Big shoes to fill in customer service
Perspective: Untying Zappos' secrets
By Inman News, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.
Flickr image by Jen SFO-BCN.Editor's note: This guest article, by Better Homes and Gardens CEO Sherry Chris, is reposted with permission from the Clean Slate Blog. Click here to view the original article.
By SHERRY CHRIS
Have you ever stayed at a Ritz Carlton Hotel? Bought a pair of shoes, or returned them at Zappos? These two companies immediately come to mind when you think about exceptional customer service. While the two companies couldn't appear to be more different, when you drill down, they are very much alike in their core values and business and leadership principles.
Providing exceptional service begins with understanding the customer. In case you haven't noticed, the needs of the customer have changed a lot in the past few years, and will continue to evolve. Creating an exceptional customer experience doesn't mean you have to be twice as good as your competitor, just be a little better. That's easy if you have the right culture in place.
So, let's talk about culture. To me it is the difference between having to do your job versus wanting to. It is about selecting rather than hiring, training and empowering people to do what they do best. It is about recognizing achievements, establishing and monitoring goals, holding people accountable. And not forgetting to celebrate successes.
Both of the companies I mention above use similar words and phrases when describing their core values. WOW, embrace and drive change, trust, communication, passion, empathy and humility come to mind. As do family spirit, fostering relationships, determination and empowerment.
While much time and energy is spent on being and providing the best, the end goal that remains first and foremost with both companies is driving revenue for greater profitability. It is always about the numbers. As it should be.
So it was with great anticipation that I visited the corporate headquarters of Zappos last week in Las Vegas. I couldn't wait to find out what the secret was!
It all started with an immediate e-mail response to our request for a tour. Andrea from Zappos confirmed almost immediately and arranged for my party to be picked up at my hotel and taken to their corporate facility. Andrea provide her cell phone number in case there was a problem and followed up with repeated e-mails and calls as we got closer and closer to our arrival.
A branded van arrived five minutes early manned by Zack, our delightful and knowledgeable driver. The experience began before we even arrived at the building.
The receptionist was expecting us -- she addressed us by name, our badges had been printed. There was a big bookcase in the lobby with multiple copies of all the business best sellers. A sign said, "Help yourself -- as long as you read it." I did. Jerry, Zappos' self appointed "mayor," arrived to conduct the tour. He is obviously retired from a previous profession and is now having the time of his life.
And so the tour began. ...CONTINUED
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Submitted by Kevin Schmidtchen on May 26, 2009 - 3:42am.
Good article. Impressive stories. Here in our business of Real Estate I think the major components you need are;
1) Knowledge
2) Communication skills
3) Listening
4) Compassion
5) Hard Working
It is hard to go wrong if you possess these and use these skills.
Kevin Schmidtchen
Sotheby's Int'l Realty
Santa Barbara, CA
blog: www.santaBarbaraRealEstateVoice.com
Submitted by Robert A. Hulme on May 26, 2009 - 5:23am.
Great example for all of us to follow in our own business.
Robert A. Hulme
Realtor, GRI, e-PRO
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Loan Officer
Mortgage Xpress
www.SpringvilleRealEstate.us
www.LehiRealEstate.net
Submitted by Harrison K. Long on May 26, 2009 - 8:17am.
Thanks for this good article about secret to the best customer service, which is what our business is all about ~ and our primary focus. We choose to learn and provide excellent customer service. The first part of that is asking questions to learn and understand what the customer wants and expects.
Harrison K. Long
Realtor & broker, Explore Properties Group
Coldwell Banker Previews, Irvine, CA
949-854-7747
949-701-2515 cell
www.ExploreOCHomes.com
http://twitter.com/hklong
http://activerain.com/blogs/hklong
Submitted by Randi Busse on May 27, 2009 - 7:34pm.
The reason that Zappos is so successful is because they know they are not in the shoe business. They are in the customer service business. They just happen to sell shoes. The same can be said for the Ritz Carlton. They are in the customer service business and they happen to provide luxury hotel accomodations.
When a business, any business, realizes that they too are in the customer service business, it is then that they will be sucessful.
It's all about the experience you provide to your customer and your prospective customer that they are buying. The actual product or service is only a piece of the sale.
These two companies should be studied and copied. They got it right.
Randi Busse
Customer Retention Specialist
www.workdevgroup.com
Submitted by Kathy Toth and Team on May 31, 2009 - 4:18am.
Glad to know another company emulates the Ritz - ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen. Having all REALTORS see that is why we are in business is another story. This is a consumer centric buisness and unless the client is satisfied, there will be no referrals at the end of the rainbow.....Making a positive impact on others lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan Real Estate www.KathyToth.com info@KathyToth.com Keller Williams Ann Arbor Market Center; follow on twitter @annarborrealtor
Submitted by Joe Loomer on May 31, 2009 - 5:09am.
Sorry folks, gotta disagree here - what Sherry got was a great tour of a great company, and saw and sucked in some of the great culture. Didn't see this having anything to do with untying there secrets. Some real life examples of a layman being on the end of a great customer service example would have held my interest more. Like the story of the lady who's mother passed away and she needed to return some shoes (and Zappos not only came to the home to get them, but sent flower arrangements).
This just seemed like you got a great "Dog & Pony" show..... I would expect the same experience if a CEO of ANYTHING wanted to tour our firm.
Augusta GA Homes
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Joe Loomer (USN Ret.)
Associate Leadership Council, Growth Chair
Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners
www.augustalistingexpert.com
jloomer@kw.com
direct: 706-627-2650