Customer Reviews

Addicted Customers

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In his appealing new book, Addicted Customers, John I. Todor, Ph.D. prescribes the path to build CEM in your business model. Based upon his academic training as a Psychologist and as a Marketing Professional serving small business and Fortune 500 clients, he describes the nature of profitable customer experience and how to achieve the Holy Grail of clientele; the addicted customer.

While customer relationship management (CRM) is concerned with managing data, customer experience management (CEM) addresses building a loyal client base where repeat business is the goal. Todor applies basic psychology in defining and differentiating between needs based selling and creating high-level desire in the customer for your product or service. The text carries both the authority of the body of work in the field and numerous real-world examples of CEM in practice. Apple's iPod, Hewlett-Packard and Starbucks are fine examples of his thesis. In fact, Todor points out that the very tools Starbucks used to create addicted customers may be lost as they continue store expansion.

Addicted Customers recognizes the difference between commodity products, value added product and service, bargain hunters and engaged or addicted customers. While he does not dwell on the proof that addicted customers are the most beneficial for business, he does make the point that even commodity products can satisfy a customer's desire versus only his needs. Chapter Five, in particular, Figure 5.1, discusses the tradeoff between cost and repeat business against the backdrop of customer profile.

Todor concludes his analysis in Chapter 10 defining the steps to elicit desire, a sense of belonging and ultimately customer value or equity. Figure 10.1 gives a roadmap for the journey defined by the keywords: Attract, Connect, Engage and Convert. To create value or equity, a business must attract customers to the model, connect with the customer's psychological desire, engage those desires and convert that customer into a loyal partner that considers your business as part of his core being; part of who the customer is. A main point Todor brings forward is often overlooked or ignored by business; the apogee of win-win in creating desire and a sense of belonging.

With its uncommon perspective, Addicted Customers is an effective addition to the medicine chest of business professionals at all levels in formulating and executing marketing strategy. It is another great way to think out of the box.

You are about to be addicted to Addicted Customers! You'll find yourself buying more like I am for business people you CARE about. John Todor brings amazing clarity to why we behave as we do as consumers--how we gravitate to businesses where we are cared for, why we'll pay more for that experience. There are powerful lessons here for everyone in business.

Addicted Customers has changed the way I view customers. John Todor has provided a cogent argument for focusing on the customer experience. His approachable style makes complex psychological concepts clear and meaningful. In addition to giving me insight into my own buying behaviors, this book sheds a whole new light on marketing to today's customer. The book has a wealth of ideas and examples that help the reader apply the concepts and build a unique marketing strategy.

After reading just half of "Addicted Customers", I've already found a number of practical and immediately useful concepts that will be included in next year's strategic marketing plan. Todor's approach is innovative and easily applies to companies of all sizes. The book is very readable and extremely customer-centric compared to some of the other marketing texts out there today.... And full of examples to fully support each psychological principle advanced by the author.

Addicted Customers reminds us of the importance of focusing on the customer. The traditional small town business knew how to build personal customer relationships - a skill we seem to have lost as business becomes impersonalized with automated customer relationship management systems, automated phone systems, and analysis through business intelligence.

Todor reminds us to look our customers in the eye and build meaningful relationships that result in addicted customers. He provides modern examples of companies that get it right - and you'll get ideas of how you can make your business more connected to your customer.

Todor explores why your customers want to build real relationships and how you can show them how important they are to you.

It's no longer about the transaction - it's about meaningful customer experiences. It's hard to overstate the implications of this modern proverb from Prof. John I. Todor, author of Addicted Customers.

Todor synthesizes a wealth of research and firsthand consulting to add what's missing from classic economic theory - the zeitgeist of living in a post information-age society. Too much data is the rule, not the exception. Scarcity no longer pertains to physical objects, but to life-enhancing experiences. We have neither the time nor the inclination to "do the math" and "maximize our utility." This is especially true when the product or service takes us out of our comfort zone, but doesn't otherwise threaten our survival or quality of life.

Companies analyzing their customers based solely on recency, frequency and monetary value are focusing on transactions. When the figures look passable, senior management concludes they're delivering value, but then bemoan the endemic lack of customer loyalty undermining their corporate goals. For companies seeking customers with a high lifetime value who will act as excited advocates, Todor advises them to pay close attention to the context of the customer experience.

Avis lifted customer satisfaction from anemic to stellar. Upon arriving to rent a car, the company observed how customers were mostly concerned with catching up on emails and faxes. When returning a car, they wanted to know the status of their departing and connecting flights.

To make the customer experience life-enhancing, Avis outfitted its attendants with PDAs and trained them to provide real-time flight information. The company invested in web kiosks and connection hubs. As for rentals, customers wanted a no hassle, non-event. RFM cannot capture this.

Todor lays out ways for businesses to nurture the relationships that yield addicted customers. He provides abundant examples from mom and pop restaurants to enterprise software. For anyone seeking a way to put it altogether - the relationship between company and employee, employee and customer, and customer and company - and is willing to accept that fostering customer relationships is a journey and not a PR exercise - they'll find Addicted Customers their tour guide and fellow traveler.

Addicted Customers has a wealth of information and insights about how to turn indifferent customers into committed (addicted) customers. Todor has taken cutting edge principles from Positive Psychology and have applied them to establishing relationships with customers. In particular, he has identified how to establish a meaningful engaged connection with customers that extends the relationship beyond mere mindless consumerism.

I found I had to read the book with a pen in my hand to record all the ideas it sparked about how to forge a meaningful and ongoing connection with the customers using my web based service.

If you are a business person who is tired of selling on price and sliding into commodization of your service or product, I would highly reccomend this book.