Reba's Rambles
 
A problem

I am a fan of Target.  I have been a fan of Target for years. Their clothes always seem to be quality with an affordable price, fairly trend setting, and I can usually find what I am looking for based on their organizational system.  Not only can I shop for clothing, I can shop for my electronics, toiletries, and much more. However, I feel the quality of Target as a store is very regional. 

In Duluth, MN the Target is pristine in nature.  You (people reading this) smirk and say, “Oh, Reba you are so silly, how can a department store be pristine?!” Well go to the Duluth Target and see how organized it is.  How the clothes have room on the racks, clothes do not fall off when you walk by, shelves are stocked, and the staff is welcoming and helpful!

Now drive 7.5 hours south to Milwaukee.  The scene is very different. I visited two Targets in the hope of finding what I was looking for and nothing. I found dirty aisles, messy and empty shelves, and a staff that really could have cared less.


Social Networking

So, why blog about this issue on a blog that was created to talk about emerging media?  I am so happy you asked! Businesses around the world are jumping on the social networking bandwagon.  One at a time they are trying to reach out to customers, both happy and not, to try and get a glimpse as to what is being said about them.  After thinking about what I should do with my problem, I decided to contact Target and tell them about this issue. 

I, however, must be very narrow-minded in thinking that I could easily contact Target and get an answer to my problem.  I looked for them on Twitter, and they have one (
http://twitter.com/Target ), but would they really get it and would I ever get a response? I looked on Facebook, and they have one of those too (http://www.facebook.com/#!/target?ref=ts ), but there is no true way to contact them unless you write on their public wall.  Would I really want to put my little complaint open for all to criticize? So I then went to their main web-page. Alas! I found their contact information.  I click on their link, and instantly am lost with whom I should contact with my store complaint.  After searching for fifteen minutes I finally found where I needed to submit my issue. See the mess of options here
àhttp://www.target.com/gp/help/help-home.html/ref=nav_footer_contact/186-1191562-9713053?ie=UTF8&node=1039412

My Solution

So I submitted my issue.  I took a stand to try and better their stores, hurray! To my surprise I did receive an email from Target within 24 hours.  I applaud their efforts.  However, I wonder how many consumers are as vigilant as I in the need to file my issue?  If I were not curious as to how I finally can contact these people I would have given up when I saw their mess of a “contact us” page.  I have looked at other companies sites and have found that they are easier to navigate in order to contact them. Perhaps I wasn’t a lucky soul with the immediate search; maybe it is easier for some.  I have thought about this and broken it down to this: If you have an issue and are not computer/internet literate contact them in person when you are there; if you are computer/internet literate…good luck, may your search be half as difficult as mine

In conclusion, I find it interesting that in a day of convenience and speed some of the simplest tasks (such as communication) have become the most difficult.

Until next time my readers!

 
9/20/2010 12:37:27 pm

Hey Reba! I have enjoyed your posts so far! You make some really great points. It would have been interesting if you contacted them via Twitter, Facebook and email to see how (and if) they responded via each medium. I'm curious to know if they are one of those companies that Tweets back or responds to comments. Also curious as to which Targets you tried--I hope I can help you find a better Target here in Milwaukee!

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