Servant leadership key to Kwik Trip success

DBA board president Greg Siegenthaler

There’s a saying at Kwik Trip that if you take care of people, you’ll be in business for a long time.

For public relations specialist Ben Leibl, that statement is the key to the convenience store chain’s continued success. Caring for people — whether customers or employees — is at the heart of Kwik Trip’s servant leadership mindset. La Crosse-based Kwik Trip owns and operates more than 900 stores in seven Midwest states.

“It’s simple — treat others how you want to be treated,” he said during an afternoon keynote address on servant leadership at Dairy Strong.

Through a series of anecdotes, Leibl discussed how sharing compassion and kindness can make a real difference in someone’s day and life. For example, he shared the story of a woman who brought a container of spoiled milk to the counter at Kwik Trip. She complained about it and the store team leader told her to go and pick out two new gallons of milk for free. The employee also gave her a $10 gift card for her trouble and apologized that she received spoiled milk.

When the shopper got home and told her husband, he said the milk was not from Kwik Trip, but another store. The next day, the woman went back to Kwik Trip to apologize and said the milk wasn’t from the store. The employee said she knew, but since the customer thought it was from Kwik Trip, she wanted to win her loyalty by replacing the product.

“Studies tell us that that customer will tell 12 other guests about her experience and that $15 investment the store made in that free milk and gift card will result in a lot more sales and create more loyal customers just by treating someone right,” Leibl said.

Visitors to Kwik Trip are familiar with the sign-off employees give customers, “See you next time.” While that sounds as a way to encourage customers to return, Leibl said it is also a sign of showing compassion.

“Our employees don’t really know what the people they’re serving have been through that day. Those four words create a welcoming atmosphere and show compassion,” he said.

That compassion extends to the communities where Kwik Trip operates with stores contributing to local causes and activities.

Leibl said showing compassion and kindness can make a real difference in someone’s day and life.

“It’s not about how much money you make. It’s about the impact you’ve made and how you made them feel,” he said. “Servant leadership is the secret to leadership success. You’ll go from ‘I have to do this’ to ‘I get to do this’ and you’re really living life as a gift, not an obligation.”

Leibl said when it comes to working with employees, managers need to take a little extra time to connect with everyone daily.

“It just takes 30 to 60 seconds a day to ask someone how they’re doing or ask what they did over the weekend to build up that connection,” he said. “People will stay with a job longer if their manager shows interest in them. Servant leadership is the secret to successful leadership.”