Zappos puts service first, and reaps the rewards
Stephen WhitesideWarc
Online retailer Zappos is the world's biggest shoe store. But when it doesn't have a specific product in stock, a customer-service representative will visit three rival websites to help a shopper find their desired sneakers, sandals, or slippers.
And it all happens in a hurry: orders placed at midnight can even be delivered the next morning.
The payoff from such an unstinting commitment to meeting client needs is that three-quarters of the firm's customer base is comprised of repeat buyers, Jon Wolske, a culture evangelist at Zappos,...