ColumnistsJun 06, 2023
Squirrel Spotting: The Challenge of Closing Sales ColumnistsJun 13, 2023
Squirrel Spotting: Own Your Customer Experience
When something goes wrong, fix the problem instead of blaming your employer or a fellow employee, Peter Smith writes.
Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer, and author. He can be reached via email at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com.
“The goodwill the customers have for the store is largely created or destroyed by the store’s employees. To most customers, the employee is the store.”
It’s hard to argue with the logic of that sentiment; it feels relevant, contemporary even.
It was written in 1946, and I found it in a book I discovered in one of those Little Free Library boxes on my regular walking route.
The book, “Retail Store Organization” by Preston Robinson and Norris Brisco (how great are those names!), was a terrific find, coming as it did from a small box usually stuffed with books from Ruth Ware, Jodi Picoult, and James Patterson.
Finding a 77-year-old book on retail in superb condition, with that extra little heft and old-book smell, was a touch of fairy dust.
I thought about that passage recently when I was waiting to check out at a Nordstrom Rack store.
Despite the hubbub of music, PA announcements and customer noise, a heated exchange between an obviously agitated customer and a store employee drew my attention.
As the customer rubbed his head in frustration, the employee asked, loud enough to be heard over all the noise, “Did they call you to say it was ready?”
I don’t know what happened next as I was summoned to the cashier to pay for my purchase, but the words of the employee stayed with me.
Did “they” call you, she had asked, as if she worked for someone else and not the store in question.
I wondered why that employee so readily split from her own employer to side with the aggrieved customer. A case of misplaced empathy, perhaps?
Or maybe she thought siding with the customer against their common enemy, her employer, was a good way to win him over?
Related stories will be right here …
It’s hard to argue with the logic of that sentiment; it feels relevant, contemporary even.
It was written in 1946, and I found it in a book I discovered in one of those Little Free Library boxes on my regular walking route.
The book, “Retail Store Organization” by Preston Robinson and Norris Brisco (how great are those names!), was a terrific find, coming as it did from a small box usually stuffed with books from Ruth Ware, Jodi Picoult, and James Patterson.
Finding a 77-year-old book on retail in superb condition, with that extra little heft and old-book smell, was a touch of fairy dust.
I thought about that passage recently when I was waiting to check out at a Nordstrom Rack store.
Despite the hubbub of music, PA announcements and customer noise, a heated exchange between an obviously agitated customer and a store employee drew my attention.
As the customer rubbed his head in frustration, the employee asked, loud enough to be heard over all the noise, “Did they call you to say it was ready?”
I don’t know what happened next as I was summoned to the cashier to pay for my purchase, but the words of the employee stayed with me.
Did “they” call you, she had asked, as if she worked for someone else and not the store in question.
I wondered why that employee so readily split from her own employer to side with the aggrieved customer. A case of misplaced empathy, perhaps?
Or maybe she thought siding with the customer against their common enemy, her employer, was a good way to win him over?
I had an unrelated but not entirely dissimilar experience after I ordered a pair of readers from Warby Parker a few weeks ago.
The associate in the store had encouraged me to order the glasses, indicating delivery was currently taking only about three days.
The emails from Warby Parker began almost as soon as I arrived home from the store, and the tone of the communication was more self-congratulatory than informative.
By the number of emails sent, you would have thought Warby Parker was tracking the progress of a lone traveler traversing the Silk Road on foot, not delivering a $100 pair of spectacles.
Unsurprisingly, the glasses didn’t arrive in three days, or four days, or even five days.
In fact, despite the endless, almost intrusive emails, the glasses never arrived at all, at least not that first pair.
Eventually there was, you guessed it, another email informing me the order was going to be redone (no apology, no explanation, and no concession on future purchases).
When I inquired as to what happened, expressing surprise that the promised three-day delivery was now up to two weeks and counting, the latest emailer indicated “she,” meaning the in-store associate, should not have communicated three days in the first place, as if that explained everything.
“Don’t over-communicate what you can’t or didn’t do. Don’t conscript me in hating on your colleagues or your employer; just own the problem.”
— Peter Smith
In “The Effortless Experience,” Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, and Rick Delsi wrote, “The data tells us that from a customer’s perspective, when something goes wrong, the overriding sentiment is, help me fix it. No need to dazzle me, please just solve the problem and let me get back to what I was doing before.”
Whether it was the dude in Nordstrom Rack or yours truly with Warby Parker, don’t over-communicate what you can’t or didn’t do.
Don’t conscript me in hating on your colleagues or your employer; just own the problem. Tell me you’re committed to getting to the bottom of it and do it.
What customers want more than anything else—more than a litany of emails, more than misguided empathy—is a frictionless experience.
Make shopping in your store a low-effort experience, and I’m certain customers will enjoy repeat visits.
It’s not that complicated.
Happy selling and always great to hear from you at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com.
More on Columnists
The Latest
EditorsDec 31, 2025
The Top 5 Stories of 2025Articles about crime, engagement rings, and a necklace worn in the World Series generated the most interest among readers.
MajorsDec 30, 2025
Becka Johnson Kibby to Lead Edge Retail AcademyAs part of the leadership transition, Sherry Smith will take on the role of vice president of coaching strategy and development.
SourcingDec 30, 2025
India Chosen as KP Chair for 2026It marks the third time the country has headed the Kimberley Process. Ghana will serve as vice chair.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
WatchesDec 30, 2025
Bulova, Stetson Collab on Watches With Western FlairThe new Bulova x Stetson designs highlight two animals often associated with the American West—the bison and the Texas Longhorn.
Weekly QuizDec 23, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsDec 30, 2025
Rahaminov Diamonds Pops Up in FloridaIts residency at Yamron Jewelers will run through May 2026.
IndependentsDec 29, 2025
In Memoriam: Industry Friends We Lost in 2025From influential executives to innovative designers, we pay tribute to the people we said goodbye to this year.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
MajorsDec 29, 2025
Tanishq Opens New Stores in Florida, VirginiaThe retailer is expanding into areas with large Indian and South Asian populations.
MajorsDec 29, 2025
Nanis Opens First Flagship Store The Italian brand has opened its first flagship amid the peaks of the Dolomites in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.
SourcingDec 29, 2025
‘Unearthed: Raw Beauty’ Exhibition Opens at LA MuseumThe new curation at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County showcases rare gem and mineral specimens in their uncut, natural state.
CrimeDec 24, 2025
LA Jewelry District Couple Pleads Guilty to Hiding Millions from IRSThe couple pleaded guilty to concealing at least $127 million in cash transactions at its precious metals businesses.
SurveysDec 24, 2025
Consumer Confidence Falls Again in DecemberConsumers shared concerns about prices, inflation, tariffs, trade, and politics in the survey’s write-in response section.
AuctionsDec 24, 2025
Bonhams to Open New U.S. Flagship in NYCIn February 2026, the auction house will move its headquarters to the former Steinway Hall, a neoclassical landmark on Billionaires’ Row.
Events & AwardsDec 24, 2025
NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Announces Winter EventThe new show will take place Jan. 23-25, 2026.
SourcingDec 23, 2025
Mining Titan Brian Gilbertson Dies at 82The former BHP Billiton leader and Gemfields chairman is remembered for his influential leadership throughout his 50-year mining career.
Events & AwardsDec 23, 2025
Bulgari Reimagines Costume Designers Guild AwardThe LVMH-owned brand has partnered with the costume design union to revamp its award for 2026.
MajorsDec 23, 2025
Kering to Acquire Stake in Raselli Franco GroupThe luxury titan inked a deal to acquire an initial minority stake in the jewelry manufacturer with a pathway to full ownership by 2032.
MajorsDec 23, 2025
For Future Reference Vintage Enters Bloomingdale’sThe company’s curation of unsigned vintage and estate jewelry debuted at the Bloomingdale’s in Costa Mesa, California.
CrimeDec 22, 2025
Customs Seizes Hundreds of Fake Rolex, Cartier WatchesIn the recent multi-shipment seizure, CBP also found counterfeit Audemars Piguet, Moncler, and Chrome Hearts items.
EditorsDec 22, 2025
How Helzberg Is Reimagining Its StoresHelzberg’s Chief Retail Officer Mitch Maggart shared details about its tests of a new store concept rooted in an elevated luxury experience.
Recorded WebinarsDec 22, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: Looking Back on an Eventful Year Jewelers of America execs and National Jeweler editors discuss tariffs, the sky-high gold price, and the engagement that broke the internet.
MajorsDec 19, 2025
MadaLuxe Group Acquires Ippolita The luxury goods company said founder Ippolita Rostagno will remain at the brand’s helm.
MajorsDec 19, 2025
LVMH Names New Bulgari CEOLaura Burdese, who joined the Italian luxury brand in 2022, will take on the role in July.
EditorsDec 19, 2025
2025 Jewelry Superlatives: A Yearbook-Style Year in Review The National Jeweler editors revisit the most noteworthy industry happenings and design trends from 2025.
AuctionsDec 19, 2025
Jean Schlumberger’s ‘African Cat’ Is Purr-Fection Need a gift for the cat lover who has everything? Look no further than our latest Piece of the Week.
AuctionsDec 18, 2025
Audemars Piguet Reclaims Historic Pocket Watch at AuctionIt purchased the “Grosse Pièce,” an ultra-complicated Audemars Piguet pocket watch from the ‘20s, for a record-breaking price at Sotheby’s.
