Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits

Strategic Customer Service: Managing the Customer Experience to Increase Positive Word of Mouth, Build Loyalty, and Maximize Profits

John Goodman's book Strategic Customer Service is excellent. In my personal library, I have approximately 150 books on customer service. Goodman's book is easily in the top 1% to 2% of all these books. I give Goodman high marks for three reasons. First, he writes well and is easy to read. Second, he discusses, in depth, a comprehensive range of customer service related subjects. Third, and perhaps most important of all, his book is solidly grounded in empirical findings. I highly recommend Strategic Customer Service to all readers who are searching for a clear, data based, and persuasive explanation as to why customer service is really as important and consequential as its enthusiastic supporters claim it to be.

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As a psychotherapist, consultant and educator for nearly 50 years, I am sure of at least one thing: People act to get their needs met. When faced with questions and uncertainties, people will make choices which are designed to result in a more satisfying and less painful life. I believe this is the basis of all our behavior.

People want to be heard, understood and to be taken seriously....to be appreciated. And when you are fortunate enough to have a dissatisfied customer call, e-mail, fax or otherwise contact your organization, the customer seriously wants someone to pay attention and help get the problem sorted out.

If the customer believes he/she is treated in a responsible manner and the offending concern is addressed, the chances are that the customer will be inclined to purchase additional goods/services from your organization....and they will tell a FEW folk about the positive experience.

On the other hand, if the customer is not satisfied with the response of your organization's Customer Services, the customer will be less inclined to purchase from your organization and they will communicate their dissatisfaction by Word of Mouth to colleagues, golf partners and neighbors and by "Word of Mouse" (a TARP term coined in 1999) to a whole host of people on Facebook and their Family and Friends on e-mail.

John Goodman in his book "Strategic Customer Service" presents 38 years of experience helping organizations, corporations and industries gain positive repurchase intention and positive Word of Mouth so that Customer Relations can become an income center (and that means MAKE MONEY) for the organization rather than being just some well intended organizational fluff.