 "Raving Fans - Excellent read" | 2009-08-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A161M0SBM1ZP5X |
| You think you know a lot about customer service until you read this. A refreshingly new approach. If you think you are good at treating your customers, you must read this book. Highly recommended for anyone dealing with the public which is really everyone. |
| |
 "Very high fluff to content ratio" | 2009-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2A6848G5ZVOLR |
The useful pieces of this book (there is a tiny bit of good content in there) fit into ten bullet points or less.
This is 130 pages of pure fluff - a story about a fairy god mother, playing golf, and time travel (I am not making any of that up, those truly are significant elements of the book).
Even the 130 pages is a stretch with the font so large and the margins so massive I felt like I was reading a book written for children (the fairy god mother bit didn't help either).
Business books often are pretty fluffy, this one is exceptionally so.
Is creating raving fans important? Absolutely, but you do not need this book - just make a guess at what a raving fan is and you will have saved yourself 40 minutes of reading and be just as informed. |
| |
 "Just having satisfied customers isn't good enough." | 2009-07-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2V54KNBPHE064 |
I recently read Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowes. Written as a parable designed to illustrate why the key to greatness in business is developing "raving fans," this book was informative and fun to read. The premise is that "satisfied" customers just aren't good enough!
It's so common for us to focus on satisfying our customers and feel that we've done our job, but in a nutshell customer satisfaction is not a very lofty goal - and mere satisfaction doesn't keep customers coming back. The book is written as a story about the newly promoted "Area Manager" and his male fairy godmother, Charlie. Charlie exposes the Area Manager to a number of different successful businesses that are going above and beyond with the services they offer and creating loyal and devoted customers in the process.
Think about it: we are so accustomed to mediocre or bad service these days, that we just accept it as the norm. The book does a great job of pointing out that if you think that you're doing a good job for your customers because they're not complaining, you're missing the point. A lot of customers walk away from a bad experience - or a less than satisfactory one - disappointed or unimpressed, but not upset enough to call it to your attention.
That really hit home, because I know I've been there. You go to a restaurant, your meal is okay, but the food is cold, or the service is really slow, or you have to go find your server to request your check. Then, as you walk out the door, the manager or host asks, "How was your meal tonight?" and you answer with an unenthusiastic "It was fine, thank you." How likely are you to recommend that restaurant to the friend you bump into later? But, the manager has no idea about the laundry list of things that could be improved. You were satisfied, but you're not going to end up being a force in growing his business.
I found the story in the book to be a really interesting way to introduce three critical steps for increasing customer loyalty. You must first decide what you want to do with customers, realizing that you can't be all things to all people and focusing on what you do well. The second step involves discovering what your customers really want within your what. And, finally, you aim to always "Deliver Plus 1 Percent" on your what, which means being consistent and always improving just a little bit. In return, you'll be creating customers who are so thrilled by what you do that they go around bragging about your service and recommending your business to others. Who couldn't use an army of raving fans promoting their services at every turn?
The concept is so simple - the book has been around since 1992 and has a solid reputation - but the idea could almost be considered revolutionary. Because the three steps are described in a story, the book doesn't have a lot of very practical step-by-step guidance. But, I did find my mind racing a little bit with new ideas as I read. It was a pretty easy read and there is also a good audio version of the book that could make it even easier to fit into your schedule.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who finds himself thinking, "What's next for my business?" If you're looking to improve your client relationships and their experience with your business, this book is a great way to start. It's really a very commonsense approach - and it's surprising that more businesses don't adopt it, particularly in their customer service departments. Imagine the power of even just half of your customers turning into cheerleaders for your business? It's word-of-mouth advertising that is literally priceless - and it's "advertising" that you can "pay" for by just improving how you care for the customers you have.
|
| |
 "definitely will make a difference" | 2009-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2LSVJD1F8TW7R |
| This is not a new book, but the message is as meaningful today as when the book was first introduced. If you think you have a great business because you have satisfied customers, you really need to read this. Satisfied customers are not enough! You need to have "raving fans" who become evangelists for your products or services. If you haven't read this book yet, get it today. It will definitely make a difference. |
| |
| "Good book, quick read." | 2009-06-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1RK00T5QUJBSL |
| I don't believe Raving Fans is the best book written on the topic of "customer service," but it certainly has some nuggets of wisdom. For the price, and time to read, I would recommend this book. |
| |
| "Raving Fans for our dental office" | 2009-05-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: A4RHVIO855ILL |
| Raving fans is an easy read for the entire team. We purchased 26 books, handed them out to our entire staff and held a retreat discussing the content and how it can apply to our office. |
| |
