Target On Your Back

I work in guest service at Target. In my town, the WalMart is a “supercenter” with a grocery store, whereas the Target where I work is very small with hardly any groceries. Both stores are also directly next to each other. After closing Target one night, I headed to the 24-hour WalMart to pick up some groceries I had forgotten I needed for a party the next day (otherwise I would never set foot in the place!)

I was still wearing my Target issued red shirt and khaki pants, and I had also forgotten I was still wearing my Target name tag. As I was walking through the drink/snack/alcohol aisle, I heard another customer ask one of the few employees where the ice cube trays were. The employee, who was stocking shelves and seemed a little annoyed at the question, said “I don’t know, try the next aisle.” After hearing this and not wanting the poor woman to wander lost, I piped up and told both the employee and the customer that the ice cube trays were way across the store, in the section with the kitchen appliances. The other customer thanked me and went on her way, and I just kept shopping. The employee, however, scowled and walked away.

A few minutes later, as I had moved on to the baking aisle, I was approached by a manager and the employee from earlier. The manager told me that I couldn’t be in WalMart “promoting” Target to other customers (remember that name tag?) and that I had to leave. I looked at him with a confused look, looked down at what I was wearing, laughed, dropped my basket, and left.

Now that’s what I call great customer service.