Book Review: 101 Ways to Improve Customer Service by Lorraine Ukens
This book is intended to be a resource that will help Customer Service personnel discover how to give excellent care to both internal and external customers. The 101 Ways include 50 training activities, 14 tools, 23 tips and 14 techniques that cover Awareness, Communication, Planning, Problem Solving, Quality and Teamwork in an effort to improve service. As such, it is applicable to nearly everyone in an organization, not only Customer Service. Sales, Marketing, Administration and most others will benefit from completing many of these activities.
Each Way is well constructed, practical and contains every thing needed for its use in achieving improvement. Many of the activities are suited for meeting ‘icebreakers’ or ‘team builders’. Most take less than an hour to complete and make their points very clearly.
The author has provided a Glossary, Guidelines for Facilitating use of each ‘Way’, a Resource Section including Print and Web References and a Topical Index indicating which ‘Ways’ are appropriate for emphasizing various issues in improving service. Instructions are clear, easily read and include thought and discussion provokers. Included with the book is a CD which has all the necessary handouts, etc. for printing. Copying out of the book is unnecessary.
I objected to the application of the term ‘intervention’ to the ‘Ways’ presented. While the author’s use and definition are strictly correct, current common usage implies a seriously, unfavorable state requiring drastic/extreme steps (the intervention) to remedy. These activities are neither drastic nor extreme and will help improve/increase awareness in any situation, not just the worst. A better means to keep the CD attached and with the book would also be helpful.
This is a wonderful book and fills many needs on a number of levels. Just reading and thinking about any of these activities will help improve the service you and your team give to your customers.
101 Ways to Improve Customer Service by Lorraine Ukens, Pfeiffer – an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741, 366 pp., $50.00
An edited version of this book review was published in the Quality Progress magazine Feb. ’08 edition.
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