SENIOR GREETERS AT SM CITY MARILAO

HAPPY, HAPPY, AFTERNOON! -- Do not think of them as just ‘seniors’. Clad in greeter sash, Santa’s hat and winsome smile, SM Hypermarket grand greeters are elders over 60 years old who welcome every shopper with a cart and a warm smile. But surprisingly there is more than just a smile.

Greeter’s continuous contact with shoppers quickly attunes to the tastes of the shopping public. “From the moment they [shoppers] enter the hypermarket I already knew if they are in a bad mood, so I smile and ask how I can help them. I feel good because I am able to lighten up their mood” said 64-year old Erlinda Macayana. 71 year old Benjamin Espiritu also added, “I make it to the point that customers are valued by offering carts or helping them with their purchase.”

Grand greeters, as explained by Branch Manager Peter Evangelista, are integral part of SM Hypermarket because it is a way of making shopping experience more personal. Likewise, grand greeters or senior greeters are part host, who welcome shoppers with enthusiasm and energy. They are also part traffic cops, who give directions and other information. At times, they are also part counselors, who give advice to customers on the best deals for tight budget or tips on avoiding peak crowds in the mall.

SM City Marilao Hypermarket saw the tremendous value in nurturing older members of the workforce. “Our grand greeters play a vital role in establishing goodwill with our customers. Like ambassadors, they change customer’s mindset by eliciting from them a responsive smile. Our customers maybe in a hurry, stressed or anxious, the smile that is imparted by our grandparents or grand greeters are the needed ray of sunshine to the end a long and tedious day”, said branch manager Peter Evangelista.

 “In the same manner, it is a way of correcting the misguided notion that as soon as they [senior citizens] hit their sixties life they are less capable of doing things”, Mr. Evangelista added.

 SM City Marilao Hypermarket seasonably hires the elder members of the community to empower them and to keep them productive.