Much like Starbucks’ current operational strategy has reset its sights on improving the customer experience, Target is boosting its store performance by training and evaluating its employees on how they engage with shoppers. Emerging reports on the new approach from the likes of Bloomberg News show that the retail giant rolled out a training program for over 300,000 associates and leaders after it reported an exceedingly successful financial quarter in May. Frontline workers are often central to the customer experience and their desire to return to the location for repeated purchases, and Target’s employee training strategy should ensure higher standards in the quality of service henceforth.
Changes to employee training and evaluation at Target are a reminder that skill-building for frontline employees remains critical for operations. (Image: Pexels)
Target Doubles Down on Employee Training Goals in a Multipronged Effort to Improve Customer Experience
While the details of Target’s updated performance reviews have not been established just yet, the organization is set to assess employee performance on the basis of their interaction with customers. This will include an assessment of their “friendliness” with customers, and how well they are able to create a complete experience for those visiting the store. How this friendliness score will be assigned by Target remains to be seen, but the organization has already announced a “10-4” policy that has been in effect over the last 7 months.
According to this rule, when a guest is within 10 feet of a Target associate, employees are required to greet and make eye contact with them as a way to showcase their openness to help. When the guest is within 4 feet of an employee, workers are required to interact with the guest verbally, asking after their day or checking if they need any help. Some might find this interaction excessive and unnecessary, but the move is part of Target’s largely $6 billion push to improve sales and customer retention. Burger King has also announced similar plans to evaluate employee performance using AI headsets to track their friendliness, showcasing a shift in the tools available to closely watch employees today.
Part of this shift towards customer engagement is a result of Michael Fiddelke’s induction as Target’s new CEO and his plans for the continued growth of the organization overall. While he has only held the role since February, he has also been credited for the improved financial results last quarter and the three-year high in its net promoter scores and customer satisfaction numbers.
Target Is Tackling the Customer Experience on Multiple Fronts
Target has doubled down on the customer experience on multiple fronts, announcing investments towards aspects such as modernizing bathrooms and improving shopping cart models to better support its most relevant customer base: families. Apart from making supply chain upgrades to address stock issues and improvements to its associate scheduling systems, the organization also acknowledged that its store team members were “at the heart of Target,” and required systems to be tailored towards improving their performance to address the customer experience.
Just recently, Target rolled out training programs for its workforce to improve how its associates engage with customers. A spokesperson revealed that over 300,000 team members had already undergone the training, and the company is keen on investing in additional training and tools to deliver “the experience our guests expect and that makes Target a delightful retailer.” This attention to the customer experience is certainly destined to help the organization improve operations, but working towards this via the employees is also a central piece of the puzzle that is often forgotten.
Changing Evaluation Metrics Should Always Be Accompanied by Targeted Training
Target’s decision to initiate this shift in employee performance evaluation by starting with training offers a healthy starting point to help employees understand what is expected of them and how they need to navigate their interactions with customers. Businesses often leave out the training and jump straight to modifying evaluation standards, leaving employees uncertain about how to proceed.
At the same time, a friendliness score and evaluations based on a standardized guest interaction template need to be set in place carefully. For one, the company risks placing undue strain on employees to monitor their every move and reaction in a way that is unrealistic, rigid, and ultimately harms their interactions with customers more than it helps. Every guest interaction is unique, and some shoppers prefer to be left alone rather than be followed or served with unrelenting eye contact while they shop for their groceries. This requires employees to be able to evaluate and react appropriately.
Additionally, employees require relevant tools and technologies to facilitate effective customer interactions. Poor management and resource availability can make it difficult for employees to seek out information, provide the quality of services a customer expects, and serve them to the best of their abilities. Target’s comprehensive upgrades to its in-store systems and operations thus ensure that the conditions for good service will be better met, all of it facilitated by the employees who operate there.
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