[youtube]http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=tFyW5s_7ZWc[/youtube]
A friend shared this YouTube video with me today. After watching it once and then again, I too have to say “wow”. It’s a video on customer service from Zappos.com. Here’s a great example of a company that will stop at nothing to deliver exceptional customer service, even pointing a customer to a competitor when their company was out of stock. And they would pay new employees US$2000 to walk away if they aren’t serious about what Zappos stands for. And a 365 day return policy? Wow!
The company has enjoyed phenomenal growth and all this was built on a philosophy focussed on wow-ing the customer. From eMarketingandCommerce.com:
The way we’ve gown primarily over the past eight years is through repeat customers and word-of-mouth,” he explains. “Our philosophy is ‘Any money that we would have spent on marketing, let’s instead put it back into the customer experience and the customer service level we provide.’” And it’s working: On any given day, 75 percent of Zappos.com’s customers are repeat customers, according to the company’s 33 year old CEO, Tony Hsieh.
2009 Update: In July, Zappos was acquired by Amazon for $840 million.
In an interview Entrepreneur.com did with Tony Hsieh following the merger with Amazon, Tony listed the 10 core values that defines the Zappos culture:
1. Deliver WOW through service.
2. Embrace and drive change.
3. Create fun and a little weirdness.
4. Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded.
5. Pursue growth and learning.
6. Build open and honest relationships with communication.
7. Build a positive team and family spirit.
8. Do more with less.
9. Be passionate and determined.
10. Be humble.
