Zappos Blogs: Inside Zappos

Presenting the Content Team Specialists

Laura M. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:30:11 GMT

A while back, Tara B and I did some brainstorming, pinpointed some areas within the Content Team that could benefit from some special attention and created the Specialist Program. Hey, Embrace and Drive Change, right? Today, we had a little ceremony for our first ever Content Team Specialists and handed out icons that represent these new positions.

Holding the big red pencils are our Editing Specialists. Hannah E., Heather T. and Jennifer B. are responsible for reviewing all of the product descriptions and ‘about texts’ throughout the week. They send each team a report detailing the mistakes they’ve found and will be also be conducting a workshop this week, which I am excited to attend as I’ve been known to misspell a word or two wrong from time to time (wink, wink)!

Nick P., the guy with the beard holding his very own EDI gnome, is not only the Category Manager for the Kids team, but he is also our EDI Specialist. He does a great job helping out the rest of the team with document testing and troubleshooting issues that arise along the way. Trust me when I say that this is no easy task!

Jannel Veal has got our whole world in her hands as our Wiki Specialist. She has updated our Content Team page by making it totally organized, not to mention aesthetically pleasing. There are even team photos. Check out how much we’ve grown. Each team within Content has its own page with category specific information that is really informative and
useful!

Down in front with the red boxing gloves is Dana., our Training Specialist. She organized a page on our Wiki with extensive training information for new hires and pros alike. She will also be helping the management team create some standardized tests for our progression plan.

Look closely and you will see that Kenny Lucas has in his possession a framed picture of the infamous Tila Tequila. No, we did not create a So Bad it’s Good Reality TV Specialist, but we do have our very own TEQUILA/MTPA Specialist. These are the two different tools that our Detailers use to create products in our system. Kenny has done a great job creating a ‘how to’ guide on the Wiki and keeps the team updated on changes.

Hiding behind Kenny is our very own SAP Specialist, Shanda F., with a bottle of maple sap. Shanda also put together a Wiki page with a ‘how to’ section for SAP. She also communicates with Accounting regarding the new supplier set up process. She is our go-to girl for the SAP system.

And then there is Jonathan H. our Librarian Specialist! Jonathan reads at least one book a week from the Zappos Library and summarizes it for the rest of the team in his weekly email, Letters from the Librarian. In these emails, he includes fun facts about our product types and a short bio on a featured designer. Lastly, Jonathan put together a ‘Creative Content’ class for the team that inspires individuals to (in his own words) “spice up their style.”

As you can see, we have a lot of really talented people who Deliver WOW Through Service daily. Stay tuned…more Content Team Specialists are on the way!

More Fun Than A Barrel of Monkeys!

Stephanie S. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:30:18 GMT

Remember the game Barrel of Monkeys? Milton Bradley sold the game, which came with a toy barrel in blue, red, yellow or green with 12 tiny toy monkeys. How you played was you hooked a monkey to the barrel, then hooked another monkey to that monkey's arm, and so on and so on, creating a chain of monkeys. When a monkey falls, your turn is over.

Sounds like fun to me. If I were four years old.

But at a recent happy hour, I was reminded of the innocent game. Someone ordered a chocolate-banana drink from the bar, which comes with a plastic monkey. After throwing back a few drinks ourselves, Derek Carder and I looked at this monkey, then looked at each other, clearly thinking the same brilliant idea. We asked the bartender for extra monkeys, and after enduring a few weird looks, we played our own version of Barrel of Monkeys.

I won! Shoot...how will I drink my beer now?

An army of monkeys. Wow, look at all those empty glasses in the background...

Monkeys are delicious.

Hey, our own version of Barrel of Monkeys, employees slapping the CEO, you never know what to expect at a Zappos happy hour.

Tighty Whities

Hannah E. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:56:32 GMT

The beauty of shopping at Zappos.com is that you can buy whatever your heart desires, any time of the day. Take Jason Lee for instance; he decided one afternoon that he wanted...no, NEEDED this 3-pack of brightly colored underwear (tighty whities, as some may call them). This isn't exactly the first time Jason has purchased undies from Zappos, and he always insists on causing a scene by wearing them on his head and parading around the office. Just kidding! Although it's hard not to notice that big smile he gets whenever he opens a fresh new Zappos box filled with tighty whities...; it's like a kid on Christmas morning!

Back To School Shoe and Classroom Supply Drive! Get Involved!

Christina Y — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:42:25 GMT

Announcing on behalf of the Community Involvement Committee and the Zappos Outlet Store...

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOE AND CLASSROOM SUPPLY DRIVE

From July 18 through August 15, Zappos Outlet Store will be sponsoring a "Back To School Shoe and Classroom Supply Drive" benefiting the Bullitt County Public Schools. Zappos will kick it off by donating 100 pair of unworn children's shoes!!!

The promotion is two-fold; come in and purchase children's footwear to be donated from the special designated section for $10 and $20 and you will automatically be entered into a drawing to win one of the following prizes*:

Non-Zappos Employees (the Public):

$250 shopping spree in the Shepherdsville Outlet Store
A pair of Oakley sunglasses
$50 Gift Certificate to the Shepherdsville Outlet Store

*please see sales associates for details.

Zappos Employees:

$200 Gift Certificate to the Shepherdsville Outlet Store
$50 Gas Card
More prizes will be announced at a later date

The second piece of the promotion is simple... bring in any unused school supplies into the Outlet Store and receive an additional 10% discount on your purchase that day! For Zappos' employees that makes a total discount of 50% off!! Thanks for your time and consideration, we appreciate your support!

^Challenge!!

Let's turn this "Back-to-School" kick-off into a contest for the KY Team. The team that donates the most supplies wins 30 Zollars each. Just bring your donation to the Outlet Store, tell the associate your department and shift, and we will sort your items according to department. WOW!!! Three great incentives in one. Great prices, fabulous prizes and we are helping the children of Bullitt County Schools.

Wish List for Classrooms and Teachers

Students

Plain #2 Pencils
Fiskar Scissors
24 ct. Crayola Crayons
Elmer's Glue
8 ct. Crayola Classic Color Markers
Primary & 1^st^ Grade writing tablets
Spiral Notebooks
Colored pencils
Pocket Folders (solid color)
Reams of White Copy Paper
Loose Leaf Filler Paper
Hand Sanitizer
Highlighters
Red Ink Pens
Composition Notebooks (black/white marbled cover)
Zippered Pencil Pouches
Glue Sticks
Clay
Pre-sweetened Kool-Aid mix

Teachers' Wish List

Paper towels
Baby Wipes
Small plastic cups
Facial Tissue
Sharpies
Dry Erase Markers
Gallon Ziploc Bags

____________________________________________________________
***Once the drive is over we will be announcing the winners! So, come on KY! Lets kick some butt and get these kids and teachers the supplies they need!***

Meet Your KY Fulfillment Center Peeps: LuAnn! Hi LuAnn!

Christina Y — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:33:23 GMT

I would like everyone to meet LuAnn G! She was on the Vegas Encounter back in March. If you Vegas-ites didn't get the chance to meet her, don't fret! Here's your chance to get to know a little bit about her! She's a lead in our fabulous Kentucky warehouse! Read on to get to know her a little more!

What Dept. Do you work in and what is your position?

I am a lead in the returns department.

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I have been at Zappos since April 15, 2004. I became full time, August 1, 2004. I also have lived in Shepherdsville for 4 years. I moved from Louisville to be closer to work. I have a daughter, who will be 30, August 30th, she is married. I have a cat named Shadow. She follows me everywhere. When I have the time I like to bake and listen to music.

What's the best thing ever about working for Zappos.com?!

The people. I like the fact that everyone treats you like their friend or family and not just a co-worker.

Favorite food served at Zappos?

Chick-Fil-A!

What's your favorite thing to do outside of work?

I like to walk, go to the mall or my home away from home, Wal-Mart.

What's the weirdest thing you have ever encountered?

The weirdest thing that I have encountered at work is the steak knives, scissors and other unusual items that people send back in their shoeboxes!

Does a chicken have lips and if he did, would he smack 'em!?

I don't really know! I have never gotten that close to a live chicken. But there is always that possibility?!

BUYER'S DIARY #6 - Greg H. - Nike

Graham M. — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:07:55 GMT

BUYER: Greg H. - Assistant Buyer, Kids Athletic

DATE: June 25 - 27, 2008

LOCATION: Los Angeles

BRAND: Nike
June 25, 2008

10:30pm- putting together last second stuff for my trip to LA to see Nike. I just realized that if I go to bed this second, I can get 6 hours of sleep.

June 26, 2008

12:30am: About the time I actually fell asleep.

3:30am: Rolling out of bed thinking. Megan, our rep who booked this, is probably sound asleepstill. ...we really do love ya Megan!!

4:45am: Arrive at the airport.

5:00am: Waiting for Starbucks to open, so I can operate efficiently.

5:15am: Meet up with entire Zappos crew: Chris P, Galen, Heather S., Amanda W., Dave c., and Anand.

6:00am: About to take off...I HATE flying! I don't care what anyones says...its freaky.

7:05am: We're on the ground (LA), although we have a hot-tempered cabbie... now the air isn't seeming so bad... Just got an angry explaination from cabbie that its unfair that he had to take more pasengers than the car behind him due to gas...thinks its unfair, even though he drives a Van cab, that he shoud have to take more than one passenger...ever. Mentioned that maybe he should request a car from his company...response: that's not the point of the matter. The point he specifically made to us was that we were too heavy for his cab (geez buddy, I'm trying to lose weight). We're nodding our heads at his rants now and recovering from the damaging weight comment...waiting for him to say that we should drive his cab for him too.

8:10am: Eating breakfast at a really cool family joint called JJ's Cafe... Really friendly, family
service! Actually, the owner, JJ is welcoming us now. We don't see this in Vegas much.

9:00am: Arrive at Nike showroom for presentations.

5:45pm: All done with our meetings with Nike. Everything looked great! I learned a new phrase from my apparel rep, Tanya, which is "Not Eve", which is short for Not Even. When you're on the go, who has time to add in that extra "n"? Heading to Gladstones, which is right on the beach.

6:00pm: Arrive at Gladstones. Beautiful view! We can see Al Pacino from our table. Having first drink of the night...

8:00pm: Dinner is done. I think I'm on number four by now. Bets are being made on who will jump in the ocean first.

8:30pm: No one jumped in...the night's still young. Heading over to The Penthouse at the Huntley. Actress Leslie Mann is sitting right across from us at the Penthouse bar.

10:30pm: Walking 3rd Street promemnade. Peake just asked a couple to dance...the look was priceless on the couples face. love the Promenade...PEAKE GET DOWN FROM THERE! Now that Peake has come down from the 20 ft pole he just climbed, we can keep moving. We learned that we are all strangely familiar with capital of Thailand.

10:40pm: We are at the The Bulldog Bar having a drink with Karen and Rob. Karen will be married in a month. Drink to that, right?

11:40pm: Meet a couple cool people and have drinks. A couple of us cross the street and give a homeless guy some money to help him. I gave him 20 bucks and we went back to the bar.

June 27, 2008

7:30am: Meet everyone to head to airport. No hangovers...because we feel like we just left the bar in the last 10 min. Not as stressed about flying though...that's good.

8:15am: We all sit down, with Megan too, and eat breakfast. I passed on the Pestelleg sandwich, and went with the healthier, more breakfast-like food...cheese quesadilla.

9:00am: Found out flight's delayed. While standing around people watching, we notice d that Holly, from Girl's Next Door, is sitting a few feet away, and is waiting for the same
flight. She's with a friend, and it looks like they are both enjoying a Pestelleg Sandwich (you can only get these in LA. It’s a very beefy sandwich).

10:00am: Sitting in the plane on the runway...this lasts 45 minutes...original flight time was 9:35.

11:30am: Back in Vegas. That wraps up an eventful couple days. We all had a great time, and, after a couple days of straight sleep; we'll start looking forward to the next trip!

Just another day in the office....

Angela T — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:04:15 GMT

Here in the photo studio the photographers and photo assistants have an advantage others team members don't have, we get to see all the new arrivals that will be joining Zappos.com web page. During the week bothcthe A and B shift photo assistants and photographers can prep and photograph 100's of new handbags, footwear, eyewear, electronics and more. New products, we love them and they love us. So much so that it seems some products have a way of joining in the fun and creativity. I'm not sure if it's magical dust that falls off the packaging that make the products come to life... or that it's just Friday but fortunate for you I have been able to capture this strange phenomenon. This may be a case for the X-Files.

Photos Top L to R- Photo assistant Tracy P. has a little tag along as she preps the handbags, while Ki M. and photographer Sandy L. seem to have been hynotized into trying out their new products. Hey Ki, we'll take 2 Whoppers please! Sandy, you make a lovely bride.

Bottom row: L to R : Having been taken over by a pair of Pleasers USA, our sweet, mild manner senior photographer Katie B. has had a total personality change that photographer Shane R. enjoys. Behave Shane! And finally, was it a good or a bad joke, which ever the case, our photo
assistant April S. can't seem to stop laughing. I think the devil made her do it

Click on their names to view the products on our site!!

Stay tune for more, the truth is out there!

Written by: Cameron T.

The cake said it!

Christina Y — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:16:57 GMT

Every month the photo department gets a cake for everyone's birthday of that month, and to welcome the new comers to the department. There is so much cake going on in that department!

I guess the person making the cake didn't think that newbie was the right word or they thought it was a person? Either way, it's funny!

Welcome New Bies!

"The Iron Photoshopper" Challenge!

Angela T — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:52:46 GMT

It began as a simple photograph of our new mannequins, for posterity purposes. I was uploading my image and showed it to a couple of coworkers nearby. Being the creative bunch that we are, we innocently thought of fun ways to alter the picture using photoshop. Then without hesitation Steven T. challenged me to a photoshop duel! Thus began the "Iron Photoshoper Challenge"!

The rules were very basic:

1) You must use the photograph of the new mannequins.
2) Size: 8.5x11 inches
3) Dpi: 72 - 300
4) You can manipulate the image any way as long as Photoshop was used.
5) BE CREATIVITY! Yes, creativity, which is more then just creative!

We had the whole weekend to work on our project, but both Steven and I kind of procrastinated until the last minute. I spent an hour or so working on mine with the idea of an 'Antarctica Nude Beach theme' since our mannequins were not clothed. Steven decided to take his mannequins to the dance floor! He even added a break-dancing mannequin!

On the due date, we anonymously turned in our pictures so the judges wouldn't be swayed by the artist. Our judges were Taurie M. and Jimmy M. who were both present when the challenged commenced. They decided to judge based on image quality, color consistency, technicality, creativity, angle accuracy, and overall presentation using a scale from 1 - 5. After all the points were tallied up, my picture won out. However, both pictures were rated very high for creativity which was the whole point of the challenge, so we were both winners!

'Iron Photoshoper' was a really great, friendly competition that pushed us into taking it a step further - to be more creative and think imaginatively! I hope that we can start a new trend and have more Iron Photoshoper Challenges in the future!

Written by Abby B.

We Got a Party Going On, Many Spirits Strong!

Brett H. — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:35:38 GMT

Today is a fine day here at Zappos for many a reason, but mostly, because it is the anniversary of the birth of one of our finest Zapponians, Rob S.!

Rob is a Customer Loyalty Manager and he is one of our veteran employees. Rob is a Colorado native (sort of), a music fanatic and a fine guitar player and singer as well. The man's nickname is Smilin' Rob for a good reason: He has not stopped smiling since 1993....seriously, I would not lie to you. It's kind of the like the Joker situation in the first Tim Burton Batman movie, but minus the menacing overtones....just joking, Robby.

This is a beloved employee here at Zappos and he makes Zappos a great place to come to work everyday. Rob, on the day of your birth, we salute you!

Don't PANIC!!!

Vegas Encounter Karaoke

Christina Y — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:59:54 GMT

Upon entering Ellis Island Casino and Brewery in Las Vegas, Nevada the first thing you will hear is not the plinkity plink of the slot machines, but the crooning coming from a very famous karaoke bar inside. Upon entering we gazed at smoke filled old booths, two not so famous Elvis impersonators, and the biggest song books I've ever seen. We ended up at the Ellis Island Casino and Brewery looking for $1 beers from their very own brewery and a chance to sing in front of some serious Ellis locals.

Though they didn't have the $1 beers anymore, they did have a great list of their own brews to choose from. I brought some of my fellow Vegas Experience peeps here remembering what a great but seedy and old casino this was. Bert H. belted out, "Baby Got Back," while Kevin (Mike) M. sang, "Pretty Fly for a White Guy, " by the Offspring. The "Duets," soundtrack version of "Cruisin," was sang by me as this is the only song I've ever sang karaoke to and I couldn't believethat they had it. Amber R. sang Sheryl Crow's version of, "Sweet Child of Mine," while Pat C. gazed at us from the back booth not wanting to get up and sing but he sure gave his support to us brave fools. If you find yourself sick of the new part of the strip and you're looking for some old-fashioned karaoke fun, or want to enjoy a famous $6.99 Sirloin Steak special, or some local brew, head down to Ellis Island Casino and Brewery.

Written By: Erin R

Kiva 411

Dustin C. — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:13:32 GMT

Okay, so KIVA has been up and running for a while now and despite a few bumps along the way, everything is running great. Those little critters are working their circuits to the bone. Last time I talked about some employee's views on KIVA itself and how they liked working with the new system. I heard from a few people how they would like to know how the process works and how it's different from regular putaway or picking. So this is for all those eager young minds yearning for information.

Unlike site manager, which is ran throughout the rest of the warehouse, you don't have to make a new password and type in your login every time. Instead all you have to do is scan your badge with the hand scanner that you use for putaway, or type in your name to get logged in. Easy enough. After the login screen, you are directed to a job option screen. On this screen you choose either putaway or picking/purging. Purging is a tool under picking that helps with picking multiple orders.

Once you choose which job you will be performing, you will be prompted to choose which pods you want to use. There are pods for small and large handbags, shoes, apparel, etc. Once you make your decision, the bots will automatically go and retrieve the appropriate shelving units. Once they bring them, all you have to do is put the items away. The only difference between putting away in KIVA and putting away in the static racks is in KIVA you have to scan the location and then scan the items, while in the static racks you have to scan the item first.

Now that you know the process I bet you can't wait to jump in there and start working, right? Well of course you are. They're just too neat not to want to work with the bots.

Safety Poster Contest!

Christina Y — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:52:14 GMT

Safety is essential in the Kentucky warehouse. Being properly trained and taking an active stand to keep the environment safe keeps yourself and your co-workers safe. Ultimately being safe keeps everyone happy because they are pain and worry free.

The safety team recently had a Safety Poster contest to spread the word of all the important safety efforts we should all perform and remember! A lot of people put their creative side out there, but there can only be one winner! Congratulations to Susan M. of A shift Receiving for winning the contest! She won a dual Family Membership to the Louisville Zoo and the Louisville Science Center! That is so awesome! Below is her award winning poster, and check out the video of all the other posters that were submitted. We had some great posters this year! Thanks to everyone who participated!

THE WINNER!

Written by Christina Y and Lisa M !

Zay! Ice Cream!

Christina Y — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:38:16 GMT

Yay! We have, yet another, reason why Zappos is the best place to work on the planet! We got soft served ice cream in the KY warehouse now! Actually, thanks to Andrea W, we got them few weeks ago, and couldn't be happier! We have a choice between Zanilla and Zhocolate! Even if we do pack on the Zappos 20, it's pretty amazing to have these complimentary goods always here for us! Here's Jon going in for the Zanillia on this hot day in July! He's really happy on the inside! Trust me.. he can be camera shy.. sometimes!

Thanks again Zappos, for being so great and taking care of us!

How do you Zappos?

Sean K — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:39:16 GMT

How do you Zappos?

With all the great customer service stories and blogs out there about Zappos.com, I haven't really seen anything about how people shop at Zappos.com - How do you Zappos?

From my parents, siblings, and friends, to random people I've met, I've watched them all shop on Zappos.com. Some of them are internet savvy, others are not. Some were eCommerce savvy, others have never bought anything online. The one thing I noticed is that each of them shopped on zappos.com differently. Some of them would search for a brand, others would immediately click on the brands list to see the full list of brands available at zappos.com, others would click on one of the links on the Homepage (i.e. Women's Dress), while others would click on one of the New Feature spots. The one thing that everyone did know were the service offerings from this great company, in particular, Free Shipping & Free 365 Day Returns.

I just wanted to throw this out there. I shop on Zappos a lot. I mean A LOT! If you have ever worked for a retail store, you will understand what I mean when I say every employee shops their own store and they are really the experts at the store. They know what's coming in, they know where everything is, and they can help any customer match items or find a similar item. The same can be said about Zappos employees. The difference is that we have a much larger selection with tons of new things coming in everyday.

I have a routine when shopping on zappos.com. This routine has been "developed" over time "practicing" the site and talking to various fellow employees/experts. What I wanted to do was to let you know what I do every time I go to the site. Here is my routine:

1. Go to Zappos.com
2. From the header, I click on 'New Styles'
3. From here, you will see several links grouped by Women's, Men's, Girls, and Boy's
4. I always start with Men's 'Accessories'. Most people don't know that Zappos is more than just shoes. There are socks, clothes, electronics, backpacks, women's handbags, books, jewelry, watches, hats, laptops, cameras and more! From 'Accessories', I get to see what's new for all things besides clothes, watches, sunglasses, and shoes.
5. I'll browse through the first several pages until I start seeing things that are familiar to me (from the last time I looked)
6. Next, I go through and click on 'All New Men's Shoes', then 'Clothing', then 'All New Women's Shoes', then 'Handbags' for the wife. If time allows, I'll check out the watches and eyewear

Did you know that Zappos is constantly receiving new items throughout the day, almost every day? Since I know this, I'll check the site roughly every 4 hours and do my routine above. You will be surprised how many new things you will see every 4 hours. The other great thing about this routine is that I get to see lots of new stuff very quickly and not feel overwhelmed.

My other routine if I'm looking for something specific, is to use the Search box that is stretched across the top. Typing in a brand or a couple describing words usually does the trick. For stronger search capabilities (i.e. searching by personality - casual laptop bag), I like to go to the Zappos Zeta (http://zeta.zappos.com) site. It works really well.

Anyway, this is how I Zappos. It works really well for me and I know others at Zappos who do have a similar routine. So... How do you Zappos? Let us know.