Customer Reviews

Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In a world where "that's not my problem" and "we have our policies" too often reign, from large companies and small ones both, this book is sheer delight. I read this book while smarting from being treated as if having no water in our house for several days were not an emergency. The well company came on a Friday, appeared to have fixed the well and left. Twenty minutes later, the problem came back. Had they subscribed to the Jack Mitchell philosophy, the service guys would have come back later that day, or on Saturday so that we wouldn't have been left without water for the weekend. But nope, their weekends are more important than customers. When he finally called me back, I even asked the owner if he could give me a beeper or cellphone number so that I could let him know if the next service call also didn't solve the problem. He refused. Now compare this with the Jack Mitchell philosophy, which is that an emergency is whatever the customer defines as an emergency, and that the customer counts. And the customer counts not because this creates a fatter bottom line (which it does), but because people matter. That's the part that put tears in my eyes. His sincerity on this point came through loud and clear. The book rates a "5" both on emotional and logical grounds. I read tons of business books every year, and this one truly stands out.

Once again, there's not a lot that's terribly new here but the basic concept of customer service cannot be overstressed: treat people as you would like to be treated yourself. I own a high-end retail establishment on Madison Avenue in New York City. I had become so fed up hearing my employees complain about the mega-stores and mega-brands taking away our business that I had them read this book and we discussed it at a staff meeting. It made a huge difference, and the customers have definitely noticed. If you like this one, then I would also recommend the new book about a small coffee business called "Beans." The same tenets apply.

I have read over 50 books on Customer Service. This is by far the best of all of them. It goes into great detail on what things you need to do, not just the fact that you need to do them. I have sent them two emails, and they responded in less than a day-That's better than 90% of the companies out there...If you are going to read a book this year, this should be the one. It is insperational, and motivational for anyone dealing with the public, even Governmental agencies could learn a thing or two, or three or...

Highly recommend to any businessperson as a "how-to" guide to differentiating yourself through service and overall attention to the customer. Much of what is written here seems like common sense (the Golden Rule: "Do unto others...") yet is rarely practiced by businesses. Although the book may be somewhat redundant (the reason I gave it 4 starts rather than 5), this weakness is offset by the fact that it remains a quick read, largely due to the numerous great anecdotes illustrating Mitchell's business principles. I will have all my employees read it and intend to make it one of the books that I try to re-read annually.

Jack Mitchell, CEO of Mitchells/Richards, runs a high-end clothing store in a highly competitive market. Yet when other retailers were speaking of the difficulties of the apparel market and referring to it as "Apparel's Black-Hole" his business was not only surviving, but thriving. What made it unique? How has Mitchells/Richards continued to develop customer loyalty and sales no matter what the market? Why would a customer come to a store and pay more for a suit than they would have to pay elsewhere? The reason is simple, they make their customers feel important.

Jack Mitchell shares the secret to his success and what he expects of all employees of Mitchells/Richards in his book "Hug Your Customers". Many businesses say that the customer is always right, or the customer is king, but Jack Mitchell shares how he shows the customer they are special. It is one of the very few books that define the specifics of a customer relationship philosophy instead of just speaking generically about customer satisfaction. He also points out how he "hugs" his employees so they feel important and the effect this has on moral, customers, and overall business success. Filled with practical advice and specific examples, "Hug Your Customers" should be required reading for anyone going into business.

Jack Mitchell is right on target. Mr Mitchell takes care of his employees by paying a good wage with all of the perks. They then in turn "hug" their customers by paying attention to their needs.

My Marketing professor in college had this same philosophy which he passed along to me. But in the world of business companies fail to hug the customer by thinking that the company is more important than the customer.

Jack Mitchell is the type of boss whom I would love to work for. Cudos to Mr Mitchell for sharing his philosophy.

I have since passed along this book to my employer.

Having had first hand experience shopping at Mitchells and Richards you can be assured that what you read is what you get. The Hug book chronicles the non fiction path to over the top customer satisfaction. Jack has achieved the pinnacle and diplayed "The Formula" for everyone to emulate. An easy, quick read full of implementable strategies that apply to any business. Loved every page!

As a real estate agent, I am always looking for ways to deepen a relationship. This book has spark some really creative ideas and processes/systems for me to continue to develop systems that I can create meaningful connections with my client. Woohoo! Thanks Jack Mitchell for giving me a new view!

This is a book about the principles of passionate customer service. Written by USA retailer, Jack Mitchell, it is full of homespun philosophies and amusing anecdotes that give a glimpse of why his two store business is so successful. Here are two examples of what Jack Mitchell means by a `hug':

"A hug can be a thoughtful remedy for an annoyance. When the postal service raised the price of a stamp to 37cents from 34 cents, my first thought was, `Oh great, now I've got to stand in line to get 3-cent stamps so I can use that mound of 34-cent stamps I bought...I hate waiting in lines, so I sent out a personal note to 500 of our good customers, thinking they might be in the same boat, and included some 3-cent stamps. I wrote, `In an effort to make your life less hectic, I have enclosed a handful of 3-cent stamps.' It was a hug out of nowhere, and they loved it."

"Whenever I notice customers shopping with young children, I like to go over and kneel down so I'm at child height and say, `Hi there, I just wanted to thank you for bringing your mom and dad into the store today."

Rather like John Timpson, at Timpson Ltd in the UK, Jack Mitchell believes in rewarding high performers.

"We say to our great sellers, `we want to invest in you. We would rather pay you more, than pay to put additional ads in the Westport News or the New York Times.' Most retail stores traditionally spend 3 to 5 per cent of their sales in marketing. Years ago, we did too. But then we realised that we could spend a lot less and invest it in great people. It was a tremendous win for everyone."

"Hug Your Customers, love the results" is an easy read that is unlikely to give you new insights but it will get you thinking about how you can hug more of your customers more often and reap the rewards. As Jack Mitchell says, "You have to be consistent with all your customers. Inconsistent businesses have inconsistent profits."

This book has nuggets that anyone in business should read. As a country where technology has removed the human touch at times, this speaks to the necessity of true customer service and what we as consumers long to feel.