PERFORMANCE RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., was founded in 1972 by the late Ron Zemke, author of nearly 40 books on service quality and organizational effectiveness.

• Contents Foreword Our Thanks Preface Part One: The Fundamental Principles of Knock Your Socks Off Service 1 The Only Unbreakable Rule: To the Customer You Are the Company 2 Know What Knock Your Socks Off Service Is 3 Knock Your Socks Off Service Is: Reliable 4 Knock Your Socks Off Service Is: (Re)-Assuring 5 Knock Your Socks Off Service Is: Tangibles 6 Knock Your Socks Off Service Is: Empathetic 7 Knock Your Socks Off Service Is: Responsive 8 The Customer Is Always. . . The Customer Part Two: The How To’s of Knock Your Socks Off Service 9 Honesty Is the Only Policy 10 All Rules Were Meant to Be Broken (Including This One) 11 Creating Trust in an Insecure, Suspicious World 12 Taking Ownership of Your Service Encounters 13 Become a Listening Post 14 Asking Intelligent Questions 15 Winning Words and Soothing Phrases 16 Facts for Face-to-Face 17 Tips for Telephone Talk 18 It’s a Small World: Culturally Sensitive Service 19 The Generational Divide: Serving Age-Diverse Customers Part Three: Communicating Knock Your Socks Off Service 20 Co-Workers as Partners: Communicating Across Functions 21 Exceptional Service Is in the Details 22 Good Selling Is Good Service—Good Service Is Good Selling 23 Communicating with Customers in the Digital Age 24 Putting Your Best E-Mail Foot Forward 25 Responding Positively to Negative Feedback 26 Never Underestimate the Value of a Sincere Thank-You Part Four: The Problem-Solving Side of Knock Your Socks Off Service 27 Be a Fantastic Fixer 28 The Axioms of Service Recovery 29 Use the Well-Placed “I’m Sorry” 30 Fix the Person 31 Fair-Fix the Problem 32 Service Recovery in the Digital Age 33 Recovery: Social Media Style 34 Customers from Hell® Are Customers, Too 35 The Customers from Hell® Hall of Shame Part Five: Knock Your Socks Off Service Fitness: Taking Care of You 36 Master the Art of Calm 37 Keep It Professional 38 The Competence Principle: Always Be Learning 39 Party Hearty Activities Connections “The Knock Your Socks Off” Library Index About Performance Research Associates, Inc. About the Editors