Posting By: Margaret Wilson
Date: January 22, 2010

In that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s, I really enjoy cooking gourmet meals for my family. It’s a chance to try new recipes, get creative with interesting ingredients, and of course, indulge liberally in the results. So a few weeks ago, I dashed into Wegmans to pick up one or two things for an evening meal. I came out with an armload of groceries and a new appreciation for family business customer service. Here are just a few things I observed.

In contrast to the store where I usually shop (we'll call them "Goliath"), Wegmans has two sizes of wheeled shopping carts, for small or large trips.  No one-size-fits-all approach here.

In the dairy isle, items are re-stocked from an interior warehouse, behind the case.  At Goliath, I often have to navigate around the stocking clerk's pallet or wait for them to move out of the way to reach the yogurt.

At Wegmans, restrooms are clearly marked and conveniently located in the front of the store in the customer service area.  The other store?  Through the industrial double doors behind the seafood counter.  And the strong smell of bleach.

And then there are the people.

Me:                What kind of cheese would go well with a Tuscan wine?

Wegmans:      Here, let me show you what we have.

Goliath:          Um, I'm not sure.  Maybe look near the deli?

At the checkout counter:

Wegmans:      "Hi, how are you?  Looks like you've got some nice goodies there!"  Scans item from olive bar, wipes off container with paper towel, placec in protective plastic wrapper, places in grocery bag.

Goliath:           [Silence].  Scans item, plunks in bag.

Those little things made a big impression on me.  And it got me thinking about how family companies are in a unique position to deliver truly exceptional customer service.

When your name is on the door, your name is your promise.  It's not just a business, it's your heritage and your future.  Employees aren't just cogs in the profit machine, they're members of your extended family.  Thery're part of something that's bigger than last month's earnings report.  They know there really is someone named Wegman at the top of the org chart who's plugged in and cares about what's going on.

For a number of years now, Wegmans has made Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For.  (They were just named #3 for 2010).  It's no surprise that the way they treat their employees extends to the way they think about their customers.  As I learned recently, when it comes to customer service, Wegmans is one family business that delivers in a big way.  Do you?

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written by Mike Mercurio, February 01, 2010

Great observations! In a world where many businesses view their customers only in terms of being a number, it is refreshing to know that some businesses adopt a relational attitude towards their customers. This mindset is established at the top of the organization and thus becomes part of the company's culture. Certainly, all of us can learn from the Wegmans of the world in this regard.

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