Usually my ‘a-ha’ moments are when I’m not trying to think of how to solve a particular problem.
We asked ourselves what we wanted this company to stand for. We didn’t want to just sell shoes. I wasn’t even into shoes – but I was passionate about customer service.
The problem when someone feels burned out, bored, unchallenged, or stifled by their work is not the job itself but rather the environment and playground rules given to them to do the job at hand.
I thought about how easily we are all brainwashed by our society and culture to stop thinking and just assume by default that more money equals more success and more happiness, when ultimately happiness is really just about enjoying life.
Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.
We decided that if we get the culture right, most of the stuff, like building a brand around delivering the very best customer service, will just take care of itself.
Zappos uses call center technology to track average call time per agent. But the goal isn’t to reduce this average – it’s more important that we make an emotional connection with the customer, rather than just quickly getting them off the phone.
Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.
Most innovation comes from outside your industry applied to your own.
If there are too many competitors, even if you’re the best it’s a lot harder to win.
Instead of getting an iPad, I now use my iPhone with a giant magnifying glass attached to my face.
Help shape the stories that people are telling about you.
The best businesses are really ones that can combine passion, profits, and purpose.
Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.
SEO expertise is a core need for today’s online businesses.
I believe that there’s something interesting about anyone and everyone – you just have to figure out what that something is.
What’s the best way to build a brand for the long term? In a word: culture.
Problems are just mile markers. Each one we pass means we’ve gotten better.
Hopefully 10 years from now people won’t even realize we started out selling shoes. They will just think about Zappos as a place to get the best customer service.
You’ve gotta love the game. To become really good, you need to live it and sleep it.