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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Phil Verghis, President, The Verghis Group, (617) 395-6613, media@verghisgroup.com Tom McKay, Maine Creative, (207) 210-8662, Tom@MaineCreative.com [Editor: For review copies and other info, please see below.]
Unleashing the Power of the Customer
New Book Reveals How Companies Can
On one level, the answer is simple, according to a new business book from Silicon Press. The Ultimate Customer Support Executive: Unleash the Power of Your Customer, says companies must re-examine everything they do from the point of view of their customer. That sounds easy, but getting there is a major hurdle for most companies, especially larger corporations. But it can be done, says author Phil Verghis, a recognized expert whose Cambridge MA-based global service delivery consulting firm works with clients worldwide. Verghis urges companies to review and revamp their business processes and technologies to make sure they fulfill their customer’s needs, not just the needs and preferences of the company. Often individual departments in a company will optimize their service, but it will still result in a sub-optimal solution for the customer. Embracing this customer-centric focus yields a multitude of rewards, says Verghis. For one thing, it builds tremendous loyalty among customers. It helps companies move from delivering “good” service — taking care of customers after an issue arises — to delivering “great” service, meaning customers don’t encounter problems in the first place. That’s unleashing the power of the customer, as the book’s subtitle suggests. After all, every company wants more “raving fans.” The Ultimate Customer Support Executive delivers in-depth guidance and career advice for those who want to excel in the support field. At the same time, it provides rare insights and ideas for top corporate executives, who usually focus on high-level strategic decisions and rarely interact directly with customers. That kind of isolation needs to end, says Verghis. Upper management needs to include someone with their fingers on the pulse of the company’s customers. To fill that role, Verghis argues for the creation of a new top-level corporate position: the Chief Customer Officer. Introducing the Chief Customer OfficerReporting directly to the CEO, the CCO's responsibilities encompass the entire customer lifecycle. “A major component of the job is to attract profitable customers and keep them for life,” the book explains. This differs from current customer support roles, which tend to be post-sales and focus on their own departmental boundaries. “In contrast, the CCO will have the organizational clout and experience to reach across organizational silos and ensure that things are always considered from the customer’s perspective.” Because great service requires great people, the book shows how to recognize the types of people who will be most effective in a customer support role. It explains how to recruit these talented individuals, mold them into an effective team, and manage them effectively. So what is an Ultimate Customer Support Executive, and what does it take to become one? First, the author explains, you must earn and then demand respect from the rest of the company. You must represent and champion the company to your customer, and the customer to your company. In addition, you must be the support staff’s champion to the rest of the organization. “You must pay careful attention to the entire customer lifecycle,” Verghis says. “This includes prospective customers, direct customers, indirect customers, delinquent and ‘past due’ customers, even former customers. You may think you don’t have time for this, but it’s important.” Verghis explains that the right efforts at the right times in the customer lifecycle will reap significant dividends, and mean less work down the line. “To excel, you must demonstrate leadership that goes beyond operational excellence and incorporates true passion for what you do,” Verghis concludes. “You must know how to get the most out of people, smash customer-unfriendly processes, and make your entire organization customer-friendly.” -30- Title: The Ultimate Customer Support Executive: Unleash the Power of Your Customer Author: Phil Verghis ISBN: 0-929306-34-1 Hardcover: 225 pages Publisher: Silicon Press (August 10, 2005) www.silicon-press.com/ Price: $49.95 For your free review copy, contact Indu Taneja, 908-273-8919, taneja@silicon-press.com See reviews at Silicon Press (link) and Amazon (link). Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Silicon Press and The Verghis Group. To schedule an author interview, contact Phil Verghis’ office at 617-395-6613 or email media@verghisgroup.com. EDITORS AND ANALYSTS: Please include Phil Verghis on your list of resources and contacts for information, insights, reaction and guidance in the area of customer support, technical support, outsourcing and global organizations. He welcomes your calls and questions at 617-395-6613 or toll free 800-494-9142 or by email at media@verghisgroup.com. For more information on his book, visit Silicon Press (link) or Amazon (link). PRONUNCIATION GUIDE: “Verghis” is pronounced “VER-geese”. Accent is on the first syllable; the “G” is hard like in “gun”.
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