An Overlooked Branding Tool: the Telephone
While many companies still bury their toll-free numbers--or any contact phone number, for that matter--deep within their websites, Zappos.com is one firm using phones calls to build customer relationships. During his keynote presentation at the recent Conference Board Senior Marketing Executive Conference, Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh talked about the various ways the retailers works to wow customers. Along with free shipping and a 365-day return policy, Zappos makes is easy for customers and prospective customers to contact the company by placing its contact information prominently on every page of its website.
"We want to talk to customers," Hsieh said. "The telephone is one of the best branding devices out there. You have customers' undivided attention. It's great if you get it right."
It seems that Zappos is getting right. About 75 percent of its orders are repeat business. And according to Hsieh, the company is (still) growing because of customer loyalty.
"We want to be the very best at customer service and customer experience," he said. When it comes to phone calls, that experience has a few main components, including no average hand time limits, no upselling, and agents will research up to three competitors' websites to find an item for a customer if Zappos doesn't have it in stock.
The reason this approach works, Hsieh said, is Zappos' culture. "Our number one priority is culture, because then the customer experience will be great. Branding and culture are two sides of the same coin.... Your culture is your brand."
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