Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization »

LEONARDO INGHILLERI (Roswell, GA) is Executive Vice President and Managing Partner of West Paces Consulting. A recognized expert on service, Inghilleri created The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center and Learning Institute and has played an instrumental role at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, BVLGARI, and The Walt Disney Company.

MICAH SOLOMON (Philadelphia, PA) is Founder and President of Oasis Disc Manufacturing, a leader in the entertainment and technology industries. A sought-after business advisor and speaker, his techniques and achievements have been featured in Success magazine, Seth Godin’s bestseller Purple Cow, and other publications.

Learn the Loyalty-Building Secrets of Distinguished—and Exceptionally Successful—Service Companies

“Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit is a book after my own heart. Leonardo and Micah’s philosophies, rules, and winning examples of service excellence will make you want to implement their suggestions immediately in your own organization. This is the way to run a customer-focused company!” — Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level

“What you read here will allow you to recalibrate your business—on any scale—to truly know your customers and keep them coming back for more.” — Horst Schulze, Chairman & CEO, The West Paces Hotel Group; President and COO, ret., The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, from the Foreword

“A must-read guide on how to apply five-star service techniques to every industry and every price point.” — O. Temple Sloan, III, President, Chief Executive Officer, General Parts, Inc./CARQUEST

“This smart primer on customer service strategy is a must-read for managers and anyone interested in transforming their interactions with clients. Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon cover considerable ground—from the finer details of greeting customers or giving directions to larger strategies for training employees or maintaining customers’ trust online. Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit is a manual for winning customer loyalty that actually inspires.” — Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, Free Agent Nation, and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

“An excellent roadmap for building a customer-centered enterprise. Leonardo and Micah wittily present easy-to-implement strategies that will create a strong value proposition for your business and a great experience for your customers.” — Massimo Ferragamo, Chairman, Salvatore Ferragamo USA

“In economically difficult times, customer loyalty is a critical factor in determining who survives to sell another day and who ends up in bankruptcy court. Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon have written a wonderful, practical book that explores the interactions that build customer loyalty. It should be required reading for anyone setting out to build a new company and, equally, for seasoned business leaders wondering how to weather hard times.” — Professor Frank A. Philpot, George Mason University School of Management

Contents

Special Features....................xi
Acknowledgments....................xiii
Foreword by Horst Schulze....................xv
Introduction: The Only Shop in the Marketplace....................1
Chapter One: The Engineer on the Ladder: Reaching for the Highest Level of Service....................4
Chapter Two: The Four Elements of Customer Satisfaction: Perfect Product, Caring Delivery, Timeliness, and an Effective Problem Resolution Process....................7
Chapter Three: Language Engineering: Every. Word. Counts....................14
Chapter Four: Recovery! Turning Service Failures Around....................26
Chapter Five: Keeping Track to Bring Them Back: Tracking Customer Roles, Goals, and Preferences....................45
Chapter Six: Building Anticipation Into Your Products and Services: Putting Processes to Work for You....................59
Chapter Seven: Your People: Selection, Orientation, Training, and Reinforcement....................84
Chapter Eight: Leadership: Guiding the Customer-Centered Organization....................101
Chapter Nine: What's Worth it, and What's Not? Pointers on Value, Costs, and Pricing....................108
Chapter Ten: Building Customer Loyalty Online: Using the Internet's Power to Serve Your Customers and Your Goals....................115
Chapter Eleven: Hello/Good-Bye: Two Crucial Moments with a Customer....................131
Appendixes....................145
Appendix A: Oasis Disc Manufacturing: Customer and Phone Interaction Guidelines and Lexicon Excerpts....................147
Appendix B: CARQUEST Standards of Service Excellence....................153
Appendix C: Capella Hotels and Resorts "Canon Card": Service Standards and Operating Philosophy....................155
Notes....................159
Index....................162