At one time or another, almost every retailer claims that theirfirst and only priority is to make the customer happy. Few,however, can duplicate what Nordstrom does. For the Seattle-basedupscale retailer, “the customer is always right” is not just apromotional motto but a way of life that guides the organization.The entire company is directed towards one goal––catering to theneeds of customers. Sales associates are given incredible freedomto do whatever is needed to make customers happy––refunding apurchase made years ago, personally delivering items to airportsand hotels for busy customers, and even lending out jewelry for acustomer who is attending a party. The importance of making acustomer happy even extends into store inventory, as managers tryto stock every conceivable size, color, and variant of an item sothat customers will always find what they are looking for. And inthe rare instance that they can’t, employees will call otherNordstrom stores, or even competitor stores, to track it down.
This emphasis on customer service has even spawned an urbanlegend. The story goes that many years ago, a man walked into aNordstrom store in Alaska (or Seattle) with two snow tires.Nordstrom, of course, doesn’t sell tires (snow or otherwise); theman had bought them from a tire store that had recently closed, thesite of which was taken over by Nordstrom. Nonetheless, the mantook the tires to a counter, said that he was unhappy with them,and asked for a full refund. The sales associate, eager to pleasethe customer, gave it to him.
As the HR team of Nordstrom, you face a particularchallenge––you need to create a team that is not only skilled forthe job, but also has the personality, attitude, and motivation toprovide consistent, superior customer service. Form a group withthree or four other students and discuss how you would approachstaffing and training issues at Nordstrom by answering thefollowing questions.
- Can a friendly, customer-oriented attitude be developed in aperson? Can Nordstrom “train” employees to prioritize makingcustomers happy, or is it purely a matter of personality? Whichtraining methods would you feel are most helpful? What would bethere benefits?
- What kind of selection tools from the ones you have learnedwould you use to find people who would fit Nordstrom’s culture ofcustomer service? Why would they be beneficial?
- What kind of training programs would help new employees learnwhat is expected of them at Nordstrom?
