Zappos

Edgar Trabal Rodriguez

Professor Susan McCabe

Principles of Management

April 10, 2016

Paper 3 Zappos

In 1999 Nick Swinmurn founded Zappos, an online shoe and clothing company base out of Las Vegas. After the years Zappos has turned into the largest online shoe company in the world. Even though it was a perfectly time great idea, the company’s success is not due to its incredible sales. Instead the company is great because of its strong corporate culture and its outstanding costumer service.

After not finding a pair of Airwalk sneakers in his local shopping mall, Nick Swinmurn found inspiration. He decided to create a website to tap into the now $40 million footwear industry. A few months after its launch the company decided to change its name to Zappos, a word that derives from the Spanish word for shoes. They did this in order to not limit themselves to sell shoes. Even though is was not always great CEO Tony Hsieh helped guide the company from a struggling start up to a huge success by creating an environment in Zappos which is fun loving and wildly customer focused. During the course of some years Zappos created a list of core values with the help of their own employees. Hsieh gathered his feedback from e-mails he sent to the entire company. The results were a list of 10 core values that the company beliefs in them so much they are willing to hire and fire on the spot to follow them. The 10 core values are deliver WOW though service; embrace and drive change; create fun and a little weirdness; be adventurous, creative and open minded; pursue growth and learning; build open and honest relationships with communication; build a positive team and family spirit; do more with less, be passionate and determined and be humble. Hsieh does everything with costumer happiness in mind, to do that he focuses in employee happiness. In a quote from Hsieh he said, "So many people when they go to the office, they leave a little bit of themselves at home, or a lot of themselves...