The friendly customer service at the Terang and District Co-operative IGA supermarket has been rewarded with a state-wide award.
From helping people take groceries to their cars to personally showing customers where to find items, the Co-op team has always prided itself on providing a traditional country service and getting to know all the regulars.
The Retail Excellence Award for outstanding customer service covers 114 Supa IGA supermarkets in Victoria and was accepted by general manager Charlie Duynhoven and register area manager Janine Grinter at the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday night.
The team has previously won customer services awards for the south-west region but this is its first state-wide win.
The Terang team is now in the running for the national title which will be announced in July.
Ms Grinter said the whole town was buzzing about the award.
“I just walked up the street and a lady gave me a kiss and congratulated us,” she said. “She told me she’d never had customer service like this till she came to this town.”
Ms Grinter said providing friendly and personal customer service wasn’t hard work “it’s just who we are”.
“We look out for everyone; that’s how we work,” she said. “If we haven’t seen someone for a few days we start asking to check on them.”
Ms Grinter said the supermarket was a meeting hub for the town. “People come here not only for their groceries but to catch up with their friends and find out what’s happening,” she said.
She said “the little things” add up to good service.
“We greet our customers by their first name,” she said. “We ask how their families are going and make them feel welcome. Melbourne people wouldn’t understand what it’s like; you’re not just a number, it’s friendly country service.”
“If someone asks for bread we don’t just say it’s in aisle five, we walk and show them.”
Mr Duynhoven said he was proud of the team.
“They know the regulars and if they’re missing they get worried and find out if they’re all right,” he said.
The Co-op has stuck to its traditional country style of service.
“We carry groceries out to the car which not many stores do, deliver for free within the town boundary, take phone orders and we make sure we show people where to find things,” Mr Duynhoven said.
The supermarket hasn’t introduced self-serve check outs and has no plans for them.
“Not only do you lose contact with people it’s taking away jobs from local people,” Mr Duynhoven said.
The award is based on biannual store appraisals by IGA business managers, visits by mystery shoppers and customer feedback.
