How Zappos Gets Employees & Customers to Exude Their Company Values
I LOVE Zappos. Why? Because they’re a smart business. They deliver exceptional customer service. And, they have fun while doing it. I’ll always pay a few dollars more for shoes on their site because I know I can count on them to exceed my expectations. Did I mention they are SUPER fun?
Zappos eats, sleeps, and breathes it’s company core values. And it wants to make sure that everyone knows them. Not only do they have them listed prominently on their website, they have reminders EVERYWHERE.
See… here’s the thing… you can say that your core values are X, Y, and Z. But, if you aren’t living them (walking the walk, talking the talk) then all they are a list of empty words.
Zappos has 10 core values at the center of its mission to provide the best customer service possible. They are:
- Deliver WOW Through Service
- Embrace and Drive Change
- Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
- Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
- Pursue Growth and Learning
- Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
- Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
- Do More With Less
- Be Passionate and Determined
- Be Humble
They want to make sure that their employees have these core values. They interview based on these defining characteristics.Throughout Zappos’ offices there are reminders of these values. Like this one:
They also want their customers to know and live these core values. When you place an order with Zappos, you’re reminded of their values:
When you receive a box from them, you’re reminded of their values:
Even their review/survey embraces their values of creating fun and a little weirdness:
Whenever I shop with them, I end up exuding some of their core values. How could one not? They remind you at every step of their process. They create fun. I feel the fun. I become more fun myself.
In order to create values that have importance and depth you HAVE to walk the walk, talk the talk. Communicating your mission and values to your staff, clients, partners, colleagues, community augments the weight of your values. And – pretty soon – everyone is exuding your core values too.
How are you doing this in your business? Share with us in a comment below.