The Nordstrom Way: The Inside Story of America's #1 Customer Service Company - Softcover

The Nordstrom Way "The Nordstroms 'wrote the book' on customer service. Now we have a chance to read, chapter by chapter, how through four generations this family has established one of the finest retail institutions in the world." -Peter Strom Former Vice Chairman, Polo/Ralph Lauren According to David Glass, President and CEO of Wal-Mart, Nordstrom's customer service standards are "what we all shoot for." In his 60 Minutes profile on Nordstrom, Morley Safer raved that the much-acclaimed "Nordstrom Way" was "not service like it used to be, but service like it never was." What makes Nordstrom so special? What, exactly, does this retail giant do that so clearly distinguishes it from the competition? How does the Nordstrom customer service culture work? And, most important, what lessons can industry learn from Nordstrom's example? This updated Second Edition reveals the secrets behind the phenomenal success of this American customer-service legend. Written by veteran journalist Robert Spector and top Nordstrom salesman Patrick McCarthy, and based on exclusive, in-depth interviews with the Nordstrom family, senior executives, directors, and salespeople, this captivating book tells you how this much admired-and much feared-powerhouse retains its customer-service supremacy in the competitive world of bricks-and-mortar retail. In The Nordstrom Way, the authors isolate practical lessons that teach how to better respond to customers' needs so they'll keep coming back to you, including:
* Valuing the nobility of good service
* Finding and bonding with customers
* Serving and keeping those customers
* Giving frontline people the freedom to make decisions
Packed with examples of excellent customer service, The Nordstrom Way offers a fresh behind-the-scenes look that provides lessons on how to find and focus on customer needs, follow-up, and customer satisfaction.

ROBERT SPECTOR is a Seattle-based freelance writer who has covered Nordstrom since 1982 for Women's Wear Daily and other publications of the Fairchild Fashion Group.

PATRICK D. McCARTHY, of Seattle, has been with Nordstrom for more than 20 years. He is one of the top-performing salespeople in the company.