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Christine Pirog - Bed Bath & Beyond
Christine Pirog - Bed Bath & Beyond
2009 Fortune 500 rank: 355

Bed Bath & Beyond may be tightening up on expenses, but Christine Pirog won't let anyone touch customer service. In her role of protecting the company's stores, she believes putting customers first is more important than ever.

"In these times, it's a big decision to go out and spend," says Pirog, who is the vice president of stores operations, bridal and gift registry, and customer service. "We want them to know our standards aren't changing."

To make sure stores emphasize service, she has them schedule shifts for the selling floor first, unlike many companies that make non-selling tasks their priority. Pirog also has them schedule dynamically, so there is heavier staffing at peak times and in top-volume stores. The company has also added additional employee training classes on products from cutlery to coffeemakers.

"Our goal has always been to attract market share through service," Pirog says. "We're always looking to grow on what we have."

NEXT: Antonio Lucio - Visa

Last updated April 27 2009: 10:24 AM ET
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