Footwear Insight

48 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2017 footwearinsight.com The Value of Awareness RETAIL By Robert Spector Russell Wilson," observed Bill Belichick, "has an uncanny sense of aware- ness of what is around him, good or bad. You can't coach it, but all good players have it." The New England Patriots coach was marveling at the Seattle Seahawks quarterback's ability to improvise when a play doesn't go according to plan. That same kind of awareness – paying attention to everything happening with customers on the floor and making adjustments – is essential for sales- people to provide a superior in-store experience. Awareness, which includes mindful- ness, empathy and product knowledge, is one of the values featured in the all-new book "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture," which I co-authored with bre- Anne O. Reeves. This is the fourth in a series on Nordstrom that began in 1995. Ever since their humble beginnings as a little shoe store in downtown Seattle in 1901, every generation of Nordstrom family leadership has made it their priority to attract salespeople who demonstrate a keen awareness to the wants, needs and tastes of each and every individual customer. John W., the founder (his great-grand- sons lead the company today) was in the store every day, listening to what customers liked and disliked about the quality, fit and style of the shoes. He would write down that information on a piece of paper and put it in his suit pocket to remind himself of what to have in his store to satisfy his custom- ers and keep them loyal. That dedication to detail has been passed down through the generations, all of whom have started out on the sales floor, shoehorn in hand. "I learned to be more sensitive to what was happening around me, to notice what was hot and what was not, to be aware of what worked and what didn't work," said chairman emeritus Bruce Nordstrom, who began selling shoes as a teenager. "In order to run their own business, all of our entrepre- neurial salespeople must have that level of awareness." Asked about the best advice he gives his shoe salespeople, Bruce replied: "I tell them to measure both feet," which demonstrates product knowl- edge, followed by an awareness of trends that help to make a con- nection with the customer and to sell more mer- chandise. Awareness is impossible to achieve without experience. Because they've been there before, the most sea- soned and empathetic employees can recognize (and adjust to) both positive and negative signals and cues. On a daily basis, the Nordstrom cul- ture demonstrates, encourages and reminds every team member in every part of the organization to put them- selves in the shoes of the customer. That's why, when it comes to taking care of customers, Nordstrom has just one rule: "Use good judgment in all situations." This is also known as empowerment. Several managers told us that much of what happens at Nordstrom is "environ- mental," where new employees absorb the culture by watching and seeing the culture's focus and priorities. "You learn to live in the gray area at Nordstrom," said a salesperson. "You must look at each situation with new eyes and make sure you respond to the individual needs of the issue right in front of you, instead of applying a cookie- cutter solution. Living with ambiguity at Nordstrom can be challenging, but in the end it keeps our responses to people and issues very real." Employees comfortable with ambiguity can quickly evaluate situations and make speedy decisions. "We talk with our team all the time about floor awareness," said a manager. "Make sure you know who's on your floor and how you are going to help them. Have your head up so that you can greet and engage a customer. With a reg- ular customer, are you aware of who's in their family, and their network? Our cus- tomer service culture is to get to know you as a person. It helps us sell to you. But we're also your friends. My custom- ers are my friends because I've gotten to know their lives so well." Awareness is also a requisite at Nordstrom's Rack clearance stores. Geevy Thomas, former president of Rack (and now the chief innovation officer for the company), said, "We went from 'heads-down' service, which is about sizing; to 'heads-up' service. People on the floor must have their heads on a swivel to see the customers, be aware of what needs they might have and what opportunities we have to take care of them." In our book, we have countless stories of how the awareness of salespeople helped create lasting memories and long- term loyalty. We learned of one such story from a letter that an appreciative mom wrote to Nordstrom. After purchasing a prom dress for her 16-year-old daughter, the mom hoped to find a pair of match- ing shoes for the daughter, who walks with crutches and wears braces on her feet that go halfway up her shin, and consequently always had to wear "ugly, clunky" shoes to formal affairs. The Nordstrom shoe saleswoman promised she would find the perfect shoe for the teenager. When the mother returned to the store with her daughter, the saleswoman brought out a shoe that matched perfectly. The teenager "tried it on her like she was Cinderella," wrote the mother in a letter to Nordstrom man- agement. "It fit!!!!!!" The daughter, mother and saleswoman discussed whether to have a shoemaker add a bit of "insurance" (a strap or tie) to make sure the shoe would stay on. The saleswoman suggested that if they added a strap, they could hide it with a bow. As the mother and daughter were leaving, the saleswoman asked them to return with a picture of the girl at the prom, which they did. When customers perceive associates less as salespeople and more as prob- lem-solvers, those associates become more powerful ambassadors for the store brand they represent. And it all starts with awareness. Bill Belichick would be impressed. O "Living with ambiguity at Nordstrom can be challenging, but in the end it keeps our responses to people and issues very real." Robert Spector Reprinted from "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence" by Robert Spector and Breanne O. Reeves.

• Cover