Target's Troubles Run Deeper Than a Smile Policy
In an effort to turn around its declining sales and reputation, Target has implemented a new policy that requires employees to "smile" at customers. The idea may seem harmless, but it's just another example of the company's broader struggle to connect with Black shoppers.
When Target announced that it was ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, many Black consumers boycotted the brand. The decision not only alienated long-time customers but also damaged the company's reputation in the process. Now, as the stock price continues to plummet, Target is trying to revive itself by ordering employees to smile.
However, this policy won't fix the underlying issues that led to the boycott. Target's failure to address its shortcomings will likely lead to more customers tattling on employees who don't meet their unrealistic expectations. Moreover, mandating smiles can have unintended consequences, such as making it difficult for employees to authentically connect with customers.
Research has shown that people struggle to identify genuine smiles on Black faces, which could lead to misinterpretations and misunderstandings. For instance, a study found that white people often mistake a genuine smile from a Black person for insincerity.
Target's policy also disregards the emotional toll of customer service work. Employees are already under pressure to provide excellent service without being expected to fake their emotions. Requiring them to "smile" further exacerbates this issue, particularly when dealing with difficult customers who may take out their frustrations on employees who are simply trying to do their job.
Ultimately, Target's troubles run deeper than a smile policy. The company must address its lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and work towards rebuilding trust with Black consumers. Until then, forcing employees to smile won't solve the problem; it will only perpetuate the cycle of unrealistic expectations and emotional labor.
In an effort to turn around its declining sales and reputation, Target has implemented a new policy that requires employees to "smile" at customers. The idea may seem harmless, but it's just another example of the company's broader struggle to connect with Black shoppers.
When Target announced that it was ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, many Black consumers boycotted the brand. The decision not only alienated long-time customers but also damaged the company's reputation in the process. Now, as the stock price continues to plummet, Target is trying to revive itself by ordering employees to smile.
However, this policy won't fix the underlying issues that led to the boycott. Target's failure to address its shortcomings will likely lead to more customers tattling on employees who don't meet their unrealistic expectations. Moreover, mandating smiles can have unintended consequences, such as making it difficult for employees to authentically connect with customers.
Research has shown that people struggle to identify genuine smiles on Black faces, which could lead to misinterpretations and misunderstandings. For instance, a study found that white people often mistake a genuine smile from a Black person for insincerity.
Target's policy also disregards the emotional toll of customer service work. Employees are already under pressure to provide excellent service without being expected to fake their emotions. Requiring them to "smile" further exacerbates this issue, particularly when dealing with difficult customers who may take out their frustrations on employees who are simply trying to do their job.
Ultimately, Target's troubles run deeper than a smile policy. The company must address its lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and work towards rebuilding trust with Black consumers. Until then, forcing employees to smile won't solve the problem; it will only perpetuate the cycle of unrealistic expectations and emotional labor.
. Like, I get that Target wants to turn things around, but this is just another example of them not listening to their customers. I mean, have they thought about how Black employees might feel when they're expected to fake a smile all day? It's like, we already struggle enough in the service industry without being judged on our emotions 
.
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. Can't we just focus on creating a more inclusive and welcoming shopping experience for everyone? 
... It's like, on the surface, a "smile policy" sounds harmless, right? But when you dig deeper, you realize that Target's struggles go way beyond just having employees smile at customers 
. It's about connection, trust, and understanding between two vastly different groups of people. I mean, think about it - what happens when someone doesn't smile back? Is it because they're being unfriendly or is it because they're hiding something? 
. They need to acknowledge their mistakes and actually work towards inclusivity, not just slap a new policy together that's gonna be super hard for employees to follow. I mean, can you imagine having to fake a genuine smile when you're already stressed about dealing with all the drama from customers? And what about all those Black consumers who boycotted them in the first place? Target needs to do better than just asking its employees to put on a happy face 
. They should be working on building trust and understanding, not just expecting people to smile their way out of it 
.
... that's where the real change starts happening.
... it's all about empathy and understanding, you know?
? But seriously, isn't this just a distraction from the real issues they need to tackle? Like, have you seen those ads they did with black models and it was like, finally 
... but then they cancelled diversity initiatives 
and now they're trying to fix it by telling employees to smile 
. Plus, what about when people from other cultures or backgrounds come in? They might not always know how a genuine smile looks 
seriously though, how hard can it be to just be genuine and respectful? employees shouldn't have to fake a smile to deal with customers who are already being unreasonable. and honestly, the fact that they think this will fix things is kinda laughable. target's got some serious work to do if they wanna regain trust with black shoppers.