November 9th 2015, at approximately 5:34 in the afternoon, I using my cellular device, was put on hold for an hour and 17 minutes. After being passed along l from sales associate to sales associate like a cigarette in a biker’s gang, I searched customer reviews for AT&T. To my dismay I was presented with essays upon hate messages to AT&T on the CNET reviews webpage. Not to any shock, utmost of the complaints coming from the customer services station.
For a brand to flourish and carry out a healthy business which grows and blossoms overtime, the company must establish key value propositions. As a company’s business model canvas recoils and neglects customer relationships and customer segments that is when their overall value drops.
Instituting an organizational culture upon a workforce combines and molds the employees and the work together. It establishes a welcoming atmosphere but more importantly a family. Zappos started in 1999 by Tony Hsieh, who emphasized two words throughout his years, core values. The most important core value (in my opinion) is core value number 1; “Build WOW through service”. The “WOW” factor begins from the top of the establishment by a consolidating a holacracy. By having an organizational culture where shared values and behaviors contribute to the environment of the workforce, helped Zapos grow into a $1.2 billion Amazon.com corporate acquisition. To this day, Mr. Hsieh, follows one of the many rules he uses, one being customer service.
Zappos does not believe in hanging up on a customer nor disregarding their thoughts, feelings or opinions. Zappos will do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer, which is why Zappos prominently displays a toll-free customer-service phone number and offers V.I.P treatment to Zappos shoppers. “Why?” some may ask. The answer is no commercial or advertisement will ever do justice to the marketing power of the truth told to someone by their loved one. The best type of marketing is when the brand begins to market itself; and it starts from customer service.
Here is a link to the customer reviews left on Zappos.com: