As outlined in Chapter 7, the Sharing Great Calls program at Zappos begins with the CLT member identifying a great customer call and sharing the call information with the CLT supervisor. The CLT supervisor then writes an e-mail to the customer, asking for feedback and the customer’s input into the service that was received.
The following are examples of feedback received. The first example includes the e-mail sent to the customer from the CLT supervisor, but to avoid repetition, the remaining examples include only the customer response.
Hi Melissa! I’m Alexa, and I am the Lead for Tamara here at Zappos CLT, Inc. Our Team Member said what a great time she had talking to you! We have started a special program recently to provide further feedback to our Team Members. We want to give our Team Members an extra pat on the back, so I have a huge favor to ask of you. It will not take much of your time, but it will help us enormously. Please tell us about the service you received and any points of feedback regarding the conversation you had with our Team Member.
First, I love Zappos! I have never had a negative experience with any of your customer service sales people, but Tamara was so helpful and went way above and beyond what any sales person has ever done for me in the past. I order a lot, I mean a lot, online and through catalogs and have never met someone so nice and caring. By trying to find the right glove and size for my daughter, she made me feel like I really mattered and she cared to get my daughter the right pair. If you had more people like her, you wouldn’t ever lose a customer. Thank you so much for having such a wonderful and helpful employee. I hope next time I call, I get her again. She also sent me a card, which made my day and put a HUGE smile on my face.
Thank you!!
Outstanding service!!!! The best! Please take care of your employees because they are what make you different from the other websites. I can buy stuff from a number of websites, but employees like Michael S. make the difference in my buying decision-making process…. I have actually found products on other sites at a cheaper price, but I always come to Zappos because of employees like Michael S. that I know will give great service at a great price. In today’s world it is very refreshing to deal with a company like Zappos that takes service to the customer very seriously, and that is the very reason for my shopping with Zappos. The employees handling your shipping are also the best—the product always arrives in great condition, unlike my experience at other online retailers. Keep doing what you’re doing and take care of all your people because a great company operates from the ground up and your employees are the foundation that the entire company resting on, which is a fact that I think they forget to teach in business school these days.
I am happy to talk about my experience with Lauren and to say what a great one it was indeed. She sounded so warm and pleasant, and she was also willing to be patient with me and to provide me with all of the information that I needed and to offer additional information to make my purchases as pleasing as could be. It felt as though I was shopping with a friend. It is always a wonderful thing when one can get a Sales Associate so willing to take a moment and truly be of assistance. Shopping online is fairly new to me; in fact my first purchase was from Zappos a few months ago. That person was also helpful and patient; however, the whole experience was different because of the circumstances (this time I wanted to make a purchase for my daughter who lives in Colorado and to have it shipped directly to her). Lauren walked me through the entire process—again, very patiently. I am grateful for her and for my new shoes that arrived in time for me to wear them job hunting. They are terrific, my feet are thanking me, and I am thanking you. All of the accolades, gifts, money, etc. that you are allowed to give Lauren, she so deserves.
Hi Dana, Kim was OUTSTANDING!!! I had placed an order and didn’t immediately realize that the card I had on file had been replaced and the numbers were not the same. It didn’t dawn on me until the next day, and I dreaded the call as I knew it would be time consuming and probably involve my having to re-order online. I called Kim, and she quickly deleted the order and replaced it for me using the new number. It didn’t delay my shoes arriving, which when you are only home 2 days a week is huge. If my order had been delayed, I would have had them sitting on my porch for 5 days, or I would have had to find someone to go to my house and pick them up. I need to add that Kim did this without my feeling like an idiot for using the wrong card or that this was any kind of inconvenience for her. She totally understood, and I felt like I was talking to a good friend, not just a voice on the other end. Believe it or not Kim made my day better. Traveling weekly is stressful, and having one thing go right can free up precious time at home. Kim gave me that time. Please thank her for me. Kim is the face (voice) of Zappos to your customers, and she speaks volumes about how important customer service is to your organization. So many other companies could learn a valuable lesson from you guys.
This was my first experience ordering a gift through Zappos. Aside from electronics, my experience ordering clothing online was less than perfect. Either the material was not what was expected, or the fit was inaccurate. As a result, what may have been an impulse buy turned out to be a hassle. Customer service, both online and in the retail stores, is terrible these days so my expectations were low. Having ordered the wrong dress size for my wife (I need some help there), I steeled myself for a lengthy interrogation about why I was exchanging the merchandise and then a long delay through the return mail and exchange process. Given that it was the holiday season, I expected, or have been conditioned to expect, that the person in customer service would give an attitude and really just wanted to be somewhere else. I could not have been more surprised.
From the start of the call, Dan answered with a positive, “I am here to help you” attitude. Honestly, I was caught off guard. Not only was he courteous, friendly, and professional, he was engaging in conversation. I was blown away. Here was someone who really got it and seemed to be enjoying his job. Clearly this was a part of culture that is missing in most companies today. So not only was the exchange so simple with the return labels sent via e-mail, but the customer service exceeded my expectations so much that I walked out of my office and asked if anyone else had ever bought anything online from Zappos. Those that hadn’t, I shared my experience with and told them they had to try it. It is amazing. I can honestly say that you have converted a jaded consumer, and with service like I experienced with your team, you will have raving fans everywhere. Thank you for your refreshing approach to business and true customer service.
Monday is NOT my favorite weekday, particularly after a long Thanksgiving weekend. However, if I could start every Monday talking with Heather and ordering from Zappos, it would be a wonderful start to Monday and the week! Heather was a gem. She was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and totally engaging. She is a wonderful asset to your Zappos team. Good customer service can be elusive these days. If all your employees are “Heathers,” you are fortunate, indeed! Thank you, Jean, for the truly great experience, and please convey to Heather my sincere thank you for the fun and great service. Additionally, “Merry Christmas”!
Thank you Zappos for a positive experience. It is uncommon today, whether offline or online shopping, to experience sincere and caring customer service representatives. It is apparent that the Zappos culture starts with the founder. The founder’s “why” is the cornerstone for Zappos success. Zappos hires people who share in his “why,” therefore, creating a happy environment for all their employees. The minute that Debbie answered my call, she made me feel special, like I was the only person in the universe that mattered to her at the time. When I could not find exactly what I was looking for, she volunteered to go online to help me look elsewhere. What a concept, Zappos really cares about their customers’ needs! After creating a relationship with me, Debbie had me hook, line and sinker. I purchased my items from Zappos, not caring whether or not I had found the right color of sweatshirts for my grandsons. She also upgraded me to a VIP customer. I am now a loyal customer of Zappos, not interested in what Zappos sells but “why” Zappos sells what they sell. Debbie deserves a “pat on the back” and much more for sincerely projecting the Zappos culture to her customers.
… I enjoyed speaking with Shannon and was hoping for a way I could compliment her service, and what a nice surprise to be able to do just that! My good friend Judy had been raving about Zappos forever, so I thought, why not? I am beyond thrilled that I finally listened. As I told Shannon, I suffer from fibromyalgia and experience pain every day. I try not to let it limit me (laughter is the best medicine!), but walking and the pain in my feet can be a real challenge sometimes. Finding a pair of shoes that don’t add to that pain can also be a challenge! I’m hard to fit, and the salespeople at local comfort-shoe stores just don’t seem to have the patience to help me find a comfortable shoe (can’t say I blame them, nothing seems to be ok for me, and it must be very frustrating dragging out all those boxes or seeing me return what they’ve finally found me:)). And this is where your Shannon shines! I called with a particular shoe in mind (the Asics Gel Cumulus 12), and Shannon very enthusiastically confirmed I had made a good choice. I had tried the shoe on in a local sporting goods store but did not find the correct size. Not only was Shannon friendly and patient, but her cheerful attitude really reflected her genuine concern and compassion for my situation. She even suggested some other shoes I could try that she thought might help me find relief, and she very gently steered me away from a brand she thought might not fit my needs (this particularly impressed me; I love an honest salesperson!). I’d like to say that I ended up purchasing two other pairs of shoes on her advice … now that’s a great salesperson! The entire transaction was so pleasant and easy, and Shannon was helpful and fun throughout. I really felt as if I was speaking with a new friend … a very knowledgeable friend! She’s an asset to your company, and I’m very, very impressed. I’m looking forward to my new shoes and to being a Zappos customer for many years to come. Thanks for the opportunity to give you feedback, and thanks again for such great service.