Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer Experience the Mercedes-Benz Way

Book excerpt: "A powerful and inspiring look 'inside the tent' of Mercedes-Benz that will help you learn how large companies make big changes in short timespans." --Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva and author of The Art of the Start 2.0 "I can’t remember having read a more compelling example of how great luxury brands aren’t just made but are nurtured. Driven to Delight offers essential lessons on the direct and undeniable relationship between how much you value and respect your customers and how they reward you for that consideration." --Mike Jackson, Chairman, CEO, and President, AutoNation "Joseph Michelli's latest book is a masterful roadmap for transforming the relationship between leaders, employees, and the customers they serve." --Tom Rath, author of StrengthsFinder 2.0 and Are You Fully Charged? "The revolution in customer care that MBUSA is currently undertaking is rivaled only by the revolution that Mercedes began with the invention of the automobile. Dr. Michelli’s book provides the most comprehensive look at how MBUSA is undertaking and succeeding at this transformative initiative." --Alex Gellert, CEO, Merkley & Partners "Kudos to Steve Cannon and Joseph Michelli. Steve is the rare CEO who is brutally honest—in a public forum—about his own iconic organization’s growing pains. Joseph’s ability to present a compelling case study is unparalleled. If Driven to Delight can’t convince you of the bottom line benefits of balancing service and technology to differentiate from your competition, your days are numbered." --Doug Lipp, international business consultant and bestselling author of Disney U "Once again Joseph Michelli gives us a glimpse into one of the worlds’ great brands and customer experiences. Joseph helps us understand how Mercedes Benz leadership transformed and elevated sales and service experiences. Additionally, he takes the reader on a journey to examine their own organization and determine how to apply these principles and lessons in their own business. This is an important read for leaders who want to grow their businesses, by improving customers’ lives." --Jeanne Bliss, President, CustomerBliss, and bestselling author of Chief Customer Officer 2.0 and I Love You More Than My Dog "Mercedes Benz's story demonstrates the leadership and commitment that's required to transform customer experience within a large organization. The book does a great job of capturing how the company engaged all of its employees and partners on a journey to deliver upon its brand promise, which required much more than just designing great cars." --Bruce Temkin, CCXP, Customer Experience Transformist & Managing Partner, Temkin Group "Most business leaders will tell you how important it is to delight their customers—who wouldn't? But most don't. This is the story of Steve Cannon's journey to take Mercedes Benz from 'good to best'—the diagnosis, the plan, the process design, the management and measurement, but most importantly, the leadership that is making 31,600 people, 99.5 percent of whom don't work for him, WANT to deliver it." --Andrew Robertson, President and CEO, BBDO Worldwide, Inc.