10.04.2017

Book Clients for Life

Customers for Life is the iconic book on customer service written by the successful executive of the best auto dealership in the United States.

Carl Sewell - About the author

Cars Sewell is the head of one of the largest car dealerships in the United States. He is known among his competitors as the “impossible” man - where others sell 100 cars a year, he sells 500. Sewell independently created an entire system for attracting and retaining customers, relying on long-term relationships with them. His attention is focused on every detail - from well-trimmed lawns around car dealerships to sparkling clean toilets.

Review of the book Clients for Life

Nine Commandments of Customer Service

1. Keep customers coming back

Ask customers what they want and give it to them over and over again.

2. Systems, not smiles

Just because you say “please” and “thank you” does not guarantee that you are doing the job right. Only a systematic approach can guarantee this.

3. Underpromise, overdeliver.

Clients expect you to keep your word. Exceed their expectations!

4. When a client asks for something, your answer is always “yes.”

And only so!

5. No complaints? Something is going wrong.

Encourage clients to tell you what you're doing wrong

6. Measure everything.

This is exactly what you should do!

7. Fixed salaries are unfair.

Pay people as partners.

8. Respect comes first.

Show respect for people. Be polite.

9. Japaneseize!

Did you do well? Now do it even better!

Tips from Carl Sewell's book Clients for Life

Always price your work at 10% more than it might be worth.. Therefore, your final bill may be reduced from your estimate. Do something extra if your client agrees to pay 10% more.

Do what you promise and do it the first time.. If an employee makes a mistake, he must correct it for free, since the company does not receive money for poor quality work.

Make it easy for the customer to complain. It's unpleasant, but at least you'll have a chance to make things right.

Hire independent thinkers. The most effective people always know how to bend the rules to do a good job for the client and for the company.

Don't be afraid to pay your workers more than anyone else in your industry.. By hiring top-notch people, you will achieve more. Pay more than your competitors.

Whatever services you provide, create a “wow” effect.. Something should impress the client so that he understands how attentive to detail you are.

Customer service is neither a science nor an art, it is simply accuracy, courtesy and attention to detail. Love your customers and try to turn them into regular ones. Pay your employees five times more than your competitors, but also demand ten times more from them. Know how to admit mistakes, always start communication with the words “yes”, respect your competitors and do not hesitate to borrow the best from them. And of course you love what you do - seven days a week, 24 hours a day

This Agreement is concluded between IP Smygin Konstantin Igorevich, hereinafter referred to as the “Service Administration” and any person who becomes a user upon registration on the Service website http://site/ (hereinafter referred to as the “Service”), hereinafter referred to as the “User”, together in the text of the Agreement referred to as the “Parties”, and individually as a “Party”.

1. General Provisions

1.1. This Agreement in accordance with Art. 435 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation is a public offer. By accessing the materials of the Service, the User is deemed to have acceded to this Agreement and accepts the terms of this offer and the provisions of the Agreement (acceptance).

1.2. Unconditional acceptance of the terms of this offer is carried out by registering on the Service website.

1.3. This Agreement, concluded by accepting this offer, does not require bilateral signing and is valid in electronic form.

1.4. The use of materials and functions of the Service is governed by the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

2. Subject of the Agreement

2.1. The subject of this Agreement is the transfer by the Service Administration of non-exclusive rights to use the Service by providing access to the Service on a server owned by the Service Administration.

2.2. The terms of this Agreement apply to all subsequent updates and new versions of the Service. By agreeing to use the new version of the Service, the User accepts the terms of this Agreement for the corresponding updates, new versions of the Service, unless the update and/or new version of the Service is accompanied by another agreement.

2.3. The Service is the result of the intellectual activity of the Service Administration and is protected by the legislation of the Russian Federation on the protection of intellectual property and international law; all exclusive rights to the Service, accompanying materials and any copies thereof belong to the Service Administration. The right to use the Service is granted to the User solely on the terms and to the extent specified in this Agreement.

3. Terms of use of the Service

3.1. To start working with the Service, the User must go through the registration procedure by assigning a unique name (Login) and password. Upon completion of the registration process, the User becomes the account holder. From the moment you log into your account, the User is solely responsible for the security of the entered data, as well as the Login and password.

3.2. Upon completion of work with the Service, the User independently completes work under his account by clicking the “Log Out” button.

3.3. From the moment of registration in the Service, the User is assigned a personal account to which the User has the right to deposit a sum of money. The amount of money in the personal account is used to pay for a subscription for a certain calendar period (6 months, 12 months and 24 months) for paid services of the Service. Payment for paid services is carried out by wire transfer of funds in the form of 100% prepayment and debited from the User’s personal account.

3.4. Free services are provided to the User without any guarantees, in the quality, volume and functionality that these services have as part of the Service. This means that the User does not have the right to make claims regarding the availability, volume, quality or functionality of the free services received and uses them, accepting all risks and responsibilities associated with the use of such free services.

3.5. Paid services are considered to be provided properly and accepted by the User in full if, within 5 (Five) business days of providing the corresponding paid service, the Service Administration has not received motivated written claims from the User.

3.6. The Administration of the Service provides technical support to the User, including on issues related to the functionality of the Service and the services provided, as well as the peculiarities of operating the Service.

4. Rights and obligations of the parties

4.1. Rights and obligations of the User

4.1.1. The User undertakes not to take actions that may be considered as violating Russian legislation or international law, including in the field of intellectual property, copyright and/or related rights, as well as any actions that lead or may lead to disruption of the normal operation of the Service.

4.1.2. The User undertakes not to provide (transfer) in whole or in part to third parties the rights received by him under this Agreement, not to sell, not to replicate, not to copy the materials of the Service in whole or in part, not to alienate in any other way, including free of charge, without obtaining prior permission for all of the above actions. written consent of the Service Administration.

4.1.3. The User undertakes not to transfer passwords and logins used to access the Service to third parties and to ensure the confidentiality of their storage. In the event of unauthorized access to the login and password and/or user account, the User is obliged to immediately notify the Service Administration.

4.1.4. The User undertakes not to use software that automatically downloads and processes (disassembles) the Service’s web pages in order to obtain the necessary data.

4.1.5. The User is responsible for the content and accuracy of the data provided when registering on the Service. The User agrees to the storage and processing of the User’s personal data by the Service Administration.

4.1.6. The User has the right to access the Service at any time, except during maintenance.

4.1.7. The User has the right to use the Service within the limits of its functionality and under the conditions established by this Agreement.

4.1.8. The user has the right to deposit an amount of money equal to the subscription amount for a particular calendar period for the subsequent use of Paid services of the Service. The user can view the tariffs for Paid services of the Service at: http://site/subscription/

4.1.9. The user has the right to independently change the password without notifying the Service Administration.

4.1.10. The User has the right at any time to apply to delete the User’s account and information stored in the Service. Deletion of the User's account and information stored on the Service is carried out within 7 days from the date of receipt of the application. When deleting an account, the funds that the user spent on a subscription to Paid Services of the Service are not subject to partial or full refund.

4.1.11. Funds transferred as payment for a subscription to the Service's services are non-refundable and can be used to pay for paid services of the Service.

4.2. Rights and obligations of the Service Administration

4.2.1. The Administration of the Service is obliged to provide the User with access to the Service no later than 5 (Five) business days from the moment the User completes the registration procedure on the Service.

4.2.2. The Administration of the Service undertakes to ensure the operation of the Service, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, around the clock, 7 (Seven) days a week, including weekends and holidays, with the exception of the time of maintenance.

4.2.3. The Administration of the Service undertakes to ensure the safety of the User’s data posted in the Service for 90 (Ninety) calendar days from the date of the User’s last use of any of the paid services of the Service.

4.2.4. The Service Administration undertakes not to transfer the User’s personal data to third parties.

4.2.5 The Service Administration has the right to suspend the operation of the Service to carry out the necessary scheduled preventive and repair work on the technical resources of the Service Administration, as well as unscheduled work in emergency situations, notifying the User about this, if technically possible, by posting relevant information on the website.

4.2.6. The Service Administration has the right to interrupt the operation of the Service if this is due to the impossibility of using information and transport channels that are not the Service Administration’s own resources, or the action and/or inaction of third parties, if this directly affects the operation of the Service, including in an emergency.

4.2.7. The Service Administration has the right to update the content, functionality and user interface of the Service at any time at its sole discretion.

4.2.8. The Service Administration has the right to change the cost of paid services unilaterally.

4.2.9. The Service Administration has the right to block and/or delete the User's account, including all information content of the User, without notifying the User or explaining the reasons if the User violates the terms of this Agreement.

5. Responsibility of the parties and dispute resolution procedure

5.1. The Service is provided to the User “as is” in accordance with the generally accepted principles in international practice. This means that the Service Administration is not responsible for problems arising during the process of updating, supporting and operating the Service (including compatibility problems with other software products, as well as inconsistency of the results of using the Service with the User’s expectations, etc.).

5.2. For violation of obligations under the Agreement, the Parties are liable in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation. In this case, the liability of the Service Administration to the User in the event of a claim for damages is limited to the amount of the cost of the Paid services paid by the User.

5.3. Neither Party shall be liable for complete or partial failure to fulfill any of its obligations if the failure is a consequence of force majeure circumstances that arose after the conclusion of the Agreement and beyond the control of the Parties. In the event of force majeure circumstances lasting more than 3 (Three) months, any Party has the right to unilaterally refuse to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement (terminate the Agreement).

5.4. Since the Service is an object of intellectual property of the Service Administration, liability for copyright infringement occurs in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

5.5. The Administration of the Service is not responsible for non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of obligations under this Agreement, as well as for direct and indirect losses of the User, including lost profits and possible damage, including as a result of unlawful actions of Internet users aimed at violating information security or normal functioning of the Service; lack of Internet connections between the User’s computer and the Service Administration server; conduct by state and municipal bodies, as well as other organizations of actions within the framework of operational investigative activities; establishment of state regulation (or regulation by other organizations) of the economic activities of commercial organizations on the Internet and/or establishment by these entities of one-time restrictions that complicate or make impossible the execution of this Agreement; and other cases related to the actions (inaction) of Internet users and/or other entities aimed at worsening the general situation with the use of the Internet and/or computer equipment that existed at the time of concluding this Agreement.

5.6. If disputes or disagreements arise between the Parties arising from or related to this Agreement, the Parties will take all measures to resolve them through negotiations between themselves.

5.7. If it is not possible to resolve disputes and/or disagreements between the Parties through negotiations, then such disputes are resolved in the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

6. Other conditions

6.1. This Agreement comes into force from the date of acceptance and is valid until the Parties fully fulfill their obligations.

6.2. This Agreement may be terminated early by mutual agreement of the Parties, as well as on the initiative of the Service Administration in the event of a violation by the User of the terms of this Agreement without returning any funds to the latter.

6.3. Since this Agreement is an offer, and by virtue of the current civil legislation of the Russian Federation, the Service Administration has the right to revoke the offer in accordance with Art. 436 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. If this Agreement is revoked during its validity period, this Agreement is deemed terminated from the moment of revocation. The review is carried out by posting relevant information on the website.

6.4. The Parties have agreed that when executing this Agreement, it is permitted to use the signatures of representatives of the Parties, as well as their seals using means of fax, mechanical or other copying, electronic digital signature or other analogue of the handwritten signature of managers and seals of organizations.

6.5. The Administration of the Service has the right to unilaterally make changes to the terms of service of the Service by posting information about this on the website in public access and making changes to this Agreement.

6.6. These changes to the terms of this Agreement come into force on the date of their publication, unless otherwise specified in the relevant publication. Continued use of the Service by the User after changes and/or additions to the Agreement means the User’s acceptance and consent to such changes and/or additions.

7. Warranties

7.1. With the exception of the guarantees expressly stated in the text of this agreement, the Service Administration does not provide any other guarantees.

7.2. By agreeing to the terms and accepting the terms of this offer by accepting it, the User assures the Administration of the Service and guarantees that he:

• enters into this agreement voluntarily;
• have read all the terms and conditions of this agreement;
• fully understands and confirms the subject of the offer and agreement;
• has all the rights and powers necessary to enter into and execute this agreement.

Services surround a person all the time - in the store, at the post office, at work. Have you ever thought about their true purpose and creation? An ordinary person is not interested in how marketing maneuvers are created to attract customers, but for entrepreneurs, awareness in this area is simply necessary, because regular clientele is a strong foundation of a business. If you are planning to get your business off to a successful start or bring your company out of crisis, then you need the book “Customers for Life” by Carl Sewell and Paul Brown.

On the site you can download for free “Customers for Life” in fb2, epub, pdf, txt, doc and rtf – by Carl Sewell and Paul Brown.

What is this book about?

Every entrepreneur knows how important the flow of customers is for the stable operation of a business. The main emphasis is on regular clientele, which is considered the foundation for a successful business. This is the opinion held Carl Sewell and Paul Brown in Clients for Life. Their book was created specifically for businessmen and managers who must take care of the prosperity of their business and monitor the development of the company.

The main idea of ​​the practical guide is that if you want to attract and retain the attention of customers, you need to take into account all the details: from changing marketing strategies to paying employees.

You can listen to the audiobook “Customers for Life”, read online or download in fb2, epub and pdf directly on the website!

What does this book teach?

In Customers for Life by Carl Sewell and Paul Brown They tell you how to win and retain the attention of a potential client, turning him into a regular one. This goal is achieved thanks to the principles developed by the authors of the manual. One of the main ones is the principle of decency and honesty. It is he who should become the guide to building a successful business, because these qualities are incredibly valued by clients. To prevent employees from being rude to customers, this principle must also be applied to personnel management.

Carl Sewell and Paul Brown They will tell you in detail and clearly how to use management principles in practice, how to retain a regular client and how to ensure a continuous flow of potential ones.

You can buy the book “Customers for Life” or download it for ipad, iphone, kindle and android on the website without registration and SMS.

Who is this book for?

The information hidden on the pages of this book will be useful to everyone involved in the world of commerce. Middle managers and heads of large enterprises will find valuable tips and useful recommendations for business development under the cover of this manual.

DOWNLOAD THE BOOK “Customers for Life” for FREE

Carl Sewell, Paul Brown

Customers for life

From the publishers

This book was first published in 1990 in the USA and has gone through several reprints. We take the liberty of asserting that at the moment, among the books published in Russia, there is nothing better on the topic of attracting and retaining clients.

Although the author, Carl Sewell, sells luxury cars, his advice is not only suitable for those who work with VIP clients: even when selling cheap goods, you can (and should!) fight to ensure that people buy them from you, and not from competitors.

According to our observations, at least 80% of Russian business is designed more for one-time sales than for long-term customer retention. 80% of the remaining 20% ​​want to retain the client for a long time, but for this they use “mechanical” systems for maintaining loyalty (prizes, discount cards, etc.).

Sewell has a different approach: firstly, he considers the primary task to be customer retention, and secondly, that this can only be done by establishing human, emotional connections.

The book contains both a statement of the fundamental principles of entrepreneurship and a description of a specific integral operating system for retaining clients - using the example (of course) of the business that Karl is involved in. This system is so well thought out and versatile that it is suitable for almost any field of activity.

We started using his ideas a long time ago and can say with confidence that they work.

Igor Mann, Mikhail Ivanov and Mikhail Ferber

From a partner of the Russian publication

This book, which we received in one copy in the form of A4 sheets printed on a printer, sewn with a spring, passed from the hands of one director to the hands of another with a fight, almost against a receipt. Needless to say, I read it avidly, without interruption. Then, with a cool head, I tried to understand: what is its difference from others, what is this attractiveness hidden in? Maybe it's the authority of Carl Sewell, who has been in the auto business for so many years and managed to increase his company's turnover from $10 million to $250 million in 30 years, working with four car brands? But before I picked up this book, I had no idea who Carl Sewell was, and the company I run grew its turnover from $10,000 to $356 million in 13 years. And we already have fourteen automobile brands.

Wait, maybe the author shares some unique secrets or discovers completely new, sophisticated overseas techniques for attracting and retaining clients? No, no secret information or know-how was particularly noted in the book; more than half of everything described is successfully used in our auto centers. So what's the trick?

There is no doubt that the book will become a bestseller primarily among those working in the automobile business. The key to her success is a good, lively style and attention to detail. Because when you read, you ask yourself: did you know about this technique or this approach? Yes, I knew. Did you use it? No. Because I didn’t think it was very important. But it turns out - or rather, it turns out once again - that everything is important. Any word. Attention. Hatch. Any little thing. No, that’s wrong: there are no small things.

And for this you feel great respect for the author. Because he collects all the little things, analyzes them, puts them in order and, most importantly, uses them. And tells others how to use them. Thanks to Carl Sewell for this.

Oleg Khusaenov, General Director of the International Automobile Holding Atlant-M

The first thing any businessman wants to do, whether he works in Russia, Italy or any other country, is to increase his marketing budget to attract new clients.

Of course, this makes common sense. But if you don't think about what happens after a new client is found, it can cost you dearly. Meanwhile, you can get much more benefits from existing customers, and the price of such a business will be much lower than with a constant search for new markets.

Moral of the story: Before you rush out to find new customers, try to turn your one-time customers into lifelong customers.

This book is entirely devoted to how to achieve this.

Why should you take this approach? See: If you succeed in turning casual shoppers into loyal customers, the results will only be positive.

Selling services or products to an existing client is much easier than selling a new one. You have already established a relationship with him and know his needs. The net result: your marketing costs are reduced.

You won't have to spend a lot of effort, time and money to ensure that your customers choose you again. They are more likely to listen to your suggestions because they have already had a positive experience with you. (This is the mirror image of the first point, with a similar result: increased profits.)

If customers buy from you, they don't buy from competitors. By turning casual shoppers into lifelong customers, you win, and your competitors who don't do so lose.

Regular customers are not as price sensitive. You've already established a good relationship, and it's easier for customers to pay you a little more than to waste time looking for another company that can provide them with the same high level of service.

They will be more willing to try your other products and services. You are in a better position than other firms they have not dealt with. The trust you build initially will extend to your other offerings.

As you can see, focusing on selling to existing customers is a much more effective and less expensive marketing strategy than searching for new customers.

Why don't most marketers follow this approach? There are a number of reasons for this, starting with the fact that many are simply focused only on new deals - that is, in principle, they can only think about expanding sales markets - and ending with boredom: “We have been working with this person (or company) for a long time, we want something new."

But you need to understand that if you are not trying to qualify for a long-term relationship with your client, you are losing money on it. And possibly a lot of money.

Let's look at a simple example from my business. I sell cars. To keep the calculations simple, we will assume that the average price of a car is $25,000. As a rule, the average customer buys 10 cars from us in his lifetime. That is, it is $250,000 (not taking into account inflation, in 2005 dollars). In addition, customers spend about a third of its price on servicing the car (from oil changes to repairing dented wings). That adds up to about $82,500 for a total of $332,500. This amount can be earned by turning one car buyer into a lifelong customer.

Now imagine that a person bought a car from us for $25,000 and never came back because he didn’t like it with us. The difference in profit is $307,500. How many advertisements must be placed and how many sales must be held to earn 307,500?

It's hard to imagine a marketing campaign that can generate as much revenue as you can by convincing your existing customer to buy only from you. Keep this in mind when setting your marketing budget. Instead of launching several new programs to attract new customers, why not make sure that you are meeting the needs of existing customers as best as possible?

Are you asking what is the first step to take? Over the next week, call the 10 clients who bring in the highest percentage of your revenue, thank them, and start a conversation about how you can make their lives easier.

Customers for life Carl Sewell, Paul Brown

(estimates: 1 , average: 5,00 out of 5)

Title: Customers for Life
Author: Carl Sewell, Paul Brown
Year: 1998
Genre: Management, personnel selection, Popular business, Foreign business literature

About the book "Clients for Life" by Carl Sewell, Paul Brown

Carl Sewell is a successful businessman who managed to increase sales to unprecedented heights by attracting and retaining customers.

His book is a practical guide to working with clients (and, incidentally, to organizing the work of an enterprise, marketing and merchandising). Sewell recommends that everyone rely on repeat customers, since the mindset of one-time sales makes business unsustainable. And he convincingly proves: in order to retain a client, you need to reconsider your views not only on service as such, but also on the organization of work, remuneration, cleanliness of premises, landscape design and many other little things.

The book will be useful both to those who are just starting their business and to those who are looking for ways to further expand it.

16th edition.

On our website about books, you can download the site for free without registration or read online the book “Customers for Life” by Carl Sewell, Paul Brown in epub, fb2, txt, rtf, pdf formats for iPad, iPhone, Android and Kindle. The book will give you a lot of pleasant moments and real pleasure from reading. You can buy the full version from our partner. Also, here you will find the latest news from the literary world, learn the biography of your favorite authors. For beginning writers, there is a separate section with useful tips and tricks, interesting articles, thanks to which you yourself can try your hand at literary crafts.

Quotes from the book "Customers for Life" by Carl Sewell, Paul Brown

Good work means the following:
done correctly the first time;
Having an action plan for when things go wrong.

Thus, a vicious circle is obtained. If you treat your customers well, they will treat you well. If they treat you well, they will buy more. If they buy more, you'll earn more and therefore treat them with even more attention.

Finding the reason why a product isn't selling is just as important as finding the reason why it's selling well.

The clients are good. If a client says that he has a problem, 99 percent out of 100 that this is true. Don't let the remaining 1% change how you feel about the 99%.

Treating people kindly is only 20% of good service. The more important part is developing technologies and systems that get the job done right the first time. No amount of smiling will help you if your product or service does not suit your customer.

What is the benefit for the client?
Will the customer be able to easily understand what this benefit is?
How will the responsibilities of our employees change?
How will this idea or program impact our existing systems?
Are there any examples of successful implementation of something similar? What can we learn from others' experiences?
What could go wrong?
Will this give us an advantage over our competitors?
How much is it?
Will this allow you to make money?
When should we start evaluating results?

Don't be afraid that someone will try to exploit you. As a rule, people only call when they actually need help.

Do not take money for such additional services that are help. If you wouldn't ask a friend to pay for such help, don't ask a client either. Don't worry, you will earn more in the future than you can imagine.

Preventing any possible deviations is the most effective way to improve your service. Books by Edwards Deming, Eliyahu M. Goldratt (The Purpose), Taiichi Ohno (the man who built the Toyota Production System), and Genichi Taguchi are excellent resources for creating effective service systems.
The best example of developing a successful system is the story of McDonald's and French fries.

– Make a decision to be the best. Set your goals at the highest level; if you expect more, you will achieve more.
– The boss should be an example. A leader cannot only preach. He must lead by example. Leadership is effectiveness. If one of your goals is spotless cleanliness and you don't pick up trash in a parking lot when you see it there, don't expect any of your employees to do so.
– Celebrate your successes. This will reinforce the importance of what you believe. Talk about your values ​​and goals regularly. Mention the names of people who exceed standards often. And this information will be heard.

Download free book "Customers for Life" by Carl Sewell, Paul Brown

(Fragment)