If a retail business has an exceptional sales team, they are guaranteed success. Yet few businesses do. Most rely on their products and services for their repeats, referrals, and reputation. It's common, it's easy, and it doesn't require a passion to achieve great things. It's the only way they have, so far, learned how to do it.
Nordstrom is a classic example of a passion to excel in the retail industry. They are known for excellent products and "best of the best" service. But it's their customer service (sales) teams that create memorable customer service experiences. Professional, sincere, trustworthy, well-groomed, efficient, and energetic. The company supports them with their unique policies, but every person on the sales floor is an expert (or being trained to be an expert) in how to sell customer service. Sincere, effective persuasion skills that make "Would you like______________ to go with that?" a comfortable inquiry, not a robotic question asked of every customer because it is company policy. Nordstrom has the policy, but you don't feel like they are asking to improve the size of their commission check.
A trip to Nordstrom is "the excitement program!" I live a couple of blocks from their Flagship store and stroll through the store every few days just to see excellence in action. Without exception, every walk through looks, sounds, smells, and feels exceptional.
Tully's Coffee, and many retail businesses like Tully's, have great products, provide average to above average service, and offer excellent benefits to their employees. They are good companies doing a good job of delivering their products and services to the general public, but they seldom have a passion for excellence that is evident in their coffee houses. They seldom have the excitement, energy, or enthusiasm of a top flight team that excels in selling both products and customer service. They lack a team a leadership and management system that creates, motivates, and retains entire staffs of memorable achievers.
I think the coffee Tully's Coffee serves is among the best of the best. But if their model model for success also included a passionate best of the best sales and service staff (customer experience), going public would soon be a reality.
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