Nordstrom vs Starbucks and why Starbucks Kicks Ass
My experience shopping in the Nordstrom store at UTC Mall in San Diego today, Weds, Jun 28, 2006, during the lunch hour:
Entered store and found Men's Shoe Dept.
Approached salesman, a young guy.
He: "Can I help you?"
Me: "I see you're wearing Allen Edmonds" (Fairfaxes, to be exact)
He: "Yes"
Me: "I know this will be hard to find, but I'm looking for a pair of burgundy wingtips." (I wasn't going to risk confusing him by using the technical term, which is "cordovan".)
He: (indicating the shoes he is wearing): "We have these in burgundy."
Me: "Well, those aren't really wingtips, and they're pretty expensive-- about $400, I think. I'd like to spend less than that."
He: (pointing to a beautiful pair of woven shoes that is, alas, neither burgundy nor wingtip, possibly A-E Lauderdales): "How about these?"
Me: "I already have a pair similar to those and they're beautiful but they're not wingtips and they aren't burgundy."
At this point I specifically mention the A-E MacNeils, to give him an example of what I am looking for, saying I would like something similar, but less expensive. We then entered into a discussion of my desired pricepoint (about $150), and which brands might possibly have what I want at that price.
He: (pointing to a pair of shoes that is not even remotely related to what I asked for) "How about these?"
Me: "Those aren't wingtips or burgundy either."
He: "Well, I'll just let you look around for a while."
Me: "Thank you so very much."
I exit the Men's Shoe Dept. and Nordstrom store.
Now you'd think that a shoe salesman in Nordstrom who is himself wearing Allen Edmonds would know a thing or two about shoes. But, I am forced to conclude that this young man simply does not know what the words "burgundy" and "wingtip" mean, in which case, he is woefully ill-prepared to work in the Men's Shoe Dept at Nordstrom, and desperately requires further training.
The really sad thing (for Nordstrom's, not me so much) is that I went home, checked the Nordstrom web site, and they do indeed have *exactly* what I was looking for-- two different models, in fact, within the price range I specified. They are described on the site as "cordovan wingtips". Took me about 10 seconds to find them. (I typed in "wingtip" and "cordovan". Duh. Guess they can't do that from the sales floor in a Nordy's store.)
Why is it that the only big retailer who can live up to their reputation for service these days is Starbucks?
reply from reader:
Maybe you have to be over 40 to know what those words mean? Boy, that’s depressing…
my reply to reply:
Whell, I would draw an even more depressing conclusion, namely, that you have to be over 40 to provide decent customer service. But-- and here's the reason for the last paragraph in my message to Nordy's-- I KNOW THIS IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE THE KIDS WHO WORK AT STARBUCKS CAN DO IT!! And they do it consistently, day in and day out. They’re so damn good, I’m just flabbergasted.
Yes, I have gradually been won over by the big green coffee machine. I tried to hate them. Lord knows, I tried. They’re big, and faceless, and impersonal, and from Seattle (SF rival city & nemesis), and I’m sure they commit cruelty to coffee beans. Or something. But I just can’t dislike a company whose service and product is so darn good (well, at least, the drip coffee is good-- I never get the frou-frou drinks).
I have a theory that, in 20 years’ time, there will be two classes of professionals: those who worked at Starbucks in their youth, and those who didn’t. Those who did will put the customer service principles they learned at Starbucks to work in other ventures, founding and running great companies based on great customer service. They will be members of the Starbucks alumni network, and they will be rich and well-connected and powerful. Those who did not? They’ll still be toiling away at the men’s shoe counter at Nordstrom, trying to figure out why they can’t sell any shoes. If Nordstrom hasn’t gone bankrupt yet, that is.
In fact, I'm thinking of quitting my job and going to work as a cashier for Starbucks, just to learn their secrets. I'm going to send Starbucks an email today, as laudatory as the Nordstrom email was critical. I figure, if I'm going to bother giving feedback (as we never tire of doing in the Sillycone Valley) then I should give "positive" along with my "delta" (er, I mean, both praise and criticism, for those of you who don't speak Siliconese.)
There. That’s my blog for today.
Entered store and found Men's Shoe Dept.
Approached salesman, a young guy.
He: "Can I help you?"
Me: "I see you're wearing Allen Edmonds" (Fairfaxes, to be exact)
He: "Yes"
Me: "I know this will be hard to find, but I'm looking for a pair of burgundy wingtips." (I wasn't going to risk confusing him by using the technical term, which is "cordovan".)
He: (indicating the shoes he is wearing): "We have these in burgundy."
Me: "Well, those aren't really wingtips, and they're pretty expensive-- about $400, I think. I'd like to spend less than that."
He: (pointing to a beautiful pair of woven shoes that is, alas, neither burgundy nor wingtip, possibly A-E Lauderdales): "How about these?"
Me: "I already have a pair similar to those and they're beautiful but they're not wingtips and they aren't burgundy."
At this point I specifically mention the A-E MacNeils, to give him an example of what I am looking for, saying I would like something similar, but less expensive. We then entered into a discussion of my desired pricepoint (about $150), and which brands might possibly have what I want at that price.
He: (pointing to a pair of shoes that is not even remotely related to what I asked for) "How about these?"
Me: "Those aren't wingtips or burgundy either."
He: "Well, I'll just let you look around for a while."
Me: "Thank you so very much."
I exit the Men's Shoe Dept. and Nordstrom store.
Now you'd think that a shoe salesman in Nordstrom who is himself wearing Allen Edmonds would know a thing or two about shoes. But, I am forced to conclude that this young man simply does not know what the words "burgundy" and "wingtip" mean, in which case, he is woefully ill-prepared to work in the Men's Shoe Dept at Nordstrom, and desperately requires further training.
The really sad thing (for Nordstrom's, not me so much) is that I went home, checked the Nordstrom web site, and they do indeed have *exactly* what I was looking for-- two different models, in fact, within the price range I specified. They are described on the site as "cordovan wingtips". Took me about 10 seconds to find them. (I typed in "wingtip" and "cordovan". Duh. Guess they can't do that from the sales floor in a Nordy's store.)
Why is it that the only big retailer who can live up to their reputation for service these days is Starbucks?
reply from reader:
Maybe you have to be over 40 to know what those words mean? Boy, that’s depressing…
my reply to reply:
Whell, I would draw an even more depressing conclusion, namely, that you have to be over 40 to provide decent customer service. But-- and here's the reason for the last paragraph in my message to Nordy's-- I KNOW THIS IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE THE KIDS WHO WORK AT STARBUCKS CAN DO IT!! And they do it consistently, day in and day out. They’re so damn good, I’m just flabbergasted.
Yes, I have gradually been won over by the big green coffee machine. I tried to hate them. Lord knows, I tried. They’re big, and faceless, and impersonal, and from Seattle (SF rival city & nemesis), and I’m sure they commit cruelty to coffee beans. Or something. But I just can’t dislike a company whose service and product is so darn good (well, at least, the drip coffee is good-- I never get the frou-frou drinks).
I have a theory that, in 20 years’ time, there will be two classes of professionals: those who worked at Starbucks in their youth, and those who didn’t. Those who did will put the customer service principles they learned at Starbucks to work in other ventures, founding and running great companies based on great customer service. They will be members of the Starbucks alumni network, and they will be rich and well-connected and powerful. Those who did not? They’ll still be toiling away at the men’s shoe counter at Nordstrom, trying to figure out why they can’t sell any shoes. If Nordstrom hasn’t gone bankrupt yet, that is.
In fact, I'm thinking of quitting my job and going to work as a cashier for Starbucks, just to learn their secrets. I'm going to send Starbucks an email today, as laudatory as the Nordstrom email was critical. I figure, if I'm going to bother giving feedback (as we never tire of doing in the Sillycone Valley) then I should give "positive" along with my "delta" (er, I mean, both praise and criticism, for those of you who don't speak Siliconese.)
There. That’s my blog for today.
posted by Chicago MBA, Stanford BA at 6:52 PM
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