50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use to Keep Your Customers [Paperback]

Paul R. Timm (Author), Paul R. Phd. Timm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2002

Since publishing the first edition of this classic that has sold over 250,000 copies, the challenges of keeping customers-or creating customer loyalty-has become even more urgent. Ultimately, every successful enterprise must attract, serve, and win the loyalty of customers by providing worthwhile products and delivering excellent service. Turned-off customers produce devastating ripple effects that quickly drag companies into a morass of mediocrity, while organizations that creatively apply a constant flow of small, customer-centered innovations see consistent and persistent strengthening of their customer base. This book will get all managers and employees thinking about the little things that can make all the difference. If everyone in an organization improves awareness of the simple yet powerful ideas in this volume, the company can and will see dramatic improvements in service and customer loyalty. The impact on the bottom line will be dramatic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Career Press; 3 edition (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564145999
• ISBN-13: 978-1564145994
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Based on real-life hard-nosed business experience? Nah!, May 5, 2003

By 

Charleen Bunjiovianna (Redwood City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use to Keep Your Customers (Paperback)

I don't usually go out of my way to rip business books (preferring instead to simply disrecommend them to everyone I know) but as a struggling business owner who used to be a customer service professional, I would hate to let this book go unremarked-upon. It reads as if it were written by a cranky consumer who wants to get even with every retail business who done him wrong. If you believe that The Customer Is Always Right is the unofficial Eleventh Commandment, you may like this book. But I have a few nits to pick.

First. I don't doubt that many of the "50 Powerful Ideas" would do much to enhance your company's image in the eyes of your customers. The question is: At what cost?

At no point in this book is cost EVER addressed. It simply doesn't seem to have entered the author's mind. Sure, in an ideal world where the small business owner doesn't have to keep a tight rein on expenses, keeping customers would be simple. Just give them Free Stuff, as Dr. Timm recommends.

Second. Anyone who has ever worked retail, either in a supervisory or front-line position, knows that there are customers who cannot be satisfied, do not have a legitimate complaint and are hoping you will give them Free Stuff to make them go away. They don't seem to exist in Dr. Timm's universe, however. I found this omission to be very puzzling.

Third. Dr. Timm quotes "generally accepted facts" about customer service in the preface. I guess that's to avoid having to give references to actual studies. I would counter Dr. Timm's generally accepted facts by pointing out that 86% of all statistics are made up.

To sum up, if you want to take advice from a Ph.D. who has written nearly 40 books and countless articles on customer service and communication, this may be the book for you. If you want hard-headed practical advice from people who've been in the trenches, you'd be better off contacting your local SCORE chapter.

6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT RESOURCE, October 22, 1999

By 

Zachary Underwood (Puyallup, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use to Keep Your Customers (Paperback)

I have read this book and studied under Dr. Timm. His matter-of-fact writing style helps to communicate his ideas in a simple, understandable, and effective manner. This book is a great addition to any customer service library

2 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, February 18, 2000

By 

Michael Michalko (Churchville, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use to Keep Your Customers (Paperback)

I'm the author of "Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), and "Cracking Creativity (The Secrets of Creative Genius) and, generally, read most businesss books that hit the market. This is a terrific book. Buy it and learn.