Target — Attraction in New York

Just sent Target the following feedback:

The Bronx Throggs Neck store, albeit the closest to my home, is no longer MY STORE!!! This now makes more than once that I am submitting feedback regarding the inadequacies of this location. And I’m furious. I want something to change. Because it’s not fair that the Target closest to me is the worst one I’ve ever entered. It just isn’t. I previously commented on the lack of inventory. That’s still the case. But here’s something new. Last night I placed my first pick-up order for items already in the store. I was excited about trying this new service. Like having a personal shopper without the expense. All the items I was looking for weren’t at the College Point location. I chose this location for the pick up because I just sensed the service wouldn’t be the same at the Bronx Throggs Neck Target. Nothing else is the same at that Target. I didn’t want to pick up the bulk of my order there. So I went to College Point, a location I have previously remarked is far superior to my local Target. I work on that side of the Whitestone Bridge so it wouldn’t be too much trouble. My pick up experience was glorious. The customer service area is maintained in an orderly fashion. Orders for pick up are kept out of sight in the back. While one customer was picking up their order, another employee made her way down the line to make sure the next customer was being taken care of simultaneously. My order was large and since it was my first time doing this, I chose to take a beat and double check that I had received my entire order. I did. What a fantastic first experience!!! Then I made my way home. I had only 5 items to pick up at Throggs Neck. Five compared to like the 20 other items I picked up at College Point. Instead of the coconut oil I ordered I got a can of coconut milk. A dented can at that. Then I had to stand there, all in all approximately 15 minutes, while someone went looking for the correct item. Instead of just getting that one item, the person chose to fulfill other orders simultaneously. I was fully prepared to abandon the order altogether. I could have very well just done the shopping myself in half the time and picked up the correct items. What is supposed to be a convenient and helpful service is a painful chore at Throggs Neck. It didn’t help that the customer service area looks like it was hit by a tornado. The bulk of pick up orders are in plain sight and are so overwhelmingly disorganized, it made waiting all the more difficult. I had nowhere to stand. If I moved to one side, I was in the way of the pick up area. If I moved to the other side, I was in the way of the line for returns. I felt like a trapped rat. Please do something. Change the manager. Increase the inventory. You can shut it down and revamp the whole thing for all I care. Please make my local Target a place I choose to run to. Not run away from! The Bronx deserves no less than any other...

This particular Target is huge, impressive and with great staff. The problem is the poor and persistent stocking practices here, especially of grocery items, but of other items as well. We invariably find multiple items on our grocery list to be out of stock regardless of time of day or day of week (so it's not just a freak holiday rush thing.) Available instead may be far more expensive alternatives, Examples of frequent out of stock items are: store brand organic milk (instead, much higher priced Horizon milk is there), store brand lactose free milk (often the one with the desired fat content is missing even if some kind is available), Roma tomatoes ($1,49 / lb, instead there's only $2.99 beefsteak or something even more expensive), veggie protein crumbles, Dannon plain yogurt ($2.79 / 32oz, instead there's umpteen types of greek yogurt or Yoplait - FAR more expensive), other such basic grocery staples, Woolite large containers (only small ones available with much higher unit costs ), double walled water flasks (some smaller Target stores nearby had it, but not this giant store!)

Sometimes these stock outs help Target because we are forced to buy the more expensive alternative. But this also means that we often simply avoid visits here and do most of our shopping at other places (when we first saw this nice, huge Target on moving into this area we thought we'll do most of our shopping here. So you're probably having a lot of "lost sales", going by our example). Part of the stock outs here may be due to "ghost inventory" - computer systems showing items in stock even if they are not physically on the shelves, and no one properly physically verifying inventory. Whatever the problem, whoever if responsible for managing inventory and running the store need to step up their act. This store is obviously popular because of its size, location and layout, and can do so...

This store is poorly managed, stocked, and poor customer service. Needed help locating item on first day of sale and shows on line 6 available. 2 floor staff in item area refused to search on hand held scanner for item and wouldn't help locate or search storage area. Went to customer service area for assistance and they stated the staff should of looked up item on their hand held scanners. They young lady then looked up item and it showed 3 in stock but I replied I checked 3 aisles around location it should be and none on floor(large 4 foot box by 1 ft. Square can't be missed). So I requested if she can call someone in storage room to check and she takes easy way out and states to her manager next to her "If item not on floor , none left right"? The manager replied yes none left but computer shows 3. 5 employees and one manager later no one would check storage room. This happens all the time with customer service and managers no help from anyone. Shelves are empty and items I buy often sometimed takes 2 weeks to restock. Minium cashiers long lines, poor management in this store and changed managers often. Staff always complaining about poor management in store , sale days on first day (Sunday) items not on floor that are in sale flier and this is early Sunday morning and evening. When trying to order out of stock items at customer service it gets sent to wrong store and won't help trying to reship it to this store. When tell them of price difference cashiers refuse to help and when call for manager they state customer is incorrect until you get sign or sticker from shelf and when show them after losing spot on line , manager never appologizes or help rering it up. POOR MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE , AVOID THIS HUTCHINSON PKWY STORE IN THE BRONX. Target should send corporate to test help from store employees, management or...