It's officially peak season here at the Zappos Fulfillment Center, and peak season= craziness. But of course we have some AWESOME Zapponians that will step up and get the job done. We want to highlight our rockin' Receiving Department and all of their hard work as they kick off the peak season. They truly are superheroes. Great job you guys!

We definitely enjoy our coworkers at Zappos, but we enjoy pranking them just as much! Corey S. shows us that they can't all be zingers, and that good things come to those who wait. Why wait until halloween night to start scaring people? Support your local prankster!

Donald J Pliner is known for making amazing footwear, handbags and accessories, but did you know he has been in retail for over 42 years?

I know I am not alone when I say we have the most awesome Employee Handbook ever, yessir.

From the interviews of our Fulfillment Center and Monkey Row, to the breakdown of benefits and "How to Play Nice", the staff really outdid themselves. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this amazing extension of our culture!

For the last 10 years, we've built several relationships with vendors and hope to build many, many more. We feel that this is not only one of the most important aspects of building a successful brand, but also one of the most enjoyable. We had a few minutes to speak with Donald J. Pliner and ask him what he likes most about doing business with Zappos.com.

Most folks would be surprised when they came into work and saw that nearly everyone in their Finance department forgot to get dressed for the day. That would not be the case if you worked at Zappos.com however. In the past year, there have been several PJ days, and it seems as though they are happening more and more frequently. I would not be the least bit surprised if there comes a time when we wear only PJ's to work. Except on Saturdays, of course. You gotta mix it up.

Zappos-sponsored and #21 ranked in the world tennis player Sam Querrey stopped by the Zappos Offices last week for a little ping pong with CLT Manager Rob S.. Despite having an injured arm and having to serve lefty, he still managed to put up the kind of athletic fight that he's known for!

Our Cruise Ship operators were hard at work this week holding events to celebrate Customer Service Week for Zappos employees, and on Tuesday, the magic of Green Screen technology graced our lunch room. I'll let them explain!

We show our appreciation for coworkers a little differently around here. Welcome to Neal-a-Palooza.

This past week was another round of the Content Team Olympics, hosted by our lovely lead coordinators. To start things off was a fun game of “guess who?” While we ate some awesome food, we all scratched our heads as to what team members did what. Who knew that Nick P. got lost in a cave for 5 hours and should have died (not me)? Out of 38 questions, Dana B. got 10 correct, winning a $25 Target gift card.

The next game to ensue was a hula-hoop relay challenge. Teams paired off into fives, and we all had to release our inner child and get our hula-hoop on. Unfortunately for the majority of us that couldn’t hula-hoop, we had to “chicken strut” our way to the next person. I’m proud to say that team 5 won (my team!), but it was all too hilarious to watch.

Next on the list of games was “Pin the Hat on Rico.” One member from each team was blind-folded, spun around 3 times and let loose to pin that hat! After a dizzying experience, Jen B. for team 4 perfectly positioned her hat and claimed victory.

It came down to the final challenge: dodge ball. Even though it was “waist-down” rules, some players were out for blood. After an intense battle between every team, team 1 and 4 came out on top and it was time to duel it out for the gold. Team 1 came out triumphant, thanks to Matt Burchard’s brutal throwing arm.

It was a super fun picnic with some friendly competition and a lot of laughs. We may not be able to hula-hoop, but you’ll think twice about playing dodge ball against us!

In honor of LIVESTRONG day, the merchandise planning team is having a Yellow Bake Sale. Tons of not only yummy, but pretty Yellow treats! From mini cakes, pinapple cakes, cookies, lemon bars, shortbread, cheesecake, rice krispies and much, much more. Everything was definitely made with lots of love and support for this great cause. Special thanks to Caron S. for coordinating and Yevan C. and Jarett A. for creating the fancy end of the table which will surely attract many :x

Come get your yellow treat now! All donations go to the LIVESTRONG Foundation!

A lesson from the compliment gals: The way to every Zapponinan's heart is through flattery. So the compliment gals used their charm and wit in order to lure people into signing up for the newest class offered by the pipeline team known as Fred and Fish. This class is based off of two inspiring key books that we have have in the Zappos library – The Fred Factor by: Mark Sanborn and FISH! by: Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen. And from what I heard, it will inspire your socks off.

So compliment those who complimented you and sign up for Fish and Fred!

A good friend of ours from Zappos, Melissa, was injured on Friday in an accident. She is going to be alright, which makes everyone so happy. Melissa is one of the sweetest people on earth, and I'm so proud to call her a colleague and a friend. She embodies the Zappos Culture with a unique combination of goofiness, wit and weirdness. Let's use this blog as a Get Well Card for Melissa to help aid her along in her recovery. Sign it by commenting below! I'm sure it will make her so happy!

Love,
EVERYONE!!!!!

September 23rd is officially our Celebratory Facilities Day! We at Zappos are especially lucky because our facilities team constantly finds new ways of wowing us. From String Cheese Fridays to keeping the office and buildings in Tip-Top shape, to driving our guests around town, to shipping and receiving all of our Zappos orders – they are without a doubt the best at what they do. And so, we would like to take this time to thank our facilities team for doing an amazing job.

Warning: This video has inspired many to steal their pets squeaky toys back. Can you blame them?