Customer Reviews

50 Powerful Ideas To Keep Customers

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't usually go out of my way to rip business books (preferring instead to simply disrecommend them to everyone I know) but as a struggling business owner who used to be a customer service professional, I would hate to let this book go unremarked-upon. It reads as if it were written by a cranky consumer who wants to get even with every retail business who done him wrong. If you believe that The Customer Is Always Right is the unofficial Eleventh Commandment, you may like this book. But I have a few nits to pick.

First. I don't doubt that many of the "50 Powerful Ideas" would do much to enhance your company's image in the eyes of your customers. The question is: At what cost?

At no point in this book is cost EVER addressed. It simply doesn't seem to have entered the author's mind. Sure, in an ideal world where the small business owner doesn't have to keep a tight rein on expenses, keeping customers would be simple. Just give them Free Stuff, as Dr. Timm recommends.

Second. Anyone who has ever worked retail, either in a supervisory or front-line position, knows that there are customers who cannot be satisfied, do not have a legitimate complaint and are hoping you will give them Free Stuff to make them go away. They don't seem to exist in Dr. Timm's universe, however. I found this omission to be very puzzling.

Third. Dr. Timm quotes "generally accepted facts" about customer service in the preface. I guess that's to avoid having to give references to actual studies. I would counter Dr. Timm's generally accepted facts by pointing out that 86% of all statistics are made up.

To sum up, if you want to take advice from a Ph.D. who has written nearly 40 books and countless articles on customer service and communication, this may be the book for you. If you want hard-headed practical advice from people who've been in the trenches, you'd be better off contacting your local SCORE chapter.

I'm the author of "Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity), and "Cracking Creativity (The Secrets of Creative Genius) and, generally, read most businesss books that hit the market. This is a terrific book. Buy it and learn.

I have read this book and studied under Dr. Timm. His matter-of-fact writing style helps to communicate his ideas in a simple, understandable, and effective manner. This book is a great addition to any customer service library