ABOUT THE BOOK
FROM #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOSEPH A. MICHELLI
Unlocking the power of world-class customer experience and innovation is essential for fueling the growth of your business. Achieving remarkable customer-centric outcomes as a challenger brand requires a unique touch of magic. It is this enchanting quality that has propelled Macquarie Technology, an Australian telecommunications company, to the forefront of the industry, earning them prestigious awards for their unparalleled commitment to customer excellence.
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Foreword
The history of business management is filled with examples of industry-leading companies that either lost their premier market position or ceased to exist altogether. Case studies of companies like Polaroid, Blockbuster, Enron, and even IBM spotlight how hard-earned success is precarious and difficult to sustain.
For decades, I’ve researched, taught, and written about the challenges leaders face in managing innovation and stewarding change within successful businesses. My perspective, which I call ambidextrous leadership, encourages leaders and managers to address two distinct challenges simultaneously. First, continually improve the ability to compete over the short term by ensuring strategy, structure, people, culture, and processes all work in harmony. Second, spark revolutionary innovation and drive organizational change.
This book, Customer Magic, provides an insightful deep dive into Macquarie Technology Group, a company founded by students of mine at the Harvard Business School: David and Aidan Tudehope. David and Aidan’s commitment to lifelong learning, disruptive and iterative innovation and operational excellence has resulted in three decades of steady success for Macquarie — a challenger brand in the rapidly changing technology and telecommunication sectors.
Throughout the years, Macquarie has earned prestigious customer experience and industry rewards, but unfortunately the company's leadership strengths have remained largely under the radar. As someone who has closely watched this renegade Australian brand succeed for decades, I am delighted that Joseph Michelli chose to adeptly share Macquarie’s revolutionary lessons with you.
In the pages ahead, Joseph, a New York Times number-one bestselling author and globally recognized customer experience consultant, takes you on an in-depth journey into Macquarie’s remarkable and unconventional approach to customer experience, innovation, and consistent growth.
Customer Magic shows you how to leverage effective customer listening to produce engagement, repeat business, and customer referrals. It provides stories of Macquarie’s exceptional customer service delivery while also offering tools for driving positive storytelling across your organization.
Packed with actionable insights, Customer Magic is a case study of what is possible when leaders have a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to creating value for customers and markets that are overcharged and underserved. Joseph’s keen analysis and inviting writing style also highlight Macquarie’s disciplined and unique approach to innovating ideas that are optimized for the needs of core customer segments.
In short, Customer Magic is a must-read leadership book and a go-to resource for anyone seeking to create a purposeful culture that succeeds over the short and long term by producing world-class customer experiences and timely, customer-centric innovation.
What are you waiting for? It’s time to dive into Customer Magic!
Michael L. Tushman, Ph.D.
Chapters
Chapter 1
Macquarie’s customer magic. Here I set the scene, the context for why and how this is really very special customer magic, from global World Communication Authority awards for customer excellence to customer comments that bring it alive…This is the unique Australian pink Diamond of customer magic, a standout amongst any of its peers.
Chapter 2
David (and Aidan) against goliath. Meet the founders two brothers David and Aidan. Its important to understand that building a customer experience is a top down driven transformation. This is a great example of how their leadership is a huge part of the success. Here we get a real and unique window into the leadership required to achieve any ambitious task.
Chapter 3
From Purpose to culture…The alignment of Mission to what every customer experiences daily is done most effectively through culture. Culture is to brand what Beliefs are to Behaviour. Culture is brand on steroids.
Chapter 4
Its always about people…getting your people onboard to drive the transformation. Including the inevitable roadblock you might encounter.
Chapter 5
Freedom withing boundaries…Its empowerment to constantly innovate and react in real time…How to liberate all the creativity in your organisation to delight customers and bring that learning back into everything you do.
Chapter 6
The Art and Science of world-class customer experience delivery. Looking under the bonnet to understand the behave feedback learn refine loop.
Chapter 7
The Noah’s ark of innovation. How can you innovate in a cost effective and timely way, as you refine each customer interaction and iron out your defects and shortcomings. Some subtle some huge changes. What golden cows must we be prepared to sacrifice.
Chapter 8
Zigging when others Zag. Know your competitors and know what your customers value really so you can change course quickly and deliver more real and perceived customer value.
Chapter 9
Looking to the future of Macquarie’s magic. Having put daylight between you and your competitors, now you must keep that fire burning to make it impossible for them to catch up.
Reviews
Who would have thought a humble, unconventional Aussie brand had so much magic to share. Michelli has thoroughly and elegantly captured the story of Macquarie Technology in a way that helps leaders and business owners believe in what is seemingly impossible at times. Another brilliant business case unpacked and a dose of inspiration to any business leader or customer experience leader who wishes to succeed in gaining global attention and a competitive advantage.
Jaquie Scammell, Founder and CEO of ServiceQ and author of Service Mindset and Service Habits
Macquarie Technology is an exemplar of customer problem-solving and customer care. Through that unwavering customer focus, Macquarie delivers impressive returns to shareholders. This important book lays bare what superior customer experience requires and how rewarding it is for staff and shareholders as well.
Robert McLean AM, Co-author of The Imperfectionists and Bulletproof Problem Solving, former Dean of the Australian Graduate School of Management and Director Emeritus of McKinsey & Company
From my roles as a Chief Experience Officer, coach to the C-suite, speaker and author, I know firsthand the importance of creating a human-centric culture. I also know the challenge of executing a strategy that gets the most from your people, process and technology. In Customer Magic, my friend and colleague, Joseph Michelli artfully captures how an Australia technology company creates world-class customer experiences in keeping with the company's purpose - ' to make a difference for markets that are overcharged and underserved." Most importantly, Joseph shows you how to drive repeat business and referrals! So what are you waiting for? Isn't it time to master the magic?
Jeanne Bliss, Founder and President of CustomerBliss, Co-Founder of The Customer Experience Professionals Association, and bestselling author of books like Chief Customer Officer and Would You Do that to Your Mother
What the Author Teaches
Joseph A. Michelli, a renowned author celebrated for his insightful works on brands distinguished by exceptional service and remarkable growth, including The Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes-Benz, and Starbucks, found Macquarie's ability to deliver transformative customer experiences so impressive that he was compelled to pen this compelling book.
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Customer Magic is an accessible and practical guide that aligns seamlessly with Macquarie's unwavering dedication to delivering customer value. It offers invaluable insights on:
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Identifying and addressing customer pain points effectively.
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Crafting an irresistible and distinct value proposition tailored to your target market, fostering a lasting culture of exceptional customer experiences.
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Attracting, nurturing, and retaining top-tier customer service talent and subject matter experts.
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Establishing, measuring, tracking, and incentivizing mission-critical business objectives and customer-centric growth.
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Innovating solutions that not only address your customers' stated needs but also their unspoken desires.
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Cultivating a growth-oriented mindset and leaving behind a legacy of business and customer success.
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Customer Magic resonates with business owners and team members across all organizational levels and sizes, offering guidance on transforming customer experiences to drive growth in your own business. This book serves as an inspirational catalyst, igniting action and empowering you to create your unique brand of magic.