Willie's Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing, and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty [Hardcover]

Phillip Van Hooser (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471748072 | ISBN-13: 978-0471748076 | Publication Date: September 8, 2005 | Edition: 1

Praise for Willie's Way:

"Willie's Way is a fascinating compilation of real-life customer service stories that actually make a difference. It's about building your brand one customer at a time. Read how enthusiasm, confidence, and sincerity can impact your customers, grow revenues, and impact your bottom line. This is the best book I've read on customer service in a long time."
--Joe Scarlett Chairman of the Board Tractor Supply Company

"Wow! Willie's Way is simply infectious. Every reader is sure to find the six secrets to be very practical. In fact, they leave us without excuse. Without a doubt, Willie's Way has the power to transform an organization from one delivering mediocre customer service to one performing at the top."
--Chris Strippelhoff Vice President-Member Services Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia

"Van Hooser absolutely hit the bull's-eye with an outstanding instruction manual about the keys to extraordinary customer service. I have no doubt that companies and customer service professionals across virtually every industry will find value and fresh new insights in the pages of this brilliantly written gem."
--Richard G. Kelley Director of Sales Training, North America Axcan Pharma, Inc.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Who knew a cabbie could teach you so much about customer service?

As a successful professional speaker who travels constantly, Phillip Van Hooser has been in and out of his fair share of cabs. But only one cabbie ever taught him anything about customer service. That cabbie is Willie, and the commonsense wisdom he imparted has become known as Willie's Way.

Willie doesn't have an MBA, but he doesn't need one to know that the most critical aspect of salesmanship is a personal relationship with the customer. In fact, people enjoy doing business with people they know and like—and they remember people they like when it's time to do business again. The simple things Willie does to get to know his customers not only leave them happy, but also leave them wanting more of his special brand of service. What kind of business leader wouldn't want his customers to feel the same way?

In Willie's Way, Van Hooser reveals Willie's unique brand of personalized service—how he woos customers so that they come back, how he wows them so that they tell their friends, and how he wins their long-term business by exceeding their expectations. Even better, Van Hooser shows how business leaders can apply Willie's techniques to their own enterprises to build long-term customer loyalty.

A book unlike any other customer service guide, Willie's Way translates Willie's commonsense wisdom into simple, practical applications. Each chapter looks at one of the six service secrets and explains how and why it works. From listening to customers, to offering them special favors, to making every customer connection memorable, these proven strategies will impress, entice, and win new customers with every interaction.

Based on the hard-earned wisdom of someone who spends time with customers every single day, this book offers business leaders a chance to reconnect with the basics of good customer service. But what if your business is doing okay offering the bare minimum of service? That's great! But for those who want to do more business and do it better, there's Willie's Way!

From the Back Cover

Praise for Willie's Way:

"Willie's Way is a fascinating compilation of real-life customer service stories that actually make a difference. It's about building your brand one customer at a time. Read how enthusiasm, confidence, and sincerity can impact your customers, grow revenues, and impact your bottom line. This is the best book I've read on customer service in a long time."
—Joe Scarlett Chairman of the Board Tractor Supply Company

"Wow! Willie's Way is simply infectious. Every reader is sure to find the six secrets to be very practical. In fact, they leave us without excuse. Without a doubt, Willie's Way has the power to transform an organization from one delivering mediocre customer service to one performing at the top."
—Chris Strippelhoff Vice President–Member Services Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia

"Van Hooser absolutely hit the bull's-eye with an outstanding instruction manual about the keys to extraordinary customer service. I have no doubt that companies and customer service professionals across virtually every industry will find value and fresh new insights in the pages of this brilliantly written gem."
—Richard G. Kelley Director of Sales Training, North America Axcan Pharma, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471748072
• ISBN-13: 978-0471748076
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,124,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hello and thanks for stopping by! My name is Phillip Van Hooser. I a proud Kentuckian raised in a small rural community. My farming roots keep me firmed "planted," but I've had the good fortune to live and work all across the U.S. and beyond. Whether I'm talking with people in Kentucky or working with companies in Kaula Lampur, I've discovered a common theme -- people want good, strong leadership. As a leadership development strategist, author and keynote speaker, my mission is to help companies and organizations cultivate great leaders who in turn create for them a distinct competitive advantage. My books, We Need to Talk, Willie's Way and You're Joe's Boy, all share this common theme. In addition to this work, I have served as President of the National Speakers Association from 2009 through 2010. In 2006, my colleagues selected me as a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame. I am passionate about helping people become great leaders. If you have a leadership thought or question, please share it with me at [e-mail]. Thanks!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Way!, September 20, 2005

By 

Samuel Silverstein (St Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Willie's Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing, and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty (Hardcover)

I've seen Phil speak and he is outstanding, but now I can take Phil's energy, insights, and wisdom back to my business with this excellent book.

Learn how to connect with every customer on a personal level. In this book I discovered how to build lasting relationships with my clients and how to have repeat buyers recommend me to their friends!

This information is timeless and priceless and will help anyone build their business. Read this book today!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom We All Need, September 16, 2005

By 

Eileen McDargh "Eileen McDargh" (Dana Point, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Willie's Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing, and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty (Hardcover)

Here it is--the simple-to-read-yet-packed with wisdom book on customer service--- all prompted by a single experience with Willie-- a CAB DRIVER! I admit, when my colleague Phillip Van Hooser sent me a preview copy of WILLIE'S WAY, I sighed. While I think Phil is a great man and a solid professional, I just did NOT want to read another book on service.

"OK," I thought. "I'll just glance at it and then I won't feel guilty when I put it down."

Wrong. I didn't glance. I read. Stopped everything I was doing to read it. Maybe it was Phil's homespun sincere style. Maybe it was the simple truths that grabbed me. Maybe it was the powerful realization that a single incident can provide wisdom for a lifetime. Whatever it was, I decided that WILLIE'S WAY should be many people's shelves. Read it-- you'll be glad you did.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do It Willie's Way to Woo, Wow and Win Customers for Life, September 5, 2005

By 

Marilynn T. Mobley "Marilynn T. Mobley" (Marietta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Willie's Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing, and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty (Hardcover)

There are a lot of books about how to deliver customer service. Some are even pretty good. But Willie's Way is just extraordinary. There's an old joke that goes, 'It's too bad the only people who know how to run the world are busy cutting hair and driving taxis.' Well, Willie may not know how to run the world, but he sure knows a thing or two about customer service. Willie doesn't just drive a taxi, he drives home some great points about how to treat customers so that in return you receive their undying loyalty. Thank goodness Phillip Van Hooser was Willie's customer on that fateful day in Columbia, SC. Thanks to Phil's masterful storytelling and his ability to deconstruct his experience with Willie, we now know the six secrets to delivering great customer service. I've spent years reviewing research, reading books and studying companies that have great reputations for customer service. Then, along comes Willie's Way and I'm reminded once again that when it comes to making customers happy, it's still the basics that really matter. Every page contains a nugget to be picked up, examined, appreciated and put in a visible place where it can serve as a daily reminder that Willie knows how to drive true success.