Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels and author of Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience. My podcast interview is now up on iTunes (click the player in the right-hand column or the link to subscribe). Here are my thoughts on the book:If you haven’t read any books on the customer experience, this is a great place to begin. Tisch, with co-author Karl Weber, presents a compelling argument for why businesses need to care about the customer experience. They researched many different examples from a variety of businesses around the U.S. to make the case for the customer experience. Included in each chapter are “Your big AHA’s” which will help readers relate each example to their own business.
Chapter One—What Happened to My Customers? is a helpful overview and a nice follow-up to Pine and Gilmore’s Experience Economy, which is now nearly a decade old. For people in healthcare, Chapter Four—The Hospitable Organization: Turning Customers into Guests offers some shining examples of hopeful change in the healthcare industry.
Museum staffers will find the last chapter interesting, as Tisch explores food service and special events as examples of brand extension in the museum world.
Jonathan and I discussed his volunteer work with the travel and tourism industries, supporting both U.S. tourism and tourism in New York City following the 9/11 attacks. If you work for a Main Street district, a heritage tourism organization, a convention and visitors' bureau, or live in an area devastated by a natural disaster, follow this link to the Discover America Partnership for resources you can use to build tourism to your area.
My thanks to Rachelle Lacroix of Fleishman-Hillard and David Polinchok at Brand Experience Lab for organizing the book tour, which continues here:
Brand Experience Lab, including a report from a live presentation by Jonathan in NYC
Customers Rock!, with questions submitted by Becky's readers
The Engaging Brand, Anna Farmery's podcast
Conversion Rate Marketing Blog, two-part podcast with Bryan Eisenberg
Vacant Ready, Q&A with Chris Clarke
Lipsticking, Q&A with Yvonne Divita
Experience the Message, Q&A with Max Lenderman
Customer Experience Crossroads, Q&A with Susan Abbott
Full disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this book at my request to prepare for the blog book tour.
Technorati Tags: customer experience, customer service, Jonathan Tisch, Loews Hotels, Chocolates on the Pillow, consultant, podcast
