Delivering Happiness: Zappos’ Core Values and the Power of Customer Experience
We all know that giving better customer service in your business is important. We ourselves love the brands which give us better service. But when we try applying this approach to our company, somehow we couldn’t deliver it. In all companies, I worked so far, having great customer service was one of the core values, but we were not able to stand by it for long.
I recently read the book —“Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh a captivating memoir that takes readers on a transformative journey through the rise of Zappos, an online retail giant. And this book answered my question about how one can build resilient customer service which defines your company.
This article delves into the core themes of the book, exploring the remarkable culture at Zappos, the significance of core values, and the unwavering focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Building a Culture of Extraordinary Happiness
One of the central tenets of “Delivering Happiness” is the emphasis on cultivating a unique and vibrant company culture. Tony Hsieh believed that a strong culture would not only attract top talent but also foster an environment where employees were genuinely happy and motivated.
Hsieh writes, “Zappos is about delivering happiness to the world.” This philosophy drove every aspect of the organization and created a sense of purpose and passion among employees. The commitment to happiness extended beyond customers to include employees, stakeholders, and the community.
They brought up something called a culture book, which used to publish all the feedback from employees positive as well as negative. It used to go on the website of Zappos every year, it is the first priority of the management to resolve cultural issues.
Core Values: The Foundation of Zappos’ Culture:
At the heart of Zappos’ culture are its ten core values. These values, including delivering wow through service, embracing and driving change, creating fun and a little weirdness, and building open and honest relationships, provided a guiding compass for decision-making and shaped the behavior of every employee.
One of the notable quotes from the book illustrates the significance of core values: “If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff, like great customer service or building a long-term enduring brand or business, will happen naturally and take care of itself.” Most importantly, these core values are made by the employees, not from a top-down approach. The hiring and promotions used to be decided by these core values. There were two parts to every interview: a technical round and a core values round. If a person cannot clear core values, he cannot be hired even though he is super talented.
By embedding these values into the fabric of the organization, Zappos created a cohesive and unified workforce, dedicated to delivering exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for customers.
Importance of Customer Experience
“Delivering Happiness” underscores the paramount importance of delivering exceptional customer experiences. Tony Hsieh believed that exceptional customer service was not just a department but an integral part of the entire company. The book highlights that Zappos’ success was a direct result of its unwavering commitment to creating positive and lasting impressions on customers.
Hsieh writes, “Customer service shouldn’t be a department; it should be the entire company.” This philosophy permeated the organization, influencing every employee and encouraging them to go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.
The book offers numerous anecdotes showcasing Zappos’ dedication to delivering extraordinary customer experiences. From overnight shipping upgrades to surprising customers with unexpected gifts, Zappos continually sought to create “wow” moments that would leave a lasting impact on customers.
“Customer service shouldn’t just be A department, it should be the entire company” Every employee who join Zappos has to to go through three weeks of customer support role be it a Business leader, developer or a finance guy.
The Zappos WOW Factor:
Zappos’ commitment to delivering “wow” moments for customers became a defining characteristic of the company. The book shares stories where employees went to extraordinary lengths to provide exceptional service, showcasing their passion and dedication.
There were incidences in which a customer is looking for a pair of shoes that were out of stock on the Zappos website, the support executive went to the extent to find a similar shoe on the competitor’s website. Similarly, there were incidences in which staff helped customers find hotels for travel and even order pizza. These used to get appreciated. Instead of measuring call center efficiency by the time each call center operator spends on the phone with a customer, Zappos developed its own scorecards. Zappos quantifies such things as the personal and emotional connections operators make with customers using measures such as measuring the number of thank you cards.
One notable quote captures the essence of the WOW factor: “We don’t want our customers to be just satisfied; we want them to be wowed.” This commitment to surpassing customer expectations helped Zappos build a fiercely loyal customer base and establish a reputation for unparalleled service.
The book highlights that Zappos’ dedication to exceptional customer experiences had a ripple effect, leading to increased customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and ultimately, sustainable growth. Zappos became a shining example of how companies can thrive by prioritizing culture and customer-centricity.
“Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.”
Hence, I learned that customer service has to be one of the main North Star metrics and it should drive the whole business operations. A few things I will ensure in my current company are that each and every employee spend time on customer support, talk to the customer and consider every ticket raised as the highest priority. This I believe in a true sense a customer-centric company.
I would say it is a must-read book for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and individuals, reminding us of the transformative power of culture, core values, and exceptional customer experiences. By embracing these principles, businesses can create a positive impact on employees, customers, and society as a whole, ultimately leading to long-term success and fulfillment.
