Amazon is an undisputed leader in online retailing as well as overall customer satisfaction. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, has taken the philosophy of caring for customers well into the digital era. Amazon’s success is the product of an unyielding and uncompromising dedication to improving the customer experience. The buyer base of nearly two hundred million is the best proof that Amazon is getting things right.

Here are some customer service tips to take away from the actions of Jeff Bezos:

  • Be customer-obsessed – Most businesses are competitor-obsessed. Amazon is customer-obsessed. The company starts with the needs of the customers, then works backward. Amazon might take years to construct a product, but they make sure that what they create is exactly what the customers need. Amazon thinks less of how to make the organization better than of how to make the consumer’s life better.
  • Listen and understand your customers – While listening to patrons is easy, understanding can be harder. Be perceptive, value customer input, and use that input to make the company better.
  • Heed the empty chair – Even during the early days of Amazon, there was an empty chair in every Amazon meeting. That empty chair represented the customer. The company’s decisions were always made in consideration of the theoretical occupant of that chair. Likewise, an unsatisfied customer can post complaints on social media, which could have a ripple effect. Responding to complaints is a top priority at Amazon. When someone makes a mistake, own it. Amazon has been very forthcoming in taking responsibility for its mistakes, which has endeared the company to its customer base.
  • Do not settle – Amazon aims for perfection. When the company promises to deliver a package on a certain date, they will come through—almost without exception. Amazon has perfected its logistics, delivering millions of packages on time each day. Still, the company is constantly looking for ways to improve its delivery system.