If you know me well, you probably know that I started my career at Nordstrom. When I first started there, I wanted to rule the company and work my way all the way to the top. While it ended up not being the perfect career for me, I wanted to share why I’m forever grateful that I started my career in retail.
My articles aren’t normally this personal, but bear with me because I really believe that the moral of the story can benefit a lot of people, especially if you’re in business.
When I started at Nordstrom, I had a manager that shaped who I am as a person and as a business owner. She taught me the importance of organization, employee management standards, and most of all, how to provide the highest level of customer service. This didn’t mean saying “yes” to everything, but it meant truly connecting with the customers to figure out how to best meet their needs. The hours were long and the customers were difficult at times, but this experience produced my immeasurable respect for those who work in all forms of retail, and gave me a starting point from which I was able to grow my own business.
One of the first things I remember learning at Nordstrom is that we were supposed to greet customers within 30 seconds of them approaching and entering the department. While this exact concept isn’t applicable to non-retail business, the concept of acknowledging and responding to clients and inquiries quickly is a huge part of what has made my business successful.
I keep strong boundaries of only partaking in client communication between the hours of nine to five during the week days, however pretty much the first thing that people tend to say to me when I respond to them is “thank you for responding so quickly,” and it’s something that I’m very proud of. While the quality of your work or products is important, one of the concepts ingrained in me from my time in retail is that the service is just as important as the products. A regional manager once told me that people could find the same or a similar product anywhere, but the reason they choose to shop at a specific place is because of the service they receive.
The bottom line is that people want to shop from or with other people, not machines. This is why customers respond so well to unique and customized customer service.
With my business, I’m well aware that there are other resume writers and branding experts out there, but I know that at the end of the day people choose to work with me because of who I am and because of the business model I’ve created. Clients come first, and creating a product that they are proud to show as a representation of themselves is my number one goal.
I look back on my career, and I have to be honest and say that I’m glad that I don’t work in retail anymore (it’s just not for everyone). That being said, I’m forever grateful that I started my career in retail, because it taught me more than I could ever imagine, and it gave me a strong foundation which I used to start and grow by business.