The-Slight-Edge

The 7 Slight Edge Principles 85
they need to go the extra mile in eliminating any and all customer fears of buying
online by offering free shipping both ways. If something doesn’t fit, send it back
for free. Zappos looks at these extra costs as marketing expenses, a minor tradeoff
in their eyes for a customer who raves about their shopping experience. In essence,
they are creating what they call a WOW experience, which their customers
remember for a long time and usually tell their friends and family about.
Zappos.com employees are just as passionate about delivering happiness
through outstanding customer service as their fearless leader. This is due to the
culture that Hsieh and his executive team have developed with their employees.
They are not just order takers, but invested partners committed to delivering the
best customer service in the industry.
In his book Delivering Happiness, Hsieh describes their core philosophy:
At Zappos.com, we decided a long time ago that we wanted our
brand to be about the very best customer service and the very best customer
experience. We believe that customer service shouldn’t be just a department,
it should be the entire company … What’s the best way to build a brand?
In a word: culture. Our belief is that if you have the culture right, most of
the other stuff—like great customer service, or building a great long-term
brand, or passionate employees and customers—will happen naturally on
its own.
It is refreshing to see scientific studies that tout a positive attitude as a
precursor to success and to see big companies integrating it into their culture.
Hard work will always be an ingredient for success, but when mixed with a happy
disposition and good attitude, not only will you begin to experience the fruits of
success, but you will also attract others to help you along the way.
No. 4: Be Committed for a Long Period of Time
It takes a long time to grow an old friend.
— John Leonard
Let’s summarize where we are so far. First, we need to show up, be consistent
and have a good attitude. The fourth Slight Edge principle is to practice these
principles for a long period of time. Just as a farmer has to wait a full season
to reap his harvest, you must do the same. In my opinion, this is the hardest
principle for our microwave and fast-food culture to deal with because we want
instant results now, not in 120 days or a year from now!