Want to Make Your Clients Feel Loved? Hire a Store Grandma

There are some things a grandmother does better than just about anyone else, like birthday wishes. If it’s your big day and you’re a regular customer of The Diamond Family in St Louis, MO, you can expect a call from Linda, their “store grandma,” to wish you the best for the day. Perry’s Emporium in Wilmington, NC, created a similar position for a former sales associate to call customers to wish them happy birthday, anniversary, or to welcome them back into the store after a year-long absence with a $50 gift certificate to use any way they wish. The program generated $200,000 the first year, says owner Alan Perry.