Zappos a Love Story...
Zappos is a company on a mission to make people happy with their buying decisions and life in general. Every time I order a pair of shoes, socks, or clothing of any kind Zappos brings happiness into my life.
Not because I am getting something new, but because the customer experience is near flawless. I know when I order from them I will get the item the next day because I am a VIP. This status has to be one of the easiest to reach, because I am not a volume buyer. I also know that if I don't like what I received I can return the item no questions asked for up to one year. Finally, even though I can't touch or try on an item before I purchase they do a great job of shooting a short video to give me some information on the product.
I could stop right here, and it would be the best experience that I have ever had with a retailer, but then this happened yesterday.
I needed a pair of compression sleeves for my marathon training, and I went on Zappos.com where I knew I would find what I needed. I found the New Balance Graduated Compression Sport Sleeve, and ordered one pair. The next day they arrived, and to my surprise I received three pairs of the sleeves. Normally, I would have happily kept the extra product and just said, "well the company should do a better job in fulfilling orders."
But this Zappos, a retailer that cares about my experience, and I care about them continuing to succeed. I reached out to their customer service department asking them how I could return the two extra pairs. Below is the response that I received.
Hello Rob,
Thanks for contacting Zappos.com Customer Loyalty Team. I hope you're having a fabulous weekend! My name is Susan and It would be my pleasure to assist one of our special VIP customers today!
I apologize for that mistake. I really do not want to inconvenience you by having to package and return them. Thank you for being such an honest customer and letting us know. Please go ahead and keep them. You will not be charged. I have notated your account that I advised you to keep the items that were sent to you in error. Have a wonderful weekend, Rob!
Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist you with. We are here in Las Vegas and the lights are always on!
The right shoe can change your life...Just ask Cinderella!
Susan M.
Customer Loyalty Representative
Zappos.com
I was once again happily surprised with Zappos, and their team. They actually showed empathy that I got more than I paid for, and they let me keep the full order! Because of this one small gesture I have posted this letter on Facebook, here on my site, and a link to the letter on Twitter.
This was the cheapest PR move that Zappos could possibly do, and they got not only one happy customer out of it, but an evangelist for their brand. I will be giving out the two pairs to my fellow runners this weekend, and letting everyone know why Zappos is great.