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The Zappos Philosophy (Zappos网络帝国的生意经)

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This online retail company sets an example with a different kind of business model  这家网络零售企业以与众不同的商业模式树立典范

Shortly after moving to Las Vegas from San Francisco in 2004, Zappos received a call from the FBI’s local field office. “They were asking us if they could access our photo archive,” says development director Brent Cromley. Turned out the online shoe retailer obsessively shoots each model it sells from seven vantage points, resulting in the largest image database of shoe soles on earth – an invaluable tool for Feds tracking criminals. It also allowed Zappos to do what it does best: combine far-reaching service and the focused application of technology to win another happy customer.

Zappos公司（译注：Zappos源自于西西班牙文的zapatos，意思是鞋子）于二００四年从旧金山搬到了拉斯韦加斯，之后不久，就接到了美国「联邦调查局」拉斯韦加斯分局打来的电话，「联邦调查局问我们，能不能允许他们读取我们的照片档案，」研发主任布伦特．柯姆利表示。调查局之所以会对该公司的照片感兴趣，原因是这家在线鞋类零售商执意从七种不同角度来拍摄所有贩卖的鞋款，结果是因而拥有全世界最庞大的鞋底影像数据库──成为可供调查局干员追踪罪犯行踪的宝贵工具；而且不只对调查局人员来说是如此，对Zappos本身而言，也是一大利器：因为这让该公司能发挥所长：得以成功结合无远弗届的服务和精准的科技运用，而讨顾客的欢心。

Zappos has made a habit of going to extremes. It gives free shipping on all purchases. It has a 365-day return policy, and new employees are actually offered a $2,000 bonus to quit after a four-week paid training program. “It’s best to know early on if an employee doesn’t buy into the vision or the culture,” says CEO Tony Hsieh. “It just makes economic sense.”

Zappos对于挑战极限早就习以为常了，不但所有售出产品后的三百六十五天都可以退换，此外，新进员工接受四周给薪培训后，公司居然还愿意付两千美元的离职奖金给那些自愿拿钱走人的新人。」如果想及早看出员工对公司的愿景或文化是不是买账（译注：buy into指全心全意地接受），用给钱来试探他们的忠诚度，就是最好的办法，」执行长谢家华（译注：为华裔美国人，父母原本来自台湾）表示，「这种做法从经济的眼光来看，其实是很合算的。」

Attention to detail  重视细节

In less than 10 years, Hsieh has grown Zappos into a billion-dollar-a-year retailer. The company’s offerings now include handbags, apparel, sunglasses, watches, even electronics, and along the way, it has built a cult following through its meticulous attention to each sale. “In March of 2003, we made a decision to be about customer service,” says Hsieh. “We view any expense that enhances the customer experience as a marketing cost because it generates more repeat customers through word of mouth.” Indeed, Zappos spends a tiny percentage of its budget on advertising – around $18 million last year – and instead relies on repeat sales for around 75 percent of its revenues. “Not any one thing makes the difference,” says Hsieh. “But the combo of free shipping both ways, surprise upgrades overnight service, the 365-day return policy, staffing our call center 24/7: The whole package is what builds our reputation and brand.”

谢家华让Zappos在不到十年之间，就扩展成每年可赚进数十亿美元的零售企业，所推出的产品也开始多角化经营，如今手提包、服饰、太阳眼镜、手表，甚至电子产品都包括在内，而在此同时，它对每桩交易都一丝不苟的重视程度，更是吸引了大批狂热的追随者。「二００三年三月，我们决定把公司定位为以客户服务至上的品牌，」谢家华如此表示，「任何开支，只要能提升消费者亲身体验的感受，都会被视为必要的营销成本，因为这足以建立起口耳相传的口碑，吸引更多顾客再次上门光顾。」果不期然，Zappos的广告支出只占了预算百分比中的极小部份──去年该公司预算约为一千八百万美元左右──而公司营收中的七成五左右，其实都来自于重复购买的销售。「这改变并非任何单一因素所造成，」谢家华说，「而是结合许多因素的成果，包括了送货和退换货都免费运费，和（译注：承诺四至五日内送达，但顾客却）次日就收到货而令顾客喜出望外的惊喜升级服务、三百六十五天内皆可退换的政策、客服中心每周七天每天二十四小时无休等等，而这所有配套服务才是建立公司信誉和品牌的基石。」

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archive [ˋɑrkaɪv] n. 数据库; 档案

invaluable [ɪnˋvæljəb!] adj. 非常贵重的，无价的；无法估价的

far-reaching [ˋfɑrˋritʃɪŋ] adj. 深远的；广泛的

early on 在初期; 开始后不久

along the way 一路走来; 随着时间的推移; 一路上 during the time that something is happening or that you are doing something

cult following 狂热的追随 the admiration that is felt by a particular group for a film, book, band, etc

cult [kʌlt] n. （对人、思想、事物等的）狂热崇拜，迷信；狂热

meticulous [məˋtɪkjələs] adj. 非常仔细的; 非常注意细节的; 周密的; 一丝不苟的

instead [ɪnˋstɛd] adv. 反而，却 on the contrary

combo [ˋkɑmbo] n.【美】【口】结合（物）

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Tech expertise pays off  科技长才派上用场

Hsieh, a 35-year-old Harvard grad, sold his web-advertising company, Link Exchange, to Microsoft for $265 million in 1998. Today, technology expertise – including a sophisticated computer management system built in-house – allows Zappos to live up to its customer-centric standards.

三十五岁的谢家华是「哈佛大学」毕业，在一九九八年以两亿六千五百万美元把所创立的网络营销公司LinkExchange出售给「微软」公司。如今，Zappos靠着包括自行研发的精密计算机管理系统等科技长才，而得以达到以客户为中心的服务标准。

“From a tech standpoint, we have a warehouse management system, an inventory system, an e-commerce system,” says Cromley. “If something gets returned four years later – and it happens – we can scan it in and know who bought it and if it was returned three times before. The whole history of the item is kept in the system.”

「从科技的角度来看，我们拥有仓储管理系统、存货系统，以及电子商务系统，」柯姆利表示，「如果有商品在卖出的四年之后被退回来──这种案例的确会发生──我们就可以透过系统来详细检查，然后就能查出买家的身分，以及这个产品是不是已经被退货过三次了（译注：由于该公司有一年免费退换货的服务，因此产品出售的四年后被退换回来，有可能是之前已经被换过三次，每次都是一年左右之后才退货）。一项商品的整个历程都会被储存在系统内。」

This system tracks inventory to such a degree that users can see when there are only, say, three pairs of size-12 Clarks Desert Boots available in the color “sand”. For employees, it automatically sends daily e-mail reminders to call a customer back, coordinates the warehouse robot system, and produces reports that can specifically assess the impact on profit margins when putting a particular item on sale.

这套系统可以追踪存货情形，举例来说，程度详尽到甚至可以让使用者查到十二号沙士色的克拉克沙漠靴目前存货只有三双。系统还会每天自动发送电子邮件给公司员工，好提醒他们回电给客户、协调整合仓库机械系统，并针对某项特定商品的上架销售，制作出评估该产品在毛利率（译注：或译净利率、利润率）方面带来的影响有多少。

New media, good example  新媒体，良好典范

Hsieh is quick to embrace new media. Last year, he started using Twitter, and he encourages his staff to do the same. Last November, the company even used Twitter to publish its explanation for why it was laying off 8 percent of its staff. In the current economy, the reasons were clear enough, but what stood out was the way Zappos handled the event. Fired employees were given up to three months’ severance. As Hsieh put it on Twitter: “We expect that it will actually increase, not decrease, our costs for 2008, but we feel this is the right thing to do for our employees”

谢家华对以新媒体作媒介毫不迟疑。他去年开始使用「推特」网站（译注：为受欢迎的社交人脉网站），而且鼓励员工效法。去年十一月，公司甚至透过「推特」来公告，公司解雇百分之八员工的原因。反观目前低迷的经济局势，解雇的理由十分明显，但Zappos处理此事的方式却引人瞩目。被解聘的员工会领到三个月的解雇金。谢家华在「推特」上写道「公司认为，此举其实反而会增加二００八年的成本，而非减少，但我们认为，这是为员工着想的正确举措。」

－from “The World’s Most Innovative Companies,” compiled by the Fast Company staff

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in-house [ˋɪn͵haʊs] adv. 独力设计、制造而不假外力地 conducted within, coming from, or being within an organization or group

lay off 解雇; 停止使用

stand out 突出, 显着 to be conspicuous, distinctive, or prominent

severance [ˋsɛvərəns] n. 离职金 severance pay; money that an employer might want to provide for an employee who is leaving their employ

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Vocabulary Focus

obsessively [əbˋsɛsɪvlɪ] adv. 过分（到不正常程序）地 behaving or doing something in an excessive manner

vantage point（便于观察的）有利位置; 有利视角  a position that provides a broad perspective of something; viewpoint

go to extremes 做得过分, 采取极端措施; 无所不用其极 to do something to the largest degree

buy into 接受(某事); 相信(某事) to completely believe in a set of ideas

upgrade [ˋʌpˋgred] n. 升级；提高品级（或标准）the act of exchanging one thing for something of better quality

sophisticated [səˋfɪstɪ͵ketɪd] adj. 复杂的，精密的，高度发展的 complicated or made with great skill

live up to 不辜负; 符合 for something to turn out to be as good as it was originally expected to be

profit margin 利润之百分比；利润率 profits that can be made in a business after the costs have been subtracted

The Zappos Family on Nightline

Zappos谢家华：为什么钱对你们来说这么重要？