Living the Electrolux core values: Alex Chakarji

Would you rent a moving van and drive 220 miles to deliver a part to a customer…on a Friday night? Alex Chakarji did.

As National Account Manager for Lowe’s, Alex Chakarji is responsible for monitoring the inventory of Electrolux accessories and parts to the home improvement superstore – the second-largest hardware chain in the US and globally. He also revises marketing trends and analyzes sales and inventory data in order to guarantee components arrive at Lowe’s on time. In other words, it’s Chakarji’s job to make sure that aftermarket parts and accessories get where they need to go, when they need to be there. The job, he says, demands a commitment to customer obsession.

“To me,” Chakarji reflects, “customer obsession is doing everything possible within our safety guidelines to cover and exceed customer expectations. I’m not a passive employee in this respect, meaning I always try to reach to the very last resource when I take care of customers to get things done. Ultimately, it’s part of who I am as a person and as a professional.”

Last month, Chakarji’s customer obsession was put to the test when he was faced with a component that was put on back-order but needed to reach the Electrolux warehouse in Fletcher, NC. When news that severe winter weather in another state would prevent the carrier from making a timely delivery, he made the decision to have the shipment released in Charlotte, rent a moving truck (since the load would not fit in his own car) and personally take the product to the Fletcher warehouse – a 4 hour roundtrip.

Why do all of this? Chakarji says his commitment to customer obsession stems from putting himself in the customer’s shoes: “I always view myself as the end-consumer – an individual who expect the best product and outstanding customer service at all times. I always aim to provide this level of service to internal and external customers, as it brings me personal satisfaction as a professional.

“At the end of the day, customer obsession is not for the faint of heart. It is an ‘over the edge,’ obsession with customer service that sometimes leads you into the uncharted waters and adventures of amazing service recovery.”