University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
America's Service Meltdown
Book

America's Service Meltdown

Restoring Service Excellence in the Age of the Customer

Raul Pupo
Praeger, 2010
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Treating customers right is an established business maxim. Oddly, few businesses really abide by it. Raul Pupo brings his insights and firsthand accounts to this readable, informative book about how all businesses can enhance customer service, which simply is good business and applied common sense. But most businesses fall victim to Industrial Age thinking, myopic leadership, bad strategic planning and inertia. While Pupo does not present any breakthrough concepts, he provides great examples and makes clear points about how to implement customer-friendly service. getAbstract recommends his rundown on “critical service factors” to suppliers who want to build or revamp their businesses to be more customer-centric.

Summary

Critical Service Factors

Service is not intangible. Service is work done for and on behalf of other people. It’s real and measurable. A 2007 study found that 59% of customers in the United States stop doing business with companies after a bad service experience. The same study found that 41% of respondents worldwide usually classify service as fair, poor or terrible, while only 5% deem it excellent.

Effective service delivery depends on managing a set of “critical service factors,” specific actions that create a direct, positive customer experience. This set of parameters calls for systematically assessing company functions that touch your customers. These factors are:

  • Affirming top executives’ commitment – Leaders who demonstrate good customer service improve their employees’ performance. This requires the ability and fortitude to change traditions and implement reforms. You must be confident when making these changes.
  • Making the customer the center of business strategy – Corporate strategy often is based on a company’s strengths, such as leveraging special corporate resources, superior technology or cost containment. These strengths...

About the Author

Raul Pupo is an author, consultant and CEO of Technology Infrastructure Solutions, Inc.

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