Book Review: The Only Thing That Matters

I’m over due for a book review. Not too long time ago I read “The Only Thing That Matters” by Karl Albrecht. The book was written 1992 and is still highly relevant.

It is the best book I have read on customer service. What I found the best about the book is that Albrecht is not afraid of looking at the reality and state so many businesses are in today. In most businesses the customer is the least priority.

He talks about becoming a new organization, “a new customer-centered culture”. In doing so he point out that it is not hard to rank companies in terms how focus they are on customer service. He calls them dimensions. His evaluation steps are (I will partly quote here from the book):

Dimension #1: Going out of business. He says that these are companies that have not figured out the basis. One such thing is the income and expense statement. That is in, “delivering a service experience that attracts enough customers and enough income to stay afloat.” I know exactly what this looks like, because I worked for a company that I would classify in this dimension for almost two years. These are companies that are on their way to bankruptcy.

Dimension #2: Dogged pursuit of mediocrity. “These are the companies that somehow manage to survive, almost in spite of themselves”. He goes on to say that there is no commitment to quality customer service.

Dimension #3: Present and account for. “These organizations are doing OK, but operate with no particular inspiration or drive for excellence.” He says they get their “natural market share” just for showing up.

Dimension #4: Making a serious effort. “This is sometimes a transition stage and other times the high water mark beyond which some never progress.” He says you will most likely find a shared determination on customer service efforts.

Dimension #5: Service as an art form. “The few organizations at this level dominate their industries and are recognized even by their competitors as being outstanding.” He says that they got the right definition on customers in terms of delivering value.

I recently wrote about FedEx (Fred Smith on the Road). I would say that FedEx is a dimension #5 company.

This book is a good mix of business theory and practical advice. This book has already become a reference book for me as I continue my career in the business world. I highly recommend it!