How Did the Fort Meade Exchange Get 30 Glowing Customer Comments in Just a Month?

President and Chief Merchandising Officer Ana Middleton, center, stands with Fort Meade associates, who received her coins for getting glowing customer comments.

Fort Meade associate Dawn Cordova provided such outstanding service recently that a shopper let managers know Cordova was the reason she returned to buy $2,000 worth of merchandise.

Cordova isn’t the only associate at Fort Meade winning accolades from customers.

Between April and May, 30 customers at the Maryland store registered glowing comments in the general customer feedback survey on ShopMyExchange.com. President and Chief Merchandise Officer Ana Middleton, EVP and Chief Operating Officer Dave Nelson and store managers track the comments.

So what’s up at Fort Meade’s Exchange that is having so many customers leave rave reviews online in such a short time?

Building strong relationships

To General Manager JoAnne Cahalan and Store Manager Alex Mamaril, building strong relationships with the Fort Meade military community defines “Family Serving Family”—an Exchange core value.

“It’s providing that level of service that creates loyal customers,” Mamaril said. “We just went back to basics and really emphasized why we exist as a company. We emphasize the importance of service from the very beginning starting with onboarding and new hire orientation.  ‘Treat every customer like family, because they truly are’ is the message we share daily with our team.”

‘Lollypop moments’

JoAnne Cahalan

Providing exceptional customer experiences developed from a change in mind-set. For example, associates refer to the store as  “Your Exchange” instead of “the Exchange,” Cahalan said.

“The terms ‘associate’ and ‘customer’ are rarely used at the Fort Meade Exchange,” she said. “Everyone is referred to as ‘family.’ And, when you enjoy what you do, it’s easy to create a fun and inviting atmosphere for both associates and customers. Positivity is contagious.”

Sharing positive experiences and success stories among associates in meetings is critical to the store’s success. Because this sharing brightens their days, Fort Meade associates call such interactions “lollipop moments,” from Drew Dudley’s Everyday Leadership.

“The terms ‘associate’ and ‘customer’ are rarely used at the Fort Meade Exchange. Everyone is referred to as ‘family.’”

– JoAnne Cahalan, general manager

These are moments when somebody said or did something that fundamentally made another person’s life better.

Alex Mamaril

“We tell our associates to not be afraid to tell yourself and let others know when you have done something positive—that moment that you provided great customer service and made a huge impact on someone’s life,” Mamaril said.

Some associates would rather have a lollipop moment than receive an award. Customers also share their lollipop moments at the Exchange.

“It’s OK to ask customers to provide feedback,” Cahalan said. “We need to know what they think of our business.”

Using feedback to improve business

Managers and associates have made cards with QR codes that takes shoppers directly to the customer comment link.

Through comments, Cahalan and her team learned that some store events didn’t cater to all ages. The Fort Meade team worked hard to make the Exchange a family destination, ensuring there is something for all ages.

“It was the perfect example of taking customer feedback to improve our business,” she said. “Often, we are afraid to ask for customer feedback for fear of receiving negative comments, but feedback is critical tool we need to improve our business.

“We have the ability to make a positive impact on somebody’s life. Being customer service representatives provides us with an even greater opportunity to do just that.”

5 Great Customer Service Tips from Fort Meade

• As managers and associates, take care of each other.
• Provide training and tools associates need to carry out good customer service.
• “Greet-Listen-Suggest-Thank” – show a genuine desire to help.
• Be responsive to all inquiries, issues and concerns.
• Understand that strong customer service differentiates the Exchange from competitors

Coin recipients

To recognize associates who contributed to the success, Middleton recently awarded coins to:

• Sharon Althoff
• Antonio Batang
• Thanh Chau
• Dawn Cordova
• Lawan Correia
• Cynthia Henderson
• Cheryl Hurdle
• Lois Hurrigan
• Marcia Jackson
• Tykeira Knight
• Keesha Pluim
• Chris Sunga

Read many of the 30 glowing comments and see pictures of the coin presentations here.