Last week I read an incredible book about an organization that most companies dream of being like— Zappos.com.  Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, made me laugh, made me cry and made me green with envy (at 24 years old Hsieh and his friends sold their online business, Link Exchange, to Microsoft for $265 million!).

Zappos is known around the world for its outstanding customer service.  Here are just a couple points in the book that illustrate how Zappos has grown from a one man operation to a billion dollar company:

• Everything is customer-centric: They don’t just say “Hey, we care about our customers,” they actually do.  Hsieh gives a number of examples showing how true this is, but one that I found most impressive (and might have persuaded me to try ordering from them) is they give customers surprise shipping upgrades.  Sure this eats into their profits, but when you order from Zappos.com and select ground shipping you probably expect to get your order in a week or so.  SURPRISE!  Zappos selects customers to upgrade to overnight shipping for free.  Imagine finding your order on your doorstep the next day when you weren’t expecting it for a week; after that I bet you wouldn’t hesitate to place another order!
• Everyone is customer-centric- Yes this is almost exactly the same point as above, but everyone that works at Zappos starts their career in the call center.  And yes, the book says EVERYONE.  You spend four weeks in customer service training, the same training the call center reps go through, and answering customer calls regardless of whether you’re an executive or a “bottom of the totem pole” kind of worker.  I can’t begin to fathom how many more companies could provide outstanding service if every person in the organization could just understand what life is like in the call center industry.

With all this focus on the customer, it’s no wonder Zappos.com reached $1 billion in gross revenue in just 10 years and has continued to grow despite the economy.   Once executives recognize that their front-line customer service people are the eyes and ears of the organization, the profits, passion and purpose will follow.

Have you read Tony Hsieh’s book?  What do you think about Zappos from a customer service perspective?  What other companies do you admire for their commitment to customer service?

About Camille: Camille is a Marketing Communications Specialist at Inova and graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She loves watching USF football, spending time with friends and family, and walking her dog, Lexi. You can contact Camille at camille@insideinova.com.