Seth Godin says Internet shoe retailer Zappos wants you to use their customer support services:
Zappos wants you to call their 800 number. They want you to order too many shoes. They want you to return (at their expense) the shoes that don’t fit.
This is so diametrically opposite of how many companies function today – and indeed, it is to their loss. A few weeks ago I wrote about consumers who are greedy with customer service resources and push companies to the limits. With the exception of that very small group, firms should in fact strive for that additional contact with the customer.
At each contact, it is another chance to exceed expectations and to solidify the relationship. A marketing professor of mine once shared an anecdote about a study conducted by a hotel franchise. The study looked at three groups of hotel guests:
- Visitors who had a great stay, with no problems, whatsoever
- Visitors who had a bad stay (unresolved issues)
- Visitors who had a bad experience of some sort or another, but the hotel bent-over-backward and resolved the issues (they gave 110%)
I’m sure you can guess which guests were most likely to return AND refer their friends – Group 3! That’s because the hotel not only resolved the issue, but they exceeded the customer’s expectations by offering even more.
That’s why Seth Godin says Zappos wants you to return your shoes. They want to show you how awesome they are at taking care of you. They want that extra contact with you so that you can come to the conclusion that “Hey, shopping with Zappos is easy and I know they will take care of me if I have a problem.”
If your company isn’t following this model, you’re literally bleeding a large portion of your customers and losing in the loyalty game. The customers you’re leaving behind will not only shop at another company next time around, but they’ll also tell their friends how awful you are.
Seth Godin thinks it’s hard to be as good as Zappos when it comes to service. I disagree. I just think that the upfront costs are high and many firms are unwilling to make that sacrifice for long-term gain.