From Publishers Weekly
If you work at a Fortune 500 company and live in southern Connecticut or New York's Westchester County (two of Manhattan's most affluent suburbs), chances are you buy your suits at Mitchells (in Westport, Conn.) or Richards (in Greenwich, Conn.). These two independent clothing stores are some of the most successful in the business and outfit CEOs from Chase, GE, IBM, Merrill Lynch and Pepsi. Mitchell, whose father started the business, shares the secret of his success in this unoriginal but cheerful guide to keeping customers happy. Hugging your customers, he says, has nothing to do with being touchy-feely around them and everything to do with offering them over-the-top service. For Mitchell, that means literally offering a customer the coat off your back, if that's the only one left in the store in the customer's size and preferred style and color. It means going to customers' homes to tie their bow ties for big events. It means serving coffee and bagels in the store and giving away hot dogs in the parking lot on summer Saturdays. Some might view this as fawning, but for Mitchell, it's the best way to keep customers coming back. His advice-know your customer, think outside the box, have a "no problem" attitude-is hardly groundbreaking. But those who work with customers daily have much to gain from this chipper, inspiring handbook. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


William J. Holstein, The New York Times
"This book is a suprising little gem."


Esquire
"Simple but winning approach to customer service."


Harry Paul, Co-author, FISH! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
"Hug Your Customers gives the business world proven techniques to ensure success for many generations."


Arthur Levitt, Jr. author of Take on the Street, former chairman SEC, present friend and customer of Mitchells
"The Mitchell method is simple, straightforward and incredibly effective. Business people as well as consumers will benefit . . ."


Larry Bossidy, CEO, Honeywell International Inc.
"Hug Your Customers can change your attitude and outlook while helping you become more successful. A must read!"


Larry Bossidy, former CEO of Honeywell
"Lots of merchants profess a devotion to customers, but Mitchells practices that devotion in every conceivable way . . . A must read!"


Don Peppers, co-author (with Martha Rogers) of The One to One Future: Building Relationships One Customer at a Time
"This is a terrific read -- a mixture of wonderful, insightful anecdotes, along with brilliantly simple and useful advice."


Seymour Sternberg, CEO, New York Life Insurance
"Great book-required reading for anyone who manages a business where customer service counts."


Richard J. Harrington, President and CEO, The Thomson Corporation
"Jack Mitchell has created an organization that epitomizes the best in customer service."


Jeffrey J. Fox, author of How to Become a Rainmaker
"Follow the tenets of Hug Your Customers and your business will be more stable, you'll make more money . . ."


Book Description
A master of customer service reveals his secrets for developing long-lasting business relationships and customer loyalty. "We shower our customers with attention. There's no doubt in my mind that our philosophy can be applied to selling just about anything -- from aircraft engines to beanbags." (Jack Mitchell) The only way to stay in business is with customers, and Jack Mitchell knows how to attract them, and how to keep them. He has a deceptively simple but winning relationship approach to customer service -- that a relationship is at the heart of every transaction. Jack's business philosophy is based on "hugs" -- personal touches that impress and satisfy the customer, such as: -- Remembering the name of your customer's dog
-- Calling a customer to make sure he's satisfied after a purchase
-- Having a "kids' corner" with TV, books, and treats
-- Knowing your customers golf handicap
-- Introducing customers to business contacts
-- Letting your customer use your office to make a personal phone call This is a proven theory -- hugging works! Mitchells/Richards achieves among the highest margins in its industry, as well as amazing customer loyalty. Complete with anecdotes that exemplify outstanding customer service, Hug Your Customers shows how any business can adapt this hugging philosophy to attract great staff, lower marketing costs, and maintain higher gross margins and long-term revenues. At a time when customer service has become the difference between success and failure, Hug Your Customers shows how Jack's one-of-a-kind philosophy brings the results you're looking for.


Download Description
HUG YOUR CUSTOMERS is about customer service and how Jack Mitchell has practiced it by extending "hugs" - unexpected extras, from knowing each customers name, along with their family members and clothing preferences, to handing out free coffee and newspapers on the Greenwich commuter train platform to say thanks (and by extension "Shop at Mitchells"). Mitchell looks at sales as being about something other than the product. You're not selling clothing, you're selling the relationship. That's why on Saturdays, many people come to Mitchells just to see what's going on. In the summer, he's giving away hot dogs. Any time a regular customer walks in, the sales staff knows his name, spouse's and kids' names, clothing preferences and last purchase.


Book Info
Text reveals secrets for developing long-lasting business relationships and customer loyalty. Shows how to include personal touches that impress and satisfy the customer, such as remembering the name of your customer's pet; calling a customer to make sure he's satisfied after a purchase; and having a 'kid's corner' with a t.v., books, and treats.


About the Author
Jack Mitchell is the CEO of Mitchells/Richards, two of the most successful clothing stores in the business. He and his wife, Linda, live in Wilton, Connecticut, where they raise their four sons.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A master of customer service reveals his proven secrets to developing long-lasting relationships and customer loyalty -- by making business personal. Once a customer, always a friend -- that is the simple philosophy behind Mitchells/Richards, two of the most successful clothing stores in the nation -- and that is why Jack Mitchell, his family, and associates inspire the enduring loyalty and admiration of his customers, including today's top CEOs. Jack's two stores, Richards in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Mitchells in Westport, Connecticut, suit up discerning customers from across the country. Now for the first time, Jack Mitchell shares the secrets of his family's innovative merchandising and management approach in his book Hug Your Customers. It's a deceptively simple but winning approach to customer service -- that a relationship is at the heart of every transaction. Jack Mitchells' business philosophy is based on "hugs"-- personal touches such as knowing every customer's name and clothing preferences or handing out free coffee and newspapers on the commuter train platform. Complete with anecdotes that exemplify outstanding customer service, Hug Your Customers shows how any business can adapt this hugging philosophy to attract great staff, lower marketing costs, and maintain higher gross margins and long-term revenues. At a time when customer service has become the difference between success and failure, Hug Your Customers shows how Jack's one-of-a-kind philosophy brings winning results.

FROM THE CRITICS

Esquire

Simple but winning approach to customer service.

Matt Lauer

It's all about service! What pleasure buying clothing from people who make you feel like family.

David Komansky

They have been a beacon — and a leader — in developing sincere and deep relationships with clients.

Publishers Weekly

If you work at a Fortune 500 company and live in southern Connecticut or New York's Westchester County (two of Manhattan's most affluent suburbs), chances are you buy your suits at Mitchells (in Westport, Conn.) or Richards (in Greenwich, Conn.). These two independent clothing stores are some of the most successful in the business and outfit CEOs from Chase, GE, IBM, Merrill Lynch and Pepsi. Mitchell, whose father started the business, shares the secret of his success in this unoriginal but cheerful guide to keeping customers happy. Hugging your customers, he says, has nothing to do with being touchy-feely around them and everything to do with offering them over-the-top service. For Mitchell, that means literally offering a customer the coat off your back, if that's the only one left in the store in the customer's size and preferred style and color. It means going to customers' homes to tie their bow ties for big events. It means serving coffee and bagels in the store and giving away hot dogs in the parking lot on summer Saturdays. Some might view this as fawning, but for Mitchell, it's the best way to keep customers coming back. His advice-know your customer, think outside the box, have a "no problem" attitude-is hardly groundbreaking. But those who work with customers daily have much to gain from this chipper, inspiring handbook. Agent, Jacques de Spoelberch. (June) Forecast: Blurbs from media and business high rollers, including Today cohost Matt Lauer, former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt and Merrill Lynch CEO David Komansky, will increase awareness, as will ads in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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