Smart Things To Know About Customers
by Ros Jay
Publisher - Capstone Publishing Ltd
Oxford Centre for Innovation, Mill Street, Oxford OX2 0JX
Web address http://www.capstone.co.uk
ISBN 1-84112-037-5
£12.99
This book of 202 pages aims to show businesses how to :-
- Develop a customer service vision
- Get close to your customers
- Manage your customers
- Turn customer complaints into new business
- Create lasting customer loyalty
- Profit from relationship marketing
- Win new customers
- Use the internet to grow your customers
The two key lessons for being smart in the future, Ms Jay claims, are exploiting new technology and focussing on the customer as an individual. The book then sets out to clearly illustrate how this can be done. In this era of increasing expectations from customers, we cannot hear those messages enough. The challenge seems to come when businesses try to implement customer care strategies - Where to start? What to do? Who to involve? How to find out what customers expect? etc. This book is ideal for those starting this journey.
It is easy to read, and written in plain, non-jargon language. It provides practical, common sense advice that we would want all companies to take heed of.
The typeface, layout and use of space, makes it easy to follow and refer to. I liked the use of 'boxes' liberally sprinkled throughout which contain 'smart quotes', 'smart people to have on your side, 'smart things to say about customers, 'smart answers to tough questions. The 'killer questions' are thought provoking. And lots of useful book references are given for further reading.
If anyone is in doubt about reasons for implementing customer care strategies, then the research statistics provide the evidence. For example, research shows that a complaint review by senior staff can cost up to 15 times as much as handling the complaint informally at the front line. A great argument for training front line staff in the skills required to handle complaints and empowering them to do so! And of course the book recommends that training be for all - starting at the top!
In summary, this is a good foundation level book with sound principles and practical advice.
Wilma Taggart Associates - 'Helping your business to maximise on customer contact opportunities through people development.'
E-mail address - wtaggart@sol.co.uk
