Mr. Sam's Values

Mr. Sam's values

We're known around the world as the company that helps our customers save money so they can live better. We're also well known for our unique corporate culture. Sam Walton built our business on values and morals. Those rules and customs have helped us become one of the world's most admired companies.

Respect

At the core of every one of our rules and customs is the basic value of respect - for the customer, associates, and suppliers. It's our focus for building relationships. It helps us serve the communities in which we live, and build a business committed to excellence

Open Door

The door is always open.

At Walmart, our management believes open communication is critical to understanding and meeting our associates' and our customers' needs. Through our "open door" policy, associates (employees) are free to share suggestions, ideas and voice concerns, whether it's help with a problem, guidance or direction, or simply getting an answer to a question.

Associates can trust and rely on the open door.

This means that managers will treat all discussions fairly, with an open mind and without bias. They'll maintain complete confidentially, whenever it's possible. They'll work with you to mutually resolve any issues or problems you may have

. Sundown Rule

Our founder Sam Walton created the Sundown Rule.

It's really just a twist on "why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?" Observing the Sundown Rule is very simple. Whether it's a request from a store across the country or a call from an associate down the hall, we do our very best to give our customers, and each other, same-day service.

We take the Sundown Rule seriously.

It's one of the many ways we provide superior customer service. When we show a sense of urgency, we show people we know their time is valuable. We care about their needs, and we want to help them quickly. When we observe the Sundown Rule with other associates (employees), it shows we respect each other. And we're proud to be part of a team working together to get things done.

The Sundown Rule in action:

Jeff, a pharmacist at a Walmart store in Harrison, Arkansas, got a call at home one Sunday morning. He learned one of his diabetic customers had accidentally dropped her insulin down her garbage disposal. Knowing that she could be in grave danger without insulin, Jeff immediately rushed to the store, opened the pharmacy, and filled her prescription. This is just one of the many ways our associates honor the Sundown Rule every day

Grass Roots Process

"Listen to your associates. They're the best idea generators."

Sam Walton said that, and he believed it. For years, he traveled continuously so he could visit all of his stores at least once a year, listening to associates and asking for their ideas.

We're still listening.

The sheer size of our company limits how many stores executives can physically visit each year. But Sam's philosophy lives on today in our Grass Roots Process. A key part of that process is the associate opinion survey -- it gives every single associate a way to voice their ideas, suggestions and concerns.

Our associates -- making a difference.

Using the survey, we continually find ways to improve our customer service and how to better serve our associates. We continue to learn how to be a more efficient, more environmentally friendly company. Using the Grass Roots Process and the survey, our associates have made Walmart one of the most admired companies in America. And it's our associates who will continue to lead Walmart into the future.

3 Basic Beliefs & Values

Three simple things that make us great:

Our unique culture has helped make Walmart one of the world's most admired companies. Since Sam Walton opened the first Walmart in 1962, our culture has rested on three basic beliefs. We live out these beliefs every day in the way we serve our customers and each other.

1. Respect for the Individual

We're hardworking, ordinary people who've teamed up to accomplish extraordinary things. While our backgrounds and personal beliefs are very different, we never take each other for granted. We encourage those around us to express their thoughts and ideas. We treat each other with dignity. This is the most basic way we show respect.

2. Service to our Customers

Our customers are the reason we're in business, so we should treat them that way. We offer quality merchandise at the lowest prices, and we do it with the best customer service possible. We look for every opportunity where we can exceed our customers' expectations. That's when we're at our very best.

3. Striving for Excellence

We're proud of our accomplishments but never satisfied. We constantly reach further to bring new ideas and goals to life. We model ourselves after Sam Walton, who was never satisfied until prices were as low as they could be or that a product's quality was as high as customers deserved and expected. We always ask: Is this the best I can do? This demonstrates the passion we have for our business, for our customers and for our communities.

10-Foot Rule

The 10-foot Rule is one of our secrets to customer service.

During his many store visits, Sam Walton encouraged associates to take this pledge with him: "I promise that whenever I come within 10 feet of a customer, I will look him in the eye, greet him, and ask if I can help him."

The 10-foot Rule was something Sam practiced his entire life.

"I learned early on that one of the secrets to campus leadership was the simplest thing of all: Speak to people coming down the sidewalk before they speak to you," Sam once said. "I would always look ahead and speak to the person coming toward me. If I knew them, I would call them by name, but even if I didn't, I would still speak to them. Before long, I probably knew more students than anybody in the university, and they recognized me and considered me their friend. I ran for every office that came along."

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