What retailer pays their employees 50-100% more than average?
What company figured out that it only takes one great employee to do the work of three good employees?
What business holds up to 8 interviews before making a job offer?
What retailer trains new store clerks for 262 hours, in the first year, while the rest of the industry spends an average of 12?
You would only be correct if you answered, The Container Store. The business was started with one store in TX in 1978. Today, they have 41 stores. Early on the partner/principles figured out that if you want outstanding customer experiences, the path of least resistance is outstanding, loyal, dedicated people who love coming to work every day.
So, what has the creation of this culture/business proven after thirty three years of using this mode? CEO Kip Tindell will be the first to tell you that the model is very dynamic, never static and always changing. The chain of stores has made Fortune Magazine’s list of ‘Best Places to Work” year after year for the past eleven years. Perhaps that’s why they lead the industry in low employee turnover.
CEO Kendall reminds us not to create a culture like this for altruistic reasons. However, the evidence suggests that with an average growth in value of more than 26%, year after year, The Container Store is a place that I can’t wait to experience as a shopper. With their plan to open their 42nd store in Charlotte, NC, I won’t have to wait much longer.
By the way, cultures this refined and successful are not limited to B2C.
If you’d like to know what it takes to move a business from being good to being great, contact me, I’d be happy to explain how it can be done.
Submitted by, Alan Adler. Author of Getting the Fish to Swim to YOU & Keeping Them in YOUR Boat.
Alan Adler
An award winning, results driven strategist; a consultant/coach specializing in leadership, change, marketing & customer service. In addition, Alan is a speaker, author, columnist and CRM, (Customer Relationship Management) pioneer. As the former owner of a business with 90 employees, plus 30 years of experience; Alan brings “fresh eyes,” providing strategic solutions to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Alan's approach combines the passion of intuition with the rigor of evidence
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