Marshall Field's Employees Earned Their Stripes

New Marshall Field's Employees received a "Stripe Card" and an accompanying informational placard about the "Earn Your Stripes" incentive program. It was really quite simple, and most employees participated very seriously!

At each wrapstand (cash register counter) was a chart showing each area's average sales transaction amount, along with figures showing 3X, 5X, and 10X those averages.

For every sale made for 3X the average, the employee would receive 1 stripe. For a sale of 5X the average, 2 stripes. And for a sale of 10X the average, 3 stripes.

Each stripe card had a total of 20 spaces (!) to be stamped with a green-inked stamper in the same exclamation-point shape as the spaces on the stripe card. Managers and Field's Express Team members could stamp the cards for the employees as they called via radio to let it be known (quite proudly and gladly) that they had achieved these results. As their calls came in, the employees were congratulated and announced via radio also, then their card stamped. (Field's Express Team members could participate in the rewards of this program also, though they could not stamp their own individual cards.) When stripe cards were filled, they could be redeemed for various prizes. For example:

1 full stripe card might be redeemed for a large candy bar,
2 full stripe cards might be redeemed for a Marshall Field's T-shirt
3 full stripe cards might be redeemed for a Marshall Field's Sweatshirt or the employee's choice of a $5 Marshall Field's, Speedway, or Blockbuster Video gift card.

There were higher levels also, with weightier prizes such as luggage. 10 full stripe cards could be redeemed for a $20 gift card of choice, for example.

Marshall Field's employees were given encouraging incentives such as the "Earn Your Stripes" cards, providing them a sense of accomplishment and true rewards. At the same time, this simple program was such that it did not create combative competitions between employees but rather a healthy and shared sense of success. Who could possibly contrive a 3X, 5X, or 10X sale without being horribly pushy? No one! It was therefore more of a sense of elation when it happened because it was a direct result of what Marshall Field's was known for: giving excellent service and delivering the unexpected.