Dear Target corporate,

I had a very disappointing customer experience yesterday in the Apple Valley SuperTarget and wanted to tell you about it. I am a loyal Target shopper - if a case arose where I had to drive past 2 Wal-Marts and a K-Mart and drive 30 miles out of my way in order to shop at Target, I would do it. I even have a Target Visa.

Last night I finished shopping a few minutes before the store closed. I got in line for the register when the announcements were made that the store would be closing in 10 minutes. After unloading my cart full of Target and grocery items onto the belt, the lights turned off. Fine, I understand that turning the lights will push people to leave the store - good job Target. However, the switch that turns off the lights also turns off the belt at the cashier lanes. So, you turn off the lights to rush people to check out and leave the store, but then turn off the belt that allows me to check out and leave the store.

I'm assuming you can see the irony in this? I had this happen probably 5 years ago at a Target, and I'd forgot about the situation until it happened again last night. Can you imagine how frustrating and infuriating this situation is to a shopper? I had to, item by item, move my $150 of groceries and Target items along the belt manually. It was riduculous.

I know that having 1000+ stores in the US makes changing the way things are done is a big issue, but seriously, please fix this. 2 separate switches - one for lights, one for belts. Or have each belt switch attached to the register it is at. There was still electricity coming to my register lane - I'm no engineer I know it's possible for the belt could be wired to have power as well.

I know I'm not the only person who has been disappointed in Target when encountering this type of situation. I wonder how Wal-Marts and K-Marts handle the store-is-closing-do-the-belts-work issue...

Thanks,
Laura