Raving Fans : A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service [reissue]

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps too simplistic, but helpful
Review: Raving Fans is helpful in making you step back and think about your customer's wants and how to best address them. Told in the form of a novel, an "area manager" is visited by his fairy god-mother "Charlie" who proceeds to provide him with examples of "Raving Fan" service. This is then applied to his own job and the unique challenges the area manager faces daily with providing customer service.

Though not all the ideas in "Raving Fans" seem plausible or reasonable, it atleast draws the reader into asking the questions that all good managers should ask. What would Raving Fan service be in my business or organization? How would I know when we are providing "raving fan" service?

Not a heaveyweight book on management, it is never the less a good means of stepping back and asking the big questions about customer service. Not a bad book to give to managers to read and evaluate their own organization.

Rating:
Summary: A quick read towards better service
Review: I was given this book several years ago and read it a few times. I gave it to a client and have missed my copy so I will be buying another copy. Sure, the examples such as the service station and grocery store scenarios are simplistic and may be unrealistic, but they make you think about how you could improve your business. I have conducted my business on the principles in the book and I see the positive growth. Every business should have this book and make it available to every employee.

Rating:
Summary: Not a "Raving Fan" of the book
Review: Like other Blanchard books, this one presents its ideas in the form of a "novel." I guess because I read so much fiction (by authors who can WRITE), I have a hard time getting through these books. There are lots of lazy habits in the story-telling and even though RAVING FANS is incredibly short, it still feels like a slog getting through it. One example: one just one short page, two different characters have lines of dialogue, followed by "he laughed." As in, "'I never thought of that,' he laughed." Not many people laugh their words. They may say something and THEN laugh. Once or twice in a book it's okay, but twice on ONE PAGE!! The main character who is learning about the "raving fan" concept is "the area manager." It gets really annoying having him refered to in this manner from front to back. Would it really have hurt to give him a name? The darn "fairy godmother" has a name, after all.

But, the book is supposed to present business ideas, right? Well, it does this a little better than it tells a compelling story. The over-arching point is that "satisfied customers" aren't good enough anymore, because they are largely putting up with lousy service, but have simply come to expect and accept it. That's actually a simple but powerful idea. How many times do we all just take mediocrity as status quo? The idea that actually taking the trouble to please our customers...to SHOCK them into recognized they are being treated remarkably well and will in turn "rave" about this to others is compelling in its simplicity.

Because of the storytelling device of the book, some of the examples given of how to apply this are oversimplistic and not completely believable. Valet parking at a grocery store? I'm sure people WOULD rave about it...but with the margins at grocery stores, could they really afford a team of parkers?

So, from a business standpoint, the book gets a thumbs-up. From a readability standpoint, I have to give a thumbs down.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas and a quick easy read.
Review: This is a quick and easy book to read. The concepts presented in this book to improving Customer Service is very possible. The ideas presented is interesting and really makes me aware how I have been "just satisfied" with all the bad customer service all around us. Ken gets his points across by using short events and dialogs between the characters. However, the short events, products, etc... seems to be too fantasy and very fictional. I would have been more convinced if he had used real life examples. The concepts presented, however, are very logical and very implementable.

Rating:
Summary: Customer is the King
Review: A customer is the King. Decide what you want to give to the customer, Find out their needs and expectations, Foresee how you can fulfil their requirements - The main theme of this book perfectly teaches the Customer Approach. Raving Fans of Ken Blanchard love to read all his Books coz of his Innovative ideas and writing skills. I love all Ken's Reads and this one is no exception as it has all inspirational, encouraging, innovative and satisfying techniques to build better Customer Relationships. This book has proven techniques as it covers on 'After-service' facilities too and for a Corporate Insurance Executive & Advisor like me, I feel people sort for not only Service but also 'After sales Service' which builds a strong rapport with the customer and a long term, beneficial relationship, floating in more references therein. I heard a Doctor who had his Sonography Machines worth more than a 50 lacs insured but could not get the claim inspite of paying premiums only because the Company had waved off old machines and the new hubs cost him grand. The customer service is failed by Agent due to Govt. Insurance companies and in such cases, I guess it is worth a deal to strike with new better Insurance companies with affiliations. Hence, Ken's book is all about effective system and playing role as serving with style to create revolution at workplace and fetch in good business. Every Executive should read and follow Ken Blanchard's techniques and remember that Customers are not Satisfied anymore but require 'Service' and that is most important. Experiences leads to perfection with practical tips of Ken. A good pick.

Rating:
Summary: Fictional Management
Review: The book starts off on a positive note. The author notes the modern generalization that good service in any business is no longer expected. Then, it takes a turn for the worse. The rediculous examples are insulting to anyone with an IQ above 100.

The pervasive concepts contradict the work of Michael Porter on generic business strategies. You simply cannot be the service and quality leader and also be the cost leader. The worst example is the gas station where they will clean your windows, check your fluids, and generate small talk. All of this while maintaining a lower labor cost than the self serve station down the street. I know one of them actually owned service stations with a similar model in Canada, but I suspect other factors were in force.

I don't think it's worth the time reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Fluffy
Review: Way too fluffy. It should have been presented as a bulleted list, not a book. If you must get this book, I recommend the print version; Charlie's voice is quite annoying.

Rating:
Summary: good concepts, juvenile delivery
Review: The intellectual content of this little book could fit nicely and succinctly in a 500-1000 word magazine or journal venue. Instead, Blanchard sticks to the successful story telling formula that served him well in The One Minute Manager. The concepts are good, and I think their true value lies in their simplicity. They are easily understood and therefore should be easy to apply. Successful implementation may be another matter. If you agree with the concepts, and it's hard to see how you wouldn't, the actual book is a great tool to get them out to your people. The long narrative has the effect of beating the points into your head and the examples leave little to the imagination as to how the concepts can be fleshed out. I have found that people who last raved about Who Moved My Cheese also rave about this book. Those who don't care for this type of cutesy, least common denominator writing style will try to get through it as fast as possible and glean the concepts for further consideration afterwards. It can be read cover to cover in about an hour and a half at a pretty leisurely pace. Regardless of whether or not you like the style of the book I think you will find the concepts and down to earth examples good food for thought in your own enterprise.

Rating:
Summary: Raving Fans
Review: This book is a great read and a resonable explantion of the importance of customer service in any business. It is especially great if you are new to the world of work and/or customer service. Young students can gain a great deal from this book, from how to treat customers, find customers, knowing what drives customers, to how employees should be treated by a supervisor and the company that employs them. In response to Mike from Utah...exactly who do you think works in the customer service industry? The vast majority of American service providers are minimum wage earners, and, yes, some like their jobs. Employers have to keep them motivated somehow. This book not only provides a peek at how to do that, but, in typical Blanchard style, is a lighthearted, easy to understand read. The book says nothing about "automation employees". Quite the opposite...giving your employees the authority to make the decisions necessary to help a customer frees them from that automation. If you learn anything from reading this book...it is just that.