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 service
2. 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.
–
The Nordstrom Way to Customer
Service Excellence
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The book is divided into three parts:
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Nordstrom believes it is frontline supervisors
that must create the atmosphere and the
customer culture service to support senior
managers. How?
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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
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Hire The Smile – Train The
Skill
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(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
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Leo Kuntz – VP Washington/Alaska stores
says people work at Nordstrom because:
Opportunity for growth
Freedom (There are almost no barriers to
doing your job)
Feeling that you are apart of something
meaningful
Feeling valued
Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
Keys to Success

The Nordstrom Way includes hiring good
people and keep working with them,
nurturing them, and giving them the tools to
succeed
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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
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The Inverted Pyramid represents the company’s
philosophy and structure, placing customers at the top.
Next are those who directly serve customers
Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
Keys to Success
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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
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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
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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
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Recognition – reinforces the areas that should
be continue – Recognition meetings
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Praise employees for great acts of customer
service
Reward those great acts
They encompass four key aspects (Kunz):
1.
2.
3.
4.
Demonstrating sincere, authentic appreciation
Emphasize the team spirit
Teach people something new
Perpetuate the culture
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
Keys to Success
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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.
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
Keys to Success
Relationships are the essence of
customer service.
 Service = Sell Relationships
 People like to do business with people
they like! How?
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Know the product
Know your resources
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
Keys to Success
Relationship Building Principles
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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.
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
Keys to Success
Relationship Building Principles
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
6.
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create
Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys
to Success
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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
Customer Service
2. Sales (results-oriented company)
3. Teamwork
Nordstrom believes that teamwork brings
individuals closer together
1.
Gee’s Seven Keys to
Delivering Great Service
1.
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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.
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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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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Communicate Clearly
Be clear
Stick to the point
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Be honest
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Avoid the following phrases when giving
information
“I’ll be honest with you”
“I can’t”
“I’ll let you know.” – Tell When
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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Communicate Clearly cont…
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Be direct
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How to give unwelcome information
Accept responsibility
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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
4. Reach Agreement
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Working with diversity, not against it
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Looking for the win-win solution
Company policy
Whether the customer needs training on
product use
The cost involved
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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
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Build and communicate on the joint ideas
Be creative
Promises
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
5. Check Understanding
 Steps:
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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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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7. Build on Satisfaction
Be helpful
On the front line