’10-4 policy’: New Jersey woman says Target has new ‘friendly’ rule for workers. Then she tests it out
A woman on TikTok claims to have set out to test what she believes is a new Target policy requiring employees to greet shoppers with a smile and a wave. The results didn’t exactly support her theory.
Rochelle (@radiorochelle), who’s based in New Jersey, says she somehow learned that Target workers are now expected to greet customers as they pass.
“When you approach them, they have to smile and wave and ask how you are,” Rochelle told viewers. She spotted two employees organizing racks in the apparel section and pushed her cart past them.
“There are some people over here, let’s go see,” she said.
Neither so much as looked up.
Still determined, she circled back. “Let’s try again,” she said, before heading toward another worker who also didn’t acknowledge her. A fourth seemed to give a quick smile, but there was no wave and no “how are you.”
“I might have gotten a smile there,” Rochelle said, still trying to make the experiment work.
She continued to roam the store, but nothing changed. The employees were busy doing, well, actual retail work instead of performing for a stranger with a camera.
“Proving to be very unsuccessful,” she said. She redirected her mission to the home essentials area in hopes of a different outcome. She didn’t get one.
It’s unclear whether she eventually gave up and left. However, she didn’t hide her disappointment that no one followed the “protocol” she expected. Her clip had garnered more than 318,800 views—although she has since turned off comments on the post.
Are Target Workers Required To Smile At Shoppers?
Rochelle said in her caption that Target workers are supposed to smile at shoppers because of a policy called the 10-4 policy. This made her wonder whether the employees in her store were ignoring a real rule.
So what is it, and does it actually exist?
@radiorochelle #Target employees are being encouraged to smile, wave and chat with customers under a new policy called the 10-4 policy. Let’s see if they do it! @target #fyp #holidays ♬ original sound – Radio Rochelle
It does. The 10-4 policy is a company-wide approach to customer service that Target launched in November. So, not a rumor limited to Rochelle’s local store.
The idea is simple: When an employee is about 10 feet away from a shopper, they are expected to smile, make eye contact, wave, and look approachable. Once a shopper is within about 4 feet, the employee is supposed to greet them directly and offer warm, helpful interaction.
“We know when our guests are greeted, feel welcomed, and get the help they need that translates to guest love and loyalty,” Target Executive Vice President and Chief Stores Officer Adrienne Costanzo said in a statement to USA Today. “Heading into the holiday, we’re making adjustments and implementing new ways to increase connection during the most important time of the year, powered by our team.”
A friendly policy
Target created the policy to make stores feel friendlier and to encourage quick engagement so customers can get what they need without hunting down help. Workers are trained to use open body language from a distance and shift to a more personal greeting once they are close enough to speak comfortably.
That is the intention, at least. Whether every employee follows it in practice is another story, and Rochelle’s experience showed how varied those interactions can be. And as Fox Business notes, these guidelines are part of the internal training program and are not policy.
But the policy itself is real. The expectation is that employees acknowledge customers both from afar and up close. Particularly, in a way that feels welcoming rather than scripted.
We reached out to Rochelle via a direct message on TikTok and to Target through email.
This story was produced by our friends at Gee Thanks.
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