A book review of “DELIVERING Happiness…”

“JUMP for JOY . . . The company you now work for . . . has been sold.

Employees at most of the companies I know, when receiving the above news would arrive at work depressed and scared, if they bothered to show up at all.  But not the folks at Zappos; they arrived with an air of excitement and even brought along beach balls to create an instant buzz.  And they really did jump for joy because they knew their culture would be preserved, and their jobs were absolutely secure.”
Hot off the press, just published 30 days ago, and already on the New York Times Bestseller List! An easy quick read, with a simple message offering great results. DELIVERING Happiness A Path To Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.

In 1999, at the age of 24, Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an advisor and investor, and eventually became CEO, where he helped the on-line shoe retailer grow from almost no sales to over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually, while simultaneously making Fortune magazines’ annual Best Companies to Work For List.  In November 2009, Zappos.com Inc. was acquired by Amazon.com in a deal valued at $1.2 billion on the day of closing.  Hsieh prefers to call it a marriage between Zappos and Amazon, which gives you a bit of insight to his management philosophy.

I found this book to stand head and shoulders above the crowd, punctuating how to grow really happy customers.  To some, Zappos will seem far too weird a place to get any work done.  But, as my grandmother would say, “the proof is in the pudding,” and they truly have created a place were people like to come to work.

Want a primer on how to build a brand of great customer service?

Here is what Zappos did:

• Find and hire people who are already passionate about customer service and whose core values match those of your organization.
• Build engagement and trust among staff by letting them use their own judgment when dealing with customers and give them the authority to make the customer happy.
• Strive to eliminate any kind of cynicism and negative interactions and be respectful of EVERYONE.
• Surprise your most loyal customers with free shipping or a bouquet of flowers.
• Perform random acts of kindness for co-workers.
• Demonstrate true transparency in ALL communications.
• Teach your employees how not to fear change but rather to welcome change.
• Empower your direct reports to drive change.
• Remember people function best when they can be themselves.

The book offers many innovative examples of creativity, one is the “Face Game.” When a Zappos employee clocks-in on their computer, a randomly picked photo of another employee pops up on their screen.  They are given multiple choices to help identify the employee.  It builds loyalty and expands the philosophy that individuals make-up a family unit.

The following is a quote direct from the book and worth repeating to yourself everyday: “No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future.”
(Author Unknown)

This review is by Judy L. Young, you may reach her at www.laughterlinks.com