"The deli people are always so fantastic. They're always asking: 'Is there something special you'd like to try today?'" said shopper Diana Johannessen. "The kids always ask: 'Are we going to the deli counter to get a piece of cheese, Mom?'
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Nordstrom and The Ritz-Carlton may have legendary reputations for customer service, but frequent shoppers of Heinen's Fine Foods are just as enthusiastic about their favorite store and its employees.
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Cleveland Heights shopper Diana Johannessen said she can't pick only one single reason she shops at Heinen's. "The deli people are always so fantastic. I just feel like they're always so exceptional with the kids. They're always asking: 'Is there something special you'd like to try today?'" she said. "The kids always ask: 'Are we going to the deli counter to get a piece of cheese, Mom?' Even when I go to Whole Foods, I don't get that."
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View full sizeColorful pots of Gerber daisies brighten the Pepper Pike Heinen's store in this 2011 file photo.Johannessen also appreciates that employees don't shoo her out of the store when the store closes at 8:30 p.m.
"I was standing at the deli counter and looked over at the clock, and it said 8:45 p.m. I asked the cashier, 'What time do you close? I must have missed the announcement,' and she said, 'Oh, we don't make announcements. We're already here, so we'll check you out.'"
"It's just a pretty cool customer service thing," she said. "When I worked at Russo's, they used to start making announcements at a quarter to 9, and there would be this mad dash of people trying to check out. I think Heinen's really values the grocery shopping experience, and it just makes me feel appreciated."
Bruce Good, vice president of Good Marketing Inc., a Cleveland new product development firm, said that from a marketing standpoint, Heinen's definitely knows how to cater to its customers in all 18 stores. He especially admires Heinen's for recognizing and accommodating the unique needs of its Jewish shoppers during and after Passover.
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View full sizeBruce Good The evening after the week-long celebration of Passover, during which observant and Orthodox Jews eat only kosher for Passover foods, the Heinen's store in University Heights quietly reopens its doors around 9:30 p.m. for families who need to replenish their refrigerators and pantries.
"They close at normal hours, and then they reopen it -- and they keep it open for at least two hours. All the cashiers are working, and everybody's on the floor," Good said. "For many reasons, that says it all."
Jeff and Tom Heinen "aren't Jewish, but they're catering to that sector of the community because they're right in the center of a predominantly Jewish area," he said.
"I doubt that they've ever advertised it, and I'm going to bet it's been going on for at least 10 years. Unless you keep kosher for Passover, or unless you live near [that store], I don't think many Jews know about it."
"And the best part is, when I've gone, one of the Heinen brothers is always there, just saying 'Hello' to everybody. For one of them to be at that store every year is just amazing," Good said. "That is literally what my Dad used to do when we had a department store in Wheeling, West Virginia. He used to stand at the door and say 'Goodbye' to everyone. 'Thanks for shopping. Have a nice day!'"