Chip Bell

Consultant, speaker, and author

Chip Bell has helped companies dramatically enhance their bottom lines and marketplace reputation through innovative customer-centric strategies. For the sixth year in a row, Global Gurus in 2020 ranked Bell as one of the top three keynote speakers in the world on customer service. Bell has authored 24 books; seven are international best sellers. His latest book, Inside Your Customer’s Imagination: 5 Secrets for Creating Breakthrough Products, Services, and Solutions (Berrett-Koehler, 2020), shows how co-creation partnerships enable you to tap into the treasure trove of ideas, ingenuity, and genius-in-the-raw within every customer.

Mon, 10/29/2018 - 12:26
You Are Known by Your WorksBeware of expectations set by labels
Thu, 06/06/2019 - 12:02
Many years ago, I worked for the president of a bank famous for aggressive bank acquisitions and rapid growth in the financial services space. The bank ultimately became the Bank of America, and the president became its CEO. Hugh McColl was famous…
Clear the Customer Experience Parking LotEveryone benefits when you prioritize customer satisfaction
Wed, 04/17/2019 - 12:02
Parking lot. We use it in the meeting-management world to mean agenda items that are tabled for later discussion. These are generally posted on a sheet of flip-chart paper, taped on the meeting wall, and then placed on the agenda of the next meeting…
Are You a Disrupter?Discover better ways to serve customers and trigger service transformations
Thu, 01/31/2019 - 12:02
Visioning beyond the customer is the responsibility of every person interested in a competitive advantage. What do Bill Marriott, Ray Kroc, and Al Hopkins have in common? No, they are not all people of wealth and fame. In fact, Hopkins is a small-…
Let’s Measure Effort, But......let’s not be seduced into thinking comfort is ‘all about effort’
Thu, 11/15/2018 - 12:02
I recently had eye surgery that required me to sleep on my back for two weeks following the operation. I have always slept on my side, ever since I was a kid. My back-sleeping attempts are so challenging, I am never able to nap on those United…
Are We Mechanizing Customer Delight?Service without emotional connection is as functional as a vending machine
Tue, 08/21/2018 - 12:02
Standing in the gate area of Delta Airlines at the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, I was watching the monitor to learn if my name appeared on the “upgrade to first class” list. Honestly, I was feeling totally entitled since I fly a…
Generosity: Serve It ForwardChange the calculus of service from miserly subtraction to Midas-like addition
Tue, 06/05/2018 - 12:01
The 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia, won the Oscar for Best Picture at the 35th Academy Awards. Given the current conflicts in the Middle East, I recently watched the four-hour movie to learn more about the cultural history of the area. Thomas Edward…
Trust: Keep Your Customer CovenantsA relationship without trust is like a cell phone without service; all you can do is play games
Thu, 03/15/2018 - 12:01
The coolest birthday present I ever received was a gift from my wife a number of years ago; it was a white 1962 Mercedes-Benz 220 sedan reasonably well-restored. But the classy antique car, with its deep fenders and leather seats, turned out to be…
Grace: Honor Your CustomerBeing nice, networked, and notable
Mon, 01/08/2018 - 12:02
I do not at all understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. —Anne Lamott Howard Perdue was the owner, manager, and spiritual leader of the Ford tractor dealership in McRae, Georgia,…
Solving the Six Sigma Goat MysteryBeware of using paradigm-colored glasses to view customer engagement
Mon, 11/13/2017 - 12:03
Variation and defects. They are the bane of all manufacturing companies. They signal an absence of efficiency, a neglect of productivity, and a total disregard for cost effectiveness. Who is seen as the rescuing knight in shining armor? Sir Six…
Is Your Customer Service Accessible?Or do your marketing needs trump your customers’ needs for access?
Mon, 09/18/2017 - 12:01
What if you were required to fill out an online form if you wanted the phone number or address of an enterprise with which you wanted to do business? Let’s say you were driving to a meeting at their location and you needed to contact someone to let…