Over 3,500 5-star customer ratings for his store in six months? Bassel Aboutaha isn’t the least bit surprised!
We asked the store manager at Store 3296 in Houston, Texas, to explain how his store earned so many kudos. His answer says it all: “With the help of my associates, I can move mountains. Without them, I’m nothing.”
And move mountains he has. Bassel first came to the U.S. from Lebanon more than 17 years ago and got a job as a cashier at Walmart. At the time, he barely spoke English.
“Working at Walmart gave me the opportunity to interact with customers and associates so my English improved,” he says.
Soon he went to college, and upon graduation was accepted into Walmart’s management program. Bassel rose from there. He worked at different stores, but always with the same focus: relying on and trusting his associates.
Now Bassel manages one of the Academy stores that serves as a learning site for associates from all over. Customers regularly mention the kindness, warmth and efficiency of his store’s associates.
“I come to work happy because I'm about to meet those cheering, friendly associates. My customers come to the store because of my associates. So everything that I do revolves around my associates, because they are the reason why my customers are happy.”
