Service Design for Business: A Practical Guide to Optimizing the Customer Experience

by Ben Reason, Lavrans L?vlie, Melvin Brand Flu

A practical approach to better customer experience through service design Service Design for Business helps you transform your customer's experience and keep them engaged through the art of intentional service design. Written by the experts at Livework, this practical guide offers a tangible, effective approach for better responding to customers' needs and demands, and provides concrete strategy that can be implemented immediately. You'll learn how taking a design approach to problem solving helps foster creativity, and how to apply it to the real issues that move businesses forward. Highly visual and organized for easy navigation, this quick read is a handbook for connecting market factors to the organizational challenge of customer experience by seeing your company through the customers' eyes.Livework pioneered the service design industry, and guides organizations including Sony, the British Government, Volkswagen Procter & Gamble, the BBC, and more toward a more carefully curated customer experience. In this book, the Livework experts show you how to put service design to work in your company to solve the ongoing challenge of winning with customers.Approach customer experience from a design perspective See your organization through the lens of the customer Make customer experience an organization-wide responsibility Analyze the market factors that dovetail with customer experience design The Internet and other digital technology has brought the world to your customers' fingertips. With unprecedented choice, consumers are demanding more than just a great product--the organizations coming out on top are designing and delivering experiences tailored to their customers' wants. Service Design for Business gives you the practical insight and service design perspective you need to shape the way your customers view your organization.

Genres: Design, Business, Buisness, Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2015

Reviews

[Paulo Peres · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors had a great ability to break down and break many concepts of Service design throughout the book. Thing I imagine you may have harmed me a little. In addition to this ability, there are many pearls diluted in various phrases throughout the book and on various topics. What if you pay attention, you can get several rich teachings. However, it remains a good book for those seeking knowledge in the area. However, for those who have read various literatures on the subject of design thinking and service design, I imagine, you can not find so new some things, the better to find the previous book authors (except Melvin). One thing that bothered me was the fact that no clear mention of companies are those served by Livework, as random cases that would help give more strength and believable reality on results, and reports on entrepreneurial attitudes. Also in this issue, the book itself in my view does not provide the reader with a bibliography at the end, giving a concept impression was born directly from the authors, without the slightest reference. Something that certainly was not and certainly imagine that the 3 professional / authors are generous in their lives, in their posts content within the site of Livework and lectures around the world. Anyway, I recommend the purchase for those wishing to know more about the subject seen by great professionals in Service design area of the world.

[Lars K Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the "A Practical Guide" label, this book is way more theoretical than it is practical.

As a reader you are introduced to some of the terms and methods used in Service Design, but I am missing some practical case stories explaining some of the methods mentioned.

And some of the cases in the book are described somewhat abstract - which limits what you can gain from them.

An example:

"A large financial services firm found itself behind the curve with digital. They had invested in a haphazard manner in local initiatives, not realizing that digital needed to be a core competence."

Or this:

"A midsize telematics company that provided security devices and services for luxury cars found its market changing. It had grown on the back of insurance mandates for additional security on expensive cars, but this requirement was declining, leading to fewer sales, while on the other end customers were retiring their contracts in increasing volumes."

This makes close to no sense to me. Please, tell us the name of the company and what it means to grow "on the back of insurance mandates". It seems like Livework (the company where the three authors work) may have signed pretty extreme Non-Disclosure Agreements - with the result that the can't really say anything.

A great story, however, is the one about the London Olympics and how signs etc. where used. It's very easy to understand why they did what they did - and the results.

I give the book three stars, because the subject is very interesting and because as a reader, you get some good insights into Service Design. Again, it's too theoretical (which means you drift off now and then) so be sure to mix it with articles and case stories on the subject - I sure wish I had done that.

Also, if feels like the book is constantly trying to sell itself, and the importance of being user-centric, to you. That's not necessary - that was why I bought the book in the first place.

The last chapter in the book is called 'Tools' and here you find descriptions of various methods; customer journey, workshops etc. This is somewhat superficial and other books do a much better job a this - Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want is a good example.

A follow-up (or update) to this book would be great: More edits to the text through-out (to make it, to be honest, less dull) and many more examples which are explained more in-depth.

If you want the Service Design basics in a quick read, however, look no further; this is the book for you.

[Natarajan Mahalingam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a basic educational type of book on service design. The authors have followed a systematic approach to designing the chapters - description of the topic, how to approach the topic, and levers that support the approaches, using movement-structure-behaviors, as the base. Beyond the Foundations chapter, this approach becomes a little frustrating to encounter every time you turn the page and monotonous for the rest of the book. At the outset, the authors managed to generate quite a lot of interest in the subject through a simple to understand methodology of the subject, but failed to capitalize in later chapters. If you're reading up on this subject for an examination or for theoretical purposes, you'll find the book useful. However, if you're looking to learn more about the topic of service design, there are a lot more interesting books with vivid examples that will tingle your brain!

[Glenn Burnside · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd have preferred to see more examples of practical applications of the various tools enumerated in the appendix. Diagrams throughout the book were more confusing than enlightening. Some valuable core concepts, but overall missing in the meat of how to actually implement and use this process to develop service designs.

[Adam Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good high level overview of the concept with some reasonable examples presented.

I haven't yet had the chance to review the mentioned website to see what sort of examples of information is provided there, but I'd say that the biggest weakness of the book is too few identifiable concrete examples. While I understand that certain clients desire their anonymity, without a few more clear real world examples it can be difficult to clearly visualize some of what is discussed.

In earlier days I would have given this a 3.5, but I'm trying to refrain from the copout of the default 7/10. Some stronger examples and this would be a 4.

[Krashagi Saini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good read for everyone who are into service business. This book defines key concepts and service design and three critical factors in service design: Movement, Structure and Behavior.
It gives application of services that are focused on customer, business and organization.
It talks about emerging trends that have made service design relevant in todays world.
It gives insight how to align service to customer journey and make it effective

[Eric Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good ‘101’ introduction to service design. It does a good job of introducing methodology and terms. However, it’s lacking in real-life examples; the examples included are non-specific and vague. Creativity, Inc. would be a good companion read to help readers get a better sense of promoting innovative ways of approaching a problem and designing a product.

[Juan Manuel Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

This is an Excellent book about servicio design and CX. Very well explained, agile to read and practical.
I enjoyed reading this book, mainly because clarified many concepts and prepare them to implement.

[Diego Cabrera · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are familiar with service design, this book will help you adapt your approach to better pitch ideas to Business, and to focus your tools to their benefit.
However, it is not a practical introduction for the topic.

[DLG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but not stellar. If you've taken business or sales in college this is pretty common knowledge. Kind of convoluted in some parts.

[Ilze Krūmiņa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was good book practical guide. I am not service designer.

[Ela Nazari]

It's a good book for business people to understand the value of SD and how it can work for them.

[Truong Binh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too theory

[Sefat Chowdhury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. A must read for strategic designers, product managers and investors.

[zoagli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very concise introductory volume that could have been even shorter if they left out all the boring examples and generic advice. The basics aren’t wrong, mind you, they’re just very basic:

Most organizations that sell products focus on their design, but the same cannot be said for services. Organizations should focus at least as much attention on how customers use their services as they focus on their products.

The customer’s goal is primary – it's the reason the service exists –, and it is essential that customers are engaged in a way that enables them to succeed. Where possible, include your customers and employees directly in your service design, capture their ideas and test your prototypes with them.

Consider your services through the eyes and actions of your customers, observing your them closely and individually to understand what they really need. Chart the flow of your “customers’ life cycle” as they: (1) become aware of your services, (2) decide whether to buy and use them, and (3) complete their transaction with you.

Provide your customers with the information they need to make the decision to buy and use your services. Make it as easy as possible for them to transact with you; make it especially easy to use your service for the first time.

Examine your internal flow to observe the natural “tensions” between what the business wants and what your customers need. Create a shared view of the customer experience, and bring your silos together to design better services from the customer’s point of view. Adjust your process and systems to reduce bottlenecks and duplication. Then and only then, use digital solutions to relieve employees of repetitive and transactional tasks.

Complaints about irritations end up costing inordinate time and money; they undermine repeat business. To uncover irritations, talk to employees who interact with clients daily. Get the basics of customer service right, only then look for specific areas in which you can surprise and delight your customers.

[Paulo Peres]

Buy and find pearls

The authors had a great ability to break down and break many concepts of Service design throughout the book. Thing I imagine you may have harmed me a little. In addition to this ability, there are many pearls diluted in various phrases throughout the book and on various topics. What if you pay attention, you can get several rich teachings. However, it remains a good book for those seeking knowledge in the area. However, for those who have read various literatures on the subject of design thinking and service design, I imagine, you can not find so new some things, the better to find the previous book authors (except Melvin). One thing that bothered me was the fact that no clear mention of companies are those served by Livework, as random cases that would help give more strength and believable reality on results, and reports on entrepreneurial attitudes. Also in this issue, the book itself in my view does not provide the reader with a bibliography at the end, giving a concept impression was born directly from the authors, without the slightest reference. Something that certainly was not and certainly imagine that the 3 professional / authors are generous in their lives, in their posts content within the site of Livework and lectures around the world. Anyway, I recommend the purchase for those wishing to know more about the subject applied by great professionals Service Design of the world.

[Jari Pirhonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to service design thinking and related tools. Service design is a hot topic in many organizations right now and it's useful to understand the basics of it. The idea is simple - focus on customer experience and needs instead of organizational goals. The authors also discuss how service design approach can help with innovating new services and building a more agile organization.

[Manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an excellent book for getting an overview of service design. I wished that the author delved into specific methods that evaluate service design better.