EG + Zappos = <3

Hello my little baby sized cowboy boot socks,

Before I begin today's juicy post, I thought it would be appropriate to take a moment and remind you where I was (perhaps, with many of you) last year on this date... I was wearing five layers and two pairs of gloves and standing on the frozen National Mall for the "We Are One" concert kicking off a weekend of Inauguration events. In case you:

• Weren't there...
• Were there but can't seem to remember the events of January 18 because you were so cold...
• Were there and had such a good time, you want to relive the experience...

...you can enjoy MY recap of the 2009 Inauguration weekend festivities through my throw back blog post, Obamaland Diaries. (I am happy to reenact the Obama call and response next time I see you, if you wish.)

Okay, so now that you've enjoyed my amateur videography skills, you are ready to hear about the real subject of today's post.

I really really love Zappos.com. I tell you this for several reasons...

Efficient and Pleasant
I am an almost exclusively online shopper. And I find a quick trip to Zappos.com during my lunch break to be a very efficient and pleasant shopping experience. And I know you online shopping naysayers are sitting there shaking your heads about the value of "trying things on." Well, that brings me to my second point...

FREE Round Trip Shipping
The free shipping and handling (this includes return shipping) that Zappos offers makes returns super easy. So, why not just try shoes on in the comfort of your home (and perhaps with the outfit you've purchased them to go with) and if they don't fit, just send 'em back. Zappos is so quick with the refund credits on your credit card...often there is no record of the purchase on your card at all. As if the purchase never happened. POOF.

Searchability and Selection
When you're searching for something specific (perhaps a brown sling back in a black tie appropriate fabric), Zappos makes the sorting of their vast selection easy and quick. This also goes for wide widths too (I was blessed with wide feet which means that those cute flats you suggested I get from Banana Republic may fit my pinky toe and that's about it...).

And did you know that Zappos also sells clothing and purses and accessories? I found my most favorite handbag (please don't say "purse," makes me feel uncomfortable, in the same category as the word "panties") on Zappos and get so many compliments on it (including a compliment from mom of Julie F., Sara F., who even ended up buying the bag in black for herself! Best!). I felt comfortable buying it on Zappos because the site featured the cutest little video of one of their employees wearing the bag and showing off its features. (One of the features is the "strap garage" as my friend Greg M. calls it. This means that there is a shoulder strap that can be hooked on the underside of the bag and it turns into a tote with shorter straps. FANCY PANTS.)

Customer Service
The customer service that Zappos provides is unmatched. They call themselves "a service company that happens to sell shoes" and I believe it. I have two examples of their remarkable customer service:

One sad day, I received a beautiful pair of black wide calf boots in the mail from Zappos (this was not the sad part of the day). I wore them to photograph my friends Hanaa and Rali getting engaged (where one photo was snapped as evidence of this miracle purchase) and when I returned home, I noticed that all three of the decorative covered buttons at the top of the boots had fallen off. I told you it was a sad day. So I typed a quick e-mail to my friends at Zappos customer service. The response I got was so quick and thorough. It read...

Hello Emily,

Thank you for contacting the Zappos.com Customer Loyalty Team. I hope you are having a wonderful day so far. I am very sorry to hear about the Ros Hommerson boots you received. This is not indicative of the high quality of service and products we strive to provide our customers.

You are more than welcome to return the boots for a full refund. For your convenience, I've taken the liberty of emailing you a free UPS return label. Please keep in mind that you will receive two emails regarding your return; one will be the return confirmation and the other will have the label as a PDF attachment...

...Now that you are a VIP member you will now receive expedited credits for your return (within 4 days of us receiving the item in the warehouse)! Once your order has been refunded, depending on your bank or credit card company, it may take up to 2-10 business days for the credit to post.

Below is a coupon code for $25.00 off of your next order with Zappos.com:

g783df029qsZ

You can use this coupon on your next order at Zappos.com anytime within the next 90 days...

Please accept this as an apology for any inconvenience, and do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can do to be of further assistance. We are available 24/7 for your convenience.

We are constantly striving to improve our service. If there is anything more we can do for you, or if we could improve your experience, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are always here for you - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We are a service company that just happens to sell...shoes, bags, clothing, and accessories. 1-800-ZAPPOS-1 (1-800-927-7671) or 702-943-7677.

Thank you,

Mary T.
Customer Loyalty Representative
Zappos.com
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Thank you Mary T.! I think my favorite part of the e-mail was that the PDF of the return shipping label was already waiting for me in my in-box by the time I got back to it. And the $25 coupon was just an extra amazing bonus.

The second moment that Zappos customer service wowed me happened only a few weeks ago. I ordered a new pair of brown Dansko clogs (I inherited a pair of these amazingly comfortable shoes from Jill S. about two years ago and it was time for me to actually purchase a pair of my own). According to the UPS website, the clogs had been delivered to my apartment building at 11:33 AM on December 31. Alas, several days went by and the shoes had yet to surface. I e-mailed my apartment building e-mail list, questioned my roommates...nothing. So I waited a few more days.

I was worried about calling Zappos because, the truth is, the box was most likely dropped off and someone (who was perhaps in need of a pair of free and comfortable Dansko clogs) swiped 'em from my building's lobby (uncool). And this is so not Zappos' problem--they did their job. And UPS did too. But I called Zappos anyway, and explained the situation. And without any arm twisting or raising my voice or anything, the customer service representative I spoke with had a new pair of clogs being shipped to my office. No problem! The shoes arrived in two days and I was a happy camper.

So there you have it. Stop by Zappos.com and have a look around...then report back on your success stories! I hope to (one day) make it down to Louisville, KY with my friend Shira G. who grew up there...right around the corner from the Zappos OUTLET. Obviously that experience will be very well documented.