Page 216 - The Apple Experience

product or alter the visual standard of the store handed down by Apple
headquarters, they do have flexibility to make decisions to improve the

customer experience. For example, employees are designated in zones (iPad

table, MacBook table, etc.). If, however, an employee in the iPad section

notices that a customer has been standing for a while in the iPod section and

looks confused, that employee can move to the iPod zone with no fear of

reprimand from a manager.

Hire for Cultural Fit

Wolverton says Lush strives to hire people who don’t see it as a job but as
a lifestyle choice. “It’s nice to work for a business you believe in,” says

Wolverton. “They are working at a job where the values behind our brand

and the product fit with the choices they make in their personal lives.” Apple,

too, celebrates diversity. It doesn’t matter if an employee wishes to sport a

tattoo, pierce his body, or wear a mohawk. The customer experience is the

only thing that matters. Lush’s strong growth proves that you can win in

business by creating an environment where people have an opportunity to
grow, be involved in the business, and connect with its values. Above all,

Lush teaches small business owners that it’s not enough to sell a product. Sell

a story as well.

Delivering Happiness One Shoe at a Time

As a business model, Zappos is simple to understand. It sells shoes, clothes,

and merchandise online. But aren’t there millions of sites that sell goods

online? Well, they do, but not nearly as successfully as Zappos. In ten years,

Zappos, which started in the San Francisco apartment of its CEO, Tony

Hsieh, grew from no sales to more than one billion in gross annual sales. In