Customers who "double-tapped" were putting a strain on fulfillment workers
The change, long requested by employees, addresses the “double-tap” problem that had been creating headaches for workers, as reported by Business Insider.
Customers reportedly arrived in store parking lots only to tap the “I’m on my way” button, followed by the “I’m here” button – while in the parking lot. The behavior created “chaos” for workers, as the behavior triggered a three-minute timers for workers to gather and load orders into customers’ cars. The pressure led to delays, and in some cases, could negatively impact an employee’s performance metric.
With the update, shoppers can no longer double-tap. Now, after hitting “I’m on my way,” they have to wait a full minute to verify they’re in the parking lot. The update’s impact, designed to give workers more time to prepare and fulfill orders, is likely to take some time to be fully felt as some customers hold off on downloading the new version of the app.
The update comes as Target gears up for the busy holiday season, with an anticipated $1 trillion in U.S. consumer spending expected between November and December. In preparation, Target also announced price cuts in October on over 2,000 items and said it would offer its cheapest Thanksgiving basket ever for just $20.
In September, Target announced plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers to fill roles across its stores and supply chain as it looks to meet the demands of a busy shopping season. In line with these efforts, the retailer recently updated its return policy, giving it the “right to refuse returns, refunds or exchanges” on items it deemed suspicious.
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