By michaelpace on October 1, 2013
I can remember when Chip first changed my world. Almost a decade ago, I attended an intra-company process management conference with the hope I would not literally be bored to tears. Luckily, the conference was very well run and “edu-taining” as a whole. On the morning of the second day of the conference, the morning keynote was introduced. This man with an absolute crazy look in his eye, bound in his gait, and wild white hair appeared from nowhere and lit up the room. He brought energy, a sense of purpose, and most importantly smart information and storytelling. I was totally captivated.
When I returned back to the office, I order a copy of his latest book at the time, Managing Knock Your Socks Off Service. I would say that I blew through the book in hours, but that wasn’t the case. After each chapter, I was taking too many notes and streaming ideas for my contact center and customer service teams. When I finished, I ordered another 15 copies of the book for my direct reports, supervisors, and even my bosses. It drastically changed my customer service long term strategy, and I wanted everyone on the same proverbially page. He helped me discover:
- The Power of a Service Vision and Standards
- How to deliver truly remarkable and memorable service
- Part of my managerial style of today – helping others Exercise Their Responsible Freedom (my take on the subject)
Since then I have read all of Chip’s other books including Magnetic Service, Managers as Mentors, and Knock Your Socks Off Service Recovery. But my well worn copy of MKYSOS, still comes with me on every engagement. A couple weeks ago, I was honored to be asked to write a review of his latest book, The 9 1/2 Principles of Innovative Service. For me, it was a chance to give Chip just a little something back.
First, let start by acknowledging what the book itself is; it’s a gift book. Its (obvious) intention is not to provide you with detailed strategies on how to create and develop a remarkable and innovative service organization. There are plenty of books by Chip that provide that kind of information. The book itself is only “106″ pages. The book is meant to share basic principles and inspire. It will make a great gift for:
- Personal inspiration
- Thank you gift
- Customer gift
- Agent appreciation
- Reinforce culture
- Team development
- Prospect gift
9 1/2 Principles provides the basis for a great experience, with a short story for each and inspirational quotes from leaders across industries. All are great reminders what it takes to innovate in service. My personal favorite is “The Speed Limit 23 MPH Principle”. The story revolves around a group of visitors to a gated beach resort. Over a game of stump-the-other-team trivia, someone asked what the speed limit around the resort was, and everyone cheered 23 MPH. The principle is simple, even the littlest details make memorable experiences. By “working the edges of the box” (a little Seth Godin there), the resort makes you stop and notice, creates a memory, and gives their customers a story to tell. Give your customers a great story to tell. In our sharing economy, word of mouth and great stories travel.
9 1/2 is a great introduction to Chip, and a nice gift for someone on your list. Check it out.
For more about Chip, head over to http://www.chipbell.com/
© mpace101 for The Pace of Service, 2013. |
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