I confess: I’m a frequent shopper at Nordstrom. Why? Their customer service can’t be beat. When you’re looking for something in particular, they bend over backward to find it. For instance, recently I wanted Frederic Fekkai Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo. My local Nordstrom doesn’t carry it, but I had two sales associates within 30 seconds trying to get it on special order. One cashier couldn’t find it, so the other went online and found it for me at Ulta.com. They didn’t have to help me that much. Doesn’t your usual stores just say, “sorry, we don’t carry that item” and move on to the next customer? Only at Nordstrom do you get that kind of service.
What Nordstrom does that’s different than everyone else:
1. The customer is priority. Not their sales numbers, not their promos, not their timelines. The customer’s way is the way. If the customer needs something, Nordstrom makes sure they can help. If not, that customer won’t come back again and again. Nordstrom knows that. They also know that putting restrictions on the way a customer must interact with them as a store doesn’t help anyone. It might make the short term easier on their staff, but in the long term, the customer won’t mess with it.
2. Brick and mortar stores, online ordering, and phone orders all work together. You can return however you feel like returning your items. There are no questions asked. And there is no time limit on returns. I made the mistake of ordering a pair of work pants from another company and when they didn’t fit, neglected to return them in a timely manner. I was four days over their limit and they refused to take them back and give me a partial refund (just a partial, not what I paid). I pushed it and they took them back (only for a partial refund) and I marched down the mall to Nordstrom and bought another pair of pants that fit. That other company has not gotten one penny from me since.
3. Their associates know their product. We went at Christmas to purchase a wedding gift (his and hers designer watches) and the associate knew which ones would match, which ones were the most popular, which ones were on sale, and even talked me into a different watch than I had planned on getting. All because they knew the information about their product. It’s so simple, it’s almost stupid.
I challenge every moonlighting entrepreneur to really think about these issues. What happens when a customer needs something from you? Do you wait a day or two to respond? Do you forget to return their calls, not remember details of what their project will entail? Do you punish them for not doing things in a timely manner (that only fits your time table)? Customer service starts out small: punctual attention to appointments, professional attitude and interaction, and a thorough knowledge of your product or service so that you can assist your customers in making the best decision for them.
