Dollar General Store Essay Example

literacy grant programs. These programs include adult literacy grants for non-profit organizations helping adults in need, back-to-school grants for schools with financial constraints, library relief grants for public school libraries recovering from natural disasters, family literacy grants for family literacy service providers, and youth literacy grants for public libraries, schools, and non-profit organizations to expand or implement literacy programs for students who are struggling with reading or below the expected grade level (Dollar General Corporation, 2008c and 2008d).

The current programs offered by Dollar General Store include a system for handling customer complaints through their website page or email. Additionally, there is always a manager or assistant manager available during store hours to address customer issues and offer a full refund or exchange for unsatisfied customers. The company also provides information about new or existing products through in-store flyers and website postings.

SmartPic Advertising has recently announced the utilization of in-store television ads. To cut costs, Dollar General Fashion resorts to using smaller screens, its own media player and in-house software (Word Press, 2008, ¶ 8). The company's prevailing programs include in-store shopping only due to the absence of a website shopping capability which enables them to maintain low prices. Furthermore, customer feedback may be gathered via their website, www.

Dollargeneral.com provides a platform for customers to share their feedback regarding their shopping experience. These submissions are sent directly to the corporate office for review. While the on-site manager addresses any queries or issues, upper management may be informed if necessary based on customer input (Indeed, 2008).

The current programs of the company entail Tracking an order at Dollar General Store, which only allows for in-store shopping.

However, the company employs Triversity software and their own satellite link, Space Net, to track their inventory and daily sales. This helps in better management of sales and inventory, with the added benefit of reducing theft and maintaining low prices. The Dollar General Stores are conveniently located for smaller communities dealing with high gasoline prices and rising living costs, offering accessibility to name brand products and better value.

Although the Dollar General Store is typically only frequented for a small number of items due to its location, this results in shorter trips which ultimately saves both gasoline and time. Additionally, the smaller size of the store allows for a faster shopping experience, as customers are able to quickly make their selections and checkout. However, the trade-off for this convenience is that the selection of available products may be limited. For families who require more than just basic consumables, they may opt for a longer trip to a larger retail store. Fortunately, the Dollar General website is a valuable resource full of helpful information and even includes a feature for submitting comments or questions to their corporate office.

Despite Wal-Mart offering online shopping, Dollar General Store does not currently allow for this convenient option, leading to potential drawbacks for customers. One way Dollar General Store could improve is by implementing a system for customers to order items online for pick-up at a local store, which would save on shipping and handling costs. While the store's policy of keeping employees busy is admirable for productivity, it may also lead to difficulties for customers.

According to Indeed (2008), it can be disappointing for customers if an employee who is busy cleaning

or restocking shelves does not also take notice of those waiting to be checked out. To improve customer satisfaction, Dollar General Store can review and enhance its customer relationship programs. Dollar General Corporation (2008b,¶ 4) suggests that the company stay up-to-date with current and popular products while keeping their private label comparable to name brand products, which helps customers save money. Additionally, Word Press (2008) notes that new SmartPic Advertising screens can assist in advertising new and existing products in-store with the latest technology. While it’s a great plan for Dollar General Store to keep its employees busy at all times, excellent customer service should also be a priority to prevent customers from waiting too long. This aligns with the store’s motto, “save time, save money—everyday!” (Dollar General Corporation, 2008a). In the end, the store aims to maintain simplicity in shopping, and nothing is easier than paying for merchandise, the whole premise of running a business. Lastly, Dollar General Stores' literacy grants program is very beneficial to the communities they serve.

The founder of Dollar General Store, Cal Turner, was initially illiterate when he started his business. However, he realized the importance of reading and education in benefiting struggling families and communities. This inspired him to create a grants program for his store, even before he himself learned to read (Hoover, Inc, 2008, ¶ 2). By offering grants for literacy programs, Dollar General Store establishes a personal customer relationship with the community, as most such programs rely on funding from grants (National Institute for Literacy, 2008). As one of the most successful retailers in America, Dollar General Store focuses on saving time and money while providing

quality products to low, middle, and fixed income families.

Although Dollar General Store's present programs are effective in offering low-priced consumable goods to customers, the company should not sacrifice potential profit increases in favor of maintaining the "save time, save money - every day" mantra (Dollar General Corporation, 2008a).