Recently I visited the Zappos headquarters in Las Vegas. Zappos is famous for its unparalleled customer service, and while I was there, I got some really fascinating insights into their approach. At NW, we pride ourselves on providing the best tutoring, but we also take a lot of pride in our superb customer service. I was pretty confident in what we were doing. Little did I know I was in for an attitude adjustment...
It all started with a seemingly innocent discussion question posed by Zappos: "How many of us like complaints?" Everyone sitting around me had the same reaction:
"Uh...NONE of us...obviously!"
Well Zappos, being Zappos, had a different take on this matter. The leader of the discussion group smiled sagely at us. "Complaints are GIFTS, people!"
Hm. This was a new idea for me. Please explain how something painful, time-consuming, and draining, like dealing with an unhappy customer, is a gift? As usual with Zappos, the logic was simple and brilliant:
Complaints give us a chance to fix things, and to know what to improve. They help us identify our weak areas, so we can make them stronger. A customer has the choice to voice their concerns, giving you a chance to transform their experience, or to just stop being a customer altogether. In the long run, which would you prefer?
They even took it a step further:
Complaints challenge us to be better. If we look at every complaint as a learning opportunity, and take a moment to step back and evaluate the situation objectively, complaints can make us better people and a better company!
If you're reading this and there's something we can be doing better to help you, please share your complaints. We are eager to help you!
-Pari Schacht
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