Emotional Value: Creating Strong Bonds with Your Customers

Today's consumers demand not only services and products that are of the highest quality, but also positive, memorable experiences. This essential guide shows how organizations can leapfrog their competitors by learning how to add emotional value -the economic value of customers' feelings when they positively experience products and services -to their customers' experiences. Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul, with more than forty years combined experience in the service industry, detail five practices for adding emotional value to customer and staff experiences.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Building an emotion-friendly serviced culture: the customer is always emotional; emotions matter; valuing the emotionality in customer communications; managing emotions begins with me; positive emotional states add value; shifting to positive emotions. Part 2 Choosing emotional competence: emotional labour or emotional competence? the challenges of burnout; managing for emotional authenticity; fostering positive interdependency; the customer isn't always tight...hiring for emotional competence; defining the emotional requirements of service jobs; the necessity of ongoing education; staff autonomy and emotional competence. Part 3 Maximising customer experience with empathy: satisfaction isn't good enough... anymore; the challenge in measuring customer emotions; the gift of empathy; creating a climate for generous empathy; broadcasting service successes; measuring emotional reactions. Part 4 Viewing complaints as emotional opportunities: complaints - emotional opportunities; fundamentals of complaints; going from problems to partners; empowering staff is more than giving permission; creating a craving for feedback; focusing on lifetime customer value; talking to the emotionality of complaints; turning complaints into customer learning opportunities; taking complaints seriously; eliminating blame! expanding the zone of tolerance; when corporate customers complain. Part 5 Using emotional connections to increase customer loyalty: loyalty is behaviour with its roots in emotions; emotional drivers of loyalty and value; listening to the voices of loyal customers; retaining customers by retaining staff; going for impact; that's where emotions reside; communicating a message of fairness.

About the Author :
Janelle Barlow, Ph.D., is president of TMI, USA, a partner with Time Manager International, a Denmark-based multinational training and consulting group. Her keen sense of diverse ideas and approaches to management has been shaped by working extensively in Asia for the past fifteen years. Janelle speaks on the subjects of customer service, complaint handling, strategic planning, stress management, and creativity. Her decades of moving audiences to implement behavioral changes have ignited her passion to look at the emotional demands that the shift to an experience economy will have on customer service. A member of the National Speaker's Association, she has earned the designation of Certified Speaking Professional. Dianna Maul is vice president of marketing for TMI, USA, and man- ages TMI's Pacific Northwest office. Dianna's ability to assist clients in implementing practical solutions to customer service needs is the result of over twenty years of operational experience. Dianna gained her footing in customer service working with Nordstrom and studying with W. Edwards Deming and Disney University. A founding director of Emotional Value Horizon Airlines, widely regarded for its outstanding customer service, Dianna conceptualized and directed the Horizon Air Training Academy in her role as vice president of customer service. Dianna is coauthor of "Maintaining Superior Customer Service during Periods of Peak Demand" in Best Practices in Customer Service, edited by Ron Zemke and John Woods. Dianna has honed her emotional abilities managing a full-time career while raising five children, including a set of triplets.

Review :
“Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul have written a tremendous book. Emotional Value will help speed up the day when businesses provide not only good service but truly engaging experiences, jobs become roles to be characterized and acted out, and workers are paid to self-actualize on the job. Any organization looking to improve the emotional connection between their employees and their customers needs to read this work.”
—JOE PINE & JIM GILMORE, authors of The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage

“Emotional Value addresses the key customer service differentiation for twenty-first century corporations. In a well-organized and well thought out manner, it addresses the passion and emotional value required to impact the culture and focus of a corporation. About two years ago, Dell Computer Corporation launched a corporate-wide program focusing on the customer experience as a key differentiation in our industry. It was then and still remains Dell’s only nonfinancial goal. Janelle was an instrumental part of our corporate roll out of this initiative. Many of the insights and sensitivities she shared with us are covered in great detail in her book. Emotional Value should be a must-read book.”
—MORTON L. TOPFER, Vice Chairman, Dell Computer Corporation

“This book tackles, head on, the most fundamental yet elusive element of our business. Giving service and meaning it! This is a no nonsense read that provides practical direction punctuated with many humorous yet profound examples. A compelling read with humorous yet practical examples that one can easily relate to and learn from.”
—NIGEL ROBERTS, General Manager, The Great Eagle Hotel, Hong Kong

“This is the book you’ve been waiting for! Substantive guidance to understanding your customers and treating them well. Read it. Use it. Benefit from it.”
—NIDO QUBEIN, author of How To Be a Great Communicator

“Emotional Value is an extraordinary achievement, destined to become a classic in the literature on customer service. Barlow and Maul have taken a brightly illuminating look into our experiences as customers and service providers and reflected back the true nature of our encounters. Emotional Value will forever change how you perceive, provide, and receive customer service. Solidly based in research, this book offers profound content, practical prescriptions, illustrative examples, and compelling stories that will remain with you long after you put it down. . . . I implore you to read this book and immediately put it to use. Your customers’ feelings about your organization are at stake, and so is the value they create for you.”
—JIM KOUZES, coauthor The Leadership Challenge, and Encouraging the Heart and Chairman Emeritus, tompeters!company

“Just as the emotional health of a person dictates physical well being, the emotional health of an organization dictates its financial well being. Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul have composed a primer on this impor- tant topic. The authors’ data and stories paint a compelling picture of why taking care of customer, staff and organizational emotions should be a priority for every CEO/President. It is a must-read for businesses that hope to be on the cutting edge.”
—CHRIS EHLERS, Organizational Dynamics/Effectiveness Manager Proctor & Gamble

“Emotional Value is an awesome guide to understanding human behav- ior as it relates to the business transaction process. Finally, a practical resource on how to enhance the customer experience . . . an absolute must-read for the staff of any organization interested in exponentially growing their business!”
—CHRIS STRIPPELHOFF, Vice President of Member Service, The Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia

“Emotional Value redefines customer service—it is the new level. Read this book because delivering emotional value will be the entrance fee for any organization entering the 21st Century.”
—LISA FORD, author of the How to Give Exceptional Customer Service Video Series

“Presidents have to have it. Customers come back when they feel it. Making emotional connections means loyalty. If you want the practical road map for you and your people to take advantage of the experience economy, Emotional Value is a must-read. With this book you won’t fall victim to change, you can help invent the future of the service industry.”
—TERRY PAULSON, PH.D., former President of the National Speakers Association and author of They Shoot Managers Don’t They