Positively Outrageous Service: How to Delight and Astound Your Customers and Win Them for Life (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I apologize for not remembering the author of the quote, but when I first read that beautiful line we were neck-deep in a fast-food restaurant..." (more)
Key Phrases: outrageous service, disruptive thinking, motivation gap, Positively Outrageous Ser, Service Naturals, San Antonio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In today’s tough economy, cutting prices and providing good service aren’t enough. To be truly successful, innovative businesspeople must learn the art of Positively Outrageous Service (POS)-doing the unexpected unexpectedly and giving the customer more than he or she could hope for.

POS put customer service guru T. Scott Gross on the map in the early 1990s. For the first time in more than ten years, he brings these concepts into the 21st century with the second edition of Positively Outrageous Service. He examines what’s wrong in the service industry today and how to turn those negatives into POS. In his signature, slightly irreverent, but always insightful style, he shows managers at every level of the service industry how to:

• Follow the four key Principles of Promotions to build a customer base, have fun, get people to your store, get people involved with your product, and do something good for others.
• Hire the right people and show them the fundamentals of POS.
• Energize and obtain the most creativity out of employees.
• Win over customers when mistakes happen, no matter who is at fault.

POS is not just a way of doing business, according to Gross, it’s also a state of mind and the key to success in the 21st century.

About the Author

T. Scott Gross is a consumer advocate whose client roster for consulting, training, and speaking reads like a who’s who of the Fortune 500. Countless businesses, including Southwest Airlines, FedEx, McDonald’s, Sears, and Wal-Mart, have asked him to motivate the troops at sales meetings and conferences worldwide.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Business; 2 edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793188237
• ISBN-13: 978-0793188239
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #445,234 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, July 25, 2005

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This folksy compilation of stories about people and companies who deliver "Positively Outrageous Service" (POS) has the right mix to prove that people love great service and the companies that deliver it. The stories may meander, but author T. Scott Gross is so popular because he knows how to weave humor, personal anecdotes and actual business stories into a cohesive argument that almost all business is personal and local. This form of bottom-up business advice places great importance upon the front-line employees who represent your business. Gross explains that front-line workers can make or break your brand and your sales, no matter what size your business is. He provides good business lessons, so don't let the light reading mislead you. We recommend this book to managers of any business in the service sector who want to give their employees the power and motivation to deliver great service.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Microbranding to improve your marketing and customer service, November 3, 2007

By	Megan Fitzgerald "Expat Career & Personal Bra... (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you a manager of a service oriented small business? Then this book is for you. Positively Outrageous Service does a fantastic job of pointing out several things:

1) Word of Mouth is still the best marketing tool around for small businesses.
2) By exceeding expectations and surprising your customers you will create that buzz which make you stand out, get noticed and create raving fans.
3) Your employees are your most effective marketing tool and - like it or not - are your brand representatives.
4) Customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction are connected.
5) Empowering and motivating your employees is the best way to insure the superior level of customer service that will allow the small business to compete with big business.

The author gives great examples of how different small service businesses have used incredible customer service to succeed and compete without huge marketing budgets.

Being a personal branding specialist, what I enjoyed most about this book was how the author presented his solution in terms of microbranding. In an nutshell, every employee (or rather, the sum of their actions) is a microbrand. Align those microbrands with your company's brand (by empowering and motivating employees to provide "outrageous service") and you have a recipe for incredible service, marketing and success.

A great, informative and enjoyable read - I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Ideas!, April 3, 2009

By	Cheryllyn Tallman "lillious" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book had just what I was looking for. Enthusiasm followed by new ideas. Great book!