Uncommon Service

Most companies often regard service as a low-priority business operation, only bringing it to the forefront when faced with customer complaints. Service becomes a fire-fighting tool to temporarily resolve issues and pacify customers. Uncommon Service by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss challenges this perception and proposes a radical rethinking of service as a potent competitive weapon in an unpredictable economy, where traditional sources of strategic advantage are becoming obsolete.

In this transformative book, the authors argue for integrating service tightly into the fabric of every core decision within a company. They provide a fresh perspective on what exceptional service entails and illustrate an operating model that necessitates making difficult but essential choices.

Uncommon Service addresses key questions critical to delivering outstanding service:

How do customers define "excellence" in your offering? Is it convenience, friendliness, flexible choices, or price? Understanding what matters most to customers is crucial in providing exceptional service that stands out.

How will you get paid for that excellence? Will you command a premium price for superior service, or will you encourage customers to undertake certain service tasks themselves? This question explores the economic models that support high-quality service.

How will you empower your employees to deliver excellence? Effective service delivery requires strategic decisions about recruiting, selection, training, and job design. Additionally, cultivating an organizational culture that upholds these values is vital.

How will you get your customers to behave? How can you encourage customers to treat your employees with respect or to adopt new technologies that enhance their service experience? This touches upon the interaction between customer behaviour and service quality.

Through engaging and pragmatic insights, Uncommon Service makes a compelling case for a systematic approach to service. The book advocates that by fundamentally rethinking and restructuring service as an integral part of your business strategy, companies can significantly enhance productivity, profitability, and competitive edge. Frei and Morriss provide real-life examples, practical tools, and actionable insights making this a must-read for anyone serious about revolutionising their service strategy.