JCPenney Ranks Tops in Customer Service for Third Consecutive Year

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) was recognized for its industry-leading customer service by ranking No. 1 among department store retailers in the Customers' Choice survey released by the NRF Foundation and American Express.

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The positive results signify the impact JCPenney associates have made with customers as a result of the Company's CustomerFIRST initiative.  Launched in 2008, CustomerFIRST is a comprehensive customer service training program that empowers every associate to make customers their top priority and provide an easy, exciting and engaging shopping experience to more than half of America's families who shop at JCPenney each year.  

"Customer service is a key point of differentiation for JCPenney, and earning this honor for the third consecutive year validates the progress we have made toward our vision of becoming America's favorite shopping destination," said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. "We know there is a correlation between highly satisfied customers and increased sales, and our 150,000 associates continue to work every day to build deeper, more enduring relationships that give customers the confidence to shop with us more often and spend more when they do."

This year's Customer's Choice results come on the heels of JCPenney associates earning their highest-ever overall satisfaction scores from customers during the Company's strong Christmas holiday shopping season.  The Company tracks its service performance by inviting customers to fill out online surveys and has seen survey scores for overall satisfaction increase by more than 25 percent over the past two and a half years.  

JCPenney knows that highly satisfied customers and highly engaged associates go hand-in-hand, with the Company earning its highest level of associate engagement in Company history at 81 percent in 2010.  With a focus on retaining and recruiting the best talent in retail and providing associates the tools they need to do their job, JCPenney has created a culture that empowers associates to make customers their first priority.

"Great customer service comes in many forms, including friendly sales staff, generous, accommodating return policies and comfortable and relaxing store environments," said Katherine Mance, executive director of the NRF Foundation. "But one of the most important parts of customer service is providing shoppers with an experience they'll want to tell friends and family about – something JCPenney certainly has a strong track record in. We congratulate them on this award and major accomplishment."

Results were announced Jan. 11 during the National Retail Federation's 100th Annual Convention and Expo in New York City. The survey, which polled 9,291 consumers in September 2010, certifies JCPenney as the unparalleled leader in customer service among department stores.  

About JCPenney

JCPenney, one of America's leading retailers, operates over 1,100 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, jcp.com. Serving more than half of America's families each year, JCPenney offers a wide array of private, exclusive and national brands which reflect the Company's vision to be America's shopping destination for discovering great styles at compelling prices. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the $17.6 billion retailer is transforming its organization to support its Long Range Plan strategies to build a sustainable, profitable enterprise that serves its customers, engages its associates and rewards its shareholders.  For more information visit www.jcpenney.net.

SOURCE JCPenney

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