Tackling important issues facing customer service providers and customer service managers today, this straightforward, easy-to-read text provides students with: (1) a thorough understanding of the customer service industry, (2) a working knowledge of current trends and the ability to interpret those trends, and (3) the fundamental abilities and strategies that lead to the successful implementation of customer service. A #1 training and reference resource for numerous companies, the text's unique approach unfolds the dynamics of the customer service industry while providing exercises to develop the fundamental skills necessary to compete in it. It places a special emphasis on self-assessment and the mastery of the skills that together provide tangible evidence of individual and corporate productivity.