Rating: 
Summary: GREAT MODEL TO APPROACH PERFECTION THROUGH INNOVATION
Review: A major problem with most books on management processes is that that do too little to focus on how to make large amounts of progress beyond what is now done. RAVING FANS is a big success in providing you with simple instructions for making large strides toward achievable perfection. Imagining perfection is a critical first step to improvement, yet most people have never thought about what that could mean. Then testing that perfection with customers (and potential customers) must be done to be sure that there is a valid opportunity, and to be able to understand customers' ideas about achievable perfection. Then attaching the idea of continuous improvement toward that vision is also valuable, and useful. There are plenty of practical tips about how to do each part, which is key to making this book so valuable. One of the reasons that I enjoy writing reviews about books on-line is that I can find a RAVING FANS that agrees so much with my own perspective and research. This book will quickly get you past your Psychology of Disbelief, Bureaucracy, Procrastination, Communiation, and Ugly Duckling stalls. Good for Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles . . . and good for you, too!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT MODEL TO APPROACH PERFECTION THROUGH INNOVATION
Review: In a world of almost no service, RAVING FANS takes the opposite perspective -- that virtually perfect service is worth pursuing. Those who are used to providing and suffering from having no service will find this book impossible to comprehend. I found it inspiring. A major problem with most books on management processes is that that do too little to focus on how to make large amounts of progress beyond what is now done. RAVING FANS is a big success in providing you with simple instructions for making large strides toward achievable perfection in providing service. Imagining perfection is a critical first step to improvement, yet most people have never thought about what that could mean. Then testing that perfection with customers (and potential customers) must be done to be sure that there is a valid opportunity, and to be able to understand customers' ideas about achievable perfection. Then attaching the idea of continuous improvement toward that vision is also valuable, and useful. There are plenty of practical tips about how to do each part in RAVING FANS, which is key to making this book so valuable. One of the reasons that I enjoy writing reviews about books on-line is that I can find a book like RAVING FANS that agrees so much with my own perspective and research. This book will quickly get you past your Psychology of Disbelief, Bureaucracy, Procrastination, Communiation, and Ugly Duckling stalls. Good for Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles . . . and good for you, too! Even better for your customers! If you like this book, be sure to go on to read GUNG HO, the second book in the series, which deals with getting employees fired up to produce great service for Raving Fans. The third book in the series, BIG BUCKS!, just came out, and is a worthwhile successor to the first two. I suggest you read all three if you have a business or aspire to have one that provides well for employees, customers, and owners. A good related book is THE CUSTOMER CENTERED COMPANY by Richard Whiteley.
Rating:
Summary: Must have for any service industry!
Review: This short read is great have on hand when wanting to improve customer service in your business. I purchased this book for every person on my staff. It's easy to understand concepts and story-style format make it easy to discuss with your staff. This book goes well with "Selling the Invisible" by Harry Beckwith.
Rating:
Summary: Priceless resource!
Review: Ken Blanchard's books were recommended to me by a former employer. Because my position included customer service, I purchased RAVING FANS. The book takes a lighthearted look at the serious subject of customer service. It's easy to follow and contains valuable advice. It was good enough to be recommeneded to a co-worker, who has since gone into business for herself. While reading, I realized what wonderful service I receive from waitresses, my hairdresser, and my mechanic. These people could have read this book from cover to cover. I think that readers will be pleasantly surprised to recognize people in their everyday life who have made their customers into Raving Fans. Unfortunately, the employer who recommended Blanchard to me was not interested in reading the book. He didn't like my implementing Blanchard's suggestions -- despite clients calling and, indeed, RAVING, that the lessons I learned were increasing business. I ultimately left the job, and hope to be able to use he advice in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Are you serious??
Review: Mike from Utah, there is a thing called credibility. I haven't even read this book, yet I noticed your words "You will LOOSE an IQ point..." I have a hard time taking anything to heart from someone who cannot avoid a simple grammatical error. Then again, maybe you did "lose" an IQ point reading the book.
Rating:
Summary: IT Professionals should read this NOW.
Review: The new Area Manager is wondering on what could be done to retain his customers and his job. Just then a fairy godmother "Charlie" appears and takes him around to businesses that create raving fans through exemplary customer service. Let us take the case of a visit to a departmental store. Our Area Manager is looking for a book to be gifted to this wife on her birthday. Upon arrival he and Charlie are greeted by the sales staff who pin a complimentary white carnation on their suits. The store has a superb play area for children. The rest rooms are glittering and the towels are neat and crisp. The book he is looking for is not available at this store but the lady at the books section dispatches her assistant to procure it from a neighboring shop, gift wraps it and hands it over to her customer - at no extra cost. Our Area Manager is amazed. How can they afford to do this? Pat comes the reply from the man who runs the business - How can you afford NOT to do this?.
Charlie takes our Area Manager for golf in between visits to several such places of excellence. They come up with three simple but important principles to create RAVING FANS. This book applies to all businesses. Take the case of the IT industry. Technocrats who focus more on technology than on their customers staff this industry. Till recently, thanks to the global shortage of well-trained professionals in this area, a streak of arrogance and sharp edges were common traits. "We are knowledge Workers - Stock Options and hefty salaries are our birthright" was a common belief in this tribe. Suddenly, the IT industry finds itself swamped by competition and surplus people. Many companies whose stock prices pierced the roof a couple of years ago find themselves in Chapter 11. Customers have won again. They now exercise their choice and demand value for money- not just tech talk by smart yuppies. As in any other industry, only those companies that ensure stellar customer service at all levels of the Organization will be able to succeed. To all those who need to understand these core values I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great for beginners to customer service!
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.
Rating:
Summary: The importance of delighting customers!
Review: In RAVING FANS, authors Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Knowles
concentrated on the importance of delighting customers . . . in GUNG
HO!, they focused on how companies could become the "employer of
choice" and attract the best employees . . . I liked both those
books and thus looked forward to listening to the taped version of
BIG BUCKS! . . . this third book promised me in its subtitle "How
to Make Serious Money for Both You and Your Company," something
that could be done by focusing my time and energy. Like other works by Blanchard and Knowles, the points are
presented in a parable . . . here, we're introduced to a man struggling
to make ends meet . . . he goes on a journey to discover the secret
to becoming rich and meets three wise (and successful) people
who present simple truths that can be applied to virtually any
situation. I liked the above fact; i.e., that when listening, I found myself
thinking that this stuff makes sense--and I should and could apply it to my situation . . . there's nothing overly earth-shattering,
yet I should add that it got me thinking . . . and it made sense. Also making sense was the conclusion, in which the authors
reviewed the simple tests that should have been learned from
either reading or listening: The test of joy . . . you can't make money unless you're having fun. The test of purpose . . .you can't make money unless making money
is more important than having fun. The test of creativity . . . incomes, less expenses = profit. And, lastly, there's perpetual prosperity . . . which comes to those
who help others.
Rating:
Summary: Are you serious??
Review: Mike from Utah, there is a thing called credibility. I haven't even read this book, yet I noticed your words "You will LOOSE an IQ point..." I have a hard time taking anything to heart from someone who cannot avoid a simple grammatical error. Then again, maybe you did "lose" an IQ point reading the book.
Rating: 
Summary: You will loose an IQ point with every page you read.
Review: I read this book at the request of our manager and I feel as if I have been intellectually molested. Regurgitating trite catch phrases against the backdrop of every managers wetdream of mindlessly devoted automaton employees who seem content with their minimum wage jobs is not the best way to further motivate your own employees. The only thing that I learned from this senseless slaying of trees is that if an old man named Charlie, claiming to be my fairy godmother invites me into his car and tells me to close my eyes and not open them untill he says so, I should turn and run in the opposite direction.
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