Have you ever heard of Zappos? For those that have not, it was founded by Nick Swinmurn in 1999 as an online shoe company. By 2000, reported revenue was $1.6 million, and in 2009 they were acquired by Amazon for a reported $1.2 billion.
What makes them stand out? They are known for their amazing corporate culture, with the goal to “deliver wow” and “happiness” to both customers and employees. And, they hired a “culture coach” to make it real.
“If we get the culture right, then everything else, including the customer service, will fall into place”.
Tony Hsieh – CEO Zappos and author of Delivering Happiness
Delivering WOW and Happiness
At Zappos, they live the belief that by building people and a positive corporate culture, financial success is achieved.
Their 10 Core Values are:
- Deliver WOW Through Service and happiness
- 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
And, they have what they call 5 Structures:
- VISION: What you’re doing
- PURPOSE: Why you do it
- BUSINESS MODEL: What will fuel you as you’re doing it
- WOW and UNIQUENESS: Factors that set you apart from others
- VALUES: What matters to you
A PeopleTek client sent us the link about Zappos (see below), and we’re proud to share he told us “I thought of you when I saw this article about Zappos. I think it fits perfectly in some of your messages regarding management styles and corporate culture”. We feel honored!
Are you part of an organization that builds people and promotes a positive culture, and as a result succeeds financially?