Thriving on Chaos

HPMD Quotes & Sources

So you want to buy a new suit? Well, one of our seminar participants did. He is an executive for a large national retailer, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. His two daughters and his wife are Nordstrom fans. They constantly bubble about it and pester him to shop there. He was frankly fed up with all the talk. Moreover, despite their comments to the contrary, he secretly suspected that Nordstrom charged an arm and a leg. (Nordstrom's policy is to match anyone's price for garment, if asked to do so.)
But he did need a suit badly. And a major sale was going on. At worst, he figured he didn't have too much to lose, especially with the sale. Reluctantly he went to Nordstrom.
The service in the store was good, he had to admit. And he did find a fine suit on sale, although he also picked up a second suit --at full price. Nordstrom promises same-day alterations. He noted, however, that there was a little asterisk next to the promise --next-day alteration was promised during sales. He chortled at this small chink in the armor.
He came back at 5:45 P.M. the next day to pick up his suits. It was fifteen minutes before closing. He needed the suits for a trip that night.
To his surprise, though he'd only been there once, his salesperson greeted him by name! The fellow then trotted upstairs to pick up the suits. Five minutes passed. The salesperson reappeared --without the goods. They hadn't been finished.
Though he needed the suits, our friend admits to secret glee. Without the suits, he took off for a Monday appointment in Seattle, after which he proceeded to Dallas for the big meeting of the trip.
He checked into his hotel and went up to his room. A message light informed him that a package had arrived for him. A bellhop fetched it --Federal Express, mailing fee $98. Yes, it was from Nordstrom. In it were his two suits, On top of the were three $25 silk ties (which he hadn't ordered) thrown in gratis! There was a note of apology from the salesperson, who had called his home and learned his travel arrangements from one of his daughters. With a smile of resignation, he admits that he's now a believer.

Short Quote:

Case Study: Nordstrom's

Author:	Peters, Tom
Title:	Thriving on Chaos
Periodical:
Volume:
Number:
Publisher:	Knopf
Place (City):	New York
Publication Date:	1987
Pages:	pp. 89-90
Source Type:	Book
Quote Number:	201
Categories:	Customer Service, Case Studies