Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Kenneth Blanchard (Author), Sheldon Bowles (Author), Rick Adamson (Author), Kate Borges (Author), John Mollard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2004

Told in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, RAVING FANS uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach listeners how to define vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature--not just another program of the month.

America is in the midst of a service crisis that has left a wake of disillusioned customers from coast to coast. RAVING FANS includes startling tips and innovative techniques that can help anyone create a revolution in any workplace--and turn their customers into raving, spending fans.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great commonsense approach to customer service" -- -- Jim Pattison President, The Jim Pattison Group

"An easily understood message and one every organization needs to hear." -- -- Eamon Ryan President, Lexmark Canada Inc.

"Making your customers Raving Fans is the competitive edge today. This book can jump-start you in that direction." -- -- James F. Nordstrom Co-chairman of the Boaard Nordstrom, Inc.

"Our strategic customer service plan is based on Raving Fans. It has helped focus our energy on this critical area. A must read!" -- -- Lynn Posluns President, Fairweather --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Told in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, RAVING FANS uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach listeners how to define vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature--not just another program of the month.

America is in the midst of a service crisis that has left a wake of disillusioned customers from coast to coast. RAVING FANS includes startling tips and innovative techniques that can help anyone create a revolution in any workplace--and turn their customers into raving, spending fans.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (January 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739309536
• ISBN-13: 978-0739309537
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.5 x 5.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (164 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Books on CD > Business > General

More About the Author

Few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard. A prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate individuals in business today. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.

Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken also spends time as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees.

Ken has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the fields of management, leadership, and speaking. The National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the "Council of Peers Award of Excellence." He was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International. Ken also received The Thought Leadership Award for continued support of work-related learning and performance by ISA--The Association of Learning Providers. Ken has been inducted into Amazon's Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-selling authors of all time. The business school at Grand Canyon University bears his name. In addition, Ken teaches students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Ken received a master's degree from Colgate University, and a bachelor's and PhD from Cornell University. An avid golfer, Ken belongs to the Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book saved my company!, June 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service (Hardcover)

I've been a struggling small business owner (some 32 to 38 employees, depending upon the season) thinking my problem was either that I was undercapitalized or that I had hired the wrong people. Raving Fans was a wake up call. The problem was I wasn't creating raving fans. I was satisfied if my customers were satisfied, but I learned in this book that service is so bad that customers expectations are low. It's easy to satisfy low expectations and it doesn't mean very much. You have to create raving fans. Customers who tell others how wonderful you are. Today everyone in my company is focused on customers. Focused on creating stories our customers can tell others. Creating those magic moments the book calls giving symbolic hugs. Best of all Raving Fans gave me the road map to do it, all wrapped up in three easy lessons. This book may be simple, but it is also profound and by far the best customer service book I've ever read, and I guess the best business book too. I'd be out of business today if I hadn't adopted the strategy of creating raving fans and then getting everyone in the company to do the same. The result is we've stopped buring our customer list every six months. We're retaining old customers, adding new ones and sales are way up. Today Raving Fans is required reading for every new hire. Thanks Amazon for this opportunity to write this review. You're the best. I'm your RAVING FAN!

Richard Anders

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A fan but not a raving one, June 26, 2002

By 

"j_novick" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service (Hardcover)

Raving Fans is a decent business text and a nice break from some of the more academic titles out there. Like most Ken Blanchard titles, the book is a very easy and quick read. Its value for the time invested is therefore good (but not great).

The most important teaching from this book was that you can't settle for simply "satisfied" customers. Service expectations are often so low that people claim to be satisfied when indeed they are not. This leaves you vulnerable to any competitor that merely raises the bar on service. This is not rocket science. Like the rest of the book, the advice given is practical albeit simplistic.

Raving Fans suffers from a lack of real-world examples. The fictional stories are handy for getting one to think about creative service ideas. Unfortunately, there is a lack of supporting details to show how these ideas translate to profitability. You can't grab onto these ideas and say to a doubting associate; "Of course this can work. This is just how (insert name of real business here) did it!"

If you don't have much time to read about customer service ideas, I would pass on this book and go directly to Carl Sewell's book "Customers for Life". Sewell owns a real business and discusses the real-world issues of increasing customer service levels including compensation incentives, costs, service abuses and bottom line results. I felt that Sewell's book was a much better value for the time invested.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for communicating customer service ideals to employees, June 12, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service (Hardcover)

I'm a dentist, and even though people think I have patients, they are also customers. I and my staff have to deliver exceptional service if I expect them to come back and refer their friends and family to me. The normal dental experience in this world is "well, he didn't hurt me too much." I want people to rave about their dental visits, not just tell the usual "horror stories"! This book has been used in my office as a reading assignment and the subject of staff meetings, in an attempt to comunicate to my staff and have them deliver service that exceeds the patient's expectations. The simple style it's told in really keeps their attention, since most people will not read the more detailed and lengthy books on the market that are similar in substance. Highly recommended for any business person--large or small!