100 Best Customer Service Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best customer service books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
You can take the job you have—and improve it!
You can take any situation—and make it work for you!
Dale Carnegie’s rock-solid, time-tested advice has carried countless people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. One of the most groundbreaking and timeless bestsellers of all time, How to Win Friends & Influence People will teach you:
-Six ways to make people like you
-Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking
-Nine ways to change people without arousing... more
Dustin MoskovitzSeek to be understood. (Source)
Scott Adams[Scott Adams recommends this book on his "Persuasion Reading List."] (Source)
Daymond JohnI love all the Dale Carnegie books. (Source)
Chip Conley[The author] is a wise guy. Sincerely. He’s one of the wisest and most thoughtful business leaders of the modern age. (Source)
Adam JohnstonInspiring case study into building brand and customer service. (Source)
Julie Rice[At SoulCycle] we’re all big fans of [this book]. (Source)
Written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans uses... more
Vivek GaripalliShort, simple, highly effective. (Source)
His work is cited by the world’s best-known thought leaders, from Steve Jobs to Malcolm Gladwell. In this classic bestseller—now updated with a fresh new package—innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right—yet still lose market leadership. Read this international bestseller to avoid a similar fate.
Clay Christensen—who authored the award-winning Harvard Business Review article How Will You Measure Your... more
Jeff BezosBrad Stone's new book, The Everything Store, describes how Bezos developed this strategy after reading another book called The Innovator's Dilemma by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen. (Source)
Steve JobsIt's important that we make this transformation, because of what Clayton Christensen calls "the innovator's dilemma," where people who invent something are usually the last ones to see past it, and we certainly don't want to be left behind. (Source)
Max Levchin[Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?"] (Source)
"A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'"—Fast Company
Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. “GTD” is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites,... more
Dustin MoskovitzPut first things first. (Source)
Tony HsiehGetting Things Done by David Allen. He recently spoke at our Zappos all-hands meeting and gave me a signed copy of his book. (Source)
Gary Vaynerchuk, the New York Times bestselling author and creator of Wine Library TV, is back with a bold and expansive look at the evolution of today's marketplace, revealing the essential factors defining and driving successful relationships between businesses and consumers. In this groundbreaking follow-up to the bestselling Crush It!, Vaynerchuk—one of Bloomberg Businessweek’s “20 People Every Entrepreneur Should Follow”—looks beyond a numbers-based analysis to explore the value of social interactions in building our economy. less
--Howard Schultz, Chairman, Starbucks Coffee Virtually every company wants to be the Nordstrom of their industry. Nordstrom is one of only five companies to make Fortune's "best companies to work for" and "most admired" list every year the surveys have been taken. Despite its position in the hard-hit retail sector, Nordstrom, with 193 stores in 28 states, never experienced a quarterly loss... more
Howard SchultzThe Nordstrom Way shows the direct link between empowering your employees and creating a long-term relationship with your customers. More businesses should follow Nordstrom's example. (Source)
J. W. Marriott, Jr.Businesses should use this book as a primer on making and keeping happy, satisfied customers. (Source)
Ignoring them is.
Eighty percent of companies say they deliver outstanding customer service, but only 8 percent of their customers agree. This book will help you close that gap by reconfiguring your customer service to deliver knockout experiences.
The near-universal adoption of smartphones and social media has fundamentally altered the science of complaints. Critics (“haters”) can now express their displeasure faster and more publicly than ever. These trends have resulted in an overall increase in complaints and a... more
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
In his powerful new book THE FRED FACTOR, motivational speaker Mark Sanborn recounts the true story of Fred, the mail carrier who passionately loves his job and who genuinely cares about the people he serves. Because of that, he is constantly going the extra mile handling the mail – and sometimes watching over the houses – of the people on his route, treating everyone he meets as a friend. Where others might see delivering mail as monotonous drudgery, Fred sees an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those he serves.
We’ve all encountered people... more
Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides readers with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products,... more
Dave Ramsey[Dave Ramsey recommended this book on his website.] (Source)
Scott HarrisonSuch a fan of this book. Such great actionable insights for startups and social entrepreneurs. https://t.co/Vfdq3ZJe1f (Source)
Nick LoperI just finished Building a StoryBrand, and need to fill in the worksheets and re-think my homepage as a result. That's the mark of a good business book — homework! (Source)
In short, imagine a workplace culture where employees were absolutely obsessed with customer service.
The Service Culture Handbook is a step-by-step guide to help you develop a customer-focused culture in your company, department, or location. Whether you’re just beginning your journey, or have been working on culture for years, this handbook will... more
Brad ClevelandThough research continues to uncover the astonishing impact of customer-focused cultures on customer loyalty and business results, few organizations know how to get there. Jeff Toister unlocks that mystery through this practical (and fun to read!) guide to developing a culture that really works (Source)
Practical exercises, process illustrations, and... more
Chandini Jain[One of the five books Chandini would you recommend to young people interested in her career path.] (Source)
Ashley HathawayI could probably name a dozen books here, but I’ll point out The Business Model Generation and Value Prop Design from Strategyzer. I steal from these constantly and are engrained in my work process. These books put into practice really taught me how to think. As soon as I saw that everything should have a foundation of empathy, what good user-testing looks like, how to test and iterate it changed... (Source)
Everyone knows that the best way to create customer loyalty is with service so good, so over the top, that it surprises and delights. But what if everyone is wrong?
In their acclaimed bestseller The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and his colleagues at CEB busted longstanding myths about sales. Now they've turned to a new vital business subject - customer loyalty - with a book that turns conventional wisdom on its head. more
In Know What You're FOR, entrepreneur and thought leader Jeff Henderson makes it clear that if we want to change the world with our products or our mission, then we must shift the focus of our messaging and marketing. Rather than self-promoting, we must transform our organizations to be people-centric. This sounds like a... more
In 39 digestible, bite-sized chapters, Lee shares everything he has learned in his 40+ year career in the hospitality industry about creating an environment that keeps customers coming back for more. Here, Lee not only shows why the customer always rules, but also the Rules for serving customers so well they'll never want to... more
Tony HsiehAt Zappos, many of our business decisions revolve around the customer. Lee Cockerell understands the importance of a great customer experience and shows you how to Deliver Happiness to your customers. (Source)
Carl SewellThese Rules rule. If you play by these rules you will win. (Source)
Fred WhyteLee Cockerell offers practical, reader friendly suggestions and guidelines which can be implemented immediately to enhance and improve customer service at any company. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
The Responsive EdgeArguably the best #sales prospecting book on the market. Period. https://t.co/rtCeo2hzNV (Source)
When it comes to refined service and exquisite hospitality, one name stands high above the rest: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. With ceaseless attention to every luxurious detail, the company has set the bar for creating memorable customer experiences in world-class settings. Now, for the first time, the leadership secrets behind the company's extraordinary success are revealed.
The New Gold Standard takes you on an exclusive tour behind the scenes of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Granted unprecedented... more
In Uncommon Service, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss show how, in a volatile economy where the old rules of strategic advantage no longer hold true, service must become a competitive weapon, not a damage-control function. That means weaving service tightly into every core decision your company makes. more
To build a successful business, you need to stop doing random acts of marketing and start following a reliable plan for rapid business growth. Traditionally, creating a marketing plan has been a difficult and time-consuming process, which is why it often doesn't get done.
In The 1-Page Marketing Plan, serial entrepreneur and rebellious marketer Allan Dib reveals a marketing implementation breakthrough that makes creating a marketing plan simple and fast. It's literally a single page, divided up into nine squares. With... more
Coleman's theory of building customer loyalty isn't about focusing on marketing or closing the sale: It's about the First 100 Days(R) after the sale and the interactions the customer experiences.
While new customers experience joy, euphoria, and excitement, these feelings quickly shift to fear, doubt, and uncertainty as buyer's remorse sets in. Across all industries, somewhere between... more
Most people don’t know what they’re doing. They imitate others, go with the flow, and follow paths without making their own.
Best known for creating CD Baby, the most popular music site for independent artists, founder Derek Sivers chronicles his “accidental” success and failures into this concise and inspiring book on how to create a multimillion-dollar company by following your passion.
Sivers... more
Timothy FerrissA true manifesto, a guidebook with clear signposts, and a fun ride you'll return to again and again. (Source)
Marvin LiaoMy list would be (besides the ones I mentioned in answer to the previous question) both business & Fiction/Sci-Fi and ones I personally found helpful to myself. The business books explain just exactly how business, work & investing are in reality & how to think properly & differentiate yourself. On the non-business side, a mix of History & classic fiction to understand people, philosophy to make... (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
The best customer service professionals know it takes consistent focus to serve customers at the highest level. Whether you want to deliver world-class customer service or just get back to the basics, Customer Service Tip of the Week is your resource for proven tips, ideas, and techniques.
Thousands of customer service professionals from all around the world read the weekly Customer Service Tip of the Week email. Now you can get more than 52 of the most popular tips all in one book. Use these tips to build rapport,... more
John G. Miller believes that the troubles that plague organizations cannot be solved by pointing fingers and blaming others. Rather, the real solutions are found when each of us recognizes the power of personal... more
Vincent PuglieseQuestion: What books would you recommend to young people to be prepared for the future workplaces? Answer: So many! So many by Seth Godin (Linchpin, The Icarus Deception, Purple Cow) Essentialism by Greg McKeown, Deep Work by Cal Newport, The Choice by Og Mandino, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, No More Dreaded Mondays and 48 Days To The Work You... (Source)
Are you endlessly trying to improve your employees' customer service skills, but getting so-so results? There may be a culprit that you've never considered.
Rather than offering another set of customer service tips, Getting Service Right takes a novel approach by rooting out the real reasons employees don't consistently deliver the service they should.... more
'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?'
A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor.
From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and... more
Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO, Chick-fil-A: "Horst Schulze's influence on my... more
The great upside-down misconception about sales is that it's an effort to get something from others. The truth is that sales at its best-at its most effective-is precisely the opposite: it is about giving. Giving time, attention, counsel, education, empathy, and value. In fact, the word sell comes from the Old English word sellan, which means-you guessed it-to give. And curiously, the more you give, the more you receive. Great salespeople are not great because they have mastered "the close," or because they give a dazzling presentation, or... more
Powerful Phrases for Effective Customer Service shares over 700 phrases and scripts that have been proven time and again to defuse even the most difficult interactions. Covering 30 challenging customer behaviors and 20 tough employee-caused situations, this indispensible reference makes it easy for readers to assess the circumstances, find the appropriate response, and confidently deliver satisfaction to every customer.... more
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Everyone wants to build a business based on the long-term relationship with the customer, but few businesses know exactly how to do it. In The Forever Transaction, Robbie Kellman Baxter tells you how to make the vision a reality. Whether you call it membership, subscription, or true customer-centricity, The Forever Transaction is the handbook you need for making it... more
Today, Southwest is the safest... more
Michael LeBoeuf, one of the nation's foremost business consultants, presents a hard-hitting, action-ready rewards-and-incentives program for creating a winning sales team. This classic no-nonsense guide is completely revised and... more
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
As it turns out, there is a pattern to disruption in an industry, whether the disruptor is Uber, Airbnb, or a dozen other startups that have shaken up incumbents and threatened the status quo.
For disruptors to pose a threat to an industry, they have to successfully break the link in choosing,... more
With new, updated examples from more than fifty companies—from Chik-Fil-A restaurants to the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain to online retailer Zappos.com—this book shows managers how to go from so-so service to amazing service.
In today's market, customer service is a key competitive... more
Perfect Phrases for Customer Service, second edition, provides the language you need for everyday customer service situations--and includes simple, effective techniques that can help you meet even the most demanding customer needs. Master the most effective words... more
* connect with customers and "speak the language" of each one's unique personality
* use the "secret phrases" that make them feel great
* tell... more
THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO STARTING A BUSINESS IN 2019!
Have you ever dreamt of starting your own business and living life on your terms?
This book shows you EXACTLY what you need to know to stand out from the crowd!
Do you have an idea for an amazing product or service but you aren't sure how to build a business around it?
more
The book shows how people use online social tools to build networks of influence and how you can use those networks to positively impact your... more
Mark Horvath@chrisbrogan @WileyBusiness @julien awesome - I love that book (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Carmine Gallo interviewed... more
Take stock of your customer service strengths and weaknesses Commit to... more
Best-selling author and multiple award-winner Phil M. Jones is highly regarded as one of the world's leading sales trainers. He has trained more than two million people... more
Brian BurkhartI love this book. Everyone is a salesperson in some regard. You may not have a product to sell, but you certainly have yourself, your ideas, and your value to sell. Convincing people you, your principles, and your thoughts matter is a never-ending project. In Beckwith’s book—which is about selling services versus widgets—this theory definitely holds up. He also offers up a few profound thoughts... (Source)
Drew McLellanQuestion: What five books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path & why? Answer: Radical Leap by Steve Farber Becoming a Category of One by Joe Calloway Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith Killing Marketing by Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose Waiting for your Cat to Bark by Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath (Source)
Here is the 200,000-copy staple, praised by Warren Buffett as "a gem ... I wish everyone at Berkshire would follow [Jack Mitchell's] advice--we would own the world."
If you want to put your arms around your business and bottom line, you'll want all the updated information and practices found in the landmark business bestseller, Hug Your Customers. The only way to stay in business is to have customers; the only way to increase your profit is to attract more customer visits by... more
Chief Customer Officer 2.0 will give you a proven framework that has launched and advanced the customer experience transformation in businesses in every vertical around the world.
And it will take years off your learning curve.
Written by Jeanne Bliss, worldwide authority on customer experience, and preeminent thought leader on the role of the Customer Leadership Executive (such as Chief Customer Officer, Vice President of Customer Experience, etc.) this book follows the... more
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
""People make buying decisions emotionally and justify them logically.""
That shrewd, timeless insight from the first edition of this bestselling book has become a "no-brainer" among sales professionals. Now "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar" comes with new insights, information, and tools every sales leader can use. It combines Sandler's classic, battle-tested advice on driving personal and... more
Picture your ideal customer: collegial, eager to meet with you, and ready to champion your products across the organization. It turns out that’s the last person you should be pitching.
The need to... more
Marshall KirkpatrickThis is an amazing book. If you think analyst firms are just pay-to-play and don’t deliver big, objective value, I dare you to read this book. I’m quite confident it will change your mind. It’s challenging everything I thought about change advocacy, content marketing, and sales. https://t.co/VB8mvByK7r (Source)
Now, in his new book, sales expert Mark Hunter shatters costly prospecting myths and eliminates confusion about what works today. Merging new strategies with proven practices, High-Profit Prospecting will help you:
● Find better leads and qualify them quickly
● Trade cold calling for informed calling
●... more
In THE ONE MINUTE ENTREPRENEUR, Ken Blanchard (coauthor of the #1 bestselling business classic The One Minute Manager), Don Hutson, CEO of U.S. Learning, and Ethan Willis, CEO of Prosper Learning, tell the inspiring story of one man’s challenges in creating his own business. Through a powerful and engaging narrative, we confront many of the typical problems all entrepreneurs... more
In a world where customers regard flawless products as a given, service is the key differentiator between competitors in any field.
From Berry's exacting study of fourteen mature, highly successful, labor-intensive companies comes an astonishing revelation: the single most important factor in building a lasting service business is not a matter of... more
Storytelling packs the emotional punch to turn routine presentations into productive relationships. It explains products or services in ways that resonate; it connects people and creates momentum. Stories speak to the part of the brain where decisions are made.
Paul Smith, author of the acclaimed Lead with a Story, shifts his best-selling formula to the sales arena. In Sell with a Story, he identifies the ingredients of the most effective sales stories and... more
Robert HajnalI am currently reading Sell with a story - Paul Smith: my goal is to learn how to create a strong story behind a product that I am presenting to the market. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Although the word “Chicano” once held negative connotations, students—along with civil rights activists and artists—adopted it in the late 1960s in order to reimagine and redefine what it meant to be Mexican American in the... more
In Be Amazing or Go Home, Shep shares the secrets behind making his motto “Always Be Amazing!” an everyday lifestyle and shows how you too can become exceptional in business and in life. Drawing on the routines of incredible people, Shep demonstrates simple practices that can elevate your game, including: more
This set of simple techniques, including meditation, breathing exercises, openness, and play--Aiki--leads gently to a reordered state of mind. From overcoming apathy to understanding how conflict doesn't have to mean contest, Aiki turns mind-body integration principles into powerful tools.
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Customer service is the single most pressing problem for business managers and people in any service or sales operation, especially at the retail level. In fact, many experts believe that you build a business from the customer up. With coauthors Jim Ballard and Fred Finch, Blanchard explains why the customer is the right starting place from which to... more
Nobody likes cold calls. And nobody really needs to make them. The Referral of a Lifetime teaches a step-by-step system that will allow anyone to generate a steady stream of new business through consistent, qualified referrals while retaining and maximizing business with existing customers. Tim Templeton emphasizes the importance of applying the golden rule in business--putting the relationship with your customer first, rather than just making the sale.
This second edition adds a technique for creating a profile of your ideal customer... more
An introvert? Great at sales? YES.
Sales is a skill anyone can learn and master — and introverts are especially good at it once they learn how to leverage their natural strengths.
Introverts aren’t comfortable with traditional tactics like aggressively pushing a product or talking over a customer’s objections. That’s the beauty of The Introvert’s Edge: it doesn’t focus on the sale itself but on a sales system that helps introverts feel sincere instead of sales-y. Powerful and practical, the book reveals how to:
Find natural confidence ● Prepare...
moreOne of the best-recognized and admired brands in the world, Starbucks singlehandedly transformed the ordinary delivery of coffee into a cultural phenomenon--a result of the company's exemplary leadership practices.
Joseph Michelli, author of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and BusinessWeek bestseller The Starbucks Experience, explains that the international success of Starbucks begins with a promise: To inspire and... more
These days virtually anything you need can be purchased through a subscription, with more convenience than ever before. Far beyond Spotify, Netflix, and New York Times subscriptions, you can sign up for weekly or monthly supplies of everything from groceries (AmazonFresh) to cosmetics (Birchbox)... more
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
"In your hands is a manifesto on how Zappos completely blew away the standard of delivering a consumer-centric experience and a revolutionary company culture. Joseph helps us all understand how to achieve a little more of that Zappos magic."
--Eric Ryan, method cofounder and person against dirty
"If you're looking for an inspirational path for creating a likable, trustworthy, and wow! organization, you've hit the mother lode."
--Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist... more
The truth is...We all experience the occasional negative thought. But if you always feel overwhelmed, then you need to closely examine how these thoughts are negatively impacting your lifestyle.
The solution is to practice specific mindfulness techniques that create more "space" in your mind to enjoy inner peace and happiness. With these habits, you'll have the clarity to prioritize what's most important in your life, what no longer serves... more
If you're a CEO Or... more
Product and brand managers, marketing specialists, and business owners will learn how experience diagramming... more
Completely updated with all new techniques that will help you successfully work with even the most difficult customers, Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service provides proven tips and strategies for:
* meeting customers' expectations and satisfying their needs * becoming easier to... more
Jacob Tomsky never intended to go into the hotel business. As a new college graduate, armed only with a philosophy degree and a singular lack of career direction, he became a valet parker for a large luxury hotel in New Orleans. Yet, rising fast through the ranks, he ended up working in “hospitality” for more than a decade, doing everything from supervising the housekeeping department... more
Don't have time to read the top Customer Service books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.