Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation

Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation
Average customer rating:

The many fine examples will you show that such service can be provided!

Worth a Read

A Step Beyond the Others

Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer's Expectation
Lisa Ford
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Customer Service | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1580624588

Customer Reviews:

The many fine examples will you show that such service can be provided!.......2007-10-22

Customer service seems to be one of those things that everybody
complains about, and it is also something that rarely seems to get
better . . . yet rather give up hoping that things will ever improve, there
is something that can be done; i.e., read EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER
SERVICE by Lisa Ford, David
McNair and Bill Perry.

This book inspired me with its many real examples of companies
who get it right . . . such as the case with Ben and Jerry's ice cream:

* They have incredibly effective letters to customers (you'll enjoy this
story). A customer who was seven months pregnant had a midnight
craving for Chunky Monkey ice cream. She managed to persuade
her husband to brave a blinding snowstorm for a pint. Upon scooping
the ice cream into a bowl, she was most disappointed at the
sparseness of walnuts in the product. She was accustomed to many
more from past experience. She wrote the company and complained. The
letter responding to her situation was great! First, the company apologized
to her for the "wimpy, anemic, under-chunked pint." What's more, they
included a coupon for a free pint because, as the letter stated, "you have to
feed that baby." Score! They just created a customer experience.

Then there was this other example:

* An idea at Marriott Hotels costs very little, and it makes a tremendous
statement. Marriott has put together a Sweet Dreams package. It
consists of a small bud vase, a flower, and some homemade cookies.
Hotel staff members are encouraged to give it to customers who are
having difficulties that the hotel really can't fix. For example, a guest
enters the hotel complaining that she's tired, feels awful, and her
four-hour plane delay didn't help. That's the cue for the staff person
to send this guest a Sweet Dreams. While the hotel couldn't control
the circumstances regarding this guest's day, they could control how
they responded to it. And better yet, when one employee noticed
a guest with an awful cough, a box of cough drops was included with
the Dreams package. Now that's exceptional service! Don't think
for a minute that customer loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising
haven't paid for that box of cough drops.

I particularly liked the many fine exercises in EXEPTIONAL
CUSTOMER SERVICE . . . they help show you can make
a difference; e.g., by doing the following:

* Reflect back on your last five encounters with customers
(in person or over the telephone). Think through how you handled
each situation, then try and identify and write down something you
could have done to improve your response by 1 percent.

In addition, I liked the accompanying cartoons by illustrator
Tate Nation . . . they put a smile on my face at the beginning
of each chapter.

My only quibble with the book was the fact that since it
was written by three authors, I would have liked all parts of it
to have been written that way; e.g., using such terms as "we"
and "our" throughout . . . instead, too many times I'd find myself
reading "I saw" or something similar and wondering which author
actually wrote that section.

Worth a Read.......2005-04-21

If you or your business deals with customers, Exceptional Customer Service is worth a good read, or at least a good skim. The authors provide many ways of thinking about, and actually taking steps toward, improving your customer relations. Written in an informal, friendly style, I especially liked the fact that the book is mainly straight text, with few of the silly graphics or distracting sidebars so common in many similar books. And, although the book makes extensive use of real-world examples, you never feel as if the authors are name dropping. Rather, it is easy to see yourself in the examples, and believe that if these folks can improve their customer service, you can too. I guarantee that you'll come across several ideas for making customers happier so that they don't become a problem, as well as what to do if they complain.

Like many books in the common-sense business genre, ECS does go on a bit longer than it has to, although you won't miss much if you just skim rather than study the text. But don't forget to take a look at the exercises included in the book, especially if you are part of a customer service team. These exercises allow you to evaluate and improve your customer service incrementally, and without undue effort.

A Step Beyond the Others.......2001-02-10

I have been working in customer service training for over a decade now and I've seen a lot of systems come and go. Lisa Ford's insights and ideas about customer service, however, are timeless. This book represent a compilation of the customer service ideas and techniques she has talked about over the years. It's great to have all of it in one place, and in a book format. I had been looking forward to the publication of this book for a while, and I have to admit that it exceeded my expectations. Not only did it talk about what good service is, but it goes a step beyond what other books do and talks about HOW to reach the level of exceptional service in your company. The book includes self-appraisals, ideas for team exercises, and numerous examples of good service and poor service. It is well written, very cohesive and, if sincerely adapted by a company, can turn-around any failing customer service program.

Beyond "Hello": A Practical Guide for Excellent Telephone Communication and Quality Customer Service

Average customer rating:

Timely
Amazing information on Customer Service
Older Workers Benefit From Beyond "Hello"
Great Tutorial
Fantastic Guide

Beyond "Hello": A Practical Guide for Excellent Telephone Communication and Quality Customer Service
Jeannie Davis
Manufacturer: Now Hear This
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0944918042

Book Description

This tutorial offers help to improve every telephone interaction a company has with its valued customers. Drawn from Davis' experiences, the book includes exercises, stories and examples of how attitude, telephone etiquette, communication styles and listening skills impact the bottom line.

Customer Reviews:

Timely.......2005-06-13

As comprehensive as it is, 'Beyond Hello' needs an immediate update. According to Russell Crowe, there is only one word needed for complete mastery of the tool: 'DUCK!'

Amazing information on Customer Service.......2005-04-17

I have been in customer service for a few years and got away from it until I started my newest position. Some of the things I learned before and now are in the book. But it contains a lot more great information. It is so well organized and I enjoyed the examples she uses and the way she tell it. It was easy to read and I learned so much from it. If everyone can't have a personal copy it should be in every workplace to use as a text book for training.

Older Workers Benefit From Beyond "Hello".......2002-06-03

With your permission, we're using Beyond "Hello" as our basic text for our course curriculum , which teaches older workers Customer Service Skills. Your book has been an excellent platform for this training. It's clear, concise, understandable, and easy to relate to. I constantly reinforce to our students that they should use your book as a resource and reference on the job.

Great Tutorial.......2000-01-30

This tutorial offers help to improve every telephone interaction a company has with its valued customers. Beyond "Hello" includes exercises, stories and examples of how attitude, telephone etiquette, communication styles and listening skills impact the bottom line.

Each chapter contains tips to help make a great first impression, enhance customer interaction and retain and strengthen client relationships through excellent customer service over the telephone.

A "must read."

Fantastic Guide.......2000-01-21

I've had the opportunity to work with Jeannie while printing a recent copy of my newsletter on professional conduct. Beyond "Hello" is an easy to read, comprehensive guide that can help anyone improve and sharpen his or her phone skills. I highly recommend this book and include it as required reading for my entire staff. Congratulations Jeannie on a book well done!

-- Clint Greenleaf

Beyond Customer Satisfaction to Customer Loyalty: The Key to Greater Profitability (Ama Management Briefing)
Average customer rating:
Beyond Customer Satisfaction to Customer Loyalty: The Key to Greater Profitability (Ama Management Briefing)
Keki R. Bhote
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0814423620

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It is no longer enough to concentrate on customer satisfaction; companies must graduate to customer loyalty. This Management Briefing identifies the four stages of a company's evolution toward building lasting customer loyalty, and it summarizes the key management principles that must guide the transition. The book also provides a seven-step roadmap and audit to help readers:

Book Description

In this breakthrough guide to driving profitable growth, authors Gary Plaster and Jerry Alderman introduce CVC, a revolutionary customer-centered business paradigm that marries Six Sigma tools to the sciences of marketing and strategy.

"Beyond Six Sigma is practical, useful, and readable. The linkage of Six Sigma to customer processes is truly the next phase in achieving a competitive advantage with sustainable results. A must-read for every COO and CMO looking for the formula for profitable growth."
—Robert T. Cancalosi, Chief Learning Officer, GE Healthcare

"An insightful, practical, step-by-step approach to achieving profitable growth through a focus on building customer value."
—R. Craig Breese, President, Maytag International

"Plaster and Alderman have applied real-world principles to create a disciplined approach to growth that will truly become the next Six Sigma. Brilliant!"
—Darrell Graddy, Vice President, Lockheed Martin

"This is a book that speaks management's language. It shows us a straightforward approach to profitable growth by starting outside-in, i.e., with the customer. What a novel concept!"
—James E. Goodwin, former chairman and CEO, United Airlines

"This is one amazing book. Easy to read, easy to digest, and easy to implement. It's loaded with insight, novel ideas, cases, and breakthrough recommendations."
—James A. McClung, former senior vice president and executive officer, FMC Corporation

"This groundbreaking book clearly defines the growth agenda for all companies and provides the tools needed to deliver results! Plaster and Alderman get it!"
—D. Keith Pigues, Vice President, Marketing, CEMEX

"It would take a dozen marketing books to cover the ground that Plaster and Alderman cover with this new book. Building and sustaining growth is today's top priority and the authors hit this mark. Interesting, thought-provoking, and definitely on-target."
—Michael Preston, Professor, Columbia University Business School

Download Description

Six Sigma is an incredibly powerful tool for trimming the fat from business processes and increasing operating efficiency to a point of near-perfection. But the days of cutting costs to create shareholder value are quickly coming to an end. In order to compete in today's super-hot global economy, companies like yours need radically new tools for connecting more closely with customers, identifying emerging market trends, and seizing opportunities for growth. Enter Customer Value Creation (CVC). In this breakthrough guide to driving profitable growth, authors Gary Plaster and Jerry Alderman introduce CVC, a revolutionary customer-centered business paradigm that marries Six Sigma tools to the sciences of marketing and strategy. ""Beyond Six Sigma is practical, useful, and readable. The linkage of Six Sigma to customer processes is truly the next phase in achieving a competitive advantage with sustainable results. A must-read for every COO and CMO looking for the formula for profitable growth."" Robert T. Cancalosi, Chief Learning Officer, GE Healthcare ""An insightful, practical, step-by-step approach to achieving profitable growth through a focus on building customer value."" R. Craig Breese, President, Maytag International

Crisp: Beyond Customer Service, Revised Edition: Effective Programs for Retaining Your Customers (Fifty-Minute Series Book)

Average customer rating:

Crisp: Beyond Customer Service, Revised Edition: Effective Programs for Retaining Your Customers (Fifty-Minute Series Book)
Richard Gerson
Manufacturer: Crisp Learning
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ASIN: 1560524618

Book Description

This book can help you and your organization go beyond customer service to retain and satisfy established clientele. Within this self-study guide are 50 useful tips to increase customer satisfaction, generate meaningful feedback, and develop loyalty.

Average customer rating:

A new methodology for research marketing
Highly Recommended!
A 'Must Read' for Brand Marketers
A Must Read!
Read this book!

Beyond the Brand: Why Engaging the Right Customers is Essential to Winning in Business
John Winsor
Manufacturer: Kaplan Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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SPARK: Be More Innovative Through Co-Creation
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Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
BRAND sense: Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Sound
The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing

ASIN: 0793188369
Release Date: 2004-10-01

Book Description

Branding reached its zenith in the dot-com era, when as much as 90 percent of the venture capital raised by start-ups was budgeted simply to establish corporate identity and earn a spot in the public's awareness. Since then, however, it has become increasingly clear that companies were approaching things backwards. And so the time has come to adopt a new set of objectives to move Beyond the Brand. In this book, learn what some of the most forward-thinking companies today do to develop aggressive, innovative growth.

Marketing expert John Winsor makes a powerful case that consumers have developed a ""brand immune system"" that only magnifies the problems involved with branding today. Instead of focusing on branding efforts, he explains, companies must learn to use ""bottom-up"" tools to co-create new products and marketing strategies with their customers. It's about getting out in the streets and spending time with right customers in their worlds, creating essential foundations for breakthrough innovation.

While many recent titles such as The Tipping Point, Crossing the Chasm, and The Idea Virus, have highlighted the importance of certain customers in the marketplace, Beyond the Brand takes readers one step further, providing case studies, as well as practical step-by-step methods to engage these key voices in a dialogue that can fuel real product and marketing innovation.

Readers will learn:

* The Eight Steps to develop a bottom-up strategy.

* How to identify and find new ways to listen to the key voices in the marketplace.

* How to hone intuition and find inspiration to drive innovation.

* How to find the company's center of gravity.

The tools John Winsor outlines in Beyond the Brand are the very ones his company, Radar Communications, uses to help some of the most forward thinking companies to develop more aggressively innovative growth.

Customer Reviews:

A new methodology for research marketing.......2006-05-10

Everyone knows that word of mouth is the most persuasive selling asset a product can have. But how many marketers are aware of how word of mouth is generated and sustained? What makes it effective and how can you find out what will work for your product?

Windsor details a research methodology, "anthro-journalism" designed to elicit stories from customers about where they find value in your products. Such research can be used to fuel innovation as well as sales. What is important here is to find common ground with your customers on their own turf. The value of this approach is that often, your customers are more savvy about your products than your marketing staff. Capturing that value from customers, however, is not as easy as sending out a survey.

Storytelling is a powerful and evocative tool for marketers. But like journalists, if marketers want to get the best stories, they'll need to go to the customer. Even a focus group is too artificial an environment and too removed from the lived reality in which your customers use your products. You need to know, not just how your customers behave, but to understand why they behave as they do. To this end, you'll need to get as close to the context in which they use your products as possible.

Beyond the Brand is a fascinating read, with an equally fascinating methodology.

Highly Recommended!.......2005-05-31

Most marketing books discuss how marketers should relate to their customers. Some use a formal, objective approach to penetrate the wall that separates the service or product provider from the consumer. This book promotes a very different, softer "anthro-journalistic" tactic: learning consumers' desires by hearing their stories and reflecting those wishes in the product's design. This leads to giving the product its own stories to "tell" potential customers, in a mutual social network based on shared meaning. The idea borrows the power of the oral tradition from anthropology and applies it to word-of-mouth product promotion. Author John Winsor stresses listening and storytelling as ways for trained marketers to understand customers and sell to them. Although his treatise dips occasionally into slightly airy New Age sensibilities, Winsor's information on the flaws of focus groups and the importance of heartfelt, meaningful customer feedback tells a story of its own. Of course, applying a cultural anthropologist's perspective to marketing will work better for some businesses than others. We think this book will intrigue and possibly challenge marketers who want to break out of branding buzz and explore new ideas.

A 'Must Read' for Brand Marketers.......2005-02-24

As a brand management and marketing consultant, I try to read as many of the newly published marketing books as possible. Most of them rehash old material, are not very useful and are quite uninspiring. Not so with John Winsor's "Beyond the Brand." It is well written and easy to read with many useful examples and case studies. But, more importantly, it focuses on what really matters in developing compelling brands -- authenticity, customer intimacy, standing for something, listening, crafting your story, using your intuition, etc. And his "Bottom Up" strategy model uniquely organizes these concepts in a simple to understand fashion. It is clear that John Winsor knows of what he writes. If you want to gain a fresh perspective on brand building, buy John's book. I highly recommend it.

A Must Read!.......2004-10-19

Smart and accessible, Beyond the Brand is the definitive text on reaching consumers in today's hyper-competitive and brand-inundated marketplace. Marketing guru and founder of Radar Communications, John Winsor guides the reader through an evolutionary field trip from a time when brands acted as cultural creators (the Volkswagon Beetle) through a time when they attempted to align with cultural epicenters in effort to be seen as credible and authentic. He emphasizes the need in today's world for companies to really listen to consumers - engaging in a journey of learning, rather than a mission to find "right" answers.

Using anecdotes about some of the best consumer brands out there, like Nike, Oakley and Burton Snowboards, Winsor proclaims that the only way to stand out in today's marketplace is for a company to find inspiration and hone its intuition, by finding key voices and truly listening to those voices tell their stories. If I had to choose one book to help me connect with customers, this would be it. Beyond the Brand will become one of those rare, classic points of reference.

Read this book!.......2004-10-08

Some of the ideas in this book are not new, but they are still largely unpracticed. This book is a must-read, and , more importantly a "must-do" if you take your job as a marketer seriously. The concept of "listening" to your customer is taken to a higher level through the concept of finding "key voices". This isn't easy, but is worthwhile- critical even. Read this book; your company and career will both benefit.

Average customer rating:

The Single Most Impacting Book Ever
Do you want to be Beyond World Class

Beyond World Class
Alan Ross
Manufacturer: Kaplan Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0793149053

Book Description

Leading with people values is at the heart of companies that have moved "beyond world class." More than earning profits, cutting costs, or even making high-quality products, relationship building is a key component of extraordinary companies' long-term success.

When relationships matter most, companies rise to a whole new level-beyond world class-according to author and expert Alan M. Ross. Beyond-world-class leaders recognize the importance of integrity in dealing with people as the true bedrock of a company's success. Attaching value to relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers enables companies to achieve the excellence and innovation that spell success.

In Beyond World Class, leaders learn the process of "auditing" for people values, including how to: *Envision the future to create solutions for problems that are not yet visible. *Redirect staff accountability to encourage the company to reach its fullest potential on behalf of the customer. *Implement six human-values principles that will transform any organization.

Practical how-to combined with best practices case studies illuminate for CEOs, executives, and senior managers the strategies that drive organizational excellence. Beyond World Class proves the benefits of incorporating employees, customers, and suppliers into a culture of character.

Customer Reviews:

The Single Most Impacting Book Ever.......2002-09-09

This book changed my life and the way I run my company. I never understood how much integrity led to success. After reading this book I took my small business and increased it 10 fold. Alan Ross is a genious.

Do you want to be Beyond World Class.......2002-02-25

Let me say that I really enjoyed Beyond World Class. It is a great book. I would advise you that it is not a book for everyone though. Why do I say that? Beyond World Class challenges the reader to build a Beyond World Class organization and the path that Alan Ross suggests involves honesty, integrity and character (profit after that list). There are many useful concepts that can be gleaned from this book, but the cornerstone of this approach comes down to character.

One interesting aspect of this book is the author's personal perspective on decisions that he made to protect and strengthen his integrity. The decisions were incredibly difficult and the future of the company hung in the balance. Each time the author followed through with integrity he was rewarded and in retrospect making the easy decision (not exercising integrity) would have been disastrous.

Beyond World Class is about integrity in relationships with employees, suppliers (partners) distributors, and customers. This book goes further then many that talk about building relationships with customers. Beyond World Class shows that employees, suppliers, and distributors each have a significant hand in the ultimate satisfaction of customers. Beyond World Class highlights that beyond world class organization understand the value leading to the customer involves employees, suppliers, distributors and ultimately the customer themselves.

Beyond World Class emphasis that customer selection is an essential piece of building a beyond world-class organization. Customer selection goes beyond targeting a customer segment to selecting customers that align with your company's vision, offering, and margin guidelines. In essence you partner with your customers. Part of this partnering is seeking to find solutions to customer problems and continually increase your value to your customer. These concepts in this section alone make the book worth the price!

Beyond World Class challenges you to build the following character culture with the following characteristics:

Humility Sponsoring champions Integrity and modeling Fairness and caring

Are you up to the challenge of being Beyond World Class?

Customers.com: How to Create a Profitable Business Strategy for the Internet and Beyond
Average customer rating:

A good read

Self Helped, jobs done excellent, decreased time waste

Good book but needs updating now.

An education in itself...

Remains solid

Customers.com: How to Create a Profitable Business Strategy for the Internet and Beyond
Patricia B. Seybold , and Ronni T. Marshak
Manufacturer: Crown Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

Business Plan Pro 4.0

ASIN: 0812930371
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Amazon.com

Lots of books have been written about how to do business on the Internet, but few can match the understanding and passion for making e-commerce work of Patricia Seybold's Customers.com. Drawing on case studies of companies and organizations as diverse as Boeing, Babson College, National Semiconductor, Hertz, PhotoDisc, and Wells Fargo, Seybold identifies what makes e-commerce work successfully. She argues that any e-commerce initiative has to begin with the customer. She writes:

In the electronic commerce world, knowing who your customers are and making sure you have the products and services they want becomes even more imperative than it is in the "real" world.... The corner grocery needs only to approximate what customers really want because the convenience factor brings in the business. But when you eliminate this advantage--when customers can go anywhere to get what they want--you'd better know what they're looking for.

The first section of the book outlines five steps aimed at any organization grappling with the challenge of doing e-commerce right. The final section offers a technology roadmap and suggestions for getting e-commerce initiatives off the ground. But the heart of the book is the 16 case studies of companies that have successfully embraced e-business and e-commerce. Each is well researched, and includes an executive summary and "take-aways" about what each firm did right. If you're looking to develop your business online, this book belongs on your desk, not your bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Description

Patricia Seybold is one of the few people with the credentials and experience to write the one book on electronic commerce everyone in business must read. Seybold has advised major companies not only on the technical requirements for a successful electronic commerce strategy, but also on the management, marketing, sales, and customer support systems necessary to create an infra-structure that seamlessly blends a company's e-commerce initiative with its overall business.

It all starts with customers. For the past several years, Seybold has been working with electronic commerce pioneers who have made life easier for their customers by figuring out what they want and designing their Internet strategy accordingly. Seybold's guide is packed with insights on how both Fortune 500 giants and smaller companies have created e-commerce initiatives that place them well ahead of their competitors. Some examples:

National Semiconductor made huge improvements to its bottom line by targeting the right customers (not always the ones who make the final buying decision) on its Web site.

Hertz coordinated its e-commerce strategy with its entire business so that it is now head and shoulders above its competitors in owning the customer's total experience.

The National Science Foundation streamlined its customers' business processes by involving all stakeholders in the development of its Web strategy.

Wells Fargo provides its customer sales and service representatives with a 360-degree view of its customers, providing one-stop shopping via the Web and making its on-line banking services the fastest-
growing part of the company.

iPrint transformed a commodity business by using the Web to let customers help themselves in designing the end product exactly as they want it.

Boeing designed its Web site to help customers do their jobs more effectively.

Dow Jones delivered personalized service with its electronic version of The Wall Street Journal, showing that customers will pay for information of value on the Internet.

Tripod grew from a start-up to a company with over a million members by fostering a vibrant on-line community.

With additional in-depth examples from American Airlines, Amazon.com, Babson College, Bell Atlantic, Dell Computer, PhotoDisc, General Motors, and Cisco Systems, Customers.com is an exceptionally rich source of ideas and information: the one book you need to stay in business in the rapidly changing era of electronic commerce.

Customer Reviews:

A good read.......2006-01-27

The authors of this book ask the question, "Are you doing business on the Web? Or are you just on the Web?" According to the author, technology consultant Patricia Seybold, most companies have web sites that give some information about their company and their products. Today, customers are demanding much more from websites, they expect to be able to purchase on line, interact electronically, and be part of a community in cyberspace.

The main point of the book is to show companies that if they meet these expectations, they will grow. In order to achieve this growth, companies need to evaluate their customers. Specifically, they need to start with the basic question of who exactly are their end customers. What to these end customers want? What do these end customers expect from the company?

Once these questions are answered, it is important to develop the electronic structure that will serve the needs of the customers. Create a web site that not only has the basic information on the company and the product, but allows the customer to shop, order, purchase, and track delivery. Companies need to capture personal information by ensuring customers fill out an on-line profile. By collecting these profiles, it will help answer the previous questions and allow the company to better anticipate the needs of its customers.

The author also argues for designing or redesigning business processes from the outside in, specifically organized around your end customers, not around the products and services. The inside-out model, the one designed around products and services, will not work in today's e-commerce, according to the author.

Further advice includes making it easy for consumers to do business with the company, and they will help themselves to want they need. This will empower customers to make choices, thus they will have reasons to keep coming back. The author uses numerous examples to demonstrate how this is more difficult than it sounds. By reading about these companies' experiences combined with the solid advice offered, the reader will be taking the first steps to developing an effective e-business strategy.

Self Helped, jobs done excellent, decreased time waste.......2004-11-12

Target the Right Customers
1. Focus your electronic commerce efforts on your most profitable customers.
2. In deciding what information to put out start with the most requested information your call centers put out.
3. Think about marketing offers you can make electronically that are not practically to do any other way.

Own the customer's total experience
1. Identify each step or business event where the customer is most likely to interact with your firm and streamline each of those steps.
2. Reassure the customer at each step
3. Capture the customers profile and off them the oportunity to change their profiles at any time and to select a set of profile defaults.
4. Give customers access to their entire transaction history.
5. Let the customer specify if they want proactive notification.
6. Recruit thousands of business partners who can represent your firm to customers
7. Make it easy for your suppliers to deal with you.
8. Focus on excellence in the customer experience.

Streamline business processes that impact the customer
1. Use online forums to overcome internal organizational barriers to success.
2. Use streamline electronic forms that are visible to all legitimate parties involved.
3. Make the right bets on technology

Provide a 360 degree view
1. Layout the groundwork
2. Start by focusing on the convenience of the customer
3. Target your most profitable customers
4. Use middleware to pull customer information together
5. Make sure the answers and information that your customer receives are identical
6. Don't let technology limit your vision
7. Begin by offerring information then transactions

Let Customers help themselves
1. Cooperation is the name of the game on the internet
2. Provide information on the web that helps the customer make a decision or answer a question
3. The best combination is where the person can access the information they want but get a person on the phone if needed.
4. Customers design their own products

Help the customer do his job
1. Make it your goal not to waste the customers time
2. The best website offer at least three different types of search engines
3. Keep track of what the customer looks for and does not find
4. Use electronic mail for targeted marketing
5. Listen to the customer tell you what they need to appear on their bills.
6. Make it easy as possible to help the customer help their customer use your product.

Deliver personalized service

Foster Community

Good book but needs updating now........2004-03-12

With so much changes in the internet business, this is a good reading to understand how should you start, but new technologies are available now. This book was written in 98, so Patricia Seybold should rewrite.

An education in itself..........2002-12-20

Being a college student, I was at first reluctant to read Seybold's book as a class assignment. In hindsight, it's one of the best decisions I could've made. This book presents dynamic ideas that are being overlooked at universities today. Rather than focusing on the "how to's" Customers.com gives you the "why's" of the customer market. Talk about making me think! Not only did this book provide an excellent point of reference for class discussions, I found myself unconsciously transferring the knowledge into my job. One thing to take note of: THIS IS MORE THAN A TECHIES BOOK! Anyone in business will undoubtedly benefit from reading it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Remains solid.......2001-10-13

Got this when it came out and gave it a read. Three years have passed and I just referred to it to support writing a paper on technology. The details are good and the higher level dialogue do a nice job of getting the message across without belaboring anything. If you are about the web and doing business, this is worth the bucks and time.

The Relational Enterprise: Moving Beyond CRM to Maximize All Your Business Relationships

Average customer rating:

The Relational Enterprise: Moving Beyond CRM to Maximize All Your Business Relationships
Ken Cooper
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Thanks to recent technologies, companies have made great strides in customer relationship management (CRM). But now they're realizing that CRM is only part of the picture. To be fully successful, an organization must be fully relational--managing contacts with employees, sales reps, vendors, partners, and even competitors. A new enterprise model is on the horizon, and this ground-breaking book leads the way.

The Relational Enterprise shows how to integrate people, processes, structure, and technology into a single focused system capable of greater gains than ever before. It explains how to turn every contact into a potential buyer or de facto salesperson, thus enabling a company to sell up and down the customer and supplier chains. Readers will learn how to unify current programs and systems into a cohesive whole that unleashes the tremendous power now hidden in stand-alone efforts.

Based on in-depth field research by the author's firm and by PeopleSoft, The Relational Enterprise helps forward-thinking businesses reinvent service. It provides a system that truly permits every organization to maximize the lifetime value and profitability of its customers.

License to Serve: Beyond Selling... the How- To Guide for Creating Exceptional Customer Service
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License to Serve: Beyond Selling... the How- To Guide for Creating Exceptional Customer Service

Manufacturer: Applied Business Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0965436233

Product Description

"Good customer service is no miracle. This book and it's strategies will help you and your team of employees make your customers feel like champions."- Jim Craig 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist, U.S. Hockey "Dream Team" Goalie.

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