On New Year’s Eve, a Central Ohio Kroger grocery store manager called one of Shearer’s Foods Inc.’s route salesmen with a problem that needed quick solving.
The manager knew he needed to be well stocked with snack foods in anticipation of customers flocking in and preparing for New Year’s gatherings, but the store manager felt that his primary supplier wasn’t addressing the situation, especially as he had provided a prominent end-cap display for them for just that purpose. He wanted a solution and was hoping Shearer’s could help — but in less than 12 hours. The salesmen came to the rescue and completed the task, winning another happy customer.
It’s situations like this that make Robert Shearer and his team at the snack foods company beam with pride. Their dedication to customer service drives them to work harder and become better, and the situation with Kroger certainly isn’t a one-time occurrence.
Shearer’s also works closely with Meijer to help improve its problems. The company has taken the ordering responsibility out of its hands, and now Meijer sends Shearer’s weekly updates of its on-hand inventory, the previous week’s movement levels and its promotional calendar. From this, Shearer’s is able to build orders that best suit Meijer’s needs, and this reduces the store’s on-hand inventory and allows Shearer’s to provide the freshest products possible. On top of these efforts, the company has weekly telephone meetings, face-to-face meetings every other week as well as quarterly top management meetings to ensure best practices are being used to achieve agreed-upon goals. Because of these efforts, both companies have experienced double-digit sales increases.
While these are just two examples, Shearer’s commitment to this type of excellent customer service extends to every one of its customers.
How to reach: Shearer’s Foods Inc., (330) 767-3426 or www.shearers.com
