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Posts Tagged ‘Inc Magazine’ |
As I mentioned in my other post on the Inc. Awards, we had the opportunity to hear Jim Collins speak at the Inc. 500/5000 conference in September. It was amazing to hear him speak about what makes good companies ‘great’. According to Jim, great companies are not made by accident, but by careful planning and flawless execution. Here’s what else he had to say during a Q&A session:
Another great speaker at the Inc. Conference in September was Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh. Tony came to talk with us about customer service. I decided to sit up straight and listen because this guy took a small-time internet company with less than $2 million in revenue to generating $1 billion (yes, with a ‘b’) in sales in less than 10 years. His main philosophy and road to success? Great customer service. Now many companies say the same thing, but here’s what makes Tony’s company different:
• All new employees – no matter what level – work in the call center and shipping docks for at least two weeks. This gives them a solid understanding of the needs of the customer.
• Zappos doesn’t spend a lot of money on direct marketing (magazine ads, billboards, etc.). Instead they put their money into the ‘wow’ factor for customers. This may take the form of free overnight shipping or other enhancements.
• The company doesn’t have restrictions on their customer service call centers. Customer service reps can talk as long as needed to ensure that the customer gets their needs met. According to Tony, the longest customer service call was over 5 hours!
• Lastly, Zappos has very easy access to customer service. The customer service hotline is on every page of their website (instead of buried at the bottom of a ‘contact us’ section) and they boast a 365-day return policy.
Way to go Tony! To learn more about Zappo’s culture and how Tony is leading the charge in customer service, check out their website.
We are proud to announce that we are number 1498 on the list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America as rated by Inc. Magazine! The announcement was made in August that we had made the list by obtaining approximately 250% growth during the rating period. We were so happy to know that we had made the list – especially during these economic times!
Jeremy and I went to DC in September to accept our award. Inc. Magazine has developed a conference around the 500/5000 list and I recommend all entrepreneurs check it out (regardless of whether you’re on the list or not)! The conference is packed with great speakers including Tony Hsieh and Jim Collins (I’ll write about those highlights next) as well as fabulous break-outs and sponsors. Oh, and did I mention the opportunity to be surrounded by 5,000 of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs?
The two-day event was closed out with an amazing awards gala. A black-tie event where Jeremy and I got a chance to pick-up our award.
