Trying to be a small town grocery
store may be a feat met with skepticism in today’s cutthroat competitive landscape dominated by national
chains with extensive buying power,
but Akron’s West
Point Market not
only competes, it
thrives by delivering that small-town
feel and focusing on customer service.
Continuing the legacy started in 1936,
CEO Richard Vernon and his team provide a world-class customer service
experience to every customer who
walks through the market’s doors. It all
starts with the type of people who work
at West Point Market.
The hiring process is nott for the
prospective employees. Applicants go
through three interviews with directors and administrators. It’s a process that
allows Vernon to select only the most
qualified and customer-oriented for the
market’s staff.
In addition, associates are required to
enroll in the West Point Market
Academy. At this training workshop,
they are taught the importance of excellent customer service and how they can
accomplish this with each customer.
From the beginning, customer satisfaction has been key. Vernon’s predecessor and father, Chairman Russell
Vernon, wholeheartedly believed service and customer care were of the
utmost importance. Today, the Russ
Vernon Spirit Award motivates employees to follow in his footsteps.
Since the days of Russ Vernon, West
Point Market has used three steps to
make sure it is delivering when it comes
to customer satisfaction: Find out what
the customer wants, get it for him or her accurately, politely and enthusiastically,
and go the extra mile.
An architecturally appealing store
adds to the perfect shopping experience. Customers are welcomed promptly upon arrival and offered assistance
throughout the store.
If this is not enough to entice the shopper to return, additional benefits
include a Club Card for frequent shoppers, which rewards customers for their
continued purchases of coffee, cheese
and oven-ready entrees. Also, if a customer is not completely satisfied with
West Point Market’s products, he or she
can return the items, even without a
receipt.
Today more than ever, West Point
Market breaks through the idea that a
smaller company must sacrifice quality
in order to compete on price.
HOW TO REACH: West Point Market, (330) 864-2151 or
www.westpointmarket.com