Showing posts with label customer service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customer service. Show all posts

How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life Review

How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life Review
Frankly, I doubt if there are any head-snapping revelations left concerning customer service but I continue to be impressed by recently published books in which their authors offer thought-provoking perspectives, insights, and suggestions worthy of careful consideration. Just as there is a buyer for every house, in publishing there is a buyer for every book. My task as a reviewer is to help those who read my comments to decide whether or not the given book seems to be directly appropriate to her or his own circumstances, needs, and interests. How You Do...What You Do offers a case in point.
Bob Livingston achieves his objective of presenting a comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective program that (with appropriate modifications, of course) could be put in place by almost any company, whatever its size and nature may be. I think that his book can also be of substantial value to individuals in sales, especially those who are relatively inexperienced although much of what he shares could serve as "reminders" to sales managers.
Obviously, the best an organization can do to support its sales initiatives (as opposed to its marketing initiatives) is to "free up" its salespersons - as much as possible - from responsibilities that are unrelated to the cultivation, solicitation, and post-sale process. Less time consumed by paperwork means more time available to nourish customer relationships. A company can maintain zero-defect quality control of each product it sells. It can also ensure that there are no foul-ups with order processing, delivery, invoicing, and technical service. An appropriate analogy would be to carrier jet pilots who also depend on an efficient system to provide the information they need, then get them and their planes safely on their way to each target destination. As Livingston explains very well, companies should be customer-centric, indeed customer-driven and develop a culture that recognizes what Peter Drucker observed decades ago: "If you don't have a customer, you don't have a business."
Of course, selling today must take into full account that customers have more choices than ever before, that many (if not most) products are commodities or at least widely viewed that way, and that in general, customers are much better informed than in years past, largely because of immediate access to more and better information, much of it provided by Web sites. (There are several Web sites that direct people to other Web sites. They function as an electronic concierge" and can be quite helpful.) Purchase decisions - including the decision to purchase nothing now or soon - usually involve several people (what Michael Boylan characterizes as a "circle of influence") rather than a single decision-maker, so cultivation strategies must be diversified and "customized" and yet (somehow) coordinated effectively. If you don't think that's tricky, try doing it.
As Livingston fully understands, no sales program or system such as his (or anyone else's) can ever replace a knowledgeable, likeable, principled, and energetic salesperson, nor was it intended to be. On the contrary, it should be viewed as an enabling device that saves a salesperson precious time and energy, improves identification and pre-qualification of prospective customers, and in other ways (to repeat) "frees up" her or him to focus on cultivation and solicitation initiatives.
His book will help those in sales to gain a better understand of what to do...and how to do it. (Those who read between lines will also get some tips on what not to do...and how not to do it.) Livingston's book can also help CEOs and other C-level executives to gain a better understanding of why a customer-centric, indeed customer-driven culture must be established and then sustained.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Joseph Michelli's The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and two of Leonard Berry's books, On Great Service: A Framework for Action and Discovering the Soul of Service: The Nine Drivers of Sustainable Business Success as well as Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force co-authored by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba.How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life Overview
Between the challenges of escalating competition, well-informed clients, and dismal customer service, today's marketplace is becoming more and more crowded.The result is that your clients have more influence and choices than ever before.If you or your organization do not consistently satisfy and surpass their expectations, your clients will take their buying power elsewhere.It's that simple.But by establishing service excellence as your top strategic and cultural priority, you will foster the strong relationships needed to win--and retain--loyal clients.

In this breakthrough book, customer service expert Bob Livingston gives you practical tools for transforming your approach to serving clients by strengthening "how you do what you do."Whether you're a business leader, a client service executive, a sales manager, or an individual, you can differentiate yourself from competition by adopting Livingston's simple yet proven roadmap for achieving Service Excellence.

In How You Do . . . What You Do, Livingston imparts a clear, step-by-step blueprint for transforming your culture, attitudes, and behaviors by illustrating how to:

Develop and live your Purpose and Values
Understand your clients' soft needs, and create plans to satisfy them
Seek continuous improvement by stimulating creativity and innovation
Keep your service-oriented culture growing
Create a passion for Service Excellence

Livingston draws upon a lifetime of experience in which he has achieved measurable success helping many companies shape their service cultures--most notably CROSSMARK, an international consumer products sales and marketing agency, whose remarkable transformation stands out as one of the strongest proof statements for this methodology. Throughout, Livingston benchmarks other great companies renowned for their service excellence, including Accenture, Henry & Horne, ECRM, The Nielsen Company, TBWA\Worldwide, Four Seasons, and many others.

Properly executed, this compelling and inspirational approach to service virtually guarantees the client loyalty that will set you apart from competition, and distinguish you by How You Do . . . What You Do.


Want to learn more information about How You Do... What You Do: Create Service Excellence That Wins Clients For Life?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business Review

Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business ReviewIn his timely book, Gulati provides CEOS and managers with a wakeup call and a practical tool kit they can use to re-organize their firms to thrive in increasingly turbulent economic conditions. The issues discussed in this book are of importance for small, large and even non-profits. Gulati has done an excellent job of writing in a very readable style that I believe will benefit many firms that are seeking ways to survive and thrive.
The core message of this book is that only those firms attain resilience that are truly able to place their customers at the center of their enterprise. However, implementing this strategy is not easy for most firms. Gulati notes that many of the firms which believe that they are customer centric by virtue of going through the motions of traditional market research may actually be deluding themselves. Even when they do solicit ideas from their customers, they do so through the lens of their products as their focus remains on how the customer experiences their products. Further, most firms get caught up in their day to day operations and processes and forget to keep the customer at the center of their enterprise. Unfortunately, customers "become after thoughts" because firms become distracted and blinded by the rigidity of their internal architecture.
Based on qualitative and quantitative research, Gulati explains that while many firms get locked in self-erected silos and thick internal walls, some firms thrive while embracing brutal competition and demanding customer. What distinguishes these firms?
To answer this critical question, Gulati distills lessons from a broad array of firms. He explains that the key differentiator of these successful firms is not just their curiosity and engagement with their customers and their problems, but the ability to actually turn some of those insights into action.
To achieve this high degree of "customer-centricity" Gulati advises firms to dismantle their rigid "inside-out" organizational architecture and adopt a customer focused "outside-in" mind set with an intense focus on understanding and serving the needs of their customers. Putting the customer in the driver's seat can be accomplished only by radical reorganization. This in turn comes about from their capacity to effectively coordinate the appropriate organizational, human, and social resources for creating products and services that satisfy the real needs of their customers. By becoming nimble and flexible, firms can foster "resilience" to achieve competitive advantage for thriving under adversity.
The book not only provides an answer to the WHY of resilience but also the HOW. Gulati peels away multiple layers to demystify the operative mental models as well as the structural and social architecture of exemplary resilient firms. He explains the features and processes that are related with the five key levers that need to be engaged in reorganization. The five levers are: coordination, cooperation, clout, capability and connection.
I particularly appreciated Gulati's efforts to simultaneously highlight the structural, human, and relationship aspect of each lever. Most important, he provides clear and practical guidance on how to appropriately engage these levers to achieve resilience and customer centricity.
This book is not recommended for leaders who wish to undertake incremental changes. Gulati is blunt in his assessment and advice. While acknowledging that creating resilient organizations is not impossible, he cautions that it is not easy because it requires long term perseverance and consistent effort. He also notes that re-organization can be fraught with heightened concerns and operational chaos. But the eventually rewards can be dramatically positive. Thus, he cautions leadership to be prepared to invest considerable energy in creating companywide commitment.
Since any organizational transformation journey must begin with honest self assessment, I suggest that CEO's and leaders read this book first. After taking a hard look and reorienting their personal mental models, they should require their entire staff to read it. They should then use this book to initiate an honest conversation within their organizations and start preparing their blue prints for achieving "customer-centricity".
Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business OverviewIn an era of raging commoditization and eroding profit margins, survival depends on resilience: staying one step ahead of your customers. Sure, most companies say they re customer-focused, but they don t deliver solutions to customers thorniest problems. Why? Because they re stymied by the rigid silos they re organized around. In Reorganize for Resilience, Ranjay Gulati reveals how resilient companies prosper both in good times and bad, driving growth and increasing profitability by immersing themselves in the lives of their customers. This book shows how resilient organizations cut through internal barriers that impede action, build bridges between warring divisions, and transform former competitors into collaborators.Based on more than a decade of research in a variety of industries, and filled with examples from companies including Cisco Systems, La Farge, Starbucks, Best Buy, and Jones Lang LaSalle, Gulati explores the five levers of resilience: Coordination: Connect, eradicate, or restructure silos to enable swift responses. Cooperation: Foster a culture that aligns all employees around the shared goals of customer solutions. Clout: Redistribute power to bridge builders and customer champions. Capability: Develop employees skills at tackling changing customer needs. Connection: Blend partners offerings with yours to provide unique customer solutions.Authoritative and practical, Reorganize for Resilience helps you walk the walk, not just talk the talk, of customer-centricity jump-starting a virtuous cycle of profits, growth, and competitive advantage.

Want to learn more information about Reorganize for Resilience: Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization Review

Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization ReviewAuthor and customer service speaker Micah Solomon's keynote speech to the NCBS Retail Banking Conference at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas (8 minute excerpt): This Customer Service Keynote is an introduction to the principles inExceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization's principles. (8 minute excerpt)
This keynote speech was filmed in front of an audience of bankers at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas in June 2011.
{More live speaking excerpts and info available at customerserviceguru DOT com}
Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization Overview"Filled with treasure and big ideas, this book will help you becomeexceptional." - SETH GODINIn a tight market, your most powerful growth engine and your best protection from competitive inroads is this: put every thing you can into cultivating true customer loyalty. Loyal customers are less sensitive to price competition, more forgiving of small glitches, and, ultimately, become "walking billboards" who will happily promote your brand. In Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit insiders Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon reveal the secrets of providing online and offline customer service so superior it nearly guarantees loyalty. Their anticipatory customer service approach was first developed at The Ritz-Carlton as well as at Solomon's entertainment and technology company Oasis, and has since proven itself in countless companies around the globe from luxury giant BVLGARI to value-sensitive auto parts leader Carquest, and everywhere in between. Now, readers can take the techniques that minted money for these brands and apply them directly to their own businesses. As Ken Blanchard writes, "Leonardo and Micah's philosophies, rules, and winning examples of service excellence will make you want to implement their suggestions immediately in your own organization."Filled with detailed, behind-the-scenes examples, the book unlocks a new level of customer relationship that leaves your competitors in the dust, your customers coming back day after day, and your bottom line looking better than it ever has before.Honors received: * A Jack Covert Selection* CEO Refresher Top Ten Best Business Book of the Year * 800-CEO-READ Business Book of the Year Awards Shortlist winner* Philadelphia Bulletin "Must Read" business book* Book of the Month, Las Vegas Women's REALTOR® * DearReader.com Business Book Club Selection* Shanghai Daily Press #1 U.S. Business Book"If you want to deliver a superior client experience, then have everyemployee read this book. That's what we've done. This volume is simply that profound, that good." Jim S. Miller, President, Prime Performance

Want to learn more information about Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...