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Hug Your Customers!

by Jack Mitchell

Reviewed by associate trainer and customer service expert Stephen Yates

'Today half the closet, tomorrow every hanger' is just one of Jack Mitchell's 56 chapters on customer service in 'Hug your customers, love the results'. This book on customer service is published by penguin and is now a world best seller.

For anybody who has read 'Fish!' or 'Whale Done' it's along those lines, though less, er, fishy. These books are motivational and service focussed easy reads. There is, very little that is new for those of us who have worked in face-to-face customer service for many years and are constantly trying to push the boundaries. However, the beauty of this book is that it really does sum up the key points that people so often forget. And the actions can be implemented at all levels.

Jack Mitchell is the owner and Operations Director of a successful family clothing business on the East Coast of the States. With family members running the business where they have just two branches, the focus of the business and therefore this book is how to personalise sales.

In fact 'How to personalise sales and achieve astounding success' is the strap-line of the book. Whilst Mitchell does focus on a retail angle of service, it is totally applicable to any service business. To summarise the key principles to take away from the book:

- 'Huggers' sell with passion so they develop long term personal and loyal business relationships with customers

- 'Hugging' is anything that exceeds a customer's expectations

- Your service business should feel like 'home'

- Know everything about your customer

- Climb the pyramid - in other words focus on both small and large sales

Let's face it if we all always delivered those key principles we would be delivering exceptional service.

I think the type of service Mitchell is talking about was exemplified to me just last week at a Californian Ranch Guest house and restaurant. We were there just looking at the dining room, having arrived for a separate event altogether.

Without asking a question and trying to not be intrusive, a young girl started telling us all about the dining room, the menu, the guest cabins, took us around the ranch and asked if we would like to have the brochure.

This was from a Saturday part-timer who was simply setting the tables for that evening. She had dropped everything and made us feel so at home. You can bet we will be going back there to stay!

This is hugging your customer. If you want to catch some of the bug, I really do recommend you read this simple book. In fact, go one further and issue it to all of your team.

24 September 2008