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Summary: Rich with Best Practice Ideas
Review: It is easy to see why Leonard Berry is certain that this book is his best work. It is crammed with wonderful examples of how the dozen or so companies studied make service a delight for both employees and customers alike. Berry's knowledge of the subject also shines throughout the text, with matter-of-fact statements that reveal deeper philosophical insights, such as "The hard truth is: selfish companies cannot compete", or "Most great service companies are high touch and high tech, not one or the other". Overall, this book deserves to be studied not only by service practitioners, but by the highest levels of corporate management. It opens gateways to social and community service approaches that revisit and surpass the era of corporate paternalism. While acknowledging the power of contemporary shareowners in public companies, Berry, like Robert Monks, envisions greater emphasis on long-term ownership, rather than purely short-term profit-driven strategies.
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Summary: True, sustainable recipe for sucessful Customer Service
Review: It is very difficult for me to work with "interviews and case study" based books since they are almost invariably full of "brilliant" quotes and "success and beyond-duty" stories that, to say the least, sound too good as to be of a sustainable nature in real world. This book is based on experiences and what seems very solid research and, for sure, is not free of this type of passages; and yet, it is one of the most useful and often-referenced books that I own and work with. So, if you will yourself through it, you'll find one of the best and most down-to-earth books on Customer Service. The author identifies nine drivers that can make any organization successful, all of them emphasizing the human nature of the relationship with customers (customer-centered). It is truly a recipe for success, more easily applicable to on-going enterprises rather than to start-ups. From this book the reader can produce very useful check-lists to diagnose the company and its strategic practices regarding their service approach. It can also be used as a guiding document to move a company to a truly customer-awareness territory and, most important, to keep it there. Of special relevance is the author's brilliant exposition in the final chapter "Lessons from World-Class Service Companies", where the reader obtains a rarely seen synopsis of all the good things that excellent companies do "to sustain their excellence". If nothing else, this chapter by itself justifies buying this book and incorporating it to your professional library.
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Summary: If you only read one business book in 1999, this is the one!
Review: Len Berry really understands what it takes to run a company that delivers excellent service, and he lays it out in a very readable and engrossing way. But he is also shining a bright light on what makes an excellent company, because long-term great service can only come from a great company. This is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to learn more about what differentiates winning companies over time. I found the detailed examples and anecdotes he uses fascinating.I bought ten copies of the book, and gave them to leaders in the companies with which I am involved!!
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Summary: Insightful!
Review: Leonard L. Berry takes an in-depth look at how service can sustain the success of a business in this detailed, footnoted exploration that includes plenty of interviews and examples from the business world. Written authoritatively, yet conversationally, this book outshines similar works because of its thoroughness. Far from a quick-fix, self-help business guide, the book is thoughtful and doesn't rely on the obvious. We [...] recommend it to managers and leaders in all businesses, particularly if your competitive edge rests on pleasing your customers.
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Summary: Outstanding strategic book on service
Review: The book is the long awaited blueprint for labor intensive service organizations. The case studies have been well selected and cover a wide array of service companies. The nine drivers for sustaining a successful business model have often been regarded as "extras," his research proves them to be "essentials". He also shows us the importance of coupling high tech with high touch in order to thrive in the 21st century. Len Berry's research and conclusions are wonderfully interwoven to make the discovery a must read and must do.
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Summary: Don't Miss This Outstanding Book!
Review: The challenge with many business books today (especially those focused on service excellence), is the lack of actual tools to implement the ideas or concepts presented. Dr. Berry's new book "Discovering the Soul of Service" is loaded with real-life case studies from world-class organizations and their continued quest for service excellence. After reading many of the service books available in the U.S. today, this is best that I've read. Thank you Dr. Berry for showing us the path to pure, sustained excellence.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book could be titled Discoving the Recipie for Great Organizations. It is one of the best reviews of great organizations and what makes them so. Dr. Berry has provided a valuable contribution to business leaders and managers. Buy this book and apply its wisdom.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book could be titled Discoving the Recipie for Great Organizations. It is one of the best reviews of great organizations and what makes them so. Dr. Berry has provided a valuable contribution to business leaders and managers. Buy this book and apply its wisdom.
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Summary: Good book for leaders who have hit the service quality wall
Review: This is a terrific book from a person who has studied service quality for many years. It combines stories of how service leaders in different industries actually do it, along with analysis of what works and why. I happen to like stories that give me a glimpse into how successful operations work, but I'm tired to nice stories that can't be translated into action for other companies. One nice thing about this book is that the combination of stories plus the author's insights gives you the inspiration to push for self-improvement along with an understanding of how you can do it, not just how someone else did it.I've read dozens of service quality books, including a couple by the same author, and although I was hesitant about reading yet another one, the time was well worth it. (It helps that the author is a good writer.)
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