A little holiday memo

FROM: Ken Trullin-Damage, Orange City Wal-Mart Supercenter Store Manager\nTO: Everett A. Lopryce, Wal-Mart Stores Southeast Regional Manager\nRE: One Woman's Mishap -- One Company's Unwavering Commitment to its Goals\nBy now you have surely heard of the somewhat unfortunate incident that occurred Nov. 29 at our beloved Supercenter here in Orange City (Fl). As the 6 a.m. siren blared to announce the start of the post-Thanksgiving sale, a crowd of shoppers rushed forward to snatch up one of our trademark Special Buys, knocking down and stepping on valued Wal-Mart customer Patricia VanLester.\nNaturally, we regret the harm that befell VanLester. But throughout the weekend she has been in the care of skilled medical staff in an area hospital. Our store will receive no such tender nurturing, and we must instead consider how we too will rejuvenate our potentially bruised public image. It would be a shame if our many years of hard work were tarnished by this small accident. On the contrary, there is much good news we can take away from this episode. As we examine how it unfolded, we find heartwarming examples of our associates' faithfulness to the Three Basic Beliefs lovingly established by Mr. Sam back in 1962.\n1. Respect for the Individual\nDon Soderquist, a retired Senior Vice Chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said that we firmly "believe that every individual deserves to be treated with respect and dignity." \nOne of our associates demonstrated true understanding of this belief by helping VanLester's sister find her battered body. And we know how to exceed customer expectations: Wal-Mart officials called later on the day of the incident to ask about VanLester's well-being.\n2. Service to Our Customers\nEven though VanLester's injuries were caused by other shoppers and not Wal-Mart Stores or Wal-Mart associates, we apologized for her mishap, in keeping with our constant commitment to customer service. Since VanLester had been waiting in line for one of our amazingly low-priced DVD players and she was found with a DVD player under her body, we thoughtfully offered to put a DVD player on hold for her. Short of handing her a DVD player for free, there is nothing more we could do to serve valued customer Patricia VanLester. \nAs Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman Karen Burk so wisely said, "We want her to come back as a shopper."\n3. Strive for Excellence\nMany retailers stage post-Thanksgiving sales, but it's only at Wal-Mart that a woman was knocked unconscious and trampled. Maybe that's because here at Wal-Mart we fondly remember how Mr. Sam taught us never to be lulled into thinking our prices are "low" enough. That's what motivated us to offer DVD players for the incredible low price of $29. That's the price that roused so many shoppers to action.\n "All they cared about was a stupid DVD player," said VanLester's sister Linda Elizey.\n Elizey's comment demonstrates in most reassuring fashion that our customers are intently focused on what's truly important to them this holiday season. Many Wal-Mart shoppers seemed oblivious to VanLester's condition, not allowing themselves to be distracted from their quest for more of our exceptional deals. The spectacle of these frenzied shoppers eagerly stepping over and on top of VanLester's inert body suggests our marketing appeal across a broad sector of demographics remains reliable and potent. With this sort of customer response, the necessary ingredients are in place for meeting and perhaps exceeding all our quarterly goals.\nIn short, as disappointed as we may be that VanLester was hurt, we may take solace in the many ways this incident reaffirmed Wal-Mart's core values. We have ample reason to be proud of the success of Wal-Mart Culture.