Customer Service: Serve Us America [Paperback]

Steven A. Eggland (Author), Michael J. Britten (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0135275083 | ISBN-13: 978-0135275085 | Publication Date: November 10, 2001 | Edition: 1

This book is about the consumer's right to service--convenience, courtesy, and responsiveness to problems and needs--and about organizations' willingness and ability to acknowledge and deliver that right to their clients, customers, patients, passengers, ticket buyers, constituents, etc. The book is based upon information provided by hundreds of consumers throughout the United States describing real-life transactions with a broad spectrum of businesses and institutions in both the public and private sectors. It illustrates the importance of customer satisfaction in the workplace and points out areas where businesses succeed or fail to meet customer expectations. Explores 13 customer service categories, including for each: an introduction to the concept, an illustrative vignette, data and vignettes from several areas of customer service, implications and suggestions for training, and recommended action for managers. The categories include: Recovery, Empowerment, Bias, Customer Retention, Follow Up, Service, Timeliness, The Pleasure Principle, Teamwork, Assessing Customer Needs, Empathy, Advocacy, Added Value. For anyone interested in Business Administration, Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Customer Service.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book is about the consumer's right to service--convenience, courtesy, and responsiveness to problems and needs--and about organizations' willingness and ability to acknowledge and deliver that right to their clients, customers, patients, passengers, ticket buyers, constituents, etc. The book is based upon information provided by hundreds of consumers throughout the United States describing real-life transactions with a broad spectrum of businesses and institutions in both the public and private sectors. It illustrates the importance of customer satisfaction in the workplace and points out areas where businesses succeed or fail to meet customer expectations. Explores 13 customer service categories, including for each: an introduction to the concept, an illustrative vignette, data and vignettes from several areas of customer service, implications and suggestions for training, and recommended action for managers. The categories include: Recovery, Empowerment, Bias, Customer Retention, Follow Up, Service, Timeliness, The Pleasure Principle, Teamwork, Assessing Customer Needs, Empathy, Advocacy, Added Value. For anyone interested in Business Administration, Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Customer Service.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

A pleasant relationship between consumers and marketers has not always existed. In the past some businesses were viewed as often trying to take advantage of consumers. False claims were sometimes made about products, prices were often too high and some products were unsafe. If a consumer was wronged, there was nowhere to turn except away from the offending business. To fight against unfair business practices, consumers have joined together to demand fair treatment from businesses. This banding together gave rise to what is known as the consumer movement. As a result of this movement, public and private agencies, policies, laws, and regulations were developed to protect consumer interests.

A highlight of the consumer movement came in 1962 when President John F Kennedy presented his Consumer Bill of Rights in a message to Congress. He declared that every consumer has the following rights:

1. The right to be informed—to be given the correct information needed to make an informed choice.
2. The right to safety—to be protected from goods and services that are hazardous to health or life.
3. The right to choose—to be assured of the availability of a variety of goods and services at competitive prices.
4. The right to be heard—to be assured that the consumer's interests will be fully considered by the government when laws are being developed and enforced.

In 1969, President Richard M. Nixon added a fifth right to the list; in 1975 President Gerald R. Ford added the sixth; and in 1994, during National Consumers Week, President William Clinton added the seventh.

5. The right to a remedy—the assurance of the right to legal correction of wrongs committed against consumers.
6. The right to consumer education—to learn about consumed rights and responsibilities as economic citizens.
7. The right to service—to be entitled to convenience, courtesy, and responsiveness to problems and needs.

It is this final "right" that is at the core content of this book.

The provision of providing superior service is a tremendous competitive weapon in an era of keen market segmentation, stiff price competition, and impersonal marketing that often removes the human element from sales and service processes. However, service is a key element in consumer satisfaction strategies. This book clearly describes the simplicity and the complexities of serving customers. The content is based on the perceptions of hundreds of customers who thoroughly described their experiences. We offer the results of casual research by presenting the voice of customers throughout the United States who clearly state, "Serve Us America." You will reap the rewards of their experiences.

Business success is dependent upon the willingness and competence of organizations to acknowledge and deliver the right to service to clients, customers, patients, passengers, ticket buyer, constituents, and so on.

We have heard a great deal about the geometric growth ratios of our service-based economy and about the impact the Internet has had on buying and selling processes. We have listened to the admonitions of business consultants telling us that survival in the new century will depend on being customer-sensitive service providers. We have read about, and experienced, the fickle-hearted nature of customers and clients—both business and consumers—and how developing their loyalties is, perhaps, the single most important objective a business can establish. We are aware of goods and services providers who are exemplary in this regard. But the inquiry-casual as it was-that led to the development of this book has demonstrated once again that we have "miles to go before we sleep."

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (November 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0135275083
• ISBN-13: 978-0135275085
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,457,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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