1, 2007, following a shift in corporate policy.

When a guest does not have a receipt, don’t tell them that they “don’t” have options. They want to hear the positive statements of “can do!” Without a receipt, we basically use their State issued driver’s license or ID card, Passport, or Military ID as a receipt. We allow this as an exception to our return policy; the guest can use their government issued ID’s up to twice in a twelve month period (not a calendar year— for instance, if a guest uses their license once in March and once in May, they’ll have to wait until next March to use it again; the system does not reset in January).

There are four types of “No Receipt” returns, each based on the price of the item.

If an item is less than $5.00, you can give the guest cash back.
If the item is between $5.00 and $10.00, you can give them a gift card, and if the item is over $10.00, you’ll have to have them exchange the item directly for an item of equal or greater value within the same department (i.e. a small appliance for a small appliance, shoes for shoes, etc.). The system is strict and sees the same department as the same department code.

Therefore, if you tell a guest they can get a domestics item for their sheet set, they might bring back something from domestics that has a different department code. Therefore, the system senses that shift of department (087 to 088, for instance) as a policy breach, and it will ask you to confirm the exception to the return. Simply press K8 when prompted to move past this.

Many guests ask why they can’t have a gift card for their $47.00 crock pot. The reason we cap the store credit at $10.00 is to deter theft. If someone steals the crock pot from the shelf, hoping to bring it to guest services and get a gift card (which they can do at Wal-Mart…), they’ll be thwarted. Of course, they’ll be able to get a crock pot in exchange, if that’s really what they want, but the time they spend in the store will give AP more tape to look up if they suspect illicit behavior, and the guest will only be able to do this twice. It’s not a perfect system, but it works. Of course, it’s difficult to tell guests this, because they’re getting hurt for criminal activity when they themselves are not criminals! If they ask, explain it to them in a way that makes the system look bad, and not them specifically. For instance: “…Target loses almost $10 million dollars in theft each year, so they’ve set up this crazy system to prevent it, which hurts all of us who aren’t trying to steal anything…”.

When returning an item without a receipt, you’ll always want to do a price inquiry on the item to first make sure that it’s ours, and to tell how much they’ll be able to receive for it. You’ll want to look at the very bottom price out of the three that pop up: “return price w/o a receipt.” This is the lowest selling price in the last 30 days, and, without a receipt, it’s the price we have to give guests for the item. We don’t know when in the sale cycle it was bought, so, unfortunately, we have to give guests the “deficit of the doubt.” If they’re getting the exact same thing, you’ll be able to perform an even exchange, but if they want to switch items, that’s the price you’ll have to honor.

UPDATE TO POLICY, Effective April 1st, 2007
The fourth and final type of “No Receipt” return is an item over $40.00. Without a receipt, guests cannot return merchandise over $40.00, nor can they exchange it. Target puts that cap on no receipt returns to deter theft, as well, hoping that a guest will not snatch an Xbox from the shelf and get $300.00 worth of Electronics credit.

When performing a “No Receipt” return or exchange, you have to process one item per transaction. This limits guests to two items returned without a receipt every twelve months. We limit it to two simply because it’s an exception to our policy, and we’re providing guests that bit of leeway, because not every receipt will be found! When an item is over $10.00 and a guest has to exchange the item, make sure they get one item of equal or greater value to exchange, not multiple items the sum total of which is of equal or greater value.

An interesting note on tax: when an item is less than $5.00, but tax puts it above $5.00, we have to give them a gift card for the item. However, if an item is $9.99, current sales tax puts the item at $10.76, and the guest can receive a gift card for that amount. Similarly, if a guest wants to exchange a $39.99 item, they’ll be able to, even though tax puts that item above the $40.00 limit.


Returns w/ a Gift Purchase Log
Since registrants for weddings and babies are some of the most important guests in our store, we allow them more leeway when returning things. The policy used to be very broad on registry returns— registrants used to be able to return any item using their registry, whether or not the item was on there. This allowed for guests who received different sizes of clothing (and, hence, different DPCI’s) to return those items, as well as any duplicate of items. However, this system was abused and, thus, policy was changed. The new policy stipulated that registrants had to have items on their registry to be able to return them using their registry. Therefore, different sizes of clothing were now not able to be returned, but duplicates were still ok. The new system was changed again, however, and now the guest has to print their “Gift Purchase Log” when returning items, so that Target can guarantee that the items were indeed purchased off of the registry.

The reason we dislike this policy is because registrants can no longer return different sizes of clothing, nor can they return duplicates (that wern't taken off the registery at the POS). The new system also assumes guests have complete knowledge of the registry system when they purchase items for registrants: Target assumes guests know how to match DPCI’s, make sure to not buy more than the requested amount, as well as present the gift list to the cashier so that the items can be marked as purchased. If any one of these steps fails, the registrants will have trouble returning items which they didn’t originally want. This is one of my only complaints with Target’s return policy, and I made sure to make my voice heard and articulate my complaint to corporate, after which I was most likely placed on a watch list…

To return items using the Gift Purchase Log, have the guest print it off from the registry kiosk (they’ll need to know their Kiosk Password), and scan it on the main POS screen. You’ll need to see and scan their license to proceed, and scan the items that are on the guest’s purchase log, the total of which they’ll be able to receive on a gift card.

III.) Food/ Recall Items
When a guest is dissatisfied with food, or when items are recalled to the manufacturer, it is a major health and safety issue, so we can return these items regardless of whether a guest has used their two exceptions for return on the twelve month period. Proceed using their license as normal, but once you scan the item, instead of pressing K3 for “Gift Exchange,” press K2 for “Food/Recall item.” This does not count as one of their two transactions for the twelve months, and allow them to get their money back for their items.

IV.) 718— Refund “Authorization”
Sometimes, when processing a return, you’ll need to get authorization to proceed. This often happens when POS says that the guest has already returned an item from a receipt in error, when you need to check if a guest has reached their limit of two returns on their license, when you’re processing a return using an EJ receipt, or any other time you have to authorize a refund. Simply dial 718 and follow the prompts to talk to a refund consultant. I put Authorization in quotation marks because, often, they’re very hard to deal with, and seldom do I call unless I’m dealing with an EJ receipt. They rarely authorize refunds, so it’s often faster to talk to a GSTL or LOD instead of a refund consultant.


Adjustments
Often, guests will buy an item that goes on sale the next week, in which case Target allows them to bring in their receipt and get the difference refunded. To process an adjustment, press K3 on the main POS screen, scan the receipt, and key in the DPCI of the item. POS will give them the appropriate difference back, and they’ll be good to go. The adjustment period is 14 days, so a guest has two sale periods in which to make the adjustment. After that, we won’t be able to process the adjustment.

Furthermore, we cannot do adjustments on clearance items. Guests will sometimes ask if they can simply return the items and re-buy them to take advantage of the lower price. I tell them, “well, technically…yes; however, I really can’t endorse that.” You can’t tell guests that they cannot return the item, because, with a receipt, we have every obligation to. I just don’t feel it’s right for them to abuse the system, and cannot endorse any abuse thereof.

Other POS Functions
I.) Merchandise Locate
When guests can’t find an item in our store, they might try to look for the item at other stores in our area. We have a system that can search those stores, and with a DPCI, we can easily tell guests which stores in the area might have the item in stock. To get to this system, simply press “Merch Locate” on any register and enter the DPCI of the item. For clothing, you can change colors and sizes, but we can’t change colors on toy cars or other similar items, simply because the DPCI’s aren’t as close (for clothing, the DPCI’s go in sequence by size, but toys and other items aren’t the same way). Press K1 to confirm once you’re done. It will tell you how many of the item we have in our store (make sure to do a backroom location check before you send them to other stores— see PDT/PDA functions, p. 43). Follow the prompts to search other stores, and it will automatically tell you the stores in the state that have the item, how many they have, and where they are located. You can give the guest a printout of this location check, but I always like to call to confirm that the store indeed has the item and see if they can hold it for the guest. It’s best to do this for two reasons: first, the system updates at 8:00 AM every morning, so any items bought that day won’t register in the location check; furthermore, the system follows POS sales’ tracking, which isn’t perfect (for instance, a cashier may scan two of a similarly priced item, thinking it’s ok. It’s not. Not only does the guest have trouble returning items if they need to, but it also offsets sales tracking and sales projections, as well as skewing the merchandise locate system significantly). Calling the store yourself also saves guests time, and they’ll be grateful you took the time to help them!

II.) Reports/Readings
You can view information about the sales we bring in by looking at the Reports and Readings in POS. Go to Admin (K5), then Reports/Readings (K3). You can look at your individual team member totals (one day I took in - $2000.00 in sales…), register totals, or store totals. It’s neat to see how much of an impact you make in the company, and to see how much we actually gross each day!

III.) Mainframe/Host
Similar to the Unix Terminal or Windows Command Prompt, Mainframe acts as POS’s command line underbelly, from which you can do a lot of neat things. To access Mainframe, press the Mainframe button on any register. It will prompt you for a username (Usually store number, Ask a GSTL) and a password (ask GSTL for current password). To exit Mainframe, simply press F3 or enter “/K” on the command prompt. The coolest thing to use Mainframe for is to look up an itemized list for a general gift receipt. Often, when a guest buys multiple items for a guest and asks for one gift receipt, the gift receipt won’t show an itemized list with DPCI’s! Once you’ve logged onto Mainframe, simply enter “RECEIPT” and press Enter. Enter the 18-digit receipt ID and press F2 to view the list.


Basic Kiosk Functions
The main functions of the registry kiosks are to help guests look up registries, create registries, and access and edit their registries. You can also access the Target.com main page from the kiosk (more on this later), as well as the electronic “guest surveys,” where guests can rate us on our guest service in all areas of the store! Knowing how to access and lead guests through each of these functions saves them time, and doing so with a smile leaves them with a lasting impression of Target’s superior guest service!


I.) Accessing a registry
If it’s their first time to buy gifts for a Target registrant, guests will often be reasonably confused at how to access the registry system. It always helps— and it follows the “Can I Help You Find Something” attitude— to ask each guest, whether they look like a pro or a novice, if they know how to access the registry; if they don’t know how, they’ll be glad you asked, instead of having to weave their own way around the inner workings of those “krazy kiosks!” And even if you’re helping a guest to begin with, it only takes a second to acknowledge those guests at the kiosks; once you’re done with the guests at hand, you can step over and offer “Fast, Fun, and Friendly” service. This eliminates the double burden that otherwise might occur: if you don’t help guests who are having trouble accessing a gift list, it takes them longer to find it, which wastes not only their time, but also the time of guests in line behind them!


II.) Finding a gift list
- If you’re helping a guest at the kiosk, the first question I always ask is, “Are you looking for a Wedding or Baby Registry?” I’ve seen people try to find a wedding registry for their niece by clicking on the baby registry multiple times, never thinking that Target splits the two!

- Once the type of registry is established, simply touch the picture you want (for you far-sighted people, Blue for Wedding, Green for Baby!), click the language in which you’d like to read the registry, and press “Find a Gift List.” During this time, it might be helpful to ask whether the guest would like to search the registry database by either Bride or Groom (for Wedding), or Mother or Father (Baby).

- Once they tell you that, ask for the registrant’s name (first name first); all you’ll need is the first two letters of both the first and last name. Unfortunately, if you’re using the touch screen technology, you’ll have to use an alphabetical keyboard, as opposed to the normal QWERTY; for me, this took some getting used to, so be wary of mistakes you might make in typing in the name!

- After that, always ask the state in which the registrant resides— it won’t always be the state that you yourself are in! First, press the first letter of the state’s name, then search from the list of applicable states (be careful on this part, because if you accidentally press the wrong state, you won’t be able to go back without starting over). Finally, it will show a list of names matching the search criteria, from which you can choose the right one (I always like to confirm the correct registry by saying both the name under which we searched, as well as the name of the fiancée; for instance, if we searched under “Wilma Flintstone,” and it comes up with a list of applicable names, once I think I found the right one, I might say, “…and Fred Flintstone?” to confirm that that registry is indeed the one for which the guest is looking).

- Click “Print List,” and then either “I Do” (Wedding) or “OK” (Baby) to start printing! Tell guests that the registry will print either below the keyboard (for the two laser jet printers), or above the keyboard (for the thermal printer).

III.) Reading a registry
- Once the registry prints, guests might be confused about how to read the gift list. I always like to tell them a few things to alleviate this confusion:

- First, if it’s a Wedding Registry, I tell them that most of the gifts for which the registrants registered are going to be near the southwest corner of the store, in small appliances, housewares, furniture, and domestics (i.e. D and F blocks). For a Baby Registry, most of the gifts are going to be right smack dab in the center of the store, in Infants. It’s always helpful to point and tell guests where each of these areas are, or provide them with a map of the store.

- Furthermore, it’s helpful to show guests which items have yet to be purchased, and which items have already been bought (normal, bold print for items waiting to be purchased, and faded type for those that already have been); it might also help to show them the “Want it” and “Got it” columns (i.e. a guest might want two of an item, and one has already been purchased, so it’ll say 2 under “Want it” and 1 under “Got it;” therefore, one still has yet to be purchased). Also, tell them to try to match up the DPCI on the registry with that on the sale sign and/or item— that way, there won’t be any confusion at the register.

Example: if a guest sees that the registrant wants a set of 10 dishes, they might pick out one of the sets of 10 dishes that we have in stock, whether or not it’s the kind the registrant registered for. When the guest goes to check out, the cashier scans the set of dishes, as well as the registry. That set of dishes might not show up on the list of items to be marked as bought from the registry, because the DPCI’s might not match up. The guest can, of course, still receive a gift receipt for the item to present to the registrant, but it won’t be taken off the registry, which means someone else might get the set the registrant registered for, and the bride and groom end up with two sets of different dishes (better than two Crock Pots…).

- Finally, it’s helpful to show guests what items we might not have in the store that are still on the registry. If an item says, “Online Only,” it means that the registrant added that item online, and it can’t be found anywhere in the store! If the guest would like to purchase this particular item, it’s helpful to show them exactly where it is and how to purchase it using the Target.com function on the kiosk. There also might be a few items that don’t have a specific sales floor location, in which case they’re probably clearance items. We like to tell registrants not to add clearance items to their gift lists because of this very problem: not only is it hard for guests to find, but we might also not even carry it anymore!

- Let the guests know that once they find their items and are ready to check out, they can present their list to the cashier and get gift receipts for each item they purchase off of the registry. If they don’t do this, you can take items off the list retroactively by going into “Guest Services” (K5), and selecting “Gift Registry Update” (K6). Select K1 for “No Receipt,” and key in the DPCI of the item they’d like taken off the list; scan the registry barcode, and continue with as many items as are necessary. Once you’re done, press K8 for “Done with Registry Update.” N.B. this does not remove the items from the gift list, it simply tags them as purchased. Registrants can remove items from the gift list completely by going online and accessing their registry, or by calling 1-800-888-WEDD (9333).

IV.) What if a registry can’t be found?!
- If a guest approaches you saying, “I can’t find a gift list!,” there are multiple options you can pursue. First (and this one usually works), try going over to the kiosk with them and entering only the first two letters of both the first and last name; somehow along the way the guest might have misspelled the name of the registrant. By entering just the first two letters, it reduces the error involved in finding a gift list.

- If this doesn’t work, try entering a different state of residence. Sometimes the registrant will register in the state in which they are having the wedding, or (and I’ve only seen this once) the state to which they’re eloping!

- If either or those two options fail, you can always go online. On the main page of the registry kiosk, click the icon labeled “Target.com” in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Once the Target.com main page loads, click either “Club Wedd Registry” or “Target Baby Registry” at the top of the screen. This loads a page from which you can do a more advanced search— it also broadens the search area, because it doesn’t limit you to state; the only required information is the first two letters of both the first and last name for either the bride or groom, or mother or father. Here, you’re also able to search by the date of the wedding, or the expected arrival date of the baby, which can also be very helpful!

- If, after this, you’re still not able to find the gift list, you can ask the guest if they can call anyone to get enough information about the registrant, or even if they’ve yet registered at Target (sometimes people send out the invitations to the wedding or baby showers, telling everywhere they’ve registered, even though they haven’t yet registered at the places listed!). Or, you can call 1-800-888-9333 and see if an operator there can help you find the list.

V.) Registry Speech!
Guests who register in our store could be considered the most important set of guests who walk through our doors. They alone bring in more business than any other “special interest group” (if they can really be termed that), so it’s important that they feel like they’re being treated well. If guests who register for their wedding have a good experience creating their registry with Target, as well as easy, painless returns on items such as duplicates, they’ll most likely come back to register if and when they have their baby (or babies). The easier guest service team members make the whole process of registering, the better guests will feel about doing this again— and who knows, they might even recommend us to their friends! This step-by-step handbook for the “registry speech” is simply a guideline from which anyone can create their own, autonomous way of leading guests through the tangled web of the registry— take what I give you and make it your own!

i.) First time registrants, unlike regular guests who come to look up a registry, will often come to you, the guest service team member, for help. This is a wonderful opportunity to say “woohoo!” and make a good first impression with a smile on your face. Have them step right over to one of the kiosks (the two laser-jet kiosks work best for two reasons: they’re more reliable than the thermal kiosk and are less prone to maintenance trouble, and they’re closer to the service desk, so it’s easier to clear the message that goes over the walkie that says, “Guest Registering For Target Wedding/Baby…”), click on the applicable icon (Wedding or Baby), select your language, and press “Create My Registry.”

ii.) At this point, I like to explain to the guest what they’ll encounter as they enter all their information. This is one of the only times that guest service means not helping a guest; they’re entering a lot of personal information, so you won’t want to be over their shoulder the whole time! Also, since the process takes about five minutes, you can’t realistically stand there and help them with through the whole thing— you do have other guests to think about! Once I press the “Create My Registry” screen, I like to say something like this to the guest:

“Here, you’ll enter all your information in the given boxes; press ‘Next’ when you’re done with a page. After a few minutes, there’s a message that goes out over our walkies that says, ‘Guest Registering For Target Wedding/Baby.’ I’ll come over and press this little target (point to the target near the top right hand corner) to clear that message. Around that point, you’ll be asked to create and confirm a password with which you can access the registry later. It’ll ask you a few more questions, print out some pages below the keyboard, and we’ll get started!”
iii.) Once those three pages print, the guest will bring them up, and that’s where the fun begins! Grab the scanner gun from the cradle deck, as well as the applicable tote bag (Wedding) or booklet (Baby), and give the guest the ‘master speech,’ hitting all the important points so that they won’t run across any trouble when they’re adding items in the store! Here’s what I like to say to begin:

Wedding Introduction
“Congraaaaatulations! Here’s your Wedding Tote-Bag, which has a lot of cool items, including, but not limited to, these little invitations (pull out the pack of 50 invitations) which you can send to friends and family, showing them that you’re registered here. There are fifty invitations here; if you need more, you can call this number (write down the number 1-800-888-9333), and they’ll send you complementary ones in the mail. Also in this bag is a booklet (pull out gift-idea booklet) showing neat gift ideas— just some things we carry here in the store and online.

Baby Introduction

“Congraaaaatulations! Here’s your Baby Booklet, which has a lot of cool gift ideas— just some things we carry here in the store and online. Also, in the back of the book (flip to the back where the invitations are located) are these cool little invitations you can send to friends and family, showing them that you’re registered here. There are thirty-two invitations here; if you need more, you can call this number (write down the number 1-800-888-9333), and they’ll send you complementary ones in the mail.

General Speech
Once you’ve said the applicable introduction, you can proceed to the general part of the speech, where you explain to the registrant how to use the scanner gun to add items to their gift list:
“Now, I’ll show you how to use the scanner gun! (Pointing to the screen) If the screen ever goes blank, just press ENTER (and pressing ENTER at the same time as you say it has a neat ‘Aha!’ effect). You won’t need to use any of the buttons on the front, just use the trigger on the back. And just like it says on the third page (flip to the third page of the printout), there’s a barcode on the sale sign just below the price. You won’t want to scan that barcode; if you do, the item won’t register in the system! Find the barcode on the item, and scan that one instead. If you accidentally scan an item you don’t want, you can delete it by scanning this ‘delete barcode’ (point to the delete barcode), then the barcode on the item you’d like to delete. If you need to delete multiple items, make sure to scan the delete barcode, then the barcode on the item, scan the delete barcode again, then the barcode on the next item, and so on and so forth. And do y’all know the clearance items, the ones with the little orange stickers on them? They’re usually on endcaps around the store; you might not want to scan any of those unless you really want one, because they might not be here when people come in to get your gifts. Any questions?!”

iv.) Answer any questions they might have, and then press the number “1” on the scanner gun for “Registration.” Scan the registry barcode located at the top of the third page of the printout, and then make sure to scan either the barcode on the tag of the wedding tote-bag, or the barcode on the back of the baby booklet. We are graded each week on this as part of our “Gift Registry Report,” so it’s important that we scan each and every bag/booklet to get 100% “Kit Compliance.”

v.) Once the guest finishes scanning all the items he needs to and brings the scanner gun back to you, press the blue “F” button (Function), then the number “1.” It should read, “Checking for scanner in Cradle.” Put the scanner back on the cradle deck, and let the guest know that he can check the kiosk in a few minutes, once the items have uploaded, to print his gift list, or that he can check it online.

Breakdown of Fast Service Scores
Fast Service (50 pts.)
- At half of our total gift registry score, this is the most important component of registry guest service, and it’s so easy to do! We are graded each week on whether we respond within sixty seconds to the fast service call over the walkie that says, “Guest Registering For Target Wedding/Baby. GSTL Please Respond With Scanner And Kit!” All you do to clear this message is step over to the kiosk and press the target near the top right corner of the screen. If you’re currently dealing with a guest, politely say, “Excuse me for just one moment while I clear that message!” It takes something like 6.74 seconds to step over there and get back! Our goal each time is to clear it before the lady on the walkie is finished talking. If you’re on the phone and can’t step away, ask a photo lab team member if they can get it for you, or, if they’re busy, ask the GSTL if he can reach it within sixty seconds.

Kit Compliance (30 pts.)
- Our “Kit Compliance” Score is worth a total of thirty points, and this, too, is something on which it’s so easy to have a perfect record. Once you’re done with the registry speech, all you have to do is scan the tag on the wedding tote bag or the barcode on the back of the baby booklet. It’s that easy! If you happen to forget when the guest first registers, you can always ask to scan it once the guest comes back to upload the items to the kiosk! If we had a perfect service record for these first two registry scores, we would already have a total of 80 points.

Kiosk Maintenance (20 pts.)
- Kiosk Maintenance is the hardest fast service score to maintain, but if we all know how to fix the various problems that arise with the kiosks, we can have a perfect fast service record in this area, as well! There are two parts to this fast service call— once the message for a “paper jam” or “paper out” goes over the walkie, you have to clear the message that appears on the screen by pressing the target within sixty seconds; furthermore, you have to fix the problem within ten minutes. Ten minutes! That gives us time to attend to our guests in line, if need be! That’s a lot of lee-way! It’s hard to combat paper-jams, but paper outs are easy to attend to before they happen! If each closer fills the paper to the laser-jets printers at night, and the opener makes sure they are filled, the paper would most likely not run out all day long, saving us the hassle of attending to it when guests are waiting for their registries! For the thermal printer, it’s probably better to watch when the paper roll is getting low, and then replace it as necessary just before it’s about to go out. Woohoo! One-hundred easy points right in the bag!

How to fix Paper Outs/ Jams
Fixing Paper Outages and Paper Jams can be a hassle, but if you go step-by-step they can be easy to stop! In fact, if this handbook doesn’t help you enough, you can access an electronic guide on the team member menu of the kiosk: just tap the top right corner of the screen, then the top left corner, and the red menu should pop up (N.B. the normal registry main page must be visible to access this— if the white page notifying you of the problem is up, you won’t be able to access this menu). Press “Team Member Menu,” and “Thermal Printer Problem Help.” Select the Left Kiosk, and follow the instructions provided, with pictures to match!



Laser Jet Kiosks
Paper Outages
- Fixing a paper outage in the Laser Jet Kiosk is easy! Just grab a pack of paper from the shelves behind the service desk, clear the message on the monitor by pressing the target, and open the front of the kiosk to access the printer. To do this, unhook the switch on the left side of the printer (if you’re facing the kiosk) and the front will simply swing out counterclockwise on its hinges. There are two trays near the bottom of the printer (labeled “1” and “2”); they slide right out, and you’re able to place the paper in easily. Replace the paper in both trays so it won’t run out anytime soon! If you encounter the “MP Letter Feeder” error after replacing the paper, see p. 20 to see how to fix it!

Paper Jams
- There are three places that paper jams can occur in the Laser Jet Printers. Once you’ve cleared the message on the monitor by pressing the target, check both of the paper trays (see above for how to access the trays); pull each tray all the way out, and near the back you might see a piece of paper hanging from the feeder (near the top at the back). If you see the paper, pull it out from both trays, then press the green button labeled “Go” at the front of the printer.

- If the Paper Jam message still occurs, the second place to check is in the back of the printer. The back actually comes off of the printer on its hinges— to take it off, just roll the printer out as far as it will come, then grab the top back corner of the printer (there should be a space into which you can put your fingers and grab) and pull. If the backing falls off, you should see where it attaches at its hinges, and you can easily put it back on. For the moment, leave it hanging perpendicular to the back of the printer, and if you can see a piece of paper stuck back there, carefully take it out. It might require a pair of pliers to get all the paper out! Once you’ve gotten all the paper unstuck, put the plate back on and press the green “Go” button again.

-If, for a final time, the Paper Jam message shows up, you can remove the cartridge of the printer and get any paper that might be stuck below it. To access the cartridge, look for two silver buttons on the left side of the printer, close to the front. Pressing these opens up the front of the printer— here you’ll see the ink/toner cartridge. Grab the top of this cartridge, and pull outwards to remove it. If you can see any paper left hanging, grab that bad boy and remove it! It’s important that you replace the cartridge after you’re done; it should slide right back in the way it came out. Close the two front panels until you hear them click, press the “Go” button again, and let the printer do its thing!

Thermal Kiosk
i.) Paper Outages
- Fixing a Paper Outage on the Thermal Printer is a bit more tedious than replacing the paper on the Laser Jet Printer; as its name signifies, the thermal printer is heat sensitive (don’t worry, that won’t affect the paper change!), and it can be fussy sometimes when you’re trying to fix it. Nevertheless, if you follow these few easy steps, changing the paper can be painless.

A.) Grab a thermal paper roll from behind the service desk. Clear the message on the monitor by pressing the target. To access the printer, simply pull the bottom part of the kiosk (on which the keyboard is attached) towards you and it should slide right out (if it doesn’t you’ll have to get the key from the GSTL).

B.) You’ll see a plastic cylinder where the paper once was. Before you remove this and attempt to change the paper, the first thing you’ll need to do is turn the printer off. The On/Off switch is located near the right side of the printer, about halfway up the kiosk, near keyboard level above the ground. There should even be a sticker pointing it out if you can’t find it.

C.) After you’ve turned the printer off, look for a black object resembling one-half of a clothespin (that’s the best description I can give!); it’s a little switch located on the top right side of the printer. It should be flipped down at the moment. Flip it up so that it stays perpendicular to the face of the printer.

D.) Remove the plastic cylinder that lies in the metal grooves of the printer. There should be a rod in the center of that cylinder resembling wheels and an axle. Put this through the center of the new roll of paper. IMPORTANT: place the roll of paper back in the metal grooves so that the paper feeds from the bottom (imagine the number “ 9 “ if you’re looking at the roll from the side).

E.) Feed the paper into the printer via the metal plate that lies diagonal to the ground. It won’t catch just yet, but push it up as far as you can and hold it there. Flip the black “clothespin” switch back down, and turn the printer ON. You should feel the printer catch the paper and feed it up; it’ll cut off about a 3 or 4-inch piece of paper and spit it out as a test run.

F.) If the printer doesn’t catch the paper and feed it up, try turning the printer off, switching the black switch up and back down again, and turning the printer back on. It might take a little work, but you’ll eventually feel the printer take that paper up and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief.

G.) It might be useful to print out the “test” registry just to make sure the paper comes through ok. If you go to either a wedding or baby registry, type in “Wilma Flintstone” or “Fred Flintstone” and see what happens!

ii.) Paper Jams
- Paper Jams aren’t too tricky to fix on the thermal printer— you just have to know where to look! If you pull the printer out and look inside near the keyboard, you should see a metal plate labeled “Presenter Plate.” Turn the printer off before you proceed (see above in “Paper Outages” if you don’t know how). You can then take the plate off by unscrewing a thumbscrew on each side (no screwdriver required!). Place that aside, and you should see some paper crumpled up below it; remove all that paper, screw the plate back in place, turn the printer back on, and you should be set!

- If the white screen that shows up indicating a Paper Outage or Paper Jam doesn’t clear once you’ve actually cleared the problem, you’ll have to reset the computer. Since the system runs on regular hardware, turn it off manually as you would your computer at home— just look for the big button on the computer (the computer should be below the printer on both of the kiosks)! Wait for it to update itself, then turn the computer back on. You’ll also have to reset the computer if you ever have to set the message on the team member menu that shows that the kiosk is “temporarily unavailable.”

“MP Feeder Letter” Error
This is one of the easiest errors to create, but it’s also one of the easiest to fix! When this occurs, what probably happened is that when someone changed the paper, the bar that sets the paper size within the tray was knocked to a different paper size, such as “A4” or “A5.” To fix it, simply take the tray all the way out, and look for the green bar that keeps the paper in place. On the left side, it should have all the paper sizes (Letter, A4, A5, etc) on order. Move the green bar and set it to “Letter,” and place the tray back in the printer. Look for the error on trays 1 and 2. Once you’ve fixed it, press the green “Go” button on the front of the printer and all the pending orders should automatically print out.

Keyboard/ Tracker Error
Often, when you jostle the kiosks around trying to fix things, cords may come unplugged. Two of the most obvious ones are the Keyboard and the “Tracker” ball— essentially the kiosk mouse. You may start to type and wonder why the computer won’t take it! These errors are quite easy to fix: there are a series of cords that plug into the back of the computer (on the thermal kiosk they are labeled for their function: speakers, keyboard, tracker, etc.); somehow, one of the cords that leads from these devices may have come unplugged. Just plug the cord(s) back in and you’re ready to go!

Leaky Toner/ How to Replace Cartridge
For the Laser Jet Printers, the ink cartridges come loaded with toner, something that resembles black dust. Sometimes this leaks all over the printer, diminishing the boldness of the prints (the pages come out faded) and marking each page with a black streak down the back. When this happens (or when the ink starts to fade anyway!), you’ll need to replace the cartridge. To do that, grab a cartridge from behind the service desk. Just as when clearing a paper jam, look for the two silver buttons on the left side of the printer, near the front. Pressing both of these allows you to open the front of the printer where you can access the cartridge. Grab the existing cartridge and pull it towards you until it slides out. Take the wrapping off the new one and slide it in. Close the front of the printer, and, if you had any pending prints, you may need to press the green “Go” button on the front of the printer to continue printing.

“Transmission Error”
This is one of the major problems that can— and, sadly, sometimes will— go wrong with the registries. Once a guest is done adding items to their gift list and you place the scanner gun back in the cradle deck, the wires might get jostled, and the screen on each scanner gun will read, “Transmission Error. Press ENTER to Retry.” Once you do, chances are the data won’t transmit, and you’ll be caught in an endless cycle of frantically pressing ENTER until you think the data will go through. But never fear, the answer is here!

- First, go to the laser jet registry kiosk closest to the photo lab (the one on the left— this is “kiosk one,” the one to which all the data transmit). Make sure the power is on! Pull the printer out all the way (no need to open the printer up), and get as close to the floor, on the right side of the printer, as you possibly can. You should be looking at the back of the computer at this point. There might be a metal plate on the back of this, blocking you from reaching the wires on the inside. If need be, take it off by removing the two wing nuts near the top. Once you have access to the wires, you should see a purple cable with a white stripe running down it like a candy cane. Find where that plugs into the back of the computer (the connection looks like a phone jack), and check to make sure that connection is working properly. Try unplugging it and plugging it back in and blowing on the cable to get any dust off. Then, go back to the cradle deck and press ENTER to retry.

- If that fails, find where the “candy cane” wire plugs into the wall from the kiosk. Again, it should look like a phone jack connection: follow the same procedures as listed above to see if that is the place at which the transmission is failing. Press ENTER to retry the transmission.

- If you still can’t get the data to go through, you can open up the cradle deck by swinging it outwards on its hinges (it should swing out clockwise). You should see a bright purple cable that runs from the leftmost scanner cradle (the device onto which you place the scanner gun) to the right side of the wall. Furthermore, you’ll see a series of smaller gray wires connecting each of the cradles to the one beside it. That’s the problem with the “transmission error”— each of the cradles are joined to the other, so they run on a series connection. Just as when Christmas lights go out when one breaks, all of the cradles will be inactive if just one is! Therefore, try unplugging each cord that connects the cradles, and plug all of them back in. Also, unplug the purple cable at both ends and dust it off. Plug that back in and try pressing ENTER for a final time.

- If the data still fail to transmit, there’s a trick you can try that bypasses each of the connection points listed above. It’s one of the coolest things you’ll ever do at Guest Service! Here’s how to proceed:

Take the purple cord that runs from the leftmost cradle, and remove it from both hubs to which it’s connected. Now, you’ll notice that each cradle is connected to a power source via a cable. Unplug the leftmost cradle from the power outlet, and remove the cradle by lifting it up, then out. With the cradle, power cord, purple transmission cord, and scanner gun in hand, walk over to the original registry kiosk (“kiosk one”), and find where the “candy cane” cord plugs into the back of the computer. Unplug this cord, and plug the other purple cord in its place. Plug the other end of this purple cord into the cradle; plug the cradle into the back wall so that it powers up (you should see a red or green light come on). Finally, place the scanner gun into the cradle as you always do, and press ENTER to resend the information.

Whether it works or not, it might be a good idea to call the CSC (Client Support Center) and talk with someone there (make sure to ask for a Ticket Number and log it in the CSC Tracking Sheet!). If the data did indeed transmit, let them know all the steps you went through and that you’re transmitting data through this shortcut method. They might take a look at the kiosk through their computer system and see if they can find what originally went wrong. Listen to every word they have to say, because these guys are good! If they can help you completely fix it, as opposed to having you continue using this temporary fix, by all means do it! They might, however, have to send a technician out to make it work. Make sure to get prior GSTL and/or LOD approval before you do this, because it costs the store $500 just to send a tech out for an express service call, no matter how much work he has to do to fix the problem!

If the shortcut method doesn’t work, talk to the CSC to see if they can help you with an alternate method of transmitting the data. If they can’t help you, the last resort is to have a technician come out. In the meantime, thoroughly apologize to each guest that attempts to register at the store. Let them know they can go to another store to add items, or tell them that they can add items online, which might be a lot easier! This is a big guest service issue, so it’s helpful to make the process as painless as can be; you want to do everything in your power to help the guests!

Printer Communications Error
There is a global problem with the POS software that sometimes prevents the information from being sent to the printer properly. If it happens, it will probably print out a series of “mini-receipts;” these receipts will consist of only the barcode, listing none of the items! POS should prompt you to keep pressing “clear” to resend the information and reprint the receipt. If that fails, an orange screen will flash up that says, “Printer Communications Error.” At this point, try to reset the printer by opening both flaps up (one to change the paper, the other to change the ribbon) and closing them again; the printer should make some noises as though it’s calibrating itself. After about a minute, POS will again prompt you to press “clear” to reprint the receipt. Most likely, the receipt will not print. This error could resolve itself after a few cycles of this; it could also go on all day! Since it’s best to give the guest a full receipt, there are two things you can do to make it, “Fast, Fun, and Friendly!”

1.) If the guest has just a few items, it might be best to do a “Post Void” on the transaction. Before you do anything, make sure to get the total of the transaction; this will be necessary for a “Post Void.” Reset the POS terminal you’re on by opening the flap on the front side of the computer (the computer should be right below the cash drawer; look on the right side of it, and you should see a place where the flap comes open. Press the white button to turn the power off, and then press it again to turn it back on). Once the computer resets, continue with the “Post Void” by going to “Admin,” and then K2 for “Post Void.” Scan that “mini-receipt” that came out originally, and enter the transaction total. Re-ring the guest on a new register.

There are two problems with this method: if the guest has a lot of items, including grocery and produce, you won’t want to re-ring everything up. It’s just not reasonable! Furthermore, when the “Printer Communications Error” screen pops up, you won’t be able to tell the transaction total, making it hard to find if no one remembers it! In that case, a “Post Void” is impossible! That’s why there’s another, alternate method which, in some cases, is easier!

2.) During the “Printer Communications Error,” the transaction is in limbo— neither AP’s system nor our very own Electronic Journal is able to find the transaction; it’s as though it hasn’t gone through yet, because that other 6/7 of the receipt still has to print! To get the guest a full receipt, you’ll need to first reset the computer (see above for instructions). After the computer is shut off, the transaction should have gone through in POS. At this point, you’ll be able to find the transaction on EJ. Just log onto “Inside POS,” go to Electronic Journal, type in the register number, and go to “get last transaction.” Select that text, print it out, and present it to the guest, stapled together with the “mini-receipt” that printed out earlier. This way, you’ll have an itemized receipt from EJ, and a scannable barcode from the “mini-receipt.” The reason you need both is important: the EJ receipt has no VCD— only a “receipt ID.” Therefore, if you were processing a return with an EJ receipt, you’d have to key in the “receipt ID,” but you couldn’t proceed because there’s no VCD to be found! However, if a guest has that little barcode on the “mini-receipt,” you’ll most likely be able to scan it, and if you need to find a DPCI you’ll have the itemized list with the EJ receipt!

Scanner Trouble
On a lot of registers, the scanner guns act funny! The scanner won’t work, and it makes noises similar to a high pitched cow’s “mooooo!” Fixing this is simple. Find the computer, and pull it out until you can see the back, where all the wires connect. Turn the power off (see above under “Printer Communications Error” on how), and follow the scanner gun wire to where it plugs in. Take it out, blow to get any dust off, and plug it back in. Turn the computer back on, and the scanner gun should be as good as new! (N.B. while pulling the computer out to check the wiring, it’s easy to unplug it! You should be able to see the connection, and make sure it’s plugged in before you turn it back on).

Food stamp Trouble
Sometimes, the POS system will have trouble marking some items as eligible for food stamps, so that guests will not be able to pay for them using their “Access card.” The crazy thing about this situation is that you only really know that an item is ineligible once you’ve used the Access Card as tender. At that point, you won’t be able to change anything on the screen at which you rang up the items, making it impossible to change the item’s food stamp eligibility without voiding out the tender. You DO NOT want to void this tender— it takes about 24 hours for it to be refunded to the card, and you might not be able to use the card again (i.e. if you void it and change the item status, the computer will see this transaction as going through twice, and there might not be enough money on the card to do that). If there’s an extra balance that the guest didn’t expect to pay, have them pay that difference in another form of tender and proceed as follows to fix the situation:

Take the original receipt, and act as though you’re doing a return. Return the items that were not ringing up as food stamp eligible (items that are ineligible should have just a “T” to the right of the item on the receipt; items that are eligible should have either “FT” or “TF”), and it should prompt you to give them back the return total on the alternate tender the guest used (i.e. the non-Access Card tender). Give that to them, and in a new transaction, begin to sell them those items back. Before you total it out, press K8 for “More Options,” K1 for “Change Item Status,” and K2 for “Turn Food Stamp ON.” Do this for each item to change its eligibility, and then press “Total.” The guest should then be able to use his Access Card for the purchase, and all should be well!

Defectives
Breakdown of Defectives Area
In order to keep our Defectives Area organized, it’s good that we keep our Defective boxes in a “stoplight fashion.” This means having our Green Salvage box closest to the computers, having the Yellow CRC box behind that, and having the Red Destroy box behind the Yellow. Not only is this easy to remember, but it helps people know which box is which without having to even look at the label on the outside. We should keep any large Defectives on a flat to be taken back at night with the rest.

Best Practices on How to Process
There are two methods to process Defectives: you can process them during a transaction, or independent of a transaction. It is up to you on how you want to process them, but defectives tend to pile up if you wait until after the transaction. To process defectives independent of any transaction, press K6 for “Admin,” and K6 for “SDEF,” which stands for “Sales Floor Defectives.” Scan the barcode of the defective item, and it should prompt you to scan one of the three “stoplight” LP labels (LP stands for License Plate— they’re the green, yellow, and red defective labels). If you’re processing a Yellow Defective, make sure to lay the LP flat either above or below the barcode (not to the side). Then place a piece of packing tape over the LP so that it doesn’t fall off in transit to the CRC. We get graded on our errors each month, so it’s important that we follow the right steps to ensure proper procedures! Check p. 38 for more tips on how to properly process CRC defectives.

Special Handling/ Vendor Pick-Up
Sometimes, when you scan an LP, a little piece of paper prints out that says either “Special Handling” or “Vendor Pick-Up.” You should have a “Special Handling” and “Vendor Pick-Up” defectives bin somewhere near the Reds bin. At the end of the night, take those back to Chargeback with your other defectives. There’s a box for “Special Handling” and multiple boxes for “Vendor Pick-Up” just to the left of the computer. Place any Jelly Belly bags in that vendor bin, and place the others each “brand bin.” If you can’t find the bin for the appropriate vendor, you can put them in any given box, because the Reverse Logistics specialist should check to make sure all the bins are correct.

Chargeback Area/ Pallets
To get to Chargeback, go towards Receiving in the stockroom— you’ll see a computer, a set of boxes, and some pallets on which we place defectives. There should be one for green and one for yellow. Place the boxes of defectives on the pallets as best you can (play Tetris!), not to exceed the line marked on the wall. That way, they are easy to wrap and don’t get too tall! Keep the Red defectives separate and go to the compactor (you’ll see the compactor door on your left, just next to the bailer); leave them by the compactor door, and let the LOD know that you’ve left them there. (N.B. if you’re taking the defectives back at night and your store is overnight, the flow team might have set up their conveyor belts, which means you won’t be able to get through the Grocery double-doors; go through the Domestics double-doors, and hang a right. You’ll see a way to get to Chargeback by this route.

Single Shoes
See p. 53 for “brand” information regarding how to process single shoes.

PDT/PDA Functions

I.) Location Check/ NOP
The most common function on a PDT is a location check. You can check both the sales floor for where the item is located, as well as check if we have an item in the backroom. Simply type LOC and press ENTER. Press S for Sales Floor or B for Backroom. Scan the merchandise of enter the DPCI and the PDT will say whether we have the item and where it is located. Often, if you’re doing returns and you just need to do a sales floor location, press NOP (Not on Planogram), and it will tell you where it is with a planogram location, as well!

II.) Reverse Logistics
Floor Defective
You can process defectives not only in SDEF, but also using a PDT. On the main menu of the PDT, press 3 for “Reverse Logistics” and 1 for “Floor Defective.” Scan the defective item and apply the applicable LP (License Plate). This is useful if you need to override a defective (green to red) if you have broken glass, etc. Once you scan the UPC or key the DPCI (N.B. when you enter a DPCI, make sure to precede the DPCI by 49; for instance, when you want to defect a pair of shoes with a DPCI of 093 04 0567, enter “49 093 04 0567” [with no spaces] in the PDT), instead of scanning the green LP, press O for “Override” and C for “Continue.” Scan the new, red LP and destroy item.


LP Audit/Void
Sometimes, to keep our CRC defectives scores up, it’s a good idea to audit our yellow defectives to make sure we are packing them correctly and that all LP’s have been properly applied. In order to check if an LP has been applied, go into “Reverse Logistics” and press 2 for “LP Audit/ Void.” Start scanning the defective labels and it will tell you the date at which it was applied. If it says, “LP not found,” the LP was never scanned. Similarly, if you need to void an LP, scan it under the same function and press 1 for “Back to Inventory.” It might say that the item has Chargeback privileges; follow the prompts to move past that and put the item back into the inventory. N.B. an LP cannot be voided after 24 hours.

III.) Pricing
NOF
See p. 56 for Workbench method of how to process NOF items
Rewrap (As Is)
If an item’s packaging is torn, or if the item can still be sold with some pieces missing, you can sell the item “As Is.” To process these items and send them back to the sales floor, press 5 for “Pricing” on the PDT main menu, then 4 for “Rewrap.” Follow the prompts (Is the item just a repackage, or is it damaged?), scan the wireless printer tag (ensure the As Is stickers are in the printer), and the sticker will print. Black out the original UPC and place in the returns basket. [Some stores have a pricing team that will take care of this job, check with the GSTL if you are unsure]

Reticket + Monarch Gun
If you need to put a tag on an item that’s missing one (after you find numbers for an item that needed them, etc.), you can reticket it using a PDT. Press 5 for “Pricing” and 5 for “Reticket.” Scan the UPC or key in the DPCI and follow the prompts (press 1 for number of tickets), scan the wireless printer, and it will print a new ticket (ensure the tickets are in the printer). You can also use the Monarch Gun to do retickets, which are much easier to process. When you power up the gun, press 3 for Barcode w/ price, key in the DPCI, enter a price (enter 1999 for $19.99— no decimal is needed), and, press enter. The barcode with the price will print, and you’re ready to go!

IV.) QMOS
Sometimes, when you try to process certain food in SDEF, it will say, “cannot process in SDEF. Give to department team lead to process in QMOS.” For meats that have been weighed at the deli, produce, or jelly belly’s, this will often pop up. Put produce back in the Grocery basket, and put Jelly Belly’s in the “Special Handling” tub. We can process defective meat in QMOS ourselves. Simply key in QMOS (stands for “Quantity mark out of stock”), press 2 for “Damaged” (you can also do outdated product, as well as demo product), and scan the barcode. You can then toss it in the red destroy tub to be tossed with the rest of the defectives.

How to Process Returns w/ a receipt dated after 90 days
Sometimes, guests will bring back items (often electronics) that broke somewhere along the line. Whether they have a receipt or not, they see it as our duty to help them fix the defect; they bought the item from Target, so they expect Target to act as their agent in getting the problem solved. And we should be totally willing to do anything in our power to get the issue resolved.

Guests who bring back items with a receipt within 90 days have no trouble returning things! However, guests will often bring in merchandise either without a receipt, or with a receipt dated after 90 days. If they do have a receipt dated after 90 days, ALWAYS attempt to process the receipt— sometimes it will work! If it doesn’t, we can always process it as a “no receipt” return; but, if they bought the item more than 90 days ago, there’s a chance the item might no longer be in stock. Furthermore, if they’re bringing back an electronics item, we might not be able to process it as a “no receipt” return/exchange because of the $40 limit on exchanges without a receipt. Don’t tell the guest, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do for you,” because there is! Just like it says on our sign, we’re able to offer manufacturer’s assistance. We have a “Vendor 1-800” list of customer service numbers for each and every manufacturer whose items we carry.

Always try to speak to an operator, and always make the guest feel as though you are fighting for him and getting him what he wants. People will love it, and it will often calm guests down IMMENSLY! If the manufacturer is unable to do anything, we’re always able to call one of three different numbers (and sometimes all three). First, you might want to call Target Guest Relations at 1-800-303-0308; explain the situation, and see if they can do anything for you. They might direct you to an alternate guest service line, at 1-800-440-0680. If they, too, cannot help, you might be directed to a specialist who reviews these types of situations. You can also call 718 Refund Authorization and see if they can help you. All of this, whether futile or not, shows the guest that you are trying your best to help them, acting as an advocate for their case, on their behalf. If the guest knows you’ve tried EVERYTHING, they’ll be much more inclined to accept Target’s return policy, knowing you’ve done everything you can to make an exception and circumvent it. They feel like you are making an exception for them and them alone. That makes people feel special, and it will make you feel good to help.

All the things to do on a REDphone
There are quite a few cool things you can do with the “REDphones” we have at guest service and around the store. If you’re talking to a guest and need to put them on hold, tap down quickly on the receiver, press *218 and the extension (try to use 2184 or 2185), and hang up[Some stores do not require the *, try calling one of the Service Desk phones with another, placing it on hold and see if the other line disconnects or not!]. Dial 2184 or 2185 (or whatever extension you held them on) to reconnect with them. To call an extension with a REDphone on the salesfloor, press * and then the extension you’d like to dial/connect to. You can also use the phone as a walkie: dial 3789; it should ask you if you’d like channel 1 or 2. Press the channel you’d like to connect to, wait for the long beep to stop, and say what you want. You can wait for people to respond and talk again, but when you’re done make sure to press * to disconnect the line. Finally (and by far the coolest thing you can do), you can dial 52# to connect to the intercom. Use this when paging guests to guest service, etc., but use it wisely!

Problems with Online Returns
Lately, we’ve been having some trouble processing online returns. Normally, if a guest would like to return an item they purchased online, have them present their packing slip (or anything that has the order number). Go to the kiosk and access Target.com. Near the top, click on the “My Account” icon; choose the option to “Return Items,” and it should ask you if you ordered the item or received it as a gift. Once you choose, enter the order number into the boxes (with hyphens included). If it does go through, follow the prompts until you’re able to print the receipt. However, the problem we’ve been having is with Target.com not taking the order number as valid. To fix this nasty problem, you’ll need to call Target.com guest relations (the number should be listed on each register with the “guest numbers”)! Get through to an operator, and explain to him the situation; ask for a receipt ID and VCD, and try to process the return with that. Make sure to stay on the line, because we’ve also been having some trouble with items not being recognized as valid, returnable items. If you can’t proceed, call 718 and see if they can help out! The return should go through after that! N.B. if the item they’re returning is defective, they can also receive shipping and handling back for the order. Ask the Target.com operator about this!

CSC Information + CSC Tracking Sheets
If there’s ever a problem you can’t fix, the Client Support Center is there for you! It’s actually kind of funny how good they are— the first choice on the menu when you call is “If more than half of your POS terminals are offline and you are unable to process guests, please press 1!” If they can fix that, they can fix anything! Most of the knowledge in here has come from calling the CSC and walking through the processes step-by-step.

The CSC number is listed on each phone throughout the store (612-304-4357). To call, you’ll need to call the operator and ask for an outside line. Make sure to ask the GSTL for the outside line code beforehand. Once you ask for the outside line, you’ll hear a dial tone; enter the line out number (1 or 9), the full area code and telephone number. You should then hear a buzz on the phone line; enter the outside line code, and you should be able to connect. Follow the prompts, and you should be talking to someone in no time!

At the end of each conversation, make sure to get a Ticket Number from the CSC operator. Log that in the CSC Tracking Sheet, as well as the nature of the problem, and whether or not it was resolved. This will be a good way to track problems and learn from them, too!

Closing Checklist
Get Defectives Processed, Packaged, and Ready to go!
Make sure to grab “Special Handling” and “Vendor Pick-Up” Defectives!
Close Lanes 122-126; grab checks, media, and coupons [Some GSTLs take care of this for you]
Tie Trash Bags and toss them over desk
Take Returns Baskets out front and sort.
Load Paper in Laser Printers and make sure Thermal paper is O.K.
Take all Lost & Found dated more than 30 days and have GSTL toss.
Turn in Keys
Have AP/LOD check robbery refund
Have LOD take Missing Purses, Wallets, Credit Cards, and cell phones to Cash Office
Take Defectives back and get extra boxes/tape rolls/LP’s
Ensure Cleanliness!
Write closing notes and/or write a blurb in the BCM about any important information.

Weekly Checklist
Look up Guest Survey Scores for your store and print copy; do graphs in TMSC to track progress! To access the Guest Survey scores, log into workbench (if you don’t have access, ask your friendly, neighborhood GSTL!), and click on the tab at the top labeled “Store Performance.” Scroll down until you see “Store Support Reports” and click on that link. Here you’ll see a bunch of different reports, some of which you’ll need to track guest service’s weekly scores! To see the Guest Survey scores, click on “GE- Weekly Guest Service scores” for the applicable week!

Print off Gift Registry Report for your district and store, as well as the store whose score is highest for that week. Track progress in the “Gift Registry Progress Report” and keep copies in binder. To access these scores, click on “GE- Gift Registry Report” instead of Guest Survey scores.

Ensure all Paid & Left receipts are paper clipped by month; make sure that only that day’s Paid & Left receipts are present in the white envelope
Make sure return gift cards are in stock! If not, ask GSTL or ETL-GE to order some using the “event number” on the back, which includes the DPCI of the return gift card.

Monthly Checklist
Make a copy of the “Defective Report” and keep in binder; write down # of total errors in “Defectives Report Progress.” Access this in “Store Performance” and “Store Support Reports” under “CRC Monthly Defective Error Report.”

Take all Lost & Found dated more than 30 days and toss.
Clean all the drawers and make sure we have enough do-its (little plastic tags), LP’s, Target maps, or anything else you can possibly think of!
File all Paid & Left receipts for the previous month. Keep them in a box titled “Paid and Left Receipts” at Guest Service. Keep all Paid & Left receipts for one year. After that, you can toss the unneeded month’s receipts. For instance, at the start of May ’07, toss those receipts from April ’06, keeping those from May ’06—April ’07.