Fabled Service : Ordinary Acts, Extraordinary Outcomes

Once a young lady offered her mother-in-law to a retail outlet that had a no questions policy on returns. In another better known case, a customer returned used tires to the legendary Nordstrom which accepted it politely though it had never ever sold a tire. Fables are born when excellence captures the imagination of the customers. This book brings out what lies behind the secret of such excellence when it comes to customer service. Such service that becomes fabled comes straight from the heart of the employees. The challenge then is to hire those whose hearts are for whom they serve and to train and lead them into excellence of service delivery. Through well structured illustrations from companies like SAS, Nordstrom, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, The Ritz Carlton, the message is driven straight to the heart -Make service everything your company is and does. This is accomplished through two sets of employees - those who serve the customers directly and those who serve these employees. Hiring for the right attitude and leading these men and women to excel is the "how" of the story.The book mostly picks examples from retail, the philosophy and scope extends to all industries. After all, there is no business without a customer. Though all of us agree that the customer is the purpose of our business, at the top of our organization charts we never find the customer. The customer is conveniently forgotten in the organizations' most important document. Not at Nordstrom for example. Here the organization chart is an inverted pyramid with customers at the top. It takes a different mind set to accept such realities. In fact it not a state of the mind, but a matter of the heart. Recommended for professionals working in today's "knowledge industries". Maybe they will gain some knowledge on what it means to serve customers!

If you are in business or are thinking about going into business, this book is a must. No matter what else you know or think you know, these core concepts are the keys to success. Real examples from real life with real meaning. And Betsy Sanders has a way of making it understandable and simple.

WOW! Betsy Sanders truly inspired me to delve deep into myself and fill page after page of ideas for customer service that had nothing to do with her industry...this book speaks to any industry or field. Because fabled service is so rarely experienced, but continuously sought after by businesses everywhere, this book is a must for any new hire, established executive or just the coordinator of a small volunteer organization. The essence of fabled service is the people, so hiring and retaining excellent employees is simply a must, as is recognizing their efforts, ideas and energies expended on your behalf. I applaud Betsy and her comprehensive collection of ideas, thoughts and direction to help others achieve true Fabled Service in their own lives!

I have read at least a dozen books on customer service. None even come close to Elizabeth Sanders' book on Fabled Service. Sanders makes her points clearly and cogently, illustrating each with a vivid picture or metaphor of how to get it right! I have used Fabled Service as a great departure point for conversations among my colleagues about customer service leadership. If you are only going to read one book on customer service, this is the one to read.

The best book on customer service that I have ever read. Betsy Sanders takes the mystery out of providing great service by clearly explaining, with examples, that it comes from the top.