If you told Johans Juruena that he’d be working at SM 12 years after he met its founder Henry Sy, Sr., he probably wouldn’t have believed you.
It was 1978, and the nine-year-old Johans was just looking forward to his yearly summer visit to Manila. Summers from his childhood were filled with memories of hanging around at what was then Shoemart along Carriedo Street in Quiapo, Manila, where his mother, Erlinda, worked as a sales clerk.
However, there was a particular encounter that would shape his future career. During that same summer, Johans unexpectedly met the shoe store owner–Henry, whom SM employees fondly called “Tatang.”
Johans shared that his mother immediately reminded him to pay his respects through pagmamano, the traditional gesture of respect toward the elderly by touching one’s forehead to the back of their hand as an act of “blessing.”
“When Tatang visited the store along Carriedo to check the display and items, it just so happened that I was there. I was one of those lucky enough to approach him and pay my respects,” he recalled. “He was smiling. He even held out his hand for me to ‘bless’”, he shared
While observing the store owner, Johans overheard how Tatang constantly quizzed his employees about what the customers needed. In that brief encounter, Johans caught what mattered most to Tatang – giving his customers what they need.
It was 1990, and Johans, fresh out of college, officially became part of SM. He first worked as a sales utility clerk, facing customers day in and day out.
“North EDSA is the first Supermall of SM. During our time, customers would line up as soon as the mall opened before 10 a.m. The foot traffic at North EDSA was really something else,” Johans recounted.
His next encounter with Tatang happened while handling the Men’s Shoes section at the SM Store North EDSA. Johans distinctly remembers how Tatang reminded him to keep the sandals and other footwear clean. That way, the customers could appreciate their products better.
It was a simple but important lesson that Johans would carry with him even in the decades to come.
Johans’s experience working at SM is a testament to not only the company’s decades-long commitment to top-notch customer service, but also to Tatang’s enduring legacy. Johans is now a manager at SM Store Quiapo, with people working under him and following his guidance.
