It Is The Product - Feb 2003

I just finished a book-on-tape about managing companies for the marketplace. After detailing entirely too much history of corporate strategic thinking, the authors finally arrived at a point of current agreement: Superior product results in companies gaining market share and profitability. My company has always invested in the improvement of product for the market. According to this book, we have been going in the right direction. Something happened last week to change my mind.

I took my teenage son, Andy, shopping for shoes, because my wife refused to go through the agony and frustration involved. According to my son, shoes never fit. After one day of this, i understood my wife's frustration. Then I remembered my great friend Mike telling me about an amazing experience he and his wife recently had in the shoe department of the new Nordstrom department store. I thought this could be the answer to an otherwise impossible situation.

We entered the store and were cheerfully directed to the shoe department. Upon arrival there, I selected an unsuspecting victim...I mean salesman...named Chris. I told him, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find and fit shoes on my son." He said he would accept the mission if I agreed not to explode. Looking down at my feet, he said "I will sell you shoes, too, since the ones you are wearing do not come close to fitting you."

Andy chose three different styles. Chris measured Andy's feet, then went to the store-room. He came out with about eight boxes, so Andy could see which cut of shoe fit him most comfortably. The first three pairs "felt funny," according to Andy. Chris assured me he would find shoes that fit. Andy needs an extremely wide shoe: In American foot sizes, that means he is a 4E. Every box Chris brought out was 4E, but, as he explained, every manufacturer cuts their shoes a little differently. Andy needed to try on shoes until something fit. Finally, a pair felt comfortable! We even found a second pair of shoe for occasions where athletic shoes are not appropriate. While Chris was fitting Andy, he explained the differences between good and not-so-good shoes, including the manufacturing methods.

Next, it was my turn in the chair. My shoe size is 9.5 wide (European 41). Chris asked if I knew my instep size. I did not...it is a size 11 (European 42.5). I am as difficult to fit as my son! I never had difficultly fitting shoes before, though: I just bought really wide boat shoes on size too large; got them wet; squeezed into them; and let them stretch. I also have one pair of dress shoes. They hurt my feet, so I wear them only when I must and get them off as quickly as possible.

This is how shoes are and always have been. I had concluded life for me meant ill-fitting shoes. Now that's all changes, because the shoe guy at Nordstrom insisted I have shoes that fit.

Having had a Nordstrom experience, I have a question. What is the product?