2019Q1SpiritedVA - 11

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

®

Bristow, VA USA

16 INTERNATIONAL
AWARDS IN THE
LAST TWO YEARS All

ADOLPHUS MAPLES

THANKS TO YOU!

James McClain, Manager, Store 367, Ashburn

J

ames McClain thought he would work
with the Virginia ABC for a short stint
when he applied in 2003. However, he recalls,
"Bit by bit, I fell in love with the customer
interaction and the atmosphere." Fifteen years
and several promotions later, he's using his
sales background and his appreciation for the
industry as manager of Store 367 in Ashburn.
What do you enjoy about your job?
Working with my customers-exceeding their
expectations, even if it's helping someone
walk to their car, is very rewarding.
And working with my coworkers is
tremendously rewarding-teaching others
how to do their job; helping coworkers set
goals and achieve them.
How do you stay informed on products?
I'm interested in how liquors are made, in
researching products and distilleries online.
I also learn from my colleagues. ABC has
recently provided training to visit distilleries. I
also get information from customers. People
like to talk about things they're passionate
about.

How do you promote new products?
As soon as we get new products in, we're
excited to investigate what makes them
unique and different. We set new products
on the glass shelves behind the register for
people to see, which gives us the chance to
talk about them.

2018 GOLD MEDAL WINNER

25 Best Distilleries in the U.S.

How have you applied your previous job
experience?
I want to focus on customer service as number
one. If a customer asks for something we
don't have, I'll take their name and number,
treating every request as if it was a special
order. When it arrives, I contact the customer,
and they're usually ecstatic and surprised,
which builds a nice rapport and gets repeat
business.
How have you achieved the values of the
Virginia ABC?
I was taught at a young age: it doesn't matter
what you do, try to achieve the best you can
in doing it. Make your supervisor's job easier,
and make a positive impact in the company.
-Annie Tobey

www.murlarkey.com

SPIRITED VIRGINIA | JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH 2019 11
http://www.murlarkey.com
2019Q1SpiritedVA

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