The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence

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Featured Interview:

Shep and Robert discuss the impact Nordstrom’s values and culture have on their customer and employee experience. Robert shares a bit about the history of Nordstrom – like the facts they have been around 116 years – they’ve survived two world wars, made it through The Great Depression, and more. Nordstrom sets a standard above the rest by making trust their number one value and by constantly innovating and adapting to the changing consumer buying habits. This is all about customer service and creating a customer-focused culture that makes customers want to come back again and again!

Top Takeaways:

• Don’t try to convince employees to share your core values – you want to attract employees who already instill your core values.
• Trust – it is the basis for all relationships. Nordstrom demonstrates how it trusts it’s employees through their unique employee handbook which is on a 5 by 7 card that reads on one side, “Welcome to Nordstrom we’re glad to have you with our company, we have only one rule…” Turn it over to reveal that one rule, “Use good judgment in all situations.”
• Three Incredible Truths
  • Most people want to do a good job.
  • Most people want to feel a part of something bigger than themselves.
  • It’s up to management to make that happen.
• Innovation and Adaptation – Nordstrom has been around so long due to its ability to innovate and adapt. They started as a shoe store. They moved into selling clothing and accessories. They moved from just the big store anchoring a mall to the addition of Nordstrom Rack, an online presence and several forward-thinking concepts. And throughout all of this, they never lost sight of the importance of the customer. Everything is about the customer!
• Define and live your values – If you want to instill a culture of employee and customer focus, you have to identify your values and then hire, attract, and coach to those values – that’s how you become the Nordstrom of your industry (and you have to emphasize that every day).

About:

Robert Spector is and author, teacher, co-founder of RSI consultancy and the co-author of The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, “New York Times” best-selling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

“If it’s not helping the customer, it’s not customer service.” – Robert Spector

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

1. How can I create a better customer experience?
2. How can I be more like Nordstrom?
3. How can I deliver customer service like Nordstrom?
4. How do I hire right?
5. What can I do to create a better service experience?
6. How can I create a customer-focused culture?