Yesterday, I brought merchandise returns from two different departments into Nordstrom. I entered the north entrance of the store on the second level and approached the nearest salesperson, Stacy, asking, “I have a couple of returns, including an online return. Should I take them to Customer Service on the third
Much is said about a company’s responsibility to create an environment that fosters an engaged workforce, one in which employees are fully involved and enthusiastic. And while it’s true that employers should treat their employees fairly, provide them with achievement opportunities, recognize their contributions, and promote cooperative relations with others,
The other day I went through the line at my local supermarket with, among other items, an open bag of potato chips. (Potato chips weren’t even on my shopping list but they looked so good and salty on the end-cap display, I just couldn’t resist.) After scanning the bag of
John Wooden, the legendary former UCLA basketball coach, said, “Don’t confuse activity with achievement.” This insightful quote reminds me of the common misunderstanding plaguing service industry employees (management and non-management) everywhere: they confuse activity (executing job function) with excellence (demonstrating job essence). So many managers race to their superiors with
While directing the 1956 epic film The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. DeMille challenged a large group of extras portraying the Israelites to energize their performance, shouting, “Alright now. Give me everything you’ve got people! Don’t be extras. Be a nation!” DeMille’s exhortation of the extras reminds me of the ongoing
During a recent trip to Lakeshore Learning Store in Lone Tree, Colorado, I debated which set of Giant Soft & Safe Dinosaurs to buy my preschooler for Christmas. I chose the set containing a pterodactyl. As I laid the package on the counter, the cashier, Pete, affirmed my choice, exclaiming,
On Monday of this week I attempted to return a Price Pfister kitchen faucet purchased last year to Lowe’s Home Improvement store. The cashier, Karen, understandably denied my request citing Lowe’s 90-day return policy and the manufacturer’s 12-month warranty. (Although I no longer had the receipt, I estimated that 19
My local Nordstrom recently sponsored a Kids Shoe Tying Class where children worked one-on-one with a shoe department associate to learn the “secret trick” to tying a shoe. Afterward, children received a “Real Knotty Behavior” certificate and a balloon to recognize their newly acquired skill. This event illustrates seven simple
A blog reader recently shared this story: My family recently moved, but our kitchen was not completely finished. Making meals was difficult so we ordered take-out from a local New York Butcher Shoppe that offered a Wednesday meal special: basically $22 to feed a family of four to six, making
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