Target Is Betting Big On One Old-School Idea

The next time a Target employee enthusiastically asks whether you need help finding something, don’t be flattered. It might be homework.

The retail giant is testing a new employee grading system that could evaluate workers on everything from reliability and teamwork to something much harder to measure: whether they’re friendly enough while helping you find toothpaste.

In other words, your local Target employee may soon be getting a performance review because they didn’t look excited enough to tell you where the paper towels are.

According to reports, managers will assess workers on customer interactions, including how consistently they greet shoppers, make eye contact, offer assistance, and generally project the kind of cheerful energy usually associated with Disney cast members and golden retrievers.

The effort is part of a larger push by Target to improve the in-store shopping experience as the company tries to reverse sluggish sales and lure customers back into stores.

Target CEO Michael Fiddelke has made customer experience a major priority, arguing that a better shopping experience starts with friendlier employees.

That’s where things get interesting.

Because most shoppers probably agree that customer service has gotten worse over the years.

We’ve all experienced it. The cashier who acts offended that you interrupted their conversation. The employee who disappears the second you need help. The customer service desk that somehow has nobody working at it despite there being six people waiting in line.

There is a reason people still talk about Chick-fil-A employees like they’re members of some elite hospitality unit.

People appreciate good service.

The question is whether you can force it.

Target’s new approach builds on the company’s existing “10-4” rule, which encourages workers to acknowledge customers within 10 feet and offer assistance when shoppers come within four feet.

The company has already trained more than 300,000 employees through a new guest experience program and says stores receiving additional staffing support have reported higher customer satisfaction scores.

But critics immediately spotted a potential problem. Nobody likes being graded on vibes. Especially not retail workers who are already dealing with long shifts, staffing shortages, difficult customers, and the occasional person trying to return a Christmas tree in March.

The idea that an employee’s performance score could depend in part on whether management thinks they smiled enough has sparked predictable backlash online.

Some worry that friendliness is becoming another impossible-to-measure corporate metric.

Others are asking an obvious question. If a store is understaffed, shelves are empty, and checkout lines stretch halfway to electronics, is a bigger smile really the solution?

Retail analyst Neil Saunders raised a similar concern, warning that Target needs to make sure any grading system is transparent and fair. He also noted that friendliness alone won’t fix inventory issues, staffing problems, or long waits.

Most customers don’t walk out of Target furious because nobody smiled at them. They walk out furious because they spent 20 minutes looking for an employee who could unlock a cabinet containing a $12 bottle of shampoo.

Still, Target appears convinced that better customer interactions can help separate physical stores from online shopping.

After all, Amazon can deliver paper towels. Amazon cannot pretend to be excited that you’re buying decorative pumpkins in July.

At least not yet.

The bigger question is whether Target employees are about to become retail workers or aspiring theater kids.

Because if your annual review depends on enthusiasm, some people may soon find themselves performing for an audience of one: the mom looking for the Hearth & Hand section.