The Best Service Is No Service: How to Liberate Your Customers from Customer Service, Keep Them Happy, and Control Costs

by David Jaffe and Bill Price

Book Overview

In this groundbreaking book, Bill Price and David Jaffe offer a new, game-changing approach, showing how managers are taking the wrong path and are using the wrong metrics to measure customer service. Customer service, they assert, is only needed when a company does something wrong--eliminating the need for service is the best way to satisfy customers. To be successful, companies need to treat service as a data point of dysfunction and figure...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470189088
• ISBN13: 9780470189085
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Right on the Mark! Real World Examples with Real Solutions

This isn't your typical customer service book nor one that is full of theories. The discussions stimulate ideas and teach how you can improve or enhance your own service and support offerings. Most of the companies referenced in the book are identified, making it even more relatable. The book is loaded with tools and techniques that can be used in your own business, no matter how small or large. Everything is clearly stated, organized so each chapter effectively ties to the next and is easily understood. The authors made the stories enjoyable to read and filled the book with realistic, do-able ideas. The diagrams, charts, figures, examples, step by step directions, statistics and more, make this book a useful tool and well worth the investment. The benefit from applying even a few of the ideas in this book will be realized by having highly satisfied customers. Bill and David nailed this one - it is a superb, well-written book. Written from real world experiences with realistic and reasonable solutions for delivering great service and support makes this book an excellent value. Every call center and help desk professional, as well those who work in any form of customer relations, should have a copy of this book. This book offers a roadmap to follow to realize the best service possible.

Don't Miss a Key Point

I think reviewer "SamFan" misses a key point: eliminate the NEED for customer service by doing things right to begin with. Not only cheaper for the corp, but more satisfying to the customer.

Get ready for your Eureka moment.

First, full disclosure: I know Bill and saw an early version of the book, but we have no mutual business or conflicts of interests now. This review is based on what I learned for my business. The best books make you say "Duh, why didn't I think of that," and this is one of those books. Key takeaway: customer service professionals are using the wrong metrics to measure performance. If you want to find the right metrics, you have to read Bill and Dave's book, because this information is available nowhere else. I promise you you'll be amazed at the simplicity of this book's logic--measure the right stuff, and reduce problems so customers don't have to contact you. That's the genius of it.