Book

Woo, Wow, and Win

Service Design, Strategy, and the Art of Customer Delight

Thomas A. Stewart and Patricia O’Connell

HarperBusiness, 2016

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Eye Opening
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Recommendation

In this pioneering guidebook, Thomas A. Stewart of The Ohio State University and consultant Patricia O’Connell explain the “what, why and how of service design and delivery,” or SD². The authors traveled thousands of miles and devoted thousands of hours to research to determine how companies can design and deliver a superior service experience. They offer a crucial parsing: the difference between customer service – which most companies regard as important – and customer experience – which most companies unconsciously neglect. The authors provide rules and principles every business can follow to enact SD². getAbstract recommends their insights and strategies to those in the service sector, including banking, retail, health care and public services.

Summary

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Author Thomas A. Stewart stayed at a Walt Disney World hotel in Orlando, Florida. Arriving after a long flight, Stewart was tired. He was relieved to find he could register quickly. He appreciated that the front-desk clerk was professional. She gave him his key and directions to his casita.

Disney World is a huge and rambling entertainment complex. Despite the concierge’s directions, Stewart wandered around for 20 minutes. Three of the four hotel buildings were clearly marked, but not the fourth, which contained his room. Stewart couldn’t find an employee to give him directions. By the time he reached his room, Stewart was a worn out and unhappy Disney customer.

Stewart’s dissatisfaction had nothing to do with customer service. The front-desk service had been excellent, and his casita was comfortable. Disney World could have solved Stewart’s problem, as well as the dilemma of other confused guests, by having “golf carts and drivers” available to deliver people to their rooms. This might make financial sense for a luxury resort, but not for Walt Disney World, which serves the needs of families and conventioneers.

In...

About the Authors

Thomas A. Stewart is the executive director of the National Center for the Middle Market at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and the former editor and managing director of Harvard Business Review. Patricia O’Connell is president of Aerten Consulting, which helps develop content strategies.

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P. G. getAbstract 7 years ago

Great example of a system to benchmark your company in terms of service quality
L. P. 7 years ago

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R. T. 7 years ago

It really delight me, one of best book I read in 2017.