Ron Zemke , John A. Woods

With an emphasis on what, why, and especially how-to, the information in this book will help customer service managers, trainers, and frontline associates develop more effective policies and procedures.

Materials are Fully Reproducible!

All materials are fully reproducible which makes them especially useful as handouts, job aids, newsletter items, and training tools. In addition, selected resources are included on diskette for easy customization and reproduction. We make it easy for you to add, delete, or change information to suit your special needs. All materials are provided in Microsoft Word, so within minutes you can add your company name and logo to give your resources a customized look.

Tools and Resources Included

• How to quantify the payoff in improved customer service
• Special section on customer service and the internet
• Special appendix-benchmarking your customer service with findings from the 1996 International Customer Service Association (ICSA) study
• 38-item self assessment to evaluate your current service level
• Coaching for customer service
• Training tips for telephone customer service

• Chip Bell
• Terry Vavra
• Rebecca Morgan
• Jim Sterne
• John Goodman
• Mark Sanborn
• Kristin Anderson
• Doug Pruden
• Janelle Barlow
• Joanna Brandi
• Lisa Ford
• Jerry Fritz

Part One: Great Customer Service, Customer Retention, and Growth
The Systems View and Great Customer Service, John Woods

Travelling the Highway to "Wow!" Service, Jerry Fritz

Quantifying the Payoff in Delivering Better Customer Service, John Goodman

Part Two: Practical Models for Managing the Customer Service Department

How to Create a Plan to Deliver Superior Customer Service, Susan Smith

Standards for Service: From Countability to Accountability, Kristin Anderson

Customers Care When They Share, Chip Bell

Training for Success Through Service: How Delta Airlines Does It, Nora Weaver and Tom Atkinson

Part Three: Practical Methods for Managing the Customer Service Department

Authentic Coaching: Get the Best from Customer Service Providers, Anne Bruce and James S. Pepitone

Unleashing the Power of Customer CARE in Your Organization, Joanna Brandi

Part Four: Customer Service on the Frontline

Six Tools for Improving How You Deliver Service to Customers, Rebecca Morgan

Maintaining Superior Service During Periods of Peak Demand, Janelle M. Barlow and Dianne Maul

Creating the Sounds of Quality: Delivering Great Service on the Telephone, Kathleen Brown

Customer Service Automated Response Systems, Marlene Yanovsky

Part Five: Improving Customer Service: Strategies and Techniques

The Ten Practices of Exceptional Service, Mark Sanborn

Beyond Loyalty: Inspiring Customers to Brag, Michael Cafferky

Customer Surveys that Deliver Actionable Information, Bob Shaver

Part Six: Customer Problems and Problem Customers

Service Recovery: Turning Oops! into Opportunity, Ron Zemke

Using H.E.A.T. Technique, John Hartley

Part Seven: Customer Service on the Internet

The World Wide Web Was Made for Customer Service, Jim Sterne

Internet Self-Service Support: Beyond Search Engines to "Smart Answers on the Net," Keith Loris

Part Eight: Customer Service and the Rest of the Organization

Coordinating Service Across Functional Boundaries: The Departure Process at Southwest Airlines, Jody Hoffer Gittel

Swing Your Trapeze Buddy: Working Together Internally to Serve External Customers, Mark Rosenberger

Customer Service in the Sales-Focused Organization, Gary Connor

Appendix A: Benchmarking Your Customer Service with Findings from the 1996 ICSA Benchmarking Study

Appendix B: Directory of Magazines, Journals, and Newsletters that Deal with Customer Service

Appendix C: Customer Service Online Directory