Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience

I discovered Jonathan Tisch by accident -- I read an article about him in the WSJ and decided to look him up. I ordered all of his books. In my opinion, this man is a genius and is also perhaps one of few multi-millionaire businessmen who really has integrity and is devoted to doing GOOD by other people. In this book, his words are insightful and encouraging, to say the least. I am now a Jonathan Tisch FAN (in capital letters!) I highly recommend that EVERYONE should read his books -- especially "Citizen YOU." I cannot rate his books high ENOUGH because they only give me five stars to work with!

This is a good book to read with really lots of cases and examples from current business landscape, even though it contains boring and repetitive cases of Target, Starbucks, Prius, iPod etc. But the problem with it is that as the book progresses, authors begin to forget what they initially claimed they were going to talk about, i.e. customer experiences. The book is a cocktail of every business thing under the sun. You only get a few real customer experience cases. Regarding theory, don't expect to find any as the lead author is obviously a businessman and not a theoretician. So, no theory and no good and sound examples on customer experience management, not even from the 'hospitality' industry where the author comes from. Although it is quite easy to read, the book is totally useless from a learning point of view. So I suggest you should look for other sources on customer experience management rather than buy and/or read this book.

This is a great book explaining why what the customer experiences defines a business more than the product a business pushes out. I only with more companies would place customer experience/service higher up on their list of priorities. It's sad that most of the larger companies we interact with have very little genuine respect for their clients - and it shows.

Great book

A-OK.

Tisch is passionate about how to transform "customer service" which tends to be a series of isolated deliverables (answering the phone quickly, chocolates on the pillow...) into a much more rounded, holistic concept called Customer Experience. He is also a lively, entertaining raconteur who knows a great story and how to pepper it with apt case studies and examples. So this makes a great read.What I especially like here is the major focus on the hospitality industry - not because I work in this sector, (I'm a market researcher who investigates customer relationships for a broad range of clients,) but because hospitality is the perfect metaphor for anyone: whether they're in banking or building supplies. When they read this; even the accountants will "get it" when it comes to that connection between the customers' experience and the bottom-line realities that come when you win to-die-for loyalty and a raving fan-base of passionate customers. This is a good value read that charges you up. Tisch does a good job here.

I got off to a slow start reading this book, stopping and restarting several times, but eventually once about 25% through the book it drew me in with its superb examples. It's made me rethink a couple things about my business as well!This book may be frustrating for people in any kind of customer service at companies where they cannot improve the customer experience because of "rules" and mindset, but may encourage them to leave and go somewhere they'll be appreciated more.For anyone in a position of any authority at an organization with lots of customers, especially less than very happy customers, this book is a great and insightful read.

The book has two main sections - a problem/solution statement and a (much longer) section on "Reimagining the Customer Experience". Each chapter has a "Big Ahas" section at the end to summarize the critical points Jonathan is trying to make and the book is generally well-written and an easy read. It is a little hotel- or hospitality-industry centric but not more than you would expect given his background.The first section lays out why the authors think that customers are more fickle and harder to please than in the past. Arguing that there is no way to turn back the clock, they talk about "getting back to basics" and creating stronger, longer-lasting ties to customers. He quotes the CEO of Proctor and Gamble "People remember experiences. They don't remember [product] attributes." The book talks about engineering the total customer experience as the solution, starting by focusing on the totality of the customers experience across every touchpoint. Among his solution ideas are looking for ways to give your customers both simplicity and flexibility, thinking about all the touchpoints your customers have, linking with customers directly even if you are not selling directly and that customers are a moving target.The second part has a series of chapters, most of which had some great points. These range from discussion of the power of personalization and customization in making customers feel in control and happy to buy, to the challenges of providing security. He is a big proponent of transparency, arguing that what one customers knows all will soon know and that you can get real benefits out of being more transparent. He argues that even big organizations can think small in terms of welcoming customers that you should build your future with existing customers.All in all a good and worthwhile read. You might want to consider  The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More  also.

Recd a very old copy.Although no page was tored or anything but not worth the price for a copy which has generated dust.