Nordstrom's Customer Service Is The Definition of Above & Beyond

In 1975, a man returned to a store with four snow tires in the bed of his truck. He bought the tires at a tire shop several weeks before, and he needed to return them. But as he pulled up to the supposed-to-be tire shop where he purchased his tires, he discovered the tire shop was closed, and a Nordstrom was in its place.

After explaining his situation to a sales clerk, Nordstrom allowed him to return the tires and refunded his money.

Over 40 years later, people are still telling this story. A lot of people, actually.

If you Google ‘Nordstrom tires,’ you get roughly 3,380,000 results. There are blog posts, forum threads, and news articles dedicated to the story. That single  customer service experience gave Nordstrom decades of free publicity and offers a blueprint for customer service management strategies. Empowering employees to deliver personalized solutions fosters loyalty and memorable experiences. By adopting flexible policies and prioritizing the customer journey, businesses can turn satisfied customers into lasting advocates.

Below, we explore how Nordstrom’s effective customer experience (CX) frameworks translate to modern day contact centers:

Nordstrom’s Customer Service Heroes

Nordstrom has several policies to fasten capes to their representatives’ backs so they can be customer service heroes.

Indeed, Nordstrom is a towering testimony to the importance of empowering employees and supporting the policies that empower them to do what’s best for customers.

Nordstrom employees have the wiggle room they need to make snap decisions that benefit their customers. And they can unapologetically make those decisions without feeling like stepping outside the lines will earn them a pink slip from supervisors. As a result, empowered call center employees deliver exceptional customer service.

Going above and beyond to take care of customers is expected, encouraged, and praised above all else.

Nordstrom uses the power of fantastic customer service to remain a strong competitor in the retail space. And, they listen to their customers and use customer data to inform decisions about their service and better their customer experience.

 People are willing to pay a premium for the incredible, consistent customer service experience they get.

With all the hype around Nordstrom’s customer service, you might wonder if it’s all talk and no walk. I mean, what does it take to have customer service that is truly legendary? Does empowering your employees really make that big of a difference?

We were curious, too, so we scoured review sites for examples of Nordstrom employees going above and beyond for customers.

Here are the top 5 reviews we found and what they taught us about good customer service.

 

What we learned:

When you take responsibility for customer issues and get rid of their pain, it pays off. In fact, 73% of companies with above-average customer experience perform better financially than their competitors.

If you make sure the negative experience your customer had the first time around isn’t repeated, contact centers can boost customer satisfaction and loyalty, giving their business a competitive edge. Incorporating robust customer service management strategies, such as proactive issue resolution and personalized support, helps contact centers turn challenges into opportunities for long-term growth.

What we learned:

Customers remember the ease of their experience, and with AI-powered tools, contact centers can elevate that ease across every channel. Many users say a bad digital experience makes them less likely to do business with a company, but easy website navigation can increase conversion rates. 

The same goes for the ease of your customer experience and navigating through your service channels. By implementing AI-driven customer service management strategies, such as chatbots, predictive analytics, and personalized interactions, contact centers can create user-centric experiences that build loyalty and grow their customer base. 

Start with the technology in your contact center to support the best customer service experience, on every channel.

 

What we learned:

If your customer service experience is consistently fantastic, you’ll have customers who are endlessly loyal and think of your company above all others. A whopping 96% of customers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand. And, when they’re loyal, they’ll pay more for the quality.

Leverage the data already within your contact center to construct a better, more personalized customer experience. By analyzing customer interactions and preferences, you can optimize service delivery and strengthen loyalty across every touchpoint.

 

What we learned:

Delivering exceptional customer service through your contact center not only fosters loyalty but also drives repeat business and valuable word-of-mouth referrals. Customers who have a great experience with you will tell their friends, neighbors, and anyone else willing to listen about their experience. And, customers who have a great experience are 5x more likely to purchase again and 4x more likely to refer a friend to the company.

What we learned:

Surprise and delight customers, and customers will be thrilled to share their memorable experiences. This customer was surprised by Nordstrom’s fast speed and better price compared to a competitor. Personalized customer service paves the path for positive, long-term customer relationships.

To back that with some stats, 80% of customers say they’re more likely to do business with a company who offers personalized experiences. Offering up professional tailoring in a tight timeframe for one of your loyal customers makes them feel valued and recognized. Customers who have a personalized experience will come back again and again.

Nordstrom’s iconic customer service tale serves as a reminder of the power of strong customer service management strategies. Sharpen empowers businesses to deliver exceptional customer service experiences through its cloud-native contact center platform. With Sharpen, you can create the memorable, high-quality experiences that drive loyalty, repeat business, and word-of-mouth referrals—turning your contact center into a powerful engine for growth. Schedule a call today and learn how to keep customers happy in a world with the highest expectations.

Learn what trends are shaping the contact center and today’s customer experience, so you can adopt them for better service. Hear it from Frost & Sullivan in their Buyers Guide.