Robert speaking at Bizlinc in Richmond, Virginia.

Robert's Keynote Presentation:

HOW TO BECOME THE NORDSTROM OF YOUR INDUSTRY: The Nine Management Principles of America 's #1 Customer Service Company.

Robert's presentation, “How to Become The Nordstrom of Your Industry,” details the management principles that have made Nordstrom the gold standard for customer service, and a company that has inspired companies and organizations in every walk of life.

Robert shows your audience how Nordstrom:

• creates, maintains, encourages, and nurtures a 45,000-employee culture that is 100 percent committed to serving the customer.

• empowers its entrepreneurial employees to take customer service to new heights.

• gives frontline people the freedom to make decisions-and then supports those decisions.

• values the nobility of customer service and encourages employees to become othercentered rather than self-centered.

• transfers this culture as it expands throughout the U.S.

• has created name-brand recognition of what the company represents.

• serves as a model of employee empowerment that can be emulated by your organization.

The Nine Management Principles of America 's #1 Customer Service Company:

• Provide your customers with choices—of products, services and service channels.

• Create an inviting place for your customers—in person, online and on the phone.

• Sell the relationship: Service your clients through the products and services you offer.

• Hire nice, motivated people.

• Empower employees to take ownership…by minimizing the rules.

• Sustain the people on the frontlines through a culture of support and mentorship.

• Nurture a service culture through recognition and praise.

• Advocate teamwork through internal customer service.

• Commit 100% to customer service.

Robert's Half-Day Program

My half-day program runs between three and four hours.
The program consists of the following:

The keynote speech (60-75 minutes)

This section covers The Nine Management Principles of America's #1 Customer Service Company:

• Provide your customers with choices—of products, services and service channels.
• Create an inviting place for your customers—in person, online and on the phone.
• Sell the relationship: Service your clients through the products and services you offer.
• Hire nice, motivated people.
• Empower employees to take ownership…by minimizing the rules.
• Sustain the people on the frontlines through a culture of support and mentorship.
• Nurture a service culture through recognition and praise.
• Advocate teamwork through internal customer service.
• Commit 100% to customer service.

Break: 15 minutes.

Brainstorming Session: 90 minutes

After we reconvene, we divide the group into 8 subgroups, by having people count off 1 through 8. Each of these groups convenes in a specific area of the room, where they have an easel pad with writing materials. Each group is assigned one of the first 8 customer-service principles. They are asked to select a spokesperson for their respective group. Their assignment: “In 8 minutes, come up with a list of actions and ideas that you can employ in your organization.”

I walk around the room, to make sure that everyone understands the assignment, to offer encouragement and to maintain the energy.

After 8 minutes, we reconvene.

The spokesperson for each group brings to the front of the room, and then reads, the list that his/her group has compiled.

After the spokesperson completes reading the list, I ask the rest of the group if they can add any ideas to the list. (This feature promotes a lot of exchanges of ideas among all participants.)

The same exercise is repeated with with Principles 2 through 8.

One representative of the client is assigned the task of writing down all the day's ideas and actions. The client will later print out the results and distribute it to every one in attendance. This is the ultimate take-home hand-out for the day.

I use a lot of humor in this program. I like to have a good time, and I like to make sure that everyone else has a good time—and goes home with a better idea of how to give great customer service.