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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not Brain Surgery So why is it so hard to do well?, February 11, 2002
"Knock Your Socks Off" is an easy to read, well-organized, thorough introduction to the crucial aspects of providing excellent customer service. I kept it on the corner of my desk and read it during lunch hours. The 31 short chapters (approx. 150 pages) can be finished in just a week or two. I intend to pass it along to the Customer Service Reps that work for me as "required reading" (or maybe even splurge and buy them their own copy!) The book is organized in Four Parts: 1. The Fundamental Principles of Knock Your Socks Off Service - includes the RATER factors: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, Responsiveness.
2. The How To's of Knock Your Socks Off Service - honesty, rules, doing the right thing, listening, asking questions, winning words and soothing phrases, telephone tips, writing skills, details, thank-yous.
3. The Problem-Solving Side of Knock Your Socks Off Service - how to fix problems, fix the person, apologize, and handling nasty customers.
4. Knock Your Socks Off Service Fitness - Taking Care of You - how to stay calm, professional, and competent and how to have fun doing it Whether you're new to the business of providing customer service or a seasoned pro, this book will give lots of great advice and a positive perspective on the challenges of providing good customer service. I plan on using the book to help set goals and establish metrics for improving service at my company.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Customer Service for Employees on the Front Lines, August 21, 2000
Unlike many customer service books which focus primarily on managing customer service, this recently revised classic by Kristin Anderson & Ron Zemke provides a wealth of information for employees who work on the front lines of customer service. The authors start by making the point that, even in the largest of organizations, you may be the only person in the organization that the customer ever interacts with. Therefore, customers often judge the entire organization based on their interaction with you. In the competition to attract customers, the most important part of the "service advantage" is you. In the service game, the results are clear -- organizations that empower their employees to provide top quality customer service are considerably more successful than organizations that don't. And it is not enough just to meet customers minimum expectations. In order to sustain a competitive advantage, organizations have to find ways to exceed customers' expectations or, as the authors say, to provide "knock your socks off" service. Knock your socks off service is defined as: Reliable - delivering on promises Responsive - providing service in a timely fashion Reassuring - building trust through competence and confidence Empathetic - recognizing customers emotional state and responding accordingly Tangibles - taking pride in the quality of the materials that you produce Failing at even one of these key service elements could lead customers to look elsewhere for service. According to the authors' research, as many as 25% of your customers are currently dissatisfied enough to consider doing business with someone else. Imagine the impact that failing to deliver on service promises or being unresponsive to customer concerns would have on that number. However, even small factors, such as the cleanliness of your service area, can have big effects on a customer's willingness to do business with your organization. The wealth of the book is that it is jam-packed with tips that you can use to become "knock your sock off" service providers. The book provides great ideas for improving your customer interactions, whether your interactions are face-to-face, telephone, or email/mail. You will also learn proven techniques for becoming a "fantastic fixer" able to solve even the toughest service problems. For example, while most people focus on fixing the problem, "knock your socks off" employees focus on fixing the person as well. The authors even provide helpful tips on taking care of yourself by managing stress and becoming a continuous learner.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great intro to customer service for all levels!, September 4, 1998
"Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service" is a wonderful introduction to the topic of customer service. Anderson and Zemke have written a book that works well for readers from fast food clerks to sales executives, and everyone in between. Especially helpful are the specific sections on customer service attitude, understanding the customer, and dealing with difficult customers. The tips and techniques recommended here actually work in practice, and are easy to learn. I have found this book to be an effective source of insights into why great customer service seems so rare, and how people can improve the way they deliver service to others. The book itself is an easy read, with plenty of pictures and anecdotes to help make its points. It took me about four hours to read, and it is also easy to read a section at a time on the bus or over a short lunch period. Congratulations to the authors! I can see why this book has been around and appreciated for so long.
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