e
very time I think of customer
service, I think of Trader Joe’s
(TJ’s). It’s amazing to me
how a grocery store can
inspire their employees to be so kind,
attentive and all-around service-minded to
every single guest who walks in. I’ve
never had a bad experience with a Trader
Joe’s employee. And going further, I’ve
never seen a Trader Joe’s crewmember
who wasn’t smiling.
Why don’t other grocery stores give
the same impression to their guests? Why
is it way less of a chore to go grocery
shopping at Trader Joe’s? It’s not the
“When you
take care
of your
employees,
your
employees
will take
care of your
customers.”
That’s the underlying theme of this
customer service issue of Pulse. If you
check out The Making of an Allstar (page
42) you’ll see how ISPA members are
incredible banana chips or those goofy
Hawaiian shirts that inspire such hospi- would gladly bring groceries to him—oh, creating cultures that nurture both
tality. It’s the company’s culture. and they didn’t charge her a penny. employees and customers—with
Trader Joe’s leadership makes it a point
Founder of Trader Joe’s, Joe Coulombe
incredible results, and Kerstin Plehwe’s It’s
to empower local employees to attend to said that from the beginning he has an Animal Planet on page 54, shows how
customer needs. Take for example, when always wanted to make Trader Joe’s a fun great leadership skills can affect every
the Phoenix Trader Joe’s decided to open place to shop, and the first step towards aspect of your company—including
well before their official opening hours this goal was to hire and maintain customer experience.
just so customers could shop at a more cheerful employees. In 1960 the founder convenient time. Or have you heard the established a policy to pay his full-time and customer service excellence isn’t
story about the 89-year-old Pennsylvania employees the median household income restricted to groceries. Spa leaders can
man who was stranded in his home after in America, which is about $50,000 today. easily adopt TJ’s philosophies in their
a snow storm? His daughter, who didn’t Trader Joe’s also allows part-timers to earn own businesses by creating an
live in the area, called around to several health-care benefits. Now you know why environment where customers and
other stores trying to find someone to those crewmembers are smiling! employees are put first.
deliver groceries to him. Finally, she called
Trader Joe’s service leadership model
When you take care of your
Trader Joe’s. Now, TJ’s doesn’t deliver, but employees, your employees will take care
after hearing her pleas, they told her they of your customers.
—KElly HEitz, Editor
folloW KElly
@PulseEditor
6
PULSE
■
June 2018
@isPaPulseEditor