Home » Industry News » True Value Reunion Focuses on Enhanced Customer Service
John Hartmann, president and CEO of True Value, takes the stage during the general session the True Value Spring Reunion in Dallas. The next True Value Reunion is slated for Sept. 18-20 in Chicago.

True Value Reunion Focuses on Enhanced Customer Service

True Value is placing an increased focus on helping members improve customer service and announced several initiatives aimed at doing so at the company’s Spring Reunion held in Dallas this past weekend.

John Hartmann, True Value President and CEO, spoke to the co-op’s retail members at the general session on Saturday, telling them that these new initiatives all emphasize keeping the True Value customer base engaged and loyal to the brand.

Since unveiling the new strategic plan at the company’s Fall Reunion in Denver last October, Hartmann also announced positive results for the co-op, as 2014 provided the best financial results for the company in 20 years.

He shared a few key points with the crowd, stating gross billings for the company are up six percent, comparable-store sales at Destination True Value format stores are up 4.8 percent and comparable-store sales across all formats are up 3.1 percent.

“If 2014 will be remembered as the year we plotted our roadmap for the future, then 2015 will be the year we hit the highway full speed,” Hartmann says. “With additional investment, expansion plans and unrelenting focus, the future looks brighter than it has in years.”

Staying true to the focus of enhancing the customer experience, True Value unveiled its new customer-service training program, a national program that will be available to retailers free through True Value University.

“It is a program that identifies your strengths, your areas for improvement; it focuses on your needs, in your stores,” Lori Birkey, director of talent management and True Value University, says. “It’s customizable, simple and quick to execute.”

Reunion Showfloor

Over the weekend, more than 50 True Value retailers were part of the pilot program and will take it back to their stores to begin implementing the training strategies they learned.

Birkey says the program focuses on informal store training, called “chats.” These conversations will be 15 minutes long and will allow retailers to monitor their employees’ progress and provide feedback.

This summer, Hartmann and the senior leadership team will be conducting over 70 regional training sessions. The company’s goal is to train over 1,200 total in the spring and continue training throughout the summer.

In addition to enhancing the customer experience through employee training, Tim Mills, senior vice president of growth, spoke about the importance for retailers to update and remodel their stores.

Mills announced True Value’s new store modernization program, which was designed to give retailers who have been wary of participating in a remodel, more incentives and ability to do so.

“Think of the new store modernization program as Destination True Value with choices,” Mills says. “What we wanted to do was let people know right up front if there is something included in a DTV remodel you don’t like, if it’s not material, we’re okay with it.”

In addition to reducing some of the restrictions for the program, the program eliminates over 50 tasks that were once mandatory for the DTV remodel. This will cut the remodel down by an estimated two to three weeks, Mills says.

True Value Reunion

The new program will also include access to professional merchandisers at a reduced rate or in some cases, free.

“We’re going to allow a dollar and a half per square foot credit to store owners to fund the merchandisers,” Mills says.

For retailers who had already completed a DTV remodel, Mills revealed the new “refresh program,” designed to help members get their stores back in original remodel condition.

“The store over time moves, so it’s cleaning up the adjacencies, resetting the store, getting product in, remerchandising the store and getting it into Grand Opening shape,” Mills says.

Another key point discussed during the general session included the company’s move from an in-house trucking fleet to a partnership with Ryder, which True Value says will allow for more driver availability and fleet tracking and will not affect the retailers in the transition, ensuring a seamless transition for True Value members.

While at the show, True Value members were able to meet with executive members, speak with specialists in different categories, and learn about marketing and advertising opportunities and many other ways to enhance their retail operations.

Members also got to meet with vendors and place orders for special buys as well as get ideas for product assortments.

The True Value Spring Reunion began in Dallas on March 6 and ends Monday, March 9. The next Reunion is slated for Sept. 18-20 in Chicago.

About Renee Changnon

Renee Changnon is the retail outreach coordinator for NRHA. She meets with retailers in their stores and at industry events and introduces them to the services NRHA provides. Renee previously worked as a member of the NRHA communications team. She earned a degree in visual journalism from Illinois State University, where she served as the features editor for the school newspaper. After college, she implemented marketing and promotions initiatives at Jimmy John’s franchise locations across the country. She enjoys exploring books with her book club, Netflix marathons and hosting goat yoga at her apartment complex. Renee Changnon 317-275-9442 rchangnon@nrha.org

Check Also

hot products

Hot Products – March 27, 2024

Beam Level The Spec Ops Magnetic Tourniquet Level features a patented bungee system that can …