Hello,
I am responding to your question regarding business psychology and how
sincerity, passion, honesty and genuine concern towards customers (and
their opposites) affect business success. A business and social
sciences librarian (semi-retired), first career as a psychologist and
organizational consultant, I find your question laudable and
interesting.
The short and general answer is that the positive characteristics you
mention are demonstrably important in business success and in customer
relations, and their lack is detrimental to longterm, sustainable
success, and both studies and anecdotal evidence supports this.
I include quoted article excerpts and citations - for full versions,
see the websites or the academic journal locating information I have
provided. I include website resources first, then trade and academic
business and psychology resources. Some excellent and up-to-date
materials can be found using public databases such as HighBeam
Research and FindArticles, while others can be found using databases
you have access to in college and university libraries. The publicly
available articles I include links to further down this page in my
search results listings.
I'm afraid including the abstracts or summaries of each of the dozens
of articles found in the databases would make this file very long, but
if you see specific articles you would like summaries for, I can reply
and include them. The publicly available research websites offer many
articles free, and others with a free 7-day trial, so you can register
and download articles found there that look useful to you. You may
also have access to many of these if you have access to a public or
college library and their databases, and from home with a library
card.
http://www.highbeam.com
http://www.findarticles.com
---------------------------
This business consulting website contains the full article for free
download. (Excerpt below)
Cape Consulting
"Dr Sionade Robinson provides an insight on how loyalty is the only
way to measure long term customer satisfaction"
Winning the Customer Loyalty War
"We want sincerity. We are complex emotional creatures. The more
complex, sophisticated and bewildering the range of options on offer,
the more willing
we are to offer our affection and loyalty to those organisations from
which we detect a reciprocal and above all sincere affection. Some
business people take pride in being hard-nosed and bottom-line
orientated and may regard these observations as a trifle too
touchy-feely and subjective. But if you really want your bottom line
to improve, and if you really want your organisation - and your own
career - to attain the heights that will fulfil your ambitions, you
must understand psychology of your customers. Get to know that
psychology and empathise with it. Then you may be on your way to the
kind of success you really want.
The American experience also clearly indicates that there is an
intimate, even symbiotic, relationship between customer loyalty and
employee loyalty: that it is likely to be impossible to maintain a
loyal customer base without a base of loyal employees. Furthermore,
the symbiosis between customer loyalty and employee loyalty also
includes investor loyalty, because winning employee loyalty is
virtually if the owners of the business are indifferent to employee
needs."
http://www.capeconsulting.com/insight/customer-loyalty.htm
(See Contact - Our People, for background on this group. "We formed
Cape Consulting in 1995 because we are passionate about customer
service.")
-----------------------------
This is another article discussing sincerity and customer relations by
Dr. Sionade Robinson in the Cape Consulting archives.
(Excerpt)
CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Your customers want to love you, just as long as you?re sincere about
meeting their needs ? so make it easy for them . By Sionade Robinson.
"Organisations cannot expect to maximise customer loyalty unless they
are sincere about it. If they are not, they are going to be found out,
and probably sooner rather than later. There is a simple but momentous
logical sequence that links quality of customer service with
generation of customer loyalty and profitability: customers who are
impressed with the service they experience from an organisation are
likely to give it repeat business indefinitely and enthusiastically
recommend it to their relatives, friends, business contacts and anyone
else who matters in their lives. This fundamental point connects
customer service"
http://www.capeconsulting.com/articles/Sionadesheartyarticle.pdf
-------------------------------
This article discusses the need to be passionate and the importance of
sincerity. (Excerpt)
Five C's of Market Research
1-Hit > Library > Articles > Five C's of Market Research
Concept, Criticism, Competition, Credibility, Common Interest
"Be Passionate
You should enjoy your concept and be excited enough to relay your
feelings to your market. After all, how can a consumer get hyped about
your product or service if you aren't? You can survive in business
without a large bank account - but unless your passionate about your
business, no amount of money will make it sell.
You need to be "sincere" in your approach and willing to work hard for
the community you live in. Hard work and perseverance will eventually
pay off as members of the community will remember you by your deeds
and eventually will refer you to others that need your services. If
you don't the available time to offer your community, there are other
ways you could provide them with your services.
Such as:
Local charities need something of value to give out as gifts. Perhaps,
you could provide T-shirts for the winners?
Provide special discount cards to other businesses in your communities.
Talking at a local school or college regarding your business.
Sponsor a local event where your community would benefit.
Summary:
You can turn any idea into a profitable, home-based business. Most
larger companies have started their businesses from their living room
floors, their basements or their garages. You have the same ability to
create a world-wide market, needing your products. If you have an
Entrepreneurial spirit, you'll find a way to offer the public
something you feel would benefit them.
It doesn't necessarily have to be a "new invention" or a new idea. You
could take something on the market today, and make it better.
To be successful, your business should exceed your customers' expectations.
To increase your credibility, you should become more involved with
your community. Networking is free - and could provide the most
valuable exposure for you and your company."
http://www.1-hit.com/library/articles/article.htm?nr=68
"Rozey Gean, founder of the Women Entrepreneurs Online Network,
(WEON), is a thirteen year veteran to entrepreneurship. Her expertise
includes mentoring women in business and sharing her vast knowledge
through written works."
--------------------------
This site provided a note of interest that the word origin of
"sincere" has roots in ancient business dealings.
Institute for Independent Business
IIB Business Advice
Gems selected from leading business publications
"Bee Sincere!
Roman sculptors often concealed cracks in apparently flawless marble
statues with melted beeswax. When the wax dried and crumbled angry
buyers sought compensation. Finally, reputable sculptors guaranteed
their work as sine cera or 'without wax,' from which the word sincere
was derived. Worth remembering next time you sign a letter 'Yours
sincerely.' "
http://www.iib.org.uk/ba_gems.htm
(Later in my business database search I found: "Are We 'Without Wax'?"
By: Woodside, Chuck. Contract Management, Oct2003)
----------------------------
This article discuss the value of emotionally relating to customers. (Excerpt)
Superboss - Dr David Freemantle
Article 16
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CRM
"THIS ARTICLE IS AN ADAPTATION OF A TALK GIVEN BY DR FREEMANTLE ON THE
ABOVE TOPIC AT THE "CUSTOMER
RELATIONS MANAGEMENT" CONFERENCE AT OLYMPIA"
"THE ROLE OF THE HEART IN CRM
The prime reason for this is that relationships come from the heart.
There is a fundamental difference between a robot and a human being.
Both robots and human beings have brains. However a robot does NOT
have a heart. Regrettably, with the emphasis most companies put on
'systems' they treat their employees as if they were robots,
programming them to complete a various range of tasks. Each task is
carefully documented through a manual which employees are trained to
apply. The end result is that even when a customer comes into contact
with an employee, for example through a call centre, there tends to be
a mechanistic approach to customer relationships in which customers
are subjected to 'scripted welcomes' and then railroaded through a set
of procedures. As everything is programmed by the company employees
are given little opportunity to 'exercise their heart' in creating
relationships with
customers. Such 'exercise of the heart' (for example a friendly chat)
is deemed as inefficient as it consumes time. Gradually employees
become 'automatons' applying a set of carefully designed routines -
and thus come across to customers as indifferent, disinterested and
with little concern or understanding of how a customer really feels at
that point of time and at that point of contact."
SUMMARY
"Summarily one of the most neglected area of customer relations is
psychology. Too many companies rely on systems to build relationships
and the drift into e-commerce is exacerbating this. However most
customers are social animals and the social interaction that arises
from a transaction with a real person adds immense emotional value in
establishing and reinforcing that relationship. Companies therefore
need to focus much more attention on the psychology of emotions in
their business dealings and how these influence, through motivational
stimuli, the behaviors and attitudes of customers and employees. In
task-driven companies (and there are a large number of companies I
have come across which are task-driven) this aspect of psychology is
ignored and
results in customer alienation and a perception of service
deterioration. Conversely in people-oriented companies much attention
is given to motivation and making people, both customers and
employees, really feel good. In these companies there is a genuine
interest in people and a sincere attempt to make them feel special.
For example, Gerry Busk, Senior Vice President Marketing with Bank
Atlantic (USA) told me 'I only have one job and that is to motivate my
people. As soon as I step through that door in the morning that is my
sole objective.' Alan Jones, Managing Director of TNT (UK) said
exactly the same thing. 'When I visit a depot I only have one aim -
and that is to leave that depot with the people on a high.' Putting
people on a high, motivating them, making them feel special should be
the sole objective of customer relations management."
http://www.superboss.co.uk/article16.html
---------------------------------
There are more business articles at the above site, such as this one.
Superboss - Dr David Freemantle
ARTICLE 9
EMPATHY AND EFFICIENCY
CEO-IT journal (Asia)
Two keys tools to add to any CEO's tool-kit are 'AEV' (adding
emotional value) and 'EM' (empathy measures) "For a business to
succeed it must have more than efficiency, it must have genuine
empathy with both its employees and its
customers. Thus the reason that Singapore Airlines is the number one
airline in the world is not just because of its undoubted efficiency,
nor just because of its attractive products and services. In my
opinion the reason the airline is number one is because of all the
great people at the heart of its business. "
"However it was not just the flight crew who were able to develop this
empathy with customers by adding emotional value to their service. The
person who checked me in at Row 4 of Changi's Terminal 2 yesterday was
equally warm and friendly. He was from SATS (Singapore Airlines
Terminal Service). This approach of 'AEV' also extends to the CAAS
(Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) who have a team of immigration
officers for whom two key performance measures are 'smiling' and
'courtesy'. These are what I call empathy ('EM') measures. By working
in partnership the CAAS, SATS, SIA and other business partners are
able to provide a total customer service experience at Changi that is
exceptionally positive and based on adding emotional value to
efficiency.
To achieve this it is equally important that senior executives, middle
managers and supervisors demonstrate a similar 'genuine heart-felt'
empathy for their various teams of employees. When you have a senior
boss who feels 'warm' about his or her people and whom they, in turn,
feel warm about then an organisation will develop a 'warm' culture (as
opposed to a 'cold' one). All the progressive organisations I have
studied around the world in the
research for my various books are now moving towards a 'warm' culture
based on empathy. They are going beyond efficiency to 'add emotional
value' ('AEV') in all their dealings with employees, customers and
suppliers alike."
http://www.superboss.co.uk/article09.html
--------------------------------
Another article from the same site explains the history of customer
service and how caring for the customer was once the priority.
This article continues on to discuss how this changed into customer
management and the adverse consequences. This article also regards
the importance of creating a "buzz".
Article 4.
THE BUZZ
CREATING A BUZZ!!!
"David Freemantle, author of the new book THE BUZZ and an
international expert on customer service asserts that too many
companies in the UK have ?lost the plot? when it comes to customer
service. They just do not get the all important little things right
and their staff definitely do not BUZZ!"
"Losing the plot
To examine the reasons for this decline in customer service it is
worth spending a minute or two delving into the history of customer
service.Prior to the early 1980?s customer service was something few
managers gave any thought to. It was just taken for granted. They
?assumed? it occurred and it was therefore not a focus for management
attention. You only have to study the management and business
textbooks of the era prior to 1982 to find little reference to
customer service.
The concept of modern customer service was invented in 1982 by Tom
Peters in his pioneering book ?In Search of Excellence?. It stimulated
people to focus on customers and service and not just on production,
industrial relations and financial strategy"
"The 1990?s ? from customer service to CRM
But like every passing ?seven year wonder? the fashion for customer
service gradually changed into something different. During the 1990?s
it evolved into CRM (customer relations management) and as companies
struggled to reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance profits they
allowed high-technology and computers to take over many of the
traditional roles exercised by empowered and customer-friendly
front-line people. IVR (interactive voice recording), internet
ordering, call centres and outsourcing to India become the order of
the day. Empowered front-line employees were proving just too
expensive and too unreliable to provide what was deemed cost-effective
customer service.In other words many companies lost the plot. In the
late 1990s they increasingly alienated customers by creating a barrier
of high technology which made it exceptionally difficult for customers
to talk to human beings in times of need. "
http://www.superboss.co.uk/article04.html
----------------------------------
IABC Research Foundation Unveils New Study on Trust - International
Association of Business Communicators
Communication World, August, 2000 by Pamela Shockley-Zalabak,
Kathleen Ellis, Ruggero Cesaria
"The research on the topic "Measuring Organizational Trust" was
performed with a grant from the IABC Research Foundation and performed
by professor-consultants and researchers based in Colorado and Italy.
The purpose of the research was to identify specific organizational
attitudes, values and norms that influence perceptions of
organizational trust and distrust; to create an index that measures
organizational trust; to empirically examine the relationships among
organizational trust/distrust, perceived organizational
effectiveness.
Today's business environment, driven by a global economy, increased
competition, emerging technologies and rapid product development,
brings constant change and places new emphasis on organizational
effectiveness. One important contributor to this effectiveness is
organizational trust among employees, within international
departments, among clients, customers or shareholders.
We must make sound judgments about trusting others and make efforts to
be trusted. We are faced daily with creating "on-the-spot" agreements
and relationships with coworkers, leaders, customers and other
organizations. The ability of organizations to develop relationships
of "spontaneous sociability," the ability to form trusting
relationships with diverse strangers, predicts whether an organization
will compete effectively.
The organization's willingness, based on its culture and communication
behaviors in relationships and transactions, to be appropriately
vulnerable if it believes that another individual, group or
organization is competent, open and honest, concerned, reliable, and
identified with common goals, norms and values.
Organizational trust is no longer seen as a one-dimensional concept.
Many experts now describe it as: Communication-based, meaning trust is
the outcome of communication behaviors, such as providing accurate
information, giving
explanations for decisions and demonstrating sincere and appropriate openness."
http://tinyurl.com/3rhwf
--------------------------------------
Trust in the Workplace
A Monography by
ROBERT W. ROGERS
PRESIDENT, DDI
SHERYL RIDDLE
SR. VICE PRESIDENT,
CONSULTING
SERVICES, DDI
"Ten years ago, we at DDI released a monograph, The Psychological
Contract of Trust, on the trust levels in the workplace for the 1990s.
In the monograph, we reviewed how the psychological contract of trust
that had existed for years during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s had been
decimated by greed, short-term focus, global competition, and, at
times, the unethical behavior of leaders; the
1980s brought a rampant ?merger mania?; then there was the inflation
and subsequent bursting of the Internet-fueled technology bubble over
the course of the 1990s and into the new millennium. As these
phenomena unfolded, employee commitment, enthusiasm, and passion
declined precipitously. No longer did employees believe that their
current employers represented long-term
career options. Additional factors in the new century have further
frayed employees? perceptions of and feelings toward their
employers..."
The 20 page monograph goes on to describe the importance of, and how
to deveop, integrity and trust that conveys itself throughout the
organization and thereby to customers.
http://www.ddiworld.com/pdf/ddi_trustmonograph_mg.pdf
"ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ROBERT W. ROGERS is President of Development Dimensions International.
A recognized expert on assessment, leadership, performance management,
and organizational change, he has presented at major conferences
around the world and authored numerous articles, monographs, and book
chapters. Bob was the lead author of the book Organizational Change
That Works: How to Merge
Culture and Business Strategies for Maximum Results.
SHERYL RIDDLE is Senior Vice President of Consulting and Client
Delivery for DDI. Sheryl is a member of DDI?s Operating Committee and
supports DDI?s clients globally for all consulting and delivery
engagements. She leads a unique team of more than 200 consultants,
project managers, trainers, instructional designers, and support
resources. Sheryl is responsible for: formulating and executing DDI?s
consulting business strategies; ensuring that clients get measurable
results from DDI?s responsive, high-quality consulting and delivery
associates; and leading and developing a team of consulting associates
who design and deliver solutions in the areas of selection,
development, performance management, senior executive assessment and succession
management, and change management.
For additional information about Development Dimensions International..."
--------------------------------------
An often discussed term in current business literature is 'EQ' or
'Emotional Intelligence Quotient', in short, one's abiity to relate
accurately and effectively with others. This is a portal site, with
many resources, including links to APA - American Psychological
Association - articles, talks, and more.
"Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Enlightenment, and Business"
http://eqi.org/busi.htm
Site Homepage:
http://eqi.org/index.htm
About this Site
This site is owned by Steve Hein, author of EQ for Everybody.
http://eqi.org/sph.htm
http://stevehein.com/
Indiana University
Business Honors Program. Honors Thesis: Organizational Development Consulting
University of Texas, MBA
Corporate Experience
Reliance Electric, Subsidiary of Exxon . Management Development Program
Touche Ross Accounting Firm. Management Advisory Services
Atlantic Richfield. (ARCO) Employee Relations Generalist.
Human Resource Development Consultants. Consultant.
--------------------------------------
Scholarly academic databases for the fields of business and psychology
are relevant to your topic, and these include Subject Indexes or
Thesauri which help find relevant and productive Subject Headings to
be used in searching. Business Source Premier and PsycInfo are two of
the largest databases for these fields. Business Source Premier
includes both Academic Journals and Trade Publications.
In Business Source Premier's Thesaurus, I do find the following
Subject Headings that are useful in our search. If a term or terms we
want to include are not found to be assigned Subject terms, we can
then use them in Keyword searches. These can all be combined in
variation to find material relevant to your question. I'm afraid
including the abstracts or summaries of each article woud make this
file very long, but if you see specific articles you woud like
summaries for, I can reply and include them.
HONESTY
DISHONESTY Use HONESTY
RELIABILITY
TRUTHFULNESS & falsehood
WORK environment
INTEGRITY
SINCERITY
PASSIONS Use EMOTIONS
MOTIVATION (Psychology)
MOTIVATION in industry Use EMPLOYEE motivation
CUSTOMER relations
CUSTOMER relationship management
CUSTOMER retention
CUSTOMER satisfaction Use CONSUMER satisfaction
CUSTOMER service Use CUSTOMER services
SUCCESS
SUCCESS in business
---------------------------
A search for Sincerity and Success in Business finds:
1. "Ethics in the Workplace Start With Honesty". By: Green, Rachael.
Journal of Organizational Excellence, Winter2004, Vol. 24 Issue 1,
p83, 8/9p
2. The human touch. By: Lauer, Charles S.. Modern Healthcare,
7/19/2004, Vol. 34 Issue 29, p24, 1p
3. Psychometric Properties of the HEXACO Personality Inventory. By:
Kibeom Lee; Ashton, Michael C.. Multivariate Behavioral Research,
Apr2004, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p329, 30p
4. Inspire others. By: Garwood, Jack. Credit Management, Mar2004, p40, 2p
5. Are We "Without Wax"? By: Woodside, Chuck. Contract Management,
Oct2003, Vol. 43 Issue 10, p2, 2/3p, 1c
6. Solomon Schimmel explains why 'I'm sorry' doesn't cut it. Across
the Board, Jan/Feb2003, Vol. 40 Issue 1, p13, 2p, 1c
7. Moral Relativism's Sour Fruit. (cover story) American Enterprise,
Mar2002, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p28, 2p
8. Be Sincere. Prospects Can Spot Gimmicks In a Snap. By: Westphal,
Linda. Direct Marketing, Sep2001, Vol. 64 Issue 5, p32, 2p
9. You find irony everywhere these days. But I want irony that cares,
passionate irony, Third Way irony. By: Moore, Suzanne. New Statesman,
04/10/2000, Vol. 129 Issue 4481, p15, 1p
10. In Defense of Irony. By: Stein, Joel. Time, 10/04/99, Vol. 154
Issue 14, p42, 3/4p, 1c
11. Isn't It Anti-Ironic? A Short History of Sincerity. By: Stevenson,
Seth; Stefanakos, Victoria Scanlan; Gordon, Devin; Totilo, Stephen.
Newsweek, 09/20/99, Vol. 134 Issue 12, p8, 1/4p, 8c
12. News: Business Round Up. Accountancy, Sep99, Vol. 124 Issue 1273, p15, 1p
13. The American master of mush and smarm holds out a warning to the
Reform Party. By: Byfield, Ted. Alberta Report / Newsmagazine,
08/31/98, Vol. 25 Issue 37, p44, 1p, 1bw
14. The value of sincerity. By: Rotsky, George. Electronic Engineering
Times, 3/4/96 Issue 891, p100, 1/5p
15. Are you a master of (in)sincerity? By: Bing, Stanley. Fortune,
11/13/95, Vol. 132 Issue 10, p63, 2p, 2c
16. Do you mean it?... American Printer, Jul95, Vol. 215 Issue 4, p16, 1/9p
17. Attributions and Organizational Conflict: The Mediating Role of
Apparent Sincerity. By: Baron, Robert A.. Organizational Behavior &
Human Decision Processes, Feb88, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p111, 17p, 4 charts
18. Factor Analysis of the Interpersonal Trust Scale with a Noncollege
Population. By: Hunt, Robert W.; Kohn, Paul M.; Mallozzi, Catherine
B.. Journal of Personality Assessment, Oct83, Vol. 47 Issue 5, p507,
2p
19. What 30 Years' Experience In Consulting Has Taught Me. By: Patton,
John A.. Industrial Management, Jul71, Vol. 13 Issue 7, p1, 3p
20. HOW TO SAY A FEW WORDS. By: Zelley, Edward S.. Management Review,
Aug66, Vol. 55 Issue 8, p54, 3p
----------------------
Search for Honesty and Success in Business:
1. Using Power and Authority. By: Preston, Paul. Healthcare Executive,
Sep/Oct2004, Vol. 19 Issue 5, p52, 2p
2. communicate your likability. By: Cottringer, William. Supervision,
Sep2003, Vol. 64 Issue 9, p6, 2p
3. Note to Jayson Blair. Forbes, 7/21/2003, Vol. 172 Issue 2, p38, 1/8p, 1bw
4. Go straight to the top. (cover story) By: Manfer, Sam. Sell!ng, Jul2003, p1, 2p
5. Use of Neutral Investigators for Third-Party Credibility. By:
Gorney, Carole. Public Relations Quarterly, Spring88, Vol. 33 Issue 1,
p24, 5p
------------------------
Search for Passion (As Keyword) and Success in Business:
1. Hands on experience. By: Baum, Stephanie. Cabinet Maker, 11/12/2004
Issue 5414, p31, 2p
2. Courageous Leaders. By: Bennis, Warren. Executive Excellence,
Oct2004, Vol. 21 Issue 10, p17, 1p
3. Making the Leap to Greatness. By: Casey-Landry, Diane. Community
Banker, Aug2004, Vol. 13 Issue 8, p10, 1p
4. Estée Lauder HER LEGACY LIVES ON. Global Cosmetic Industry,
Jul2004, Vol. 172 Issue 7, p8, 1p
5. Ability to cope with rapid change a key ingredient in sales
success. By: Edmonds, Tom. Furniture/Today, 6/28/2004, Vol. 28 Issue
42, p25, 1/4p
6. No Train, No Gain. By: Wilson, Sara. Entrepreneur, Jun2004, Vol. 32
Issue 6, p102, 2p
7. Overclaiming the art of branding. By: Mitchell, Alan. Brand
Strategy, Mar2004 Issue 180, p9, 1p, 1c
8. Success is about passion with business nous. By: Pendrous, Rick.
Food Manufacture, Feb2004, Vol. 79 Issue 2, p3, 1/3p
9. TALKING money. By: Clitheroe, Paul. Money (Australia), Nov2003, p8, 2p, 2c
10. Providing for a passion. Finance Week, 10/6/2003, p6, 2p, 1bw
-------------------------
A search in HighBeam Research for: [sincerity honesty passion concern
customers success business] finds 11 items, this the most relevant
(Searches using fewer of these terms in a single search find more
results):
"A conversation with C. Richard Panico: leading an ethically-based
organization." (Interview)(Company Profile)
Read the Full Article, Get a FREE Trial for instant access »
Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies; 9/22/2002; Mathys, Nicholas J.
"Rich Panico began his professional career with Johnson & Johnson in
Chicago in 1973. During his fifteen years there he was part of the
operations group and held positions of increasing responsibility
within the engineering and maintenance organizations. While at Johnson
& Johnson, Rich developed a reputation for building strong
organizations, promoting and enforcing high standards of quality and
performance, and, most importantly, for placing an emphasis on
developing relationships based on honesty and trust.
Rich received the prestigious Supervisor of the Year award in 1975..."
http://tinyurl.com/4k7m9
--------------------------------------
I hope these resources are useful. Please ask for Clarification of
Answer if I can be of further assistance. jdb-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
jdb-ga
on
16 Dec 2004 04:38 PST
Hello,
I am responding to your answer clarification regarding books, which I
realized I'd neglected after posting. It is helpful to know that the
purpose of your question is towards publishing your own book in this
area, as this helps focus the search. I have included searches for the
relevant genres on online booksellers' sites and in article databases
for book reviews.
-------------------
The one book citation my search in PsycInfo found was:
TI: Quality of service: A new frontier for integrity in organizations
AU: Harrison, Roger
SO: Srivastva, Suresh (ED). (1988). Executive integrity: The search
for high human values in organizational life. The Jossey-Bass
management series (pp. 45-67). San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass.
xxii, 354 pp.
The citation is to a chapter in the book:
"Executive integrity: The search for high human values in
organizational life" ed. Srivastva, Suresh. The Jossey-Bass
management series, 1988.
At Amazon.com:
http://tinyurl.com/5dsks
---------------------
Amazon.com has Subject Listings that include:
Consumer satisfaction: http://tinyurl.com/57d5w
Customer Service: http://tinyurl.com/3vfyc
Customer loyalty: http://tinyurl.com/7yj3w
Customer relations: http://tinyurl.com/4edkb
Customer services: http://tinyurl.com/4txys
Amazon.com also has "Listmania!" lists by private individuals in
genres of their interest, such as:
Customer Service
http://tinyurl.com/5rf5a
Customer Loyalty: A list by Robert B. Wallis, Customer Loyalty Specialist
http://tinyurl.com/45op4
--------------------
At Amazon.com:
"Hugging Your Customers"
by Jack Mitchell
"Book Info
Text reveals secrets for developing long-lasting business
relationships and customer loyalty."
http://tinyurl.com/6yffp
------------------
An article on this site quotes Frederick F. Reichfield
"As Frederick F. Reichheld, author of the bestselling book "The
Loyalty Effect" comments:
?Customer retention is a subject that cannot simply be confined within
narrow limits... Business loyalty has three dimensions - customer
loyalty, employee loyalty and investor loyalty. They are powerful,
far-reaching and interdependent. Loyalty has implications that extend
into every corner of every business system that seeks the benefit of
steady customers. Tempting as it may be to delegate customer retention
to the marketing department, what can marketing do to stem the outflow
of employees and investors.'"
http://www.capeconsulting.com/insight/customer-loyalty.htm
All of Reichfied's books at Amazon.com, most on similar themes:
http://tinyurl.com/5fjwn
Incuding his most recent:
"Loyalty Rules: How Today's Leaders Build Lasting Relationships"
by Frederick F. Reichheld
Editorial Reviews
"Amazon.com's Best of 2001
It's trendy these days to decry a lack of loyalty among employers,
employees, customers, and even investors, and blame it for everything
from drops in business profitability to the decline of civilized
society. But Frederick F. Reichheld, a Bain & Company director
emeritus, insists that loyalty lives--and, in fact, remains a major
reason for the success enjoyed by some of the leading names in both
the Old and New Economies. Loyalty Rules, his follow-up to 1996's The
Loyalty Effect, shows how practices that built such relationships in
organizations like Harley-Davidson, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Cisco
Systems, and the U.S. Marine Corps help improve the atmosphere for all
concerned and aid in producing better bottom-line results. The bulk of
the book focuses on specific, real-world applications of Reichheld's
Six Principles of Loyalty: in "Preach What You Practice," for example,
he outlines various ways that "loyalty leaders" can articulate
relevant concepts while clarifying "how these same philosophical
foundations are ... not just
feel-good platitudes." Reichheld also includes sample questionnaires
from his Acid Test Survey, a critical part of the prescribed
diagnosis-and-remedy program that is freely available on the author's
Web site. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to the Hardcover
edition."
From Booklist
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average American will
hold 10 to 12 jobs over a lifetime, each for an average of 3.5 years.
At the same time, the Internet now allows consumers to seek out the
best deal for any type of purchase whenever they choose to make it. It
is no wonder then that the concept of loyalty seems to have faded
away. Reichheld warns, though, that companies who ignore employee and
customer loyalty pay a high price. He is a director emeritus at the
management consulting firm Bain and Company and the author of The
Loyalty Effect (1996), which demonstrated that a company that keeps
from losing just 5 percent of its customers could see its profits rise
by as much as 50 percent. Distilling research on businesses as diverse
as Harley-Davidson, Chick-Fil-A, and Dell Computer, Reichheld now
identifies six principles for building and maintaining loyalty. He
also provides tools for measuring loyalty and a "Loyalty Acid Test"
for benchmarking the loyalty effort. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This
text refers to the Hardcover edition.
http://tinyurl.com/6qt7q
-----------------------
Also at Amazon.com. I include this book due to it's unique approach to
customer service training, using games to create enthusiasm.
"The Big Book of Customer Service Training Games"
by Peggy Carlaw, Vasudha K. Deming
"Book Info
Quick, fun activities for training customer service Reps, salespeople,
& anyone else who deals with customers. Paper.
From the Back Cover
Supervisors and trainers: turn your customer service reps into your
company's biggest asset! Because they're out there dealing with the
public, frontline workers such as customer service representatives,
salespeople, and technicians have the capacity to make a company look
very bad...or very good. With the help of this creative collection of
training games, you can be sure that your employees can be counted on
to give your company a good reputation--employees who...know how to
create a rapport with the customer or client; recognize and respond
for the needs of every customer; go beyond the expected; bring
enthusiasm and a love of what they do to the job. These easy-to-use
games take just 15-30 minutes and include reproducible handouts and
worksheets. You
can use them either to enliven traditional customer service training
programs or to add a training component to a regular staff meeting.
Customer service training games will help your frontline service
workers keep a positive attitude at all times; speak and communicate
clearly, both on the telephone and face-to-face; deal with difficult
customers, and much more."
"About the Author
Peggy Carlaw is the founder and president of Impact Learning Systems
International, a training and consulting company based in California.
Vasudha Kathleen Deming is an instructional designer and training
consultant specializing in customer service and technical support."
"Product Description:
Help your employees to excel in dealing with the public with this
stimulating, fun-filled collection of customer service training games.
Designed not only to teach important skills but also to spark
enthusiasm and a high level of involvement in the participants, these
games utilize entertaining and instructive techniques such as
role-playing, charades, brainstorming, and debate. As a result of
these exercises, employees will learn how to create a rapport with the
customer, how to focus on the unique needs of individual customers,
how to maintain a positive attitude, and more."
http://tinyurl.com/4yfnj
-----------------------------
Amazon.com
"Passion for Excellence"
by Nancy Austin, Thomas J Peters
"Product Description:
A Passion For Excellence is the single most existing, inspiring,
career-transforming book ever published for people who want to get
ahead. It takes you behind, the scenes in some of the most successful
organizations and analyzes what makes them distinctive. Here are real
people, real companies, real numbers. Here is what you need to know
about the crucial elements of success: constant innovation, staying in
touch with customers, encouraging the contributions of everyone in the
company, and maintaining the integrity that is basic to leadership.
Here are the secrets of building excellence."
http://tinyurl.com/5eway
---------------------
"The Book on Business: Voice inflection, body language no small
factors in art of selling"
Sunday, April 27, 2003
By the Business Librarians at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
"The Certifiable Salesperson: The Ultimate Guide to Help Any
Salesperson Go Crazy with Unprecedented Sales!" By Tom Hopkins
and Laura Laaman. John Wiley & Sons, 2003
"Before you go out on your appointment, research the prospective
customer's company and industry. (Here's where the public library can
help.) Then it's time to focus on mental preparation for the upcoming
meeting. Do you project enthusiasm and sincerity? Are you aware of how
your voice and word choices sound to others? If you end a statement
with an upward inflection, it projects uncertainty, but a downward
tone projects confidence in your statements. Check this out in your
day-to-day conversations; you might be surprised how you could be
undermining your effectiveness without realizing it."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03117/179301.stm
----------------------
AMA - American Management Association
The Business Ethics Activity Book
50 Exercises for Promoting Integrity at Work
By Marlene Caroselli
"Ethics cannot be taught. But can an organization take steps to
improve its moral climate?"
About the Author
Marlene Caroselli (Rochester, NY) is the author of Leadership Skills
for Managers, The Big Book of Meeting Games, Great Session Openers,
Closers, and Energizers, and dozens of other books. She has trained
employees and executives at organizations including Lockheed-Martin,
Mobil, Eastman Kodak, Allied-Signal, and the Departments of Labor and
Energy.
"In an age of ethical decay at organizations of every type, a call is
being sounded for accountabiliy. Accordingly, companies must educate
their employees and executives regarding acceptable practice. The
Business Ethics Activity Book presents an array of provocative
activities that will help encourage a more ethical approach to:
-Leadership: promoting courage, commitment, and moral responsibility
-Workplace conduct: building an ethical environment on individual behavior
-Salesmanship: exploring the relationships between sellers and their customers
-Management: leading employees by example in daily situations
-Teamwork: fostering group behavior that reflects the company?s moral outlook"
http://www.amanet.org/books/catalog/0814472001.htm
------------------------
Absolute Honesty
Building a Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and Rewards Integrity
By Larry Johnson, Bob Phillips
http://www.amanet.org/books/catalog/0814407811.htm
------------------------
Powells.com
"Integrity Selling: How to Succeed in the Competitive Years Ahead"
by Ron Willingham
"Publisher Comments:
"A masterful blend of practical philosophy tied to effective
techniques. Must reading for all ambitious salespeople." -- Zig
Ziglar, author of Top Performance"
http://tinyurl.com/5kcvq
Powell's Customer Service category:
http://tinyurl.com/5npsd
--------------------------
"Customer Culture: How Fedex and Other Great Companies Put the
Customer First Every Day" (Financial Times Prentice Hall Books)
by Michael D Basch
http://tinyurl.com/59et5
---------------------------
The classic 1968 "The Greatest Salesman in the World" and other books
by Og Mandino may not be quite exactly the genre you have in mind, but
they are classic, perennial bestsellers that do embody positive
principles, as do the Dale Carnegie books, and bear consideration as
to what makes a classic in the field.
Books by Og Mandino at Amazon.com:
http://tinyurl.com/4wwn3
And by Dale Carnegie:
http://tinyurl.com/4ywl4
--------------------------
Searches in Business Source Premier for variations of Subject terms
'Customer Services' (and Customer Relations, Customer Loyalty,
Customer Retention) and 'Books Reviews', combined with variations of
the Keywords you mentioned in your question: sincerity (sincere,
insincere), honesty (honest, dishonest), concern, passion (and
commitment), etc., find:
Customer Service: Empowerment and Entrapment (Book). By: Nord, Walter
R.; Bowen, David. Academy of Management Review, Jan2004, Vol. 29 Issue
1, p130, 4p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Customer Service: Empowerment and
Entrapment," edited by Andrew Sturdy, Irena Grugulis and Hugh
Willmott.
The Service Edge (Book). By: Lennon, Ron. Journal of Services
Marketing, Fall91, Vol. 5 Issue 4, p71, 3p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'The Service Edge: 101 Companies That
Profit From Customer Care,' by Ron Zemke and Dick Schaaf.
Walk the Talk. By: Minton-Eversole, Theresa. Training & Development,
Sep91, Vol. 45 Issue 9, p77, 1/3p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'The Customer Driven Company: Moving From
Talk to Action,' by Richard C. Whiteley.
Contagious Consumer Service. Training & Development Journal, Apr89,
Vol. 43 Issue 4, p76, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'How to Win Customers and Keep Them for
Life,' by Michael LeBoeuf.
Managing to Keep the Customer (Book). By: Montebello, Anthony R..
Personnel Psychology, Summer88, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p430, 5p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'Managing to Keep the Customer: How to
Achieve and Maintain Superior Customer Service Throughout the
Organization,' by Robert L. Dasatnick.
February Must-Reads. By: Cohen, Andy. Sales & Marketing Management,
Feb2000, Vol. 152 Issue 2, p22, 2/3p
Abstract: Reviews several books about sales & marketing. `The Customer
Century: Lessons From World-Class Companies in Integrated Marketing
and Communications,' by Anders Gronstedt...
HOW CUSTOMERS THINK: ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS INTO THE MIND OF THE MARKET
(Book). By: Holbrook, Morris B.; Franke, George R.; Donthu, Naveen;
Gardner, Meryl P.. Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), Nov2003, Vol.
40 Issue 4, p498, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book "How Customers Think: Essential Insights
Into the Mind of the Market," by Gerald Zaltman.
The Relationship Edge in Business (Book). HR Magazine, Aug2004, Vol.
49 Issue 8, p141, 2/3p
Abstract: Reviews the book "The Relationship Edge in Business:
Connecting With Customers and Colleagues When It Counts," by Jerry
Acuff and Wally Wood.
Scoring Points: How Tesco is Winning Customer Loyalty (Book). By:
Stone, Merlin. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy
Management, Dec2003, Vol. 11 Issue 2, p185, 3p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Scoring Points: How Tesco is Winning
Customer Loyalty," by Tim Phillips, Clive Humby and Terry Hunt.
Free Gift Inside: Forget the Customer. Develop Marketease (Book). By:
Fitchett, James A.. Journal of Marketing Management, Nov2003, Vol. 19
Issue 9/10, p1111, 4p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Free Gift Inside: Forget the Customer.
Develop Marketease," by Stephen Brown.
The New Market Leaders (Book Review). By: Voss, Bristol Lane. Journal
of Business Strategy, Nov/Dec2001, Vol. 22 Issue 6, p47, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'The New Market Leaders: Who's Winning and
How in the Battle for Customers,' by Fred Wiersema.
The Service Profit Chain (Book) By: Gebhart, Jane. Sloan Management
Review, Spring97, Vol. 38 Issue 3, p107, 1/3p
Abstract: The article contains a review of the book 'The Service
Profit Chain,' by James L. Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., and Leonard
A. Schlesinger. The authors' ongoing research on service organizations
culminates in this book, in which they further develop the 'service
profit chain.' Heskett et al. emphasize the importance of evaluating
the lifetime value of a customer.
Take me to your leadership books. By: Huey, John. Fortune, 7/25/94,
Vol. 130 Issue 2, p239, 2p, 4c
Abstract: Reviews the books `Certain Trumpets: The Call of Leaders,'
by Garry Wills, `Alchemy of a Leader: Combining Western and Japanese
Management Skills to Transform Your Company,' by John E. Rehfeld, `The
New Partnership: Profit by Bringing Out the Best in Your People,
Customers & Yourself,' by Tom Melohn, and `The Real Heroes of
Business, and not a CEO AMong Them,' by Bill Fromm and Len
Schlesinger.
HOW TO TURN CUSTOMER SERVICE INTO CUSTOMER SALES (Book). By:
Donaldson, Bill. Journal of Marketing Management, Summer89, Vol. 5
Issue 1, p103, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book "How to Turn Customer Service Into Customer
Sales," by Bernard Katz.
Books in Review. By: SEALEY, PETER. Harvard Business Review,
Jul/Aug99, Vol. 77 Issue 4, p171, 5p
Abstract: 'Competing on Value,' by Stan Maklan and Simon Knox, advises
companies to look beyond specific products and provide value by
enlisting the entire organization in satisfying consumer needs.
'Radical Marketing,' by Sam Hill and Glenn Rifkin, tells how niche
companies won share in competitive markets by carefully studying their
customers and bringing their own passions to bear. Seth Godin's
'Permission Marketing,' tells marketers to replace basic brand
strategies with full-fledged dialogues with consumers.
Two New Must-Read Books on CRM and the Customer Service Quality
Imperative. Report on Customer Relationship Management, Mar2003, Vol.
2003 Issue 3, p5, 4p
Abstract: Reviews the books 'Customer Relationship Management: Getting
It Right!' by Judith Kincaid and 'Achieving Excellence Through
Customer Service,' by John Tschohl. INSET: 'If It's Not
Cross-Functional, It's Not CRM': How a...
Why CRM doesn't work (Book). By: Stone, Merlin. Journal of Database
Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, Sep2003, Vol. 11 Issue 1,
p89, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Why CRM Doesn't Work," by Fred Newell.
Scoring Points (Book). Management Services, Nov2003, Vol. 47 Issue 11, p3, 1/2p
Abstract: The article presents information on the book 'Scoring
Points' published by Kogan Page. For the first time Tesco shares the
secret of its transformation from Great Britain's second largest
supermarket chain into a company that is not just Britain's largest
supermarket, but also the world's largest Internet grocery supplier.
The book shows how hard creating Clubcard, Great Britain's first
modern supermarket loyalty scheme, was. It tells how Tesco's
commitment to make winning customer loyalty its core purpose changed
the way it makes decisions, how it used Clubcard to surpass
Sainsbury's and become the country's largest supermarket for the first
time, and how it created a unique way to communicate with customers
and to win them over.
The Globalization of Relationship Marketing. By: Crosby, Lawrence A.;
Johnson, Sheree L.. Marketing Management, Mar/Apr2002, Vol. 11 Issue
2, p10, 2p, 1c
Abstract: Discusses issues in the globalization of customer
relationships. Views on globalization; Considerations in globalizing
customer relationships; Risks in global marketing through the Intenet.
Book of the Week. By: Wells, Keith. Marketing (UK), 12/13/2001, p44, 1/8p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'Commitment-Led Marketing--The Key to Brand
Profits is in the Customer's Mind,' by Jannie Hofmeyr and John Butch
Rice.
The Value-Creating Consultant (Book Review). By: Battley, Susan.
Consulting to Management - C2M, Mar2001, Vol. 12 Issue 1, p55, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book `The Value-Creating Consultant: How to
Build and Sustain Lasting Client Relationships,' by Ron A. Carucci and
Toby J. Tetenbaum.
Competitive Customer Care: A Guide to Keeping Customers (Book). By:
Donaldson, Bill. Journal of Marketing Management, Jul93, Vol. 9 Issue
3, p338, 3p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Competitive Customer Care: A Guide to
Keeping Customers," by Merlin Stone and Laurie Young.
Book reviews. By: Zinkhan, George M.; Czinkota, Michael R.. Journal of
Marketing, Apr93, Vol. 57 Issue 2, p133, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Honoring the Customer: Marketing and
Selling to the Japanese," by Robert M. March.
Horizontal Management (Book Review). Management Review, May92, Vol. 81
Issue 5, p60, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'Horizontal Management: Beyond Total
Customer Satisfaction,' by D. Keith Denton.
Corporate Ambassador. By: Minton-Eversole, Theresa. Training &
Development, Dec91, Vol. 45 Issue 12, p69, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service,'
by Kristin Anderson and Ron Zemke.
Campaign for Customers. By: Minton-Eversole, Theresa. Training &
Development, Sep91, Vol. 45 Issue 9, p80, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'Customer First: A Strategy for Quality
Service,' by Denis Walker.
Pursuing Customers: An Ethnography of Marketing Activities/Making
Sales: Influence as Interpersonal Achievement (Book). By: Leidner,
Robin. Qualitative Sociology, Winter90, Vol. 13 Issue 4, p387, 4p
Abstract: Reviews several books. "Pursuing Customers: An Ethnography
of Marketing Activities," by Robert C. Prus; "Making Sales: Influence
as Interpersonal Achievement," by Robert C. Prus.
The Ultimate Weapon. By: Polakoff, Joel C.. Management Review, Apr90,
Vol. 79 Issue 4, p61, 2/3p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'Total Customer Service,' by William H.
Davidow and Bro Uttal.
Contagious Consumer Service. Training & Development Journal, Apr89,
Vol. 43 Issue 4, p76, 2p
Abstract: Reviews the book 'How to Win Customers and Keep Them for
Life,' by Michael LeBoeuf.
Winning & Keeping Industrial Customers (Book). By: Jaworski, Bernard
J.; Lusch, Robert F.; Crosby, Lawrence A.. Journal of Marketing,
Jan88, Vol. 52 Issue 1, p147, 4p
Abstract: Reviews the book "Winning & Keeping Industrial Customers:
The Dynamics of Customer Relations," by Barbara Bund Jackson.
---------------------------
I hope these are useful. Let me know if I can be of further assistance. jdb-ga
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