Do the Right Thing...
by Mary Jane
Mapes
"Use your good judgement in all situations. There will be no
additional rules." Those words can be found in the Nordstroms' Employee handbook. And
they are more than just words. They are words Nordstroms employees live by. And, Henk
couldn't have been happier.
Henk lives in Indianapolis, and spent a weekend in Chicago. While there,
he purchased a pair of shoes at Nordstrom Department Store. The following Monday morning,
he put on his new shoes to go to work, and noticed that they felt a bit tighter than he
remembered them feeling when he tried them on in the store. "Maybe my feet are a
little swollen this morning," he thought.
By mid-day, his shoes were pinching his feet so badly that he had to sit
down and take his shoes off. When he looked inside one of his shoes, he noticed that the
shoe size was a half size smaller than the shoes he thought he'd purchased. The Nordstrom
salesperson in Chicago had packaged up the wrong size shoes, and Henk had never noticed it
until he'd taken his shoes off that day.
That evening, he returned the shoes to the Indianapolis Nordstrom store.
Approaching the shoe salesperson, Henk said, "I've got a problem with these
shoes," to which the Nordstrom salesperson said, "Well, then I have an
opportunity to provide a solution. Tell me your problem." After hearing Henk's
problem, the salesperson apologized for the inconvenience, and with no questions asked,
gave him another pair of shoes in the proper size, refunded him $10 because they were $10
cheaper in Indianapolis than in Chicago, and even refunded him the difference between the
sales tax paid in Chicago and the sales tax in Indianapolis. The last thing he did was
thank Henk for returning the shoes and allowing him to correct the mistake. Henk walked
out of the store with a smile on his face, a new pair of shoes under his arm, and $10 plus
more money in his pocket. But then...That IS the Nordstrom Way.
Whether or not that's the way your organization does business, a lot can
be learned from this example. Let's take a closer look at what the Nordstrom salesperson
did:
He indicated that it was his job to find a solution to Henk's problem.
There was no, "It's not my problem," or "You'll have to take that up with
the manager." He had the authority to take necessary action, and he did.
He believed Henk. He didn't question or interrogate Henk as though he
were on a witness stand. He accepted what Henk said as the truth. He gave Henk no cause to
get defensive.
He apologized immediately for the inconvenience Henk had been caused. By
acknowledging the inconvenience, he made sure that Henk felt understood and justified in
returning the shoes. A nice warm stroke for Henk.
He went the extra mile, refunding Henk the difference between the cost
of shoes in Chicago and the cost of shoes in Indianapolis, tax included. Henk actually
left the store richer than when he'd entered it.
He thanked Henk for returning the shoes and giving HIM the opportunity
to make things right with Henk. In other words, he let Henk know that he was dependent on
Henk's business, not the other way around.
Wouldn't it be lovely if all our problem interactions could be handled
with such professionalism.
©Copyright 1999-2006 Mary Jane Mapes All rights reserved.
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