Business Connection

May 12, 10:00-4:00

by: Ginger McCullough

Imagine working for a company that's primary focus is delivering happiness.  Zappos is THAT company!  Using the concept that everyone in company is responsible for customer service, Zappos grew to $1 billion in gross revenue and has recently been purchased by Amazon.  

Tony Hsieh and Zappos weren't always that profitable.  They both struggled through a number of business and life lessons to achieve success.

The company's culture is enviable.  Hsieh touts that the best way to build a brand for the long-term is culture. In other words - your culture is your brand.  Zappos looks for applicants who are willing to think and act outside the box; those who are creative; and those who are willing to take risks in trying to solve a problem.  They promote on the basis of skills learned versus tenure.  They believe in openness and honesty.  The pay-off is if employees focus on making others happy (customers and co-workers), they will be happy too.  And if a new hire doesn't buy into the culture, they will pay them to leave.

One of the lessons Hsieh learned was if you focus on making sure your product or service continually WOW people, eventually others, including the press will notice.  This discovery allowed Zappos to reduce advertising dollars; word of mouth proved incredibly profitable.    

Hsieh closes the book with the hope that readers have been inspired to:

·  Make your customers happier - through better customer service

·  Make your employees happier - by focusing more on company culture

·  Make yourself happier - by learning more about the science of happiness

Ginger McCullough is from Amarillo and offers consulting services specializing in micro-businesses and marketing to women. She can be reached at ginmccullough@mac.com or 806-567-1390.