7 Core Values

Tell me about a time when you turned an unhappy customer into a delighted customer.

"During my previous role, a customer was furious about not being able to return an item for a full refund. Company policy only allowed me to offer the customer store credit since he didn't have a receipt. After letting him vent, listening intently to his concerns and apologizing for the inconvenience, I helped him find a gift for his wife for the same price so he wasn't out any money. He thanked me for my patience and told me he would tell his friends about his experience."

What would you do if a frustrated customer complained about a widely known problem with the company's product?

"I would apologize, tell them I completely understand how they feel and assure the customer that my team is currently working to fix the problem. I would also give them a timeline for a solution and make sure they felt valued by thanking them for their feedback."

Would you describe yourself as a people person?

"I'm definitely a people person! I love talking to people from different backgrounds, finding out about their lives and helping them find solutions to their problems.

How important do you think it is to work collaboratively with other customer service representatives and teams across a company?

"Teamwork is essential for success as a customer service rep. At my last job, I worked closely with a cohesive team. We regularly pooled our knowledge and resources to address tricky customer complaints and handle a large amount of incoming calls during peak times. I also collaborated cross-functionally by collecting customer feedback and communicating it to the product team."

Describe what customer service means to you.

"To me, customer service means identifying the root of a customer's problem and working to find a solution that surpasses their expectations using in-depth knowledge of the company's service or product. Exceptional customer service is all about maintaining a positive and friendly attitude that makes a good first impression and leaves a lasting one."

Do you have any questions for us?

-Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What would I be able to do in order to get up to speed quickly? -What opportunities will I have to learn and grow? -How does the onboarding process look like?

The two levels of the customer experience that we must approach carefully are:

1. The internal experience 2. The external experience

These "external" customer experience interactions may come from

1. great signage that passes along information 2. a wonderful demo program 3. engaging interaction with Crew Members 4. store features that entertain or inform customers.

How would you deal with a difficult customer?

1.Get control of yourself. 2.Listen and let the customer vent. 3.Show the customer you care. 4.Don't blame the customer or the company. 5.Try to solve the problem or find someone who can. 6.Don't make promises you can't keep. 7.Finally, it is important not to take it personally.

Value 3

At Trader Joe's we create WOW customer experience every day

Value #2 - We are a product driven Company: We differentiate our business by three factors -

At Trader Joe's we have elected to differentiate our business from other food retailers based on our (1) products (2) the customer experience and the (3) overall value that we provide by having great products at outstanding prices.

What is your greatest strength?

I believe one of my strengths is that I am an effective team player where I can communicate effectively and multitask providing value in areas where support is needed with limited resources. (talk about military experience)

What do you do when you don't know how to help a customer?

I never pretend to know an answer if I don't. If I'm unsure how to help a customer, I say, 'Great question! Let me find out for you,' and take steps to find a solution. At my previous job, I helped customers with complex software products and if I didn't know an answer, I reached out to my co-workers for assistance, referred the customer to someone who could help or looked through my training manual for answers."

What is your biggest weakness?

I take a lot of pride in team work and team development. At my previous position at Chic-fil-A I was in a leadership role where I was responsible of team members in the boh? I used to struggle and critize myself when a team member was performing poorly. After some time in that position I realized how important it was to often check on your team and to provide help in areas where they were weak at.

One thing that you might not like or find difficult?

I think in our current situation with the pandemic, I think one of the challenges would be addressing the safety concerns and ensuring that they are safely being followed. While it may be stressful it is something I can adapt too as I have plenty of experience working in environments where stress was always high.

Value 1

Integrity

Value 6

Kaizen

Value 4

No Bureaucracy

In short, the "internal" experiences represent the feelings a customer gets about our . . .

delight that they are shopping with us and our care for them as customers and people. We are committed to treating customers as if they were honored guests in our home.

Our focus and careful execution of all these external customer experiences...that must. . .

include participation by the customer...help differenti- ate our stores and are vital for our success.

Integrity simply means:

it means that you treat others as you would like to be treated. Our Company is very unusual because of this important and key Value.

The internal shopping experience set us apart from other grocery retailers and set the stage for . . . .

the customer's participation in the "external experience" of shop- ping at Trader Joe's.

The internal customer experience represents . . .

the way a customer "feels" about the store experience, or how they feel about themselves while shopping in our stores.

The "external" customer experience represents the . . .

visual or behavioral experiences a customer may have while shopping.

In the internal customer experience the customers ask themes selves

• Do they really care that I am shopping here today? • Do they really care that I am safe in their store or parking lot? • Do they really respect me as a person? • Do they really trust me?

STAR Method

Situation, Tasks, Actions, Results

Value 7

The store is our Brand

What is the mission of Trader joe's?

To give our customers the best food and beverage values that they can find anywhere and to provide them with the information required for informed buying decisions. We provide these with a dedication to the highest quality of customer satisfaction delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, fun, individual pride and company spirit.

Value 5

We are a national chain of neighborhood grocery stores

Value 2

We are a product driven company

Value #3 - At Trader Joe's we create WOW customer experience every day: Our commitment to three specifics of the shopping experience.

We are committed to make every customer shopping experience: 1. rewarding 2. eventful 3. fun.

Value #2 - We are a product driven Company - Part Two

Our Buying/Merchandising groups search the World over for great products that are screened for acceptance through the rigorous parameters of our unique "Buying Philosophy." This Philosophy is the cornerstone of our product focus and guides the Buyers in their challenge to find the amazing new products that our customers love.

Tell me about yourself?

Well I'm an energetic and outgoing person who is a hard charger with experience in customer relations and hospitality. My work experience not only involves customer experience but expands through dynamic environments such as the military where I've had the opportunity to help grow and lead junior and senior sailors in challenging environments.