Customer Reviews

Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits

John Goodman's book Strategic Customer Service is excellent. In my personal library, I have approximately 150 books on customer service. Goodman's book is easily in the top 1% to 2% of all these books. I give Goodman high marks for three reasons. First, he writes well and is easy to read. Second, he discusses, in depth, a comprehensive range of customer service related subjects. Third, and perhaps most important of all, his book is solidly grounded in empirical findings. I highly recommend Strategic Customer Service to all readers who are searching for a clear, data based, and persuasive explanation as to why customer service is really as important and consequential as its enthusiastic supporters claim it to be.

As a psychotherapist, consultant and educator for nearly 50 years, I am sure of at least one thing: People act to get their needs met. When faced with questions and uncertainties, people will make choices which are designed to result in a more satisfying and less painful life. I believe this is the basis of all our behavior.

People want to be heard, understood and to be taken seriously....to be appreciated. And when you are fortunate enough to have a dissatisfied customer call, e-mail, fax or otherwise contact your organization, the customer seriously wants someone to pay attention and help get the problem sorted out.

If the customer believes he/she is treated in a responsible manner and the offending concern is addressed, the chances are that the customer will be inclined to purchase additional goods/services from your organization....and they will tell a FEW folk about the positive experience.

On the other hand, if the customer is not satisfied with the response of your organization's Customer Services, the customer will be less inclined to purchase from your organization and they will communicate their dissatisfaction by Word of Mouth to colleagues, golf partners and neighbors and by "Word of Mouse" (a TARP term coined in 1999) to a whole host of people on Facebook and their Family and Friends on e-mail.

John Goodman in his book "Strategic Customer Service" presents 38 years of experience helping organizations, corporations and industries gain positive repurchase intention and positive Word of Mouth so that Customer Relations can become an income center (and that means MAKE MONEY) for the organization rather than being just some well intended organizational fluff.

On 249 pages Mr. Goodman packs together the research, the design, the goals and the "What to do...how and why to do it." of Strategic Customer Service. The goal of this process is: "Managing the customer experience to increase positive Word of Mouth, build loyalty and maximize profits."

Mr. Goodman writes clearly. I appreciated the orderly presentation of the material. Mr. Goodman leaves little room for confusion. He tells you what you are going to learn, presents the material in an organized and understandable manner and before moving on to the next section, he reviews the main points again.

I also appreciated Mr. Goodman explaining the differences between such technical instruments as the Market Damage Model and the Market-at-Risk calculations.

John tells it like it is: Openly, honestly and with stark reality. There is no fluff here. John presents solid, tangible, observable facts built on over 800 customer service studies. He also highlights his points with illustrations from a wide range of industries, corporations and organizations.

If you are in senior management of an organization, corporation or industry, I urge you: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!!

Rather, study this book....understand what the author is presenting.....digest it and then take the next step.....initiate the actions to "Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Brand Loyalty and Maximize Profits" by introducing Strategic Customer Service to your organization.

This work is written for senior management. It is not "dumbed down" for a huge mass market audience. Nor is it a handbook on how to answer the telephone. John Goodman challenges us to stretch our minds, to test our long held and cherished notions and to question biases and "common sense" solutions that just no longer work. The reader's reward for this study will be the assurance that the benefits of Strategic Customer Service are achievable.

The Author - John A. Goodman, "is a very popular speaker and sought after consultant. He founded TARP Worldwide in 1971, John has helped improve the customer service practices of hundreds of companies-including many widely respected firms like GE, USAA, Chick-fil-A, American Express, Marriott, Harley Davidson, and Neiman Marcus." John has "seen it all" as they say and some..." - Dennis E. Gonier, CEO, TARP Worldwide.

Review Summary - Why Strategic Customer Service? Strategic Customer Service is important when measured will improve the customer experience. The content of this book is an easy understandable read and provides excellent information which will help career professionals improve their customer service attitude and "see the power of strategic customer service" to help realize the value and impact a companies bottom line, especially affecting the worldwide economic sensitivities, factors and uncertainty. The author provides proven cases, models and strategies which substantiate his guidance and processes.

What five things gleaned from this book regarding the importance of Strategic Customer Service are:

1. Any leader who fails to see the opportunities and risks in the customer experience will affect their profits even with taking one interaction for granted.

2. Guiding principles and processes when applied will strengthen and provide comfort and confidence in their future dealings. Managers cannot afford to reduce expenses by under-serving their customers.

3. Strategic Customer Service is definitely an intellectual reminder that nothing in more powerful than a positive customer experience and is for all senior management and aspiring CFOs.

4. The practical information, models and processes will allow company's efforts to retain and expand their customer base. The focus is on customer service and word-of-mouth implications of having or not having a strategic approach in management of customer service.

5. When customer service is poor then the customer will go elsewhere and often tell friends and colleagues, ultimately affecting the end-to-end experience.

Concluding that by identifying our own positive customer service experience, incorporate and apply to our companies and/or business will reap benefits only achieved through a planned strategy, success and a sustainable advantage over competitors. "Happy customers will pay a premium or go out of their way to patronize the company." The bottom line... "Manage the customer experience, increase positive word of mouth, build loyalty and maximize profits."

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn how to improve their business' customer service program. The author shares many "trade secrets" that you would typically only learn if you hired a consultant, so the book pays for itself many times over.

John not only tell you WHAT you should do, but he explains WHY you should, and then provides advice on HOW to do it. He provides real-world examples, and his advice is insightful and useful -- you'll never find yourself shaking your head and saying "DUH!" like you might with other platitude-stuffed books.

While most companies WANT to provide better service, the greatest challenge is often prioritizing efforts. Should you hire more reps, or provide more training to existing reps? Revamp the website or change the IVR menu? Budgets are finite, and it is impossible to do everything at once, so paralysis can set it. John provides several models for calculating the BEST investment of resources, based on the BIGGEST return on investment. Sound advice: start small, prove your success, then take on bigger projects. Such an approach ensures budgets will be approved and staff will buy into the program (it is hard to argue against a sound financial argument!).

Some of the topics apply exclusively to contact centers/call centers, but the majority of the book addresses customer service issues across all business functions.

The book is also a quick read, so you can quickly finish it and start putting his advice to work. I strongly recommend it.

My first reaction upon learning that John Goodman was writing a book on customer service was much like that of his colleagues at TARP. Why would he want to share so much information, so many examples, such keen insights, and so many valuable tips about how to create a successful customer-focused organization for only $24.95? Wouldn't he be better off saving this expertise for clients willing to pay substantially more?

I think this book says something about John Goodman that I have known for 20+ years - he sincerely cares about customers and the organizations that serve them, and he knows that we can be doing a better job. Why wouldn't we want to? As John notes, "investing in customer service is one of the highest return opportunities in business today."

As the title of the book suggests, Strategic Customer Service is about the big-picture view of the customer as critical to the success of the organization, and how to go about creating an effective service strategy. But John doesn't stop there, as he also covers the tactical aspect of service quite thoroughly.

If you are data-driven, you won't be disappointed. Many customer service professionals, including me, have been using TARP data for years. Now we have much, much more to draw from. In Strategic Customer Service, John answers important questions like:

* For consumer packaged goods and other small-ticket items, what percentage of dissatisfied customers take the time to tell you about their dissatisfaction? (5 - 10 percent, and most of them only to the retailer)
* How about for big-ticket items? (20 - 50 percent will tell a front line representative, but only 1 out of 10 of these dissatisfied customers escalates their complaint to the local manager or corporate office)
* What's the ratio of how many people a customer will tell about a bad experience versus a good experience? (2:1)
* On the Web, how many people hear about a negative experience versus a positive experience? (4:1)
* What percentage of overall customer dissatisfaction is caused by employee attitudes and behavior? (only 20 percent)
* A customer who complains and is satisfied by the complaint resolution is what percent more loyal than a non-complainer? (30 percent)
* By eliminating the need for a callback, first call resolution can decrease costs by what amount? (up to 50 percent)
* And much more...

It is certainly not easy to create and maintain customer loyalty, but if you see this as an imperative for your organization (and how can you not?); you need to read this book. A better guidebook to help you on your journey has never been written.

Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits

John Goodman demonstrates a vast knowledge of the Customer Service world with this book. He does an outstanding job imparting the process by which one can create an effective Voice of the Customer to be leveraged for organizational priority-setting. Strategic Customer Service is extremely well-written in that it takes a very difficult(and potentially overwhelming)topic and breaks it down into manageable pieces. This book is based on 30 years of experience and contains a wealth of real-world examples to illustrate his points and make it an enjoyable read.

John has done a tremendous job of capturing the enormous value which front line services hold for the organization. This is most often overlooked, especially in the government sector for which I am a long-term observer. I hope my community of practice and others in the public sector will use this to truly add value to what they do and share the ideas presented there with others. My copy is now pretty much all yellow from highlighters, and I cite it often as a reference in speaking to others in government customer service and support. Great job!

I have met John Goodman in person, heard him present at a conference, and read his recent book "Strategic Customer Service". He truly practices what he preaches in his book, and provides excellent customer service to everyone he meets. He creates a great 'customer experience' through followup, and has led me to spread a positive message about his brand. This easy yet detailed read is a great book for all customer service or strategy focused people. It was helpful to me as I embarked on a large business transformation process for our customer service organization.

John Goodman knows what's good for businesses.

It's true. He knows what he's doing. John and his brainiac crew at TARP, have figured out an organizational formula that delivers customer loyalty, satisfied employees, new product research and quantifiable financial results. And now this insightful "how to" book is available for those of us who care to influence positive outcomes for our firms.

John harnesses customer feedback into a corporate asset. He delivers timeless strategies that work for management, the customer, employees and shareholders - good principles tied to the strong financial performance. Readers at all levels can apply his funny stories.

The business case is well presented. Strategic Customer Service is a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and yet it is a serious "how to" book. It's helpful to managers in all parts of the organization - from the strategic executive to tactical goal setter.

Reviewed by Bill Bleuel, PhD, Professor of Decision Science, Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University

From the Fall 2009 issue of the Graziadio Business Report ([...]

True to its title, Strategic Customer Service contains the keys to integrating customer service into a company's business model. It is filled with excellent anecdotes and insightful methods that address how customer service is critical to a company's success. There are many different metrics used to measure customer satisfaction. Author John Goodman illustrates the value of the customer-service feedback loop and explains how this process leads to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. His practical approach is relevant to any industry and to those interested in customer service at every level. Without a doubt, companies that follow the practical approach he uses will see increase profits.

I have read Goodman's work for over 20 years and his latest book reflects the entirety of his accomplished career. His key "take-aways" add depth to each chapter and he offers ample real-life examples and customer-service principles. I connected not only with his approach but also to almost all of his examples.

Strategic Customer Service is such an easy read that, even at 249 pages, it can be completed in an evening. People involved in company strategy or customer service should drop what they are doing and read this five-star book now. For others, it provides an excellent perspective on the value of customer service.

Strategic Customer Service is the best book on customer service, in terms of concepts and practical solutions, I have read in a long time. Goodman's wonderful, well-integrated stories are the frosting on the cake.