Page 218 - The Apple Experience

These are simple gestures that guarantee a customer for life. Customer
service isn’t brain surgery. It is simply common sense, courtesy, and the desire

to treat everyone—customers, partners, and employees—like family.

Empower your staff to meet and exceed your customer’s expectations in each

and every interaction.

Share Everything

All information is shared daily with employees—average call times, sales,

profits, and so on. In fact, Zappos is so open with their performance

information that they post it on a board for all to see, employees and
outsiders. Even during my tour I was completely free to take photographs

and video. Zappos even streams its staff meetings on the Internet for anyone

to see. This demonstrates a remarkable trust in their employees and a

commitment to open and honest communications.

Have Fun!

During our tour, an employee interrupted our tour guide to tape some
segments for the company blog. Everyone was cheering and high-fiving each

other. They have parties and events, and they’re encouraged to celebrate their

uniqueness by decorating their cubicles—the more outrageous the better. I

have never seen a group of people who have so much fun with each other. At

Zappos, “fun” only becomes a problem when employees are not having it.

Tony Hsieh told me that he is not in the business of selling shoes. He’s in

the business of “delivering happiness.” You see, although Zappos sells

merchandise online, that’s not what the company stands for. Zappos is not in

the business of selling shoes, just as Apple is not in the business of selling
computers. It enriches lives instead. Ask yourself, “What am I really selling,

and what does our company culture say about our brand? Above all, commit