Robert Spector

The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture
The fully revised and updated edition of the classic book about Nordstrom’s extraordinary customer service

In this new edition of the management classic, the authors explore in-depth the core values of the culture that have made Nordstrom synonymous with legendary customer service. These essential values have enabled Nordstrom to survive and adapt to dramatic market shifts regularly since 1901, and the new edition explains how the Nordstrom approach can be emulated by any organization—in any industry—in every corner of the world. This is not a book about selling shoes or clothes or cosmetics or jewelry. It is a book about how underlying values such as respect, trust, compensation and, even fun, are the building blocks of a culture where employees are empowered to consistently deliver a world-class experience to customers.

Nordstrom believes that the employee experience determines the customer experience, and that when you attract and reward people who are comfortable in a service-oriented culture, then everyone succeeds—both individually and collectively. No wonder Nordstrom is one of only five companies to make Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For” and “Most Admired” lists every year since those surveys have been taken.

With new interviews from senior Nordstrom executives and family members, the book explains how to successfully respond to today’s tech-savvy, time-crunched customers who demand a convenient, seamless, painless, personal experience across all channels. Nordstrom gives its frontline people all the digital tools necessary to satisfy the customer—and your organization must do the same, if it wants to adapt.

The authors show what it takes to earn brand loyalty, lead through change and uncertainty, and combine extraordinary brick-and-mortar with online experiences.

‘The single most important reason we try to provide great service is this: It enables us to sell more,’ says co-president Blake Nordstrom, great-grandson of the founder. ‘The best way for our company to achieve results is to do what’s best for the customer.’

The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: The Handbook For Becoming the “Nordstrom” of Your Industry

Virtually every company wants to be the Nordstrom of their industry. Nordstrom is one of only five companies to make Fortune′s “best companies to work for” and “most admired” list every year the surveys have been taken. Despite its position in the hard-hit retail sector, Nordstrom, with 193 stores in 28 states, never experienced a quarterly loss during the recent economic downturn. The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service, Second Edition explains what every business can learn from the world′s most famous customer-service-driven company.

“The Nordstrom Way shows the direct link between empowering your employees and creating a long-term relationship with your customers. More businesses should follow Nordstrom′s example.”
Howard Schultz, Chairman, Starbucks Coffee

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The growth of Amazon.com has become a symbol of the vast possibilities of Internet commerce – a business story replete with leadership lessons.

It is universally acknowledged that Amazon.com set the standards for buying, selling, bidding and trading on the Internet. Amazon.com takes readers inside the process, explaining how the company tailored existing technology to suit its needs and developed its own software when “off-the-shelf” products wouldn′t do. Robert Spector examines the life of Amazon.com′s overachieving founder, Jeff Bezos. Going beyond the media hype, Spector introduces a man ho not only has a grand plan, but the skills and imagination to implement it.

The Amazon.com story becomes more compelling as the company finds itself under attach by formerly Internet-challenged retailers, online startups, and by impatient investors waiting for the company to turn a profit. Based on exclusive interviews with investors and former employees who were there at the creation and development of the company, Amazon.com provides readers an invaluable look into what Bezos and his team have accomplished and what the future holds for the online giant. Most importantly, however, it tells readers how they cans tart right now to “get big fast.”

Professor Philip Kotler of Northwestern University called the book “a business history classic”, and Patricia Seybold, author of CUSTOMERS.COM said, “This is a must read for any serious player in the Internet Economy. Jeff Bezos′s fanatical focus on the total customer experience is the key takeaway.”

Click here to learn more about this book and to order it securely online from Amazon.com. When the Amazon.com screen comes up, simply click “add it to your shopping cart” to order.

The Nordstrom Way : The Inside Story of America′s # 1 Customer Service Company
by Robert Spector

THE NORDSTROM WAY: The Inside Story of America′s #1 Customer Service Company is the first and only up-close and personal look at how this company became the national standard of customer service. Written with the input of top Nordstrom management and sales personnel, the book spent 17 weeks on the Business Week Bestseller List, and was nominated for the Booz Allen Hamilton/Financial Times Global Business Award. It has been translated into Japanese, Korean and Mandarin Chinese.

Click here to learn more about this book and to order it securely online from Amazon.com. When the Amazon.com screen comes up, simply click “add it to your shopping cart” to order.

Praise for THE NORDSTROM WAY

“Nobody does it better than Nordstrom. And this is the first thorough, close-up look at its service secrets. A real winner!”
Tom Peters

“Nordstrom is legendary for the way they take care of the people who walk through their doors. Spector has made The Nordstrom Way available for everyone to turn their ducks into eagles.”
Ken Blanchard, co-author, The One Minute Manager

“Outstanding customer service and Nordstrom are synonymous. Their innovative approach has allowed them to find out what the customers want and then do it. Their standards of service are what we all shoot for.”
David Glass, CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

“Nordstrom is a national model for outstanding customer service. American business should use this book as a primer to learn how to make and keep happy, satisfied customers.”
J. Willard Marriott, Jr., Chairman and President, Marriott International, Inc.

“When you run a family business that includes your customers as extended family, you′re unbeatable. This book outlines an American family saga that has become the admiration of the world.”
Leonard A. Lauder, President and CEO, Estee Lauder Companies

“Nordstrom′s business is built on one-to-one communication with the customer. Their professional salespeople bridge the gap between the designer and the consumer.”
Donna Karan, Design and Chief Executive Officer, Donna Karan Company

“This book documents in rich detail the marvelous ingredients in the stew that makes The Nordstrom Way so outstandingly successful. It hammers home the underlying truth: You must make the decision to trust people as customers and as employees. This pervades every aspect of Nordstrom described in this very readable book.”
Donald Petersen, retired chairman, Ford Motor Company

“The Nordstrom Waytakes an unusual look at the direct link between empowering your employees and creating a long-term sustainable relationship with your customers. More businesses should follow this example.”
Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO, Starbucks Coffee Company

“…for anyone looking to understand customer service at its best, this book bubbles with customer service insights.”
Business Week

“…shows how Nordstrom provides a culture that empowers employees and gives them the flexibility to be a ′company of entrepreneurs.”
USA TODAY

“You don′t have to be a department store operator to be inspired by and pick up ideas from The Nordstrom Way. The approach has relevance to any kind of company for whom complete customer satisfaction is important.”
MaxiMarketing Insights

“If you′ve ever been a customer, you′ve probably experienced poor service. Robert Spector has written a book to help with this problem.”
Memphis Business Journal

“Highly recommended for any business collection.”
Library Journal

“The authors vividly illustrate the fine points of the customer-service strategy that has made Nordstrom one of the most respected and feared retail powerhouses in the United States.”
Training & Development Magazine

“The secrets of the Nordstroms′ success are spelled out in The Nordstrom Way.”
Sales & Marketing Management

“Laced with anecdotes…the voices of the salespeople speak clearly through the pages…. Shows how American business change in order to succeed in the ′90s.”
Positive Impact