- Target released an update to its app to curb a shopper behavior workers call the "double tap."
- Workers previously said drive-up order customers caused chaos by waiting until arrival to tap a button saying they were en route.
Target is rolling out a much-requested app fix for a shopper behavior that has been a frequent source of frustration for some of its fulfillment workers.
Whether by accident or on purpose, hundreds of Target drive-up customers using the retailer's mobile app arrive each day in the stores' parking lots before hitting the "I'm on my way" button.
Upon arrival, they would tap the button and the follow-up "I'm here" button in rapid succession — a move that became known as the "double-tap."
Now, following a mobile app released last week, shoppers will no longer be able to "double-tap" their drive-up orders. Instead, they will have to wait for one minute after tapping "I'm on my way" before declaring their arrival.
"We need some extra time," the app says now. "Next time, avoid this delay by letting us know you're on the way before going to the store."
The company confirmed the change to Business Insider and said it continues to look for ways to improve the app for both workers and customers.
Workers told BI last year that the "I'm here" signal starts a three-minute timer during which they must load a customer's order from various shelves or refrigerators onto a cart and roll it out to the parking lot.
Orders that take more than three minutes can put a worker's metrics in the red and draw scrutiny from managers, the workers previously said. "Double-tappers" are particularly problematic when orders have dozens of items, or contain large or heavy products, which can set off a cascade of delays, they said.
The impact of the update hasn't been instantaneous, however, according to several comments on social media, as it can take time for a meaningful number of customers to download the new version of the app. The update also began rolling amid increased Halloween shopping.
"It was already a very busy week to begin with, so it is hard to measure if the double-tap delay had any noticeable change," a Target worker in New York, who described the app update as a welcome one, told BI. The worker requested not to be identified as they were not authorized to speak with the media.
The worker said her store receives between 1,000 and 1,500 drive-up orders per day, estimating about a quarter of those are double-taps. Some are "repeat offenders" that she and her colleagues recognize by name, she added.
"There was nothing we could do to prevent them from doing so other than letting the customer know directly that they should tell us that they are on their way, which was frowned upon by management," she said. "We are hoping that this new change alleviates that issue."
A worker in Wisconsin told BI the change hasn't had a major effect so far, but that every bit of extra time helps.