Weekly Recognition Roundup!

Coretta Booker from Edgewood:  A customer stopped in our Corporate Office to tell us what a phenomenal job Coretta does at Edgewood!  He said she always goes above and beyond.  Way to wow them, Coretta!

Mike Runte & Tiffany Leicher, DM's:  Jason Klemme wanted to recognize you for a fantastic Quarterly meeting on 10/30.  It was a ton of fun and a great team building experience.  GREAT JOB!

Paul Lamaster from I-69:  Randall Brock, DM, writes " Paul has been vital in a plethora of activities  associated with RJ Reynolds.  Paul’s store was a part of the Klipsch Summer concert coupon events coordinated with Rickers.  He was more than happy to monitor inventory levels to support these events which drive consumer loyalty and increase register rings for Ricke'rs while driving trial of RJ Reynolds products.  Paul did an excellent job of learning product attributes during normal coverage with me, however the education did not stop when I left the store.  Paul continued to educate his staff on the products after I left. He also coached his staff and offered tactics to make them more comfortable discussing their tobacco purchases while couponing during our coupon efforts. The couponing/inventory successes I experienced in Paul’s store led me to ensure that his location is regularly utilized by our 3rd party couponing personnel.  Paul and his staff have also been at the forefront of several market visits by our employees.  They have always been very supportive of our market efforts as well as provided consumer insights, shopping patterns, and voicing consumer feedback on product."  WELL DONE, Paul!  Great job!


Brownsburg Team:  Lisa Stokes wants to recognize her team for being AWESOME.  She appreciates all the hard work in obtaining an outstanding OEI score!  (From Blog Comment in November)

Michael Knost and Jesse Boling from Chesterfield:  Great job to these two Chesterfield superstars for having excellent LP technique!  Their keen insight helped prevent loss to our store in mid-November- great job!  

Downtown Team:  Keirstien Smith thanks the entire team at Downtown in Anderson for coming together to help the interim manager, one fabulous Geri Scott.  Also, much appreciation to Geri for stepping in and helping out, and doing a great job!  

Amanda Schoolcraft from Lapel/Elwood:  Cindy Brummett from Lapel wants to recognize you for having a perfect trend, no voids, cancels, and balances to ZERO!  This occurred in mid November when you rang 173 customers in your shift-- FABULOUS!  Thanks for being so great with your cash handling AND still wowing our customers with customer service!

Justin Nelson from Corporate:  Shannon Edwards from Oaklandon would like to recognize the newest member of the IT Department, Justin Nelson!  Justin is doing an awesome job and went above and beyond to help Shannon in early December.  Thank you Justin, for being a new but TRUE superstar!

Management Pre-Req Courses for 2014

Join us for FREE classes on Leadership & Communication Skills!  Here is the MPR Schedule for 2014!

Ricker's University
2013 Management Pre-Requisite Courses
Date	Course	Loc
January 28th	103	Anderson
January 30th	102	Indy
February 25th	104	Anderson
February 27th	103	Indy
March 18th	101	Anderson
March 20th	104	Indy
April 15th	102	Anderson
April 17th	101	Indy
May 27th	103	Anderson
May 29th	102	Indy
June 17th	104	Anderson
June 19th	103	Indy
July 15th	101	Anderson
July 17th	104	Indy
August 26th	102	Anderson
August 28th	101	Indy
September 16th	103	Anderson
September 18th	102	Indy
October 28th	104	Anderson
October 30th	103	Indy
November 11th	101	Anderson
November 13th	104	Indy
December 9th  (Tentative)	102	Anderson
December 11th (Tentative)	101	Indy

RBA Training schedule for 2014

Managers & Associate Managers, these are the dates for 2014 Ricker's Business Academy:

Ricker's University

2014 Business Academy

Anderson

January 20th through 24th

February 17th through 21st

March 24th through 28th

April 21st through April 25th

May 19th through May 23rd

June 23rd through June 27th

July 21st through July 25th

August 18th through August 22nd

September 22nd through September 26th

October 20th through October 24th

November 17th through November 21st

December: Tentative 15th through 19th

Toys for Tots Update!

Please don't forget we are collecting for Toys for Tots this season!  New, unwrapped toys (any amount, even dollar store) can be dropped off at the Corporate Office.  Also, checks made out to "Marine Corps Toys for Tots" will be DOUBLED by Toys R Us. (Cash not accepted)

Please share or consider making a donation for a needy child this Holiday season!

Gabby

Toys for Tots Donations at the Corporate Office

Hello All!

I am excited to announce the Corporate Office will be collecting toys to be donated to Toys for Tots.

There will be a large box in the large conference room if you wish to donate.  Please ensure to ask your family and friends for donations too, and you can put them in our donation box. 

Toys for Tots is a non-profit organization that collects new, unwrapped toys throughout the Christmas months to give to less fortunate children within the area in which they are collected.

·         Toy donations need to be unwrapped, but new (in packaging), and cannot resemble weapons or contain food.  Please submit your donations by friday, 12/13/2013 if possible. 

I would love to have your support in spreading some Christmas cheer for children this year!

Thank you for any way you can assist, even if asking family and friends for donations!

Please contact me if you have any questions at gvanalstine@rickers.net.

Sincerely,

Gabby & Robyn

NEWEST Ricker's HR Review! Hot off the digital presses!

Good Afternoon Superstars!

Stay up to date with all the Ricker's happenings by checking out our newest print newsletter.  You can find the newsletter here:  Read all about it: Ricker's Review - http://eepurl.com/J2d09

Also, please check out our slideshow of photos from our Annual Halloween Costume Contest here:

Another free digital slideshow by Smilebox

Newest Ricker's on the Reel Video Newsletter!

Check it out at: http://youtu.be/yJDwjm-kXgw

Weekly Recognition Round-up!

Hope Buis from Plainfield & 40:  On 10/10/13 you noticed something suspicious and were able to save some product from walking out the door!  Great job on LP!

Karen Bergstrom from Corporate:  You have been so patient & awesome to Tracy Fowler, spending a lot of time to ensure all of them are onboarded, have uniforms, etc.!  Thanks for doing all that you do, so well, KB!

The Applewood Team, especially Jessica & Sharee:  Thank you for treating our customers so good!  A customer wrote in that she is always greeted with a smile, and the store is well stocked and SPOTLESS!  Thanks for making it her FAVORITE Ricker's!

Lamar Wilson and Nate Tomlin from Ninth Street:  Thanks for helping out the Alexandria team with the coolers!  You are great examples of TEAM spirit!  Thanks for all you do for your entire team, all of the time!

Jacki McCrory at 71st Street:  You were SPOTTED helping an elderly customer navigate the store and filling her tire with air.  You went ABOVE AND BEYOND to show our customers who is boss, and for that, we thank you from the bottom of our heart!

Teri Kinder at 151st Street:  Teri volunteered help to other sites for a week in October due to the slower traffic in her store (b/c of construction).  Thanks for ALWAYS being a team player, Teri!

Alex Hammock at Applewood:  Thank you for helping Jacob cover his store at last minute.  It was wonderful to know that he was able to take care of a personal situation without worrying about an additional thing because his team member is so reliable.  THANK YOU for being so thoughtful!

Team at East 38th Street:  Great work for making the store look amazing!  You were SPOTTED, Theresa, Jay, Dawn, and Monique, in providing Ricker's awesome customer service by Jason Klemme, Director of Ops.  Keep up the great work and THANK YOU!

Weekly Updates from DM's

Ø  Halloween Costume Contest- Some big money on the line for the most creative costumes on 10/31.  I know there are a lot of creative minds out there- extra points will be awarded to home-made costumes.  Tell your manager that YOU WILL be participating, and be ready to WOW Jay and Jason as they do the judging.  NO MASKS, please.

Ø  Enrollment Meetings- these are mandatory for all staff.  There have been important changes to healthcare- it is our goal that you have all of the answers to the questions you may have.  A rep will be at your store to meet with all of you- ask your manager to print off the dates from email sent by DM's.

Ø  Recognition Roundup- check out the latest SHOUT OUTS at Gabby’s blog- this link will direct you http://rickersatwork.blogspot.com/2013/10/weekly-recognition-roundup.html

Ø  RISE Contest- 1800 RISE points on the line for the top Monster 4-pack site (% increase over 2012).  There is still time for one of you to make a charge- this is a great price for a top selling item anyways.  Let’s get out there and push this thing further!  Currently 2 Fort Wayne sites at the top, followed by 96^th Street and 151^st Street.  Where are the rest of you??  Come on!!!

Ø   UST and EBT Training- if you do not recall ever taking a short training checklist on these two subjects, please see your manager.  UST (Underground Storage Tank) and EBT are not modules, rather they are printed copies of a short training.  Make sure these are done and get sent to the office where they will be placed in your file.  Thanks for your assistance!

Ø  Customer Complaints-  team, lastly I would like to talk about customer complaints, and your roles.  You may think I’m nuts, but a complaint is actually one of the easiest ways to gain a regular, repeat customer.  How can that possibly be, Mike?  Well let me tell you- HOW you handle those complaints can go a long way.  Avoid saying things like “I know, that happens all of the time”; or “yeah, I told the manager about that but it still happens”.  You are empowered to help correct these things on your own.  Try things like this- if you’re unsure of what to do say… “my manager is not here, but let me get him on the phone”.  Make these situations right the first time.  If their Rewards card didn’t discount at the pump, figure out the discount and give them the amount- it is usually a $1 or so.  Alert your manager to this so they know why you didn’t balance like you normally would.   

Here’s another typical complaint- customer comes in upset the receipt didn’t print.  #1- apologize.  #2- offer them a fountain or coffee and alert your manager of this if they are not there.  #3- follow the customer outside and show them that you intend to correct the problem immediately.  How do you think they would feel?  They would probably be back, right?  Our customers are guests in our house.  No matter what, we must treat them as so.  I ask of you now- do not allow complaints to escalate.  Handle them swiftly, and with empathy.  We are in the customer service industry.

Remember, NO MASKS in the store!  Thanks!

Internal Positions 10/16/13

Anderson Market:

§  4 FT Flex Pool Employees

§  Associate Manager – Elwood

§  FT CSR 2^nd Shift – Exit 10*10/21/13

Indianapolis Market:

§  Store Manager – South Meridian

§  FT CSR Floater – Keystone*10/21/13

§  1^st,2^nd &3^rd Shift CSR’s – FT &PT 96^th and Aronson

How to Apply

Submit the following forms:

·         Management Application & Assessment

·         Letter of Interest

·         Internal Candidate Form (on The Pipeline)

·         Resume

·         Background Check Form

·         Two MVR Forms

E-mail=dhilder@rickers.net

Mail=30 W. 11^th St, Anderson, IN 46016

Fax=765-642-7323

*Deadline

Ricker's On the Reel: First EVER Video Newsletter!

Check out our first ever Video Newsletter:  http://youtu.be/MbxaNvfgGJs

September Employee of the Month Nominees

For a list of September Employee of the Month Nominees, check out our Facebook group:  Ricker's Superstars.

You can also follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/152829634735600/

Internal Positions 10.7.2013

Anderson Market:

§  4 FT Flex Pool Employees*10/7/13

§  Associate Manager – Elwood

§  FT CSR 3^rd Shift – Broadway*10/9/13

Indianapolis Market:

§  Store Manager – Georgetown*10/10/13

§  Store Manager – South Meridian*10/8/13

§  Associate Manager – Fort Benjamin*10/4/13

§  Associate Manager – Keystone*10/8/13

§  FT CSR Floater – Georgetown*10/7/13

§  1^st,2^nd &3^rd Shift CSR’s – FT &PT 96^th and Aronson

§  Food Truck Kitchen Help – 56^th and Georgetown

 How to Apply

Submit the following forms:

·         Management Application & Assessment

·         Letter of Interest

·         Internal Candidate Form (on The Pipeline)

·         Resume

·         Background Check Form

·         Two MVR Forms

E-mail=dhilder@rickers.net

Mail=30 W. 11^th St, Anderson, IN 46016

Fax=765-642-7323

*Deadline

Weekly Recognition Roundup!

Mike Runte, District Manager:  (From Tiffany Leicher, DM) Mike joined me at W. 38^th Street the morning and day of the robbery. He didn't have to get up and rush over there but he did and I just wanted him to know that it meant a lot! It was nice to have his support. He is always willing to help out any way he can even at 3:30 in the morning.

Mike Ratcliff, Post Road Manager: (From Tiffany Leicher, DM): We were looking for help to cover the third shifts at W. 38^th St. and Mike volunteered to help us out even though his boys had homecoming that night and he had already worked all week at his site. We ended up finding someone else to cover but I wanted Mike to know that I thought it was pretty amazing seeing a manager offer to help out on third shift at another location. THAT IS TEAMWORK AT IT’S BEST!!!!

Jerry Muhammad from 71st Street, Lisa Perdew from Brownsburg, and Matt McIntyre of Ft. Benjamin: (From Tiffany Leicher, DM): We lost one of our own a couple weeks ago, Elvalide Ndiaye from W. 38^th Street. In an effort to give our team members of W. 38^th Street some time to mourn and heal, we asked for help covering the next week of third shifts at that location. These individuals volunteered to help us out while still fulfilling their duties at their store.   It is amazing that we have team members such as these people willing to help out in times like this and we just want them to know that we appreciate their courage and assistance during our time of need. THANK YOU ALL!!!

From Keirstien Smith, Manager at Downtown: Just want to shout out to to some pretty awesome employees, Gordon, Megan, Jessica, and Jaimi who have come together this week to help cover and switch shifts at the last minute!!! Thanks y'all!!!

From Gary Graham, Associate Manager at Lapel: Just want to give a shout out to my team at Lapel, for an awesome weekend!

Denim Days Donations Raised so far this year

Weekly Recognition Roundup!

Kudos to these Superstars for their heroic deeds!

1. Angie Simpson from Greenwood!  Rita Hicks writes that someone approached her about how AWESOME Angie was!  The person said Angie always has a smile on her face and is always in a good mood-- she cheers the customer up!

2. Tamika Gilbert from East 38th/Subway!  Tamika does an awesome job with customer service.  People write into Subway.com to tell us how awesome she is.  Thanks Tamika!


3. Daryll Miller from East 38th/Subway!  Darryl has been eager, helpful, and team oriented.  Thank you Darryl!

4. Vanessa Blake from Plainfield & US 41!  Vanessa caught onto a scam regarding Newports in early September.  She wrote down the description of the car, the customers, the DOB's, etc.  She saved over $303 worth of credit card fraud while TRAINING another employee!  Way to go, Vanessa!

5, Guy Harris at 71st Street!  Guy heard about a safety incident at one of our stores in Indy and so he called another store to make sure the CSR was okay!  Also, Guy has been helping W38th cover shifts, no questions asked.  Thanks Guy!

6. Gary Graham at Lapel!  Gary has been helping W38th cover third shifts, even though Gary works full time at Lapel.  Thanks for jumping in to help out, Gary!

7. Andrew Conley from Avon restocked the back room BIB area and it's never looked better!  Thanks Andrew for your initiative!

8. Linda Scales from Avon gets FREQUENT praise from customers regarding her serious customer service skills.  Way to go, Linda!

9. Lamar Wilson, Manager at Ninth Street worked a third shift to make sure his team was safe after a Safety Alert in the area.  Thank you, Lamar!

Updated Internal Postings

Anderson Market:

§  FT CSR 1^st Shift – The Point*9/30/13

§  FT Subway CSR – Park One 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Shift

§   4 FT Flex Pool Employees*10/7/13

Indianapolis Market:

§  Associate Manager – Fort Benjamin*10/4/13

§  Associate Manager – Avon

§  Associate Manager – South Meridian

§  FT CSR 3^rd Shift and Floater – Keystone*9/30/13

§  1^st,2^nd &3^rd Shift CSR’s – FT &PT 96^th and Aronson

§  Food Truck Kitchen Help – 56^th and Georgetown

How to Apply

Submit the following forms:

·         Management Application & Assessment

·         Letter of Interest

·         Internal Candidate Form (on The Pipeline)

·         Resume

·         Background Check Form

·         Two MVR Forms

E-mail=dhilder@rickers.net

Mail=30 W. 11^th St, Anderson, IN 46016

Fax=765-642-7323

*Deadline

Internal Positions 9/26/13

Anderson Market:

§  FT CSR 1^st Shift – The Point*9/30/13

§  FT Subway CSR – Park One 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Shift

Indianapolis Market:

§  Store Manager – NW 86^th Street*9/27/13

§  Associate Manager – Avon

§  Associate Manager – South Meridian

§  FT CSR 3^rd Shift and Floater – Keystone*9/30/13

§  1^st,2^nd &3^rd Shift CSR’s – FT &PT 96^th and Aronson

§  Food Truck Kitchen Help – 56^th and Georgetown

How to Apply

Submit the following forms:

·         Management Application & Assessment

·         Letter of Interest

·         Internal Candidate Form (on The Pipeline)

·         Resume

·         Background Check Form

·         Two MVR Forms

E-mail: dhilder@rickers.net