The Nordy Pod

Ep 14. The Tire Story Is True!

Episode Summary

So, a little backstory for you on the Nordy Pod. In our earliest conversations about starting a podcast, as we brainstormed what the theme might be and what we would even talk about, a particular service story immediately rose to the top: a story that occurred over 40 years ago at a Nordstrom store in Fairbanks, Alaska, in which an employee of ours—regardless of the fact that we are purely a clothing retailer—received a strange request from a customer to return a set of tires. This incredibly unique and seemingly unbelievable story has become somewhat of a legend around here and acts as an extreme example of what's possible when our employees are empowered to use their best judgment in every customer interaction. It's held such an important role in strengthening our whole customer service ethos that we initially thought we might just call the podcast itself The Tire Story Is True. But today, to bring it full circle, this episode is entirely dedicated to the Nordstrom Tire Story. To gain a little more context on the tire story, I first sit down to chat with Robert Spector, author of a series of books called The Nordstrom Way, which largely highlights the impact of our service culture on the overall success of the company. After that, we manage to track down the actual employee who took the return for the tires all those years ago to get his firsthand account of the events that day. And to finish off the episode, we have one more amazing customer story that you're just going to have to hear to believe. No doubt about it, folks—the tire story is true! Thanks for tuning in to episode 14. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation!