Pulse Legacy Archive August 2012 | Page 74

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@LynneMcNees

I

have learned my fair share of lessons in retail and customer service
since I worked in the service industry from the age of 14. I had one
of my most memorable customer service lessons while working for
the upscale retail chain, Nordstrom, at Pentagon City in Washington,
D.C. I was working night shifts at Nordstrom as I was juggling a day-

PHOTO © TIFFANY BROWN

time job at The White House, working for former U.S. President George H.W.
Bush’s administration.
I clearly recall how frustrated I would become at the store’s no-questionsasked return policy where customers could easily return products on a whim
(some would even return boxes without the product inside!). Then, one day,
after a shopper came in to return a fragrance that was not even sold at
Nordstrom, I privately told my manager that we couldn’t accept a product that
was obviously not purchased in the store—it just wasn’t right! My manager
quickly put the generous return policy into perspective for me by asking, “Do
you have any idea how much this customer spends annually on shoes at
Nordstrom?” We processed the return with a smile and the happy customer
remained loyal to Nordstrom.
That was the day when I realized that in retail, there is a bigger picture that
sometimes eludes us if we don’t stay focused on what’s truly important to our
customers: quality service. It wasn’t about a fragrance, nor the ethical argument of returning a product that was clearly not purchased in the store, but it
was about upholding the company’s culture. In the case of Nordstrom, the
culture is all about people—putting the customer first—and having an enthusiasm for service.
To this day, I carry this valuable lesson with me. After all, are we not all in
the business of service and putting our customers first? Are we not constantly
looking for ways to better serve spa-goers with enthusiasm, whether through
providing value for their money or giving them the best possible care for their
health? In the end, as echoed in the articles in this “Retail and Profit” issue of

Pulse, it all comes down to two key questions:
1) How do you capture customers?
2) How do you keep them?
Now, pause for a minute and reflect how you’ll answer these all-too-important questions in order to keep your customers happy and loyal.

—LYNNE McNEES, ISPA PRESIDENT

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August 2012