Keeping the Edge
Giving Customers the Service They Demand

What is a companys balance point between the demands of its customers and the profit expectations of its shareholders? In the era of lean and mean operations, is quality service still the key to a businesss bottom line? To answer these corporate lifeanddeath questions, Dick Schaaf, a leading authority on the subject and coauthor of The Service Edge, goes back to the 101 companies he profiled in 1989 and reviews what has happened to them since. Ninetynine of the original 101 are still in business, but all have had to learn valuable lessons along the way in order to keep, refine, and reinvent their edge in increasingly competitive markets. By looking at what has worked for corporations such as Home Depot, Merck, and McDonalds, and what has not for others such as American Express, Disney, and Acura, Schaaf reveals the new direction in service for CEOs, corporate managers, and smallbusiness owners alike.