There are a surprising amount of customer experience books out there. Considering this is only recently a hot topic in most business blogs and online discussion forums, this might seem like a bit of a surprise. Well, a lot of people seem to turn their noses up at books these days, given the ready availability of such things as blogs, wikis and other sources of condensed information. However, the format of these new sources kind of lacks something that actual books contain.
You can’t really assign a word to this spark books have, but it’s clearly the result of a lack of a serial mindset for posts. With customer experience books, authors don’t worry about what’s topical at one particular hour, day or week, and can actually convey something bigger, and more detailed as a result. And these books, being somewhat more timeless, can be returned to readily, for reference. And, isn’t there still something to be said for holding a book in your hands, and turning pages? Blogs can’t do that.
So, what’re some of the best ones? That’s a toughie, there are lots of good ones, so it’s hard to pick. But, that’s what you’re here for so heck, let’s do it anyway!
#1 – The Customer Experience Revolution: How Companies Like Apple, Amazon and Starbucks Have Changed Business Forever (Jeofry Bean)
Wow, what’s a long title! But, it does describe exactly why this is a really good customer experience book. Through the power of relatable examples we all know as huge successes, Bean not only shows us how to harness the power of customer experience through tried and true approaches. He also shows us why this matters so much. He brings it home, and for that, this one gets top billing from me.
However, this is a somewhat thematic book, so if you go with this one, you might want something a bit more clinical to go with it, and I’ve got you covered for that too.
#2 – Customer Experience Management: A Revolutionary Approach to Connecting with Your Customers (Bernd H. Schmitt)
After Bean shows you the way top companies have mastered customer experience in unique and powerful ways, let Schmitt demystify the managerial approaches to making them work. He does this expertly in a somewhat more textbook approach than Bean, and that’s what you need here. However, you also need a little bit of a refresher on how leadership works, and while Schmitt does touch on that, I think there’s one more title you might want to grab, to double your odds with that.
#3 – The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles (Joseph Michelli)
And here you have it. Michelli picks up pretty much right where Schmitt leaves off, and shows you the differences in leadership and human relations that comes with customer experience, compared to other managerial fields you may be experienced in. It is a different world, and this book not only illustrates that splendidly, but it also shows you how to roll with these punches.
So, we’ve got a real trifecta of customer experience books here. First you see how big companies have succeeded, you learn the managerial philosophy behind enacting this, and then you get the golden rules for leadership to practice this management effectively. Normally, I suggest books as a stand alone set of choices, but in this case, I recommend you build yourself a nice curriculum out of all three of these for the most well-rounded information you can get.