Category: Recommended Reading | Page 7

November 26, 2014 / Book Reviews

Book Review | The Customer Rules

The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service
By: Lee Cockerell

Head: (3 out of 5)
Heart: (5 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (4 out of 5)

All businesses, large and small, need more than great products or services to thrive. Customers are essential for survival, and employees must deliver exceptional customer service so those customers turn into raving fans and come back for more.

The author of this book, a former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort, knows a thing or two about customer service. He outlines 39 simple but profound customer service concepts in short chapters, making it easy for leaders, front line managers and all employees to put them into practice right away.

Some of our favorites:

Rule #1: Customer Service is Not a Department. In other words, customer service is the responsibility of all!
Rule #5: Ask Yourself, “What Would Mom Do?” In work as in life, try to follow the lessons your mom taught and make her proud.
Rule #29: Have a Geek on Your Team. Technology enthusiasts can innovate to improve customer service.
Rule #36: Apologize Like You Mean It. How “I’m sorry” is said means more than the words itself.

Leaders interested in creating magic in everyday interactions with customers will want to read this book. Buy it now.

Want more? Sign up for Wise Talk with Sue Bethanis and Lee Cockerell on December 15th at 2pm PT. Lee will share more insights on customer expectations as well as indispensable tips for creating magic in your interactions with customers to win them over and keep them.

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November 26th, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|

October 31, 2014 / Book Reviews

Book Review | Delight Your Customers

Delight Your Customers: 7 Simple Ways to Raise Your Customer Service from Ordinary to Extraordinary
By Steve Curtin

Head: (3 out of 5)
Heart: (5 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (4 out of 5)

Though most businesses seem keen on creating an exceptional customer experience, the customer service experience can still feel lackluster. At the core of the issue, according to author Steve Curtin, is a failure to distinguish the difference between job function (duties or tasks in a role) and job essence, which is the highest priority – creating a promoter, a delighted customer who is less price sensitive, and positively promotes the business via word-of-mouth. Essence is that little extra something that creates a stand-out interaction for the customer, and is voluntary on the part of the employee. So what can be done to turn an ordinary transaction into an extraordinary one?

Peppered with case studies, this practical book outlines the three truths of exceptional customer service and offers seven simple ways to raise customer service levels. They are based on the premise that in everyday service situations, most customers just want to be acknowledged and appreciated. Conveying to customers that they matter leaves an impression, turning an ordinary interaction into an extraordinary one, and inspiring customer loyalty.

Leaders interested in increasing the level of customer service in their business to improve their customer experience and generate more loyal customers will want to read this book. Buy it now.

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October 31st, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: customer experience, customer loyalty, customer service, steve curtin|

/ Articles We Like

On: "Free Your Strategy from Annual Planning"

How does your company define strategy? For many, the answer is through planning, budgeting, vision or metrics, among others. And that’s why we suggest reading this blog post by Ken Favaro.

In the strategy+business article, “Free Your Strategy from Annual Planning,” the author reminds us that strategy and planning are distinct and separate activities. Yet most companies merge them. Yes, strategy is hard, but combining it with planning creates a mess out of what ought to be a positive driving force for the health of your business instead of capturing opportunities. In this article, you’ll find three key tips for unlocking the true power of strategy in your organization. Read it now.

How does your company approach strategy?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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October 31st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: annual planning, business strategy, Mariposa Leadership, strategic planning, strategic thinking, Strategy|

September 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

On "Why Most Company Strategic Plans Fail"

Leaders have a tough job when it comes to strategy. From honing strategic thinking skills to stay ahead of the competition to successfully integrating strategy into daily operations, it seems as if the best strategic plans are likely to fail. And that’s why we share this Forbes article.

Why Most Company Strategic Plans Fail, by Greg Bustin, a strategic planning consultant, highlights the top four common flaws he’s encountered, which get in the way of strategic success for most companies. We’d have to agree. Read the article to see if any sound familiar.

What’s getting in the way of your company’s strategic success?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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September 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|

September 26, 2014 / Book Reviews

Book Review | Customer Experience 3.0

Customer Experience 3.0: High-Profit Strategies in the Age of Techno Service
By John A. Goodman

Head: (5 out of 5)
Heart: (3 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (4 out of 5)

A top notch customer experience relies on more than providing great customer service. Customer experience management involves the entire company, setting and managing customer expectations from end-to-end and removing barriers along the way. Companies also need to be able to quantify their customer experience strategy because as the author likes to cite, if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it. This book addresses all of this and more.

The content of Customer Experience 3.0 delivers a framework and strategies for creating a successful end-to-end customer experience:

Meet reasonable customer expectations the first time and warn of product limitations.
Make communication channels effortless for customers who want help.
Empower employees to handle customer service issues and allow them to emotionally connect.
Build a full lifecycle Voice of the Customer (VOC) process, with financial analysis.

This book is based on decades of research by the author, John A. Goodman, one of the original pioneers of the customer experience industry. This practical guide addresses many service, marketing and technology myths and offers tips on using the best tools available to enhance the customer experience. Leaders interested in understanding how to create a successful end-to-end customer experience that can be measured and quantified will want to read this book. Buy it now.

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September 26th, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: customer experience, employee experience, high-profit strategies, Strategy|

September 1, 2014 / Articles We Like

Article Review | "CEM Toolbox: Employee Experience"

“CEM Toolbox: Employee Experience”

By Annette Franz

Head: (4 out of 5)
Heart: (4 out of 5)
Leadership Applicability: (3 out of 5)

Hear the term “customer experience,” and customers are usually the first to come to mind. However, employees are the other part of the equation, and their experience as employees can make or break the success of your customer experience strategy.

In this article, Annette Franz, a recognized customer experience management expert, thought leader and influencer, outlines why the employee experience should be in every customer experience professional’s toolkit. The answer is simple: the spillover effect. The employee experience drives the customer experience. In other words, a happy employee is more likely to go the extra mile to delight your customers!

The article outlines different ways companies can ensure a great employee experience, as well as tools to use for each:

Hire the right people
Provide a clear line of sight to the customer
Plot the employee lifecycle and map the employee journey
Gather feedback from your employees, both solicited and unsolicited
Empower employees by unleashing ownership and accountability
Show appreciation, recognize greatness

Leaders looking for tips to improve the employee experience should read this article. Read it now.

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September 1st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|

August 29, 2014 / Articles We Like

On "Curiosity Is as Important as Intelligence"

In our work, we notice complexity either challenges leaders or presents an opportunity to thrive. So what sets apart those who can manage it well from those who can’t? As this author explains, it’s more than intellect. It’s curiosity. At Mariposa, we are big believers in the power of curiosity as a leadership quality, and that’s why we share this article.

In the Harvard Business Review blog article written by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “Curiosity Is as Important as Intelligence,” three key psychological qualities enhance our ability to manage complexity:

Intellect Quotient: mental ability
Emotional Quotient: this concerns our ability to perceive, control, and express emotions
Curiosity Quotient: having a hungry mind

Read the article to learn more about how and why these three qualities help leaders manage complexity.

Do you agree that these three qualities help leaders manage complexity? Why or why not?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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August 29th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: curiousity, emotional intelligence, executive leadership, Harvard Business Review, Mariposa Leadership|

July 31, 2014 / Articles We Like

On "Brainstorming Doesn't Work; Try This Technique Instead"

Are your brainstorming sessions lacking enough original ideas? Most likely your idea generation process could use a small tweak for better results. We suggest reading Brainstorming Doesn’t Work; Try This Technique Instead because this process has been shown to increase the amount of original ideas by 42%!

In the Fast Company article written by Rebecca Greenfield, “Brainstorming Doesn’t Work; Try This Technique Instead,” you’ll learn about brainwriting, a “write first, discuss later” technique for idea generation. This technique avoids the typical problems of groupthink, conformity pressure and encourages creativity. Try it!

Read it now.

What other techniques are you using to encourage original thinking in brainstorming?

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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July 31st, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: ask mariposa, brainstorming, brainwriting, Fast Company, ideation, rebecca greenfield|

July 30, 2014 / Book Reviews

Book Review | Customer CEO

Customer CEO: How to Profit from the Power of Your Customers
By: Chuck Wall

Companies used to be more able to set the terms for engaging with customers. They created products and customers chose whether or not to buy them at the price the company set. It was a simple transaction. But in the age of social media, transactions have become 24/7 relationships, recommendations are stronger than branding and the customer is now in the driver’s seat. They decide which companies they want to engage with, and on what terms. Companies must adapt to this new reality.

The short answer is to get to know your customers. Know their goals, frustrations and obstacles. Understand how you can help improve their lives. The author, Chuck Wall, outlines nine powers (or core needs) that customers possess:

The Power of Me
The Power of Value
The Power of Performance
The Power of Heart
The Power of Simple
The Power of Yes
The Power of the Platform
The Power of Rebellion
The Power of Purpose

These nine powers are the result of more than 100,000 first-hand customer interviews combined with the knowledge a decade of experience as an entrepreneur brings. Companies that engage these nine powers win the hearts, minds and ultimately, revenue. He also offers a unique “solution” for engaging these nine powers: the Customer Thinking approach, which balances analytics and empathy to improve the customer experience and take the lead in the market.

Filled with real stories of companies embracing the power of their customers, this practical book offers both large and small companies ideas and tools for building long lasting relationships with customers. Leaders who want to create better products, services and experiences for their customers will want to read this book. Buy it now.

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July 30th, 2014|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: chuck wall, customer engagement, customer experience, customer insight|

June 27, 2014 / Articles We Like

On: "Charles Eames on Design"

In this blog post, Charles Eames on Design, Maria Popova shares one of Eames’ little known interviews. Forty-two years later, the master’s words resonate now more than ever. He was the forefather of customer-centric innovation and design thinking.

I often say to my team and the leaders I work with, “an idea is only as good as its usefulness.” In this interview, Eames brings home the centrality of customer “need” in design over and over again, and he offers leaders a different way of seeing the world.

Charles & Ray Eames are design heroes of mine, and I favorite Maria Popova (@brainpicker) more than anyone else on Twitter. I hope you get something out of the interview like I have, and please share your thoughts!

Comment below! Or pose a question via Ask Mariposa.

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June 27th, 2014|Categories: Articles We Like|Tags: charles eames, customer experience, customer-centric, design, design thinking, innovation, maria popova, Mariposa Leadership, ray eames|