Discovering the soul of service : the nine drivers of sustainable business success / Leonard L. Berry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berry, Leonard L., 1942-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Customer services--Management.

Customer services.

Customer services--Management--Case studies.

Service industries.

Physical Description:

xiv, 269 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Free Press, [1999]

Summary:

In a world where customers regard flawless products as a given, service is the key differentiator between competitors in any field. This wise and inspiring book by Leonard Berry, our leading service expert, moves far beyond his pioneering work in services marketing and service quality to explain how great service companies meet their toughest challenge: sustaining long-term success.

From Berry's exacting study of fourteen mature, highly successful, labor-intensive companies comes an astonishing revelation: the single most important factor in building a lasting service business is not a matter of savvy business practice, but of humane values. In all fourteen award-winning companies -- Bergstrom Hotels, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Chick-fil-A, The Container Store, Custom Research Inc., Dana Commercial Credit, Dial-A-Mattress, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Midwest Express Airlines, Miller SQA, Special Expeditions, St. Paul Saints, USAA, and Ukrop's Super Markets -- values-driven leadership connects with strategic focus, executional excellence, control of destiny, trust-based relationships, generosity, investment in employee success, acting small, and brand cultivation to drive customer satisfaction, innovation, and growth. Dedicating a chapter to each of these nine drivers, this book is the most far-reaching and insightful vision ever presented of the principles and step-by-step actions that continuously bring success to life in a company.

Berry's comprehensive model reveals the soul that underlies the strategies and day-to-day operations of great service companies, guiding the thousands of daily decisions of individual employees. Clear, compelling, pathbreaking, Discovering the Soul ofService is essential reading for managers everywhere.

Contents:

1. Sustaining Success in Service Companies 1

2. Success-Sustaining Values 19

3. Leading with Values 39

4. Strategic Focus 61

5. Executional Excellence 80

6. Control of Destiny 110

7. Trust-Based Relationships 123

8. Investment in Employee Success 156

9. Acting Small 182

10. Brand Cultivation 196

11. Generosity 216

12. Lessons from World-Class Service Companies 233

Interviewees and Other Contributors 257.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-255) and index.

ISBN:

0684845113

OCLC:

39837890