The last two decades have seen the rise of the service economy, where image and customer perceptions are crucially important in building a successful business. Nigel Barlow draws on two decades of experience in 20 countries to argue that the age of service has failed to deliver on its promises. He goes far beyond the standard business-speak cliches of customer service to show why merely satisfying customers is not enough. He explores with original examples and firsthand experinces why service so often falls short of customer expectations, and shows how to think and act to create legendary service in the reader's own organization.

Chip, an android created by the high school science teacher, enrolls in junior high school, where his attempt to clear himself of charges of stealing lead to humorous adventures.

You must deliver an amazing customer experience. Why? It is the competitive edge of new-era business—in any market and any economy. Renowned customer experience expert Shep Hyken explains how consistently amazing customers through stellar service can elevate your company from good to great. All transformations require a role model, and Shep has found the perfect role model to inspire your team: Ace Hardware. Ace was named as one of the top ten customer service brands in America by Businessweek and ranked highest in its industry for customer satisfaction. Through revealing stories from Ace’s over-the-top work with customers, Shep explores the five tactical areas of customer amazement: leadership, culture, one-on-one, competitive edge, and community. Delivering amazing service requires everyone in your organization to step up and be a leader. It doesn’t take a title. It takes the right set of tools and principles. To help you empower employees at all levels, Shep brings the content to a deeply practical level. His 52 Amazement Tools—like “Ask the extra question” and “Focus on the customer, not the money”—are simple, clear, useful for almost anybody, and supported with compelling research and stories. Between these covers, you will find the tools and tactics you need to transform your company into a seriously customer-focused operation that will amaze every customer every time.

Fantastic! You've won a cmpetition. You can choose your prize - a robot toy called the Annihilator 3000, or a tour of the Toy Factory. The factory is amazing - you'd swear the toys were alive! Well, yes. That would be because they are...alive, moving and very, vere upset... Or perhaps you'd rather have the cool new robot. It walks, talks and...shoots the cat? Hey, that wasn't in the instruction leaflet! Are you sure this was the right choice? Maybe you'd better just get out of here!

Batteries are becoming increasingly important in today's world of portable electronic devices, along with the need to store electricity derived from solar and other renewable forms of energy, and the desire to introduce electric and hybrid electric vehicles to reduce emissions. Understanding Batteries is a must for all those seeking a straightforward explanation of how batteries are constructed, their operation, and the factors determining their performance and life. Beginning with a brief history of the development of batteries and a discussion of their applications and markets, the book goes on to outline the basic terminology and science of batteries. The different types of primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) batteries are then described and emphasis is given to the importance of matching the battery to the intended application. Examples are given to demonstrate how to define and prioritise the various criteria which comprise the battery specification. Throughout, the chemistry is kept as simple as possible. Understanding Batteries will appeal to a wide range of readers, including electrical equipment manufacturers and users, engineers and technicians, chemistry and materials science students, teachers and the interested battery user.

InfoWorld is targeted to Senior IT professionals. Content is segmented into Channels and Topic Centers. InfoWorld also celebrates people, companies, and projects.