Interpreting the success of Zappos.com, Four Seasons, and Nordstrom: Customer centricity is but one‐third of the job

Abstract

Can organizations that are noted for outstanding customer service rely solely on their remarkable customer-centricity to achieve success? An analysis incorporating Internet-based surveys, traditional measures of customer satisfaction and financial performance, and an examination of the practices at three exceptionally successful customerfocused companies-Zappos.com, Four Seasons, and Nordstrom-shows that an emphasis on employee satisfaction and productivity also play key roles in organizational excellence. Management practices at these firms illustrate the validity of the Cube One framework, which posits that a combination of customer-, employee-, and productivity-directed practices drives organizational performance.

A Quasi-Longitudinal Examination of the Cube One Framework

“…Published case studies have interpreted the success of three remarkably customer-centric organizations (Zappos! Four Seasons, and Nordstrom) in terms of their extensive use of Enterprise-and Employee-Directed practices as well as their extraordinary Customer-Directed practices (Kopelman, Chiou, Lipani, & Zhu, 2012) Case studies have also interpreted the remarkable turnaround at Continental Airlines, (Kopelman & Chiou, 2011) as well as the unparalleled success of The Mayo Clinic (Massimino, Joseph, & Kopelman, 2015). A more detailed description of the validity evidence is provided in the text, Improving Organizational Performance: The Cube One Framework (Kopelman, 2020).…”

A unique approach to achieving organizational excellence: The Cube One Framework

“…Viewed through the lens of the Cube One Framework, it is clear why three exceptionally customer‐focused companies (Zappos, Four Seasons, and Nordstrom) have been successful. As Kopelman et al., and Zhu (2012) put it, customer service is but one‐third of the job—even for organizations with an extraordinary dedication to customer satisfaction. Zappos pioneered in digital sales of shoes by trying to create a “wow!” shopping experience.…”

Penyuluh Pajak: Penerapan Customer Based Oriented Services Di Direktorat Jenderal Pajak

“…Nordstrom telah sukses menerapkan pelayanan berbasis kepuasan pelanggan (Dodds, 1999;Kopelman et al, 2012;Solnet & Kandampully, 2008;Thompson et al, 2013). Keberhasilan Nordstrom seharusnya dapat menginspirasi organisasi di sektor publik untuk dapat memiliki pencapaian yang sama.…”

“…Nordstrom hanya ingin mempekerjakan orang yang ramah, berusaha keras untuk "mempekerjakan senyum dan melatih keterampilan". Pimpinan di perusahaan Nordstrom menyatakan bahwa tidaklah sulit untuk mengajari orang bagaimana cara menjual, tetapi hampir tidak mungkin untuk mengajari staf penjualan bagaimana menjadi baik (Kopelman et al, 2012). Oleh sebab itu, proses rekrutmen penyuluh pajak menjadi sangat vital karena harus dengan tepat mendapatkan calon tenaga yang memiliki tiga karakteristik kompetensi ( motive, trait, dan self concept) dan karakter tambahan "ramah".…”