customer service books and resources

Helping organizations succeed through customer service performance and leadership



Recommended Reading
On customer service, and business success

customer service books & resources

Welcome to our recommended reading page. Just a quick note about these books.  This isn't just some randomly generated list.  These are the ones that we think truly stand out, and help people make a difference in their business and personal lives.  I encourage you to read them - I don't think you will be disappointed!  Oh, and if you have any books you would like to suggest, please let us know!

Shaun Belding

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell has followed up his bestselling The Tipping Point with this fabulous book! Gladwell examines the principles of decision-making, how we make them, and why some people are better decision-makers than others.

 

 

Business Class : Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work

Jacqueline Whitmore presents the fundamentals of business etiquette in a compelling and entertaining manner.  A must read for anyone looking to succeed in the business world.

 

Cool Time : A hands-on plan for managing work and balancing time

Steve Prentice brings time management away from all of the theory that's been expounded through the years, and created a genuinely practical time-management book.  Filled with tools and tips that really work!

 

Crucial Conversations:  tools for talking when the stakes are high

A great insight into how to influence others!

 

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Sometimes companies can get so enthralled with the strategic planning process that they forget about the one thing that actually gets things done - execution.  In this great book, Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan and Charles Burck make the case for business people focussing a little more on the lost skill of making things happen.

 

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman have taken 80,000 interviews conducted by the Gallop organization over 25 years and created this absolutely mandatory guide for anyone who manages people.  Think you understand management theory?  Think again.  Brilliant!

 

Getting Things Done:  the art of stress-free productivity

It's not an accident that this book stayed at the top of the best-sellers list for so long.  Easy to read, straight-forward ideas, and easy to apply in today's fast-paced workplace.

 

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

This classic by Roger Fisher and Willian Ury is an essential guide for anyone who negotiates, sells, manages, parents, coaches, or anyone else who interacts with people.  There have been a lot of books written over the years about negotiating and dealing with conflict, but this is still the benchmark (along with Shaun's books, of course!)

 

Good to Great:  Why some companies make the leap, and others don't

Jim Collins looked at 1,435 companies to find out why some became great and others didn't.  The lessons in here are invaluable for anyone in business!

 

Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization

Another brilliant business parable by Ken Blanchard (and Sheldon Bowles)! Three principles to a game plan for building morale in any environment! If you are a manager at any level in an organization, you'll get something out of this one!

 

 

High Five!

Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles score again with this delightful parable on teambuilding - this time with a minor league hockey team as a backdrop.

 

 

Outliers:  The Story of Success

Why are some people successful and others not?  Malcolm Gladwell's newest book takes aim at this much discussed topic, and hits the target big-time!

 
Winning at Work

Winning at Work! Volume 1 - Only $12.95!

(E-BOOK. REQUIRES ADOBE ACROBAT READER)
Anyone who has subscribed to Shaun Belding's weekly gems on dealing with difficult people, and strategies for making the most out of life understands why Winning at Work! grew to a circulation of thousands of people in over 100 countries in less than a year.  This is the first complete volume - a 50 issue e-book at an amazing price!

 

$12.95


Winning at Work volume 2

Winning at Work! Volume 2 - Only $12.95!

(E-BOOK. REQUIRES ADOBE ACROBAT READER)
The second volume of the wildly popular
Winning at Work series - 50 tips, ideas and suggestions for dealing with the people we see everyday!  It has been described as "the best newsletter - hands down."  Find out why over ten thousand people in 140 countries have subscribed!

$12.95


Winning at Work Volume 3

Winning at Work! Volume 3 - Only $12.95!

(E-BOOK. REQUIRES ADOBE ACROBAT READER)
The third volume of the wildly popular
Winning at Work series - even more tips, ideas and suggestions for dealing with the people we see everyday!  It has been described as "the best newsletter - hands down."

$12.95


Winning at work volume 4

Winning at Work! Volume 4 - Only $12.95!

(E-BOOK. REQUIRES ADOBE ACROBAT READER)
The fourth volume of the wildly popular
Winning at Work series - even more tips, ideas and suggestions for dealing with the people we see everyday!  It has been described as "the best newsletter - hands down."

$12.95



How Full is Your Bucket?

A brilliant book by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton on relationships and the impacts they have on our productivity, health and happiness. It manages to be both inspiring and educational at the same time. Highly recommended!

 

 

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Originally written over 60 years ago, this masterpiece by Dale Carnegie is still the gold standard for interpersonal skills development. Whether you are in sales, customer service, management, or just want to boost your charisma, this book (re-edited a few years ago) should never be far from your side!

 

 

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time

Keith Ferrazzi's delightful book is a fabulous insight into the do's and don'ts of networking.  There's somethining in here for everyone!

 

Overachievement

Think that goal-setting, relaxation or stress management is the route to achieving what you want? Think again! Don't miss John Eliot's great, and delightfully counterintuitive guide to success!

 

Raving Fans : A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service

This fabulous business parable demonstrates how just having satisfied customers isn't good enough anymore. A must read for anyone in the customer service business!

 

Sink or Swim

This is a practical, no-nonsense and easy to read guide to succeeding in your new job.  Great book!

 

Steal These Ideas!: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You a Star - Steve Cone

A great book on marketing/advertising for people who are looking for results instead of awards.  If you have any involvement in marketing at all, make sure you read this delightful book!

 

Stop, Ask, and Listen : Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers Into Buyers

The quintessential guide to retail selling skills. This book should be the workbook for every retail selling skills program a company could have.

 

 

The Big Book of Customer Service Training Games

You can talk to employees about customer service until you're blue in the face, but never achieve the kind of effect you will with a tactile, experiential exercise.  If you lead a team of people who deal with customers, this book will be the best investment you can make!

 

The 8th Habit

Stephen Covey follows up his classic 7 Habits of Highly Effective People with what is bound to be another classic.

The eighth habit shows people how to move beyond effectiveness, and how to find our voice and inspire others to find theirs. A masterful book that addresses todays common feelings of frustration, discouragement, and undervalue.

 

 

The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do

An absolutely fascinating book on the best ways to do everything from buying produce to shaking hands. Samantha Ettus draws from the real experts to tell us how to do the important things! My favourite was 'how to negotiate' by Donald Trump!

 

 

The First 90 Days:  Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at all Levels

Have a new job?  Michael Watkins lays it all out in front of you.  Proven, replicable strategies for ensuring that you can succeed in your first 90 days.  A little academic in parts, but his processes are very sound!

 

The First-Time Manager

Everyone - absolutely everyone - who manages should have this book by their side at all times!  Real-life tips and tools for managing (and not just for the first-time manager!)

 

The Joy of Work: Dilbert's Guide to Finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-Workers

Getting a little stressed at work?  If you don't find yourself laughing out loud by the 20th page, you're taking life way too seriously.  A classic Dilbert book!

 

The Richest Man in Babylon

One of the best books on building wealth - personal and financial - that you'll ever read!

 

Why We Buy

If you're in retail, this book is an essential. Paco takes people through a fascinating journey of customer behavior. Guaranteed that you'll find something in this book that you didn't know about customers, customer behavior and merchandising.

 

 

Winning

If you're a manager you have to read legendary Jack Welch's book.  Not reading it is simply not an option if you're hoping to find out what makes great leaders tick!

 

 
Win at Work

Win at Work - Navigate the nasties, get things done and get ahead

Release date - May 2010 in the UK and June 2010 in North America!

We have control over our success in life - we we have an opportunity, every day, to change the odds in our favour. Win at Work covers all the areas that we can change and take into our own hands such as winning with people, winning in the workplace, team tips, rules for making great impressions, how to achieve success. Each section contains approximately 20 short concise chapters with research references from a number of countries and anecdotal stories from the author's experiences around the world

 

Winning with the Boss from Hell - a guide to life in the trenches
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Winning With the Boss from Hell - a guide to life in the trenches

Featured in the New York Times, Reader's Digest, Metro News, international television & radio!

LIFE IS FAR TOO SHORT to have to deal with a boss who is ignorant, foul, rude, selfish, loud, obnoxious, abrasive, incompetent, impatient, incoherent, embarrassing, harassing, indecisive, dirty, smelly, mean-spirited, sexist, wimpy, vindictive, unappreciative, crude or disrespectful.

Find out why Winning with the Boss from Hell has captured the imagination of people around the world. It has real, solid strategies for solving some of the worst kinds of bosses. Included in the types of bosses the book deals with are: Exploders, Extortionists, Nasty & Vindictives, Ethically & Morally Challenged, Blamestormers, Credit Stealers, Slave Drivers, Pile-ons, Roadblocks and many more!

Winning with the Boss from Hell might just change your life for the better! It is also a great gift for anyone who has ever struggled with their boss!

Winning with the Caller from Hell - a survival guide for doing business on the telephone
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Winning With the Caller from Hell - a survival guide for doing business on the telephone

**Just Released in September 2005!

If you work in a call centre environment, or do a lot of business over the telephone, you know how challenging it can be to deal with a difficult customer.  This latest book in Shaun Belding's Winning with the...from Hell series covers a lot of things you may never have thought of before - how to control your voice, how to paint verbal pictures, how to control a difficult conversation - and more!  It's fun, and very, very relevant to today's business environment!

Winning with the Customer from Hell - a survival guide

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Winning With the Customer from Hell - a survival guide

Amazon.com bestseller!  Featured on CITY-TV, Canada AM, CBC,  Profit Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes Magazine, The Globe & Mail and more!  It has recently been selected as a textbook for the University of La Verne.  If you have Difficult Customers, this is a must read!

Shaun Belding's immensely popular Winning with the Customer from Hell has proven, real-life solutions to the real-life challenges you face every day.  It's fun, easy to read, and very, very practical!

Winning with the Customer from Hell is also great as a gift, if you know anyone in the customer service business!

Winning with the Employee from Hell - a guide to coaching and motivation

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Winning With the Employee from Hell - a guide to coaching and motivation

Selected as one of the 7 Must Read Management Books by Personnel Today!  Featured in Readers Digest, The Montreal Mirror and the BBC!  Getting rave reviews around the world!

They make you question why you ever decided to become a manager. They're popping up daily in conversations with your spouse, friends and colleagues. And they're popping nightly in your dreams at night - when you can get to sleep at all. For some it is a performance issue - no matter how you manage them, they just don't get the job done. For others, it's the attitude - they're negative, whiny and uncooperative, making life miserable for you and dragging the whole team down with them.

Winning with the Employee from Hell is Shaun Belding's newest book, which shows you how to coach and motivate employees to success! It's not one of those wonderful books on management theory, but instead a practical guide with real-life examples on building employee performance. It's a MUST for anyone who manages people!

Winning with the Employee from Hell also makes a great gift for someone who is a manager or supervisor!