Customer Mania!: It's Never Too Late to Build a Customer-Focused Company

Former college instructor and journalist R. D.. Snowcroft presents The Blanchard Brothers Film Company, a novel set at the beginning of the twentieth century - when motion pictures were just beginning to spread as a form of popular entertainment in the nickelodeons frequented by the lower classes, while the upper classes watched theater and the middle classes attended vaudeville. In these times fraught with potential, the hub of motion pictures in America was on the East Cost, not the West; The Blanchard Brothers Film Company is a tale of two brothers whose vibrant studio flourished and faded. One brother was destined for fame and greatness in Hollywood; the other would fall into obscurity. The dynamics of the dog-eat-dog world of popular cinema, even in its infancy, make for a page-turning read steeped in the senses of yesteryear.

This is an easy to read book with leadership principles for people in all levels of leadership.

I had worked for YUM! for 4 days when I went to my first Founder's Day celebration -the day that Ken Blanchard and David Novak (YUM! CEO) gave out these books. I didn't know what to think! The environment was SO different from what I was used to. Why were these people standing on chairs, hooting and yelling, cheering and clapping and having FUN at a biyearly meeting? How did they get so many people to volunteer to speak in front of a 3000+ crowd, when most meetings of under 20 you hardly ever get anyone to speak up? I took the book home and read it cover to cover, trying to figure out what Customer Mania was and how do I become a Customer Maniac? I have worked in customer service for years, and the answer was simple: Do it right, and do it right the first time, because you WANT to. Things I had wanted to do under other bosses to help my customers get what they need and want, but was afraid to, because the Boss wouldn't understand or it would cost too much, or take too much time, or wasn't our department. At YUM! there is no such thing as "not my department". If that is a customer who needs your help, then that customer IS your department. The book gives great anecdotes to illustrate his point in an easy to read, easy to understand manner. You feel as though Mr. Blanchard were sitting across from you talking to you in person. YUM! has a ways to go in really winning over its customer base, in assuring the customer that YUM! will be there no matter what to make sure they have a great experience in one of their restarants, but we are getting there. And the marching band walking through the building to recognize outstanding employees? It's true. Every CEO of every company should read this. The things that YUM! does to recognize its employees for a job well done on a daily basis doesn't add up to much in terms of time or money, but the return on that investment is phenomenal. Even as an entry level employee, I know that David Novak cares about the work I do and every day I give 210%, KNOWING that my leadership sees it and appreciates it.