Kindness and Trader Joe's

"Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person ― not just an employee ― are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled.  Satisfied employees means satisfied customers, which leads to profitability."
― Anne M. Mulcahy

I had never been to Trader Joe's until today.  It is relatively new where I live― it opened last fall.  But thanks to the kindness of my friends, I had sampled many of its treats.  One friend introduced me to many of its snacks as well as skin care and cleaning products.  Another friend just yesterday brought me treats from there.  So we finally made the trek today and I was not disappointed.  There were many tempting items and we certainly purchased more than we should have.  But I was most impressed by the kindness of its staff, including the cashier, who was very friendly and joked with us as we checked out. 

Intrigued by the products and now my experience at Trader Joe's, I did a bit of research on the company.  (Yes, Google is my friend.)  Interestingly enough, according to a Fortune magazine article a few years ago, the employment culture at Trader Joe's is conducive to employees' attitude.  The company pays well ― full-time "crew members" can begin in the $40,000-$60,000 range and store managers can make in the low six figures, according to the article I read.  Trader Joe's also contributes a hefty percentage to retirement accounts.

If you want your employees to treat your customers well, treating your employees well is the obvious place to begin.  Kindness seems to be working at Trader Joe's.