Foundations for Customer Centricity
Testimonials & Reviews
“From the day we founded The Ritz-Carlton, our vision has been to be the very best at what we do. In order to achieve success it has been essential to have a solid foundation, a clear roadmap and solid processes for our people. In this book, James examines the importance of a solid foundation for any organization or individual. A story that provides true inspiration.”
Hervé Humler - President, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Hervé Humler - President, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Dodkins exposes the customer centricity myths that are holding back the most well-meaning organizations. Important lessons for anyone involved in owning, running, or improving any business - any size, any level, and any industry.
Shep Hyken, New York Times bestselling author of The Amazement Revolution
Shep Hyken, New York Times bestselling author of The Amazement Revolution
"Thank you so much for writing this book! It skewers the dangerous myths that customer-centricity can be achieved through "lipstick on the pig" internal changes or minor tweaks to stock mega-consultant methodologies. It is the clearest and simplest statement I have yet seen espousing the true foundations of customer-centricity.
A mentor of mine observed that the biggest threat to the success of innovative projects was the inability to let go of "cherished notions." The ideas in this book are stunning in their simplicity and compelling in their impact, but only for those readers willing to reconsider deeply held, though often unexamined, "cherished notions" about how business should be structured and guided.
Some salient examples:
This book also (thankfully!) challenges the assumption that business books have to be 400 pages long."
Steve Melville - Director, Oracle
A mentor of mine observed that the biggest threat to the success of innovative projects was the inability to let go of "cherished notions." The ideas in this book are stunning in their simplicity and compelling in their impact, but only for those readers willing to reconsider deeply held, though often unexamined, "cherished notions" about how business should be structured and guided.
Some salient examples:
- Trying "to exceed customer expectations every time," far from being a formula for success, is, in fact, an oxymoron
- "Voice of the Customer" exercises are not only a waste of time, but, in fact, may be worse than doing nothing.
- That most companies today have become caught in the trap of defining the business they are in by what they do, not by what outcome they are there to achieve.
- Categorizing customers by market segment is counter-productive. We should instead categorize customers by need
- With rare exceptions, offering customer's options is a high-cost, failure prone admission that we don't truly understand their need.
- That transforming into a true customer-centric organization need NOT require a massive "change management" initiative… but rather, first and foremost, a change in mindset and measurement systems
- And, finally and most importantly, we must stop investing in the delusion that hierarchical organizational structures based on division of specialized labor is somehow an immutable natural law as opposed to a 200+ year old human-originated concept that has outlived its usefulness.
This book also (thankfully!) challenges the assumption that business books have to be 400 pages long."
Steve Melville - Director, Oracle
“Who knew a book on customer centricity could elicit as many a-ha moments as it does laughter? Dodkins writes in an authentic, passionate and dedicated voice - quickly joining the ranks of other industry greats. What he has created here is an intriguing, at times even uncomfortable, and ultimately compelling case in the power of foundations, practices and outcomes of true customer centricity. Designed as a quick read, bring this book on your next flight or to the local coffee shop. When you lift your head from the final page, or even after a chapter in between, be prepared for the desire that will overtake you to reexamine the customer experience you are in and those that you are – or are not – creating at your organization.”
Erika Westbay - Managing Director, Organization by Design at The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org)
Erika Westbay - Managing Director, Organization by Design at The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org)
"Foundations For Customer Centricity will help business leaders in many ways. It is an important, consulting experiences based education about why Drucker-isms were right: “The purpose of a business is to create a customer.” “Do the right things first, then do things right.” “Be effective first, then efficient.” Also the book suggests looking at ever-changing customer needs as more powerful than customer wants when planning and organizing. This is consistent with books such as DeBono’s Surpetition and my Primordial Leadership book. In the latter, explained in it are the six “Primal Drives™” identified by Neuroscience that define the deepest, most powerful, always consistent “Why’s” behind customer needs. High impact targeting is thus enabled. The Centricity book's net result is justification for inverting the typical organization pyramid and putting customer needs as the most important focus for all strategic and annual planning, and subsequent organization actions. This embodies change management, and the business justification is provided for doing so."
Larry Duckworth - Serial CEO, consultant, trainer and author of leadership and marketing and sales books (www.larryduckworth.com)
Larry Duckworth - Serial CEO, consultant, trainer and author of leadership and marketing and sales books (www.larryduckworth.com)
"Anything great is built on solid foundations. That applies to buildings, the Coliseum, the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal. It applies to people, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. This also applies to stories Cinderella, Lord of the Rings and Beauty and the Beast.
Stories are everything, they stir the emotions, they galvanise the spirit, they are a call to action. This book is all of that, helping us to see the obvious differently, helping us take immediate and tangible action to improve our lives, our work and our companies. If that inspires you then know you are not alone in the journey.
I take great pleasure in recommending to you a short, easy to digest and life changing story. Foundations is THE business story of the 21st century."
Steve Towers - Founder and CEO, BP Group
Stories are everything, they stir the emotions, they galvanise the spirit, they are a call to action. This book is all of that, helping us to see the obvious differently, helping us take immediate and tangible action to improve our lives, our work and our companies. If that inspires you then know you are not alone in the journey.
I take great pleasure in recommending to you a short, easy to digest and life changing story. Foundations is THE business story of the 21st century."
Steve Towers - Founder and CEO, BP Group
"Just finished reading your book, congratulations an excellent read. The analogies are very good helping to convey your message with an appropriate level of humour. This book is an excellent introduction to real Customer Centricity."
Neal Ross - IT Director, Konica Minolta
Neal Ross - IT Director, Konica Minolta
"This was a great book to set the tone, beliefs and principles for a program to improve the customer experience. It was an easy read with solid advise on pitfalls and attitude adjustments necessary for these kind of efforts."
Jim Sinur - Thought Leader, Author & CEO, Flueresque
Jim Sinur - Thought Leader, Author & CEO, Flueresque