Praise for The Best Service Is No Service

"A very sharp and practical treatise on why so many call centers and service operations are playing with the wrong deck of cards altogether. We strongly recommend it to anyone involved in customer service issues."
--Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D., authors, Rules to Break and Laws to Follow

"The Best Service Is No Service presents great new ideas about how to make service work for the company and the customer. Customers are clamoring for self-service that answers all of their questions, and this important book shows companies how to achieve this level of customer satisfaction."
--Sheryl Sandberg, vice president of online sales and operations, Google

"I recommend The Best Service Is No Service to companies and their outsourcing partners alike--when customers don't need to contact companies for help or information because everything is clear and works right, then everyone benefits. The 'best service' principles also work across all countries and cultures, a new universal goal!"
--Sanjeev Aggarwal, managing director, Helion Ventures Pvt Ltd Gurgaon, India, and founder and former CEO of IBM Daksh

"Building 'the best service is no service' also applies outside of corporations--universities and business schools can learn a lot from this book and its principles. I recommend this book to academic leaders for their schools and for their students to obtain firsthand lessons that really work!"
--James Jiambalvo, dean, Michael G. Foster School of Business; and Kirby L. Cramer Chair of Business Administration

"This book is compulsory reading for executives, customer service managers, and decision makers whose actionsdefine a company's customer experience. The Best Service Is No Service points out areas where management mistakes or confusion can lead to unnecessary contacts and disoriented customers. The concept of 'no service' is elegant in its simplicity. You will find clear solutions and tips on how to achieve 'no service' but also how to provide 'awesome customer experiences' while pursuing 'no service.'"
--Bert Quintana, former vice president, Dell International Services

This proceedings volume highlights the latest research presented at the 8th International Conference on Research on National Brand & Private Label Marketing (NB&PL2021). The topics covered include: retailing, private label portfolio and assortment management, marketing of premium store brands, using national brands to exclude (delist) and include, optimal assortment size, consumer store patronage, etc. Several contributions also focus on private label pricing and promotion, especially on the relative pricing of standard and premium private labels, and with regard to the national brands in the assortment.

Despite the pressure for local councils to follow the lead of the private sector and develop shared service and partnership arrangements, the barriers in terms of culture, differences in priorities across councils and lack of experience are formidable - yet this is the most likely source of meeting government targets for reduced overheads and improved organizational effectiveness. By using extensive case studies drawn from across local councils in England, Ray Tomkinson explains the implications of sharing service delivery, addresses concerns about loss of control and accountability, and demonstrates the potential advantages. He shows how to set up collaborative ventures, formal partnerships, shared service centres or special purpose vehicles, while pointing out possible pitfalls, thus enabling senior managers to follow all the necessary project steps to create an appropriate shared service. It seeks to examine the evidence of the cost, effectiveness and quality improvements achieved from sharings. This ground-breaking book has been written for everyone in local government; it explores the political and cultural barriers, and legislative/legal framework for joint workings, explains how to find an appropriate governance vehicle, and how to gain the commitment of partners. It deals with political and managerial concerns, risk aversion and parochial issues, and the possible impact on the reputation and performance of both sharers. Shared Services in Local Government is the only comprehensive study for the UK and it will ensure any public sector organization pursuing this route is able to approach the task of creating a shared service with a real understanding of the issues involved.

Customer satisfaction and loyalty are becoming increasingly important to most organizations since the financial benefits from improving them have been well documented. This book presents a thorough examination of how to use research to understand customer satisfaction and loyalty. It takes the reader step-by-step through the process of designing and conducting a survey to generate accurate measures of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The research process is explained in detail, including questionnaire design, analysis and reporting, but the book also covers other elements of an effective customer satisfaction process. These include project planning, communicating with customers before, during and after the survey, as well as providing internal feedback and taking effective action to address issues raised by the survey. There is also comprehensive coverage of loyalty measurement methodologies as well as the satisfaction-profit chain and associated modelling and forecasting techniques.

Customer Relationship Management is a holistic strategic approach to managing customer relationships to increase shareholder value, and this major Handbook of CRM gives complete coverage of the key concepts in this vital field.
It is about achieving a total understanding of the concepts that underlie successful CRM rather than the plethora of systems that can be used to implement it.
Based on recent knowledge, it is underpinned by:
* Clear and comprehensive explanations of the key concepts in the field
* Vignettes and full cases from major businesses internationally
* Definitive references and notes to further sources of information on every aspect of CRM
* Templates and audit advice for assessing your own CRM needs and targets
The most lucid, comprehensive and important overview of the subject and an invaluable tool in enabling the connection of the major principles to the real world of business.
* A definitive, heavily researched, comprehensive overview
* Key concepts allied to action templates
* Written by one of the first major marketing thinkers in the field and based on Cranfield Business School's internationally acknowledged leadership in the field

A step-by-step guide to designing and implementing an amazing customer service culture

In today's competitive business environment, keeping customers happy is the key to long-term success. But some businesses provide much better customer service than others. It's not always clear what works and what doesn't, and implementing new customer service practices midstream can be a difficult, chaotic task. Business leaders who want to transform their business culture into one of customer service excellence need reliable, proven guidance.

"Unleashing Excellence" gives you practical tools and step-by-step guidance tailored to your company's individual customer service needs. It shows you how to navigate your teams through every step of the implementation process to achieve true customer service excellence. The book covers the training and education of your group, how to measure the quality of your service, how to build a culture of personal accountability, and how to recognize excellence and reward it. Fully revised to include updated information on the latest tools and best practices, as well as the stories and lessons learned from those organizations that have used the process described in the book.Offers proven best practices for designing and implementing an excellent customer service cultureSimple format divides content into nine "leadership actions" that guide you through a step-by-step processShows you how to build a common customer service vision for your entire organization

Customer service is vital to the survival of your business. If you want to move your organization's customer service practices from good to great, "Unleashing Excellence" is the key.

A bold new look at how technology can become a force multiplier to deliver more empathy and integrate deeper, more personalized human connections into everyday business interactions at scale. While the world has never needed more empathy than today, too often technology is used by businesses as a substitute and a barrier to real human connection. We've all experienced dumb chatbots, automated scripts and poor employee interactions that dehumanizes customer interactions. That's because brands have focused on company centric business strategies, processes and technology. However, simply put: No customers, no business. What if, by transforming the old company-centric way of doing business and putting customers and employees front and center, businesses could succeed faster than ever before and not at the expense of their most important assets-the very people who make it possible to be in business? Empathy is a powerful construct for a better world and a better business. It's not a synonym for nice. Empathy is about respect and treating people in the context of their unique situation in a highly personalized way. In this groundbreaking new book, longtime technology leader and current CEO of Genesys, Tony Bates teams up with researcher and customer experience evangelist, Dr. Natalie Petouhoff to define a new path forward to put empathy into action. By using strategies and technologies as the flywheel to orchestrate systems of listening, understanding and predicting, as well as, taking action and learning from those interactions at scale, businesses can easily put the customer and employee first, not only meet the ever-changing customer and employee expectations, but also leapfrog their competition. They predict empathy is the next frontier in technology. This book is aimed at sparking an industry-wide conversation about how exponential technologies like, AI and cloud can enable a more empathetic world.

Call centres and contact centres form an important and rapidly growing part of today's business world. They present a range of management challenges, from strategic decisions about how to develop a customer strategy, business planning, through to detailed considerations of staffing levels and appropriate technology. This new handbook, the first of its kind, provides a unique insight giving expert opinions on how to get the most out of your contact centre operations. Natalie Calvert, a specialist in the field, has brought together a team of 35 experienced practitioners who provide invaluable knowledge, share their experiences and draw on real-life examples to suggest practical solutions on a wide range of topics. This handbook is an indispensible guide and reference for call and contact centre managers, HR specialists and senior executives responsible for marketing, sales or customer services. The handbook is divided into six parts: I The business plan II The people factor III Contact centre technology IV Standards, processes, and outsourcing V Building profitable customer relationships VI The future.

In 1987, Motorola developed Six Sigma out of a need for improvement in their pager manufacturing processes. Since then, Six Sigma has been implemented by a number of manufacturing companies, predominantly in the USA. In the late 1990s, however, Six Sigma gained wider and international popularity due to successful implementation at General Electric. Six Sigma has now become one of the integral aspects of manufacturing, as well as non-manufacturing businesses worldwide. In recent years, many books have been published on Six Sigma, mainly on its application in manufacturing and product development. This book, by contrast, focuses specifically on the application of Six Sigma in service and transactional environments. The book comprises two parts. Part One provides the necessary knowledge for understanding the Six Sigma methodology and its underlying concepts. Part Two consists of practical examples of Six Sigma application to transactional and service environments which have been provided in the form of real world case studies written by internationally successful companies, to complement the reader's knowledge of Six Sigma and to increase comprehension of issues surrounding Six Sigma implementations. It has been written for newcomers as well as for experienced practitioners who are interested in improving processes in everyday business operations. The focus is on the implementation of the Six Sigma methodology rather than on the statistical tools and techniques. The aim of this book is to provide the reader with some practical and useful guidelines for Six Sigma deployment and its application to transactional and service processes.

Praise for "Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough"

"Jonathan recognizes that in today's Internet-fed, savvy-consumer world, it is the people-to-people connections, regardless of price point, that differentiate a customer's experience. Gimmicks come and go, but without sincere and caring people delivering the overall experience, from start to finish, well, it's true--chocolates on the pillow are not enough. A great read!"
--David Neeleman, founder and CEO, JetBlue Airways Corporation

"If you don't work for your customer, you're not doing your job. Who better to turn to for lessons in great customer experiences than Jonathan Tisch? He has long been one of the most respected leaders in travel and hospitality, and when it comes to treating all customers like guests, to put it simply, he gets it. And then some."
--Millard S. Drexler, Chairman and CEO, J. Crew Group

"What brings customers back to my restaurants? Why do viewers watch my TV show? It's more than Bam! It's delivering a kicked-up customer experience. Tisch is the guy who knows how to do this best. His book gives the inside scoop on how to excite your customers and bring 'em back for more."
--Emeril Lagasse

"Attention to detail, passion, and dedication are a few of the things that made me successful as an athlete. Jonathan knows that by doing the same in business, you maximize the customer's experience and outscore the competition."
--Tiki Barber

Discover an important tool in the development of new marketing strategies for satisfying online customers! Edited by two experts in the fields of business and marketing, Customer Relationship Management in Electronic Markets is designed to help you build Internet relationships that lead to customer retention and long-term loyalty. With this book, you will be able to offer customers the benefits they seek in the virtual marketplace and serve their best interests. Examining Web sites, e-mail, data mining, and other technology, this valuable tool can help you attract and keep the customers who will be the most profitable for your business. Despite many predictions that electronic marketing would create high profits for lower costs, many businesses have been discouraged by low yields due to ineffectual methods of obtaining and maintaining customers. Customer Relationship Management in Electronic Markets provides multiple frameworks, strategies, and techniques around which to organize your company's electronic marketing plans. It shows you how to calculate trends, predict customer loss and gain, and prevent dissolution through analysis of the customer's ever-changing needs. This volume also utilizes examples of real successful companies that have used the Internet to the fullest extent, like Staples, Dell, and Amazon.com. Customer Relationship Management in Electronic Markets is an excellent resource for individuals engaged in any aspect of business relationships, from customer service managers, consultants and corporate trainers in marketing, to owners of major corporations, online businesses and entrepreneurs, and students in the field. Specifically, you will gain information on the following: business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) exchangessimilarities, differences, and how the Internet has changed these relationships the prospects of the Internet for marketing and customer relationshipspredictions, positive effects, and negative effects from its inception to today how to develop and maintain a loyal customer base via the Internet improving B2B exchanges and business buyer relationship management through seamless Internet integration how to create a Web site that satisfies loyal customers and draws in new customers Featuring several charts, tables, and graphs, this guide provides effective measures that you can institute to ensure your company's longevity. Customer Relationship Management in Electronic Markets will help you create marketing strategies that will successfully meet the needs of your customers and enhance your business reputation.

Knowing your users stimulates your imagination and helps you create more exciting and effective design solutions. But there is a problem: the normal conception of 'the user' is incomplete and based on outdated notions. These notions of simple, direct relationships between people and products are no longer valid in today's complex, technologically interconnected world. This fun and practical book with a set of cards will change the way readers think about users. Rethinking Users introduces a radical new approach that questions some of our most fundamental ideas about the nature of user experience. It points to new opportunities to create products and services that help users in new ways. The book includes a deck of user archetype cards and step-by-step team activities for unlocking new user-centered thinking and design inspiration. For designers, design researchers, strategists, innovators, product managers, and entrepreneurs in almost any field.

This book is designed to provide the underpinning knowledge and understanding required for any competency-based management course. This is a third edition of Meeting Customer Needs, a diploma level book in the Chartered Management of Institute series. This particular title meets the specific requirements of those taking the Unit DM45 entitled Customer Focus, Marketing and Planning. A new website available for use with the text to provide revision notes and lecturers notes. This book is ideal for managers seeking to establish or improve customer service and customer focus standards. It includes action plans, sample communications and checklists for managers to adapt for their own purposes. Real examples and new case studies are used throughout to illustrate points in a practical context. * Tools and technology have improved dramatically since the last edition and this book brings the reader up-to-date * Expectations and the knowledge of customers has also changed since the last edition and the new edition shows how to accommodate this * Competition has improved and standards are higher and this new edition illustrates how to meet this challenge and how to meet customers demands.

In the context of rapid ICT development, this book focuses on how gamification affects consumer engagement and can be used to create a shared value for customers and companies. Based on the constructs of shared value, consumer engagement and gamification, it creates a conceptual model and a research methodology to enable empirical testing and provide complex empirical research findings. The book demonstrates the use of game elements and the motivation to play games as a means of achieving a psychological effect, i.e., consumer engagement manifested through gamified activities and brand engagement. This joint empirical study, by an expert team, concludes that the analysis of consumer perceived value in the context of engagement in gamified activities should distinguish between not just the theoretically identified company/brand-related economic, emotional, functional and social values, but also between engagement-related social and functional values.

The second volume of this research monograph describes a number of applications of Artificial Intelligence in the field of Customer Relationship Management with the focus of solving customer problems. We design a system that tries to understand the customer complaint, his mood, and what can be done to resolve an issue with the product or service. To solve a customer problem efficiently, we maintain a dialogue with the customer so that the problem can be clarified and multiple ways to fix it can be sought. We introduce dialogue management based on discourse analysis: a systematic linguistic way to handle the thought process of the author of the content to be delivered. We analyze user sentiments and personal traits to tailor dialogue management to individual customers. We also design a number of dialogue scenarios for CRM with replies following certain patterns and propose virtual and social dialogues for various modalities of communication with a customer. After we learn to detect fake content, deception and hypocrisy, we examine the domain of customer complaints. We simulate mental states, attitudes and emotions of a complainant and try to predict his behavior. Having suggested graph-based formal representations of complaint scenarios, we machine-learn them to identify the best action the customer support organization can chose to retain the complainant as a customer.

Social media has found its way into most businesses as a tool to push sales. However, its potential to create long-term customer loyalty has not been fully exploited. In industries characterized by fierce competition, customer loyalty is key for sustainable success. How can companies attract future consumers? Born in the digital age, digital natives are powerful experts of social media and will dominate businesses. By focusing and building on insights from the aviation industry, this book develops an approach to use social media in a way that engages the digital natives in long-term customer relationship management (CRM). (Series: Internet Economics / Internetokonomie - Vol. 7)

This book highlights the latest research on sub-supplier management while also discussing its current state and related managerial challenges. It provides a process framework for managing sub-suppliers and an overview of the various buyer / sub-supplier relationships and their key characteristics. Furthermore, the respective chapters address essential capabilities to successfully manage sub-suppliers and to discuss how to overcome barriers and challenges associated with sub-supplier management. Concrete examples and cases are also provided, and, in closing, potential research opportunities are outlined and demonstrated.

This volume explores the interconnection of social, political, technological and economic challenges that impact consumer relationships, new product launches and consumer interests. Featuring contributions presented at the 2019 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) World Marketing Congress (WMC) held in Edinburgh, Scotland, the theme of this proceedings draws from the Scottish Enlightenment movement of the mid-Eighteenth Century, which centered on ideas of liberty, progress and the scientific method. The core values of this movement are being challenged by the rapidly changing, globally shifting and digitally connected world. The contributions presented in this volume reflect and reframe the roles of marketers and marketing in incorporating and advancing the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment within contemporary marketing theory and practice. Founded in 1971, the Academy of Marketing Science is an international organization dedicated to promoting timely explorations of phenomena related to the science of marketing in theory, research, and practice. Among its services to members and the community at large, the Academy offers conferences, congresses, and symposia that attract delegates from around the world. Presentations from these events are published in this Proceedings series, which offers a comprehensive archive of volumes reflecting the evolution of the field. The series deliver cutting-edge research and insights, complementing the Academy's flagship journals, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (JAMS) and AMS Review (AMSR). Volumes are edited by leading scholars and practitioners across a wide range of subject areas in marketing science.

* Uniquely focuses on achieving customer satisfaction with the hotel and event industries, giving step-by-step practical guidance. * Integration of case studies, author voice boxes, and example forms and documents for the standardization of procedures key to achieving customer satisfaction, informed by extensive professional experience of both authors put into the context of existing theoretical frameworks. * Inclusion of underexplored areas such as employee empowerment, customer delight, over-promising, cultural implications and contractual issues in customer satisfaction.