1/31/2015
An Inside Look: Zappos
John Bray
In the world of providing good customer service, it’s generally assumed that the customer is “king.” But maybe good service should come from a place where culture is king and the customers are simply recognized, appreciated members sitting at the center of that culture. Maybe customers even take part in that culture, helping to move things forward. And maybe Zappos—the Internet retailer that sells shoes, clothes and handbags with a free side of amazing service—had the right idea all along. But that’s definitely not a maybe.
Zappos has dominated the customer service space for over a decade. With free shipping, an incredible selection and the happiest customer service folks around (well worth the phone call), it’s hard to beat the experience. And with a culture that supports internal and external customers, that’s no surprise. In fact, for Jon Wolske, Culture Evangelist at Zappos Insights, it’s pretty run-of-the-mill. Because as the slogan suggests, Zappos is “Powered by Service.” Back in 2009, former Zappos COO and CFO Alfred Lin further emphasized this when he said, “Most people know us as a shoe company, but we’ve always said we’re a service company that just happens to sell shoes.” Confused about how a shoe retailer can be a service retailer and how any of this has to do with culture? That’s okay, it’s not a typical attitude for a retailer, but according to Jon, it might be just the attitude you need to stand out.
“Instead of being about your bottom line, your business,” says Jon, “really think about your culture, your people. And that can be a differentiator for you in your marketplace as well.” And Zappos is certainly leading by example. “We feel that culture is the most important part of what we’ve got going on,” says Jon.
Establishing a positive company culture internally encourages that positivity to become outward facing, meaning good service all around. Del Blaylock, covered in last month’s installment of the customer service series, echoed the same idea when he said it’s all about atmosphere. But culture/atmosphere will look different for every company.
At Zappos, culture is rooted in 10 Core Values with, says Jon, the first value—“Deliver WOW Through Service”—being the main filter for everything. However, the remaining values—including “Create Fun and A Little Weirdness,” “Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit” and “Be Humble”—don’t have any direct connection to service; they simply help develop a culture that makes everyone want to deliver “WOW.” The culture creates empowerment and value and, as a result, both aspects are transferred to the customer through the phone, chat window and shoebox.
Simply put, a positive culture produces good service and good service reinforces a positive culture. The best possible Catch 22. But customer service is still an individual component and, Jon says, it boils down to three main elements: listening, personal connection and empathy.
Because good service is really just about making someone feel valued and important. When you can achieve that—when you can make your business be a provider of service rather than a provider of goods—you’ll be amazed at the change.
Digging Deep into Service, Zappos-Style
Listening
This is fairly self-explanatory, but it’s important to be aware of the fine line between listening and hearing, says Jon Wolske. Whether a customer has three minutes to shop for a simple potted plant or all day in the store to fill a yard with greenery and otherwise, these customers need you to listen beyond the transaction. That means understanding their needs—timing, product, expectations, etc.—so you can attend to everything and then some.
Personal Connection
While it’s true that each one of the three elements is key, personal connection is uniquely important in that most customers aren’t consciously aware that a connection was made or, even more interesting, that they opened the door for it. However, those interacting with customers in any capacity must be constantly looking for cues and they need to know how to use them.
Fortunately, most customers make this pretty easy. Or, as Jon says, often times people will “give you gold” for a personal connection. This can be as simple as remembering when a customer tells you she’s buying something for her mother or that he’s purchasing some fruit trees for his wife. It’s up to you to pick it up and recognize its value.
Empathy
The most difficult of the three. When Jon mentioned it, he was even careful to clarify that it must be real empathy. “So many companies may be afraid to use the phrase ‘I’m sorry’ because that puts them in the category of accepting guilt,” says Jon on the current state of service. But sometimes all it takes is a bit of empathy to reset all expectations and allow the follow-up exchange to be positive.
When you realize how each of the three elements interact, you’ll see that raising the bar on customer service is actually fairly simple. Better yet, you’ll see that the bar itself can actually disappear. “When you continue to listen to people and really listen beyond the transaction, they stop thinking about where the bar is,” says Jon. “As long as you continue to really listen to people and make that connection, then they aren’t looking at the bar as ‘what did I get last time’—they’re looking at their own importance in that experience.” GP
John Bray is an author and freelance writer living in the western suburbs of Chicago. He has a background in both creative writing and technical communications and can be reached by visiting john-bray.com or by emailing johnbray.bray@gmail.com.