Nordstrom's Customer Service Tips - Learn from a Retailer

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Shep Hyken shares five tips from one of the most legendary customer service companies - Nordstrom.
For those of you that follow me, you may already know about a few of my favorite companies, known for excelling in customer service. There is one however that is legendary. As I travel around the country presenting speeches on customer service, I’ll ask the audience to name the brand they feel is best known for customer service. Who would you name? Well, if you named Nordstrom, you would be correct. They have created a reputation that truly is legendary. And, that legend started with the famous story about a customer trying to return tires to Nordstrom. The employee took the tires and the customer walked away happy. And, if you know the story, then you know that Nordstrom never even sold tires. I’m not here to tell the details of the story. You can look it up with a quick Google search. But it was that story that may have started the legend. So, with that in mind, here are five ways that Nordstrom creates AMAZING customer experiences.
1. Define Customer Service - This is where the legend begins. It doesn’t happen by accident. Nordstrom became world famous for their customer service reputation. Nordstrom created a twist on the employee golden rule and put this statement into their employee handbook in the form of their one and only rule, “use good judgement in all situations.” That’s how they defined good customer service… by using good judgement. This one rule is designed to empower their employees. We’ll get back to empowerment in just a moment.
2. Hire Right - Nordstrom hires people to fit their existing customer service culture, and they start with a very important question during the interview process: “What’s your definition of customer service?” They are looking for people already in alignment with their customer service vision, with the right attitude and the right mindset to want to provide the best service to every customer. By the way, there is no one correct answer. There are many ways to correctly answer that question. And, of course there are some wrong ones, as well.
3. Empower Your Employees - See I told you we’d get back to empowerment. This goes back to reinforcing their customer service rule, “Use good judgement in all situations.” You must trust and empower your employees to deliver on your company’s vision. From how they treat the customer, to how they handle a tough customer service situation, employees know what is expected of them, and their managers want them to be empowered to resolve any customer issues, treating their customer in a way that meets, if not exceeds the reputation Nordstrom is known for.
4. The Devil is in the Details - Nordstrom knows how important the details are, and they focus on details that enhance the customer’s experience. For instance, if you have a question about where something is located in the store, the sales person will actually walk you there, rather than point you in the right direction. Employees are also taught to walk your bagged purchase around the counter, rather than just handing them to you over the counter. They have a goal of answering the phone in no more than 2 rings. It may not seem like much, but every detail matters.
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5. Be Better Than the Competition - Nordstrom knows where their competition is, and with online retailers putting many department stores and mall stores out of business, Nordstrom aims to create a better experience as their differentiator. For example, they are now utilizing mobile pay for items, so you never have to wait in line to checkout. After all, you never need to wait online to pay - so why should you at their store? But one of the most exceptional things about Nordstrom is their return policy - because basically, there isn’t one. Nordstrom’s rule for returns boils down to that one and only rule - “Use good judgement in all situations.” It doesn’t matter how long ago you bought it, whether or not you have the receipts or tags attached, if there is any reason you’re wanting to return an item - they most likely will accept it. That’s something that sets them apart from the rest, allowing them to out-perform on customer service and thereby making them strong competition for the online retailers.
So, there you have it, five ways Nordstrom delivers amazing customer service day after day and year after year. These tips are applicable to every company in any industry. Define your customer service vision, hire the right people, empower them properly, teach them to manage the details and act in such a way that separates you from your competition.
For information about customer service training go to www.TheCustomer....

[@mauriciomontenegro3739]

It must to be Incredible to have a company that empower their employees. I hope I can have a day a job like that. Thank you for the video Shep.

[@ShepHykenSpeaker]

Thanks for watching and good luck to you!

[@on-usengagementbpo8431]

Very Informative. Inspiring.

[@ShepHykenSpeaker]

Great to hear!

[@bruddahsean]

Thanks 🙏 Shep !!! Excellent

[@ShepHykenSpeaker]

Thank you!

[@gabbys7163]

Love

[@decide4kamal]

❤🙌