5 Comments

1. Larry Underwood says:
   November 29, 2009 at 9:57 am

   It’s been over ten years since the author, Leonard L. Berry sent me an autographed copy of this book, but the observations are still quite relevent today as they were back then, and I’m sure will be relevent one hundred years from now.

   At the time, I was a General Manager for one of the companies featured in Berry’s study—Enterprise Rent-a-Car. I always believed customer service should be any service industry’s number one core value, and creating the right environment to breed that philosophy was at the top of my priority list.

   This book has captured the secrets to developing and sustaining a culture of excellent customer service which any company will surely benefit from, especially if its livelihood depends on taking good care of customers.
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. cusack@worldnet.att.com - Michael Cusack, author of Online Customer Care says:
   November 29, 2009 at 10:12 am

   It is easy to see why Leonard Berry is certain that this book is his best work. It is crammed with wonderful examples of how the dozen or so companies studied make service a delight for both employees and customers alike. Berry’s knowledge of the subject also shines throughout the text, with matter-of-fact statements that reveal deeper philosophical insights, such as “The hard truth is: selfish companies cannot compete”, or “Most great service companies are high touch and high tech, not one or the other”. Overall, this book deserves to be studied not only by service practitioners, but by the highest levels of corporate management. It opens gateways to social and community service approaches that revisit and surpass the era of corporate paternalism. While acknowledging the power of contemporary shareowners in public companies, Berry, like Robert Monks, envisions greater emphasis on long-term ownership, rather than purely short-term profit-driven strategies.
   Rating: 5 / 5
3. Giles Bateman says:
   November 29, 2009 at 10:17 am

   Len Berry really understands what it takes to run a company that delivers excellent service, and he lays it out in a very readable and engrossing way. But he is also shining a bright light on what makes an excellent company, because long-term great service can only come from a great company. This is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to learn more about what differentiates winning companies over time. I found the detailed examples and anecdotes he uses fascinating.

   I bought ten copies of the book, and gave them to leaders in the companies with which I am involved!!
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Anonymous says:
   November 29, 2009 at 12:35 pm

   Dr. Len Berry keeps pushing the envelope of service. He is a master at presenting examples from his extensive research and combining them with valuable lessons for anyone who has a customer. To have “…Soul of Service” in a business you need people. Dr. Berry explores approaches of successful businesses that day-to-day touch the souls of their business. As a result these businesses satisfy their shareholders, their customers, and their employees. Read this book, get this equation right, profits will follow.
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. G Doggy Dogg says:
   November 29, 2009 at 2:01 pm

   I read this book for a graduate marketing class, but it is a good read for any business professional out there. Why do companies succeed in the long-term? They find a way to put the customer first, time after time. And not just customers, but employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders as well.
   Rating: 4 / 5