The Cultural Rocket Science Of Zappos
by Miki Saxon
Amidst all the doomsayers and layoffs stands 34 year-old Tony Hsieh, CEO of billion dollar Zappos and as far from an imperial CEO as it’s possible to get. (I wrote about Zappos last spring with a link to an excellent interview.)
Hsieh sold LinkExchange, his first company, in 1999 to Microsoft for $265 million and then founded Zappos, a company known for its astronomically high quality customer experience and some of the happiest employees on Earth.
And the downturn isn’t changing that.
From the start, he chose to spend the marketing and advertising money on the customer experience, fostering repeat business and word of mouth advertising.
For his customers:
“Unconventional for an online retailer, Zappos offers free shipping both ways and a 365-day return policy. Customers can order 10 pairs of shoes, try them on, and send nine back. Or 10. Free.
Where other companies duck customers and hide their contact information…Zappos’ 800 telephone number is prominently displayed at the top of its Web page. At the Zappos call center, representatives work without scripts and are under no pressure to quickly dispatch with customers. … Shipping is promised in five to six days. But the company’s little secret is that most orders are automatically upgraded to free overnight shipping. The warehouse operates 24/7… The goal is building a lifelong relationship.”
For employees:
Hsieh says, “The number one focus and priority for the company, even though we want the brand to be about customer service, is company culture … Our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff, like great customer service, will just happen naturally.”
When asked why more companies don’t do as Zappos does, Hsieh says. “Patience. Most corporations don’t want to put in the time to build customer service and a company culture. … Chase the vision, not the money. The money will follow.”
The culture is built on four principles,
Vision. Repeat customers. Transparency. Communicate core values.
Not exactly rocket science.
Headquarted in Nevada, Zappos.com ranked No. 23 on Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For in 2009 and Hsieh sees no reason for that to change—except to move up.
Image credit: flickr
November 27th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
[…] Ce qui est cause qu’elle est un succès, c’est quelle repose sur une très forte culture d’entreprise. Voici ce qu’en dit Tony Hsieh : The number one focus and priority for the […]
December 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am
[…] d’autres. Ce qui est cause qu’elle est un succès, c’est quelle repose sur une très forte culture d’entreprise. Voici ce qu’en dit Tony Hsieh : The number one focus and priority for the […]