Zappos is an online shoe and clothing retailer founded in 1999 that has grown to over 1,400 employees. The company prioritizes an excellent customer experience through fast shipping, easy returns, and friendly customer service. Zappos has over 12 million customers, with 75% being returning customers who spend more on average than new customers. The company is working to expand customer touchpoints beyond phone support to social media as most customers do not call. Zappos aims to have employees actively engage with customers across various online channels to strengthen relationships and gather feedback.

1. by: @krianbalma

2. Who am I and what do I do? Currently building a user experience and product team

3. The long road to UX & Product… Helped build the Product Photography Dept Director of Creative Services & Marketing Launched the front-end Development Team Launched the Brand Design Team Launched the Blog, Zappos.TV and Social Teams

6. Power of Repeat Customers & Word of Mouth

7. 3 foundational things we’ve learned are necessary for good service online:

11. 2 Bonus things we’ve learned….

14. Though, Times are Changing!

15. Customer experience extends beyond just your site!

16. Time to figure out how to extend the experience!

17. Why? Because not all customers pick up the phone!

18. Create more touch points with your customers… … and you enable more frequent and meaningful engagement with them (Brand longevity!)

19. Why? Because people want to be heard!

20. Why? To gather information?!

21. Why? To make better educated purchases?!

22. Why? To feel like they are part of it?

23. Why? To talk about their experiences!

24. Why? Probably all of the above, and more! That’s LOTS of people willing to help look out for your business, provide feedback and ideas, etc!

25. That is, if you are listening.

26. Most people don’t pick up the phone and call us!

27. Evolving Customer Connections Phone Live Chat Social Sites, Networks, etc… 1,100,000+ opportunities to interact per day 6,000+ calls a day 400+ live chats per day

28. That’s right, 1,100,000 per day in the social space And growing!!!

29. Or you can annualize it:401,500,000+ invitations to interact per year

30. How does a company engage in an organized predictive way?

31. Which leads me to…

32. Is People Planning the new media planning?

33. Don’t plan great media, plan great people! Have the RIGHT people, have the RIGHT voice

34. People Planning Train EVERYONE to be a customer service agent Good Customer Service = 

35. People Planning Rally the company behind the IDEA of pro-actively talking to customers

36. People Planning Employees will want to engage customers, as often as possible.

37. Zappos Goal: Have as many employees be a voice! Why? We believe in People Planning being at the heart of our success.

38. How does one do that? Have the right culture and nurture it Have committable core values and aspire to live them INVEST in hiring and firing and pay people to leave ($$$) Stay focused and make people focused investments Education!

39. Strategy: Maintain Transparency Make it easy for people to see that we are, just a company of people just like you! We have nothing to hide, we’ll show you what people are saying about us and what WE are saying We like to make people smile and laugh

40. Transparency Tools – twitter.zappos.com

41. Get your partners involved!

42. Transparency Tools – Zappos.TV

43. Transparency Tools – Facebook Page

44. What does a Snuggie have to do with Zappos? Absolutely nothing, but it has everything to do with an engagement opportunity!

45. The reshaping of customer expectations

46. Reshaping customer expectations

47. Reshaping customer expectations