Think for Your Customer [Paperback]

John Barry Stanley (Author), Linda Stanley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2004

In a series of nine chapters, the Stanley's build a framework to a successful retail operation by explaining the importance of creating a successful relationship with customers. At the end of each chapter, they have included a three-point course-of-action and room to construct an individual battle plan for a particular business.

While the Stanley's are clearly passionate about their views, they have written the book in a folksy, conversationalist manner. It tells an uncomplicated message that, in many respects, is just good old-fashioned common sense.

The book is based on sound logic, underpinned by the Stanley's vast depth of knowledge, and most small business people will find benefit in the dozens of suggestions and advice tips. It explores a lot of the myths surrounding the retail industry and also deals with the changing world where new technologies are occurring every day.

"It's a time of change and in times of change leaders emerge and show us the way forward," the Stanley's write. "Your role is to be one of these leaders."

There can be no doubting Stanley's leadership qualities in the retail consultancy field. He has been talking and writing about it all over world for more than 25 years, and he is now a much sought after speaker across Europe, Australasia, the Americas and South Africa. With this depth of experience and knowledge, Stanley and his wife Linda write with authority. And yet, theirs is a simple message – your business will improve if it lifts the standard of its customer service.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a book to be read, absorbed, re-read and then put into practice. -- Bob's Books, Australia

About the Author

John Stanley

After completing his Masters degree, John went straight into lecturing and became the course manager at Merrist Wood College in the United Kingdom. Since then he has consulted to many different types of retail and service operations, from supermarkets, service stations, pharmacies, dentists, garden centres, hardware stores and liquor stores to malls and shopping centres.

John is a highly sought after keynote speaker and motivator at conferences and workshops around the world. His enthusiastic, up-beat style and down-to-earth messages have made John one of the world's top speakers. He has written several industry-specific books and is a regular contributor to industry magazines around the world.

Linda Stanley

Linda went straight from gaining an education into building and managing her own manufacturing company. After the sale of the company, Linda moved to the United Kingdom and set up and ran an import export business before moving back to Australia.

Once back in Australia, Linda joined John Stanley Associates in the role of marketing director. Today, Linda is responsible for research for the company, ensuring the consultants are kept up to date with the latest trends. Linda's primary areas of research are culture and customer service. With one degree in Asian Studies and another in Electronic Commerce, Linda is now researching for her thesis on Customer Service Standards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: Lizardpublishing.Biz (December 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975011812
• ISBN-13: 978-0975011812
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,287,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A tool to empower your team, December 17, 2007

By 

Jurek Leon "www.terrifictrading.com" (Perth, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Think for Your Customer (Paperback)

There are many, many books on customer service and this certainly isn't the best. But it is topical and it is one of the few I have come across that you can give to your staff with some confidence that they will read it. And that's usually the challenge for most managers, finding information in an easily digestible form that is interesting, entertaining and applicable for your team.

As the author says early in the book, "Before you start thinking for your customers you have to get your team to think for your customers. The answer is not for you to do the thinking, but for the team to do the thinking."

He goes on to say that as a manager you need to empower your team members so that they have the confidence to think for your customers and to act on those thoughts.

This book will certainly help you do that. There are short chapters with lots of sub-headings, so it can be read in small bite sized chunks (which is why I said earlier that it is easily digestible - boom, boom!). It is written in a friendly, conversational style and every three or four pages there are boxes with interesting snippets to keep the focus of people more used to glancing through magazines than reading books.

I'd recommend you get enough copies of this book for your frontline team members, supply them with a highlighter pen each and tell them to `abuse their books!' What I mean by this is, they are to read a chapter and highlight any points worth debating or considering for their roles and for your organisation. Then hold a meeting to discuss this. At the conclusion of each chapter there is a section for them to write in 3 action steps. This prompts the reader to use it as a tool for customer service improvement in your organisation.

A word of warning. The book uses a lot of retail examples and terminology so if you aren't in retail or a related service industry it may not go down well with your staff. This is particularly the case with people who have no selling function related to their customer service role. In fact, I'm surprised that two of the nine chapters are allocated to selling as I feel these are the weakest chapters in the book.

In summary, it's a good little book that is easy to read with plenty of points that can be raised and debated with your frontline team, making it a useful tool to raise awareness and service levels in your organisation.