Summary of Positively Outrageous Service

T. Scott Gross

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Positively Outrageous Service book summary

Editorial Rating

The rating – what does it mean?

At getAbstract, we summarize books* that help people understand the world and make it better. Whatever we select for our library has to excel in one or the other of these two core criteria:

Enlightening – You’ll learn things that will inform and improve your decisions.

Helpful – You’ll take-away practical advice that will help you get better at what you do.

We rate each piece of content on a scale of 1–10 with regard to these two core criteria. Our rating helps you sort the titles on your reading list from solid (5) to brilliant (10). Books we rate below 5 won’t be summarized. Here's what the ratings mean:

10 – Brilliant. A helpful and/or enlightening book that, in addition to meeting the highest standards in all pertinent aspects, stands out even among the best. Often an instant classic and must-read for everyone.
9 – Superb. A helpful and/or enlightening book that is extremely well rounded, has many strengths and no shortcomings worth mentioning.
8 – Very good. A helpful and/or enlightening book that has a substantial number of outstanding qualities without excelling across the board, e.g. presents the latest findings in a topical field and is written by a renowned expert but lacks a bit in style.
7 – Good. A helpful and/or enlightening book that combines two or more noteworthy strengths, e.g. contains uncommonly novel ideas and presents them in an engaging manner.
6 – Notable. A helpful and/or enlightening book that stands out by at least one aspect, e.g. is particularly well structured.
5 – Solid. A helpful and/or enlightening book, in spite of its obvious shortcomings. For instance, it may offer decent advice in some areas while being repetitive or unremarkable in others.

*getAbstract is summarizing much more than books. We look at every kind of content that may matter to our audience: books, but also articles, reports, videos and podcasts. What we say here about books applies to all formats we cover.

Qualities

Applicable

While the rating tells you how good a book is according to our two core criteria, it says nothing about its particular defining features. Therefore, we use a set of 20 qualities to characterize each book by its strengths:

Applicable – You’ll get advice that can be directly applied in the workplace or in everyday situations.
Analytical – You’ll understand the inner workings of the subject matter.
Background – You’ll get contextual knowledge as a frame for informed action or analysis.
Bold – You’ll find arguments that may break with predominant views.
Comprehensive – You’ll find every aspect of the subject matter covered.
Concrete Examples – You’ll get practical advice illustrated with examples of real-world applications or anecdotes.
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Eloquent – You’ll enjoy a masterfully written or presented text.
Engaging – You’ll read or watch this all the way through the end.
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For beginners – You’ll find this to be a good primer if you’re a learner with little or no prior experience/knowledge.
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Insider’s take – You’ll have the privilege of learning from someone who knows her or his topic inside-out.
Inspiring – You’ll want to put into practice what you’ve read immediately.
Overview – You’ll get a broad treatment of the subject matter, mentioning all its major aspects.
Scientific – You’ll get facts and figures grounded in scientific research.
Visionary – You’ll get a glimpse of the future and what it might mean for you.
Well structured – You’ll find this to be particularly well organized to support its reception or application.

Recommendation

This folksy compilation of stories about people and companies who deliver "Positively Outrageous Service" (POS) has the right mix to prove that people love great service and the companies that deliver it. The stories may meander, but author T. Scott Gross is so popular because he knows how to weave humor, personal anecdotes and actual business stories into a cohesive argument that almost all business is personal and local. This form of bottom-up business advice places great importance upon the front-line employees who represent your business. Gross explains that front-line workers can make or break your brand and your sales, no matter what size your business is. He provides good business lessons, so don’t let the light reading mislead you. getAbstract.com recommends this book to managers of any business in the service sector who want to give their employees the power and motivation to deliver great service.

About the Author

T. Scott Gross is a customer service and management expert who works with large corporations. He is the author of eight books, including Why Service Stinks.

Summary

Making the Transformation

The idea of giving great service is a transformational process for the employee, the customer and the corporation. Great service is not a lofty concept. It can come from people at all levels of an organization. Often, the people who don’t get the corporate spotlight are the ones who make the greatest impact on customer service.

Take the case of a night clerk at a national motel chain. A guest arrived very late and upset. He told the clerk that his bags were lost and that he had an important 9 a.m. meeting. It was so late that the clerk knew only one store was open that could supply a new dress shirt, a tie and the other items his guest needed. Worse, the visitor had no way of getting to the shopping center and no margin of extra time. So the night clerk gave him directions and his car. The clerk delivered "Positively Outrageous Service" (POS) and the motel chain gained a customer for life.

POS is the result when people who have a natural service instinct do whatever it takes to make a customer happy. Employees who provide POS are not following corporate guidelines or instituting some protocol; they create and implement the best possible...

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