Marvin Ellison, the executive vice president of U.S. stores for The Home Depot, took his VP post at a time when Home Depot’s customer service dipped and people had stopped spending.

The challenge to improve Home Depot’s customer service and get people to visit Home Depot and buy was really daunting. But Ellison seems to have helped Home Depot made the turn around.

BusinessWeek checked on Mr. Ellison in May 2009 and learned a lot from him. A few insights follows:

1. The best way to grow is to get more customers who are promoters and fewer who are detractors.
2. Define the associate’s role in taking care of the customer first.
3. The recession gave Home Depot an opportunity to revamp its supply chain, improve merchandising systems, and focus on serving customers better.
4. If you combine a compelling merchandising offer with outstanding customer service, you will get improved transactions.
5. Simplify things for the stores, giving them three primary things to focus on: remaining in stock, store appearance, and customer service.

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