Ok, finally got in to Chicago and can hope to get back on a regular posting schedule! Please bear with me as I settle into the new place, I’ll post pics up soon!
A few weeks ago I was doing some research on online reputation management. I always like to be in the know of what’s happening in the industry. Sometimes I feel that people recycle the same old case studies in presentations and since everything moves so fast I’m always looking for the next success or failure story.
I have heard a lot about online shoe retailer Zappos, in the last few months. They’ve been described as a company who has truly mastered the art of the digital conversation:
- They have an amusing Youtube channel called: Zappos TV. Their video on ‘why do ppl work at zappos‘ is a fun way to impress potential employees.
- Their CEO is also on twitter and is accessible to everyone for answering questions and participating in dialog.
- They have an awesome free shipping policy.
However, it was this particular story that moved me from a brand admirer to a brand advocate. I’d never been to this blog before, but it was one of the first Google results that came up with I searched for Zappos. It’s one woman’s experience with the company as she dealt with a traumatic experience in her life:
Because of various circumstances - lost label, my mom being hospitalized and me being away, the shoes were never sent back. There’s a time limit on the return of 15 days. Remember this. When you do a return to them, they pay the shipping, but you have to get the shoes to UPS yourself. Remember this, also.
When I came home this last time, I had an email from Zappos asking about the shoes, since they hadn’t received them. I was just back and not ready to deal with that, so I replied that my mom had died but that I’d send the shoes as soon as I could. They emailed back that they had arranged with UPS to pick up the shoes, so I wouldn’t have to take the time to do it myself. I was so touched. That’s going against corporate policy.
Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos. I burst into tears. I’m a sucker for kindness, and if that isn’t one of the nicest things I’ve ever had happen to me, I don’t know what is. So…
IF YOU BUY SHOES ONLINE, GET THEM FROM ZAPPOS.
With hearts like theirs, you know they’re good to do business with.
Honestly, when I read that story, I felt a tug in my heart. What a kind and compassionate gesture towards a human being in pain. A simple act from a stranger is now sending ripples of positive energy right back to the company. I think as the world gets more competitive, we need to start rewarding those organizations that make the extra effort to remind us that buried somewhere deep in corporate policies and bureaucracy the kindness of a real live person can still shine through.
I have shared this story with all of my friends, and was moved enough to blog about it, I hope you’ll spread the word too. I also know the next time I want a pair of shoes, I will be going to Zappos.
