Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization [Hardcover]

Leonardo Inghilleri (Author), Micah Solomon (Author), Horst Schulze (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2010

"Filled with treasure and big ideas, this book will help you become exceptional." - SETH GODIN

In 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 every employee read this book.  That's what we've done.  This volume is simply that profound, that good." Jim S. Miller, President, Prime Performance

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must-read for anyone interested in transforming their interactions with clients - a manual for winning customer loyalty that actually inspires." Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us


"Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit is a book after my own heart. This is the way to run a customer-focused company!" Ken Blanchard, coauthor The One Minute Manager®
--Ken Blanchard


"What you read here will allow you to recalibrate your business--on any scale--to truly know your customers and keep them coming back for more." Horst Schulze, Founding President and COO, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
--Horst H. Schulze

 'Aha'-type examples... Inghilleri and Solomon draw on their experiences with blue-chip service companies [to show how] companies must deliver "anticipatory" service. Inc. Magazine review by Editor Leigh Buchanan

"A wonderful, practical book that explores the interactions that build customer loyalty. Required reading for anyone [building] a new company and for seasoned business leaders." Prof. Frank A. Philpot, George Mason U. School of Management

A Jack Covert Selects

“...offering fundamental truths that aren’t just trendsetting tips, but timeless points to learn from again and again…” — 800ceoread.com

"…highly recommend the essential and must read book to anyone serious about creating the very best in customer experiences in their organization." -- BlogBusinessWorld

“No matter how good you think you are doing it right now, you owe it to yourself to read this book...will challenge the norms you have accepted for customer service.” -- allbusinessanswers.com

"…serves well as a primer for the new manager in a service-based industry, whether it is retail, hospitality or sales.”--Houston Business Journal

“Great advice from some world class companies….pages contain golden nuggets for companies big and small…a must read. Highly recommended.” -- SBC Fulfillment.com

One of CEO Refresher.com’s The Best Business Books of The Year

“Unlike many business books, it is one part theory and two parts application. Its straightforward manner, practical examples and ready-to-use suggestions make it an invaluable resource for any company.”— Business Lexington

"From manifesting the customer’s expectations and recovering from negative customer feedback to selecting and training your staff, the organized book makes for an easy and essential managerial read."—The Debroff Debrief

“If creating legendary customer service is important to your business, this book provides some fascinating insights.”—National Post

"A new guru of customer service excellence is Micah Solomon."-- Financial Post.com

"...gem of a book...If you want to deliver a superior client experience, then have every employee read this book…volume is simply that profound, that good.”—PrimePerformance.com

“…offers lessons that are immediately applicable to any business, and can help you both attract and retain clients.—Accounting Today

800-CEO-Read Top 25: What Corporate America is Reading, December 2011

"A wealth of actionable information packed into a short book." --The Advance Me Business Blog

Book Description

“Filled with treasure and big ideas, this book will help you become exceptional.” – SETH GODIN

In a tight market, your most powerful growth engine—and your best protection from competitive inroads—is this: put everything 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 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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 170 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1ST edition (April 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814415385
• ISBN-13: 978-0814415382
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Customer Service

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book got me quickly thinking about how to make customers more loyal - the key provide anticipatory service! May 23, 2011

By Blaine Greenfield

Format:Hardcover

When I saw EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE, EXCEPTIONAL PROFIT (AMACOM) by Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon, I thought to myself, "Oh, no, still another book on customer service." Even the subtitle. THE SECRETS OF BUILDING A FIVE-STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE ORGANIZATION, indicated that might be the case.

But was I ever wrong! The authors immediately got me interested in finding out more through their use of success stories from such companies as The Ritz-Carlton and Lexus, as well as how the principles were applied by such online firms as Netflix and CD Baby.

In addition, they quickly got me thinking about how to make customers more loyal--with one key way being the need to provide anticipatory service vs. merely reacting to customers.

Some of their examples, though seemingly basic, blew me away--such as this one:
*To help launch their Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel brand, initially, founding President and Chief Operating Officer Horst Schulze and his team decided on a set of ideal phrases for use in conversation with customers, then trained employees to use those phrases. The frequent use of certain phrases helped unify their employees around a shared identity and contributed to a distinctive "Ritz style" that the public could easily recognize: phrases like "my pleasure," "Right away," "Certainly," and -a personal favorite-"We're fully committed tonight." (Translation: "We're booked solid, bub!" The list of words and phrases to be avoided included folks, hey, you guys, and okay.

I also loved this technique for how to preemptively unwad your staff's shorts:
* When your own employees first hear you taking the customer's side, don't expect them to be thrilled. ("Does my boss blame me? Does she actually believe that idiot's version of what happened?") You need to explain that it's often necessary to empathize with and even amplify the customer's side of the story. Explain that the customer may or may not be right in an objective sense. Regardless, you're going to be disproportionately sympathetic to the customer's viewpoint because the customer is your boss-the customer pays your paycheck, along with the paychecks of everyone in the company.

Human nature being what it is, this explanation will bear repeating. Often.

Lastly, I often wonder why more companies don't utilize this technique:
* Even in a mundane situation, this simple understanding, starting from day one, can make all the difference. Have you ever been to a shopping mall and stared, obviously bewildered at the map-while a security guard idly stands there "protecting" you, all of two feet away? Did the security guard proactively help you out with an "Anything I can help you find?" If he worked for us, he would have. At orientation, we would have started him off understanding his higher purpose: to create a great shopping experience for guests. Sure, that could include deterring and apprehending bad guys, but it also includes attending to shoppers who have that unmistakable lost look on their faces.

Even as I type the above, I realize that EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE, EXCEPTIONAL PROFIT is a book that I'm going to want to revisit. If you read it, you'll become as convinced as I am that Ingehilleri and Solomon have ideas that can be applied to virtually any company or organization--including yours.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How to manual for providing exceptional service May 3, 2010

By Brian Schoenbaechler

Format:Hardcover

Length: 2:16 Mins

April Book Review from SBC Fulfillment Blog: [...]
Background: I added this book to my Amazon wish list, which in turn posts to my FriendFeed account. Micah Solomon found my post on Friend Feed and sent me an advance (signed) copy, pretty "exceptional service." Micah is the small business guy who founded Oasis Disc Manufacturing. Leonardo is best known for his work with the Ritz Carlton.

Main Points: The main points I took away from the book can be summed up in language, anticipation, and tracking.

Language: The need to be intentional about the language you and your employees use. This includes words to use, not use, and words that are "banned."

Anticipate: Exceptional customer service comes from anticipating your customer's needs. Anyone can hand a towel to a customer who asks for one, but an "exceptional company" hands you one before you have the chance to ask.

Measure: You NEED a system to track your customers likes and dislikes. Additionally, you can track top problem for continuous improvement programs.
Take Away: Your customer service program must be intentional and must incorporate training that constantly reinforces your program.

Conclusion: Great advice from some world class companies. The pages contain golden nuggets for companies big and small (like mine). My only criticism is I would like to see more case studies. Overall this book is a must read. Highly recommended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Answers so many questions people in business need. A true must-read. July 15, 2010

By Katie Jorgensen David

Format:Hardcover

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE EXCEPTIONAL PROFIT is a book for anyone in business. I know that sounds too all-encompassing, but this book is a great read because of its simplicity, practical suggestions and applicable examples. It will be a wonderful resource for anyone who is either starting their business, or wants to improve customer loyalty.

As someone who has worked at four- and five-diamond hotels for over 22 years--including a significant portion of that time in guest relations/customer service and as Director of Training, I am well aware of the importance of excellent customer service. Yet, even with this point of reference I gained extensive useful information from this book which offers simple, insightful and practical advice on how to enhance customer service, and help build and strengthen customer loyalty.

In this current era of IM-ing and texting, chapter three about Language engineering really resonated with me. It outlined how simple use of the "right" words can help change the tone and perception of messages sent--by creating verbiage that is positive and helpful.

This is especially valuable to me with my new business that has an online presence. I will probably never meet most of my customers in person, so I especially enjoyed the practical advice in chapter 10 about building customer loyalty online.

This book also expands on other great concepts that contribute to customer loyalty like chapter six--about building anticipation into products and services---which is especially useful in a new business.

I don't normally provide reviews and online feedback. In fact, this is my first. But I gained some valuable gems about how to make service exceptional, and I strongly feel I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to listen---and is open to learning simple ways to provide exceptional service and build stronger customer loyalty.