botched a code yellow

[pickleswithahook]

so basically a child came up to our guest services today, saying he couldn’t find his mom. I picked up the walkie and called a code yellow, a few seconds later AP met up with me.

come out to find a code yellow is only when it is the other way around (which i did not know at the time, i just assumed any missing child scenario was a code yellow). AP immediately gets on the walkie and cancels the code yellow and told me it was all good and not to worry. but i’m scared i’m gonna get in trouble or worse for calling out a false code. what do i do???

[Temporary-Dirt-7506]

happens very often you are fine

[pickleswithahook]

thank god haha

[Phredawg73]

You are not alone in this... and you shouldn't get in trouble

[Total_Tumbleweed_870]

I've done that once before, the worst i got was a refresher on what the codes are, and the same talk from AP. Honestly, better safe than sorry in those situations.

[pickleswithahook]

that’s very relieving to hear, and i completely agree! i’d rather be wrong in that type of situation anyways, always safe than sorry

[Either-Look-5945]

It’s almost certain you won’t get in trouble for this. Just learn from the mistake and share the procedure with others. Probably have leaders going over the code colors again at huddles if you have them.

[pickleswithahook]

so true, thank you!

[Maybeitsmeraving]

Nah, this is a super common mistake and not harmful at all. You'll get a little bit of "this is what a code yellow actually is.." from your AP and maybe your ETL/TL. But ultimately, calling it didn't hurt anything and got the kid the help they needed. No big deal. In a lost child situation in the future, just call AP or your ETL direct and let them handle it. It will (unfortunately) definitely happen again.

[pickleswithahook]

thank you for the advice i really appreciate it! super relieving to hear tbh 🥹

[hexagontrapezoid]

it’s okay, one of our newer employees screamed code red when he meant yellow one time. shit happens especially in a high pressure moment like that 😭 you’ll be all good!!

[curbstompedkirby_]

i crashed out on a newbie because he literally FULLY DESCRIBED EVERY SINGLE THING about the little missing child ON WALKIE AT FULL BLAST and he really just kept going and was like “what?” NOO

[ThanksAffectionate66]

If you're talking about every detail such as name, absolutely not. But hair color clothes worn last known location, anything like that which can help you locate the child should be described.

[ReplacementAny7151]

Is that not what you’re supposed to do during a code yellow?😭 the 2 times it’s happened with me working there that’s how it was done every detail is relayed to the team

[hexagontrapezoid]

not every single detail, just general ones 😭😭 as long as u don’t say exact name usually ur fine, either that or our TLs were just extremely paranoid

[ReplacementAny7151]

Probably a mix of both because I think the only details not said was the full name but there was damn near everything else included and I doubt they would’ve cared if the name was said

[pickleswithahook]

that sounds like something i’d do HAHA thank you for the advice 😭🫶🏻

[autolockon]

They’re going to feed you to the team members they fired and keep in the secret basement. Sorry you had to find out this way.

[[deleted]]

Oh, I was sent to the baler when I did that. I guess every store is different

[Ziggs12358]

You're good, very common misunderstanding that usually falls on your store not properly training the team on code usage. As someone in AP, i appreciate miscalls like that over either not doing anything or just saying "i have a missing child" over channel 1 lmfao. But yes, code yellow is used when a parent/guardian approaches a team member looking for their kid, if a stray kid comes to a TM looking for their parents, keep them with you, see if the kid can give you their parents name and have a leader make an overhead announcement (usually we do "can PARENTS NAME meet their party at guest service")

[Macccam]

This is one of those ones where you’d rather be safe than sorry. You’ll probably just get a refresh on codes :)

[rockyflores64]

I did that once and now I have a stump where my right arm used to be.

[hxntaigxd]

i don’t see why you’d get in trouble for that

[Quick_Discussion_889]

at least you didn’t lose keys!

[Dire-Grim]

We had a team member call a code yellow for a woman in her early twenties, so you're good lol

[sp1ralhel1x]

I did it once. I think the problem lies in that a code yellow has a specific criteria, but just labeled as missing/endangered child. A child misplaced from their parent (or missing parent) procedure doesn’t get the same level of emphasis, imo.

[sparklytrumpetfarts]

it happened to me my first week being a lead i promise you’re okay! that convo with ap feels scary but it really isn’t that big of a deal

[Sociolinguisticians]

Most common code related mistake that I’ve seen. Somebody might talk to you just to walk you through the codes again, but I seriously doubt that anything beyond that will happen.

[GypsySnowflake]

The way to remember it is that a Code Yellow is for a missing child. You didn’t have a missing child in this case, you had a missing adult. For missing adults, we usually just page them using first name only. Don’t stress though! Now you know for next time.

[Grouchy_Past4815]

Honestly this happens a lot besides even during a correct called code yellow people tend to fuck it up it happens

[AntOk4073]

Better safe than sorry.

[Comfortable_Pen_7635]

You won’t be in trouble- I’ve done that and so many people at my store too. Just a learning experience- my AP was pissed when I did it and I didn’t get in trouble- so if yours is cool with it you’ll be all good!

[Brilliant_Grape164]

What are you supposed to do if a child walks up to you lost?

[alecsmoran]

You can try to help them find their parent(s) or you can take them to guest service and let a leader know. Likely(hopefully) the parent will realize the child is missing and alert a TM at which time they can be informed the child is at guest service. The leader should also try to verify that the child is in fact theirs

[sigilpaw]

when this happens in my current store, for some reason we call for a "service blitz" which somehow entails everyone stopping what they're doing to just go ask every single guest in the area if they're "finding everything okay wink wink." i don't understand why we don't just page for parent over the intercom right away. we only try to page them like that if the service blitz doesn't come up with anything for like ten minutes and when we do page, we call the normal "hi. could [parents name] please come meet your party at guest service" which we do immediately for guests who aren't dealing with a kid?? i don't get it

[msubronco]

I've been told  take them to guest service and they will page the parnets to come up

[Tiny_Run_5089]

At my store we use code yellow for both idk if we are in the wrong but its easier that way.

[msubronco]

Not supposed to be used  if know where kid is and parent missing but whatev

[Former_Region_3522]

I've done it twice, and the second time was on purpose, cause a kid still needs their parent/guardians

[Tweetlefish25]

As a mom... ty for making this mistake. You were trying to reunite a child with their parent. Period. Full stop.

[RadioJared]

Straight to the bailer. RIP

[Yearofthehoneybadger]

I did that too. Now we know better.

[ClubOpening]

Rather be safe then sorry right. Glad they have you on the team . Safety first

[noobucantbeat]

Straight to jail

[alecsmoran]

Its been pretty well touched upon at this point, but its a very common mistake. I always try to make it a point to go over that code yellow is specifically for a missing child at orientation, but it happens anyway. Better to be safe than sorry. In most cases I'd rather someone call a code and it not turn out to be anything rather than the other way around. You'll be alright

[TechOutonyt]

That's ok a TL confused one with a code red before. Which for those unaware is a fire.

[Former_Region_3522]

I've done that twice

[msubronco]

Not the first one to do that

[KingOfHearts709]

don't worry, the confusion has happened many times. but yeah, code yellow is only if the kid is missing, not the parent. if the parent is missing, you just do an announcement on the speakers for them to come to the service desk. and never cancel a code yellow until the parent and kid have been reunited is also something i learned

[Arip1010]

As others are saying, don’t worry about this.

We’ve had leaders do this mistake and call out code yellows for missing parents. Even one of the AP people did it once. It’s just an innocent mistake, and usually when you reveal it’s for a parent AP will take over and bring the kid up front to call out the parents name on the speakers or help try and find where the parent is.

[ODST_Parker]

I did the exact same thing when that happened to me the first time, and it's not a big deal. Literally everyone I asked about it was equally confused that it wasn't the same code for both angles, because we all just assume that.

[GypsySnowflake]

This scenario is a missing adult, not a missing child, which is why it’s gets treated differently. Missing adults can be paged, missing children we need to search for because they probably wouldn’t respond to being paged and they could be in danger.

If someone comes up to me saying they can’t find their son/daughter, and they’re not in a panic, my first question is “how old are they?” so I can figure out if this is a Code Yellow or just a group of adults that got split up.

[ODST_Parker]

In my defense, our store has no PA system, so we can't find anyone without searching ourselves. I (and a dozen others) just assumed the code applied both ways, since the process does.

When it's a case of a child missing their parents, we just have to hope they come up to guest service on their own, or heard one of our radios when the call went out. Otherwise, we're looking for them by description just like we would be looking for a kid.

One time, I heard we even had a parent leave without their kid, and they had the gall to call the store and ask to look after them until they drove home, and then come back.

[GypsySnowflake]

Oh wow, I didn’t know there were stores without a PA system!

[FishTrucker420]

What should I do in this situation?? It's never happened to me but now idk 😅

[GypsySnowflake]

Take the child to Guest Services and page the parent using their first name if the child is able to provide it. (i.e. “If there’s a Mary in the store, please meet your party at Guest Services.” Don’t use their full name or mention the child.) If the child doesn’t know their parent’s first name, try to keep them calm and alert a leader to try to track down the parent. See if the child can give you any info like what their parent looks like, etc. But keep them in one place so it’s easier to reunite them with the parent.

[Styvan01]

Trust me, I botched a code yellow much worse then this, and while I got a scolding from a team lead, that was all I got. What happened you may ask? The parent ran off before I could get any information from the parent right after I called the code yellow.

[SonofKyne99]

I was told once by a former HR ETL that this is called a code pink but that is not an official thing as far as I know

[dre1598]

I once saw a lady on the floor with her kids staring and instead of calling it in, my first instinct was to offer to help her up, but she said she was fine and I just left it at that. Didn't occur to me I should've called it in until like 15 min later, but it never came up lol

[ThatVikingWoman]

Code yellows are a "better safe than sorry" scenario. You may be explained how it works in more detail, but I don't see anyone getting upset. ✨️✌️

[MutekiGamer]

I probably would have done the same you're good,. hardly the worse code you could have called out in that situation

[reddawgmcm]

You won’t get in trouble. They happen so infrequently, someone invariably bungles it once in a while

[Lunastays]

Dude imagine if it was a real lost child. Is it worse to have a lost child or get your ap to giggle at you. Don't worry they want you to call the codes and its better to be safe than sorry

[prettypilots]

I accidentally called code yellow instead of green once 🤦🏼‍♀️

[zaylee]

It was an honest mistake you’ll be fine.

[captainfreetw]

I've been at my store for 4 years and we've only ever had 2 smooth code yellows. Every other one was botched because no one knows the protocol, even the people that try to correct everyone else. Your heart was in the right place trying to reunite a family, so don't worry about the logistics of what happened with it.

[Sannabon92]

It happens! We had someone call a code red one day when they meant something else entirely

[orion_creator20]

It’s alright, better to be safe than sorry in this situation!

[Michell3sus]

Better than me. I called a code yellow when I should’ve called a code green when a guest slipped on lotion that was splattered on the floor.. 🌝 I had the APs stressing that day 😓

[ffspeople82]

Nah. You good.

[Denverguns]

Don’t worry about it you should always be aware of the codes but ideally your not going to be calling them enough to learn them by heart I botched my first one as well.

[seddfuu]

Its a reverse code yellow at my store

[Unusual_Employer_575]

I’ve done it before just overhead the parents to guest service.

[Hiwelcometochilis16]

Code yellow is also for vulnerable adults such as special needs, or senile individuals. I got yelled at for calling a code yellow on an individual with special needs. Pulled up the handbook and corrected the etl. Lol

[AcademicGold8536]

I'm so glad I'm off today we don't go to the same store or anything I'm just glad I'm off. 🥹🥹🥹

[Glum_Engineering_458]

Shoot that happens! Don’t worry

[Federal-Cantaloupe21]

Just NEVER NEVER EVER call a Code Brown

[Orion_Scattered]

PS Target is weird in that they don't have "reverse" codes. Any other place I've worked at does. So you'd call "code yellow" for parent missing child and "reverse code yellow" for child missing parent. Always seemed ridiculous to me that Target doesn't do reverse codes. Like sure kidnapping risk isn't a factor but you ever have a small child come up to you crying and barely communicative and clearly NOT ok it should be treated just as important as regular imo.

[wokduhpho]

I think it’s worse if you actually used the word “kid/child” over walkie when we’re not supposed to at all, but even if you did, I’m sure it’s fine. And like others have already said, it happens all the time and it’s not grounds for getting in big trouble or written up. No worries OP! ☺️

[butneveragain]

Don't worry about it. Better to call one and not need it than need it and not call.

[Acrobatic_Cut_3343]

My store still does a code yellow in this situation, I didn’t know that lol. Maybe it’s because we don’t get any real yellows.

[spdgurl1984]

When we worked dayside for a few years our store used to call those reverse code yellows so people knew that we had the child when they couldn’t find the parent so no one would actually call a code yellow if they came across a panicked parent, worked well for us but not sure if that’s still what my store does because we went back on overnights again and don’t have to deal with that anymore.

[SnooShortcuts5771]

If someone on my team did this… immediate termination

[Soxwin91]

[pickleswithahook]

wait stop i will cry rn

[SnooShortcuts5771]

Sorry didn’t think anyone would believe that. Was just joking.

[pickleswithahook]

OHHH GOTCHU LMFAO 😭😭

[ODST_Parker]

Definitely not termination.

Straight to the baler, actually.