The Customer Service Pocketbook

By Tony Newby and Sean McManus

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• Overview and contents
• FREE sample chapter: Empowering Great Customer Service
• Reviews of the book
• Suggested further reading
• About the authors

Overview

The 'Customer Service Pocketbook' is for people working in companies, utilities and public sector organisations, whether they face the paying customer directly or whether they help colleagues ("internal customers") who ultimately serve the end-customer.

The book covers:

• Why customer service matters
• What's different about good service
• Effective customer communications
• Turning complaints into opportunities
• Empowering great customer service (click here to read this chapter online now)
• Measuring customer service

Click here for the full table of contents

The book includes notes for trainers, including a plan for a one-day workshop based on the book, and has a section on personal action planning to help readers put the ideas into action.

Throughout the book there are quizzes, exercises and checklists to help readers link the book's ideas to their own experience and their own personal and business needs. The book features cartoons by illustrator Phil Hailstone.

The 'Customer Service Pocketbook' was originally written by Tony Newby and published in 1991. The book was reprinted in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000. This latest edition was updated by Sean McManus in 2002 to reflect changes in communications technology and business culture since the first edition.

Table of contents

WHY CUSTOMER SERVICE MATTERS

• Fulfilling personal and organisational needs
• the importance of how you do things
• customers buy experiences
• repeat business
• the lifetime value of customers
• the silent complainer
• the company ambassador

WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT GOOD SERVICE?

• Putting customers first
• what you need
• quality
• attention to detail
• delivering great service
• case studies
• taking responsibility
• remembering good and bad service

EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS

• Communications you depend on
• good communication
• listening skills
• written communication
• the Readability Index
• how technology helps
• when technology fails
• using email

TURNING COMPLAINTS INTO OPPORTUNITIES

• Benefits of complaints
• customer needs
• common causes of complaints
• handling complaints
• dealing with angry customers

EMPOWERING GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Everyone plays a role
• corporate culture
• internal customers
• when the internal customer chain weakens
• strengthening the internal customer chain
• passing on work

MEASURING CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Setting standards
• using internal indicators
• customer satisfaction
• mystery shopper programmes
• rewarding team members
• case study

PERSONAL ACTION PLANNING

• The pay-off
• reviewing the lessons
• overcoming obstacles

APPENDIX: NOTES FOR TRAINERS

RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING