Q: Pretend that I am your grandma. How would you describe your job?
A: I get paid to break things.

Q: What makes you geek out the most?
A: 1910's to 1960's women's fashions.

Q: What's the last thing you do before going to bed?
A: Turn off the light.

Q: Star Wars or Star Trek? Why?
A: Star Wars - it still stands up well against today's sci fi films.

Q: What is your biggest technology-related pet peeve?
A: Test environments.....shouldn't be that difficult to mimic production.....but it is.....

Q: What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you at Zappos or at a Zappos event?
A: I have to say I leave events early to make sure I don't embarrass myself. I don't think I have, but I'm sure there will be disagreement with those who know me.

Q: Finish this sentence…….If I died, my supervisor would……
A: Party....It is QA after all. Any excuse for a party.

Q: Who's your work spouse?
A: I don't have one. :( Should I advertise in the ZCN? "Wanted - work spouse"

Q: If hell exists, what would you like to hear Satan say when you arrive?
A: You took your time!

Q: Name one thing you do now that you wouldn't have considered "normal" before starting to work at Zappos?
A: Having so much fun at work.

New Classification tool streamlines the merchandising experience...

Before a product goes live on our site, the merchandising team must classify it. Previously, this process was excruciatingly slow and inefficient. This made it difficult for merchandisers to get products to our customers…and we certainly don’t want that.

Now, thanks to Dean Curtis and the catalog department, the classification process is 90x faster overall than the original. In cases where products had many styles, it could take an hour or more to classify. But with the new tool, this same task can be accomplished in minutes.

The project started out initially to simply improve the 1.0 version of the tool. The team decided instead to go with a complete re-write.  The project took 3 months and the combined talent of all 5 members of the catalog team.  The development process was complicated further by almost constant attacks from the neighboring dev horde. It was only through teamwork, stamina, and high-castle walls that they were able to deliver this project to the waiting public.

The Catagorians, as they like to be called, border the UX team territory in the 2290 building. Come by the castle and say “Hi!” anytime!

Part 1: Three Square

In an effort to "Deliver Wow Through Service" and "Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit", part of the Project Management team spent a Thursday morning volunteering at a Three Square Event called "Backpack for Kids" - Give Back, Fill a Pack.

The Backpack program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times such as weekends and school vacations. The volunteers pack kid-friendly foods into bags that will be delivered to the kids at the end of the school day on Fridays. There are several activities occurring during the Backpack session which include stuffing bags with food, replenishing stock, tying the bags and placing them into the school bins.

The Backpack program schedule is Tuesday and Wednesday 5:30pm - 7:30pm and Thursdays 9:30am - 11:30am. There are 50 spots available for volunteers for each shift.

Comments by Corey:
"The Three Square event was great! The Zappos team was there along with volunteers from University of Phoenix and others in the community. In the two plus hours we were there, we filled 2,880 bags for children in need. The event was not just a well planned excursion and break from the “non-routine” here at Zappos, but a great opportunity to lend a helping hand to a very deserving cause, and come together as a team in the process. At the end of the day, I think all involved felt a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be there, and a desire to go back and do it again… because I know I did!"

Part 2: The Breakfast Club

In an effort to "Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit", our own Back Office Systems and Financial Systems groups showed some love to Finance on December 2 by…

Masterfully flipping 250 pancakes, delicately cracking 8 doz. eggs, expertly frying 144 slices of bacon and 50 sausage links, and they totally lost count when it came to the waffles. Ahhhhhhhh Waaaaaffles!

There is no better way to start a 12-14 hour day than with breakfast. “The Breakfast Club” set up the griddles and fry pans over in the 2300 break room and served up a healthy dose of Core Value #7 to the 60 (+/-) team members in Finance.

Our Finance department does an amazing job each and every month to collect, reconcile, and analyze all the financial data and close the books inside of 2 DAYS!! It wasn’t too long ago when it took 7 days to close the books.  Kudos “The Breakfast Club” for showing the love through pancakes.