#1 Rule in Customer Service

There is only one rule in the Nordstrom employee handbook: “Do what is right for the customers.” Similarly, The Ritz-Carlton employees have the power to spend up to $2,000 on the spot to make sure a customer’s needs are met.

Both companies understand that the best customer experiences happen when associates closest to the customer are able to make decisions and take action. When a difficult situation arises, customers will be satisfied as long as the problem can be resolved easily and quickly.

To raise the level of your company’s customer service, lower the level at which decisions are made.

– J.D. Crowe, Southeast Mortgage