A customer returned a wallet she ordered from online retailer Zappos, but unknowingly left $150 in it.Her search for the missing cash was resolved when she received a letter from the warehouse staff saying, “Thanks for the return! We found $150 in your wallet and thought you might want it back.”
Integrity runs high at Zappos where employees are guided to look beyond personal gain and act in service of the greater good.
CEO Tony Hsieh tells a story about a woman who ordered boots for her husband who was soon after killed in a car accident. She called the customer service line for help with the return and received a bouquet of flowers the next day.
The customer loyalty rep made the decision to order the flowers on company credit, without needing to consult with a supervisor. “At the funeral, the widow told her friends and family about the experience,” Hsieh recounted. “Not only was she a customer for life, but so were those 30 or 40 people at the funeral.”
Zappos doesn’t have specific guidelines to deal with customer service situations. Employees are encouraged to trust their judgment. Most of all, they’re empowered to make decisions from the heart.
Hsieh explains, “We’re not trying to maximize transactions. We’re trying to build a lifelong relationship with our customers.”
Now that’s an insight worth spreading.
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