A Target worker's hilarious blog about customers is going viral - here the best behind-the-scenes revelations
Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty ImagesA Target employee is going viral for sharing strange and hilarious stories about customers that will completely change how you see the chain.
In late August, Tom Grennell posted a list of things that happened on his first day working at Target on his Tumblr, Kimpossibooty.
The post exploded, racking up close to 200,000 notes over the next two weeks. So, Grennell began keeping track of more of his often bizarre experiences working at the retailer.
"An old woman bought five bottles of wine and a large bottle of vodka," Grennell wrote of his third day on the job. "Her license told me she had lived through World War II. Her smile told me she was still living."
The posts - which Grennell now posts on a Tumblr called TargetRetales - offer a behind-the-scenes look at what working at Target is really like.
Here are six revelations from TargetRetales that many shoppers don't know about the retailer.
1. You can get deals if you're nice to workers.
Associated Press
Grennell worked a shift on a day when his Target location was offering 10% off on all purchases. However, shoppers have to ask for the discount - in some cases.
"I have a coupon to scan if anyone asks for it. I scan it if people don't ask for it if they're nice to me," Grennell writes. "I don't scan it if they're rude. Power is a new sensation. Power is a good sensation."
Reminder: always be kind to your cashier.
2. Cashiers are graded by speed.
AP
There's a reason why cashiers try to bag purchases as fast as they can.
"Anyone that pays attention knows every transaction is graded. G(green) for a good, fast checkout, R(red) for a slow checkout," a former cashier wrote in a message to Grennell. "What customers fail to realize is how those R's make you feel like you have dishonored yourself, your ancestors, and your cow."
A slower rating is majorly demoralizing - even if it's the customer's fault. If a shopper is taking too long to find their credit card or figuring out coupons, cashiers need to suspend the transaction in order to avoid being penalized for the extra seconds.
3. Stickers can be the best part of cashiers' jobs.
AP Photo/Matt RourkeKolleen Irwin and her daughter Ariel, 3, shop for groceries at a Target store in Philadelphia, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.
While parents may know that Target cashiers give away stickers to kids, many people probably don't realize the major role that stickers play in Target employees' jobs. TargetRetales could dedicate an entire section to Grennell's experiences with children and stickers.
"Gave dozens of children stickers. Several of them squealed when they got them. This is the best part of my job," reads one post.
However, not every child is as amused.
"I met my mortal enemy. A child with a deadly fear of stickers," Grennell wrote on Day 12. "His mother attempted to put one on him. He shrieked and tried to get away from it. He would not stop screaming until it was taken off of his body. I do not know who he thinks he is, but he will not get away with this disrespect."
4. Clothing tags have secret codes.
Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters
After a shopper attempted to purchase a shirt without a price tag, another Target employee offered a little-known secret to Target's pricing.
"The inside of the article usually has a secret, tiny tag with the DPCI that you could type in if there is no regular tag to scan," wrote Tumblr user Skruffie. "Also, if you wanna use merch locate to find a different size for a guest, you could just use math... the last digit on the DPCI goes up or down depending on the size. Say if a small shirt has 4567 as the last four digits, you can type in 4568 for medium, 4569 for large, etc."
5. Extreme couponers have figured out how to game the system.
Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images
His first day on the job, Grennell encountered his first extreme couponer.
"A woman came up with $220 of items," he wrote. "After a wad of coupons and a stack of free gift cards from other promotions, her total went down to $55. I want her to teach me."
Other couponers are less strategic.
"A man bought thirty light bulbs with a coupon," Grennell wrote on Day Two. "He told me he did not need thirty light bulbs. He just likes coupons."
The light bulb man eventually left the store without the thirty bulbs, despite paying for them.
6. Shoppers forget things at the store… a lot.
Joe Raedle / Getty
Customers have left everything from their purchases to credit cards at the check out, according to Grennell. In some cases, they never come back for the forgotten items.
"Four people left all of their bags before leaving the store. They each returned. One person left their credit card. They never returned," reads one post.
You can read more about Grennell's adventures in retail at TargetRetales.