Customer Reviews

"I Love You More Than My Dog": Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a one-of-a-kind book who's title "I Love You More Than My Dog" tells you how to create emotional bonds for life with your customers...the type of faithful relationships dog lovers have with their dogs. The 5 decisions Jeanne discusses that drive extreme, 'for life' customer loyalty in good times and bad are right on. The book provides every day tools that you can use to understand how you make decisions -- not only for your business, but for you personally - to become a beloved company with devoted customers.

Jeanne's book builds on her equally strong first book, "Chief Customer Officer", which provides specific methodologies for building customer centric organizations. Her new book builds on her already strong credibility as a customer zealot and provides real life examples of companies that demonstrate the 5 decisions every day, and have the business results to prove it.

"I Love You More Than My Dog" is a must read for anyone who wants to understand and act on the difference between having customers 'like' you and really 'love you' for life. More than your dog.

I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

Karyn F. Seattle, Washington

I recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with the "But we can't because" syndrome. "I Love You More Than My Dog" is a collection of easy-to-read and understand case studies that provides thought provoking ideas on delivering customer service. She shows how companies overcame legal and regulatory barriers, fear of legal issues and "we've always done it this way" barriers to take customer service to new heights.

Read the entire book or just a few pages and you'll immediately begin the process of self-reflection and focus on the parellel between the case studies and your work.

It's not Pollyanna, it's not an instruction book--but it is the first step to identifying problems and getting your plan in place. It forces you to think--and then act.

In this digitized world, the need for authentic, humane, heart-felt connection and service has never been greater. That's why Jeanne Bliss's book is so important: via her compelling stories from the corporate trenches and her hard-won expertise, she shows us how to bring more purposeful, sincere, relevant experiences to customers. In short, how to deliver real service to real people. I loved it!

This book is for anyone who is trying to create a company of people that inspire loyal customers. When is the last time you remember that someone said WOW, I had a great purchase experience!You should go and buy from X.

Those companies that create the extraordinary customer experience are those companies that flourish and grow, especially in these challenging times.

Jeanne has created a book that not only provides concepts on how to create a great customer centric company, but provides great examples to back them up. Unlike some books, you can begin implementing some of these examples right away. A great guide for doing it right.

Length:: 2:34 Mins

If you need to ask yourself questions about your ability to engage with your customers and understand loyalty, this is a great book to help you build a strategy. It has five key decisions you can understand to build better engagement.

I was recently asked to recommend a book for reading and discussion within the customer support organisation of my division. Amongst the various books that I've read on the subject, this was the one that I recommended.

Why? It's an easy read which is important in my multilingual environment. The book is broken down into five relatively short sections based on basic principles of customer service.

This format allows it to be used for short, focused discussion sessions. Our objective is to get our teams talking about different strategies and tactics and I find that it's a great format for this.

Cheers!
Eric

Jeanne is the expert when it comes to understanding what customers want and how they want to be treated. I've owned my business for 23 years and I still find there is plenty to learn from Ms. Bliss. I especially enjoyed the "challenge" questions: easy to digest, compelling and fun. I also like her paired down writing style as she gets to the point quickly without the fluff. How many books about business relations can you say that about?

It seems that every news cycle is filled with stories of companies that are executing a business plan based on the premise that their customers are nothing more than a faceless and emotionless source of revenue. Into this mix, there is also the occasional story of a company in this category suffering dramatic and extremely steep losses due to lack of customer loyalty. In this environment, it seems clear that there is a great deal of room at the top for companies and organizations that do the extra things that will generate and maintain customer loyalty. That is the point, and it is a very valid one, of this book.
Bliss puts forward five basic principles, called decisions that companies can make that will put them on the road to having customers care about the status of the company they deal with. Many organizations declare these principles but very few of them live them because it requires courage and willingness to go outside the common practice and accept what will be lower profits in the short term. Those decisions are:

*) Decide to believe - this is a suspension of a cynical view of customers and employees. The strategy is to believe in the basic decency of both.
*) Decide with clarity of purpose - declaring and implementing the belief that the primary purpose of the company is to serve customers and that profits are a consequence of that.
*) Decide to be real - a decision to forgo hype and deception and exchange it with honesty and integrity, even when the company is in the wrong.
*) Decide to be there - the decision to never take a day or a play off; always be in a position and willing to do something extra for the customers and employees.
*) Decide to say sorry - as a great deal of evidence indicates, one of the best ways to maintain customer loyalty is to admit mistakes and make a genuine and heartfelt apology. Accompany the apology with a real effort to make amends.

No company is recession proof and immune from dramatic shifts in the economy. Nevertheless, as the case examples in this book demonstrate, being "compassionate in pursuit of profit" is a strategy that will retain customers and quality employees, a cushion that will increase your chances of surviving the tough times.

This book is a must-read for anyone and everyone in business! We all need to be reminded from time to time what makes a great customer experience and what sets apart leaders in the market from others. Jeanne does a great job writing a book that is short enough, quick enough and straight forward enough that anyone, anywhere in any business can connect with the "Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty." Brands like Zappos, Trader Joes, LUSH Cosmetics and The Container store make this book both relatable and relevant to all readers--employees, CEOs, customers and marketers alike. If this book doesn't inspire you to create your own customer journey with your customers or your business,nothing will. All my employees got a copy!

Why do once successful companies, known for providing terrific customer service as well as being loyal to its employees, gradually morph into humorless corporate bureaucracies? Sometimes, they just get too big for their own good. Often, the original CEO---the founding father---ages, and is forced to step aside from the daily rigors of running the business; a new CEO is brought in, and the company seems more concerned with profits over the people who matter---its customers and employees.

That is an all too common state of affairs in the disturbing landscape of corporate America; the companies that choose to have a passion for customer service, as well as provide a positive environment in the workplace, are the companies that will succeed in the long haul. These are the companies that Jeanne Bliss has written about in this wonderfully engaging book. These are the companies you'll love more than your dog; or even your cat.

Jeanne mentions five decisions that successful companies make that enhance customer loyalty, but really, it all boils down to a commitment of not only providing the best service humanly possible for its customers, but engaging its employees with an undying devotion to treating them with respect and dignity. That's simply good old-fashioned honesty and integrity; a trait that seems to be sorely lacking in this day and age; nobody seems to care anymore, and that's a shame.

It doesn't have to be that way; for the businesses that went astray in recent years, or were never on track to begin with, this would be a very helpful guide to change things for the better; but hurry, before it's too late.