Customer Reviews

Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service (Knock Your Socks Off Series)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"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.

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.

"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.

Authors' research proves that those who sell and serve with a smile make more money: successful service organizations had lower marketing costs, fewer upset and complaining customers, and more repeat business.

Customers vote with their feet and beat a path only to doors of companies that serve them well.

How-to implementation that can show rookies and pros enviable customer service comes in 31 short, punchy knock-your-socks-off chapters with anecdotes, cartoons, inspirational pep talks, and concrete examples to make messages clear and fun to learn.

After two weeks of joining the service business I was eagerly looking for a book that discusses about delivering good--if not exceptional--service. My conclusion is that this book will meet your expectations if you are new to the business--just like me.

The authors provided many suggestions and recommendations in ways of delivering quality service. I read this book in the span of two-three months, and by the time I finished reading, I realized that I have been doing pretty much most of the things that the authors are suggesting. And based on my customer service feedback, the authors are pretty correct. So, I walked away knowing that I have been doing the right things and a few more ideas of how to improve my service level.

I would have given a five-star if I can find some of the chapters being elaborated further, such as those towards the end of the book. For example, I would like the chapter (Chapter 20) on Exceptional Servic Is in the Details being further elaborated as I found I need some suggesstions for carrying my service level to another level. Nevertheless, the book does give me some hints on areas to look into.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to those who join the service industry for the first time and want to get some ideas on providing quality service. And for those who are searching for more, you will be refreshed and walk away with some good suggestions and pointers.

I'm completely blown away by the previous reviewer. What's with this guy -- has he read this book? Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service has been required reading in my company for nearly a decade -- every new employee we hire reads the book -- and they like it and learn from it.

The new updated version is even better. Kudos to Zemke et al -- keep the Knock Your Socks Off Service series coming -- I can't wait to read Knock Your Socks Off Service Recovery.

Preparing for a new function in Customer Service, I am reading a few books on the subject. This one I love! The theory is easy to imagine for use in practice, the examples ring a bell and the illustrations are funny and relevant. Simply one of the best guidebooks I've ever read! I think I will keep it on my desk just for motivational purposes.

In Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, Performance Research Associates - with some editorial help from Ron Zemke - highlight the main principles and techniques involved in providing great customer service and resolving customer problems. This lively book features many short chapters, cartoons, bulleted axioms and what-to-do examples. However, much of the information seems very familiar, like a juiced-up version of hints, tips and advice that have appeared in many other customer service books. Thus, it has a kind of déjà vu quality. While someone who is experienced in this field may find the information here too familiar, we recommend this accessible volume as a great introduction to customer service.

In Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, Performance Research Associates - with some editorial help from Ron Zemke - highlight the main principles and techniques involved in providing great customer service and resolving customer problems. This lively book features many short chapters, cartoons, bulleted axioms and what-to-do examples. However, much of the information seems very familiar, like a juiced-up version of hints, tips and advice that have appeared in many other customer service books. Thus, it has a kind of déjà vu quality. While someone who is experienced in this field may find the information here too familiar, we recommend this accessible volume as a great introduction to customer service.

As always, the package arrived timely, in good condition and and as advertised.

This is the best book of its kind that I have seen. The language is accessible and down to earth without being chatty or in appripriately colloquial. the book could be used at any level I can think of. The material is clear and comprehensive. The practice advocated is real world and sound. Oh, and it's readable. It's also broad enough to apply about anywhere I can think of. I don't think I'm going to need another reference or text for this topic.