Customer service is so much more than complaint resolution – it’s the support you provide your customers before, during, and after a purchase. Great customer service builds brand loyalty, drives sales, and helps create a solid reputation.
As a business owner, there are always ways to improve your customer service experience – even if you’re a seasoned professional. And not all of these improvements need to come from trial and error! Countless customer service books offer insights and proven strategies to help you create or improve your customer experience.
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Below, we’ve outlined 15 customer service books that discuss the intricacies of building trust, cultivating enduring customer relationships, and fostering brand loyalty. Together, they outline numerous helpful strategies for sustained success in your business. Let’s get started!
1. Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
From The Disney Institute and author Theodore Kinni, Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service provides insight into Disney’s long-admired customer service philosophy.
Disney’s high-quality service aims to exceed expectations and bring magic to every experience. The Disney Institute has taught customer service techniques to business leaders from various industries worldwide for decades. The book delves into the success of the companies in attendance and offers best practices on how Disney became a trusted brand.
We recommend this book because the strategies have practical applications within many businesses. Using the proven success of Disney’s customer service philosophy, you, too, can learn how to create unforgettable experiences.
Key takeaway: Disney’s renowned customer service stems from its understanding of its customers and commitment to exceeding their expectations.
Best suited for: Any small business owner looking to go the extra mile in customer service.
Where to get it: Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service.
2. Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business
In a volatile economy, authors Frances Frei and Anne Morriss highlight customer service as a strategic business asset. Rather than a siloed approach, they teach that you should weave service into all areas of decision-making.
The book encourages you to define excellence from your customers’ viewpoint and tailor service offerings to their needs.
Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business also offers practical advice on changing your perspective on customer service. When altered successfully, you can boost productivity and profit to gain a competitive advantage.
Key takeaway: By prioritizing customers, you can achieve a competitive advantage and remain aligned with your business strategy.
Best suited for: Organizations who want to treat customer service using a proactive, high-priority model.
Where to get it: Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business.
3. What Customers Hate: Drive Fast and Scalable Growth by Eliminating the Things that Drive Away Business
Nicholas Webb’s What Customers Hate: Drive Fast and Scalable Growth by Eliminating the Things that Drive Away Business provides actionable strategies for enhancing customer service by eliminating friction in the customer experience.
Although Webb argues that perfection is unattainable, he emphasizes that addressing customer grievances can effectively set your business apart. By eliminating what customers hate, your business can become the best option within your industry.
The book views customer experience as a strategic innovation for sustainable growth and profitability. Webb’s focus on long-term customer happiness shines through as he offers practical insights and proactive measures to eliminate pain points.
Key takeaway: When we eliminate what customers hate, we learn how to change the philosophical view of the customer experience.
Best suited for: B2B or B2C companies interested in strengthening customer loyalty and increasing growth.
Where to get it: What Customers Hate: Drive Fast and Scalable Growth by Eliminating the Things that Drive Away Business.
4. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Simon Sinek’s book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, delves into the common traits shared by the most successful and innovative individuals, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Steve Jobs. It emphasizes these leaders’ focus on the underlying purpose driving their actions.
Sinek introduces ‘The Golden Circle’ as a visual representation, illustrating how top-performing companies prioritize explaining their core motivations.
We recommend this book for its compelling real-life examples demonstrating how a clear sense of purpose transforms a business. Sinek’s insights highlight how inspiring others with a strong purpose can cultivate lasting customer loyalty.
Key takeaway: Leaders who understand and communicate the deeper purpose behind actions can inspire and lead more effectively.
Best suited for: Business leaders seeking to create a more inspired workforce and customer base.
Where to get it: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.
5. You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters
Kate Murphy’s You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters explores the widespread decline in listening skills despite advancements in communication technology. Through cultural insights and scientific research, Murphy provides practical strategies for improving our listening ability.
Murphy’s emphasis on prioritizing listening supports a strategic approach to improving customer satisfaction. We all know how essential active listening is for enhancing the customer experience. By genuinely listening to customers, businesses can better understand their needs and mitigate issues caused by misunderstandings.
Key takeaway: Learning about the psychology, neuroscience, and sociology behind listening can help us become better listeners and improve our relationships.
Best suited for: Anyone looking to improve their listening skills and better understand the world around them.
Where to get it: You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters.
6. Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy
Isadore Sharp built the popular Four Seasons brand through trial and error, envisioning a ‘home away from home’ experience in a new kind of hotel. The chain has upheld its five-star reputation for decades by ensuring all staff deliver exceptional service.
Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy offers valuable lessons for business owners looking to improve customer service. Sharp’s journey from rookie to hotel mogul highlights the importance of resilience and innovation in business.
Sharp’s memoir provides actionable insights into creating a customer-centric culture and maintaining high service standards. It’s an essential read for anyone aiming to elevate their customer service.
Key takeaway: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts’ success is largely due to its deep commitment to service within a visionary hotel.
Best suited for: Leaders, entrepreneurs, and customer service professionals who want to be known for service excellence.
Where to get it: Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy
7. The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
In The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, Chip and Dan Heath explore how brief moments can profoundly impact our lives. Together, they identify key elements that make experiences memorable – elevation, insight, pride, and connection.
Through compelling stories and experiments, readers learn how to design unforgettable moments for customer service. Readers also discover valuable strategies for designing unique moments that differentiate businesses and foster customer loyalty.
Key takeaway: Impactful moments break the script of everyday experiences while elevating, providing insight, creating pride, and building connection.
Best suited for: Individuals eager to enrich their personal lives and create meaningful experiences for themselves and those around them.
Where to get it: The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact.
8. Anything You Want
Derek Sivers, the author of Anything You Want, offers a transparent account of his journey in creating CD Baby, the premier platform for independent musicians.
This book offers a fresh perspective that resonates with aspiring business owners. Through his unconventional approach to success, Sivers underscores the pivotal role of passion in entrepreneurship.
While not focused solely on customer service, the book provides valuable insights. CD Baby’s triumph as a platform reflects the significance of meeting customer needs. Sivers’ transformation of passion into purpose serves as a motivating example for entrepreneurs seeking to make a meaningful impact.
With an unscripted approach, the book encourages you to start with what you have when crafting your business.
Key takeaway: Sivers’ personal business journey proves that running a successful business doesn’t need to be as difficult as you may think. Ultimately, all you need is to take action with what you have, prioritize your customers, and stay true to your values.
Best suited for: Entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking advice on developing a successful and fulfilling venture.
Where to get it: Anything You Want
9. The Customer Service Revolution: Overthrow Conventional Business, Inspire Employees, and Change the World
In The Customer Service Revolution: Overthrow Conventional Business, Inspire Employees, and Change the World, John DiJulius illustrates how exceptional customer service can become a pivotal competitive advantage for any business.
Beyond driving revenue, DiJulius emphasizes the profound ripple effect of employee treatment on customer satisfaction. Drawing from his success with John Robert’s Spa, DiJulius offers practical advice on transforming the customer experience.
The author’s extensive background as a customer service consultant provides invaluable insights. The book underscores the critical importance of internal customer service, highlighting the transformative impact of supporting employees. Well-trained and motivated teams are more likely to deliver outstanding customer experiences consistently.
Implementing DiJulius’ strategies empowers leaders to harness customer service as a catalyst for positive community impact.
Key takeaway: When we disrupt traditional customer service practices, we have the power to create exceptional experiences and propel business forward.
Best suited for: Businesses of all sizes interested in revolutionary customer service practices.
Where to get it: The Customer Service Revolution: Overthrow Conventional Business, Inspire Employees, and Change the World
10. The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioral Biases That Influence What We Buy
Richard Shotton’s book, The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioral Biases that Influence What We Buy, explores the intricate psychology of decision-making. In doing so, the book reveals the profound impact of cognitive biases on consumer behavior.
With real-life cases and academic insights, Shotton illustrates actionable methods for leveraging these biases to influence customer decisions effectively. The breakdown of 25 cognitive biases offers pragmatic advice on integrating behavioral insights into marketing strategies.
Business owners learn in-depth how understanding customer behavior can drive marketing success. By understanding how customers think, businesses can create experiences that exceed their expectations.
Recognizing and applying the 25 cognitive biases enables businesses to personalize interactions and anticipate customer preferences.
Key takeaway: Twenty-five common biases influence consumer decisions. By understanding their impact on marketing decisions, we can help influence consumer choices more effectively and ethically.
Best suited for: Business owners, marketing professionals, and anyone interested in consumer insights.
Where to get it: The Choice Factory: 25 Behavioral Biases That Influence What We Buy
11. The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service
Authored by Jeff Toister, The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service refocuses the pursuit of exceptional service internally.
A truly customer-focused culture requires employees dedicated to problem-solving and consistently exceeding expectations. The book provides step-by-step guidance on transforming your current culture into a customer-centric one. The practical exercises and tools make it invaluable for business owners starting from scratch and refining their existing culture.
Beyond initiating a culture shift, The Service Culture Handbook equips business owners to sustain changes over the long term. The book is an indispensable resource for anyone aiming to elevate their customer service to new heights.
Key takeaway: Employees committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences help create customer loyalty and better business results.
Best suited for: New or established leaders seeking practical advice for strengthening their company’s customer-focused culture.
Where to get it: The Service Culture Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Employees Obsessed with Customer Service
12. Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, And Build a Successful Business
In Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, And Build a Successful Business, author Pat Flynn demonstrates how meaningful connections can transform everyday customers into devoted fans.
People seek more than just products; they desire trustworthy advice and resources to enhance their lives. Your business can forge authentic connections with your audience by prioritizing customer needs. Consistent and positive interactions help build a loyal base of supporters who actively engage with and promote your brand.
Flynn’s book is accessible to both newcomers and established business leaders. The core strategy involves establishing and maintaining trust with your customers.
Superfans provides actionable strategies to connect with your audience on a human level and show genuine care. Creating magical moments with your brand allows everyday customers to become passionate advocates.
Key takeaway: A loyal, dedicated fan base can significantly help support companies on their quest for long-term, sustainable growth and success. To create Superfans, we must connect with them correctly and create an experience worth remembering.
Best suited for: Content creators, marketers, and business owners passionate about cultivating a stronger fan base.
Where to get it: Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, And Build a Successful Business.
13. Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers
In Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers, author Jay Baer emphasizes the importance of addressing customer complaints rather than ignoring them.
With the widespread use of smartphones and social media, customers can voice their displeasure more quickly and publicly. Baer identifies two types of complainers: offstage and onstage haters. Offstage haters seek direct solutions through traditional channels like phone and email. They’re unlike onstage haters, who use social media and review sites to gain an audience for their grievances.
This customer service book uses humorous and inspirational examples to provide practical advice on responding effectively to negative feedback. It includes specific playbooks and formulas tailored for businesses of all sizes, from small shops to global brands.
Additionally, the book features a fold-out poster called ‘The Hatrix,’ which summarizes strategies for handling various feedback situations. Hug Your Haters teaches businesses to embrace complaints and respond with speed, compassion, and humanity, ultimately turning negative experiences into positive outcomes.
Key takeaway: Although you may think you’re currently providing an amazing customer service experience, most of your customers likely disagree. The two types of complainers – onstage and offstage haters – require different strategies for successful resolutions.
Best suited for: Customer service professionals, managers, and business owners who want to learn how to handle complaints more effectively.
Where to get it: Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers.
14. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
In Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos, shares his transformative journey with the company and imparts invaluable lessons learned along the way.
By candidly examining Zappos’ missteps, Hsieh offers practical advice to help businesses avoid similar pitfalls. The book also discusses the delicate balance between profitability, passion, and purpose. Aligning these elements can fuel success for both organizations and individuals.
Ultimately, Delivering Happiness advocates creating an engaging workplace culture and consistently exceeding customer expectations. After all, these are the catalysts for building enduring customer loyalty and achieving sustainable profitability.
Key takeaway: Zappos’s founder built a company centered on customer and employee satisfaction. The company’s well-crafted values, goals, and culture have led to long-term success.
Best suited for: Business leaders invested in developing a thriving organizational culture emphasizing customer satisfaction.
Where to get it: Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose.
15. Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue
Authors Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman, and Lincoln Murphy illuminate the increasing influence of customers in today’s market landscape.
Their book, Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue, underscores the critical role of customer success teams in managing the entire sales lifecycle, from renewals to upsells. By following the insights provided, companies can strategically focus on enhancing post-sale interactions.
While the concepts explored in this text aren’t novel, the book is a practical guide for implementing a customer-centric approach. It outlines actionable steps from initial planning to execution, enabling businesses to establish effective customer success teams.
The authors navigate readers through the customer-centric marketplace by emphasizing the necessary mindset shift for delivering superior customer service.
Key takeaway: A company needs to help customers realize the value of its products and services. When you’ve nailed that, you should see churn rates, customer satisfaction, and recurring revenue improve.
Best suited for: Innovative business leaders interested in learning about a new model of customer management.
Where to get it: Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue
Conclusion on the best-selling customer service books
As some of the best customer service books, these insightful titles reveal a critical truth: exceptional customer experiences are integral to growth.
Each of the 15 titles outlined above offers a wealth of transformative knowledge, diving deep into the art of building trust. By leveraging the lessons from these books, businesses gain actionable strategies to become trusted brands that resonate deeply with their customers.
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