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Who's on First is a novel of international espionage and intrigue that hooks the reader from the very beginning. The year is 1956, and the United States is locked in a do-or-die space race with the Russians. Who will get to outer space first? Once again Blackford Oakes is called upon. This time he kidnaps two Russian missile scientists who can help put the Americans out in front for good. But he must dodge a murderous entourage of KGB agents and Hungarian freedom fighters if he is to accomplish his mission.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Acknowledgments * from These People (1981) Who's on First? Hannah Mug Shots A Philosophical Problem The Wanderer 78's The Recital Self-Portrait * from Goodnight, Gracie (1992) Leaves Gisela Bruning In the Mist House Hunting from "Crossing the Rockies": At the Window Fourteen People Goodnight, Gracie Love Pseudodoxia Epidemica Simple Questions * from Cairo Traffic (2000) A True Poem Friendly Song (by Carlos Drummond de Andrade) She Forgets The Two Horses (A Memory) He Tells His Mother What He's Working On The Two Churches (A Dream) Pornography Proverbs from Purgatory The Dream During My Mother's Recuperation No Orpheus Her Waltz Nostalgia (The Lake at Night) Song Renato's Dream from "Cairo Traffic":
• 9. Temple of Dendur, Metropolitan Museum of Art * from Little Kisses (2017) Little Kisses My Other Grandmother Lost Causes The Conductor Goldring Crossword Six Words Is Light Enough? 00 New Name La Valse Tehran Spring (by Affonso Romano de Sant'Anna) Small Airport in Brazil In Flight To My Oldest Friend, Whose Silence Is Like a Death Jerry Garcia in a Somerville Parking Lot * New Poems (2001-2021) Vermeer's Pearl Escher: Still Life with Mirror (1934) The World God Hour (Eric Lundquist: In Memoriam) Harvest In Emily Dickinson's Bedroom My Doctor's Death Lubitsch's Angel Ralph Hamilton's Faces Titian's Marsyas The Rehearsal Astronomer Notes.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

For more than four decades, readers and critics have found Lloyd Schwartz's poems unlike anyone else's-a rare combination of the heartbreaking and the hilarious. With his ear for the poetry of the vernacular, Schwartz offers us a memorable cast of characters-both real and imagined, foolish and oracular. Readers experience his mother's piercing flashes of memory, the perverse comic wisdom of Gracie Allen, the uninhibited yet loving exhibitionists of antique pornography, and eager travelers crossing America in a club-car or waiting in a Brazilian airport. Schwartz listens to these people without judging-understanding that they are all trying to live their lives, whenever possible, with tenderness, humor, and grace. Who's on First? brings together a selection of poems from all of Schwartz's previous collections along with eagerly awaited new poems, highlighting his formal inventiveness in tangling and untangling the yarn of comedy and pathos. Underlying all of these poems is the question of what it takes and what it costs to make art.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Acknowledgments * from These People (1981) Who's on First? Hannah Mug Shots A Philosophical Problem The Wanderer 78's The Recital Self-Portrait * from Goodnight, Gracie (1992) Leaves Gisela Bruning In the Mist House Hunting from "Crossing the Rockies": At the Window Fourteen People Goodnight, Gracie Love Pseudodoxia Epidemica Simple Questions * from Cairo Traffic (2000) A True Poem Friendly Song (by Carlos Drummond de Andrade) She Forgets The Two Horses (A Memory) He Tells His Mother What He's Working On The Two Churches (A Dream) Pornography Proverbs from Purgatory The Dream During My Mother's Recuperation No Orpheus Her Waltz Nostalgia (The Lake at Night) Song Renato's Dream from "Cairo Traffic":
• 9. Temple of Dendur, Metropolitan Museum of Art * from Little Kisses (2017) Little Kisses My Other Grandmother Lost Causes The Conductor Goldring Crossword Six Words Is Light Enough? 00 New Name La Valse Tehran Spring (by Affonso Romano de Sant'Anna) Small Airport in Brazil In Flight To My Oldest Friend, Whose Silence Is Like a Death Jerry Garcia in a Somerville Parking Lot * New Poems (2001-2021) Vermeer's Pearl Escher: Still Life with Mirror (1934) The World God Hour (Eric Lundquist: In Memoriam) Harvest In Emily Dickinson's Bedroom My Doctor's Death Lubitsch's Angel Ralph Hamilton's Faces Titian's Marsyas The Rehearsal Astronomer Notes.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

For more than four decades, readers and critics have found Lloyd Schwartz's poems unlike anyone else's-a rare combination of the heartbreaking and the hilarious. With his ear for the poetry of the vernacular, Schwartz offers us a memorable cast of characters-both real and imagined, foolish and oracular. Readers experience his mother's piercing flashes of memory, the perverse comic wisdom of Gracie Allen, the uninhibited yet loving exhibitionists of antique pornography, and eager travelers crossing America in a club-car or waiting in a Brazilian airport. Schwartz listens to these people without judging-understanding that they are all trying to live their lives, whenever possible, with tenderness, humor, and grace. Who's on First? brings together a selection of poems from all of Schwartz's previous collections along with eagerly awaited new poems, highlighting his formal inventiveness in tangling and untangling the yarn of comedy and pathos. Underlying all of these poems is the question of what it takes and what it costs to make art.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction to ranking
• Massey's method
• Colley's method
• Keener's method
• Elo's system
• The Markov method
• The offense-defense rating method
• Ranking by reordering methods
• Point spreads
• User preference ratings
• Handling ties
• Incorporating weights
• "What if -- " scenarios and sensitivity
• Rank aggregation : part 1
• Rank aggregation : part 2
• Methods of comparison
• Data
• Epilogue.

• Cover
• Contents
• Preface
• Purpose
• Audience
• Prerequisites
• Teaching from This Book
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1. Introduction to Ranking
• Social Choice and Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
• Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
• Small Running Example
• Chapter 2. Massey's Method
• Initial Massey Rating Method
• Massey's Main Idea
• The Running Example Using the Massey Rating Method
• Advanced Features of the Massey Rating Method
• The Running Example: Advanced Massey Rating Method
• Summary of the Massey Rating Method
• Chapter 3. Colley's Method
• The Running Example
• Summary of the Colley Rating Method
• Connection between Massey and Colley Methods
• Chapter 4. Keener's Method
• Strength and Rating Stipulations
• Selecting Strength Attributes
• Laplace's Rule of Succession
• To Skew or Not to Skew-- Normalization
• Chicken or Egg-- Ratings
• Strength
• The Keystone Equation
• Constraints
• Perron-Frobenius
• Important Properties
• Computing the Ratings Vector
• Forcing Irreducibility and Primitivity
• Summary
• The 2009-2010 NFL Season
• Jim Keener vs. Bill James
• Back to the Future
• Can Keener Make You Rich-- Conclusion
• Chapter 5. Elo's System
• Elegant Wisdom
• The K-Factor
• The Logistic Parameter ξ
• Constant Sums
• Elo in the NFL
• Hindsight Accuracy
• Foresight Accuracy
• Incorporating Game Scores
• Hindsight and Foresight with Ŧ = 1000, K = 32, H = 15
• Using Variable K-Factors with NFL Scores
• Hindsight and Foresight Using Scores and Variable K-Factors
• Game-by-Game Analysis
• Conclusion
• Chapter 6. The Markov Method
• The Markov Method
• Voting with Losses
• Losers Vote with Point Differentials
• Winners and Losers Vote with Points
• Beyond Game Scores
• Handling Undefeated Teams
• Summary of the Markov Rating Method.

A website's ranking on Google can spell the difference between success and failure for a new business. NCAA football ratings determine which schools get to play for the big money in postseason bowl games. Product ratings influence everything from the clothes we wear to the movies we select on Netflix. Ratings and rankings are everywhere, but how exactly do they work? Who's #1? offers an engaging and accessible account of how scientific rating and ranking methods are created and applied to a variety of uses. Amy Langville and Carl Meyer provide the first comprehensive overview of the mathematical algorithms and methods used to rate and rank sports teams, political candidates, products, Web pages, and more. In a series of interesting asides, Langville and Meyer provide fascinating insights into the ingenious contributions of many of the field's pioneers. They survey and compare the different methods employed today, showing why their strengths and weaknesses depend on the underlying goal, and explaining why and when a given method should be considered. Langville and Meyer also describe what can and can't be expected from the most widely used systems. The science of rating and ranking touches virtually every facet of our lives, and now you don't need to be an expert to understand how it really works. Who's #1? is the definitive introduction to the subject. It features easy-to-understand examples and interesting trivia and historical facts, and much of the required mathematics is included.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Preface xiii Purpose xiii Audience xiii Prerequisites xiii Teaching from This Book xiv Acknowledgments xiv
• Chapter 1. Introduction to Ranking 1 Social Choice and Arrow's Impossibility Theorem 3 Arrow's Impossibility Theorem 4 Small Running Example 4
• Chapter 2. Massey's Method 9 Initial Massey Rating Method 9 Massey's Main Idea 9 The Running Example Using the Massey Rating Method 11 Advanced Features of the Massey Rating Method 11 The Running Example: Advanced Massey Rating Method 12 Summary of the Massey Rating Method 13
• Chapter 3. Colley's Method 21 The Running Example 23 Summary of the Colley Rating Method 24 Connection between Massey and Colley Methods 24
• Chapter 4. Keener's Method 29 Strength and Rating Stipulations 29 Selecting Strength Attributes 29 Laplace's Rule of Succession 30 To Skew or Not to Skew? 31 Normalization 32 Chicken or Egg? 33 Ratings 33 Strength 33 The Keystone Equation 34 Constraints 35 Perron-Frobenius 36 Important Properties 37 Computing the Ratings Vector 37 Forcing Irreducibility and Primitivity 39 Summary 40 The 2009-2010 NFL Season 42 Jim Keener vs. Bill James 45 Back to the Future 48 Can Keener Make You Rich? 49 Conclusion 50
• Chapter 5. Elo's System 53 Elegant Wisdom 55 The K-Factor 55 The Logistic Parameter ? 56 Constant Sums 56 Elo in the NFL 57 Hindsight Accuracy 58 Foresight Accuracy 59 Incorporating Game Scores 59 Hindsight and Foresight with ? = 1000, K = 32, H = 15 60 Using Variable K-Factors with NFL Scores 60 Hindsight and Foresight Using Scores and Variable K-Factors 62 Game-by-Game Analysis 62 Conclusion 64
• Chapter 6. The Markov Method 67 The Markov Method 67 Voting with Losses 68 Losers Vote with Point Differentials 69 Winners and Losers Vote with Points 70 Beyond Game Scores 71 Handling Undefeated Teams 73 Summary of the Markov Rating Method 75 Connection between the Markov and Massey Methods 76
• Chapter 7. The Offense-Defense Rating Method 79 OD Objective 79 OD Premise 79 But Which Comes First? 80 Alternating Refinement Process 81 The Divorce 81 Combining the OD Ratings 82 Our Recurring Example 82 Scoring vs. Yardage 83 The 2009-2010 NFL OD Ratings 84 Mathematical Analysis of the OD Method 87 Diagonals 88 Sinkhorn-Knopp 89 OD Matrices 89 The OD Ratings and Sinkhorn-Knopp 90 Cheating a Bit 91
• Chapter 8. Ranking by Reordering Methods 97 Rank Differentials 98 The Running Example 99 Solving the Optimization Problem 101 The Relaxed Problem 103 An Evolutionary Approach 103 Advanced Rank-Differential Models 105 Summary of the Rank-Differential Method 106 Properties of the Rank-Differential Method 106 Rating Differentials 107 The Running Example 109 Solving the Reordering Problem 110 Summary of the Rating-Differential Method 111
• Chapter 9. Point Spreads 113 What It Is (and Isn't) 113 The Vig (or Juice) 114 Why Not Just Offer Odds? 114 How Spread Betting Works 114 Beating the Spread 115 Over/Under Betting 115 Why Is It Difficult for Ratings to Predict Spreads? 116 Using Spreads to Build Ratings (to Predict Spreads?) 117 NFL 2009-2010 Spread Ratings 120 Some Shootouts 121 Other Pair-wise Comparisons 124 Conclusion 125
• Chapter 10. User Preference Ratings 127 Direct Comparisons 129 Direct Comparisons, Preference Graphs, and Markov Chains 130 Centroids vs. Markov Chains 132 Conclusion 133
• Chapter 11. Handling Ties 135 Input Ties vs. Output Ties 136 Incorporating Ties 136 The Colley Method 136 The Massey Method 137 The Markov Method 137 The OD, Keener, and Elo Methods 138 Theoretical Results from Perturbation Analysis 139 Results from Real Datasets 140 Ranking Movies 140 Ranking NHL Hockey Teams 141 Induced Ties 142 Summary 144
• Chapter 12. Incorporating Weights 147 Four Basic Weighting Schemes 147 Weighted Massey 149 Weighted Colley 150 Weighted Keener 150 Weighted Elo 150 Weighted Markov 150 Weighted OD 151 Weighted Differential Methods 151
• Chapter 13. "What If ..." Scenarios and Sensitivity 155 The Impact of a Rank-One Update 155 Sensitivity 156
• Chapter 14. Rank Aggregation-
• Part 1 159 Arrow's Criteria Revisited 160 Rank-Aggregation Methods 163 Borda Count 165 Average Rank 166 Simulated Game Data 167 Graph Theory Method of Rank Aggregation 172 A Refinement Step after Rank Aggregation 175 Rating Aggregation 176 Producing Rating Vectors from Rating Aggregation-Matrices 178 Summary of Aggregation Methods 181
• Chapter 15. Rank Aggregation-
• Part 2 183 The Running Example 185 Solving the BILP 186 Multiple Optimal Solutions for the BILP 187 The LP Relaxation of the BILP 188 Constraint Relaxation 190 Sensitivity Analysis 191 Bounding 191 Summary of the Rank-Aggregation (by Optimization) Method 193 Revisiting the Rating-Differential Method 194 Rating Differential vs. Rank Aggregation 194 The Running Example 196
• Chapter 16. Methods of Comparison 201 Qualitative Deviation between Two Ranked Lists 201 Kendall's Tau 203 Kendall's Tau on Full Lists 204 Kendall's Tau on Partial Lists 205 Spearman's Weighted Footrule on Full Lists 206 Spearman's Weighted Footrule on Partial Lists 207 Partial Lists of Varying Length 210 Yardsticks: Comparing to a Known Standard 211 Yardsticks: Comparing to an Aggregated List 211 Retroactive Scoring 212 Future Predictions 212 Learning Curve 214 Distance to Hillside Form 214
• Chapter 17. Data 217 Massey's Sports Data Server 217 Pomeroy's College Basketball Data 218 Scraping Your Own Data 218 Creating Pair-wise Comparison Matrices 220
• Chapter 18. Epilogue 223 Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) 223 The Redmond Method 223 The Park-Newman Method 224 Logistic Regression/Markov Chain Method (LRMC) 224 Hochbaum Methods 224 Monte Carlo Simulations 224 Hard Core Statistical Analysis 225 And So Many Others 225 Glossary 231 Bibliography 235 Index 241.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

A website's ranking on Google can spell the difference between success and failure for a new business. NCAA football ratings determine which schools get to play for the big money in postseason bowl games. Product ratings influence everything from the clothes we wear to the movies we select on Netflix. Ratings and rankings are everywhere, but how exactly do they work? Who's #1? offers an engaging and accessible account of how scientific rating and ranking methods are created and applied to a variety of uses. Amy Langville and Carl Meyer provide the first comprehensive overview of the mathematical algorithms and methods used to rate and rank sports teams, political candidates, products, Web pages, and more. In a series of interesting asides, Langville and Meyer provide fascinating insights into the ingenious contributions of many of the field's pioneers. They survey and compare the different methods employed today, showing why their strengths and weaknesses depend on the underlying goal, and explaining why and when a given method should be considered. Langville and Meyer also describe what can and can't be expected from the most widely used systems. The science of rating and ranking touches virtually every facet of our lives, and now you don't need to be an expert to understand how it really works. Who's #1? is the definitive introduction to the subject. It features easy-to-understand examples and interesting trivia and historical facts, and much of the required mathematics is included.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction to ranking
• Massey's method
• Colley's method
• Keener's method
• Elo's system
• The Markov method
• The offense-defense rating method
• Ranking by reordering methods
• Point spreads
• User preference ratings
• Handling ties
• Incorporating weights
• "What if--" scenarios and sensitivity
• Rank aggregation : part 1
• Rank aggregation : part 2
• Methods of comparison
• Data
• Epilogue.

A website's ranking on Google can spell the difference between success and failure for a new business. NCAA football ratings determine which schools get to play for the big money in postseason bowl games. Product ratings influence everything from the clothes we wear to the movies we select on Netflix. Ratings and rankings are everywhere, but how exactly do they work? Who's #1? offers an engaging and accessible account of how scientific rating and ranking methods are created and applied to a variety of uses. Amy Langville and Carl Meyer provide the first comprehensive overview of the mathematical algorithms and methods used to rate and rank sports teams, political candidates, products, Web pages, and more. In a series of interesting asides, Langville and Meyer provide fascinating insights into the ingenious contributions of many of the field's pioneers. They survey and compare the different methods employed today, showing why their strengths and weaknesses depend on the underlying goal, and explaining why and when a given method should be considered. Langville and Meyer also describe what can and can't be expected from the most widely used systems. The science of rating and ranking touches virtually every facet of our lives, and now you don't need to be an expert to understand how it really works. Who's #1? is the definitive introduction to the subject. It features easy-to-understand examples and interesting trivia and historical facts, and much of the required mathematics is included.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• V. 1. 1944-1979
• v. 2. 1979-2014.

'The most detailed, amusing and accurate account ever of the post-war world of the English Establishment' William Shawcross, Daily Telegraph 'Extremely entertaining' Jane Ridley, Literary Review Kenneth Rose was one of the most astute observers of the establishment for over seventy years. The wry and amusing journals of the royal biographer and historian made objective observation a sculpted craft. His impeccable social placement located him within the beating heart of the national elite for decades. He was capable of writing substantial history, such as his priceless material on the abdication crisis from conversations with both the Duke of Windsor and the Queen Mother. Yet he maintained sufficient distance to achieve impartial documentation while working among political, clerical, military, literary and aristocratic circles. Relentless observation and a self-confessed difficulty 'to let a good story pass me by' made Rose a legendary social commentator, while his impressive breadth of interests was underpinned by tremendous respect for the subjects of his enquiry. Brilliantly equipped as Rose was to witness, detail and report, the first volume of his journals vividly portrays some of the most important events and people of the last century, from the bombing of London during the Second World War to the election of Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman Prime Minister, in 1979.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Frontmatter
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Introduction to Ranking
• Chapter 2. Massey’s Method
• Chapter 3. Colley’s Method
• Chapter 4. Keener’s Method
• Chapter 5. Elo’s System
• Chapter 6. The Markov Method
• Chapter 7. The Offense–Defense Rating Method
• Chapter 8. Ranking by Reordering Methods
• Chapter 9. Point Spreads
• Chapter 10. User Preference Ratings
• Chapter 11. Handling Ties
• Chapter 12. Incorporating Weights
• Chapter 13. "What If..." Scenarios and Sensitivity
• Chapter 14. Rank Aggregation–Part 1
• Chapter 15. Rank Aggregation–Part 2
• Chapter 16. Methods of Comparison
• Chapter 17. Data
• Chapter 18. Epilogue
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index.

A website's ranking on Google can spell the difference between success and failure for a new business. NCAA football ratings determine which schools get to play for the big money in postseason bowl games. Product ratings influence everything from the clothes we wear to the movies we select on Netflix. Ratings and rankings are everywhere, but how exactly do they work? Who's #1? offers an engaging and accessible account of how scientific rating and ranking methods are created and applied to a variety of uses. Amy Langville and Carl Meyer provide the first comprehensive overview of the mathematical algorithms and methods used to rate and rank sports teams, political candidates, products, Web pages, and more. In a series of interesting asides, Langville and Meyer provide fascinating insights into the ingenious contributions of many of the field's pioneers. They survey and compare the different methods employed today, showing why their strengths and weaknesses depend on the underlying goal, and explaining why and when a given method should be considered. Langville and Meyer also describe what can and can't be expected from the most widely used systems. The science of rating and ranking touches virtually every facet of our lives, and now you don't need to be an expert to understand how it really works. Who's #1? is the definitive introduction to the subject. It features easy-to-understand examples and interesting trivia and historical facts, and much of the required mathematics is included.

David, a successful novelist with writer's block, has received some devastating news he's kept to himself. Lucy, his housekeeper of twenty-eight years, has her own secret that she's afraid to admit. As Lucy is getting ready to end her shift, David invites her to stay and have a drink, curious about the woman who's been tending to his house all these years. But as the night sets in and the drinks start to flow, secrets reveal themselves, for better or worse

• One: Sex, Spies and the Internet
• Two: An Ecosystem Based on Trust 23 A Network of Networks
• Three: A World Online
• Economics, Innovation and the Internet of Things
• Four: Big Brother in the Internet Age
• Five: One or Many, Internet or Fragnet?
• Six: Crime, Punishment and the Deep Dark Web
• Seven: Cyberwarfare in the Twenty-First Century
• Eight: Internet Haves and Have-Nots
• Nine: A Web of Trust: Toward a Safe, Secure, Reliable and Open Internet
• Appendix: The CIGI-Ipsos Surveys.

"The Internet ecosystem is held together by a surprisingly intangible glue -- trust. To meet its full potential, users need to trust that the Internet works reliably and efficiently when providing them with the information they are seeking, while also being secure, private and safe. When trust in the Internet wanes, the network's stock of "digital social capital" falls and users begin to alter their online behaviour. These often subtle changes in behaviour tend to be collectively highly maladaptive, hindering the economic, developmental and innovative potential of the globe-spanning network of networks. Look Who's Watching: Surveillance, Treachery and Trust Online confirms in vivid detail that the trust placed by users in the Internet is increasingly misplaced. Edward Snowden's revelations that the United States National Security Agency and other government agencies are spying on Internet users, the proliferation of cybercrime and the growing commodification of user data and regulatory changes -- which threaten to fragment the system -- are all rapidly eroding the confidence users have in the Internet ecosystem. Based on a combination of illustrative anecdotal evidence and analysis of new survey data, Look Who's Watching clearly demonstrates why trust matters, how it is being eroded and how, with care and deliberate policy action, the essential glue of the Internet can be restored."--Publisher's description

• Contents
• Foreword ix Acknowledgments xi
• Introduction 1
• Chapter 1 Professional Movers: Who's Your Gladys? 5 Honoring Your Customers' Preferences Pays Off 7 Paying Close Attention to Customers' Needs Makes a Difference 8
• Chapter 2 The Canfield Companies: Where's My Refrigerator? 17 Customers Respond to Compassion and Calm 19 Empathy Calms a Concerned Customer 21 A Spoonful of Kindness Helps When Giving Tough Love 23
• Chapter 3 Paul Reed Smith Guitars: Starting from Scratch 33 Customers Aren't Problems, They're People 34 Partner with the Customer to Find the Best Solution 36 Passion Fuels Enthusiasm with Employees and Customers 37 Passion Creates Product Quality 39 Everything You Do Affects Your Company's Brand 41 Fearless Problem Solving Fuels Customer Passion 41 Think of Yourself as a Customer Service Champion 42
• Chapter 4 Singapore Airlines: The Tea Service Tells the Story 51 Anticipate the Customers' Preferences 53 Cater to the Customer's Need for Control 54 The Customers' Emotional Response Reveals Their Deepest Desires 55 Innovation Raises the Bar for a High-Quality Customer Experience 56 Understanding Customer Lifestyles Makes It Easier to Serve Them 58 Strive to Exceed Expectations 59 Quality Service Requires Credibility 60 Recovering from Crisis Calls for Personal Commitment 61
• Chapter 5 ISCO Industries: A Good Manhole Is Hard to Find 71 Personal Dedication Leads to Creative Problem Solving 73 When Is Customer Service Not Personal? 75 Attention to Detail Pays Off 77 Win-Win Relationships Build Lasting Business 78 Gain Trust with Personal Commitment 80 Every Employee Is an Entrepreneur 81 Guarding the Corporate Culture Is Essential 82 Creative Solutions Make Customers Feel Secure 86 Chapter 6 The Green Company: Who's Going Up the Ladder? 97 Focus on the Benefits of What You Have to Offer 98 Managing Expectations Keeps Customers Calm 99 Customer Perceptions Matter More than the Truth 100 Team Meetings Keep Everyone Focused 101 Find Ways to Serve After the Purchase 102 Do the Right Thing for Difficult Customers and Difficult Situations 103
• Chapter 7 Preston Wynne Spa: Massaging Egos 111 Hire the Right People to Create the Best Customer Experience 112 Employees Excel When They Know What's Important 115 Continuous Learning Grows Customer Satisfaction 117 Giving a Consistent High-Quality Performance Takes Practice 118 Strong and Ongoing Internal Communication Creates Great Service 119 Evaluate Service from the Customer's Point of View 121 Make Sure Customers Leave Happy 122
• Chapter 8 ClearVision Optical: SurveyMonkey Around 131 Surveying Customers Yields Valuable Information for Action 132 Use Customer Opinions to Your Best Advantage 133 Personal Contact Raises Customer Service Effectiveness 134 Show Customers That Their Feedback Matters 135 Take Action on the Input and Ideas of Front-Line Employees 135 Employees Respond to Ongoing Communication and Training 136 Two-Way Communication Facilitates Positive Change 138 TLC for Employees Delivers Loyalty 139
• Chapter 9 Sky Lakes Medical Center: Take, Don't Tell 147 Evolve to Meet the Changing Needs of Your Customers 148 Create a Detailed Plan and Get Everyone on Board 149 Continuous Improvement Is Part of Everyone's Job Description 151 Peer-to-Peer Training Has a Huge Effect on Customer Service 152 Elevate Your High-Performing Front-Line Staff 153 Every Employee Contributes to the Customer Experience 156 Make It the Status Quo to Reinforce What's Right 157 Have Service Recovery Tools and Know How to Use Them 158 Scripts Are a Starting Point for Improving the Customer's Experience 160 Acknowledging Excellence Brings More Excellence 161 "Be Nice" Is a Critical Mandate 162
• Chapter 10 Communicore Visual Communications: The Happy Challenge 171 Act as the Steward of the Client Relationship 172 Handle Mistakes with Care and Follow Through 173 Draw Out Better Solutions with a Creative Approach 175 Control the Quality of Service by Putting Systems Into Place 176 Take On the Challenge of Warming Up Customer Relationships 178 Know When to Say Good-Bye 179 Know When a Customer Is Not a Fit and Attract Those That Are 181
• Chapter 11 A Final Review 191 Gladys Responds When You Pay Attention to Details 191 Gladys Responds to Compassion 193 Gladys Responds to Passion 194 Gladys Responds When You Go the Extra Mile 196 Gladys Responds When You Don't Take Conflict Personally 197 Gladys Responds to a Long-Term Relationship 198 Gladys Responds to a Well-Trained Staff 199 Gladys Responds to Two-Way Communication 201 Gladys Responds to Continuous Improvement 202 Gladys Responds to Creative Problem Solving 204 The Practical Points 207
• Recommended "Who's Your Gladys?" Resources 211 Programs to Help You Put the 10 Principles of This Book to Immediate Use 211 Personal and Professional Growth Tools and Techniques 212 Business Training 214 Customer Communication Tools 215 Professional and Personal Development Books 216 Index 219.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Every customer oriented business has its own Gladys; someone who demands more than most companies are able or willing to give, one who pushes front line service representatives' buttons, one who requires a higher degree of skill to manage. One who let's just say it can be difficult. Yet how is it that some businesses prove able not only to satisfy their 'Gladys', but turn her into one of their most loyal, utterly pleased customers? Filled with inspiring real-life case studies, "Who's Your Gladys?" reveals how large and small companies from a variety of industries avoid creating difficult customers in the first place.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)