TESTIMONIALS
Praise for SMILE: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service
101 Glowing Testimonials
"We have started an “evidence” book full of positive customer feedback. Since we read Smile as a team, our evidence book has exploded."
—Thad Szott, Thad Szott Auto Group, Highland, MI
"Customer service is the heart of all business - get it right and experience success or settle on being mediocre. This book helps you get it right!"
—Robert Lameier, President and CEO, Miami Savings Bank, OH
"Manecke reminds us that these simple manners are essential to any company's bottom line and shows how to implement them in a purposeful, effective way. Star Rating: 5 out of 5."
—San Francisco Book Review
"Lots of lessons to live by in sales and service."
—Dan Bolda, President, Michigan Pension & Financial, Farmington Hills, MI
“I'm a big fan of your book, SMILE: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service. A must read for any retailer.”
—Bill Quiseng, Award-Winning Customer Service Expert, Keynote Speaker, Author and Blogger
"Get your employees started right! Does your company need customers? Do you need to KEEP them? This book is the perfect starting point for any employee who will interact with customers. In a very clear and concise fashion, the author lays out the common sense rules for creating a delightful customer "experience." The real question is, why don't more businesses pay attention to these elementary ideas? Well, now, there is simply no excuse! If every employee is trained in the ideas presented here, the company's results will dramatically improve almost immediately! Make this book the mandatory starting point for training your people in customer service!"
—Kelly Riggs, author and business performance coach, Oklahoma
"An excellent crash course in customer service-read it to become a quick study at delighting those you serve."
—Katya Andresen, SVP Card Customer Experience, Capital One, author, Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes
"Move over Peter Glenn as you sit in Customer Service heaven, someone is channeling you."
—Paco Underhill, author, What Women Want: The Science of Female Shopping
"If every retailer read this book - just the page "Never Ask 'Can I Help You?'" - they'd quadruple their sales."
—Brian Jud. author, Consultant, and President Book Marketing Works, LLC, Avon, CT
"Great buy! Worth the time! Length is great it's perfect for training. I work for a hospital and it's amazing how this simple but well needed information can increase patient experience. There's a bit of the book that focuses on simple things we all need to be reminded of and then it adds new information I never heard or thought of in the way the author explains it. Short and insightful. Worth the time."
—Amber, Santa Rosa, CA
"Brilliant read."
—Trish, online review
"Good, effective and easy to read. Bought after it was recommended at a works training day. Found it easy to read and not too long. It was clear after I read it that that training session was inspired by the principles in the book. I read it then found it much later and reread it to refresh. Simple but effective ideas. I worked in retail luxury skincare at the time and it was mostly relevant to my job."
—Online review
"Very nicely done. Lots of very practical advice and short enough that it is not intimidating to front line staff and supervision."
—John Goodman, author, Strategic Customer Service
"How many times have shoppers been turned off, because they weren’t turned on by the sales help? Kirt Manecke of Milford has written a book for sales people that starts with the fundamental message, “Smile.” His small soft bound book is a quick read, outlining the basic principles of customer service and sales."
—The Oakland Press
"Feeling welcome can mean so much for the success of business. "Smile, Sell More with Amazing Customer Service" discusses the importance of service with a smile and how to better reach out to your customers to keep them coming back again and again with excellent service that they can't get anywhere else. "Smile, Sell More with Amazing Customer Service" is a strong addition to business collections, highly recommended."
—The Midwest Book Review
"Smile is very simple, very effective. It helps me create the environment I want for my employees and customers. Everything in the book is basically common sense, but it’s written so concisely and clearly, it can be read in under an hour. Everyone who works in the store, including myself, is responsible for reading Smile. We want everyone to understand how important it is to do as the book recommends."
—Ken Snook, owner, Colasanti's Market, Highland, MI
"Great buy! Worth the time! Length is great it's perfect for training. I work for a hospital and it's amazing how this simple but well needed information can increase patient experience. There's a bit of the book that focuses on simple things we all need to be reminded of and then it adds new information I never heard or thought of in the way the author explains it. Short and insightful. Worth the time."
—Amber, Santa Rosa, CA
"Need a quick resource to boost your customer service? This 106-page book by Kirt Manecke provides just that! Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service is a quick 60-minute read that provides concrete ways to train your staff to engage customers and sell more. Not everyone is a born salesman, but this crash course in customer service can help them on the way!"
—Smart Retailer magazine
"A great book that you can take action with!"
—Will Roche, former Senior Vice President Raymark, SC
"Everything in this book should be used daily."
—Larry Krispin, head buyer, Hiller's Markets
"I love this book!"
—Sherry Skyler Kelly, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Neuropsychologist, Mind and Heart Coaching, CT
"I just completed your SMILE sell more book. Loved the “above and beyond” training approach for sales but truly related to how these are success skills for any work situation. Do what you say, be honest and helpful, listen and care about the needs of the person you are working with...skills that work! One side quote states that it costs five to ten times as much to attract a new customer as it does to keeping an existing one. In my HR world this can be applied to turnover, as well. Better to create a culture that attracts and retains talent then one built on believing everyone is replaceable."
—Deborah Montrose, trainer and coach, Engage Forward
"I loved how this book gives skills that the students really, really need…A+ already!"
—Learning Magazine, Teachers' Evaluation Comments, Teachers' Choice Awards
"This is a book you need to add to your reading list. Great book, easy read... lots of excellent tips that can be put to use immediately."
—Annette Franz, Founder, CEO, CX Journey, One of “The 100 Most Influential Tech Women on Twitter” by Business Insider
"I read your book this weekend and loved how you teach the importance of the basics which seem to be lacking in today's world. The examples you give of specific dialog and verbiage to use in each situation are great. There are definitely a lot of retailers that could benefit from this resource!"
—Karen May, sales representative, Birmingham, MI
"The challenge is making good customer service happen, and happen consistently…have found a tool to assist their employees in that endeavor: the book Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service by Kirt Manecke."
—STORES magazine, National Retail Federation
"What a great experience I would have if every business I stepped into embraced the customer service principles in this book."
—The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
"Excellent Training for Retail Sales. It is short, well organized, simple and very direct. You do not have to wade through lots of fluff to find the real information that will help you improve your selling skills. It can also be used as a teaching tool to train your staff."
—John Chancellor, Mentor Coach, Spring Hill, TN
"Customer service should be easy: take care of the customer. In real life, it doesn't work out that way. Employees and managers aren't empowered to do that. This book gives you practical action steps on taking care of the customer within the scope of your authority. This short book should be mandatory for anyone dealing with customers."
—Dave Greenbaum, Technology Writer
"You are going to get more sales if you know the fundamentals in Smile. Once you know these fundamentals, your batting average goes up 99%. With a minimal investment in training with this book, you get so much more ROI. If you just do these basic fundamentals in Smile you will make so much more money."
—Rich Lindhorst, President, HomeCarePost.com
"My husband LOVES Smile and so do I! Every business and nonprofit should have this book for each one of their staff and volunteers. Middle and high schools and colleges and universities should use Smile to supplement their text books. It’s simple, quick and easy to read, and a great reference handbook. It’s an amazing book!"
—Pat Patterson, CPA, Bloomfield Hills, MI
"I read Smile and it is excellent! My daughters are not going into sales but I wanted them to read Smile also to improve how they present themselves in life. Smile is full of great tips."
—Dave Csatari, father, Brighton, MI
"The need is there, but many businesses don't have time or money for training in customer service and sales excellence. This book is a quick and affordable solution."
—Graham Van Dixhorn, owner, Write To Your Market, Inc.
""Smile," by Kirt Manecke, should be must reading for anyone involved in customer service. However, its application is certainly much broader than this, extending to salespersons; directors of developments; insurance agents, accountants, financial planners, and anyone else who makes a living interacting with clients; and, for that matter, anyone who wants to interact positively with the people with whom he or she comes into contact in daily life.
"Smile" is well-written and to the point and says briefly what others have said in much longer books. And it's an hour well spent. But there's more. Manecke also shows the reader how to stress the benefits of a particular product, how to close a sale (something a lot of us are not adept at doing), and how to graciously handle returns and deal with other sources of customer dissatisfaction. For the most part this is simple, straightforward advice, which means it should be easy to follow. As someone who has often been on the receiving end of both great and terrible customer service, I can attest to the fact that it works."
—Doug Erlandson, NE
"A must-read for employers and employees everywhere!"
—Peter Wottowa, Entrepreneur and small business owner, Denver, CO
"Thanks for your great book! It has all of those great secrets that shouldn't be secret at all."
—Steve Qua, former Buick auto dealer and former Chairman, HeadWaters Land Conservancy
"Manecke's award-winning book delivers just the right dose of customer-friendly medicine to help your store get back into stellar service shape... Yet you alone reading it is not enough. Make your whole team of store support read Smile: Sell More With Amazing Customer Service!"
—Retail Minded magazine
"Every business and employee should read this terrific book BEFORE they start working with customers. Moms, this is a wonderful book for graduates and young people entering the workforce, or for anyone who works with people. Buy it today!"
—Suzanne Gilbert, Creative Director, Main Street Art, Milford, MI
"I read Smile and thoroughly enjoyed it!! I saw a lot of tips libraries could use. The layout was so user friendly that I wanted to read more."
—Tammy Johnson, Milford Library, Milford, MI
"Good stuff!! A great book with solid advice on how to become a great customer service rep. The book is filled with practical, common sense advice. Everyone who works with customers could use it because, as Mark Twain once said, "Common sense isn't so common anymore."
—Mike Brooks, President, Inside Sales training/coaching/consulting, Woodland Hills, CA
"If you deal with people, regardless of industry or setting, for profit or non-profit, you need the skills in this book."
—Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest, authors, Who's Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan
"If you are serious about separating your business from the competition and improving your bottom line, (not to mention enjoying your customers a whole lot more!) this book is a must-read for you and everyone on your team."
—Colleen Kilpatrick, Marketing and Customer Retention Coach
"There's a whole generation of kids raised without social skills. Smile is the solution!"
—Joe Keller, Father of Two, Auburn Hills, MI, author
"Smile is a wonderful book with a commonsense approach to customer service that anyone can benefit from."
—Pam Herman, buyer, Horizon Books, Traverse City, MI
"Read your book SMILE and loved the practical how-to common sense approach. Every teenager getting their first service job whether in retail or restaurant should be required to read it. Poor customer service is a pet-peeve of mine, from anyone of any age. Can't wait to read your next two books!"
—Sue Choma, mother of two, Novi, MI
"Smile should be required reading for every student in Detroit public schools."
—Father of two, Southeast Michigan
"Great for us volunteers, but everyone in service should read! I volunteer for a large, national non-profit, and found this book great reading. Most of us volunteers are not "professional" fund raisers or PR people -- we are just ordinary people with day jobs who volunteer for causes that we are passionate about. This book gives great tips that are useful when interacting with our clients, donors, and community groups.
However, everyone in a customer service position should read Smile! Every story I have ever told about recieving great customer service, I can find a section in this book that illustrates it. For example, there is a florist where my mom lives who knows me by name, so she gets all of my business -- calling a customer by name is in Chapter 2 of Smile.
Similarly, every story I have ever told about horrible customer service, you can find where they were violating the recommendations from Smile, such as not knowing the products they sell (what good is a salesperson who doesn't know their products?). I am tempted to buy extra copies to give to people who have not learned these lessons, "here, this is for you, please read the whole book, but especially page 38 on not making the customer wait. I highly recommend this book!"
—Tom Montgomery, Plymouth, MI
"I read your book cover-to-cover yesterday. Really good stuff, AND it took me around 45 minutes. Great lessons, lots of wisdom, engagingly written, beautifully produced, exceptionally unintimidating, and most importantly, easy for anyone (from novice employees to seasoned folks) to get through fast. In our moving-at-the speed-of-light world, a book like this is a true gift for any service business looking to easily separate themselves from the herd."
—Peter Bowerman, author, The Well-Fed Writer
"Every receptionist in America should have this book."
—Brian Jud, author, Consultant, and President, Book Marketing Works, LLC, Avon, CT
"Smile is very helpful. It teaches you to smile and be positive, and if you do this, customers will be positive back. It gives you every single situation and what you should do. Now I'm a lot more talkative and able to engage with customers than before I read Smile. It's a really good book. I could not put it down. It gets right to the point. Everyone should read it."
—Zamira, South Sheridan Laundry, Denver, CO
"Great for businesses too. I found this book very helpful in trying different types of technics in helping me with my home based business."
—Theresa Robbins
"Yes it’s basic. Yes you’ve probably heard it all before. Yes it’s short. And yes it’s ‘spot on’. Author Kirt Manecke has written a great book on customer service…They are all tried and tested – meaning ‘true’ – they actually work. I was thinking about ‘Smile’ when I had two service experiences yesterday. The first was a local stationery supplier (not one of the chains) and when I entered the store I thought no-one was there. I expected someone to come from the back to serve me. After what seemed like a few minutes I looked around to see the service person sitting on a stool behind the counter in the corner – I had to actually approach him! By contrast, I then visited my local pharmacy where I was greeted as I entered by the service person with a bright smile and a warm “Hello”. On browsing the shelves, the Pharmacist then approached me and asked how he could help. This second experience typifies what Manecke is on about.
The book is aimed at anyone involved with customer service – be they managers, business owners or employees. This is a book that I would recommend highly to any customer service manager or business owner who wants to set policy, train their staff or just take a ‘refresher’ – it will be well worth your while. Five stars."
—Bob Selden, Managing Director, The National Learning Institute, Australia
"I work in a sales role at a national non-profit, and was really struggling. Smile offered a step by step guide to my job, even though I'm not selling a tangible product. The tips are transferable and they are presented in a straight to the point and easy to apply/process format. Manecke is honest when he says "the essential 60-minute crash course." Because the short time commitment and the usefulness of the information, I recommend this book to anyone in a sales position."
—Liz Revard, MI
"I really like how Kirt breaks it all down into simple language. If you are a sales person or own your own business then this book is a must. After each chapter you can utilize the key points right away. The customer is king may still be true but today people want an experience, a reason to buy. You can use the phrases like a script especially when engaging your customer or if selling is not ingrained In your DNA. This book is a working tool for any sales person or business owner. What a GEM."
—Elaine J. Sterling, Founder, The Elaine Sterling Institute, Atlanta, GA
"How you approach people sets you up for life and Smile teaches children these important people skills. They will use the valuable skills they learn in this book to become successful adults in their personal and business lives."
—Phyllis Brantingham, Media Tech-Librarian, Spring Mills Elementary School, Highland, MI
"I just finished reading a gift, the wonderful book Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service. What I loved most about the book is that it took me about one hour to read, so I actually read it- cover to cover. It is a wonderful and to-the-point 101 on customer service and the steps to help keep customers happy and satisfied. Most of us have been the sales person at one time and also the customer, so these are concepts that are on target for anyone.
I recommend the book to everyone, especially business owners, non-profiteers and anyone in sales. And most importantly, I love that a portion of the proceeds are donated to animal welfare. Thank you Kirt, for offering your time to empower the people and the animals! Because we all just want to smile."
—Melissa Malinowski, Naturopath Practitioner, Grand Rapids, MI
"A must-read for people who want to improve their customer service skills! This book is a must-read for anyone who works in customer service or wants to work in customer service, or for managers who want to improve their employees' customer service skills. The author breaks down the essentials of good customer service and sales, and explains them in a way that's easy to understand, with examples of how to apply each concept. It's easy to adapt these principles to your business, no matter what product or service your company sells."
—Erica Martinon
"I am a multi-unit retail manager and have been in customer service management for over 25 years. I'm impressed with how deftly "Smile" teaches everything that is missing from most customer service experiences these days. Manecke returns to the good old days of making a profit by treating customers with respect and friendliness.
I want to buy copies of this book to carry around and hand out to all the rude and dispassionate sales people I run into every day! And then I'd like to give it to the small business owners that haven't trained their staff to represent them well. If you want to help your staff help customers want to spend money in your store, BUY THIS BOOK!"
—RLLCT, District Manager
"I did get the book and a cup of Starbucks and I did read it in 1 hour! I really enjoyed it and am implementing some of the techniques already in my interactions with people. Thank you!"
—Amy Zeilenga, Executive Director, Byron Center Chamber of Commerce, Byron Center, MI
"WOW! Well worth the time and money. What I found helpful about Smile was that it really focused on the basics that so many of us can do well, but we often forget or would never think of. Eye contact. Follow up. "May I put you on hold?" The little things that we observe in our daily lives when we are on the receiving end of customer service. The book has already paid for the investment of $15 and ~90 minutes.
As I read Smile, I went back and made three lists: 1) habits I already do in my job; habits I probably can't do in my job, and habits I should start doing. I have been able to work the new habits into my daily routing, clients are noticing, and I'm closing more sales (too early to quantify the amount) and relationships seem to be getting stronger. It would be just fine with me if everyone (except my competitors) read this book. Well done!"
—TGFBV
"I read Smile before turning it over to other staff members within my organization. I asked them to review the book and provide me with their feedback. All of the members that read the book agreed that it was a quick read that was understandable and the concepts useful. It was agreed by the staff that anyone within the organization that has interface with our customers would be required to read the book. Moreover, our organization will be using this book as the foundation to develop a new customer service training program.
In addition to utilizing the book at work, I presented it to my 16 year old son for Christmas. He will be entering into his first job in retail this summer and I have no doubt that the skill sets he will learn by reading Smile will make his first job experience a positive one. Smile is basically about sound interpersonal skill sets. Kirt does a wonderful job of taking what is for many difficult and abstract social skills and presenting them in an easy to understand and deployable manner. In short, Smile is a useful book for anyone young (first job), business (customer service), or just someone who wants to develop better interpersonal skill sets."
—Richard Sereno, President, Oji Intertech, Inc., North Manchester, IN
"The Essential 60-minute crash course to Transform Your Sales, and Your Career, One Happy Customer at a Time."
—Trainers Warehouse, Natick, MA
"To the point. Clear, concise, practical. That describes the book "Smile" by Kirt Manecke. The book is a quick course in customer service. No theory here. Manecke has identified the specific behaviors necessary to creating positive customer experiences and increasing sales. This is a useful resource to provide new employees. It is a quick read and can serve as a useful ongoing resource."
—Mitchell R. Alegre, New York
"Easy guide to customer service. Great reference tool to have on hand. What a great tool. Very easy to understand. Easy to refer to in particular situations that arise in a daily role of customer service. This book states "sell more" but it could also say "find loyal customers". If you do this, your customer will be loyal. It can be a quick read or you can take time to think of all types of area's where you can use the idea. When reading it launched me into other ideas of how to treat customers, even employees, peers and the boss. A simply great find right here."
—Jennifer Champagneon
"Thank you. No problem? Find out what is wrong with "no problem" as well as many other customer service errors when you read this book. We all sell and reading this book will benefit your sales. This should be taught in grade school."
—Bill Baehr, Wyoming
"There is nothing original in the advice here, the only sections that could not have been given fifty years ago are those that rely on the advances in technology. Yet, the points are all valuable and effective in giving you an edge over your competitors. If you sell the same products as others, the only possible way you can top them is to either have a much better location or to offer much better customer service. Yet, superior customer service can overcome a poor location and even having a slightly inferior product. Poor customer service can conquer all other advantages you may have, so reading this book will help improve your bottom line, which is the whole point of being in a position to offer customer service."
—Charles Ashbacher, Marion, Iowa
"Kirt's series of books on customer service are so accurate with such a simple message...smile, be nice, treat people with respect. These are the skills that will build a connection with your customer base and I use in my business. Our school district has purchased his teen books for courses in both our middle and high schools. If you're a teacher or school administrator I highly recommend these books to teach these skills to our youth."
—Michelle Hutchinson, Owner, Mobile Apps, Highland, MI
"SMILE’s easy-to-use format and well-rounded content makes it this book a informative source for those wanting to brush up on their social skills, a nice companion to an existing training program or a simple strategy for a small company to follow, or a foundation on which to build a customer service program.
Though touted as a customer service tool, much of Manecke’s advice is based on common sense social etiquette, effective communication skills and basic psychology that makes SMILE appealing and relevant to a vast audience ranging from employees and employers, high school students to high level business people, from sales staff to teachers to anybody that has a job requiring human interaction."
—IndieReader 5 star review
"I’d recommend it to anyone who sells anything. This book really hit the mark. Since my aim is truly to help people, it helps you feel confident in what you're selling. I'd recommend it to anyone who sells anything. I'm starting a business and I'm going to base my employees training on this book! And it was a quick read. I didn't have to spend days to get the important info that I needed. Good stuff Kirt."
—Online Review
"Very practical book! Kirt Manecke has written a jewel of a book on customer service. It is a quick read, but packs a punch. Kirt gives great examples with focus on the details with clear rational for each topic. The skills in the book can be immediately put to work. I also loved the quotes throughout the book. Great book. Very practical!"
—Online Review
"I highly recommend Smile to everyone working in education! The techniques in Smile definitely create stronger connections with others and make them feel important. I keep Smile on my desk and refer to it every day. Smile helped me improve my customer service techniques, including not having my cell phone out, making eye contact and smiling when I walk down the halls, making sure I connect with everyone in the building and say "Good morning or good afternoon!”
—Tammy Hansford, Master of Education, Teacher Consultant, Ann Arbor, MI
"Great guide for people who are entering the customer service industry. This book is an excellent resource for people starting a customer service job or entrepreneurs who are building a business that is largely dependent on customer interactions. For people who have spent years in the customer service industry and worked with companies that provided extensive training, this book will repeat a lot of information that you already know.
You are provided with practical advice and tips that cover pretty much every aspect of customer service from the first introduction to the end of the interaction. It stresses the importance of making everyone feel important and catering to them in a way that provides a positive memorable experience. This book is a reminder that the companies that make customer service a top priority tend to have more longevity and a very loyal consumer base. Even if you have spent time working in customer service but need to touch up on your skills or want to improve in that area, you should read this book."
—Pamela Parker
"A must read for salespeople. This is one of the best books on sales attitude I have read in many years! Kirt went above and beyond what I expected to read in this book. Kirt brought out all the stops, if you want to become the best salesman in your field of sales than this book is for you!"
—Rev. Floyd Cryer, Kentucky
"I really enjoyed reading your book. I believe that there are many businesses and sales professional that can really benefit from Smile and your process."
—George Haralampopoulos, owner, Growth Strategies 4 U, Bloomfield Hills, MI
"You have written a very nuts and bolts practical book that helps businesses make money."
—Steve Fadie, author, Words to the Rescue: The sentiment guide for the tongue tied
"Meant to be used by business owners, new employees, and seasoned sales personnel, it centers on excelling in customer service by being personable, smiling, and positive. I appreciate the common sense instructions that are well-organized, listing topics that cover one to four pages with bolded fonts, shaded reminder boxes, and suggested dialogue to use in particular situations. If you are looking for a book to use for your business that deals with sales and people, this would be a good addition for training purposes."
—Conny Withay, Salem, OR
"I read Smile and it's funny because the very next day the first customer I assisted after reading it called my manager to say what a nice job I did. I took Dale Carnegie but I think we all need Smile as it is a refresher. We use it here for training and they are having all the managers read Smile."
—Robin, Colasanti's Market, Highland, MI
"Kids are not learning manners these days. Every child in America should read Smile!"
—Leslie Baker, Mother, Milford, MI
"A clear and concise book that takes approximately 60-90 minutes to read. Easily completed in one evening. Short sections and to the point. Not any 'fluff'. A great reminder that customer service is primary to success and it gives great ideas and examples on how to provide that customer service. A good reminder that a smile, attentiveness, manners and respect go a long way in today's world. These are sorely lacking and providing them builds relationships, trust and ultimately satisfied customers who return and tell others. A great read and a good teaching tool for anyone in customer service in any business - car sales, retail, anywhere. Everyone could benefit from this, whether in sales or not. Should be required reading in all companies because internal customers are important, too. Worth the time investment to read."
—Online Review
"The book is fantastic and full of great reminders. Sometimes the little things are what makes a difference between two services. I am going to make this book a working part of my business. Not only is it full of great principles, it helps to pull our focus towards what is important and why we are successful; our clients!"
—Rhett Reader, Owner, Milford Counseling, Milford, MI
"To be honest...everybody needs this book."
—Mary Kabisa, owner, Casa De Amica (inside Colasanti’s Market), Highland, Michigan
"As Owner and CEO of My Busy Butterfly, LLC - An Errands and Concierge Company, it is of utmost importance that my Butterflies provide superior service that goes above and beyond to all our delightful clients. Therefore, Smile! is a huge part of my training program because it not only reminds and prepares, but helps them succeed while out in the field. Thank you, Kirt, for this great little but mighty gem!"
—Amy Gresock, CEO and Founder, My Busy Butterfly, LLC, Brighton, MI
"Your book is excellent! It’s full of lots of useful information. I enjoyed it."
—Ron Berry, Farm Bureau Insurance, Brighton, MI
"Smile is fun to read and then apply the skills and see what positive things happen. It works!"
—Connie Epley, Dayton, OH
"Congratulations! It's a wonderful book, nicely done, and I enjoy the positive message it delivers."
— Simoe Llerandi, Graphic Designer, San Diego, CA
"A Mom's Choice Gold Award Recipient!
Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. The Mom’s Choice Awards honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of PBS’s Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times best-selling Author and; LeAnn Thieman, motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books. Parents and educators look for the Mom’s Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families.
— Mom’s Choice Awards®
"Five stars. Brilliant read."
— Patricia Aschero
"An EXCELLENT book! I was a national sales manager for 18 years and have seen a lot of sales and customer service books-but this one is right on. It hits every important point, and it is condensed and quick to read. I was suspicious when it said 60 minutes, but I was pleasantly surprised as I read it in 45 minutes. We are going to have all our staff read Smile."
— David Lauridsen, Main Street Grille and Tavern, Milford, MI
"I would use the book as a go-to reference guide."
— Online Review
"Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service is a quick yet idea filled read. As a retired teacher I purchased this book for ideas as we are creating a new school. I wanted to seek answers that would help us begin strong and continue. Kirt's ideas are simple and workable. They can be carried out by any member of any organization. The book is easy to read and clearly organized. The suggestions are easy to learn and carry out."
— Judy K., retired teacher
"Comprehensive manual. Full of practical and effective tips on every aspect of customer service, a manual to be referred to again and again!"
— Online Review
"As a partner in an automotive dealership group, how we approach customer service is more than important, it’s life or death for our business...This training can be delivered many different ways and we chose Kirt Manecke’s Smile: Sell More with Amazing Customer Service as a major component of our core training. The message delivered in this book resonates perfectly in today’s world and falls right in line with our “attitude is everything” foundation.
This book has a simple comprehension, a quick delivery, and is right on target! What else can you ask for? I highly recommend this book to all those businesses who deal directly with people.
We have started an “evidence” book full of positive customer feedback. Since we read Smile as a team, our evidence book has exploded."
—Thad Szott, Thad Szott Auto Group, Highland, MI (full testimonial)
"This is one of the best resources available to quickly train a large customer service staff. The book is a quick read and contains proven techniques for closing new clients and maintaining current customers. Manecke has been able to present all the essentials in a quick and engaging fashion.
If you are a Service Desk manager and need to quickly train a staff of 100+ customer service representatives, Manecke's book is a great resource. Your staff will be able to quickly understand and apply the material which will translate into improved customer service metrics for your company."
—Rick Jacobs, Franklin, MI
"Over the years I've read Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar and others. But I think you're right on target with your nice little book called Smile. Congratulations on a job well done! It's loaded with good, good stuff. It's just dynamite."
—Dr. Joseph Mastomatteo, DDS, Birmingham, MI
"Great Principles for everyone: This book needs to be in every store including the corporate franchise stores, big box stores, to the mom and pop stores. Everyone sells something at one time or another --even if it's just a yard sale. What a wonderful experience we could all have if all sales people read and applied the principles in this book. Even restaurant personnel could use the information in this book. I liked that it mentioned using the principles when volunteering with a charity."
—Online Review
"SMILE, simply blew me away. It is a must read for anyone intent on improving their business. There are so many simple ideas in this book that we all know are effective, but, some how, fail to use. Why? Think about this item in the book: 80 percent of companies believe they provide great customer service, but only 8 percent of their clients agree. WOW!
Time to put away our egos and concentrate on our most valuable asset: our customer. This book should not be put on a shelf, but rather, carried daily, as a manual, to be reviewed and shared. Thanks, Kirt."
—Jack Lang, Sales Manager, Fish Window Cleaning Co., Southfield, MI
"Quick intro to sales and customer service. This is a very quick introduction to providing top-notch customer service and the impact that has on sales. This book would be a very good starting place to creating a course for a business's salespeople and service department."
—Online Review
"Quick read that reinforces customer service basics. I work in retail management, and this book fits my philosophy well. The concepts presented in this quick read are fairly basic...treat the customer with friendliness and respect, like you would want to be treated. I particularly like the reference to Santa in "Miracle on 34th Street." Happy customers are return customers."
—Online Review
"Great info for business and personal life. This is a very comprehensive book with a lot of examples that are very helpful. This information can be useful in everyday life, not just on the job."
—Online Review
"Great resource, and easy to read! As someone that has spent thousands of dollars on growth coaching for my business over the years, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the content that I learned was actually touched upon in this book! I love that you can read through it very quickly, but the important lessons stay with you over time. Great read for anyone looking to improve their business skills and grow their practice!"
—Melissa R.
"A concise but great book on (re)learning customer service. Kirt's book is a great book for your bookshelf, that you should re-read periodically, as a good reminder on how to provide stellar customer service and improve your sales techniques, so that you can close more deals. A great book to share with your team!"
—Michael Levitton
"5.0 out of 5 stars. Easy Read to the point.
I haven't read much about selling nor do I usually read self-help books. I found this book to have great examples and verified statistics. It was easy to read and total time to read for me was about 40 minutes. There were a lot of great points to be able to follow and they seem like they ought to be easy to implement. Thank you for that!"
—Darilyn