I work for an ecommerce company, so anything that relates to ecommerce best practices usually catches my eye. There are a few companies I admire so much that I would easily consider moving if offered a job there. Just to take a weekend to tour their facilities would be very intriguing.
What are the companies? Google (big surprise!), Amazon (the ecommerce giant), and Zappos.
Of the three, Zappos is the closest to what my current company does right now. The thing I admire most about them is that they are so intently focused on service. Free overnight shipping both ways for shoes? I openly wondered how they made money when I was on the phone with one of their friendly service reps. They are like the Newegg of shoes, except they are leaps and bounds better than Newegg’s famed service.
What reminded me of Zappos’ great approach to ecommerce was a recent article I read (via Seth Godin’s blog) on Harvard Business Publishing by Bill Taylor titled “Why Zappos Pays New Employees to Quit – And You Should Too.” Here is an excerpt:
After a week or so in this immersive experience, though, it’s time for what Zappos calls “The Offer.” The fast-growing company, which works hard to recruit people to join, says to its newest employees: “If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you’ve worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus.” Zappos actually bribes its new employees to quit!
A great read, I highly recommend it. It offers just a glimpse into how Zappos operates.
Are there any great ecommerce companies you admire?
Tags: ecommerce customer service, Zappos
[...] a whole series of posts (and just …Bill Taylor – http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/taylor/|||Admiration of ZapposOf the three, Zappos is the closest to what my current company does right now. The thing I admire [...]
Is it a coincidence that the three companies you mentioned – Google, Amazon, Zappos – all have 6 letters in their names? I read the Bill Taylor article, very good article and my respect for Zappos increased.