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Zappos is a brand that has flourished thanks to sound business strategy and customer service excellence - an example of the 'customer intimacy’ strategy within the 'Value Disciplines’ framework.

One of the ways Zappos created this competitive advantage is by only employing people who were passionate about customer care. In recruitment interviews, candidates were typically asked: 'when was the last time you broke the rules or policy to get the job done?’. Famously, one call with a customer lasted nearly 6 hours and involved ordering pizzas because the issue took much longer than usual to resolve. Zappos is so proud of their customer-centric approach that they offer training for other companies seeking to excel in this area.