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Title: Give'em the Pickle! by Bob Farrell, Bill Perkins ISBN: 1-880692-33-3 Publisher: Legacy Communications Pub. Date: 08 August, 1998 Format: Hardcover List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 1.26 (34 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: Blasphemy!
Comment: This man hasn't the slightest idea what he's talking about. Boycott this drivel!
Rating: 1
Summary: should be marketed as a fairy tale
Comment: This book was nice in the past where most customers were at least there to be served. However, in a time when freebies and getting one over on the man has become an admireable atribute the ideas expressed are only good for a nostalgic look at how I might have wanted my business to be years ago. For todays business world of satisfying customers while keeping things like shrinkage down this book really is not much more than a fairy tale.
Rating: 2
Summary: A few good tips, but lopsided on modern customer service
Comment: This book is not quite as one-sided as other reviews make it appear, and Mr. Farrell has some good ideas for reaching out to customers, but many of his anecdotes perpetuate a simplistic view of customer service. On the balance, the problems with his one-note approach outweigh the value of his advice.
Many of the anecdotes quoted from this book go to a central theme: Empower your employees to solve problems for your customers, and encourage them to bend over backwards to make the customer happy. That's a great idea - as far as it goes. But if you're going to stay in business, you have to draw the line between customer service and cost containment, and that line falls in a different place for every business. If you miscalculate where the line should be drawn, you'll either run all your customers off or watch your business be undermined by out-of-control costs.
Mr. Farrell presents his view of customer service as something akin to a moral imperative, and promises lavish rewards in terms of customer loyalty and gratitude. That's how he justifies extraordinary measures like giving away merchandise and food, or performing time-consuming tasks like hand-written notes. This is 19th-century logic for a 21st century world. Today, there are many successful businesses that have decided to sacrifice service for price - and while you're writing your thank-you notes, they'll be moving freighters-full of merchandise. In many cases, the trick is not to actually provide white-glove service, but to create the IMPRESSION that you're providing it.
To be fair: Other reviewers have gotten very angry at Mr. Farrell for anecdotes that seem to condone "abuse" of employees. That's not where he's aiming. This book isn't really written for customers, or even for employees - it's written for managers and owners, and the examples are meant to encourage businesses to give their customer-service personnel the ability to deal quickly and thoughtfully with problems instead of giving canned answers and presenting an uncaring face, and he specifically condemns abuse. Unfortunately, he's picked some REALLY bad examples.
Just some background: I have worked in customer service (in one form or another) all my life, and I (along with other friends and family members) have all owned small retail/service businesses at one time or another. I try very hard to provide good service, but I have to stay aware of how much that service is costing my business - or run the risk of being eaten alive. A book that helped small business owners perform THAT tricky balancing act would be far more valuable.
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Title: Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen ISBN: 0786866020 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: 08 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Leadership and the One Minute Manager : Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership by Ken Blanchard, Patricia Zigarmi ISBN: 0688039693 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 06 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Whale Done! : The Power of Positive Relationships by Kenneth Blanchard, Thad Lacinak, Chuck Tompkins, Jim Ballard, Ken Blanchard ISBN: 074323538X Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 19 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.00 |
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Title: The Big Book of Customer Service Training Games by Peggy Carlaw, Vasudha K. Deming ISBN: 0070779740 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Trade Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization by Ken Blanchard ISBN: 068815428X Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: 08 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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