The Five Points of OSAT

The Five Points of OSAT (to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas)

Oh the first point of OSAT my DM said to me
was to keep the store so friendly fresh in clean

Oh the second point of OSAT my DM said to me
Acknowledgement’s a must
And keep your store so friendly fresh and clean

Oh the 3rd point of OSAT my DM said to me
Appreciate the sale
Acknowledgement’s a must
And keep your store so friendly fresh and clean

Og the 4th point of OSAT my DM said to me
Fill up the store
Appreciate the sale
Acknowledgement’s a must
and keep your store so friendly fresh and clean

Oh the 5th point of OSAT my DM said to me
Love the front end
Fill up the store
Appreciate the sale
Acknowledgement’s a must
and keep your store so friendly fresh and clean…

Merry Gentleman

(to the tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman)

When one finds merry gentleman you know he’s satisfied.
He’s acknowledged and appreciated by the staff inside.
He goes home and pulls out his phone to do the survey now.
Scores us 5’s for friendly fresh and clean,
friendly, fresh and clean
Scores us fives for being friendly, fresh and clean!

It's All About the Stuff

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #19
December 17, 2014


Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit of our customer!

You guys have heard the song by Meagan Trainor - All About the Bass

“All About the bass…bout the bass…no treble.
All About the bass…bout the bass…no treble”

Well…I’ll tell you why I mentioned that in a second…

I was talking to a unit manager yesterday and this unit manager wishes to remain anonymous so we will call him/her Ms-Mr Anonymous.

Ms-Mr Anonymous was conducting a huddle yesterday and asked the team in the store, “Why do people come grocery shopping?”

Everybody kinda looked around a second and then someone said  “To Buy Stuff”

That’s right…To Buy Stuff

People come to grocery stores to buy stuff!

So it’s…

“All About the stuff..bout the stuff…no kidding
It all about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding”

Yup you’ll all be singing this song today

“All about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding”

It’s all about having the stuff our customers want!  And this relates to OSAT how?

If we have the stuff our customers want then they will be highly satisfied

If we don’t have the stuff our customers want then they won’t be highly satisfied

It’s just that simple

We can as friendly as all get-out but if we don’t have their stuff it’s a good guess that they won’t be highly satisfied

“It’s all about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding…”

And this is even more important around the holidays.  If we don’t have the pickle peaches…the minced meat…the poultry seasoning…the chitlins…the elbow macaroni…the pie shells…and come new year’s…the meat balls…the cocktail smokies…the blackeyes peas…the stuff our customers want

Then we won’t have highly satisfied customers and we won’t have the OSAT we want.

This point was really driven home to me back in January and February of this year.

You remember what you were doing then?

Spending 48 or more straight hours in the four walls of your store that’s what!

We were one of the only stores open during the Snowpocolous of 2014 and customers loved us for it.  They were soooo happy we were open…mostly so they could get their cigarettes and beer - at least at my store.  I was amazed…it just goes to show you the pull of nicotine and alcohol but I’m off subject.

Customers were in good moods…and generally speaking we and the associates were in good moods…it was a fun and challenging time.  And we thought we would get rewarded on our OSAT.

But did we?

Nope!

If you read the comments from that time  customers were definitely happy we were open and they could shop…

But…

They still gigged us for being out of stock on items they wanted

Ugh!  How could they be so ungrateful!

We - Kroger - were the only place open!

But if they wanted Digorno pizza and we were out they couldn’t be Highly Satisfied

If they wanted milk and we were out they couldn’t be Highly Satisfied

If they wanted ground beef for their spaghetti and we were out they couldn’t be Highly Satisfied

“It’s all about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding”

It was all about their stuff and the fact that they couldn’t get it!

What an eye opener!

If customer cannot get their stuff they will not be Highly Satisfied!

This includes freshness in the meat and produce departments because if things ain't fresh people can get what they want because they don’t want bad stuff

‘It’s all about the stuff…bout the stuff..no kidding…”

And this freshness point is demonstrated in what we talked about last week when we looked at the produce freshness and friendliness versus produce OSAT.  We got great scores on friendliness but lower scores on freshness which mirrored the OSAT for produce.

People want their stuff and they want it fresh

“It all about the stuff…bout the stuff..no kidding…”

So…while there is no magic bullet…perhaps Ms Mr Anonymous Manager is on to something.  Fill up the store…eliminate out of stocks…keep the stuff fresh…and watch the OSAT rise!

And remember…

“It’s all about the stuff…about the stuff…no kidding…
All about the stuff…bout the stuff…no kidding…”

Frosty

Trust

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #11
December 3, 2014



Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit of our customer!

I want to talk about Trust this morning

Trust

Now what does Trust have to do with OSAT (Overall Satisfaction)?

I think it has everything to do with OSAT.

I don’t watch a lot of TV but lately I have become addicted to watching Kitchen Nightmares and Bar Rescue.  These two programs are very similar to each other.  In Kitchen Nightmares Chef Gordon Ramsey goes into failing restaurants and tries to turn them around.  One of the big thing he emphasizes is that the customers must trust that the food is what it says it is - meaning the quality, the freshness must be there…the cleanliness must be there…food safety procedures must be handled properly.  These are all trust factors that translate to a positive experience for the customer.

In Bar Rescue, John Taffer goes into failing bars and does the same.  He emphasizes that the bar customers must be able to trust that the bartender is mixing drinks properly, stirring the drinks properly to make sure they don’t dilute, the food service is done safely with fresh products.

Trust

It goes hand in hand with the customer experience

Our customers must trust us and our operation in order to have a Highly Satisfied Experience.

They must trust that our products are fresh

They must trust that our products are in date

They must trust that our shelves, counters, coolers, register belts are clean

If they have this trust then they are comfortable to shop and choose anything we sell and be HIGHLY Satisfied.

Trust also goes between us and our associates

Our associates must trust that we are doing what we need to do to make them successful - creating an environment where success can happen

Our associates need to be able to trust us to be fair and consistent in our behaviors

That we are leading in a positive fashion

They need to trust that we always have the best interest of the business - and therefore their working environment as our goal

Trust goes hand in hand with OSAT

Also - you must trust yourself to make the best decisions.  You know your store, your associates and your customers.  Trust yourself to make the best decisions you can make

Trust and OSAT go hand in hand.

Our customers need to trust our operation.  Our associates need to trust us.  We need to trust ourselves.

Change

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #12
December 4, 2014



Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit of our customer!

Today I want to talk about change

We heard the terms…

Change artist.  Change Agent.  Change Master.

they all mean different things but the point is we hear about change a lot.

“Those who don’t change perish.”

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”


You may have heard or read statements like those before.  I think we all pretty much agree that change does happen and is part of life. And most believe that change is hard.

It is difficult to change.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…

right?

Wrong

I submit that change is easy.

If I want to change my socks right now all I have to do is untie my shoes and slip them off my feet.  Then I slide one sock down and over my right foot and then the other sock down over my left foot.  I then walk to the sock drawer and pick out a new pair of socks, sit back down and place them over my feet.  Presto, my socks have been changed and it was pretty darn easy.

Now that’s a pretty silly example of change but changing behavior can be as easy.

If I am always late wherever I go I can change that right now.  I can set my alarm clock to go off fifteen minutes earlier and then leave the house fifteen minutes earlier and Presto!  I arrive at work on time.  Change is that easy.

If I want to quit smoking all I have to do is to put out the cigarette I am smoking right now and never light another one.

Change is easy

Maintaining change is hard…

Right now if you want to change your behavior you have the power to do so immediately.  You can go from angry to happy by just thinking about it, taking a deep breath and setting your mind to it.

Can you sustain the happiness?

That is much harder.

Change is easy…maintaining change is hard…

it is an everyday, one day at a time process.

If you truly want change to be maintained you must focus on it everyday, many times a day.

Change is easy…maintaining change is hard…

Changing our focus on OSAT is easy to do “in the moment.”  We are all thinking about OSAT right now - if you’re not checking your email or eating something - and we are all ready to change and we will at this moment.

But will we maintain the change…

Change is easy…maintaining change is hard.

A Thousand of Ones

The OSAT Renaissance Project Ep #8
November 17, 2014

A Thousand of Ones

Good Morning and Welcome to The OSAT Renaissance Project - a Daily Boost of energy, excitement and information to help lead OSAT higher to the absolute benefit to our customer!

Today I would like to offer a blog post from a guy named Doug Fleener.  This blog post comes from his blog “The Retail Contrarian” and it can be found at www.retailcontrarian.com.

Customer Service Training
May 23, 2012

One of Thousands, or Thousands of Ones

The best customer service/experience happens when I feel respected and/or appreciated, and my expectations are met or exceeded.  My expectations can be anything - good food, good service, a knowledgeable salesperson, a fast check-in, open registers, I’m not kept waiting, a product in stock, etc., etc., etc.

While many elements make up a great customer experience, there is one common theme:

Me.

As a customer, I’m the one that determines whether I’ve had a good experience or not.

I’m sure most, if not all, of the companies I do business with have a defined service approach and training for their employees, but there’s a big miss by virtually every one of them.

Me.

Companies talk about customers as if they’re all the same; as if each person who walks in the door is just another version of the person before.

If thousands of people walk in over the course of a week I’m one of thousands but in reality, customers are thousands of ones.

That is why delivering a personalized experience is such a great differentiator and the key to both winning customers and maximizing the sales opportunity.

Every specialty retailer should have a defined sales experience approach. It’s an important roadmap for the staff to add value to the customer’s visit and not simply clerk the sale. It’s also important that the staff be taught, and expected to, deliver the experience uniquely to each customer.

You’ve probably defined how to do this. The difference is in the details and the quality of the execution.

Saying “hello” is one of thousands.

Welcoming and acknowledging each individual is thousands of ones.

Talking to a customer is one of thousands.

Having a conversation with someone whose name you know and about whom you know something is thousands of ones.

Showing a product is one of thousands.

Recommending products based on the answers to questions you’ve asked is thousands of ones.

Giving good service is one of thousands.

Making sure your customer has the best possible experience is thousands of ones.

This starts with how the company/store leadership sees and engages their team. A staff can be one of many or many ones. When we teach and coach each individual person to learn how to deliver a more unique and memorable experience, we are well on our way to succeeding one customer at a time.

So let me ask, is your experience delivered to one of thousands or to thousands of ones?

---------------
Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.


Read more: http://www.retailcontrarian.com/customer_service_training/#ixzz3JGoapMQS


Now let’s celebrate our great people!

461 - Angelo helped me get my groceries to my car after the wheels of my cart locked up.  Also both Jasmine and MArlan provided very friendly customer service at checkout.

484 - Flo in the deli is always a joy to speak with

436 - cashier Lynda and the bagger, Vance were friendly and funny!!!

212 - Valerie at the cash register was very friendly as was the bagger Roster.

461 - Camilla was amazing.  She had the express lane moving.  She has the oat pleasant smile

461 - Maurice our checker was very friendly

427 —service rep Johnay was nice enough to open up just for me.  She saved me a lot of time as I had to get home to help my son with homework.  I appreciate Kroger for associates with the passion like Johnay.  Employees like this are what keep me coming back