1: According to legend, a Nordstrom salesperson gladly gave a customer a refund on a set of automobile tires, even though Nordstrom has never sold tires.
The legend is true, write Robert Spector and breAnne Reeves in The Nordstrom Way.
In 1975, Nordstrom acquired three stores in Alaska from the Northern Commercial Company, a full‐line department store that sold many products, including tires. After the acquisition, many product lines … continue reading
1: Let’s travel back in time to the 1950s. Imagine being in the middle of the hustle-and-bustle of the New York City wholesale shoe market. A shoe representative has just shown off the company’s line to Nordstrom CEO Everett Nordstrom and a young Nordstrom buyer.
The rep asks Everett for his reaction. “Don’t talk to me,” says Everett, “Talk to my buyer.”
Yesterday, we looked at the Inverted Pyramid, the upside-down organizational … continue reading
“Our frontline people don’t work for us; we work for them. Our job is to support them in their job.” —James F. Nordstrom, former co-chairman of Nordstrom Inc.
1: “Dollar for dollar, Nordstrom is one of the great stories in U.S. business,” write Robert Spector and breAnne Reeves in The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture.
This week we are exploring some of the … continue reading
1: The woman who appeared in the Nordstrom shoe department had an unusual request. Would they sell her one shoe?
She was on crutches because her left leg had been amputated from the knee down. She had been to other department stores, and the answer had always been no.
“That request made them nervous and ill at ease,” she shares with Robert Spector and breAnne Reeves in The Nordstrom Way… continue reading
1: Focus. Focus. Focus.
This week we’ve been exploring “The Nordstrom Way,” a single-minded focus on the customer and providing outstanding service every day, one customer at a time.
Who is responsible for making this happen? Nordstrom’s salespeople and other associates. “Nordstrom consistently reinforces this dual message: (1) every single decision the company makes is for the benefit of customers; and (2) Nordstrom employees are crucial to that experience,” write Robert Spector … continue reading
1: Among the paperwork new Nordstrom associates receive on their first day of work is a single notecard entitled “Employee Handbook.”
“Our One Rule: Use good judgment in all situations.”
That’s it. That’s the handbook.
“This simple, straightforward directive is the foundation upon which The Nordstrom Way is built because it removes the roadblocks to taking care of the customer,” write Robert Spector and breAnne Reeves in their book, The Nordstrom … continue reading
1: “We can hire nice people and teach them to sell, but we can’t hire salespeople and teach them to be nice. We believe in ‘hire the smile, train the skill,'” says Bruce Nordstrom, who led Nordstrom for 40 years, growing the company from seven shoe stories and under $40 million in revenue to 156 stores in 27 states and $8.6 billion in revenue.
How has Nordstrom maintained its … continue reading
1: Imagine standing at a customer service counter. We have expectations. A good product. A fair price. If there’s an issue, it will be taken care of quickly.
“Simple stuff, right?” write Robert Spector and breAnne Reeves in The Nordstrom Way.
“But a funny thing happens to people when they move to the other side of the customer service counter (or the front desk or the reception area or the phone or Internet) … continue reading
