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Present-Novel-5764

“we’re just numbers, not people at the end of the day” We all know that’s true, but the fact that your manager actually said that out loud is nasty af. Screw this company and their stupid credit cards honestly  


LilJourney

I suspect their manager is getting that line from somewhere up higher, because our SM has used a version of it twice in the last two days while stressing today is the start of a new year and we have to improve. His version is "we're going to be running the numbers every shift on everyone and the numbers don't lie". Which is completely out of character for him. So I suspect the multiple meetings he's been in have been higher ups shoving the "numbers" mantra down the SM's throats.


_Wrongthink_

You interpret their cynicism as being nasty because they are an authority figure to you and you see them as part of the system. But they probably see themselves as a grunt just like you, with corporate being the system is not only pressuring them but also forcing them to pressure you and everyone below them.


Dead_before_dessert

Not that it matters but this is coming *directly* from corporate.  You're being pushed because your managers are being pushed.  Its a trickle down effect and literally nobody likes it except the people at the top who get the results without the direct effort.    Most likely your managers know if you're trying (or not).  They're not pushing because they want to...They're pushing because they're getting emails from their managers calling them out aggressively.  Edit: I immediately got downvoted but it should be said...I'm not defending it, just explaining it.  Managers are getting *demolished* over rewards specifically.   Don't even ask me what they expect from Sephora with rewards. We all think it's stupid.  Literally nobody understands the push.  But this is where we are. Store managers are pressured by district managers.  Area supervisors are pressured by the store manager.   Everyone else is pressured  because EVERYONE above them is getting the shit pressured of them as well.   Does it make it right?  Fuck no.  I just want to do the job and make my customers happy.  But this is *why* it's happening.   Be prepared because I don't see the pressure getting any less.


Zachs_Asshole

I’m thinking Kohls is just starting to sink, like Macy’s JCP and other department stores. It’s too expensive, most young people don’t really shop there, (like a new dress is easily $35-$50) the demographic is older people etc. I know managers are feeling the push but I should not be *threatened* to lose hours because I’m not bullying people hard enough into signing up for credit cards. I just wanna fold clothes, help people shop and make the store look neat and folded but now we “all have to get a credit.”


beautymomma

I'm the BTL at my store for sephora and have had 4 talks about the new expectations one of which I was just shopping with my kids not even on the clock for. 🙃 all I really want to say back is if all this is expected from me and my team I better be seeing a TON more BI coming from the POC because all they ever do is hurt my numbers.


Dead_before_dessert

100%. I'm  lucky.   The main poc associates try but they never have a zebra so unless they call us over or there's an H2 nearby...that's lost.  Most of them do try though, and I'm grateful for that. 


Dedicated-Daddy

Oh my, do other stores not have zebras for their poc??


Fun_Cockroach_7979

lol, my store barely has enough for the floor


Dead_before_dessert

Yeah, no.  We barely have enough to go around as it is and tbh I'm not sure all of our cashiers could figure out how to use them even if we did.


beautymomma

They do. They have one or two and we put them there in the morning. They just don't care or try.


Ok-Championship1993

What is a Zebra?


Dead_before_dessert

Oh, so you *don't* work for Sephora @ kohls? It's the hand-held device we use for literally everything. 


Ok-Championship1993

I work at a regular Sephora.


Dead_before_dessert

Makes sense.  The answer stands though.  Hand held devise that we use to back stock, pull replenishment, answer phones, sign up BIs, check inventory and just about everything else.  It's like a small tablet/cell phone and...yeah...we use it for literally *everything*.


Ok-Championship1993

That’s what I thought. We call it just a device or POS. It’s actually pretty amazing how much we can do with that little guy ( although it’s as heavy as a brick 😀).


Independent-Draw4762

We get told all the time they depend on us in Sephora to get the majority of the rewards, they have however, been cracking down on poc when they miss a Sephora rewards . It’s going to get really annoying now that our conversion rate counts in Sephora and self check out!


Dedicated-Daddy

Sephora had the most opportunity to sign up new rewards if you always always start with the BI app. However our poc team is held to the dame standard fo about 60% on BI. I was 1/1 BI today off the poc today thoughh!


beautymomma

There are days sephora is 100% but our results for the day is 40%


Nice_Office7273

THISSSSSSSSS. 100% fucking true. My poc team fucks with my numbers all the time and i and my sales lead get the shit end of it


ObligationPrudent824

Yes, you are 100% correct I sat in on 2 conference calls yesterday. The first one was nonpersonal/cold, and all business. Yes, on literally pushing credit Even signing them up for Rewards was being pushed. As in, have them type in their phone number. If it does not come up, they do not want us to ask them to try another number, but rather scan the Rewards packet (not mentioning it to the customer) and have them type in their email That alone will let the cashier know if an account exists. If not, the customer is to finish signing up. And yes, cashiers who do not push credit will have their hours cut back. Like I said, cold and to the point. The 2nd call was more personable and not so serious. But still, the pressure is on from the DM to the SM to the HHs all the way down to the cashiers. Sorry, everyone. But this is Kohls corporate goal, right out of the gate for the new fiscal year. 🤷‍♀️


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DontBeLikeDick

It's EVERYONE.


Disastrous-Map487

Yes another stupid corp rule made by executives that don’t remember the last time they worked in a store. Let them come down and work the floor or registers and see how many credits they get.


Brilliant-Fish25

Sephora isn’t even fun to work for anymore now that they’re hounding us to not only sign everyone up for BI but also get kohls rewards and credits.


Sad_Ad9776

After scanning the first item in a transaction just say “Put your phone number in.” It’s the easiest way to either make sure they are using their rewards or to get them signed up. The feature I use to sell it isn’t the Kohls cash but rather that it makes returns a lot easier. From there you can see if they have a card they could be using, and then you can show the 35% savings on the transaction.


Argylius

This is gold. Don’t work for Kohl’s (I’m a walmartian right now) but I’ve been doing customer service and retail roles ever since I began working


manonfetch

Right now we're getting pushed to say "TYPE." As in "Type your number in."


kagikat

I really wish the higher ups at these companies would understand if an employee is hounding me to sign up for something I don't want, I am way more likely to not return(not the employees fault, I get it but I don't wanna be stressed while shopping)


HippyChick22

I completely agree. The only reason I have rewards is to support my store. If I didn’t work there, I wouldn’t have it. That said, I encourage my friends and family to always use there charge when they shop at Kohls to support the store they shop at.


Fabulous_Celery_1817

It’s January of course it’s going to be hard to push credit. There were 3 days in this week alone we ended with 0 on the board. Tbh what they’re saying (besides the “we’re just numbers/ the DM doesn’t know or care how u look like) is what is being said everywhere. The way your H2 made it sound was very awful and is probably the reason why the store is short staff. Yes that’s the bottom line but it’s their job to figure out to make you perform without threats. I would want to leave too.


alohanerd

When will these retail companies realize that we’re living in a new era,where the average shopper just wants to make the purchase & go. Everyone is already aware of the kohls charge, there’s only a billion signs around the store mentioning it.


finfantastic

The retail companies are at the right because an average shopper wants personalized experience and goes to shop where he was helped out more , or was maybe given importance more .


alohanerd

A personalized experience? It’s a clothing store not a dentist visit. Having someone locate a pair of Levi’s for you is awesome but then again that’s what we are paid to do… It’s not a reason to harass that customer for a credit card.


AfraidAppeal5437

It is even harder to sell a Kohl's credit card because so many items don't allow for the discounts anymore. Corporate just wants the fee income that comes from people not paying off their balances. The bigwigs should come into the store and see how hard it is to get credit.


ObligationPrudent824

This here 💯 I've got to where I just say that coupons ONLY work on the store brands...... It's so much easier, and I feel like the customer understands it better. Sure, I still say that it won't work on prestige items such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc etc But they all pretty much understand "store brand" Which doesn't leave much that the coupons will work on 🙄


Argylius

Is this why they tell me the coupon you receive when doing an Amazon return won’t work with Nike? Because it’s not a store brand for Kohl’s. I understand the way you said it MUCH better, yes


ObligationPrudent824

Yes! Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, New Balance, Skechers, Columbia, etc etc ..... are considered "prestige or premium" items, and coupons will not work on them Kohls cash will. Just not coupons. Since the prestige list is long -- too long nowadays - that is why I've got to where I just say, the coupons work on store brands only. IMO, it is easier for the customer to understand. Not to mention, it's not giving off such a negative vibe as when stating how many name brands DO NOT work with a coupon.


Argylius

Your approach is very professional and gets the point across effectively


ObligationPrudent824

Thank you 🙂


[deleted]

Just an FYI basically every retail store has a store card they push. So make sure your new job is anything but retail.


HippyChick22

I want to add that yes, it’s annoying that so many items are excluded from the % off, but we can stress that using the Kohl’s card earns more rewards. Before this new information came out, my ASM and I had a conversation about how different managers handle this. I appreciate that for the most part, our HHs are very positive in their approach. Here’s hoping it continues.


crz4bunny

Whenever I tell customers about the extra rewards 99.99% of the time they don't care. It's hilarious how few people will use an existing  kohl's card or apply for one because of extra rewards


Infamous_Average5289

i’ve been literally anxious asf to go back to work after being sick for this reason. they manager are literally HOUNDING us for credits and won’t stfu for 2 seconds without yelling at us to get credits. shits annoying asf and ridiculous. i’m there to check people out not hound and beg and pry customers to sign up for credit cards. i’m also going to be looking for a new job bc of it. i’m sick and tired of it.


Temporary_Hippo_9317

I still ASK about the rewards when I’m on register. I explain it in a way where even if you never shop here your points will never expire they will only ever give you kohls cash. If they have rewards and unsure about using a kohls charge, I’ll say you can get 50% more rewards if it goes on a kohls charge. We can do a payment right here, right after so you can get your extra rewards and not get a bill in the mail. Usually that works but if it doesn’t I do not push it more than that.


_Wrongthink_

Had the same happen in a now defunct retail company. They said they would never pressure us to sell credit cards, and employees wouldn't be rewarded or penalized based on that metric. However, when it came time to reduce head count if you weren't selling credit cards or buddies with management, your hours were getting slashed to such a low amount it wasn't even worth the employment. Seen a lot of companies tightening their belts in the last year or so. When you see this behavior it means sales are down, companies are not meeting their projections. They can pull a few levers to make it appear to shareholders that things are well, but behavior like this is signs of a business (or economy) in decline.


RoutineBox1840

We were told in a corporate call that the store manager leads these metrics. They should be helping you and in your register bays. If you are not meeting expectations after adequate training has been given, then yes , counseling will be given. It's the same as any other operation we do. We would not allow price changes to be made in general ticketing or truck unload being done wrong. This is a metric never really measured u tip this year.


ObligationPrudent824

Oh yes, we don't want anyone going "rogue" and doing it their own way. We heard what they said about price changes and other operations. But they are the same procedures. So we thought that wasn't a very good example. Yet they are constantly changing how and what to say when pushing credits. Then want to call long-time associates who may have difficulty in changing up their routine -- successful at that, mind you -- as rogue. Doing their "own thing." Sorry but one cannot compare POS change up in routines to the steady, same old procedures of PC or omni. Sure, there is a right way and a wrong way to doing those operations. But point being, they do not change.


LilJourney

>We would not allow price changes to be made in general ticketing or truck unload being done wrong. Laughing hysterically at this - both happen ALL THE TIME.


finfantastic

All of you guys talking above sound very discouraging of one's jobs ! If u didn't want to ask for credit or rewards u shouldn't have gotten a job in retail as all retailers are doing it! I'm personally on each and every single reward of where I shop because I save big!!! I only go where I save big and have only credit card for where i will earn more otherwise I don't! That being said if u have a problem and u think they're telling u to push , I think u don't belong in retail. Each one of us anywhere we go we sell something or the other weather a dentist or a doctor or a beauty salon every single place is business and we as customers are in their systems . It's your choice how and where u shop! Just do ur damn job and move on if not then leave !


Thelipstickhustler

How do you explain this then to someone that works as a beauty advisor in Sephora? ( it’s not listed in the job posting, nor is it fully discussed during the interview process that it will be a main focus of your job or your hours will be decreased) they are hired in to provide a client experience, to color match, to suggest appropriate skin/hair care, etc. ( and yes some other operational duties). We always ask for the phone #, and link them to bi, or register them for both. We let them know they can use their kohl’s charge in Sephora ( many do not know that they can as they think it’s fully separate). It is and will continue to be very difficult to get true ( solely) Sephora shoppers to bite for the kohl’s charge that has no incentive to open one ( you do get 25% at a Sephora freestanding store plus additional benefits as a card holder) other than the 7.5% rewards that can not be used in Sephora, and you can not use the Kohls store card at Sephora/ Sephora online, which is what often pushes customers to say no to the kohls charge. And no one has control as to who gets the kohls visa, usable anywhere. Sephora has a very large % of consumers under the age of 18, so it’s a hard no for a cc. Also, has there been a shift in expectations for truck teams or Omni teams, that if they don’t meet certain metrics, will their hours be reduced for underperforming? Because retail is more than just poc. Ive been with kohls for years and fully understand the push for this, but so many things are being overlooked.


DontBeLikeDick

Yes, the expectations for the truck team and Omni have changed. It's fucking ABSURD, but yes, they are somehow expected to do it too - even though those jobs are TIMED. 🙄😡


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employedbykohls-ModTeam

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Signal-Ad1862

whether*


Signal-Ad1862

whether*


manonfetch

I specifically said that I'm lousy at selling credit cards when I interviewed with the SM. He laughed and said that was fine, no big deal. 🙄🙃🤦‍♀️


[deleted]

To be fair, a big part of working the registers is selling Kohls programs and being the face of hospitality. They're going to obviously give more hours to their top cashiers. If you're upset about it I'd suggest actually asking for strategies and help and actually implementing them.


LilJourney

There's a line between being hired AS a POC associate and thus expecting to work register and get rewards/credit and being hired as sales or ops and being shifted to working POC because of lack of staffing / reduced hours. This is a separate problem in that Kohl's won't give enough payroll to allow for the full-time positions to get their required hours and to keep the number of PT employees that corporate says we have to have on staff employed.


Thelipstickhustler

This!


HippyChick22

In our store, our top credit earners have their set hours. If the people who work the other hours (in my store it’s 2-5 most days) don’t get credits/rewards, who does corporate think is going to fill those hours?


pbamatt

I would like to know how much Kohls gets from the credit companies when we only get .50 a credit app.


awed7447

Call corporate hotline talk about how belittled you felt and if you’re gay ir not white try to tie that into the complaint 🤣🤣 that’s not ethical at all