Secrets of 10 Most-Trusted Brands

10. Focus on the Customer: Nordstrom

“If your company’s customer service is applauded, you are in the right track” - Keeping this fact as the hallmark, the department store Nordstrom came back to its position in the industry, though it had to face a setback earlier.

"Nordstrom is all about the power of delivering exceptional customer service that goes above and beyond a typical service experience," Tim Calkins, the professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, said.

Most of the respondents voted for Nordstrom for its concern for the customer, as well as for the quality of the products in its nearly 230 stores. The company has an attentive and friendly customer service, including a liberal return policy, e-mailing digital photos of new items to regular customers and sending thank-you notes after purchases. These features free this Seattle-based retailer from having to focus on competitive pricing, which helps keeps profit margins higher.

Calkins added, "They don't pretend to have the lowest prices, but they don't have to. When people go there they know they may pay a little more, but the service is so good that it makes it worthwhile."

However, the respondents of the survey criticized Nordstrom for not providing consumers with much information about its corporate decision-making policies. But, according to Calkins, when building a brand identity, it's OK for your proposition to focus on one principal element, as long as you do it right. "What makes this brand tick is the service experience, not the approach," he explained. "Nordstrom has never focused on its company or its people; all of that positive energy is directed at the customer and the retail experience, and it's the secret to their success."