Synopses & Reviews
In today's world, organizations of every kindfrom for-profit businesses to government agencies and nonprofit groupsare experiencing huge difficulties in attracting and retaining clients. With competition intensifying, consumers becoming more demanding, and old ways of creating loyalty losing their impact, it's no longer enough to offer just a good product or a useful service. Today's consumers are looking for something morean experience that will truly enrich their lives.
As the Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels and a global leader in the travel and tourism industry, Jonathan Tisch establishes strong and lasting connections with countless customers every day, by providing them with experiences that are unique, memorable, and deeply rewarding. And now, in Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough, he wants to help you do the same.
In an appealing and personal style, Tischwith the help of business writer Karl Weberdistills the important customer relation lessons that he has learned from his successful career in the hospitality industry, and discusses how these lessons can make any organization more customer-centric. Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough will also show you how to improve every customer touch point; understand what customers really want and need; and design organizational structures to meet those needs. These ideas are brought to life through stories of triumphs achieved and challenges faced by organizations ranging from In-N-Out Burger, Commerce Bank, and Urban Outfitters to the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Santa Fe's Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and New York City's 311 system.
The proven insights that fill these pages will help you:
- Use technology to create intimate connections with customerswithout losing the human touch
- Find ways to expand your organization's offerings beyond the basic product or service you're known for
- Recognize your customers' needs for physical and psychological safety, and develop innovative ways to meet those needs
- Perfect the "art of the welcome," in both physical and virtual spaces
- Balance the growing demand for transparency with realistic needs for security and confidentiality
- And much more
Blending thought-provoking ideas with down-to-earth advice, this engaging book reveals why creating an intimate, positive, and long-lasting connection with customers is the key to success for the twenty-first-century organization, and illustrates how leaders in any field can accomplish this goal. Entertaining and informative, Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough offers a detailed look at how the right customer experience can produce long-lasting success for any organization.
Review
"The secret to running a good hotel is making guests feel welcome, providing a memorable experience, and ensuring both physical and psychological security, 24/7. Those principles can be applied to any business trying to attract and keep customers, according to Jonathan Tisch, chief executive of Loews Corp. Hotels, part of the Tisch family business empire created by his uncle Larry and father Robert (both now deceased). With co-author Karl Weber, Mr. Tisch shares tips for forging lasting connections with customers in
Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough." (
Wall Street Journal)
"An insightful primer on crafting your customer experience. I don't care how good you are—there's a tweak or two that you can make to your customer's experience. Let Tisch's stories inspire you to do it a little better." (The Marketing Minute)
"In the book, author Tisch gives examples of companies that are 'doing it right' and breaking out from the crowd of competition to offer a memorable customer experience which leads to customer loyalty—a rare commodity in this over crowded commercial world." (Bizinformer)
"Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels, shares valuable lessons about customer service gleaned firsthand from his many years in the challenging hospitality industry. Tisch explains how to exceed expectations of good customer service and provide customers with exemplary and fulfilling experiences to keep them coming back. He offers insights into how to use technology and still keep the human touch, how to master "the art of welcome" and how to address customer concerns about physical and psychological safety. Tisch buttresses his tips and ideas with stories drawn from experiences of companies in several industries." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
There are a lot of great stories in this book—stories we can all use to become great, not better, at creating meaningful experiences for our customers. And by combining the stories with well-thought strategies and insights, Mr. Tisch has created a winner with Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough." (InBubbleWrap)
"This is not a book about hotel guest service. It's a book about building brands, strengthening relationships, customizing the client experience, leveraging technology, and achieving both security and transparency for clients in today's world. Tisch offers examples and lessons from every conceivable industry sector. It's extremely well crafted. Chocolates on the Pillow Arne't Enough is one of those rare books you should not only read for yourself; you should share it with every person in your organization" (Client Service Insights)
"Tisch is one smart cookie and this latest book by him is a must read for anyone involved in marketing." (DownWithTyranny!)
"Tisch hits the nail on the head in describing the evolving power of ethnic and minority consumers as not only a stateside phenom, but a sign of global change in Chinese, Japanese and Indian markets. It really gives perspective to the number of customers—and preferences—up for grabs." (AdvertisingAge)
"Tisch pinpoints the major stresses facing many kinds of business that are making it harder to retain customers:" (USA Today)
Synopsis
Praise for Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough
"If you don't work for your customer, you're not doing your job. Who better to turn to for lessons in great customer experiences than Jonathan Tisch? He has long been one of the most respected leaders in travel and hospitality, and when it comes to treating all customers like guests, to put it simply, he gets it. And then some."—Millard S. Drexler, Chairman and CEO, J. Crew Group
"What brings customers back to my restaurants? Why do viewers watch my TV show? It's more than Bam! It's delivering a kicked-up customer experience. Tisch is the guy who knows how to do this best. His book gives the inside scoop on how to excite your customers and bring 'em back for more."—Emeril Lagasse
"Attention to detail, passion, and dedication are a few of the things that made me successful as an athlete. Jonathan knows that by doing the same in business, you maximize the customer's experience and outscore the competition."—Tiki Barber
"Jonathan recognizes that in today's Internet-fed, savvy-consumer world, it is the people-to-people connections, regardless of price point, that differentiate a customer's experience. Gimmicks come and go, but without sincere and caring people delivering the overall experience from start to finish, well, it's true—chocolates on the pillow are not enough. A great read!"—David Neeleman, founder and former CEO, JetBlue Airways Corporation
Synopsis
Praise for Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough"Jonathan recognizes that in today's Internet-fed, savvy-consumer world, it is the people-to-people connections, regardless of price point, that differentiate a customer's experience. Gimmicks come and go, but without sincere and caring people delivering the overall experience, from start to finish, well, it's true--chocolates on the pillow are not enough. A great read!"
—David Neeleman, founder and CEO, JetBlue Airways Corporation
"If you don't work for your customer, you're not doing your job. Who better to turn to for lessons in great customer experiences than Jonathan Tisch? He has long been one of the most respected leaders in travel and hospitality, and when it comes to treating all customers like guests, to put it simply, he gets it. And then some."
—Millard S. Drexler, Chairman and CEO, J. Crew Group
"What brings customers back to my restaurants? Why do viewers watch my TV show? It's more than Bam! It's delivering a kicked-up customer experience. Tisch is the guy who knows how to do this best. His book gives the inside scoop on how to excite your customers and bring 'em back for more."
—Emeril Lagasse
"Attention to detail, passion, and dedication are a few of the things that made me successful as an athlete. Jonathan knows that by doing the same in business, you maximize the customer's experience and outscore the competition."
—Tiki Barber
About the Author
Jonathan M. Tisch is Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. Recognized as a preeminent leader of the nation's travel and tourism industry, Tisch is also Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable and NYC & Company, the city's official tourism marketing organization. In 2005, he became the host of
Open Exchange: Beyond the Boardroom with Jonathan Tisch, a fourteen-episode series of one-on-one interviews with America's preeminent CEOs and business luminaries. Tisch is also coauthor of the bestseller
The Power of We (Wiley).
Karl Weber is a freelance writer specializing in business and current affairs. He is coauthor, with Jonathan Tisch, of the bestseller The Power of We. Weber collaborated withAndrew W. Savitz on The Triple Bottom Line (Jossey-Bass, an imprint of Wiley), a book examining the issues surrounding sustainable business management.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Introduction: The Hotelier’s Secret.
PART ONE. THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION.
1. What Happened to My Customers?
2. Engineering the Total Customer Experience.
PART TWO. REIMAGINING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
3. Reimagining the Sale: Creating Customers Who are Happy to Buy.
4. The Hospitable Organization: Turning Customers into Guests.
5. Home Away from Home: The Art of Welcoming Customers.
6. Haven Wanted: Providing Security in an Unsafe World.
7. Open-Door Policy: The Challenge of Transparency.
8. One Size Does Not Fit All: The New Art of Customization.
9. Let Me Introduce You: Customer Communities in an Interactive World.
10. High-Tech Goes High-Touch: Using the Internet to Go Global and Go Local.
11. Everyone Is Welcome: The Challenges of Customer Diversity.
12. Your Best, and a Little Bit More: Offering Something Extra to Your Customers.
Afterword: A Challenge That Never Ends.
Endnotes.
Index.