Bering’s retail stores are located in Houston, Texas and employ 168 people. They are known for the their extraordinary customer service and the variety and quality of their products, from hard-to-find hardware to exquisite gifts—everything for the house and the yard, even gourmet coffee and customized stationery.

Last year, Executive Vice President Augie C. Bering V contacted NOLS because he had a vision for a more engaged and accountable management team, and a need for a more accurate inventory system for Bering’s.

NOLS ran two, two-day Leadership Navigation Challenge programs for all 40 department managers with an emphasis on peer problem-solving and accountability. The result: Bering’s has stayed profitable. “If it weren’t for the NOLS training,” says Augie, “we would have been hit really hard by the economic downturn.”

The NOLS training had a profound impact on Bering’s physical inventory process. For years Bering’s had struggled with inventory tracking. Following the training with NOLS, Bering’s successfully empowered their mid-level managers to restructure the inventory process. The new system increases communication between stores and promotes interdepartmental functional partnerships.

“This year, when we completed the inventory process, it was almost perfect," says Augie. "In fact, we had to add money to the bottom line. That’s a $400,000 savings from 2007. We did see a dip in our sales, but increased efficiency mitigated 75% of our downturn. The main reason we are doing so well, and why this new plan worked, is because of the NOLS training.”

Department managers also implemented cross-training initiatives that improve customer service. “The team is flexible enough now that I don’t see customers waiting when there are available personnel, in another department, and adjacent departments now answer each other's calls – no more ringing phones. Morale is extremely high and customers are raving about our staff."

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