Costco's secret

Shhh! Don't tell anyone I told you this.

I found this note on the staff bulletin board at Costco. It was written for employees eyes only. I snuck back there in my black sleuth-like jacket and would've taken a picture of it with my Spi-phone but I was afraid that some would catch me.

Wanna know the secret of Costco's success?

There are four guiding principles for employees:
1. Smile.
2. Look a customer in the eye
3. Thank the customer.
4. Always say yes.

Sounds simple. Yet in my travels, there are very few retailers following these principles.

So why is it that Costco with its 200 employees in each store can follow these principles seamlessly yet a company of a mere 10 cannot?

The first three is based on the type of people who get hired at Costco. They hire people who like to smile, genuinely take the time to look people in the eye and people who are thankful on a daily basis.

Costco could easily have said there are two guiding principles.
1. Be yourself.
2. Always say yes.

30 day return policy? What if you were one of those keener Christmas shoppers that bought your wife's gift in July only to find out she bought it for herself while shopping in December. Instead of facing a Spanish Inquisition from Roz in Monster's Inc, the agent takes it back without any hassle.

Can we learn something about ALL of our relationships from Costco?

I know. I know. It's sad that I try to compare my life to that of an inanimate corporation. In tomorrow's blog I will share a recent experience that reminds me of the Costco principles.