Page 14 - Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization

Acknowledgments

I dedicate this book to all those service professionals who provide us
with memorable experiences that enrich and brighten our daily lives.

I wish to thank my lovely wife Solange, whose patience and uncon-
ditional support have allowed me to pursue my professional goals and
aspirations. For the past twenty-three years, Solange’s wisdom and
matter-of-fact view of life have kept me grounded on Planet Earth and
have provided a sounding board for my ideas and concepts. I wish also
to thank my wonderful sons, Gianluca and Niccolo´ (and not least for
sharing their unique perspective on what is cool and what is not!).

I also wish to thank Horst Schulze—my ‘‘boss,’’ friend, mentor, and
partner—who taught me everything I needed to know about exceptional
customer service. Horst’s laser-sharp focus on excellence and his un-
matched commitment to being the best have been both an inspiration
and a motivation to succeed.

And finally, I want to thank my friend Micah, whose bright and
witty style brings a wonderful dimension to the business concepts we
present together in these pages; I had a great time writing this book
with him.

Leonardo Inghilleri
Atlanta, Georgia

To my beloved and brilliant wife, my family, my friends, my colleagues
past and present at Oasis, Tony, Morris, and the team at AVL, and my
customers: You have taught me so well and patiently—enduring my
failings over the years while I learned what is contained in these pages.

xiii