Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service (Paperback)

by Kristin Anderson (Author), Ron Zemke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"For workers routinely called on to fix what's broken, find what's lost and soothe the irate, this book is indispensable." -- Bizlife, Greensboro, NC, March 2003

With fresh batches of lively anecdotes, examples from the service trenches,uplifting pep tals and aptivating cartoons by John Bush. -- The Executive Issue --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
This bright and breezy service primer has proven itself a big hit with front-line service providers and service managers alike! For the nearly 80% of America's workforce that provides service, this friendly tool makes sure the "good service" message gets across loud and clear. Using anecdotes, cartoons, and checklists the book make its point:

"As far as customers are concerned you are the company. This is not a burden, but the core of your job. You hold in your hands the power to keep customers coming back -- perhaps even to make or break the company."

With a mix of inspiration and concrete techniques readers can put to use the very day they get it, the book shows how to:

** use the power of listening to help customers
** use words effectively -- to soothe, reassure, and communicate
** personalize service without getting emotionally involved
** master the Art of Calm
** make service more than just "being nice" and really deliver tangible benefits to the customer

The second edition is completely updated and includes new information on: e-mail, telephone tact, voice mail, chronic complainers, service recovery, problem solving, and managing the "customer from hell"!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 2nd edition (January 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814479707
• ISBN-13: 978-0814479704
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #608,463 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's not Brain Surgery  So why is it so hard to do well?, February 11, 2002

By	Jill Clardy "So many books, so little time...." (Redwood City, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Knock Your Socks Off" is an easy to read, well-organized, thorough introduction to the crucial aspects of providing excellent customer service. I kept it on the corner of my desk and read it during lunch hours. The 31 short chapters (approx. 150 pages) can be finished in just a week or two. I intend to pass it along to the Customer Service Reps that work for me as "required reading" (or maybe even splurge and buy them their own copy!)

The book is organized in Four Parts:

1. The Fundamental Principles of Knock Your Socks Off Service - includes the RATER factors: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, Responsiveness.
2. The How To's of Knock Your Socks Off Service - honesty, rules, doing the right thing, listening, asking questions, winning words and soothing phrases, telephone tips, writing skills, details, thank-yous.
3. The Problem-Solving Side of Knock Your Socks Off Service - how to fix problems, fix the person, apologize, and handling nasty customers.
4. Knock Your Socks Off Service Fitness - Taking Care of You - how to stay calm, professional, and competent and how to have fun doing it

Whether you're new to the business of providing customer service or a seasoned pro, this book will give lots of great advice and a positive perspective on the challenges of providing good customer service. I plan on using the book to help set goals and establish metrics for improving service at my company.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Customer Service for Employees on the Front Lines, August 21, 2000

By	Steve Long, Ph.D. (Rutland, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Unlike many customer service books which focus primarily on managing customer service, this recently revised classic by Kristin Anderson & Ron Zemke provides a wealth of information for employees who work on the front lines of customer service. The authors start by making the point that, even in the largest of organizations, you may be the only person in the organization that the customer ever interacts with. Therefore, customers often judge the entire organization based on their interaction with you. In the competition to attract customers, the most important part of the "service advantage" is you.

In the service game, the results are clear -- organizations that empower their employees to provide top quality customer service are considerably more successful than organizations that don't. And it is not enough just to meet customers minimum expectations. In order to sustain a competitive advantage, organizations have to find ways to exceed customers' expectations or, as the authors say, to provide "knock your socks off" service. Knock your socks off service is defined as:

Reliable - delivering on promises

Responsive - providing service in a timely fashion

Reassuring - building trust through competence and confidence

Empathetic - recognizing customers emotional state and responding accordingly

Tangibles - taking pride in the quality of the materials that you produce

Failing at even one of these key service elements could lead customers to look elsewhere for service. According to the authors' research, as many as 25% of your customers are currently dissatisfied enough to consider doing business with someone else. Imagine the impact that failing to deliver on service promises or being unresponsive to customer concerns would have on that number. However, even small factors, such as the cleanliness of your service area, can have big effects on a customer's willingness to do business with your organization.

The wealth of the book is that it is jam-packed with tips that you can use to become "knock your sock off" service providers. The book provides great ideas for improving your customer interactions, whether your interactions are face-to-face, telephone, or email/mail. You will also learn proven techniques for becoming a "fantastic fixer" able to solve even the toughest service problems. For example, while most people focus on fixing the problem, "knock your socks off" employees focus on fixing the person as well. The authors even provide helpful tips on taking care of yourself by managing stress and becoming a continuous learner.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great intro to customer service for all levels!, September 4, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews

"Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service" is a wonderful introduction to the topic of customer service. Anderson and Zemke have written a book that works well for readers from fast food clerks to sales executives, and everyone in between.

Especially helpful are the specific sections on customer service attitude, understanding the customer, and dealing with difficult customers. The tips and techniques recommended here actually work in practice, and are easy to learn. I have found this book to be an effective source of insights into why great customer service seems so rare, and how people can improve the way they deliver service to others.

The book itself is an easy read, with plenty of pictures and anecdotes to help make its points. It took me about four hours to read, and it is also easy to read a section at a time on the bus or over a short lunch period.

Congratulations to the authors! I can see why this book has been around and appreciated for so long.