Superior Customer Care and Philanthropy Intersect At Zulily

Recently, fashion retailer Zulily made a bold customer care decision that’s gaining the company a great deal of social media attention. Here’s what happened:

When a customer called into the customer care center saying that a coat she had ordered online simply didn’t fit well and that she’d like to return it the Communicator helping her gave a surprising response. Rather than processing the request normally, the Zulily employee offered the customer a full refund, but she also suggested that the customer keep the coat and give it to someone she knew or donate it to charity.

While this may seem like a bold and costly move in the corporate world, to humanity it’s the most reasonable solution to the problem.

More organizations would be wise to take a page from Zulily’s customer care book and find unique ways to give back to the community and serve their customers. Below are some different solutions that organizations can utilize to start following in Zulily’s footsteps:

• Hire smart: It’s critical that you hire Communicators who have all the necessary technical training. However, it’s also important that you employ individuals that are savvy and confident enough to think on their feet. When interviewing candidates, make sure that you test the individual’s interpersonal skills in addition to his or her technical skills.

• Give agents freedom: While it’s important that Communicators adhere to policies and procedures, they must be able to go off-script once in a while. Give your seasoned agents the freedom to flip the script when necessary. If you don’t encourage them to think outside the box then moments like the one mentioned above won’t happen.

• Encourage giving: Does your company have a strong company culture? You can’t expect your Communicators to act boldly if it’s not engrained in your company’s DNA. Make sure that your employee’s understand your company culture and communicate it often.

Your Communicators can make a difference in consumers’ lives and potentially touch the hearts of many. Make sure that your Communicators are trained to handle every customer care situation with poise and compassion.

Steve Brubaker began his career at InfoCision in 1985. In his current role as Chief of Staff and as a member of the Executive Team, he is responsible for HR, internal and external communications, and manages the company’s legal and compliance departments. Brubaker is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the DMA, SOCAP, and PACE. He also donates his time to serve on several university boards, including the Executive Advisory Board for The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at The University of Akron and The University of Akron Foundation Board. He is a frequent speaker for national events and has also been honored with a number of awards and recognitions for his contributions to the call center industry.