MILITARY STAR Top Performers Share Their Secrets

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Pines Express Manager Sheree Bell rings up a customer using his MILITARY STAR card.

The military spouse in her mid-50s had just pumped a paltry $3 of fuel into her truck’s nearly empty gas tank at Fort Bragg’s Pines Express. Payday was a long way off, and money was tight.

When she came to the cash register, Manager Sheree Bell asked her if she wanted to pay with her MILITARY STAR card and save 5 cents a gallon.

“She said she didn’t know about the MILITARY STAR card, so I explained all the benefits,” Bell said. “She filled out an application and was approved. She cried in my arms and hugged me three times.”

Bell’s approach to growing the MILITARY STAR card program put her store over the top in the Eastern Region during a recent MILITARY STAR sales penetration and new application contest. Scott AFB finished first in the Central Region; Luke AFB first in the Western Region; Aviano AB in the Europe/Southwest Asia Region; and Camp Casey in the Pacific Region.

Ask all customers

Managers at the top Expresses said they ask all customers if they want to pay with their MILITARY STAR cards. If a customer doesn’t have a MILITARY STAR card, they explain the benefits and offer an application.

“We explains to associates that for every customer who uses their MILITARY STAR card, the store receives money back towards our bottom line, which means associates receive more hours to work and larger paychecks. If they believe in the program, they can make the customers believe.”
– Sharon Cullen, manager at Scott AFB’s Express.

At Luke AFB’s Express, where fuel is the top seller, an associate at the gas pumps tells customers about MILITARY STAR, said Store Manager Karen Schenk.

“We explain the fuel discount, and the fact that cardholders will earn rewards points on their fuel purchases, which many didn’t know about before,” she said. “Our customers trust us, so they feel confident that they have made the right decision by choosing our card.”

For Susanne Peoples, her Express at Aviano AB, Italy, doesn’t have gas pumps, so she and her associates can’t promote fuel discounts at their store. Instead, she’s learned that a smile works wonders.

“We smile at our customers, inform them about MILITARY STAR’s benefits and ask if they would like to know the total points they can earn with today’s purchase before they select the payment type,” Peoples said. “We ask our customers while waiting on their pizzas if they have a MILITARY STAR card. When they sign up, they believe they’ve signed up for something that can truly benefit them.”

Great tips

Other tips include:

• Taking the MILITARY STAR card LEX course
• Training associates how to communicate MILITARY STAR’s benefits to customers
• Reminding customers of the MILITARY STAR rewards program in which they could receive $20 rewards cards.
• Reminding customers on the sales floor to use their MILITARY STAR cards.
• Running Exchange Radio network ads about the card.
• Using installation social media to advertise sales promotions.
• Knowing all current MILITARY STAR promotions, even those in other Exchange departments, to keep customers informed.
• Remind customers they may make payments at any Exchange Main Store and Express register at any time — there are no pre-payment penalties.