Zappos.com is known for going above and beyond when it comes to customer service. Over the years, they’ve built a sustainable brand, with a very loyal following, by creating a company culture focused on offering an unmatched customer experience. Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com CEO,  gave the opening remarks at SXSWi in March, sharing his insight on how companies can successfully build a long term brand from the ground up.

Shopping at Zappos.com, a customer might notice several key elements that differ from other sites, and they’re by no means unintentional:

• Visible 1-800 number is shown on every page of the site.
• Free shipping on all orders.
• Free returns, with a 365 day return policy.
• Surprises for repeat customers.

Much more has gone into building the Zappos brand than the customer-friendly elements above. Hsieh provided these tips on building a sustainable brand: 

• Decide if you’re trying to build a sustainable brand. It’s all about commitment. Realize that you may find the beginning of the journey difficult, but over time, the commitment to your endeavor will pay off.  
• Figure out values and culture. Think about your personal values and align your company values with them. Live the brand.
• Commit to transparency. Transparency was a huge theme throughout SXSW this year. Zappos embraces transparency through the web, by having their employees use Twitter (to talk about life, work, etc.), allowing customer reviews and more.
• Chase the vision, not the money. Do something that you’d be happy doing ten years from now, even if money weren’t involved.
• Build relationships. Don’t “network.” Get to know people on a real level; you’ll be amazed how those real connections will be beneficial somewhere down the line.
• Build your team. Having a team that lives 100% by your company values is key to success. Don’t be afraid to hire slowly and fire quickly if someone doesn’t fit the bill.
• Think long term. There is no overnight success story. Repeat customers are the lifeblood of Zappos.com, and they become repeat through excellent customer service over the years.

You can check out the entire presentation here: http://www.slideshare.net/zappos/zappos-sxsw-31409.