Zappos – A Company built on Service

By now most people must have heard about Zappos. I first learned of Zappos when I came across this blog.

Intrigued I researched the company and came across this article written by Inc. Magazine. After reading the article I was amazed. From overnight delivery to their 365 day return policy, you can see that they are truly a unique company with their customers in mind. But perhaps the most interesting was their hiring practice.

For 2 weeks they have their new hires go through an orientation process, familiarizing them with their company’s culture. At the end of the training period they offer their new hires a cash bonus to NOT take the job. The purpose of this strange practice is two folds: to weed out those that do not fit into their culture and to show off the commitment of those who stay.

Everyone can empower their staff to provide excellent service. It looks very easy on paper. But it takes having the right corporate culture and getting the right people to preserve and further build that culture.

I commend Zappos in maintaining such a successful culture. These days good customer service is few and far between. It's always refreshing to know that there are companies that are out there that still put their customers first.