Make it personal. When you shop at Nordstrom, you have “your” person, by and large. This can be ad hoc, as in the salesperson who moves swiftly with you to help you select and ring up your purchases when you rushing into the store on your lunch break, or it can be longer-term and more comprehensive attention from a personal shopper who selects clothes she thinks will work with you, alerts you of the latest arrivals, and diplomatically warns you of what should be on your personal “what not to wear” list. So assuming that your business isn’t a clothing store, how can you make it personal? Simple ways include always sending marketing from an email address that can actually be replied to; having actual employees (with actual names, at least first names) handle your online chats, allowing employees to respond authentically to customers rather than slavishly having to follow scripts.
Charge what you’re worth, by minimizing price as a consideration.
Years ago, my friends and I used to joke that Nordstrom’s marketing slogan should be “We Will Not Be Oversold.” Our juvenile snark aside, don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth, or what you need to charge to keep the lights on. To be able to do this, though, takes two elements: guts and providing an experience for your customers that minimizes price as a consideration. The “guts” element is what lets you charge what you’re worth; the experience is what makes paying those prices worthwhile to your customers. The more your business “thinks like Nordstrom” –makes it clear to customers that you have their back, makes the experience pleasurable and safe and personal – the more price fades into the background rather than being the central consideration… though you can still have fun with pricing. Nordstrom does have its half-yearly sales for men and for women. Does this fit with what I’ve written above about minimizing price as a consideration? Maybe not exactly, but…the Nordstrom sales are an experience, a chance to bring some excitement to the retail experience. (Solomon, 2016).
One thing this article really highlights about Nordstrom’s customer service strategy is how personalized it is to the customer. Nordstrom’s way of service is unique in the sense that their associates take the time to work with each customer as personal shoppers and stylists, not cashiers. Not only personalizing the service to the customer’s wants, but personifying the representative assisting them, by for example using their name in an email or introducing themselves when in-person, can make the experience more personable across all businesses. Can customer service find more ways to be personable and provide personalized services? Is being personable a feature that customers expect in-person and online? The article also suggests that the higher prices at Nordstrom are in relation to the service and experience customers receive there. Do customers truly care about the customer service and experiences they receive at a business enough to pay a higher price point for them? Without specifically thinking about the price point aspect, I believe this just shows how much customers value the service they are given.
References.
Solomon, M. (2016, January 26). What any business can learn from the way Nordstrom handles customer service. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2016/01/26/what-any-business-can-learn-from-the-way-nordstrom-handles-customer-service/
