What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales That Get to the Heart of Great Customer Service

by Richard S. Gallagher

What do a demanding colony of porcupines, an upscale restaurant run by hyenas, and a famous medieval knight have in common? They are all part of one of the most entertaining and instructive books on customer service ever written. "What to Say to a Porcupine" uses the format of Aesop's fables to illustrate fundamental principles of customer service, including:

By a Hare: Great service is all about going the extra mile, as learned by a group of rabbits running an express mail delivery service.

Bear with Me: One grizzly bear's honey shop undergoes an amazing transformation when he discovers a better way to greet his customers.

What to Say to a Porcupine: When a newly arrived colony of demanding porcupines wreaks havoc on local businesses, readers get a lesson on handling difficult customers in a positive, constructive manner.

Each story is followed by a short discussion, illuminating topics from customer relationships to how to motivate a service team. Fun, quick, and constructive, this is a guide for anyone involved in customer service.

Genres: Business

126 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Arabic: ريتشارد إس. جالاجر

Richard S. Gallagher LMFT

My specialty is teaching people how to communicate in difficult situations. As a former customer service executive - and now as a speaker, trainer, and practicing therapist - my books and training programs explore the mechanics of how we communicate, based on recent principles of behavioral psychology.

I am perhaps best known for my two #1 customer service bestsellers The Customer Service Survival Kit (AMACOM, 2013) and What to Say to a Porcupine (AMACOM, 2008), as well as How to Tell Anyone Anything (AMACOM, 2009), which explores how to handle difficult workplace conversations.

If you are looking for "smile training" or basic advice on communications skills, there are lots of books out there. But if you want to learn what to say to someone after you've just towed their car away - or how to talk to a co-worker who needs to shower more often - or what will defuse a toxic boss - you've come to the right place! Enjoy my books, or Google me to learn more. Welcome!

Reviews

[Samantha von Delvaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cute and corny. While the lessons aren't groundbreaking, there's still good information. A good read for anyone who dislikes traditional business books or longer reads.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this one, I thought it was pretty corny. When I finished it, I still thought it was corny but I also realized it has some good ideas. I'll give Gallagher kudos for presenting familiar customer service tactics in a lighthearted way--and I definitely like the central concept of the book, which is that customer service should be fun. There's not a lot new here except the approach, but I did especially appreciate the moral of story #19: "You can't create good service with rules." The idea that "the customer is second" (to your employees) is a nice spin on things; I think I'll be remembering that one.

All in all, What to Say to a Porcupine is a solid but familiar book.

[Dar B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was great for introduction to customer service skills and I would advise anybody new to customer service to read it. However, it was common sense stuff in so many ways, especially for people who have worked closely with customers or patrons or if you have taken any active listening (social science, counseling, communication, etc.) type of courses. For me, the info was too redundant and the stories were not funny or silly enough to entertain. I think that this book might do better with a few tweeks to gear it towards kids working on social skills. I think that it was good to have the stories serve as examples it was just rather dry. I would rate it 2.2 on a 5.0 scale.

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book doesn't break a ton of new customer service ground ("Listen to your customers. Put their interests first. Focus on your strengths.") its unique presentation -- in a series of short parables starring unusual characters such as pigs, porcupines, and hyenas -- is entertaining enough to put this on your to-read list. By presenting these time-old lessons in a new format, readers will naturally be a bit more open to the messages therein.

[Ravi Narayanan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be useful for people who interact with customers directly. They are told in the form of interesting fables. Though some are interesting, I felt that most ask you to "manipulate".
Especially one that says "under commit and over deliver".

[Prati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came across this book while looking for another of Richard Gallagher's book. I couldn't put this book down until finished. This book is not only for client facing people but for any one who feels that they easily turn off people. Great tips on how to improve customer facing skills.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

+Richard Gallagher is the best in the business 

+if he wrote the ingredients on a cereal box, I'd read it.  

+I'm serious.  He's made me into an absolute Yoda

-not a lot of meat on the bone here

-feels like a cash grab

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this as a team and reviewed a chapter a week. Some solid points for providing Customer Service.

[Turtlecollector Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some good ideas for people who are working with the public. The stories using different animals were sometimes a bit confusing.

[Donna Agnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for work. Quick read - short tales with good advice. Nice little book to pick up to help tweek your customer service skills.

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous and informative on great customer service.