CX Book Gems #37: "The Power of WOW" by Tony Hsieh and Mark Dagostino
Book summary of "The Power of WOW: How to Electrify Your Work and Your Life by Putting Service First" by Tony Hsieh and Mark Dagostino.
Today’s newsletter feature is The Power of WOW: How to Electrify Your Work and Your Life by Putting Service First by Tony Hsieh and Mark Dagostino.
📘 Book Summary
The Power of WOW showcases the bold, people-first culture at Zappos that made it one of the most admired service brands in the world. Through real stories from employees, the book reveals how empowering people, trusting intent, and leading with purpose can spark innovation, deepen loyalty, and create lasting business success. At its core, WOW is about transforming workplaces by putting service to others first, both customers and colleagues.
Empower your employees and the results can be astounding.
💎 3 CX Gems
Culture is the strategy
Zappos thrives by aligning purpose, passion, and profit. Its WOW culture empowers employees to take risks, lead change, and solve problems independently, with the shared mission of delivering happiness through service.
Trust and autonomy unlock innovation
By assuming positive intent and minimizing rules, Zappos lets employees self-organize, make decisions, and propose entirely new roles or services, leading to internal entrepreneurship and unexpected breakthroughs.
Community and fun matter
Zappos invests heavily in employee well-being and community engagement. From skateboarding events to fitness programs and creative outlets, fun is a business priority, not a distraction. Culture and customer experience are shaped by how people feel at work.
✅ 3 Quickstart Tips
Empower frontline decision-making
Remove layers of approval. Give employees room to WOW customers through personalized, unscripted interactions, and reward those stories internally.
Support passion projects
Encourage employees to pitch ideas, shift roles, or innovate from within. Fund internal proposals and treat autonomy as a lever for business growth, not a risk.
Celebrate culture loudly and often
Create rituals to recognize heroic service acts and culture champions. Make space for personality, creativity, and feedback in how work gets done.
Zappos proves that extraordinary customer experiences begin with an extraordinary internal culture. The Power of WOW is a vivid reminder that companies don't need more rules; they need more trust, more purpose, and more belief in their people. Put service first, and the rest will follow.