1. Defensive Design for the Web: How to improve error messages, help, forms, and other crisis points Matthew Linderman Let’s admit it: Things will go wrong online. No matter how carefully you design a site, no matter how much testing you do, customers still encounter problems. So how do you handle these inevitable breakdowns? With defensive design. In this book, the experts at 37signals (whose clients include Microsoft, Qwest, Monster.com, and Clear Channel) will show you how. Defensive design is like defensive driving brought to the Web. The same way drivers must always be on the lookout for slick roads, reckless drivers, and other dangerous scenarios, site builders must constantly search for trouble spots that cause visitors confusion and frustration. Good site defense can make or break the customer experience. In these pages, you’ll see hundreds of real-world examples from companies like Amazon, Google, and Yahoo that show the right (and wrong) ways to get defensive. You’ll learn 40 guidelines to prevent errors and rescue customers if a breakdown occurs. You’ll also explore how to evaluate your own site’s defensive design and improve it over the long term. This book is a must read for designers, programmers, copywriters, and any other site decision-makers who want to increase usability and customer satisfaction.

    Defensive Design for the Web: How to improve error messages, help, forms, and other crisis points

    Matthew Linderman

    Let’s admit it: Things will go wrong online. No matter how carefully you design a site, no matter how much testing you do, customers still encounter problems. So how do you handle these inevitable breakdowns? With defensive design. In this book, the experts at 37signals (whose clients include Microsoft, Qwest, Monster.com, and Clear Channel) will show you how.

    Defensive design is like defensive driving brought to the Web. The same way drivers must always be on the lookout for slick roads, reckless drivers, and other dangerous scenarios, site builders must constantly search for trouble spots that cause visitors confusion and frustration. Good site defense can make or break the customer experience.

    In these pages, you’ll see hundreds of real-world examples from companies like Amazon, Google, and Yahoo that show the right (and wrong) ways to get defensive. You’ll learn 40 guidelines to prevent errors and rescue customers if a breakdown occurs. You’ll also explore how to evaluate your own site’s defensive design and improve it over the long term.

    This book is a must read for designers, programmers, copywriters, and any other site decision-makers who want to increase usability and customer satisfaction.
  2. Information Graphics Sandra Rendgen How complex ideas can be communicated via graphics“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”—Albert Einstein Our everyday lives are filled with a massive flow of information that we must interpret in order to understand the world we live in. Considering this complex variety of data floating around us, sometimes the best — or even only — way to communicate is visually. This unique book presents a fascinating historical perspective on the subject, highlighting the work of the masters of the profession who have created a number of breakthroughs that have changed the way we communicate. Information Graphics has been conceived and designed not just for designers or graphics professionals, but for anyone interested in the history and practice of communicating visually. The in-depth introductory section, illustrated with over 60 images (each accompanied by an explanatory caption), features essays by Sandra Rendgen, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Richard Saul Wurman, and Simon Rogers; looking back all the way to primitive cave paintings as a means of communication, this introductory section gives readers an excellent overview of the subject. The second part of the book is entirely dedicated to contemporary works by the current most renowned professionals, presenting 200 graphics projects, with over 400 examples — each with a fact sheet and an explanation of methods and objectives — divided into chapters by the subjects Location, Time, Category, and Hierarchy.Features: 200 projects and over 400 examples of contemporary information graphics from all over the world—ranging from journalism to art, government, education, business and much more Historical essays about the development of information graphics since its beginnings Exclusive poster (673 x 475 mm / 26.5 x 18.7 in) by Nigel Homes, who during his 20 years as graphics director for TIME revolutionized the way the magazine used information graphics

    Information Graphics

    Sandra Rendgen

    How complex ideas can be communicated via graphics

    “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
    —Albert Einstein

    Our everyday lives are filled with a massive flow of information that we must interpret in order to understand the world we live in. Considering this complex variety of data floating around us, sometimes the best — or even only — way to communicate is visually. This unique book presents a fascinating historical perspective on the subject, highlighting the work of the masters of the profession who have created a number of breakthroughs that have changed the way we communicate. Information Graphics has been conceived and designed not just for designers or graphics professionals, but for anyone interested in the history and practice of communicating visually.

    The in-depth introductory section, illustrated with over 60 images (each accompanied by an explanatory caption), features essays by Sandra Rendgen, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Richard Saul Wurman, and Simon Rogers; looking back all the way to primitive cave paintings as a means of communication, this introductory section gives readers an excellent overview of the subject. The second part of the book is entirely dedicated to contemporary works by the current most renowned professionals, presenting 200 graphics projects, with over 400 examples — each with a fact sheet and an explanation of methods and objectives — divided into chapters by the subjects Location, Time, Category, and Hierarchy.

    Features:

    • 200 projects and over 400 examples of contemporary information graphics from all over the world—ranging from journalism to art, government, education, business and much more
    • Historical essays about the development of information graphics since its beginnings
    • Exclusive poster (673 x 475 mm / 26.5 x 18.7 in) by Nigel Homes, who during his 20 years as graphics director for TIME revolutionized the way the magazine used information graphics

  3. Happy Customers Everywhere: How Your Business Can Profit from the Insights of Positive Psychology Bernd Schmitt Every business knows that the best customer is a happy customer. They return again and again, bring their friends and family, and deliver tons of free advertising via word of mouth and social media. But in order to grow that loyal base, you must be keenly aware of your customers’ needs and preferences. Drawing on the latest research in the exploding field of positive psychology, Columbia Business School professor Bernd Schmitt offers three unique approaches any business can use to turning a casual customer into a committed fan.

    Happy Customers Everywhere: How Your Business Can Profit from the Insights of Positive Psychology

    Bernd Schmitt

    Every business knows that the best customer is a happy customer. They return again and again, bring their friends and family, and deliver tons of free advertising via word of mouth and social media. But in order to grow that loyal base, you must be keenly aware of your customers’ needs and preferences. Drawing on the latest research in the exploding field of positive psychology, Columbia Business School professor Bernd Schmitt offers three unique approaches any business can use to turning a casual customer into a committed fan.
  4. “I Love You More Than My Dog”: Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad Jeanne Bliss “believe in this book!”-from the Foreword by Colleen Barrett, president emeritus, Southwest Airlines What makes the difference between having customers who like you and customers who love you? Lots of businesses are respected, but only an elite few have passionate, loyal, vocal fans. The kind of customers who not only come back time and time again, but rave to friends, family, and even strangers. The kind who can drive explosive growth via e-mail, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. Jeanne Bliss is an expert on what it takes to earn that kind of customer. The bad news, she says, is that there’s no shortcut; the world’s biggest marketing budget can’t make people love you. But the good news is that a company can become beloved-if you commit to five essential decisions about how to run your business. Bliss has studied and worked with dozens of beloved companies, ranging in size from large to small, from longtime successes like Wegman’s and Harley-Davidson, to relatively new companies like Zappos, The Container Store, and Zane’s Cycles. Despite their diversity, they all make the same five fundamental choices. For example: Griffin Hospital, a regional hospital in Connecticut decided to believe in their patients and give them full access to their medical records; ending secrecy led to a sharp decrease in lawsuits. Apple decided with clarity of purpose to make their stores easy to hang out in, despite the extra cost. Amy’s Ice Cream of Austin, Texas decided to be real by expecting potential employees to be fearless and creative, starting with a white paper bag application. Zane’s Cycles, a Connecticut bike shop that sells 13 million dollars’ worth of bikes and supplies a year, decided to be there for riders by giving away parts that cost less than a dollar. Netflix decided to say “sorry” before most customers even realized there was a delay in shipping dvds. The common denominator, explains Bliss, is that beloved companies consistently find ways to weave their humanity into their business decisions. They never lose sight of the people affected by everything they do. Their reward: an army of cheerleaders and volunteer publicists who tell everyone they know over the internet and urge friends and colleagues to try these companies, with statements such as, “I’d marry them if I could,” and “I love you more than my dog!” If you’re ready to join this elite group, Bliss’s advice and case studies can help you drive growth and profit in any economy.

    “I Love You More Than My Dog”: Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad

    Jeanne Bliss

    “believe in this book!”-from the Foreword by Colleen Barrett, president emeritus, Southwest Airlines

    What makes the difference between having customers who like you and customers who love you?

    Lots of businesses are respected, but only an elite few have passionate, loyal, vocal fans. The kind of customers who not only come back time and time again, but rave to friends, family, and even strangers. The kind who can drive explosive growth via e-mail, blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

    Jeanne Bliss is an expert on what it takes to earn that kind of customer. The bad news, she says, is that there’s no shortcut; the world’s biggest marketing budget can’t make people love you. But the good news is that a company can become beloved-if you commit to five essential decisions about how to run your business.

    Bliss has studied and worked with dozens of beloved companies, ranging in size from large to small, from longtime successes like Wegman’s and Harley-Davidson, to relatively new companies like Zappos, The Container Store, and Zane’s Cycles. Despite their diversity, they all make the same five fundamental choices. For example:

    • Griffin Hospital, a regional hospital in Connecticut decided to believe in their patients and give them full access to their medical records; ending secrecy led to a sharp decrease in lawsuits.

    • Apple decided with clarity of purpose to make their stores easy to hang out in, despite the extra cost.

    • Amy’s Ice Cream of Austin, Texas decided to be real by expecting potential employees to be fearless and creative, starting with a white paper bag application.

    • Zane’s Cycles, a Connecticut bike shop that sells 13 million dollars’ worth of bikes and supplies a year, decided to be there for riders by giving away parts that cost less than a dollar.

    • Netflix decided to say “sorry” before most customers even realized there was a delay in shipping dvds.

    The common denominator, explains Bliss, is that beloved companies consistently find ways to weave their humanity into their business decisions. They never lose sight of the people affected by everything they do. Their reward: an army of cheerleaders and volunteer publicists who tell everyone they know over the internet and urge friends and colleagues to try these companies, with statements such as, “I’d marry them if I could,” and “I love you more than my dog!”

    If you’re ready to join this elite group, Bliss’s advice and case studies can help you drive growth and profit in any economy.
  5. How We Decide Jonah Lehrer The first book to use the unexpected discoveries of neuroscience to help us make the best decisions Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate, or we “blink” and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind’s black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they’re discovering that this is not how the mind works. Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason—and the precise mix depends on the situation. When buying a house, for example, it’s best to let our unconscious mull over the many variables. But when we’re picking a stock, intuition often leads us astray. The trick is to determine when to use the different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think. Jonah Lehrer arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of “deciders”—from airplane pilots and hedge fund investors to serial killers and poker players. Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions that are of interest to just about anyone, from CEOs to firefighters: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?

    How We Decide

    Jonah Lehrer

    The first book to use the unexpected discoveries of neuroscience to help us make the best decisions

    Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate, or we “blink” and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind’s black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they’re discovering that this is not how the mind works. Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason—and the precise mix depends on the situation. When buying a house, for example, it’s best to let our unconscious mull over the many variables. But when we’re picking a stock, intuition often leads us astray. The trick is to determine when to use the different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.

    Jonah Lehrer arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of “deciders”—from airplane pilots and hedge fund investors to serial killers and poker players.

    Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions that are of interest to just about anyone, from CEOs to firefighters: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?

  6. Wrong: Why experts* keep failing us—and how to know when not to trust them *Scientists, finance wizards, doctors, relationship gurus, celebrity CEOs, … consultants, health officials and more David H. Freedman Our investments are devastated, obesity is epidemic, test scores are in decline, blue-chip companies circle the drain, and popular medications turn out to be ineffective and even dangerous. What happened? Didn’t we listen to the scientists, economists and other experts who promised us that if we followed their advice all would be well? Actually, those experts are a big reason we’re in this mess. And, according to acclaimed business and science writer David H. Freedman, such expert counsel usually turns out to be wrong—often wildly so. Wrong reveals the dangerously distorted ways experts come up with their advice, and why the most heavily flawed conclusions end up getting the most attention-all the more so in the online era. But there’s hope: Wrong spells out the means by which every individual and organization can do a better job of unearthing the crucial bits of right within a vast avalanche of misleading pronouncements.

    Wrong: Why experts* keep failing us—and how to know when not to trust them *Scientists, finance wizards, doctors, relationship gurus, celebrity CEOs, … consultants, health officials and more

    David H. Freedman

    Our investments are devastated, obesity is epidemic, test scores are in decline, blue-chip companies circle the drain, and popular medications turn out to be ineffective and even dangerous. What happened? Didn’t we listen to the scientists, economists and other experts who promised us that if we followed their advice all would be well?

    Actually, those experts are a big reason we’re in this mess. And, according to acclaimed business and science writer David H. Freedman, such expert counsel usually turns out to be wrong—often wildly so. Wrong reveals the dangerously distorted ways experts come up with their advice, and why the most heavily flawed conclusions end up getting the most attention-all the more so in the online era. But there’s hope: Wrong spells out the means by which every individual and organization can do a better job of unearthing the crucial bits of right within a vast avalanche of misleading pronouncements.
  7. Domino: How Customer Experience Can Tip Everything in Your Business toward Better Financial Performance Linda Ireland Is your customer experience making you money? Costing you money? Do you know? Like a line of falling dominos, daily actions across your organization form a sequence of events that, if aligned correctly, build momentum and culminate in what every business wants-outstanding financial performance. Establishing a target customer experience-your front domino-to drive daily decisions within your organization will determine the fluidity of that chain of events, and the level of profit outcome you achieve. Companies that use a target customer experience as their front domino reap the biggest rewards in profitability, growth and sustainability. For the first time, a book about customer experience belongs in the management and finance sections of every bookstore. This how-to volume, rich with practical exercises, provides a tested blueprint for defining the target customer experience and translating it into an actionable strategy that will lead to tangible financial reward.

    Domino: How Customer Experience Can Tip Everything in Your Business toward Better Financial Performance

    Linda Ireland

    Is your customer experience making you money? Costing you money? Do you know? Like a line of falling dominos, daily actions across your organization form a sequence of events that, if aligned correctly, build momentum and culminate in what every business wants-outstanding financial performance. Establishing a target customer experience-your front domino-to drive daily decisions within your organization will determine the fluidity of that chain of events, and the level of profit outcome you achieve. Companies that use a target customer experience as their front domino reap the biggest rewards in profitability, growth and sustainability. For the first time, a book about customer experience belongs in the management and finance sections of every bookstore. This how-to volume, rich with practical exercises, provides a tested blueprint for defining the target customer experience and translating it into an actionable strategy that will lead to tangible financial reward.
  8. The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty Carmine Gallo Praise for THE APPLE EXPERIENCE “There are three pillars of enchantment: likability, trustworthiness, and quality. The Apple experience is the best modern-day example of all three pillars. Carmine’s book will help you understand and implement the same kind of world-class experience.”—Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions and former chief evangelist of Apple “Carmine Gallo explains beautifully and simply just what makes the Apple retail experience so successful. No matter what kind of business you are in, there are insanely valuable lessons in this book!”—Garr Reynolds, best-selling author of Presentation Zen and The Naked Presenter “The Apple Experience *isn’t just for retailers. It applies to any business that involves people. At its core, this book is not about Apple. It’s about delivering the best experience possible.” —Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc. “An exciting resource for any business owner in any country who wants to reimagine the customer experience.”—Loic Le Meur, CEO, LeWeb “Why can’t other retail experiences be as great as an Apple store’s? Not only does Carmine Gallo answer that question brilliantly, but he shows precisely how to make sure your customers never ask it about your business.”—Matthew E. May, author of In Pursuit of Elegance and The Laws of Subtraction “Carmine Gallo gets to the magic of Steve Jobs: Touching people’s lives. This simple, yet delightful vision should be at the heart of every retail interaction in the world today.”—Peter Steinlauf, Chairman, Edmunds.com “This magnificent collection of insights illuminates the way for anyone who wants to create a truly great experience, whether in retail, service, or software. “ **—Dan Roam, author of *The Back of the Napkin and Blah Blah Blah ** Reinvent your business to deliver Apple-like customer satisfaction and profits Apple Stores earn more money per square foot than any other retailer. At the core of Apple’s success and intense customer loyalty, however, aren’t just “Insanely Great” products, but great people who are informed, empowered, and motivated to deliver an unbeatable customer experience. In The Apple Experience, internationally bestselling author Carmine Gallo details the principles and practices behind this total commitment to the customer and explains how your brand can achieve outstanding results by delivering this same high standard of service. Carmine Gallo interviewed professionals at all levels who have studied Apple, and he spent hundreds of hours observing the selling floor in Apple’s retail space and learning about Apple’s vision and philosophy. Using insights and data from these sources, he breaks down Apple’s customercentric model to provide an action plan with three distinct areas of focus: * **Inspire Your Internal Customer **with training, support, and communications that create a “feedback loop” for improving performance at every level * **Serve Your External Customer **with irresistible brand stories and dedicated salespeople who embody the APPLE five steps of service— Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, End with a fond farewell * **Set the Stage **by ensuring that no element is overlooked in creating an immersive retail environment where customers can see, touch, and learn about your products With The Apple Experience, you can improve the return on your investment in retail by adding real value to every customer interaction. Better still, any business that deals with people—employees or customers—can adopt the techniques to achieve Apple-like market dominance by enriching lives, building loyalty, and reimagining the customer experience. **Carmine Gallo** is the communications coach for the world’s most admired global brands. A former anchor and correspondent for CNN and CBS, Gallo is a popular keynote speaker and has worked with executives at Intel, Cisco, Chevron, Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and many others. Gallo writes “My Communications Coach,” a regular column for Forbes.com. He has written several internationally bestselling and award--winning books, including *The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs*, and *The Power of foursquare*. Gallo has been featured in the *Wall Street Journal*, the *New York Times*, and *Success* magazine and on CNBC. He lives in Pleasanton, California, with his wife and two daughters. -

    The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty

    Carmine Gallo

    Praise for THE APPLE EXPERIENCE “There are three pillars of enchantment: likability, trustworthiness, and quality. The Apple experience is the best modern-day example of all three pillars. Carmine’s book will help you understand and implement the same kind of world-class experience.”
    —Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions and former chief evangelist of Apple “Carmine Gallo explains beautifully and simply just what makes the Apple retail experience so successful. No matter what kind of business you are in, there are insanely valuable lessons in this book!”
    —Garr Reynolds, best-selling author of Presentation Zen and The Naked Presenter “The Apple Experience *isn’t just for retailers. It applies to any business that involves people. At its core, this book is not about Apple. It’s about delivering the best experience possible.” —Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc. “An exciting resource for any business owner in any country who wants to reimagine the customer experience.”
    —Loic Le Meur, CEO, LeWeb “Why can’t other retail experiences be as great as an Apple store’s? Not only does Carmine Gallo answer that question brilliantly, but he shows precisely how to make sure your customers never ask it about your business.”
    —Matthew E. May, author of In Pursuit of Elegance and The Laws of Subtraction “Carmine Gallo gets to the magic of Steve Jobs: Touching people’s lives. This simple, yet delightful vision should be at the heart of every retail interaction in the world today.”
    —Peter Steinlauf, Chairman, Edmunds.com “This magnificent collection of insights illuminates the way for anyone who wants to create a truly great experience, whether in retail, service, or software. “
    **—Dan Roam, author of *The Back of the Napkin     and Blah Blah Blah **

    Reinvent your business to deliver Apple-like customer satisfaction and profits Apple Stores earn more money per square foot than any other retailer. At the core of Apple’s success and intense customer loyalty, however, aren’t just “Insanely Great” products, but great people who are informed, empowered, and motivated to deliver an unbeatable customer experience. In

    The Apple Experience, internationally bestselling author Carmine Gallo details the principles and practices behind this total commitment to the customer and explains how your brand can achieve outstanding results by delivering this same high standard of service. Carmine Gallo interviewed professionals at all levels who have studied Apple, and he spent hundreds of hours observing the selling floor in Apple’s retail space and learning about Apple’s vision and philosophy. Using insights and data from these sources, he breaks down Apple’s customercentric model to provide an action plan with three distinct areas of focus: * **Inspire Your Internal Customer **with training, support, and communications that create a “feedback loop” for improving performance at every level * **Serve Your External Customer **with irresistible brand stories and dedicated salespeople who embody the APPLE five steps of service— Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, End with a fond farewell * **Set the Stage **by ensuring that no element is overlooked in creating an immersive retail environment where customers can see, touch, and learn about your products With The Apple Experience, you can improve the return on your investment in retail by adding real value to every customer interaction. Better still, any business that deals with people—employees or customers—can adopt the techniques to achieve Apple-like market dominance by enriching lives, building loyalty, and reimagining the customer experience.

            **Carmine Gallo** is the communications coach for the world’s most admired global brands. A former anchor and correspondent for CNN and CBS, Gallo is a popular keynote speaker and has worked with executives at Intel, Cisco, Chevron, Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and many others. Gallo writes “My Communications Coach,” a regular column for Forbes.com. He has written several internationally bestselling and award--winning books, including *The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs*, and *The Power of foursquare*. Gallo has been featured in the *Wall Street Journal*, the *New York Times*, and *Success* magazine and on CNBC. He lives in Pleasanton, California, with his wife and two daughters. -
  9. What’s the Secret: To Providing a World-Class Customer Experience John R. DiJulius What’s the Secrets? gives you an inside look at the world-class customer service strategies at today?s some of today?s best companies. You’ll learn how companies like Disney, Nordstrom, and The Ritz-Carlton get 50,000 employees to deliver world-class customer service on a consistent basis- and how your company can too. Packed with insider knowledge and a wealth of proven best practices, author John DiJulius will show you how your company can emulate the world?s best customer service providers.

    What’s the Secret: To Providing a World-Class Customer Experience

    John R. DiJulius

    What’s the Secrets? gives you an inside look at the world-class customer service strategies at today?s some of today?s best companies. You’ll learn how companies like Disney, Nordstrom, and The Ritz-Carlton get 50,000 employees to deliver world-class customer service on a consistent basis- and how your company can too. Packed with insider knowledge and a wealth of proven best practices, author John DiJulius will show you how your company can emulate the world?s best customer service providers.
  10. The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Joseph Michelli Discover the secrets of world-class leadership! When it comes to refined service and exquisite hospitality, one name stands high above the rest: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. With ceaseless attention to every luxurious detail, the company has set the bar for creating memorable customer experiences in world-class settings. Now, for the first time, the leadership secrets behind the company’s extraordinary success are revealed. The New Gold Standard takes you on an exclusive tour behind the scenes of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Granted unprecedented access to the company’s executives, staff, and its award-winning Leadership Center training facilities, bestselling author Joseph Michelli explored every level of leadership within the organization. He emerged with the key principles leaders at any company can use to provide a customer experience unlike any other, such as: Understanding the ever-evolving needs of customers Empowering employees by treating them with the utmost respect Anticipating customers’ unexpressed needs and concerns Developing and conducting an unsurpassed training regimen Sharing engaging stories from the company’s employees—from the corporate office and hotels around the globe—Michelli describes the innovative methods the company uses to create peerless guest experiences and explains how it constantly hones and improves them. The New Gold Standard weaves practical how-to advice, proven leadership tools, and the wisdom of experts to help you create and embed superior customer-service principles, processes, and practices in your own organization.

    The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

    Joseph Michelli

    Discover the secrets of world-class leadership!

    When it comes to refined service and exquisite hospitality, one name stands high above the rest: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. With ceaseless attention to every luxurious detail, the company has set the bar for creating memorable customer experiences in world-class settings. Now, for the first time, the leadership secrets behind the company’s extraordinary success are revealed.

    The New Gold Standard takes you on an exclusive tour behind the scenes of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Granted unprecedented access to the company’s executives, staff, and its award-winning Leadership Center training facilities, bestselling author Joseph Michelli explored every level of leadership within the organization. He emerged with the key principles leaders at any company can use to provide a customer experience unlike any other, such as:

    • Understanding the ever-evolving needs of customers

      • Empowering employees by treating them with the utmost respect

        • Anticipating customers’ unexpressed needs and concerns

          • Developing and conducting an unsurpassed training regimen

          Sharing engaging stories from the company’s employees—from the corporate office and hotels around the globe—Michelli describes the innovative methods the company uses to create peerless guest experiences and explains how it constantly hones and improves them.

          The New Gold Standard weaves practical how-to advice, proven leadership tools, and the wisdom of experts to help you create and embed superior customer-service principles, processes, and practices in your own organization.

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