Review of Complaint Management: The Heart of CRM (Hardcover)

In the past few decades the Services Industry has advanced long way – in a direction from product services to a customer centric business environments.
Although the quantitative and qualitative importance of services – as well as its spectrum of offerings – has grown quite considerably,the thrust of activity still seems solely to center around itsoperational tasks and processes. Bernd Stauss’ and Wolfgang Seidel’s revolutionary Complaint Managent model represents an impressive progress in our understanding of what services organisations must do to become outstanding and exemplary leaders in the roles ofservices providers and services innovators.
I have read the book entirely page by page, each chapter creatingmore desire and curiosty to read the next one.
Today the aspects of complaint managementare used probably in hundreds ofbusiness facilities around the world, yet there is to my knowledge no other book or public documentation providing such a holistic introduction and a guidance to everyone in services management, to enable the creation of a powerful blue print for services organisations.

Walter Duschek, Speaker of the Supervisory Board Spirit/21 AG, VP AFSMI

Product Description
Every company strives for increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. But without effective complaint management, it’s only a matter of time before the seemingly sweet company-client relationship may turn sour. Drawing from their extensive experience in customer service (both from academic research and practical business perspectives), Stauss and Seidel deliver thorough coverage of complaint management, from helping readers understand why customers complain to illustrating how to handle customer complaints to effectively measuring and analyzing complaints. Complaint Management is an excellent resource for marketing professionals in customer support, technical support, and marketing management, as well as executives, department managers, and any employee who has direct contact with complaining customers.

About the Author
Professor Bern Stauss holds the first German chair for services management at the Business School of Ingolstadt of the Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt.Currently, his research deals with aspects of services marketing, service quality, quality management in the service industry, management of internal services, customer retention, complaint management, regain management, and electronic services.Stauss has written and edited several books, and he has also written more than 140 articles, which were published in books and journals like Managing Service Quality, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Research and European Journal of Marketing.

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Review of Electronic Enterprise: Strategy and Architecture (Paperback)

This book is worth more than its weight in gold! More and more books I read for research, less and less new things I learn and this indeed is frustrating. This book is a rare exception to this experience. I generated much more awareness about what an electronic enterprise can be and learnt much more about strategy for going about it and implementing the architecture. For any one desiring to do so, studying this book is a must. The most important strength of this book is that it offers an ocean of knowledge in a nutshell. Excellent models are presented explaining difficult concepts. Best investment for the time and resources spent on it.

Large organizations no more need to become dinosaurs! This book teaches them how to become agile and dance to the tune of changing environmental factors and serve the mankind! Not only that. The large or aspiring organizations also can make impact on environment. Author’s communication skill is so excellent that this book is good both for a novice or an expert in the field of management or in the information technology. No matter how much of expertise an expert may have on the subject, may still learn at least a few new pragmatic things about electronic enterprise!

Despite this book presenting so many ground breaking academic concepts it easily grabs the interest of reader right from the start and retains it till the end. What amazed me the most reading this book is that it discussed concepts in electronic enterprise not in isolation but in totality of the whole world scenario which is only the right thing to do in this global village business that the electronics has helped create!

A must read and study book for all FORTUNE 500 companies and those desiring to become one!

Product Description
The evolution from network-centric commerce (EDI) to e-commerce and e-business up to e-enterprise and virtual enterprise is traced and explained in this discussion of the transformation of a business enterprise from an industrial into an information model. Addressed are the strategy and architecture of an e-enterprise, emphasizing the integration issues and solutions of enterprise information infrastructure, its applications layer, and the whole enterprise. Discussed are the benefits to a company of transformation into an electronic enterprise, such as a better competitive position and increased profitability and productivity.

About the Author
Andrew Targowski is a professor of computer information systems at Western Michigan University and chairman of the Advisory Council of the Information Resource Management Association. He is the author of The Architecture and Planning of Enterprise-wide IM Systems, Global Information Infrastructure, and Enterprise Information Infrastructure. He has contributed to the Journal of Business Communication, Journal of Education for MIS, and The Journal of Information Management, Information Executive. He lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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Review of Marketing Mayhem: Why Marketing Isn’t Producing the Way It Used to (Hardcover)

This was advertised as a book explaining why marketing is not producing the way it used to. That is why I bought it as my marketing is not working the way it used to….I also know that Lewis is one of the best in the world at direct mail copy. I have read his works since the early 1980’s and his wisdom has pulled me out of more than one hole.

The problem with this book is that all the way through you wonder if this man is pure genius resulting many successful efforts, or if he has he gone off the deep end. Regardless, the book, if nothing else, is way funny. Just the references to Sax Lewis will bust the toughest gut. It kept me in sincere stiches. I did not laugh at him, I laughed with him. He totally destroys the puffery some proudly call advertising. But he does more than destroy, he rebuilds. I needed some serious solutions for effective Web site copy, and I found them in this book. No, the book is not about writing Web copy. But if you combine this book with Nielsen and Tahir’s “Homepage Usability” you will have all you need to know to produce a “killer” Web site. Lewis points out, in example after example, all the incredibily stupid mistakes that so-called pros have made inmarketing over the last ten years. He puts all these mistakes under a magnifying glass so powerful that it burns. The ants soon fry. In this intense light it becomes obvious what one must do to gain back the confidence of one’s target reader.

This is a book you will either love or hate. But one thing is for sure – everyone in marketing needs to read this book. Why? Within a few hours of finishing this book I knew what I had to do on our Web sites. And within 24 hours of making the changes I got several positive emails. My phone also rang with new business. I was impressed because all I did was follow what Lewis said to do in his list of 5 things at the end of the book. This book paid for itself many hundreds of times over in just 24 hours. I will read it several more times. I can’t absorb this much wisdom in one reading.

So why the one star rating? You are a skeptic. That is why you are reading the one star review instead of the 5 star….

Product Description
The author analyzes contemporary marketing to find theanswers to the key question: What has gone wrong with currentmarketing? We Have more statistical models, more computer technology,more “killer apps,” and more seminars about CRM and branding andcustomer retention, and yet response rates have gone through the floorand productivity and profitability have followed. And our customersbelieve us less than ever before.

And no one seems to know why. Except for Lewis. He focuses on themisuses of technology, the substitution of flash for substance, andthe inability or unwillingness to keep concern for customer rapport inthe selling and marketing equation.

Why has marketing been failing? The answers are here.

About the Author
Herschell Gordon Lewis, Direct Magazine’s Curmudgeon-at-Large, is oneof the world’s leading authorities on creating copy and marketingprograms that sell profitably. His columns have appeared regularly inleading advertising, direct marketing, and marketing publications. Heis a much sought-after speaker and appears regularly on podiums allover the world. His books are regarded as standard works on marketingand direct marketing creativity.

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Review of Due Diligence: The Critical Stage in Mergers and Acquisitions (Hardcover)

This book is an extraordinarily thorough and clear guide to every aspect of the Due Diligence process and will be invaluable to anyone who is involved. It contains 20 Appendices with detailed guidance to specific aspects of the process.

Product Description
How can you be sure you are buying the company you think you are? Are you sure it is as good as the seller says? How can you be certain unexpected costs and obligations will not suddenly appear once you are the owner and responsible for them? How best can you arm yourself for the negotiations? Have you worked out precisely what you are going to do with it once it is yours? How do you set the priorities change to recoup the premium you have paid for it? The answer to all these questions, and many more, lies with effective due diligence. Due diligence is one of the most important but least well understood aspects of the acquisition process. It is not, as many believe, a chore to be left to the accountants and lawyers. To get the best from it, due diligence has to be properly planned and professionally managed. This book is a comprehensive manual on getting due diligence right. It covers all aspects of the process from financial, legal and commercial due diligence right through to environmental and intellectual property due diligence. There are also useful chapters on working with advisers and managing due diligence projects.It also includes a number of checklists to help ensure that the right questions are asked.

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Review of Branding in Asia: The Creation, Development, and Management of Asian Brands for the Global Market (Paperback)

My expectations were mainly about redressing the balance on geographical origins of brand case studies. Our literature suffers from being far too US centric. This imbalance is unfortunate for several reasons including: – living in the US for the last 2 years has taught me how atypical the USconsumer is of any other I have met in 25 countries that I have worked-from the oldest brand models (which assumed brands were advertising led) tothe newest ebrand models, there’s huge share of voice reflectingtheculture of corporate America and the case theories of its business schools.These powerful systems shouldn’t be unquestioningly exported as being defacto paradigms for local organisational excellence or social value.

Myexpectations were exceeded because this book – unlike most on the brandwhich start with chapters on advertising and marketing communications -opens up from the very beginning on the leadership importance of branding.Here we are on pages 1-2: “Strong brands endure many challenges. This isbecoming increasingly relevant in an era of unprecedented change, upheavaland uncertainty. This change is strategic, unlike the incremental change ofmore predictable times, and therefore requires a strategic response. Brandbuilding is exactly such a response. If successful, it can be the strongestweapon in a company’s armory and the best guarantee of corporate survival.The challenge that lies ahead is that of change management.

And by page4, we’re invited to join in a cataloguing of worldwide changes tomarketing: -the breakdown of market boundaries -globalization and thedevelopment of global brands -increasing market fragmentation -productdiversity and shorter life cycles -greater customer sophistication -digitalbusiness -economic instability and market volatility

So this book flies,and yet at the same time when you read it you will continually pick upuseful advice whether your brain is looking for practical or academicstimulation. For example, the book closes with an appendix of veryworthwhile brand exercises, and it resonates with case studies, 24 in all.Each case study ends with a summary of that brand’s strengths.

This bookwill be good for you whether this is the first one you read on branding, oras in my case the twenty first, including two of my own. For example, Ilearnt a lot from Temporal’s consistently strong advice on brand values andthe way they shape corporate personality on its outside and inside.

Product Description
“Paul Temporal shows how the fundamental principles of brand building are transferable to the Asian environment. A diverse collection of Asian caselets should convince us that the 21st century will see the emergence of more Asian regional and global megabrands.” Professor John A Quelch Dean London Business School “Branding in Asia addresses an unusual situation in Asia – how is it that a region which has such high brand appreciation, produces few international brands of its own? The author’s analysis of actual case studies, ranging from powerful global brands to local companies, illustrates his points clearly. This, coupled with a sensitive understanding of the cultural differences in the region makes it an excellent reference for everyone working with brands.” Felix Herrnberger President BMW Asia Pte Ltd “Paul Temporal succinctly dissects the often mystical qualities that make up a successful brand. Too often Western insights, models and case studies are applied arbitrarily across the globe, it is so refreshing to see branding tackled from a purely Asian perspective. An invaluable reference book and eminently readable, the step-by-step style and volume of relevant cases and examples makes this a must have for any manager in Asia looking to embark on creating his own regional or global brand.” Ray Dempsey Area manager McCann-Erickson South East Asia

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Review of The Strategic Project Office: A Guide to Improving Organizational Performance (Center for Business Practices) (Hardcover)

I thought I had a pretty complete library on Project Management and the PMO.However, this is the most authoritive volume I have encountered.There are step by step instructions and direction on establishing a PMO and best practices within that organization.There are also many of the pitfalls and minefields associated with starting this type of office.The chapters are easy to read, and concise.The information is well organized and presented best suited to a mid-level professional involved in PMO or Project Management activities.
I wholeheartedly recomend this to those who have never setup a PMO or best practices organization.Those who have much experience in this fields may be looking for other specialized topics.

Product Description
Describes the initiation, design, execution, and control of a strategic project office. Emphasizes cost management, cultural change, risk assessment, resource allocation, and skills tracking to increase project value, organizational efficiency, and productivity.

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Review of Relationship Marketing: Successful Strategies For The Age Of The Customer (Paperback)

This 1991 book focuses on technology marketing, but it is relevant to general marketing today. In some respects, McKenna was a marketing prophet, since he was an early proponent of experience-based marketing, interactivity, connectivity and creativity.He sees marketing as a means of building relationships and credibility through a four-part process:

1. Use word of mouth, primarily through face-to-face meetings.
2. Develop the infrastructure (rank influencers in your industry and cultivate relationships)
3. Form strategic relationships with the 10% who influence the other 90%..
4. Sell to the right customers.

Here are some of my other take-aways from Relationship Marketing:

* Shift from monologue to dialogue.
* Concentrate on substance before image.
* Be wary of secondary marketing research reports.
* In the information age, image advertising won’t work.
* Know that the line between products and services is blurring
* Personality and image are always changing.
* Perpetual adaptation makes a product successful.
* Marketing is a process, not a set of tactics.
* Marketing is qualitative, not quantitative.
* Marketing is everyone’s job.

McKenna also has a distinctive approach to positioning. Unlike Trout and Ries, he sees positioning as a blend of technology, price, applications, quality, service, distribution channels, target audience, specific customers, and alliances. In other words, positioning is who you are, not what you want people to believe you are. He also sees positioning as changing and dynamic.

When you look at the world of blogs and social media, this counsel makes more sense than ever. I also think McKenna was on the mark with his expanded understanding of positioning and focus on relationships as the focal point of marketing.

I’m very glad I read this book in the late 90s.It has helped me become a better marketer. Her are other books to consider:

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 20th Anniversary Edition
The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage
Inside the Tornado: Strategies for Developing, Leveraging, and Surviving Hypergrowth Markets (Collins Business Essentials)
The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual

Product Description
The bestselling author of The Regis Touch expands on his previous work to focus on building crucial relationships that help a company dominate–and own–the market in this age of the customer. Includes stories, insights, and advice to give readers an edge in today’s fiercely competitive climate.

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Review of Successful Freelance Court Reporting (Paperback)

I just got this book and couldn’t put it down! It’s easy reading.. Written extremely nice.. Dana is extremely thorough.This book is a MUST for anybody looking into Court Reporting or just out of school.. It’s also a MUST for any scopist.Great job Dana!

Product Description
“Successful Freelance Court Reporting” discusses the mechanics of freelance court reporting in a knowledgeable, easy to understand manner.It is an invaluable and informative guide for the student, as well as anyone considering or preparing for a freelance court-reporting career. Written by a seasoned professional, the book offers a variety of personal anecdotes and shares valuable “lessons from the field.”From choosing the right court reporting school, to interviewing for freelance positions, to preparing transcripts, this book provides a comprehensive look at what it takes to become a successful freelance court reporter.

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Review of Global IT Outsourcing: Software Development across Borders (Hardcover)

after reading thru the first chapter, i was totally disappointed with the content of this dry text, it surely tastes like something from a few self-righteous scholars.

Outsourcing is a subject that needs to be dealt with using vivid stories from the trenches and insights gained via painful experiences. Not something the authors of this book did: tons of references from other titles and theoretical analysis.

Product Description
Offering key insights into how to manage software development across international boundaries, this book is based on a series of case studies looking at the relationships between firms from North America, the U.K., Japan and Korea with Indian software companies. The authors analyze the multi-faceted challenges encountered in managing these Global Software Alliances (GSAs). They draw on extensive research and experience to offer constructive advice on how to manage GSAs more effectively.

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Review of Running a Successful Construction Company (For Pros by Pros) (Paperback)

This is a great book for start up and existing construction companies alike. It explains many aspects of the business and how things should be done to ensure profitability and longevity. It has helped my company tremendously.

Jim Paulin
Rubicon Construction
Lincoln Park, MI

Product Description
Running a small business can be daunting to the contractor whose expertise is in building — not finance or law. This book helps to demystify the day-to-day challenges that contractors face. Running a Successful Construction Company is acknowledged as the leading book in its field. Includes 50 color photos and drawings.

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