DelightYourCustomersSimple and Practical Guide to Exceptional Customer Service

5stars

By Steve Curtin
Amacom, $17.95, 196 pages

Steve Curtin’s Delight Your Customers draws from Curtin’s 20+ years at Marriott international. Curtin begins his book by explaining the difference between job function and job essence. Job function equates to duties of the job while essence refers to the critical aspect or priority of the job. He believes that the highest priority for a customer service professional is to create a promoter customer. Promoter customers are less price sensitive, tend to repurchase more often and perform positive word of mouth communication about one’s company. Curtin also believes that exceptional customer service revolves around job essence (not duties). Additionally, exceptional customer service is voluntary and often costs nothing more that offering poor service. Curtin also recommends seven simple ways to go from ordinary to extraordinary service such as expressing genuine interest and sharing unique knowledge. Each chapter ends with a bulleted list of the chapter’s main points followed by a page where the reader can record ideas in order to apply the chapter’s concepts to their particular service situation.

“Even if you don’t remember a customer’s name, you can show that you remember her by recognizing her face.”

Delight Your Customers is a quick read but also a read loaded with ideas, examples and stories. Curtin provides ample examples of how a particular situation could have been improved with just a little more forethought. This is a book that every customer service professional should read and every manager should model.

Reviewed by Seniye Groff

[amazon text=Buy On Amazon&asin=0814432808][amazon text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel&asin=0814432808]