Midlife’s A Trip

My Un-Complaint Against Zappos

Posted on 26. May, 2009 by Karen in Inspiration

Last week I ordered 2 pairs of black cargo shorts by Jag for the summer that’s finally coming to Michigan.  So why do you need to know this. Work with me here because these black shorts led me to a mind-blowing experience with a little known phenomenon called great customer service.

I placed my order with online retailer Zappos, known for their wide variety of shoes.  I’ve ordered from them before because they often carry shoes in narrow sizes. If you wear a narrow shoe size I don’t have to explain why this is a big plus, do I?  In the past whatever I ordered was available in my size and arrived as promised – end of story.

But when my Zappos package arrived today, I was disappointed.  There were 2 pairs of black shorts inside but in 2 different sizes – one not mine. Because Zappos only had 2 pairs in my size when I ordered, I picked up the phone 1) to complain and 2) to see if that second pair of shorts was still available.  This is where the story gets good.

My call was connected to a very cordial Zappos customer service rep, whose name I didn’t get, I’m sorry to say. When I explained my dilemma, she went into action and gave me no opportunity to complain. She checked to see if the other pair of shorts was still available.  The bad news was they weren’t. Darn it but I’ll live.

Then the nice young customer service rep apologized profusely and offered the following solution to Zappos’ mistake in filling my order. Here’s where the good news comes in:

1. She emailed me a return label for the UPS package AND a return form completely filled in with all the details of my wrong size black shorts. No need to fill out the form while trying to find a SKU number somewhere on the garment.
2. She enrolled me in the Zappos VIP program which gets me an upgrade of 1-day shipping on any future orders.
3. When I decided to order another item for $7 more than the shorts, she told me she wouldn’t charge me for the difference.
4. And finally, she gave me a $10 coupon I can use for future purchases.

I’m still picking myself up off the floor.

I’ve heard about the brilliant strategies of Zappos’ innovative CEO, Tony Hsieh but hadn’t experienced what that means to a real customer until now. Like many of us, I’ve been known to complain when things aren’t right, so I wanted to make sure to give acknowledgment when things go well, like here. So Tony and the amazing Zappos team who really get what customer service is all about -

Thanks for making my day:-)

No related posts.

Tags: acknowledgement, customer service, good customer service, Zappos