THE NORDSTROM WAY: The Inside Story of America's #1 Customer Service Company is the first and only up-close and personal look at how this company became the national standard of customer service.
Written with the input of top Nordstrom management and sales personnel, the book spent 17 weeks on the Business Week Bestseller List, and was nominated for the Booz Allen Hamilton/Financial Times Global Business Award. It has been translated into Japanese, Korean and Mandarin Chinese.

Read Chapter 4:
"The Nordstrom Culture: Setting Employees Free"

What people are saying about The Nordstrom Way:

"Nobody does it better than Nordstrom. And this is the first thorough, close-up look at its service secrets. A real winner!"
—Tom Peters

"Nordstrom is legendary for the way they take care of the people who walk through their doors. Spector has made THE NORDSTROM WAY available for everyone to turn their ducks into eagles."
—Ken Blanchard, co-author, The One Minute Manager

"Outstanding customer service and Nordstrom are synonymous. Their innovative approach has allowed them to find out what the customers want and then do it. Their standards of service are what we all shoot for."
—David Glass, CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

"Nordstrom is a national model for outstanding customer service. American business should use this book as a primer to learn how to make and keep happy, satisfied customers."
—J. Willard Marriott, Jr., Chairman and President, Marriott International, Inc.

"When you run a family business that includes your customers as extended family, you’re unbeatable. This book outlines an American family saga that has become the admiration of the world."
—Leonard A. Lauder, President and CEO, Estee Lauder Companies

"Nordstrom’s business is built on one-to-one communication with the customer. Their professional salespeople bridge the gap between the designer and the consumer."
—Donna Karan, Design and Chief Executive Officer, Donna Karan Company

"This book documents in rich detail the marvelous ingredients in the stew that makes the Nordstrom Way so outstandingly successful. It hammers home the underlying truth: You must make the decision to trust people as customers and as employees. This pervades every aspect of Nordstrom described in this very readable book."
—Donald Petersen, retired chairman, Ford Motor Company

"THE NORDSTROM WAY takes an unusual look at the direct link between empowering your employees and creating a long-term sustainable relationship with your customers. More businesses should follow this example."
—Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO, Starbucks Coffee Company

"…for anyone looking to understand customer service at its best, this book bubbles with customer service insights."
—Business Week

"…shows how Nordstrom provides a culture that empowers employees and gives them the flexibility to be a ‘company of entrepreneurs."
—USA TODAY

"You don’t have to be a department store operator to be inspired by—and pick up ideas from THE NORDSTROM WAY. The approach has relevance to any kind of company for whom complete customer satisfaction is important."
—MaxiMarketing Insights

"If you’ve ever been a customer, you’ve probably experienced poor service. Robert Spector has written a book to help with this problem."
—Memphis Business Journal

"Highly recommended for any business collection."
—Library Journal

"The authors vividly illustrate the fine points of the customer-service strategy that has made Nordstrom one f the most respected—and feared—retail powerhouses in the United States."
—Training & Development Magazine

"The secrets of the Nordstroms’ success are spelled out in THE NORDSTROM WAY."
—Sales & Marketing Management

"Laced with anecdotes…the voices of the salespeople speak clearly through the pages…. Shows how American business change in order to succeed in the ‘90s."
—Positive Impact