Target Employee Slams Customers Who Call Her by Name Because She's Wearing a Name Tag
Published Jan. 9 2024, 6:03 p.m. ET
Whether you've worked in customer service or witnessed how insufferable it can be on TikTok, you'll know some parts of the jobs in the industry that are unavoidable. For instance, most places take that "customer is always right" quote to heart and also have no problem keeping the doors open for pesky customers to come in minutes before closing.
Perhaps something even more annoying (and unsettling) about working in a place where strangers surround you is the chance that one of those strangers gets a little too close for comfort. Some strangers may achieve this by telling a retail employee too much of their business at the cash register. Others — like the customers one Target employee has — take it upon themselves to get personal by calling an employee by the name they see on their name tag.
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After dealing with her customers' attempts to get to know her better, the employee shared in a video that she wants Target's customers to avoid believing they know her just because they can see her name while she works. Keep scrolling for the full story!
A Target employee wants her customers to know they don't know her — even if they can see her name tag.
In nearly every retail store, employees on the store's sales floor wear name tags. According to a 2020 post from Name Tag Pros, name tags help with a company's branding while also avoiding any confusion as to who the employees of the establishment are. It can also provide comfort for customers, as they feel better making pricey decisions with someone whose name they know (in theory).
Morgan, a TikTok user who works at Target, believes the ease some customers have by knowing an employee's name is uncalled for and makes her uncomfortable. As anyone who has been in a Target knows, the employees wear a white and red name tag that includes the Target logo and the employee's name. The tag is also often located on an employee’s chest, making it easier to read.
In her six-second video, Morgan expressed anger toward the Target customers who dared to address her by name while she was at work. The hilarious TikTok includes Morgan wearing her uniform — a red vest with the name tag over a black and red hoodie — as she looks sternly at the camera.
Then, as a voiceover from Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta plays over the video, Morgan mouthed a scene from the show where Tokyo Vanity informs Karlie Redd, “B----, I don’t play with you like that.” As Karlie’s voice asks “Who you calling a b----?” Morgan responds by saying, “You! You! I don’t play that.”
Morgan further shared that her funny TikTok was a serious read to her customers. As she’s mimicking Tokyo and Karlie’s fight, Morgan wrote in the video, “When customers address me by my first name like they know me.” Morgan’s video caption also suggested that customers should pretend her name tag doesn’t exist.
“Like, just bc I have a nametag on doesn't mean I know you like that!!!” Morgan said.
The TikToker’s post was left with mixed reviews by fellow retail employees.
Morgan’s short rant asking Target customers to avoid calling her by name was something I’m sure the content creator is glad she got off her chest. With over 400,000 views, this TikTok is Morgan’s most popular video on her account.
Many who watched Morgan’s video were retail employees who resonated with it, whether or not they agreed with her take. As someone who has previously worked far too many retail stores to list, I am honestly torn by Morgan’s opinion.
While I have dealt with my fair share of customers who assumed we were besties because they knew my name, it didn’t bother me as much as it seemingly bugs Morgan. In some cases, it was a sign that the customers saw me more than the person ringing their groceries up or stocking the shelves, which made my day a little easier. However, it can get creepy when someone knows your name but doesn’t offer theirs, even if you have the name tag.
Underneath Morgan’s TikTok, she received comments also torn by her take. Some said they see the name tag as a way of feeling seen at work, which is always essential. At the same time, some users felt “disrespected” when they heard a customer say their name and had plans to avoid being caught off guard.
“REAL, but sometimes ppl are so wholesome 😭 this older woman was like “thank you __” and my HEART,” one user explained.
“WHEN THIS ONE LADY SAID ‘Go get your manager jamar…😒’ like I’ve never felt so disrespected in my life,” another said.
“I be trying to figure out how they know my name😂😂,” a third user admitted.
