Nordstrom Customer Service Essay

Customer Service at Nordstrom: Discussion Questions

Question One It is true that conflict can arise from how employees deal with disgruntled customers. In a bid to defuse or prevent such conflict from occurring, Nordstrom has a unique approach to customer service as well as customer relationship management. The company focuses on ensuring that the customer is always happy. Specifically, the company, through its employees provides excellent customer service by keeping close tabs on customers as well as ensuring timely services. Another strategy the company uses is continuously seeking feedback from the customers through an online review platform (Debra & Quick, 2013, 508-509). Consequently, there are minimal or no cases of conflict between

Nordstrom cares more about the happiness and fulfillment of the customer because they are the main factors that underlie customer loyalty. When a customer is satisfied and happy with a brand, his loyalty towards the brand increases which leads to repeat business resulting in profitability. Putting the interests and concerns of others first as defined by Debra & Quick (2013, 491) is referred to as “cooperativeness” while the opposite: putting one’s interests first, is known as “assertiveness.” Evidently, the strategy by Nordstrom assumes the cooperativeness dimension because the company seeks to satisfy its customers and make them happy even if it is at the expense of sales revenues and profit margins. In conflict management, when the other party feels accommodated, the chances are that the relationship will be healthier and stronger. When Nordstrom concerns itself with achieving the goals and objectives of its customers through a well-equipped and friendly staff, it closes any loopholes through which conflict could emerge. Consequently, the company has emerged as one of the famous and most profitable fashion industries across the USA thanks to its happy and loyal

According to Debra & Quick (2013, 492), accommodating is a conflict management approach where an individual has concern and cares about the other party’s goals and are relatively indifferent about their own interests. Accommodating works effectively especially when the relationship is essential, and the accommodating party expects such a favor to be returned in future. Accommodating is also advantageous because it gives the conflicting parties a chance to focus on what is more important and the bigger picture instead of less essential interests (Manjunatha, 2015). Furthermore, individuals also have an opportunity to reassess the situation from a different angle. However, Debra & Quick (2013, 492) claim that overlying on accommodating can be dangerous. For instance, the accommodated party may eventually lose respect for the other side. Furthermore, it could lead to frustration on the part of the firm because its interests such as profitability are always left out of the question. The worst bit about accommodating is that parties may eventually overrate the significance of the affiliation and thus rely more profoundly on accommodating to the detriment of real