I Bought Another Pair of Shoes

I know you are not surprised by the fact that I bought another pair of shoes. I love my shoes. Today I am on a 4 day trip and I have 5 pairs of shoes with me! Years ago, no one would have imagined buying shoes on the Internet. Of course we would want to try on the shoes before we buy them. Or do we?

Online shoe retailer, Zappos, changed this mindset when they started selling shoes online. In order to gain the trust of the customer, they had to not only have great shoes, but great people helping the customer buy the shoes.

In my first experience with Zappos, I spoke to a customer service agent who wanted to help me get the right size. Because the event I needed the shoes for was just a week away, we only had time for one shipment. Zappos shipped me three sizes to be certain one of them would fit. And, there would be no charge to return the pairs of shoes that did not fit. When the boxes arrived at my home, I found that one of the shoes fit perfect. Did I return the other two pairs? Nope. My assistant bought one of them! So, because they extended themselves with over the top service, they sold two pairs of shoes.

What is your company known for? Do you have a legacy of doing what ever it takes to earn the customers business? Zappos shows us it is not only easy, it is profitable.