Customer Reviews

Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless: How to Make Them Love You, Keep You Coming Back, and Tell Everyone They Know

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2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

People who are managing customer service at the money end - the customers - will get some value by interpreting Jeffrey Gitomer's work through their own experience. Unfortunately the author fights shy of some big realities, namely:

* Your organisation, and not your competitors, can be responsible for placing the biggest obstacles between your service team and the customers. Oftentimes your job as a customer-centred manager is to work out ways around these - without getting fired.

* The fact is that for each 200 customers you help you will come across at least one active psychotic (honestly I'm not overstating this), never mind the congenitally rude or the customer that had a blazing row with their spouse 20 seconds before walking in. Gitomer's book won't help you sell to these customers. (Of course its your job to make sure you don't HIRE the psychotics if you can help it).

* More importantly for the manager, Gitomer won't tell you how to ensure that your staff don't [pick] up a bad attitude from their one mad/angry etc customer and spit it out on the next one.
You've got to keep everyone focused on each customer and their needs as they are. That's not as easy as it sounds. I used to allow staff a 'time-out'if they'd been verbally abused to give them a chance to calm down. At this point you can remind them that the previous 199 people they helped were actually pretty decent.

* Most people working customer service are on such low pay that they often come to work with money worries on their minds. If you can do anything at all to make work conditions a bit better -clean staff rooms and toilets, coffee machines that work etc - do it. Be as attentive to your staff as you are to your customers...

* Gitomer is right about one thing especially. You can't too often reinforce the message 'treat others as you would like to be treated.' Again its in the hiring - hire for empathy...

If my book was kidnapped and held in Afganistan for 10,000 bucks ransom, if it was the only copy left in the world, I'd rescue it.

By chapter 5, I had saved a huge sale from going sour. This book has done some amazing things for my company's sales. Not just the book, but some effort on my part. Very little effort.

The principles in this book are so easy to put into immediate action, you'll wonder why you haven't
thought about this stuff already. Even if you've stayed in Ritz Carltons and shopped in upscale
stores, you'll never completely learn what makes it all come together. This book sheds some light on service.

This book was extremely enjoyable to read, but the real enjoyment comes after youre done reading
and you put this stuff into action. Seeing the smiles on customers faces, hearing their amazement
on the phone when you just try a little harder. Spend just a few minutes extra.

The things in this book cost little or no money, and even if they do cost money, you'll want to do them anyway.
Performing the principles in this book has become a hobby. It's fun, it changes the way you look at work.
At times I want to screw up orders, just to fix them! I can't beleive the attitude overhaul I've gained from this book.

I've bought this book for all the business owners in my family and now we all get together and try to
blow each other away by how we are creating memorable service. You'll want to knock their socks off, even if
you have no desire to do it before you read this book, you will after, or even half way though.

Gitomer's book is full of great ideas. As the Director of Orientation at a state university, I supervise a terrific group of 75 student volunteers who help new students and their parents. If I can effectively communicate to them the super ideas and concepts found here, I know they'll do an even better job as orientation leaders. Plus the skills they use and learn will easily carry over into whatever they do in life. I'm also Director of our Student Center and this book gave me lots of ideas I can use in training the students I work with in the building too.

I found this book particularly challangeing and filled with common sense questions and solutions. It has a good number of examples to support the comments and was particularly easy to read and digest.

After listening to a colleague promote this book time after time, I finally gave in and bought it, and am I sure glad I did! This book is so straight forward in its approach yet provides the information necessary to really improve and notice what companies are doing to keep your loyalty or those who are doing their best to just keep you satisfied. He goes through the process of helping you discover what you're doing right and what needs improvement. This book also points out the importance of the individual in business for promoting or hurting future sales. Being on the road frequently with business, his travel stories related to similar experiences I've had with airlines, restaurants, and hotels at numerous locations across the country. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to improve their customer loyalty skills and increase their referral business.

I've been a longtime fan of Gitomer (so you should know my bias going in). I'm not sure what book some of these reviewers read, but they didn't read THIS book. I've been in sales for 28 years and can tell you that Gitomer GETS IT. He's not your rah-rah guy. Rather he's in your face, telling you how stupid it is to do some things, telling you how stupid it is NOT to do other things and always telling you that if you don't provide VALUE, then you ain't got Jack! Full of practical advice and the constant urging to use your brain so you can be CREATIVE. Gitomer has fun and expects those who serve customers to have fun, too.

One simple illustration Gitomer uses in his public presentations tells you a lot about his approach to customer service and business building. He talks about how he's greeted at the numerous hotels he checks into each year. Normally, it goes something like this, "Checking in?" (To which the bald Gitomer is tempted to respond, "NO, I'm here for my hair transplant.") He appropriately argues that the front counter clerk could just as easily say, "You look like you could use a nice, comfortable room. We've been waiting for your arrival. Welcome!" How much more effort would that take, argues Gitomer? None, it just takes a little bit of creativity and paying attention. He's right and we all know it. Clear, concise, easy to read, easy to think about and inspiring to make happen in your company. I can't recommend the book enough. I give away more copies of this book than any other and I give away lots of books. Just don't give it to your competitor!

I suppose a certain amount of hyperbole is to be expected in books attempting to motivate and educate readers in customer service, but this book goes way over the top. Most of what can be learned from this book can be found by reading the table of contents, but Jeffrey Gitomer felt the need to belabor each point ad naseum. Gitomer uses catch phrases splashed across pages in big fonts apparently to fill space. He has a certain arrogance that I found distracting. In the final analysis, I found the book valuable in that it reminded me of common sense precepts in establishing and maintaing customer relations. However, for me, it fell way short of the claims on the jacket cover.

Gitomer asks, "Would you rather have a satisfied spouse or a loyal spouse? Then, would you rather have satisfied customers or loyal customers?" See the change in perception????

Now that you have read lots of stuff on customer satisfaction don't you feel that you keep reading the same stuff over and over again. Gitomer's approach is quite different and I think his approach "Customer Loyalty" is what will bring in sales in the long run. While reading the book you will identify with the customers he is talking about and you will really understand why "Customer Loyalty" should be your number one goal. By following his advices we were able to stand apart from our competitors and have really "Loyal" customers. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to increase sales.

This book is superb. Jeffrey writes like he speaks. Simple, clear, concise, straight to the point. No B.S. Want to have a successful business? Want to make a ton of money in sales? Do you have this book? Kevin Hogan...