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Sure, there are costs involved. But going the extra mile for unhappy customers can lead to serious growth.

We've all done some crazy things. Like when the "Happy Days" writers had Fonzie jump that shark tank; or when Tom Cruise flailed around on Oprah's couch; or when I recently grappled with the take-a-way sushi at Heathrow Airport.

For my money, though, the crazy crown has to go to the folks at Henderson, Nev.-based Zappos. Reason: This company sells shoes. To women. Online.

Ask any guy who's gone shoe-shopping with a female and you'll understand why I say this. This is not a matter of political correctness: Women simply have an unnatural relationship with shoes. My wife owns dozens and dozens of them. It's like she's on a never-ending search to find that perfect thing in her life to make up for her other disappointments (like her choice in men). And, like all other women, my wife has never purchased a pair of shoes without trying on 37 other pairs beforehand.

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Still more perplexing (to men, at least), these same women--after finally deciding on that one great pair--will head right back to the store 10 minutes after getting home to return them. Because that's what women do--they change their minds. It's their prerogative.

So why, a decade ago, did the Zappos guys decide to start an online female-shoe retailer? "We're actually not in the shoe business at all," says Sean Kim, vice president of business development. "We're in the service business. We just happen to sell shoes."