2018Q3SpiritedVA - 11

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Sunshine
in a can!
Shake it up - it's
a cocktail!

REAL TEQUILA
REAL LEMONADE
FABRIZIA LIMONCELLO

Marshall Johnson, Manager, Store 414, Blacksburg

M

arshall Johnson is still experiencing
the excitment of his move from 13 years
in the grocery business to becoming manager
at Store 414 in Blacksburg in April, 2017.
"Just the difference in passion level is
what stands out as much as anything," he
says. "At the grocery store, you just don't
see people getting excited about the milk
delivery coming in. But here, sometimes there
will be people outside lining up before we
open when a certain new product is about
to come in."
Is there an exmaple of that lining up outside
to wait?
I think we got three bottles of George T. Stagg,
and people were outside waiting at 8 and
8:30, when we don't open till 10. It gets me
excited to see that kind of passion.
Anything else that has jumped out to you
about your first year?
I think as much as anything has been how
helpful and nice everyone has been to me. I
can't help but be thankful for all the guidance
from my regional manager, other employees-
just everybody I've come in contact with-in
making my job so much easier.
What's the most important part of your job
as a manager? Customer service is really the
key. We're not the biggest store-not even the

biggest store in Blacksburg-and so we need
to work to find ways to have people come
back into our store. I love interacting with
customers about products they might enjoy
or might want to try. It's pleasing to have a
good idea that you can pass along. And I try
to pass along pointers to other employees
when I see an example of good interaction.

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Are there other things that stand out as a
pleasing part of your job?
It's sort of the other side of my giving help.
I love it when I can learn from customers.
It's great when you can get the pleasure of
giving advice, and just as satisfying when a
customer can pass along knowledge to you.
How did you make the transition from
understanding of the grocery business to
the ABC business?
Just paying attention really, and research.
When someone comes in and buys a product
that I haven't treid, Buffalo Trace, for example,
then I take that as my cue to learn about it-to
read the label and do the research. I spend
a lot of time, when I have it, just reading the
backs of bottles.
How do you apply ABC's value of
performance excellence?
It goes back to learning and to customer
service, and working to build a busy store.

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2018Q3SpiritedVA

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