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Robert Spector      

Customer Service Expert, Bestselling Author & Creator of "The Nordstrom Way"

Robert Spector is author of the business classic "The Nordstrom Way: The Inside Story of America’s Number One Customer Service Company." BusinessWeek magazine said the book had many insights into customer service.

He completely revised the original book in 2005 and again in 2012 to produce the first and second editions of "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: The Handbook for Becoming the Nordstrom of Your Industry." In 2017, Spector came out with an all-new third edition, titled "The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture," which Forbes Magazine selected as the Top Business Book of 2017. Spector is also the author of "Amazon.com: Get Big Fast," "The Mom & Pop Store: True Stories From the Heart of America," and "Anytime Anywhere: How the Best Bricks-and-Clicks Businesses Deliver Seamless Service to their Customers."

Since 1995, he has been a professional speaker to a vast array of companies, organizations, governmental agencies, non-profits, trade associations, conventions, corporate retreats, and special meetings in 27 countries.

Spector has contributed articles to many publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Women’s Wear Daily, Details, and National Lampoon. He has been a guest expert on national and local television, radio, and Internet programs, and is quoted in publications throughout the world.

A native of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Spector teaches at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, drawing from the work he’s done on Seattle-based retail icons including Nordstrom, Amazon.com, Starbucks and Costco.

Speech Topics


THE NORDSTROM WAY SURVIVAL GUIDE: Surviving and Thriving in the C-19 Universe

The Seattle Effect: Lessons from America’s Capital of Customer Service.

Seattle is home to some of the world’s most customer-focused companies: Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Costco, and REI, as well as the most customer-focused rock & roll band—Pearl Jam. What’s in the water in the great Northwest? Robert Spector has interviewed the leaders of these organizations and offers lessons for anyone who has a customer.

Amazon: How it Became the World’s Most Disruptive and Dangerous Company

How did Jeff Bezos’s company become the powerhouse that it is? Robert Spector, who wrote the first book about the juggernaut—“Amazon.com: Get Big Fast”—explains how they did it, and offers valuable take-aways for friends and foes alike.

Becoming the Nordstrom of Your Industry

Robert Spector shows companies and organizations how to become “The Nordstrom” of their industry. What makes Nordstrom Nordstrom? What are the values and principles that comprise the culture of this most customer-centric company? For more than a century, Nordstrom has succeeded because the company believes that the employee experience determines the customer experience. Spector has studied, written about, and spoken on the topic of Nordstrom for 25 years. His unique access to the company has given him special insight into the Nordstrom culture.

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