No matter how great your call center is, there’s always room for improvement. You can get advice from just about anywhere, but when I’m in need of inspiration and guidance, I turn to my bookshelf. I continue to be amazed by just how many great customer service books are out there.
I’m talking about pages filled with the wise words of leading experts and tips backed by hard data and scientific research. From classic reads that always deliver to new releases hitting shelves in 2018, here’s my shortlist of the best customer service books to improve call center performance.
- Hug your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers by Jay Baer
According to Baer, an expert in everything marketing and engagement, there are two types of complainers engaging with your company: offstage and onstage haters. While many are quick to call them a hindrance to growth, Baer argues that both are actually good for business innovation and shares tips for winning them over.
- CEX Sells: New Inspiration for Valuable Customer Experiences by Deborah Wietzes and Beate van Dongen Crombags
With 12 years of customer experience process design under her belt, Wietzes emphasizes that customer experience is a key brand differentiator today. But “good” experiences aren’t enough. Brands need to foster distinctive, memorable moments along the buyer journey. This book will help you plan what experiences are most important to your customers and how to change current processes to support them. Pre-order before its March 13, 2018 release.
- Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
Nudge this isn’t specifically about customer service, but Thaler, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics, and Sunstein delve into the psychology of decision making. Demonstrated with examples, the show how subtle behavioral “nudges” or “choice architecture” can influence the choices people make. Understand why your customer makes the choices they do and how you can help them make better ones.
- The Power of Purpose: Inspire Teams, Engage Customers, Transform Business by John O’Brien and Andrew Cave
Happy customer service experiences begin with happy employees, and happiness, O’Brien and Cave argue, stems from a clear sense of purpose. Why should your employees be excited to come to work every day? What change is your company trying to ignite in your industry? The duo shares a six-step framework for identifying and shaping your business purpose in a way that fosters an empowered, passionate workforce of brand ambassadors to strengthen teamwork and customer loyalty.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
No business leader’s bookshelf is complete without a copy of this classic. Being liked and getting what you want can be a delicate balance. Carnegie outline strategies of how to communicate and negotiate in ways that get results without creating tension or friction—essential skills in a call center.
- Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done by Brian Tracy
Call centers are busy places. A steady stream of calls and emails. Performance reviews. Troubleshooting technology. When you look at everything all together, it’s hard to know where to start. Tracy’s tips can help you prioritize tasks so you and your teams accomplish more every day.
- Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service by The Disney Institute with Theodore Kinni
When you think of unique, unforgettable experiences, I’m not sure you need to look any further than Disney. Think of the billions of happy moments they’ve created in their parks and restaurants. The Disney Institute shares step-by-step tips and methods for elevating your customer service and exceeding expectations to create your own “wow” moments.
Why trudge through painstaking (and often costly) trial and error when you can reap the benefits of someone else’s experience? Regardless of the specific service or processes you’re focusing on, all these customer service books center emphasize one essential principle to guide everything you do: putting the customer first. When you start there, good things are certain to come.
About the Author
Stephanie Libby is a Content Marketing Specialist who’s been a part of the Windham Team for nearly 8 years with experience ranging from frontline collections to RFPs and copywriting. When she’s not raving about the newest and best ways to advance your business, you can find her with her nose in a good book.
