We Provide Exceptional Service and Creative Solutions to Enhance Our Customer S Lifestyles

Customer Service We provide exceptional service and creative solutions to enhance our customer’s lifestyles.  Always smile and acknowledge every customer you encounter.  No gum chewing, eating or drinking on the sales floor.  No more than three customers waiting in line at the cash register.  Practice good phone etiquette.  Thank every customer for shopping with us.  Wear your appropriate uniform, name badge and be neat and clean in appearance.  Address our customers by name whenever possible.  During peak hours, no freight delivery, projects or other issues that may take away from customer service.  Apply our “No Hassle” return policy.  8 ft. rule – must greet and assist customers within 8 ft.

Customer Complaint Resolution  Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts to provide helpful service and meet our customers’ needs, a customer is dissatisfied. They have a concern and want to express a complaint. One of the key factors impacting customer engagement levels is how well problems are handled. The way we respond to a customer complaint can determine if we have retained and strengthened our relationship with the customer or harmed it further. It is our chance to make things right for the customer and show them we care.  Usually a customer voicing a complaint wants two things: o To express their feelings. o To have the problem resolved.

Complaint Resolution Procedure 1. Listen, understand and get more information  Listen actively and intently to the customer. Avoid any temptation to interrupt.  Ask questions to make sure you have a clear understanding of what happened.  The questions should provide answers to what happened, not why it happened or who is responsible. 2. Apologize, empathize and assure  Tell the customer you are sorry. Don’t make excuses or place blame.  Make a statement showing empathy (that you understand their feelings/situation) to diffuse anger or hostility and to show your understanding.  Use appropriate tone of voice.  Assure the customer that you will take care of them. 3. Arrive at a solution  Offer a solution to the customer or ask him/her what they think would be a fair solution.  If your customer wants to return an item, try turning the return into a sale.  Let them exchange it.  Sell them what they need.  Use the radios and headsets. 4. Thank You  Thank the customer for letting you take care of the problem; give them your name and a business card or contact information for the future.

Phone Etiquette  A friendly greeting while answering the phone is just as important as the way you greet anyone in person. If you create a bad impression on the phone, that person may have a negative perception of our Company. You should treat callers the same way you treat someone when face to face, like an honored GUEST. By following the GUEST approach, you will be able to give legendary customer service over the phone. Follow this five step approach: o Greet the customer o Uncover the need o Exceed expectations o Strengthen the relationship o Thank the customer  Treat each and every customer as if they were a GUEST. By effectively addressing phone customers in the GUEST way, you will be showing your customers that their questions and relationship matters to you. You will be making the difference by creating a caring, helpful and friendly environment, all over the phone!

G.U.E.S.T. Greet the Guest Cashier or Staff  Answer the telephone with a smile in your voice:  “Good (Morning, Afternoon, or Evening). Thank you for calling Ace Hardware (and Rental Center (if applicable)). This is ______. Uncover the Need.  Use open-ended questions to uncover the need. o How may I direct your call? o How can we help you today? Exceed Expectations  The cashier should route calls to the appropriate person using their radio headsets. Questions for basic information, like store hours, should be answered by the cashier.  The cashier should explain to the guest that you are routing the call to the person who can best help them. o For example: “I want to make sure you get the right answer. The person you should really talk to is Angelo in electrical. Can I transfer you to him?”  Use your headset, radio, or intercom to direct the call. o For example: “Jeff, you have a call on line one, Jeff.”  Answering a page or transferred call when you are with a guest: o Ask the guest if you may pick up the phone. o If the guest gives the okay, respond to the call and as quickly as possible provide the requested information or reroute the call. If the guest does not allow you to answer the phone, continue to assist the guest. The transferor will deal with the unanswered transfer. See “Transferring a Call” below. Strengthen the Relationship  Invite the caller to the store. o “Please stop by our store and I will be happy to assist you. My name is ______.” Thank the Guest o Thank the caller for calling. Placing the caller on hold:  Ask the caller for permission and wait for a response.  If you are obtaining additional information for the caller, be sure to keep the caller posted on how much longer it will be.  If it will take longer than a reasonable amount of time to get information, advise caller of this and take their number for a call back.  If the guest agrees to hold: o Tell them approximately how long they’ll be on hold. o Return to them no later than that, even if you’re still unavailable to assist them.  If the caller cannot continue to wait: o Take the guest’s name and phone number. o Call the guest back with either the answer or status within 15 minutes. Transferring the call:  Explain to the guest that you are transferring the call to the person who can best help them. o For example: “I want to make sure you get the right answer. The person you should really talk to is Angelo in electrical. I’ll be transferring you to him.” o If a call goes unanswered say: o “I am sorry your call hasn’t been answered yet. If you continue to hold, I will page him again, or would you rather leave a message?” o Wait for and act upon the guest’s response. Answering a transferred call:  Say, “Thank you for holding, this is (your name), how may I help you?” Message Taking:  Take the caller’s name and number.  Write down the message and repeat it back to the caller.  Thank the caller for calling.  Deliver the message. Keep In Mind:  GUESTS CAN “HEAR” A SMILE. ALWAYS SMILE WHEN TALKING ON THE PHONE. Mystery Shopper Program  MVL stresses the importance of customer service. The purpose of the mystery shopper program is to ensure superior customer service in each store. This is achieved through monthly “mystery” evaluations of each store. The criteria on which the evaluation grades are based on are exterior/ interior store appearance, employee service, purchase, and customer satisfaction.  Feedback is provided to the store’s management team. The mystery shopper will purchase an item and provide a brief description of their experience in the store. He/ she may even provide the name of the associate that assisted and the cashier’s name for follow up by the store manager. The company standard is 90%.

Phone Shop Program  The phone shop program is designed to assess the quality of customer service of each ACE Hardware and Ben Franklin Craft store. A phone call is made to each store and a series of questions are asked. The questions are consistent with the respective store to ensure a fair assessment. The purpose of the phone calls and questions is to evaluate the phone etiquette and product knowledge of the employees. The criterion that is used to grade the employees is based on the caller’s perception of the employee’s accessibility, approachability, and product knowledge. The results are given to the lead managers.