The Nordstrom Way To Customer Service

The Nordstrom Way

The Nordstrom Way

What can we learn from a department store?

Customer Service 101!1. HUMBLE – You need to be

humble to do service2. Everything begins with the

customer!3. Think like the customer!

The Golden Rule

Always think:– How will it affect my customer? If

I was in the customer’s, how would I feel?

– Do what’s right for the customer – and you have done what’s right for the organization.

Always think:– How will it affect my customer? If

I was in the customer’s, how would I feel?

– Do what’s right for the customer – and you have done what’s right for the organization.

The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence

The book is divided into three parts: – Part I: What Senior Managers Can Do in an

organization to Create an identifiable and sustainable culture the way Nordstrom has done it.

– Part II: What Frontline Managers Can Do to provide in an atmosphere where staff are giving great customer service.

– Part III: What Employees Can Do explores what the role of those individuals in giving great customer service

The History of Nordstrom

John Nordstrom was born in Alvik Neder Lulea, Sweden, in 1871

Partnering with Carl F. Wallin, the original small shoe store opened in 1901 on the corner of Fourth and Pike in Seattle

First named Wallin & Nordstrom, then Nordstrom’s, and lastly, Nordstrom.

“offer the customer the best possible service, selection, quality and value. “

Part I: What Senior Managers Can Do

Managers create, maintain, and support the corporate service culture. They consciously spread the culture of service throughout the organization and among new hires

Part I: What Senior Managers Can Do -Tools to Value Your Employees

Heroics – Employees who witness a colleague giving excellent customer service are encouraged to write up a description of what they saw and submit it to their manager.

Purpose – to give Nordstrom people a standard to aspire to and to surpass.

Outstanding acts of customer service are rewarded.

Part I: What Senior Managers Can Do –

Keys to Success

Make customers feel comfortable by paying attention to every detail of the experience – bricks and mortar or virtual. You must create an inviting place to do business

Make your public voice or face a pleasant one Create an atmosphere of helpfulness Create an atmosphere of professionalism Educate your customer to make sound choices

Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Service – Keys to Success

Nordstrom believes it is frontline supervisors that must create the atmosphere and the customer culture service to support senior managers. How?– Hiring the right people– Empowering staff– Mentoring employees– Praising and rewarding employee successes or

services

Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Service –

Keys to Success

Hire The Smile – Train The Skill– (Is This A Problem For

Librarians, Why? Perception) Hire The Personality And

The Confidence

Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service –

Keys to Success

Leo Kuntz – VP Washington/Alaska stores says people work at Nordstrom because:

1. Opportunity for growth2. Freedom (There are almost no barriers to

doing your job)3. Feeling that you are apart of something

meaningful4. Feeling valued


Keys to Success

The Nordstrom Way includes hiring good people and keep working with them, nurturing them, and giving them the tools to succeed– Empower employees – Nordstrom gives its

people on the sales floor the freedom to make entrepreneurial decisions and management backs them on those decisions. (store of Van Mensah and the shirts washed in hot water)

Nordstrom Inverted Pyramid

The Inverted Pyramid represents the company’s philosophy and structure, placing customers at the top. Next are those who directly serve customers


Keys to Success

Hire people who are looking to assume responsibility and ownership of their work

Trust the people you hire, trust their judgment

Give them freedom to make decisions Push decision-making responsibility and

authority down to the lowest level possible Encourage employees every step of the way.

Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service

The Nordstrom way includes hiring good people and keep working with them, nurturing them, and giving them the tools to succeed

– Mentoring – Nordstrom encourages employees to find a successful salesperson to watch how he or she does business. (You can observe a lot just by watching)

– The atmosphere of mentorship starts with the store manager, who understands the culture. Managers lead by positive example.

– Employees are also encouraged to find their own style, niche, their own way of taking care of business.

Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success

Find ways to motivate employees Treat employees with dignity and respect Utilize as training tools people who have

grown up in a culture Provide a culture where people encourage

each other. Recognition – reinforces the areas that

should be continue – Recognition meetings

Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success

Recognition – reinforces the areas that should be continue – Recognition meetings

– Praise employees for great acts of customer service

– Reward those great acts They encompass four key aspects (Kunz):

1. Demonstrating sincere, authentic appreciation2. Emphasize the team spirit3. Teach people something new4. Perpetuate the culture

Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success

Staff must understand that they are on the frontlines in making an organization a customer-service culture.

Frontline people must have a thorough knowledge of the products and services an organization offers because it is through those products and services that relationships are created, nurtured, and maintained.

Building and maintaining relationships with customers are essential elements to a good customer service philosophy.


Relationships are the essence of customer service.

Service = Sell RelationshipsPeople like to do business with people

they like! How?– Know the product– Know your resources


Relationship Building Principles Give clients more than they expect Leave clients something to remember you by Think the project (problem through) Ask yourself: “If I were the client would I pay

for this” Don’t give reasons why it can’t be done – Tell

how it can be done and the consequences.


Relationship Building Principles6. Don’t wait to do it if it can be done now

7. Service the client not the project

8. You don’t know if you don’t ask

9. Start a conversation with one new person every day

10. Write ideas being discussed in front of clients


Listen to the customer Understand customer’s needs Emphasize knowledge of your products and

services Be honest and sincere Track your sphere of influence Service the client not the project Become a source for new ideas Take responsibility

The Nordstrom Way Combines

1. Customer Service

2. Sales (results-oriented company)

3. Teamwork

Nordstrom believes that teamwork brings individuals closer together

Gee’s Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service

1. The Right Attitude Maintain a positive frame of

mind Prepare yourself Think about why you are

there Pay attention

Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service

2. Understand the Customer’s Needs

Prepare for a customer interaction Listen with an open-mind Understand what a need is Verify and clarify needs Be honest


Communicate Clearly Be clear Stick to the point

– Be honest Avoid the following phrases when giving

information “I’ll be honest with you” “I can’t” “I’ll let you know.” – Tell When


Communicate Clearly cont…– How to give unwelcome information – Accept responsibility

Be direct – Good news Bad news approach

Don’t tell them do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first

Encourage the customer to participate in finding the right solution

Acknowledge the customers feelings


4. Reach Agreement Working with diversity, not against it

– Looking for the win-win solution – Company policy – Whether the customer needs training on

product use – The cost involved


Reach Agreement cont. Build on the customer’s proposal Explain to the customer why you offered the solution and how it

will help the situation Ask questions to gain a better understanding of the situation Check you understanding by explaining the problem in your own

words Incorporate the customer’s ideas into your solution

Build and communicate on the joint ideas Be creative Promises


5. Check Understanding Steps:

– Make sure the customer understand the solution you’ve offered them

– Be prepared for customer input – Verify the facts – Check for agreement plan – Accept responsibility – End on a positive note – don’t brush off customer– Manage customer expectations


6. Take Action Turning negatives into positives Right thought comes before right action Behavior is what customers remember When the company is used as an excuse for

bad action


7. Build on Satisfaction Be helpful On the front line

The Nordstrom Way To Customer Service

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