Review by Yvonne Monique -- Customer Service Is DEAD

[Yvonne Monique]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Customer Service Is DEAD" by Mitche Graf.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Customer Service Is DEAD: Delivering 6-Star Service in a 1-Star World by Mitche Graf is a practical guide for entrepreneurs, business owners and customer service agents. The digital revolution and modern technologies have changed the way we deal with people. Interactions have become less personal, and it is hard to get hold of a real person to solve any service-related issues. Many online businesses have no clear contact details on their website, thus making it awfully hard for customers to contact the company. The author claims that the way for a business to stand out nowadays, is to offer excellent customer service and to exceed customers’ expectations.

Usually, we rate businesses on a 5-star scale. Mitche Graf challenges the reader to exceed these five stars and earn a magical sixth star. Therefore, he introduces the “6-Star Service Manifesto” with a lot of practical tips and tricks to improve our customer service. Each star has its own chapter that focuses on keywords, such as: “Exceed, Gold, Quickly & Efficiently, Excellence, Respect, and You.” If you want to know the ideas behind these words, you will have to read the book.

I love the author’s writing style. It is colloquial, easy to understand, and without profanity. I work in the hospitality sector and could relate to many of the author’s points of view. This book has some very useful ideas and will make business owners rethink the way they treat their customers. I liked the fact that some chapters included self-assessment questionnaires to evaluate the customer service level of your own business. The message that stood out for me was not to become complacent with your customers. This needs to be avoided in order to maintain an excellent level of customer service.

There is nothing I disliked about this book. However, I would have liked to read more about how to deal with difficult, disrespectful clients. We all know that dealing with people can be very stressful, and although Mitche Graf says that it is all right to eliminate “Low Profit/High Maintenance” customers, he does not explain exactly how to deal with these customers in real-life situations. Where do you draw the line between offering 6-star service and defending your own morals and values?

I would have loved to give this book the maximum rating, but I found more than ten grammar and spelling errors. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to business owners and people who must deal with customers on a daily basis. I do not recommend this book to people who do not like self-help guides.

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Customer Service Is DEAD
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[Dimi1]

Pretty honest and straightforward review! I am glad that it doesn't consist of cliches or advices that cannot be applied.

[kandscreeley]

I agree. Dealing with difficult people is THE most difficult part of customer service. Knowing how to do that is key. Still, it seems like a great book. Thanks.

[unamilagra]

It sounds like this book is very useful. I liked your thoughtful suggestion to add a section on dealing with difficult clients. Great review!

[Lisa A Rayburn]

Informative review! It sounds like the author gives good advice but unfortunately fell short of getting that sixth star!

[MsH2k]

Being able to talk to a live person when you have an issue is SO important. That sixth keyword—You—caught my attention. This seems like a great read for anyone who has customers. Thank you for your take on this book!

[Rayah Raouf]

Beautifully written! I had a conversation about customer service with my friend the other day. But it is a 2-way street. So as you mentioned, I think knowing how to deal with difficult customers is also essential. Thank you for the review

[Saint Bruno]

I like that this book is relevant in today's world. A lot of businesses now take their customers for granted. Thank you for the amazing review and recommendation.

[Prisallen]

This book sounds like one that should be read by business owners especially. I agree that in order to get ahead one must have great customer service. I also agree that there will always be people who are disrespectful and impossible to please. So, I believe there should be a section on how to deal with them. Thanks for a great review!

[Marcel Cantu]

I really enjoyed this book! I think he has a great writing style, but I agree there could have been a little more that addressed dealing with difficult clients.

[Kirsi Cultrera]

I most definitely agree with the author on this, I have felt the frustration of trying to find information from messy websites or reaching real people so many times. I hope this book will help to bring back good (or great!) customer service.

Thanks for an insightful review!

[Precious Naiti]

This book is satisfying to read and offers some great insights that a lot of businesses can benefit from. The author really put some research into this book. Great review!

[SamaylaM]

Despite the fact that there could have been more written on dealing with difficult clients, I think I would enjoy this book, being a business student. Thank you for writing a comprehensive and great review of this book!

[Sakura5]

Having worked as a customer service agent, I think I could have really made use of a book like this. It is indeed really difficult to spot the line, how much "disrespect" can an agent accept from a customer in order to give a good image of the company? In this fast-paced world we are living in, it is important to know these things. Thanks for the nice review!

[Raluca_Mihaila]

This book seems like a very educational one, and I loved reading your detailed review. The errors are an easy fix. Great job!