Let's meet the team, shall we???
Make sure to hit "Older Posts" at the bottom of the page to progress through the entire Blog. There is also a chapter guide on the side.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Kristen Herron
I am married with 3 kids (1 boy 9 and 2 girls 7 and 5) My weekends are spent managing baseball, soccer and dance and when time allows drinking red wine and gardening. On Fall weekends, I also love to watch the Oregon Ducks and college
Heather Anderson
I have been working for Nike for almost 10 years, a decade down and many more to come
I’m a raving shopaholic with no money! My co-workers have an intervention planned for me soon, so I don’t get in trouble from my cheap a$$ husband
Michelle Case
Been with Nike creepin up on 7 years, evolving every year.
Enjoy all kinds of sports, participating and watching
Animal lover extraordinaire
One fab-u-lous son, that is the light of my life
Richard Boaz
Football, football, football. Did I mention I love college and pro football?? I grew up in the South watching SEC conference and had the privilege of seeing Reggie White play in the pros. So happy football season is back in style.
Erin Dineen
I was born in Estonia and helped build boats with my seven sisters as I grew up. I moved to the States in 1996 and live in a yurt outside of Forest Grove with my two parrots, a gecko and my blind Aunt. I enjoy growing radishes from seed and listening to early Black Sabbath.
Joyceann Windham
A grandmother of three and world traveler. Countries explored: England, Scotland, Wales, France, Corsica, Italy, Sicily, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada and Mexico. Sometime traveling companion, Lindsey oldest granddaughter. Waiting in line, the next two grand children for their chance to see the world.
Lisa Hanson
I’ve worked at Nike for the past 15 years. I started in the Employee store with no aspirations to climb the corporate ladder. At the ES the folks I worked with were amazing, each (very young) person had large goals most of them really achieved greatness. They were surprised to learn my largest goal was waiting to see what new shoe I’d get to wear for the next season. I’ve moved jobs 3 times from the ES to CS to sales and back where I have loved every job I’ve had. I’ve been married for 20 years and have 2 great Teenagers who are getting more fun every day! That’s the truth!
Dee Dee Davis
Born in California
Lived in Oregon most of my life
Have two kids and two dogs (prefer living with the dogs)
And the stories I could tell…
Brooke Weltzin
I am 28 years old. I have a seven year old little girl and just recently got married. I am one who doesn’t have a lot of free time and doesn’t really spend a lot of it shopping. I know many of us with kids will agree that being able to get in and out with what you need is a definite advantage. I spend a lot of my time at swim meets, soccer and tee ball games. The rest is spent at home either relaxing or just catching up with my family.
Brian Struve
Been with Nike for five years and love it. (Busy) Father of four year old triplets. Love to ride my bike, fish and camp. Used to mountain climb, but that was put on the back burner when the kids came. Maybe some day they can take me up to the top of Mt Rainier…
Hand's on Customer Love PDS Style
How do you get to know your customer? How do you get closer to the product and the consumer? You go to the store and get first hand experience. That is just what we did on July 16th. On the day before the famous Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, our team embarked on a journey downtown to visit Nordstrom and Macy's and check out our Nike product on display. We talked with the sales team in both stores and spent quite a bit of time comparing and contrasting the display of Nike product at both of the stores. Here are some quick shots and some follow up comments on the visits.
Go Team PDS!!
Some thoughts on the Downtown Macy's and Nordstom visits
Heather Anderson~
Nordstrom DT Anniversary Sale visit
Women’s Apparel
*ANN product was hard to find, it was not up front but scattered in the middle
*the presentation was not great, not many displays
*little ANN product-2 4-ways and a rounder of misc Nike mixed with other brands
*mannequins were dressed in Nike apparel, but had on Adidas shoes (not good to mix brands)
Women’s Footwear
*Nike product was at the back of the BP shoe dept on a table mixed with other brands
*limited styles to choose from
* DT Portland store doesn’t carry many styles as Nike Town is a few blocks away
Nordstrom Washington Square Anniversary Sale visit
Women’s Apparel
*Nike product was up front as you entered the store
*lots of product, 2 4-ways and a rounder of Misc. pieces (Nike only) by size-neat and clean
*Displays were nice and mannequins dressed head to toe in Nike
*Sales people were wearing Nike apparel
** Women’s Apparel overall ANN sales
-14% sales
-5% units
Sell thru 74%
Women’s Footwear
*ANN product was in 2 key locations-right in front of BP shoe dept and also on a table in the back of the dept right of the cashier.
*Nice presentation-Nike displayed by itself not with other brands
*Nice selection of styles to choose from
**Women’s Footwear overall ANN sales
-5% sales
-2% units
Sell thru 55.9%
Richard Boaz~
Thursday July 23rd, the Premium Department stores visited Nordstrom and Macy’s Stores at Pioneer Square. We first visited Nordstrom and saw that it was pretty easy to find Men’s Women’s and Kids footwear out on the floor. There were fewer Men’s shoes displayed, but Women’s and Kids had great style assortments. Our group then looked at apparel and didn’t find large assortments for kids, but found some for Women’s and Men’s.
The second store visited was Macy’s. Riding the escalators up floors reminded me of the original Macy’s in New York. Footwear was easy to find for Women’s but didn’t see any for Men’s and Kids. Apparel assortments were setup well for Men’s, Women’s and Kids. We could easily find the Nike Swoosh and plenty of availability with the stories that went with the product.
Erin Dineen~
Macy’s has a list of Policies that they as a company try to abide by. In many ways, these policies are very similar to those that were on display during the past Customer Love challenge. Their list is a follows:
• We subscribe to ethical business practices in every facet of out business
• We will protect the interests of our shareholders
• We will provide quality and value to our customers in all dealings.
• We will obey all laws.
• We will treat others as we want them to treat us.
• We will respect the rights and property of others.
• We will be good corporate citizens.
The two that stand out to me as being the most similar to our own are the statement in regards to the ethical business practices because this deals with our Customer Service department as vendors and the statement about providing quality and value to our customers.
As a vendor of the Macy’s organization, I have seen them adhering to this policy. I feel that at this point in our business relationship, I trust those at Macy’s to be honest with me and to help me get the product to them. For example, they understand the need for extensions and are almost always willing to grant them because I feel that they trust that I am doing what I can to get them as much product within the original shipping window as I can. If we can work together as a team, trust one another and follow ethical business practices, we can all get what we want out of this relationship.
From a customer stand point, I didn’t experience too much eagerness to meet or exceed our expectations during our group visit to the downtown store but that could have been because we didn’t look like we needed too much help and in this particular situation, we didn’t exactly need any assistance. We tended to bee-line for any wall that had a swoosh to take a look at the product. I think there were sales associates in a few of the departments who were trying to assess our needs, being such a large and diverse group, but for the most part, they let us do our thing, take pictures and try on clothes. There were definitely a few associates who tried to point us in the right direction as we would read the signs and discuss our next move.
I think the policies that Macy’s Inc. lays out for their employees to follow are well written and cover all of the people their business touches and beyond.
Joyceann Windham~
The Macy's Downtown Store is unique due to its 8 floors of merchandise. Men's, women's and kids apparel are on separate floors. Being unfamiliar with the floor plan, I needed to refer to The Directory to find each department. I found them colorful and attractive in layout. Nike athletics' pictures were posted in both men's and women's. The variety of product was good with color pops.
Brooke Weltzin~
During our trip to Nordstrom and Macy’s in Pioneer Square, I was able to check out different stores than where I normally go. Being that I live on the west side of town, I normally do my shopping at Washington Square. I know from experience in shopping there, that both Nordstrom and Macy’s at Washington Square have a large selection of Nike product regularly. It was nice (being someone who likes to find what I’m looking for pretty quickly) to be able to walk into a new store and see what the setup was and where everything was located. When we asked the sales associates upon entering the stores, where to find the Nike product, at both stores they knew exactly what floor and department to send us to. We were able to find Nike product pretty quickly in most departments as it was marked with our Nike story and a large enough display to where it stood out amongst the others. We had a little trouble finding Men’s footwear in Nordstrom’s, but were quickly reminded that with a Niketown right down the street, the competition was pretty thick. That being said, all other departments (women’s, kids, apparel and footwear) seemed to have a decent selection of our product. You can see by the pictures illustrating our trip. I would be more than happy to head into both Nordstrom and Macy’s in Pioneer Square to do my shopping as I would be able to run in and find exactly what I’m looking for. The sales associates were great at assisting us and were incredibly friendly and seemed happy to help. It was an overall good experience.
Nordstrom DT Anniversary Sale visit
Women’s Apparel
*ANN product was hard to find, it was not up front but scattered in the middle
*the presentation was not great, not many displays
*little ANN product-2 4-ways and a rounder of misc Nike mixed with other brands
*mannequins were dressed in Nike apparel, but had on Adidas shoes (not good to mix brands)
Women’s Footwear
*Nike product was at the back of the BP shoe dept on a table mixed with other brands
*limited styles to choose from
* DT Portland store doesn’t carry many styles as Nike Town is a few blocks away
Nordstrom Washington Square Anniversary Sale visit
Women’s Apparel
*Nike product was up front as you entered the store
*lots of product, 2 4-ways and a rounder of Misc. pieces (Nike only) by size-neat and clean
*Displays were nice and mannequins dressed head to toe in Nike
*Sales people were wearing Nike apparel
** Women’s Apparel overall ANN sales
-14% sales
-5% units
Sell thru 74%
Women’s Footwear
*ANN product was in 2 key locations-right in front of BP shoe dept and also on a table in the back of the dept right of the cashier.
*Nice presentation-Nike displayed by itself not with other brands
*Nice selection of styles to choose from
**Women’s Footwear overall ANN sales
-5% sales
-2% units
Sell thru 55.9%
Richard Boaz~
Thursday July 23rd, the Premium Department stores visited Nordstrom and Macy’s Stores at Pioneer Square. We first visited Nordstrom and saw that it was pretty easy to find Men’s Women’s and Kids footwear out on the floor. There were fewer Men’s shoes displayed, but Women’s and Kids had great style assortments. Our group then looked at apparel and didn’t find large assortments for kids, but found some for Women’s and Men’s.
The second store visited was Macy’s. Riding the escalators up floors reminded me of the original Macy’s in New York. Footwear was easy to find for Women’s but didn’t see any for Men’s and Kids. Apparel assortments were setup well for Men’s, Women’s and Kids. We could easily find the Nike Swoosh and plenty of availability with the stories that went with the product.
Erin Dineen~
Macy’s has a list of Policies that they as a company try to abide by. In many ways, these policies are very similar to those that were on display during the past Customer Love challenge. Their list is a follows:
• We subscribe to ethical business practices in every facet of out business
• We will protect the interests of our shareholders
• We will provide quality and value to our customers in all dealings.
• We will obey all laws.
• We will treat others as we want them to treat us.
• We will respect the rights and property of others.
• We will be good corporate citizens.
The two that stand out to me as being the most similar to our own are the statement in regards to the ethical business practices because this deals with our Customer Service department as vendors and the statement about providing quality and value to our customers.
As a vendor of the Macy’s organization, I have seen them adhering to this policy. I feel that at this point in our business relationship, I trust those at Macy’s to be honest with me and to help me get the product to them. For example, they understand the need for extensions and are almost always willing to grant them because I feel that they trust that I am doing what I can to get them as much product within the original shipping window as I can. If we can work together as a team, trust one another and follow ethical business practices, we can all get what we want out of this relationship.
From a customer stand point, I didn’t experience too much eagerness to meet or exceed our expectations during our group visit to the downtown store but that could have been because we didn’t look like we needed too much help and in this particular situation, we didn’t exactly need any assistance. We tended to bee-line for any wall that had a swoosh to take a look at the product. I think there were sales associates in a few of the departments who were trying to assess our needs, being such a large and diverse group, but for the most part, they let us do our thing, take pictures and try on clothes. There were definitely a few associates who tried to point us in the right direction as we would read the signs and discuss our next move.
I think the policies that Macy’s Inc. lays out for their employees to follow are well written and cover all of the people their business touches and beyond.
Joyceann Windham~
The Macy's Downtown Store is unique due to its 8 floors of merchandise. Men's, women's and kids apparel are on separate floors. Being unfamiliar with the floor plan, I needed to refer to The Directory to find each department. I found them colorful and attractive in layout. Nike athletics' pictures were posted in both men's and women's. The variety of product was good with color pops.
Brooke Weltzin~
During our trip to Nordstrom and Macy’s in Pioneer Square, I was able to check out different stores than where I normally go. Being that I live on the west side of town, I normally do my shopping at Washington Square. I know from experience in shopping there, that both Nordstrom and Macy’s at Washington Square have a large selection of Nike product regularly. It was nice (being someone who likes to find what I’m looking for pretty quickly) to be able to walk into a new store and see what the setup was and where everything was located. When we asked the sales associates upon entering the stores, where to find the Nike product, at both stores they knew exactly what floor and department to send us to. We were able to find Nike product pretty quickly in most departments as it was marked with our Nike story and a large enough display to where it stood out amongst the others. We had a little trouble finding Men’s footwear in Nordstrom’s, but were quickly reminded that with a Niketown right down the street, the competition was pretty thick. That being said, all other departments (women’s, kids, apparel and footwear) seemed to have a decent selection of our product. You can see by the pictures illustrating our trip. I would be more than happy to head into both Nordstrom and Macy’s in Pioneer Square to do my shopping as I would be able to run in and find exactly what I’m looking for. The sales associates were great at assisting us and were incredibly friendly and seemed happy to help. It was an overall good experience.
Some quick PDS videos
Catch a glimpse of some members of our team chatting about Nike and our customers.
Kristen Herron
Erin Dineen
Heather Anderson and Michelle Case
Brian Struve
Richard Boaz
Brooke Weltzin
Kristen Herron
Erin Dineen
Heather Anderson and Michelle Case
Brian Struve
Richard Boaz
Brooke Weltzin
FORE!!
A few shots from the first Customer Love Challenge. We received an honrable mention and had a blast creating the "No Kats Allowed" golf hole. Get it???
*****LIVE BLOGGING FROM THE PDS TEAM*****
Here are some blogging posts that our team did over a two week period. A nice insight into our world here in the PDS team. We also sprinkled in a few videos for your enjoyment.
Have fun!
Have fun!
Lisa Hanson ~ Live blog 8.17 10:19 a.m.
When I thought about customer service nothing came to mind, but the one thing I’ve learned over the years is how to communicate. Communication comes in many forms, and sometimes I feel we’ve lost that with all the forms and attachments required to do our jobs. There seems to be very little either phone or face to face communication. When I started in CS I worked directly with the DC, Inventory, Demand planning, Sales and even sales managers to get the job done. Even though we had to go to campus, it forced you outside of your comfort zone where getting your point across was imperative. That was where I learned to clearly and concisely communicate my needs. CSR’s were required to attend different meetings where our audience was the GMM down to the area manager. My hopes for the future are to get back to a semi form of real communication.
Brian Struve ~ Live blog 8.17 12:17 p.m.
I just passed my five year mark in Customer Service here at Nike. The current atmosphere seems like night and day compared to my first few months on the job as I learned our systems, how the whole Nike matrix works and how our job affects the business. The communication of information over the past few years has really started to ramp up and is starting to make our jobs easier. Shortages are now becoming more apparent at an earlier rate due to some fine tuning by the OPS team and especially with people like Will Rankin who has a passion for providing us with accurate information and cares about the manner and pace at which we learn it.
With the aid of the coverage report, we now have a tool that gives us black and white information and clears up the grey area that our J4AD systems sometimes provided. Within the next week, I am working with fellow members of other teams to put together a report that allows us to view any information on our accounts on one spreadsheet with just a few tabs. Pricing errors, Holds, PO status, PO shortages, Bookings and Contract information will all be at the tip of our fingers. We will be able to dive into any detail, or provide high-level information to our internal or external partners within minutes. This is the first wave of many that will make us a stronger, more competitive and easier to work with company. Everyone benefits.
With the aid of the coverage report, we now have a tool that gives us black and white information and clears up the grey area that our J4AD systems sometimes provided. Within the next week, I am working with fellow members of other teams to put together a report that allows us to view any information on our accounts on one spreadsheet with just a few tabs. Pricing errors, Holds, PO status, PO shortages, Bookings and Contract information will all be at the tip of our fingers. We will be able to dive into any detail, or provide high-level information to our internal or external partners within minutes. This is the first wave of many that will make us a stronger, more competitive and easier to work with company. Everyone benefits.
Joyceann Windham ~ Live blog post 8.19 12:17 p.m.
TRACKING REPORTS
Our current tracking reflects all $$s in NIKE Net Price. The buyer requested the $$s reflect Retail. I worked with a person from OPs and setup a MACRO to convert net extension to retail extensions. Also, I've modified the VIEW of the Tracking to reflect UNASSIGNED units with ETA dates along with requested new cancel dates. This has gotten me faster responses as everything is at an easy view. These changes have made happier buyers, asst buyers and sales reps.
Our current tracking reflects all $$s in NIKE Net Price. The buyer requested the $$s reflect Retail. I worked with a person from OPs and setup a MACRO to convert net extension to retail extensions. Also, I've modified the VIEW of the Tracking to reflect UNASSIGNED units with ETA dates along with requested new cancel dates. This has gotten me faster responses as everything is at an easy view. These changes have made happier buyers, asst buyers and sales reps.
Erin Dineen ~ Live blog 8.19 1:20 p.m.
When thinking about customer love lately, I have had to step away and realize that my account isn’t my only customer. We each deal with many customers daily and more often than not, the roles can be reversed at the drop of a hat (sorry about the cliché but it fit). While I typically do not deal directly with Macy’s, they are my account and the main point of my ‘service’ but the customer love has to flow between many sources in order for the orders to flow properly. Even though many of my contacts are within Nike, we always need to show each other the love (again, sorry!). Sometimes, my reps turn to me to do favors for them, provide certain information etc and in doing so, I am providing them a service but the roles constantly reverse as I submit requests to them asking for extension, pricing updates and so on. The more ‘love’ we show each, the easier everyone job is and they happier we all be come. This same can hold true with our DC, the pricing team, the OM support group as well as the people who work right here on the 2nd floor of Evergreen. Basically, the moral of my story is that it in order for all of our desks for function smoothly we all need to spread the love.
Brooke Weltzin ~ Live blog 8.25 11:17 a.m.
Working here in Customer Service at Nike has taught me a great deal about working directly with our customers. I have had a few different positions since I started, but they all share the same fundamental rules on how to provide excellent customer service. I think the main key to having a great relationship with your sales reps, buyers, and everyone that you work with is Communication. This is an extremely important part in making everything you do successful. I’ve learned that given any situation, to communicate with all parties involved as it’s not possible to give too much information and is very possible to not give enough.
To provide weekly tracking reports and daily updates on all orders that we have in our system greatly helps the process. In order to make a difference though, we need to do more than just that. I’ve learned that if there is ever any conflict or confusion, that it is best to pick up the phone and make a call to explain and try to come up with an agreed upon resolution . For example, if we have any specific style that is arriving later than what was originally promised, it is best to communicate this with the buyer and sales partner as soon as possible to give them time to consider whether or not they can take it in at the available time. I know from working with retail accounts that they have only a certain budget that they are able to work with on any given month. When there is an issue or delay with any given style, it could in turn affect their bottom line for that given month. By communicating this issue as early as possible, it allows them time to plan ahead and make any adjustments needed to be able to still take the product in. This, of course, is in everyone’s best interest. Communication allows all parties to be in agreement about any situation and allows them all to provide input or suggestions in order to give each person a broader range of understanding. Knowing how the process works on all sides allows me to make better judgments and to understand how my actions positively or negatively affect each party involved. By always keeping the lines of communication open, we are allowing Nike as a whole to be known as a company that listens and really uses the information that we receive to make the process more efficient for everyone.
To provide weekly tracking reports and daily updates on all orders that we have in our system greatly helps the process. In order to make a difference though, we need to do more than just that. I’ve learned that if there is ever any conflict or confusion, that it is best to pick up the phone and make a call to explain and try to come up with an agreed upon resolution . For example, if we have any specific style that is arriving later than what was originally promised, it is best to communicate this with the buyer and sales partner as soon as possible to give them time to consider whether or not they can take it in at the available time. I know from working with retail accounts that they have only a certain budget that they are able to work with on any given month. When there is an issue or delay with any given style, it could in turn affect their bottom line for that given month. By communicating this issue as early as possible, it allows them time to plan ahead and make any adjustments needed to be able to still take the product in. This, of course, is in everyone’s best interest. Communication allows all parties to be in agreement about any situation and allows them all to provide input or suggestions in order to give each person a broader range of understanding. Knowing how the process works on all sides allows me to make better judgments and to understand how my actions positively or negatively affect each party involved. By always keeping the lines of communication open, we are allowing Nike as a whole to be known as a company that listens and really uses the information that we receive to make the process more efficient for everyone.
Richard Boaz ~ Live Blog post 8.21 8:012 a.m.
Interacting with the Customer is a key essential for Nordstrom Men’s, Kids and Rack Footwear. Each day there is some kind of interaction whether it is changing or cancelling a po. The buyers ask many questions on when there product is shipping, or can they hold off a few more days to ship the po because of their buying dollars. The consumer decides definitely plays a key part in selling shoes and ordering shoes for Nordstrom. At once product can be a key seller too for Nordstrom Rack as they try to find as much closeout product as possible. My weekly reports sent to the AE and Nordstrom buyers play a key role in ordering new product. The week always brings interesting adventures with Nordstrom Footwear, and by the end of the week, I can go home and know I did my job and made our customer happy.
Michelle Case ~ Live blog update 8.25 10:15 a.m.
Nordstrom facts
“Offer the Customer the best possible service, selection, quality and value”
> Company philosophy has not changed for over 100 years
> Focus on catering to customer needs
> Created departments that fit individuals lifestyles
> Grown from one store into nationwide fashion specialty chain
> Renowned services
> Generous size ranges
> Finest selection of apparel, footwear and accessories for the whole family
“Offer the Customer the best possible service, selection, quality and value”
> Company philosophy has not changed for over 100 years
> Focus on catering to customer needs
> Created departments that fit individuals lifestyles
> Grown from one store into nationwide fashion specialty chain
> Renowned services
> Generous size ranges
> Finest selection of apparel, footwear and accessories for the whole family
Heather Anderson ~ Live blog update 8.27 9:23 a.m.
I asked my Nordstrom asst buyer the below questions about Nike and premium service. I have asked my sales rep the same questions, but haven’t heard back. I am just doing a comparison to see what the differences are. I will add as soon as I hear from her.
Nordstrom
1. What does Premium Service mean to you?
• High level of communication
• Sensitivity to customer’s needs
2. What challenges do you face today with Nike?
• Lack of communication from the warehouse to the CS rep has caused multiple last minute challenges.
3. What would you like to see done differently in the form of customer service?
• Increased communication from the warehouse. If there is a shipping issue, it would be great if the warehouse could communicate the information to the CS rep so that they can inform us of issues.
4. What makes your/ job easier/more difficult?
• Being notified of shortages or cancellation as soon as the CS rep finds out has made my job much easier because we are able to plan accordingly.
• Being kept informed of what dollar amount and total units is shipping on our start ship date is amazing.
• Having visual contracts sent to us to confirm what is bulked has also made EDIing our order much easier and more accurate.
Nordstrom
1. What does Premium Service mean to you?
• High level of communication
• Sensitivity to customer’s needs
2. What challenges do you face today with Nike?
• Lack of communication from the warehouse to the CS rep has caused multiple last minute challenges.
3. What would you like to see done differently in the form of customer service?
• Increased communication from the warehouse. If there is a shipping issue, it would be great if the warehouse could communicate the information to the CS rep so that they can inform us of issues.
4. What makes your/ job easier/more difficult?
• Being notified of shortages or cancellation as soon as the CS rep finds out has made my job much easier because we are able to plan accordingly.
• Being kept informed of what dollar amount and total units is shipping on our start ship date is amazing.
• Having visual contracts sent to us to confirm what is bulked has also made EDIing our order much easier and more accurate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)