Author: Shep Hyken
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press. 212 pages
Book Review by Sonu Chandiram
This book outlines seven amazing strategies to create a great customer experience, and in the process of delivering excellent customer service, win customers over and retain them over the long term.
He cites specific examples of how to treat the customer well from some 50 companies that value customers and provide great service.
His list of examples are many smaller companies with fewer than 50 employees as well as many well-known corporate giants such as American Airlines, General Motors, IBM, Kraft, Marriott, Toyota, Verizon and others.
Shep is an experienced speaker who delivers highly-engaging stories on customer service excellence and holds the unique distinction of being a Hall-of-Famer with the National Speakers Association.
So what are his seven secrets to capturing the hearts of customers?
1. Membership: Treat your customers not as customers but almost as well as members of your family.
2. Serious FUN: Instill in your customers a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment that make them loyal to you.
3. Partnerships: Win them over by having them think of you as a partner, not just a vendor.
4. Hiring: Use innovative processes in hiring outstanding customer service representatives.
5. The After-Experience: Create a memorable experience after they did business with you.
6. Community: Develop evangelists among your customers who praise you to their friends.
7. Walking the Walk: Have your employees live and breathe your vision of amazing customer service.
Shep Hyken is author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Cult of the Customer. He has also written The Loyal Customer and Moments of Magic.
He is founder and “chief amazement officer” of Shepard Presentations, located in St. Louis, Missouri. The company mission is: “Working with companies to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees.”
