Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience (Hardcover)

by Jonathan M. Tisch (Author), Karl Weber (Contributor)
Key Phrases: personalized stamps, secret menu, transparency program, New York, United States, Urban Outfitters (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
According to Tisch, ever-increasing consumer expectations mean that service-based industries have to go beyond the realm of good service to provide an experience that's truly exceptional-and thus, truly memorable. It's a simple premise that needs a rigorous treatment; unfortunately, this effort from Loews Hotels chairman and CEO Tisch (along with business writer Weber) suffers from a lack of ideas and analytical muscle. Tisch (The Power of We) makes some obvious statements, largely pertaining to people's desire for comfort, choice and individualization in their consumer experiences, and then sets about repeating them. The idea that "people want to know that patronizing your business ... won't add to their stress and anxiety....and can offer some respite" gets hammered home early and often. Practical examples of his techniques come by way of a number of businesses, including Loews hotels; as such, anecdotes can read like press releases (on disregarding the rules: in "Loews Hotels ... every housekeeper, bellman, engineer, and desk clerk knows that he or she is permitted-no, expected-to go outside the standard procedures when necessary...to provide that guest with a moment of unexpected satisfaction and delight"). Tisch's latest has a solid subject and some genuinely useful techniques that get lost in a bloated, redundant text.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"The secret to running a good hotel is making guests feel welcome, providing a memorable experience, and ensuring both physical and psychological security, 24/7. Those principles can be applied to any business trying to attract and keep customers, according to Jonathan Tisch, chief executive of Loews Corp. Hotels, part of the Tisch family business empire created by his uncle Larry and father Robert (both now deceased). With co-author Karl Weber, Mr. Tisch shares tips for forging lasting connections with customers in Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough." (Wall Street Journal)

"An insightful primer on crafting your customer experience. I don't care how good you are—there's a tweak or two that you can make to your customer's experience. Let Tisch's stories inspire you to do it a little better." (The Marketing Minute)

"In the book, author Tisch gives examples of companies that are 'doing it right' and breaking out from the crowd of competition to offer a memorable customer experience which leads to customer loyalty—a rare commodity in this over crowded commercial world." (Bizinformer)

"Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, shares valuable lessons about customer service gleaned firsthand from his many years in the challenging hospitality industry. Tisch explains how to exceed expectations of good customer service and provide customers with exemplary and fulfilling experiences to keep them coming back. He offers insights into how to use technology and still keep the human touch, how to master "the art of welcome" and how to address customer concerns about physical and psychological safety. Tisch buttresses his tips and ideas with stories drawn from experiences of companies in several industries." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

There are a lot of great stories in this book—stories we can all use to become great, not better, at creating meaningful experiences for our customers. And by combining the stories with well-thought strategies and insights, Mr. Tisch has created a winner with Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough." (InBubbleWrap)

"This is not a book about hotel guest service. It's a book about building brands, strengthening relationships, customizing the client experience, leveraging technology, and achieving both security and transparency for clients in today's world. Tisch offers examples and lessons from every conceivable industry sector. It's extremely well crafted. Chocolates on the Pillow Arne't Enough is one of those rare books you should not only read for yourself; you should share it with every person in your organization" (Client Service Insights)

"Tisch is one smart cookie and this latest book by him is a must read for anyone involved in marketing." (DownWithTyranny!)

"Tisch hits the nail on the head in describing the evolving power of ethnic and minority consumers as not only a stateside phenom, but a sign of global change in Chinese, Japanese and Indian markets. It really gives perspective to the number of customers—and preferences—up for grabs." (AdvertisingAge)

"Tisch pinpoints the major stresses facing many kinds of business that are making it harder to retain customers:" (USA Today)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; annotated edition edition (February 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470043555
• ISBN-13: 978-0470043554
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #428,559 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good clear read. A revitalizing look at customer experience., March 17, 2007

By	D. Stuart "Researcher at Kudos" (Auckland NZ) - See all my reviews

Tisch is passionate about how to transform "customer service" which tends to be a series of isolated deliverables (answering the phone quickly, chocolates on the pillow...) into a much more rounded, holistic concept called Customer Experience. He is also a lively, entertaining raconteur who knows a great story and how to pepper it with apt case studies and examples. So this makes a great read.

What I especially like here is the major focus on the hospitality industry - not because I work in this sector, (I'm a market researcher who investigates customer relationships for a broad range of clients,) but because hospitality is the perfect metaphor for anyone: whether they're in banking or building supplies. When they read this; even the accountants will "get it" when it comes to that connection between the customers' experience and the bottom-line realities that come when you win to-die-for loyalty and a raving fan-base of passionate customers. This is a good value read that charges you up. Tisch does a good job here.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than eating chocolate!, March 6, 2007

By	Jay "Jay" (New York) - See all my reviews

I read this book cover-to-cover in one sitting and found a lot of helpful information and fun examples. I have a small business and it's so easy to get too caught up in selling and marketing. What really brings customers back to embrace your brand is the whole experience. The book has examples of all kinds of companies and how they find creative ways of making their customer feel special--that's what good business is all about. I learned a lot from this book. Most importantly: when the customer has a great experience, your business will take off and it's a win-win situation for everybody. If the customer just feels sold to, they'll probably go to the other guy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give Your Best, Then A Little Bit More, June 4, 2007

By	Thomas M. Loarie (Danville, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Are Not Enough" is a must read for anyone who is in the business of serving people - whether in the private, the non-profit, or the public sectors. (I have extrapolated the application of Tisch's ideas to organizations that are not commercial enterprises). Tisch translates his years of experience and observation as a hotelier to address both the why and the how of "meeting a challenge that never ends." It is the challenge of creating deeper, richer, more satisfying connections to your organization in today's complex, rapidly changing world. While you can get closure on a number of key management tasks, you can never declare "mission accomplished" when connecting with customers,employees, or donors. Like other relationships in life, a relationship with any stakeholder is a long-lasting, evolving, living entity.

Themes and practices in "Chocolates" are drawn from some of the world's smartest and most successful organizations including In-N-Out Burger, McDonalds, Dell, Sephora, Commerce Bank (NJ), Virgin Healthcare, Revolution On-line (Steve Case), Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Target, E-Z Pass, 311 phone exchange, Harley Davidson, and EBay. Any reader is bound to find one, two, or three exciting ideas that can be applied immediately in his/her own organization. Tisch adds "Big Aha's" at the end of each chapter summarizing the key thoughts/actions making the book a useful reference.

Tisch provides the hotelier's secret (people remember the experience not the attributes), and answers to the question "What happened to my customers?"(in world beset by discord, inequality, hyper-partisan politics, and the threat of terror). He helps us to re-imagine the customer experience and focuses our attention on creating customers who are happy to buy.

A most valuable part of the book for all will be the sections on the "The Art of Welcome." This is something most companies (and in particular, non-profits) do not give attention to, whether with customers, new employees, or suppliers. Tisch warns us to pay attention to the decompression zone, where people enter, and THEIR threshold resistance. We must learn to understand what makes people feel welcome, comfortable and relaxed. If we do, they want to buy (the customer), or make a significant contribution (the new employee, supplier, or donor).

"Chocolates" highlights why the art of the welcome is crucial to all organizations. And Tisch chides us to give our best, and then, a little bit more.