Family Express, Valparaiso, Ind., placed second in its first year participating in the CSP/Service Intelligence Mystery Shop, beating out seasoned chains such as QuikTrip and Cumberland Farms for the spot. Among its strong points: cleanliness, both inside the store and out, as well as a solid presentation of its foodservice program and friendly customer service.
But according to Gus Olympidis, CEO and president of the 65-store chain, the retailer’s main secret of success is not even measured in the mystery shop.
“The most fundamental component of building relationships has to do with the feeling you have when you walk in the store,” says Olympidis. “In our case, that feeling is emphasized with a genuine greeting.”
“I was greeted with a warm smile,” says one mystery shopper about his Family Express sales associate. “Alex was very friendly and engaging,” says another shopper about hers.
Family Express hires for this personality—and is very selective, rooting through 50 applicants for every one that meets its relationship-building standards.
“We’re looking for servant people who have an inherent capacity to be friendly,” says Olympidis. “That’s how you build relationships.”
He cites the example of a person hosting a party who fails to greet guests “without your facial, body language and essence of your demeanor articulating a sense of warmth and welcome,” he says. “That is what we wrap into the experience.”
Family Express conducts industrial psychological assessments on its new hires and then puts them through several days of relationship-building training. About 20% of potential recruits fail to make it through this stage, mainly because they cannot demonstrate an inherent warmth and friendliness.
“It has more to do with DNA and upbringing than training,” says Olympidis. “We hire people who are instinctively inclined to build relationships, then we provide an environment for them to be themselves.”
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