When Mr. George founded Publix 85 years ago, he focused on having a clean and well-stocked store. But more importantly, he treated his customers like royalty because he knew that’s what would keep them coming back. Today, this lesson is just as true as it was back then.
And, thanks to our associates who live this lesson every day, Publix is an industry leader at providing service. Our associates bring joy to customers’ lives not just by providing the best shopping experience for our customers, but also by building lasting relationships and memories.
There are many stories worth sharing about associates who have exceeded customers’ expectations. Here are a few that’ll make you proud to be Publix!
#1048, Orlando, Florida From Caroline
#1466, Cary, North Carolina From Matthew
From Facebook
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“The cashier at our Publix in Baldwin Park, FL made my little one’s day today by giving her her first balloon! It was her favorite thing all day. We love Publix and wanted to acknowledge a job well done and going the extra mile! I attached some pictures of Blair, 10 months, loving on her Publix balloon in the parking lot! (and again, at lunch). Haha.”
— Caroline
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#1466, Cary, North Carolina
“Just a quick note on exemplary service — a story I’ve been telling my friends. Tuesday night, after dinner with friends, my wife and I stopped in just to pick up some eggs. But, I called home to check if we needed anything else. My son wanted bologna, and my daughter wanted turkey breast. We entered the store, my wife went for eggs, and I went to the deli. The youth working there had waited on me before, and I joked with him that he never goes home. He sliced up the turkey and asked if there was anything else I needed.
‘Nope, just the turkey.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Pretty sure.’
‘Well,’ Dachary said, ‘It’s just that you always get a pound of beef bologna.’
I had totally forgotten. But, he didn’t. He knew. Above and beyond. And it is appreciated.”
— Matthew
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From Rose
From Serena
From Leslie
From Lila
From Craig
From Lee Ann
From Bridget
“I wanted to thank your store, Publix at Oak Leaf Plantation Center [#128, Jacksonville, Florida]. Our six-month-old baby girl is in hospice care. (She is terminal with glioblastoma multiforme.) Our oldest son’s birthday was today. Last night, I realized I had not ordered his cake. I called at 8 p.m. attempting to get a cake for 3 p.m. the next day. Our son had chosen the Godzilla cake earlier in the week, but they couldn’t find a Godzilla kit there. So I asked if they had the Incredible Hulk available. While checking on that, they discovered they had found a Godzilla kit. I cried and explained why we had forgotten. Being so focused on our baby girl, we literally just forgot. I apologized for trying to put the order in so late. Well, my husband’s parents went to pay for and pick up the cake today. When they brought it home they said, ‘You didn’t tell us you paid for it.’ ‘We didn’t,’ I replied. The person I was on the phone with last night was one of the managers, and she felt compelled to pay for our son’s cake, send him a balloon and have a bunch of the employees sign a birthday card for him. I am so humble to her and the employees. Thank you so much!”
— Rose
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“I noticed your employee answering various questions about which vegetables had potassium in them. I realized he walked the entire store to help this blind lady shop. Awesome service! Keep up the good work!”
— Serena
“Today, I was at the Brookhaven, GA Publix when it started torrentially pouring out of nowhere. When I saw a Publix employee going out of his way to walk a senior citizen to her car in the downpour, it warmed my heart. She was holding onto his arm and he had an umbrella in his other. This is why I only shop at Publix!!”
— Leslie
“… I have shopped in Publix since I came to South Florida in 1979 and lived in Miami Beach for over 30 years, moving to Broward County. It’s not only a pleasure shopping in Publix but it’s a pleasure going to the meat department in Monarch Lakes. Jose Sanches takes care of me like I am someone special. Since I am in a wheelchair he gets all the meat down from the shelves for me. Besides his smile, his conversation, his help is wonderful. It is the first stop I make regardless of whether or not I’m buying meat on that day. Just to say ‘hello.’ You have a great employee and should be very proud of him. It’s employees like Jose that makes the store extra special.”
— Lila
“I have been to this store many times and it is always a great experience, but today I felt like I was truly a VIP. Every employee I walked by greeted me and made me feel welcomed; you just don’t find this in many stores today. The deli counter that made my sandwiches was great and exemplified what customer service should be. Sorry, I do not have the names, but I was originally helped by the assistant deli manager, and then another associate put the sandwiches together (around 2:30 p.m.). This store is great, and the team there definitely makes you love to shop there. Keep up the good work!”
— Craig
“Just letting you know how much we appreciate the pharmacy at the Publix at Wiregrass, waiting for us just a few minutes after 6 p.m. My daughter has cancer and needed the [prescription] for her nausea. I forgot all about the prescription until right before the pharmacy closed. Your employee could have told us we would have to wait until the next day, but instead he agreed to wait until we arrived. We were really grateful for the pharmacy associate who waited for us to race around the corner and pick up the prescription. It wasn’t a long wait, but many employees wouldn’t make the extra effort. Thank you! We really appreciated it.”
— Lee Ann
From Twitter
“It doesn’t matter which @Publix I go into, they always have the happiest staff and best customer service!”
— Bridget
Online Exclusive
Treat customers like Royalty
Watch this lesson come to life at corporate.publix.com > About Publix > Publix Culture
#694, Canton, Georgia, Atlanta Division
#1013, Port Charlotte, Florida, Lakeland Division
“I just wanted to take a moment to share the most ridiculously awesome customer service experience I will probably ever have in my life! I called the manager on duty to brag, but in this instance it just didn’t feel like enough. Yesterday, I went to #1013, Port Charlotte, Florida for a few items before taking my daughter to dinner. The bagger, Jeff was so friendly and talked to my 3 year old like a real grown up about our dinner adventure she was so excited about while he bagged up our stuff. Long story short, I packed everything in the car with my daughter and we drove the quarter mile to our dinner destination. When we walked in to the restaurant, to our surprise Jeff was there looking for us, as we’d forgotten a few of our reusable bags! He had walked the quarter mile in the hot Florida sun and beat us there just to give them back! I was so amazed that I could have cried! This is why I shop at Publix and I will be forever grateful for this crazy gesture of kindness! It will always be my go-to story for going above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you for letting me share this and I hope Jeff gets the recognition he deserves for being so amazing!”
— Callie N.
#1317, Pensacola, Florida, Jacksonville Division
#379, Casselberry, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida
“I wanted to compliment one of the store associates, Grayson, at my local Publix [#379, Casselberry, Florida]. He is always nice and helpful; however, on a recent shopping trip, he went above and beyond the call of duty. When checking out, my daughter bumped her head and began crying. Grayson offered to get her ice and went to the back of the store to retrieve it. It was a simple act, but something most stores would not think to do. I really appreciated his thoughtfulness, as did my daughter. Please let him know that we are very thankful for his customer service. I hope he is recognized/rewarded for this in some way. Thank you!”
— Ryann B.
#1283, Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville Division
“I just wanted to give kudos to my cashier today, Dina [#1283, Jacksonville, Florida]. She was so courteous, kind, friendly and helpful. She actually made my day better. This is why I don’t shop at any other grocery store anymore. This is why Publix will continue to get my business. I always have a good experience here.”
— Melissa H.
#712, Riverview, Florida, Lakeland Division
“The morning I went to the store … I had left my purse at home. I wanted to get flowers for my stepson’s mom for him to give her. I told the girl what happened. I had my mom take a picture of my credit card. She [Customer Service Manager Tonya Mixon] said, Yes.” So we picked out the flowers and a card and Dr. Pepper. She said, “Ok you are all set.” I said, “You didn’t look at the picture of my card.” She said, “Don’t worry it’s on us.” She took care of it. I started balling. That spoke to my soul and heart. My stepson and I prayed on the way to the store. These people are honest. She may not remember me in 20 years but I will remember her. She made a difference. She touched my heart.”
— Laura H.
#701, North Fort Myers, Florida, Lakeland Division
“I love your store, #701, North Fort Myers, Florida, and am there several times a week. I just wanted to point out some outstanding customer service an Brennen’s part. He is always willing to go the extra mile and put a smile on a customer’s face.”
— Shawn A.
#126, Boca Raton, Florida, Miami Division
“I would like to bring to your attention one of your employees who deserves recognition for being very friendly and professional. I frequent the Publix #126, Boca Raton, Florida. I have found the staff to be generally helpful but I do believe it may have been five or more years ago that Wayne Mealer became a cashier, and he made such an impression on me that I felt I needed to let you know what an asset he is to your company. He always goes out of his way to be polite but seems to go that extra mile to make certain the purchasing experience is professional but also FUN. He has a personality that draws people to want to wait in his line to checkout. Today, I had two items and the lady behind me asked why I didn’t go to the 10-items-or-less line? But there was no way I would go to any other cashier. Wayne is just one of those extra special people that you hope will be there when you are shopping. When my husband passed away he was visibly upset and made me feel so cared for. In this day and age when we are becoming less personal and more technological, Wayne is very refreshing. I consider him the highlight of any shopping day.”
— Wendi M.
#553, Boca Raton, Florida, Miami Division
“I would like to compliment Tom, the meat department manager at #553. I phoned #553 from Dallas, Texas, on Father’s Day 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Florida time. I asked if five flank steak pinwheels — a family favorite — could be prepared for pick-up at 7:00 p.m. that evening. Tom, without hesitation said, ‘Sure, no problem.’ I arrived at 7:15 p.m. and there they were, ready and labelled with my name. I say, ‘Now, that is SERVICE!’ Thank you so much for making customer satisfaction your company’s priority …”
— Marjorie J.
#673, Miramar, Florida, Miami Division
“… I have shopped in Publix since I came to South Florida in 1979 and lived in Miami Beach for over 30 years, moving to Broward County. It is not only a pleasure shopping in Publix but it’s a pleasure going to the meat department in Monarch Lakes. Jose Sanches takes care of me like I was someone special. Since I am in a wheel chair he gets all the meat down from the shelves for me. Besides his smile, his conversation, his help is wonderful. It is the first stop I make regardless of whether or not I’m buying meat on that day. Just to say ‘hello.’ You have a great employee and should be very proud of him. It’s employees like Jose that makes the store extra special.”
— Lila T.
#432, Hollywood, Florida, Miami Division
“You have been advertising your customer service and everything about it is true. No Publix employee ever says, ‘I don’t know,’ ever. I cannot tell you how satisfying that is.”
— Bobbie M.
#1148, Greenville, SC, Charlotte Division
“This afternoon (June 10) I ran into Publix with my 20 month old. He had been sick earlier this week so I didn’t want to put him in a cart and I was only getting three items so I carried him. While in the checkout line, Mr. Doug, asked if he could hold my baby while I paid for my items. My son went to him right away and they began playing. The bagger handed me two bags and I went to grab my son. Mr. Doug said, ‘The baby or the bags? I’m helping you out to your car one way or another!’ I told him I would carry the bags and he could carry the baby. They laughed and skipped all the way to my car. When it was time for him to hand my son back to me, he kissed him on the cheek and said, ‘See you soon!’ He didn’t know that it had been a stressful week with a sick baby or that this was the third stop I had made for hamburger buns. He simply saw a need and met it. It meant more to me than he will ever realize. …”
— Meg B.
#530, Greenville, South Carolina, Charlotte Division
“I have visited the store located on Woodruff Road in Greenville, South Carolina, a couple of times during the past two months. I would like to commend the cashiers and baggers at this location. They made me feel welcome, engaged me in conversation and made feel that my business was appreciated. They should serve as an example for all grocery stores. Well done Publix on Woodruff road, Greenville, South Carolina.”
— Christopher R.
