Rating: 
Summary: Yes, a Gift!
Review: "A Complaint is a Gift" *is* a gift -- the gift being increased success by companies who acknowledge and adopt its principles of customer service. And increased effectiveness by individuals who apply them even to their personal lives.The book's 14 chapters explore the psychology of complaining (and not complaining); the benefits to companies who choose to hear and resolve those complaints (vs think that customers are nasty annoyances, or naively believe that no news is good news); and strategies to develop a business culture that solicits and resolves complaints. Published in 1996, there are only two aspects not still current: 1) the chapter on how to encourage customers to report complaints lacks mention of Internet web sites -- a revision could explore these excellent, convenient complaint conduits; and 2) though the customer service examples used remain valid, the businesses mentioned tend to be dated ... not today's "hot" companies. And in the end, I still see the front-line customer service rep as having a most difficult job; I would like to see more strategies that address those difficulties. I must strongly disagree with David Arelette's review here -- as alluded to above, the authors gave dozens of examples of good and poor customer service, from all sorts of named and un-named companies. They INfrequently mentioned their own consulting firm.
Rating:
Summary: This book is definitely worth reading.
Review: "Barlow and Moller have given us all a gift with this excellent approach to handling customer complaints--until now, the bane of every service-provider's existence. It is definitely worthwhile reading." Dr. Tony Alessandra-- author of Charisma and The Platinum Rule
Rating: 
Summary: Etienne Gregoire, Commercial Services, Environment Canada
Review: A must read if you are serious about customer service. "A complaint is a gift" should be read by all who are in customer service (managers included), in particular for those who already have a customer service process in place.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful!
Review: At a time where companies spend millions to attract new customers, this book offers low-cost methods for keeping the customers you already have. Authors Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller advocate using customer complaints to help your business grow. This highly readable book achieves a perfect balance of general information backed up by hard, statistical data. While this book is written for "anyone who deals with customers and who would like to benefit from customer feedback," the end of the book focuses more on steps top-level managers can take to implement a "complaint-friendly organization." We at getAbstract.com recommend this book to managers and to people in front-line, customer service positions. Giving a copy of this book to your front-line personnel would be an excellent first step toward making your organization complaint friendly.
Rating:
Summary: Viendo las quejas como un favor
Review: Este es un libro que al leerlo Usted entender? c?mo manejar las quejas que se presentan desde diferentes puntos de contacto: escritas, personales, por tel?fono, etc., podr? clasificar a los clientes seg?n su nivel de disgusto y su forma de reacci?n, y uno de los temas m?s importantes fue c?mo describen los autores las diferentes etapas por las que atraviesa un cliente antes de quejarse. Al conocer este proceso Usted podr? manejar situaciones espinosas con un conocimiento cient?fico y psicol?gico de lo que est? pasando por la mente del cliente disgustado. Es un libro din?mico, divertido y no provoca cansancio en ninguno de sus cap?tulos, ya que presenta situaciones reales que toda persona que trabaje con clientes ha experimentado en alg?n momento. Para m?, ha sido un verdadero regalo!
Rating:
Summary: Viendo las quejas como un favor
Review: Este es un libro que al leerlo Usted entenderá cómo manejar las quejas que se presentan desde diferentes puntos de contacto: escritas, personales, por teléfono, etc., podrá clasificar a los clientes según su nivel de disgusto y su forma de reacción, y uno de los temas más importantes fue cómo describen los autores las diferentes etapas por las que atraviesa un cliente antes de quejarse. Al conocer este proceso Usted podrá manejar situaciones espinosas con un conocimiento científico y psicológico de lo que está pasando por la mente del cliente disgustado. Es un libro dinámico, divertido y no provoca cansancio en ninguno de sus capítulos, ya que presenta situaciones reales que toda persona que trabaje con clientes ha experimentado en algún momento. Para mí, ha sido un verdadero regalo!
Rating:
Summary: Viendo las quejas como un favor
Review: Este es un libro que al leerlo Usted entenderá cómo manejar las quejas que se presentan desde diferentes puntos de contacto: escritas, personales, por teléfono, etc., podrá clasificar a los clientes según su nivel de disgusto y su forma de reacción, y uno de los temas más importantes fue cómo describen los autores las diferentes etapas por las que atraviesa un cliente antes de quejarse. Al conocer este proceso Usted podrá manejar situaciones espinosas con un conocimiento cientÃfico y psicológico de lo que está pasando por la mente del cliente disgustado. Es un libro dinámico, divertido y no provoca cansancio en ninguno de sus capÃtulos, ya que presenta situaciones reales que toda persona que trabaje con clientes ha experimentado en algún momento. Para mÃ, ha sido un verdadero regalo!
Rating:
Summary: A "Must Have" for people doing complaint resolution
Review: Excellent book to help front line people realize that customers who take the time and energy to let you know about the service they received from your organization are really giving you a gift. The gift is their insight into the workings of your organiztion as seen through the eyes of those who had the experience. Valuable information for those wanting to improve on the delivery of a product or service. Easy to read and understand also great for quick reference.
Rating:
Summary: This is a gift!
Review: I am a customer service representative who is using this book as a major guide to constructing a customer service department for an internet based financial publication. I have more post-its on my office walls than paint. I can't stop the ideas from pouring out of me or the book. It has to be in my small but possibly cosmic opinion this is the best book written on how to deal with people and their problems with a product or service. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to better understand what their customers are thinking and not saying. Mario Viscardi
Rating:
Summary: Good resource for the front line employees
Review: I have read this book from cover to cover three times, and have purchased at least 10 copies to give to my front-line employees who deal with the customers daily. Today I am here at amazon to order yet another copy because an angry customer just walked in the front door screaming at my new receptionist and she was lost. This book disappears because it is such a good resource for any company who deals with the public frequently, dissipating frustration (such as at a newspaper) and where front-line customer service employees aren't ready for their reactions. The practical advice and especially the systematic 8-step process of dealing with the angry customer is extremely valuable to these employees. Not intended as a profound manager's strategic tool, it is, however, a great resource to use in training the front-line employee because it is so easy to read and understand.
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