Learning form Zappos: application in The Netherlands

Zappos: a shoe store with a twist. The corporate culture and core values of this American enterprise are incomparable to any Dutch organization. Wednesday 15 June 2011 saw Zappos scheduled for a meeting of the Platform of Complaint managers. Including a live Skype connection with the company. What can we Dutch learn from Zappos?

The article Zappos: the success story of a unique corporate culture explains what sets Zappos apart from the rest. The big question for Dutch enterprises is: how do we bring about a change in culture enabling us to achieve similar results?

Zappos's answer

This question was asked to Zappos's spokesman. The answer was twofold: 

• Let management set a good example.
• Don't be afraid to make difficult decisions.

This is easier said than done. Therefore we present some examples of situations from Zappos's corporate culture. Take it to your advantage.

Workplace

Zappos does not go by a "clean desk policy". On the contrary, personalizing your workplace is encouraged. Being surrounded by one's own stuff makes the employee feel at home, which adds to his sense of happiness. This reflects on the customer on the other end of the phoneline. A happy employee is better at "delivering happiness" and "delivering wow service" (service you say "wow" to).

Handling time

Traditional callcenters focus on handling time. After all, we want to deal with our clients' questions as quickly as possible. Lengthy conversations lead to queues and this leads to discord. Zappos is averse to focussing on handling time. The record time for a call was eight hours and twenty three minutes. Not one shoe was sold during this conversation, because handler and client worked together in finding the desired shoe in the competition's catalogue. The main point was that the customer could tell his story and the so-called "Personal Emotional Connection" (PEC) was gained. When queues get too long, employees are added. Even CEO Tony Hsieh occasionally workes a telephone shift and sells shoes!

How to deliver WOW service

Employees do not work with a script or according to guidelines. They are free in deciding the contents of a conversation. For instance, they can give their clients little presents such as a free of charge express delivery.

A sence of family

Zappos expects you to make friends among your colleagues. Selection of new employees is mainly about personality. There are ten basic values employees have to meet. One Zappos employee said she once noticed that one of her colleagues had a craving for cookies. She baked him some cookies. During working hours of course.

Office meetings

Once every trimester Zappos holds a meeting to inform employees. This meeting takes five hours and can be followed online by everyone in the company. In Dutch corporations it's often the receptionist or the phone operators who stays put for the purpose of accessibility. Not so at Zappos: the company closes so that each and every employee can attend the meeting.  

There must be something negative to say about Zappos

Not much, really. Employees are happy, clients are happy, turnover is high. But if you look closely at the corporation, the culture's rigidity might scare you. It's typically American that deviating from corporate values can get you fired. There is a twenty percent staff turnover. If you take a close look at Zappos, it may appear like a cult. A cult without secrets!

Learning from Zappos

Want to know more about Zappos? They have a website where you can download documentation. You can also ask questions that will be answered with a film strip. There are several books available on Zappos. And if you want to take it one step further, you can even visit them. They will welcome you with open arms.

Sources: www.todio.nl