WILL YOU BE STEW LEONARD’S VALENTINE? |
 NORWALK,
CONN., January 26, 2004 -Stew Leonard’s is asking customers
to be their Valentine with a “Will You Be Stew’s Valentine?” contest.Stew Leonard’s is legendary for their customer service policy etched in a three-ton granite rock placed at the entrance to each store: “Rule No. 1 -- The Customer is Always Right. Rule No. 2 -- If the Customer is Ever Wrong, Re-Read Rule No. 1.” Every day, the store averages 100 customer notes from the suggestion box, expressing what customers love about the store, what products they’d like to see and what can be improved upon. The notes are collected daily, and distributed to the appropriate department manager. Manager’s then have 24 hours to respond to the suggestion. “Some of the best ideas come from customers. Examples include Stew Leonard’s muffin tops and selling fish directly on ice which doubled fish sales,” said Stew Leonard, Jr. President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s. “These customer suggestions are the pulse of the store.” |
| To recognize customers for their great suggestions, Stew Leonard’s is announcing a “Will You Be Stew’s Valentine” contest. From now until February 11, customers will have an opportunity to write Stew Leonard’s a “love letter,” explaining in 50 words or less a great shopping experience they recently had, a suggestion or problem that was acted upon, or what makes their heart skip a beat when they shop at Stew Leonard’s. |
| Customers can enter the contest at specially marked boxes at the Customer Suggestion area at each of the store’s three locations, or enter online by clicking here. |
| Three winning letters per store will be chosen on February 12, based on creativity, originality, and how it “WOWs” the judges. On Friday, February 13, winners receive a visit from their very own special Valentine—“Wow the Cow” -- the store’s lovable mascot. WOW will personally deliver a dozen roses, Stew’s chocolate covered strawberries and a $100 gift certificate to each winner, in the store’s “Moo” van, along with Stew Leonard’s “prize patrol” team members. |
| “We really listen to and love our customers,” said Stew Leonard, Jr. “That’s what gave us the idea for this Valentine’s Day contest. What better holiday to show our appreciation for the great customer feedback we get every day that makes Stew Leonard’s a fun place to shop.” |
| Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, NY., with a fourth store planned for 2005 in East Farmingdale, N.Y. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” for the past three consecutive years. For more information, visit Stew Leonard’s website. |
