A key strategy: having friendly, helpful customer reps talk over the phone, providing upgraded shipping, and more. When it came to customer satisfaction at Zappos, Hsieh built customer loyalty by exceeding expectations. It’s goal-oriented and provides the foundation for dedication over the long term, despite obstacles, shortcomings, and failures. Passion creates the flow feeling, “in the zone,” where work is highly productive. Conley, founder and CEO of hotelier Joie de Vivre Hospitality, turned to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs after finding himself in trouble during the post-9/11 travel recession.Ĭonley posits three forms of happiness relating to “relationship truths” between employees, companies, and investors: pleasure, passion, and higher purpose. Hsieh studied Chip Conley’s book Peak : How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow. “A recent CAP study showed that the median cost of replacing an employee was between 10 and 30 percent of that employee’s annual salary.” “When staff is happy, the turnover rate is lower, decreasing overhead cost,” according to Zappos. Hsieh believed happier employees made more productive employees, so Zappos tried to foster socializing and friendships at work – with things like discounted food and relaxation areas.

In other Zappos departments, Hsieh changed the related practice of one large promotion into smaller promotions given on merit every six months. “We’ve found that employees are much happier because there’s an ongoing sense of perceived progress.”Ĭonnectedness. Having control over their raises, Hsieh believed, made employees happier. Instead Hsieh implemented a “skills set system,” giving out small raises as each employee learned and mastered each of 20 skill sets laid out by the company. For example, Zappos call center employees used to get an annual raise. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid.

Delivering happiness tony