Service America

Every CEO, manager, and aspiring leader should have a copy of this book close at hand, whether they're in a commercial enterprise, the non-profit sector, or the public sector. This is the 40th anniversary edition of the classic best-seller (500,000 copies, 7 languages) that launched the customer revolution in America and many other countries. Revised to meet the challenges of the digital millennium, it's a handbook for transforming any organization into an outstanding service enterprise. Author Karl Albrecht declares that "Every business is now a service business," and that "the highest calling of every enterprise-and enterprise leader-is to serve. He reminds us that products, i.e. deliverables, are just one part of the total customer experience. He explains the rise of the service management concept from its origins in Scandinavia, through its popularity and world-wide impact, followed by the dehumanizing impact of cyber-service, E-Commerce, and the "digital moat." He shows how the concepts, models, and methods of service management can be implemented at every level of an enterprise, from the strategic level down to the front-line work group. He shares real-world examples, cases and stories from his distinguished career as a consultant, executive advisor, lecturer, and author. Now, he says, "It's time to find our way back to the human values and methods of service, and to advance from there, capitalizing on our new capacity to use information and knowledge to create value for society."