Like That Zappos Guy

A couple days ago I talked about killing in people relations, a.k.a kicking @$$ at customer service. I suggested a book by Dale Carnegie called How to Win Friends and Influence People. I also said there was a second book I recommend.

That second book is by the CEO of Zappos, the site that sells a ton of shoes. Delivering Happiness isn’t just about learning how to smooth-talk through the phone or how to close a sale. It’s about making people feel appreciated. The book outlines what Tony Hsieh (pronounced shay) did and still does to make Zappos as awesome as possible.

• Pay brand-new employees $2000 to quit.
• Make customer service the responsibility of the entire company-not just a department
• Focus on company culture as the #1 priority
• Apply research from the science of happiness to running a business
• Help employees grow-both personally and professionally.
• Seek to change the world.
• Make money.

I took that list from Amazon’s description. They also feature a Q&A with Hsieh that’s quite enlightening and definitely worth checking out. If you have an Kindle or a tablet, I suggest buying it that way as it’s cheaper than the Hardcover and Paperback, and it takes less space. If you’re like me and feel like taking a nap when you read, get the Audible version.

If you’ve read it already, let me know what you think.