What Great Service Leaders Know and Do: Creating Breakthroughs in Service Firms

Based on decades of collective field experiences, the authors present anecdotal evidence in support of eight things that great service leaders know and do. Great service leaders know that (1) leading a breakthrough service is different, and they take steps to ensure repeated memorable service encounters; (2) customers buy results and excellent experiences, not services or products, so leaders focus on the few things that produce results and experiences for the right customers; (3) the best service operating strategies don't require tradeoffs, so leaders foster "both/and" thinking in designing winning operating strategies; (4) great service starts with the frontline employee, and as a result leaders hire for attitude and train for skills; (5) effective operating strategies have to create value for employees, customers and investors, so leaders ensure the achievement of the leverage and edge that produce win, win, win results—the "service trifecta"; (6) the best uses of technology and other support systems create frontline service heroes and heroines, so leaders use technology to elevate the most important and eliminate the worst service jobs; (7) satisfying customers is not enough, so leaders take steps to develop a core of customers who are "owners"; and (8) knowing that their current beliefs about the future of services are wrong, great service leaders build agile service organizations that learn, innovate, and adapt. The book explores the ideas and leadership needed to achieve breakthrough service.