REVIEW: "Hug Your Customers" by Jack Mitchell

"It doesn't matter what's written in your job description — what truly matters is that your customer needs help. And there are only three rules — common sense, passion for your work, and genuine care for the people you serve — that turn challenges into celebrations."

— Evgeny Demin, CEO of SPLAT, on this book

This book is a must-read for anyone eager to improve life, regardless of your industry or position. While it offers the greatest value to leadership, initiative isn’t limited to the top. Read it and start taking action instead of complaining about your job. Written in a simple, engaging storytelling style about the creation of a family business, it may seem to cover basic truths. However, surprisingly, most companies in real life are unaware of these principles or fail to apply them—especially in the context of many global markets.

Often, when you visit a private clinic, you don’t receive proper service, and no one even thinks about exceeding your expectations! This is true across almost all service industries—from restaurants to dry cleaners, bookstores to any company that interacts with clients. Notably, this book doesn’t just discuss customer relations; it also includes valuable chapters on organizing teamwork effectively without relying on the traditional and often disliked "whip" management style.

I would love to gift my copy to a company struggling with client relations. Meanwhile, I recommend everyone honestly answer the book’s test questions. This will help you assess if your company is on the right track and whether you (or your friends and colleagues) could benefit from this book. Here’s a useful excerpt from the book ↓

Customer Hugging Achievement Test:

1. Name at least ten ways you believe you "hug" your customers and exceed their expectations. If you can list more than twenty, you earn extra points.
2. What do you do weekly, monthly, and yearly for your colleagues or subordinates to make them feel special? (Do you know their names and those of their spouses and children?)
3. Can you name your top 100 clients without looking? List them. How often do you meet, talk to, or "hug" them? If you can name 250 clients, you’re on the path to the Hugger Hall of Fame.
4. Who in your company knows these clients? Only salespeople? What about finance, production, design, marketing, or delivery teams?
5. What is your showroom or playing field? Write your answer. Do you have a rule that everyone must visit the showroom to see, touch, and feel real, live customers? Who should be there and who shouldn’t?
6. What key qualities do you look for when hiring? Are you consistent? Do all hiring managers use the same criteria? Do you evaluate employees solely on performance, or also on their ability to learn and enjoy their work?
7. Is there someone in your company you consider a "hugger"? Who sells best based on relationships? Who are the top three or five? Look for such people throughout your organization. Do you support salespeople’s growth? How? List five programs you currently use and three you’d like to launch this year. Name one program you want to start within the next five years.
8. Do you empower employees to come up with their own "hugs"? Do you delegate authority or just dictate actions? If you empower them, provide three examples.
9. What technologies do you use? Is your software focused on products or customers? What can you learn about your clients and their purchases from your system? Can the CEO use it? Does leadership embrace new technologies?
10. Do you run personalized marketing campaigns or send generic mass emails? When was the last time you sent a handwritten letter to a client or important business partner?
11. Do you allocate special days or seasons for major sales, preparing and training specifically? Do you have a "Game Strategy Book" to help staff choose the best strategies? What does it include? When did you last ask your employees how you can personally help increase sales?
12. How often do you know the real score, whether you’re leading or trailing? Who has access to data in your company? How often does leadership analyze it? Are you focused only on performance, or do you have goals related to job satisfaction and learning that improve workplace atmosphere and raise standards?
13. Do you give customers what they truly want or what you think they want? Do you lecture or listen? Provide an example.
14. Do you have a formula that shows everyone the link between customer focus and business economics? What is it? How do you decide where to spend money and when to say "no"?
15. List three recent mistakes made regarding customers and explain how you corrected them. Were you satisfied with your solution? Was the customer? How do you know? How did you handle employees responsible for these errors?
16. How do you gather customer feedback? Name five main methods. Are you satisfied with the results? What will you do with this information?
17. Name three innovations you introduced in the last 12 months—products, services, new approaches, or new hires. Do you believe you’re always seeking new ideas?
18. Are you a member of any industry association where you can exchange ideas? Could you create such an association?
19. Do you have a system to raise the bar for your team? Give three examples of how someone in your company raised standards last year.
20. Based on your previous answers, list five hugging recommendations you want to implement immediately and explain how you plan to do so.

Reading time (for speed readers) — just 3 hours.

Highly effective if you are honest with yourself and eager to improve.

Enjoy and benefit from the read!

"Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results" by Jack Mitchell

Available for purchase on Amazon

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