Retail Video Game Store Owner Jeremy Hix Shares Dedication to Customer Service with Play N Trade Franchise
“At Play N Trade, it’s a customer experience, not a corporate experience.”
Jeremy Hix opened his Chubbuck, Idaho Play N Trade video game store in March of 2007, and in just nine short months, his store ranked #1 in sales out of the 125 Play N Trade stores open across the country. What is the key to his rapid rise to capture the top sales spot?
“I am a customer service freak,” Jeremy said. “I teach my employees to treat customers like friends and family, and to develop a relationship with them.”
Finding a franchise that shared his philosophy of outstanding customer service was the most important reason Jeremy decided to join the Play N Trade family.
“I had to find a franchise that was in a growth industry, and one that shared my commitment to delivering exceptional customer service to everyone, every time they walk into my store.” Jeremy found what he was looking for with Play N Trade.
“The video game industry continues to grow, and the customer base is expanding, with the introduction of the Nintendo Wii and additional casual games being released. And then, I fell in love with the Play N Trade customer service philosophy. Our culture is based on the fact that at Play N Trade, it’s a customer experience, not a corporate experience.”
Play N Trade stores are designed with the customer in mind, featuring wall-mounted, widescreen HD LCD monitors and wireless connectivity. Play N Trade stores host local and national tournaments, offer disc and console repair services, a “try any game before you buy” policy, and an extensive selection of new and used video games, consoles and accessories, ranging from retro to most current. Customers can buy, sell and trade-in video games, consoles, accessories and cell phones for credit toward any product or service in the store.
“We create a fun, engaging atmosphere in our store that is truly different from any other retail experience,” Jeremy said. “Play N Trade employees aren’t standing behind the counter waiting for shoppers to come to them. They areout on the floor, getting to know each customer by name, what games they like to play and developing a relationship with them.”
This devotion to customer service and individual attention is very important, Jeremy says, because the video game customer is not just teenage boys anymore. “Our customer base is very diverse and includes grandparents, moms and dads, teens and younger kids,” he said. “My staff knows they will have a very different type of conversation with a hardcore gamer than they will with a grandma coming in to find a gift for one of her grandkids. We relate personally with each of our customers.”
Jeremy also enjoys participating in local events, including high school and college sporting events, car shows and parades. He feels that this face-to- face contact with the community builds strong ties and makes a lasting impact that is reinforced by his advertising programs.
“Play N Trade has a successful system that provides all of the sales, marketing and technical expertise, backed by established vendor relationships, so that I can focus my time, attention and energy on strengthening community relations and continuously finding new ways for my staff to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”
