The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience That Turns Satisfied Customers Into Customer Evangelists
Shep Hyken
Enterprise Rent-a-Car grew to become the largest and most profitable car rental company in the world by providing great customer service. Picking customers up from the dealerships or body shops seemed like such a logical way to do business; it worked, and millions of satisfied customers have been spreading the Enterprise gospel for decades now. I know; I spent 26 very productive years working for them (1974-2000), and even wrote a book about the experience: Life Under the Corporate Microscope: A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective. Although I poke a little fun at Corporate America, the message is clear: Business should be fun; and if you're providing customer service, do it with efficient enthusiasm. That successfully engages employees and customers alike; very cool.
There are dozens of other success stories similar to Enterprise; when a business does an exceptional job of "wowing" its customers, it doesn't take long for the word to get out; especially in this era of social marketing. Everybody's either on Facebook or Twitter, and they quickly let their friends and followers know what's hot and what's not. As a business owner or CEO, you sure don't want to screw up; the whole world knows it instantly.
Of course, the upside potential is enormous; do a great job of exceeding your customers' expectations and you can expect favorable results. It's like having a public relations army working for you; it's 21st century marketing at its best.
Certainly, the message Shep Hyken is delivering for the reader is fairly obvious; it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out. However, he delivers his advice in an engaging and most enjoyable manner. If your business relies on providing great customer service to survive, this would be a nice addition to your collection.
