Post on 12-May-2015
transcript
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
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– 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
Part II: What Supervisors Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service –
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.
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success
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
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success
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.
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success
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
Part III: What Employees Can Do to Create Nordstrom Style Customer Service – Keys to Success
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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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
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
Build and communicate on the joint ideas Be creative Promises
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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
Seven Keys to Delivering Great Service
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
7. Build on Satisfaction Be helpful On the front line