--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hopefully 10 years from now people won't…" description: "\"Hopefully 10 years from now people won't even realize we started out selling shoes. They will just think about Zappos as a place to get the best custom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/tony-hsieh-6336_customer-service_hopefully-10-years-from-now-people-won-t_1453721.jpg" --- # Hopefully 10 years from now people won't even realize we… ![“Hopefully 10 years from now people won't even realize we started out selling shoes. They will just think about Zappos as a place to get the best customer service.” quote by Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/tony-hsieh-6336_customer-service_hopefully-10-years-from-now-people-won-t_1453721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/tony-hsieh-6336_customer-service_hopefully-10-years-from-now-people-won-t_1453721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ef/tony-hsieh-6336_customer-service_hopefully-10-years-from-now-people-won-t_1453721.jpg) > “Hopefully 10 years from now people won't even realize we started out selling shoes. They will just think about Zappos as a place to get the best customer service.” [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great brands evolve from humble beginnings, and exceptional service becomes their defining legacy. **In simple terms:** Brands grow from small starts to service legends. Key Takeaway Prioritize customer experience above all. Themes service growth brand identity humility vision Mood optimistic determined Type business motivational When to use this quote - startup launches - retail expansions - online platforms Key Concepts customer centricity organizational culture long‑term strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can a company maintain service quality while scaling? - What small actions build lasting brand trust? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on service may neglect profitability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-service/) [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Hopefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopefully/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Selling shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-shoes-166979/) [Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes/) [Shoes Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes-just-662504/) [Started Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-selling-471679/) [Think Zappos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-zappos-5234814/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [“Boy," said the old man at last, "in five years, how would you like a job selling shoes in this emporium?" "Gosh, thanks, Mr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/boy-said-the-old-man-at-last-in-five-years-how-would-you-like-a-job/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Say this one time with me: "Would you like that in a pump or a loafer?"... Good. Now memorize it, because starting tomorrow, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-huang/say-this-one-time-with-me-would-you-like-that-in-a-pump-or-a-loafer/) [George Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-huang/) > [I had a great time being a salesman because of the pitches that I gave when I was selling shoes. However, I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-had-a-great-time-being-a-salesman-because-of-the-pitches-that-i/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [If you have a choice of selling shoes to ladies or giving birth to a flaming porcupine... look into that second, less painful career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jeni/if-you-have-a-choice-of-selling-shoes-to-ladies-or-giving-birth-to-a/) [Richard Jeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jeni/) > [“Driving back to Portland I’d puzzle over my sudden success at selling. I’d been unable to sell encyclopedias, and I’d despised it to boot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/driving-back-to-portland-i-d-puzzle-over-my-sudden-success-at-selling/) [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) > [I worked at Big 5 Sporting Goods, selling shoes and stuff like that, for a couple of summers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-o-yang/i-worked-at-big-5-sporting-goods-selling-shoes-and-stuff-like-that/) [Jimmy O. Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-o-yang/) > [One would expect an actress to stand onscreen mostly as a caricature. If she would say, "I'm selling shoes," you would believe her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-huppert/one-would-expect-an-actress-to-stand-onscreen-mostly-as-a-caricature/) [Isabelle Huppert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-huppert/) > [Customer service shouldn't just be A department, it should be the entire company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/customer-service-shouldn-t-just-be-a-department-it-should-be-the/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [I think maybe 50 years ago people and businesses felt like they had to choose between maximizing profits and making customers happy or making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/i-think-maybe-50-years-ago-people-and-businesses-felt-like-they-had/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Branding Through Customer Service Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/branding-through-customer-service-over-the-years-the-number-one/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [We decided that if we get the culture right, most of the stuff, like building a brand around delivering the very best customer service,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/we-decided-that-if-we-get-the-culture-right-most-of-the-stuff-like/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/zappos-is-a-customer-service-company-that-just-happens-to-sell-shoes/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Service Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth. Our philosophy has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/service-over-the-years-the-number-one-driver-of-our-growth-at-zappos/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff, like great customer service, or building a great long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/our-belief-is-that-if-you-get-the-culture-right-most-of-the-other/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [We asked ourselves what we wanted this company to stand for. We didn't want to just sell shoes. I wasn't even into shoes -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/we-asked-ourselves-what-we-wanted-this-company-to-stand-for-we-didn-t/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) ## More by Tony Hsieh > [Things are never as bad or as good as they seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/things-are-never-as-bad-or-as-good-as-they-seem/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [After what seemed like an eternity, we finally reached the summit just as the sun was rising. I couldn't believe that we had actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/after-what-seemed-like-an-eternity-we-finally-reached-the-summit-just/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Branding Through Customer Service Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/branding-through-customer-service-over-the-years-the-number-one/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [If I was going to go into an office I wanted it to be with people I would choose to be around even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/if-i-was-going-to-go-into-an-office-i-wanted-it-to-be-with-people-i/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Never accept or be too comfortable with the status quo, because the companies that get into trouble are historically the ones that aren't able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/never-accept-or-be-too-comfortable-with-the-status-quo-because-the/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you're trying to do more than just make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/have-fun-the-game-is-a-lot-more-enjoyable-when-you-re-trying-to-do/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff, like great customer service, or building a great long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/our-belief-is-that-if-you-get-the-culture-right-most-of-the-other/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Twitter is like hugging. Just because it's hard to measure the return on investment doesn't mean there isn't value there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/twitter-is-like-hugging-just-because-it-s-hard-to-measure-the-return/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Sorry, investing was pretty boring and I really missed being part of building something. I felt like I was always standing on the sidelines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/sorry-investing-was-pretty-boring-and-i-really-missed-being-part-of/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Problems are just mile markers. Each one we pass means we've gotten better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/problems-are-just-mile-markers-each-one-we-pass-means-we-ve-gotten/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [I think when people say they dread going into work on Monday morning, it's because they know they are leaving a piece of themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/i-think-when-people-say-they-dread-going-into-work-on-monday-morning/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [“that your business can avoid making some of the same ones.   7. You want to figure out the right balance of profits, passion, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/that-your-business-can-avoid-making-some-of-the-same-ones-7-you-want/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Inspire other communities and cities to reinvent themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/inspire-other-communities-and-cities-to-reinvent-themselves/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/learn-by-doing-theory-is-nice-but-nothing-replaces-actual-experience/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [Most companies are very quick to hire and slow to fire, when really it should be the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/most-companies-are-very-quick-to-hire-and-slow-to-fire-when-really-it/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) [Explore all 99 Tony Hsieh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) ## More Customer service quotes > [“The police ultimately pay the price for poor customer service when citizens become fearful of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-ultimately-pay-the-price-for-poor-customer-service-when/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [To quote a recent customer email, “I really appreciate your thoughtful and professional response. I don’t get that a lot from customer service. Usually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mickiewicz/to-quote-a-recent-customer-email-i-really-appreciate-your-thoughtful/) [Matt Mickiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mickiewicz/) > [Every customer interaction is a marketing opportunity. If you go above and beyond on the customer service side, people are much more likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-butterfield/every-customer-interaction-is-a-marketing-opportunity-if-you-go-above/) [Stewart Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-butterfield/) > [Branding Through Customer Service Over the years, the number one driver of our growth at Zappos has been repeat customers and word of mouth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/branding-through-customer-service-over-the-years-the-number-one/) [Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/) > [“I did customer service for a company. I hated it, as the customers knew they were building problematic systems!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-did-customer-service-for-a-company-i-hated-it-as-the-customers-knew/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Customer-centricity should be about delivering value for customers that will eventually create value for the company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-thompson/customer-centricity-should-be-about-delivering-value-for-customers/) [Robert G. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-thompson/) > [Alright look, our policy is, if for any reason you're not completely satisfied, I hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goodmanb/alright-look-our-policy-is-if-for-any-reason-you-re-not-completely/) [Goodmanb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goodmanb/) > [The best feature of a product should really be the customer service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/the-best-feature-of-a-product-should-really-be-the-customer-service/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Customer service is greatly impacted by whether or not employees enjoy working with each other. Its important that employees enjoy working with each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr-ceo-of-mayflower-plymouth/customer-service-is-greatly-impacted-by-whether-or-not-employees/) [Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr-ceo-of-mayflower-plymouth/) > [Southwest Airlines is successful because the company understands it's a customer service company. It also happens to be an airline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/southwest-airlines-is-successful-because-the-company-understands-it-s/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Most customer service people are great. It's that one customer service person from hell that drives me crazy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/most-customer-service-people-are-great-it-s-that-one-customer-service/) [Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/) > [Connectivity doesn't just mean you get a lot more chances to deliver messages about customer service and pricing plans. This isn't one-sided. It enables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murdoch/connectivity-doesn-t-just-mean-you-get-a-lot-more-chances-to-deliver/) [James Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murdoch/) > [“When people ask me that question that everyone asks: "What do you do?" I'd say, "I'm in customer service," which was true. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/when-people-ask-me-that-question-that-everyone-asks-what-do-you-do-i/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Biggest question: Isn't it really 'customer helping' rather than customer service? And wouldn't you deliver better service if you thought of it that way?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/biggest-question-isn-t-it-really-customer-helping-rather-than/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [“When employees lack passion, it is nearly impossible to deliver excellent customer service. Doesn’t it make you less inclined to want to do business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/when-employees-lack-passion-it-is-nearly-impossible-to-deliver/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) [Browse all 330 Customer service quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer-service/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hopefully 10 years from now people won't even realize we started out selling shoes. 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