In an increasingly crowded market place, there are certain companies that really stand out from their competitors - companies like Tesco, PizzaExpress, Amazon.com, Virgin, easyGroup, First Direct, Harley Davidson, Krispy Kreme and Pret A Manger. Uncommon Practice ¿ People who deliver a great brand experience, a new book by Interbrand and Forum, demonstrates, through interviews with key executives from these and other leading companies, how they provide remarkable experiences for their customers and staff alike. The premise behind Uncommon Practice is that that this success stems from their distinctive cultures uniquely developed to meet the needs of customers. The companies featured have defied conventional wisdom and broken the traditional rules of management to engender exceptional levels of commitment from their people, who, united behind a clear brand vision, translate their belief in the company into exceptional customer service. Editors Andy Milligan and Shaun Smith have taken care to let the voice of the organisation speak for itself. Uncommon Practice is not a ¿how to¿¿ book, and does not provide a ¿quick-fix¿ list of invariable rules for success. The editors do however provide insight into the core principles and practices that the leading companies featured share but which are uncommon in many organisations today. "This is a terrific book. It paints a picture of what the 21st Century company has to look like. In today's hypercompetitive markets the business has to be profoundly customer centric if it is to prosper. This is not about clever advertising but creating a genuine commitment among employees to provide customers with a unique, quality experience. "What makes the book different is that the authors have chosen 19 fascinating businesses, most of them now household names, like Amazon, Tesco and Manchester United. Instead of a dull academic treatise they let the top executives do the talking about what makes their companies different. It provides a host of up-to-date insights for managers and MBAs." Professor Peter Doyle, Warwick Business School "How often do you get the chance to have an unmediated head-to-head with business leaders who are delivering on the new frontier of business - the customer experience? There are so many books out there trying to interpret the essence of business success that it is refreshing to find one where the interviewees at the heart of the book tell their story in their own words, instead of being paraphrased, interpreted or misinterpreted. "So if you want to hear direct from Richard Branson and his lieutenants, Carphone Warehouse's Charles Dunstone and other uncommon business leaders - many of whom are notoriously reluctant to be interviewed - the 'Uncommon Practice' is the book that lets you hear their story straight from the horse's mouth." Phil Dourado, Editorial Director, eCustomerServiceWorld.com 'This book takes an original approach to its subject and comes up with some uncommonly useful lessons.' Rufus Olins, editor-in-chief and publisher, Management Today "It is a fascinating book...it provides insights into some of the most challenging brands of the late-20th century and gives an instant guide to some of their most innovative ideas." Marketing In an increasingly crowded market place, there are certain companies that really stand out from their competitors—companies like Tesco, PizzaExpress, Amazon.com, Virgin, easyGroup, First Direct, Krispy Kreme, and Pret A Manger. Uncommon Practice: People Who Deliver A Great Brand Experience , a new book by Interbrand and Forum, demonstrates, through interviews with key executives from these and other leading companies, how these companies provide remarkable experiences for their customers and staff alike. The premise behind Uncommon Practice is that that this success stems from their distinctive cultures uniquely developed to meet the needs of customers. The companies featured have defied conventional wisdom and broken the traditional rules of management to engender exceptional levels of commitment from their people, who, united behind a clear brand vision, translate their belief in the company into exceptional customer service. Editors Andy Milligan and Shaun Smith have taken care to let the voice of the organisation speak for itself. Uncommon Practice is not a "how to..." book and does not provide a "quick-fix" list of invariable rules for success. The editors do however provide insight into the core principles and practices that the leading companies featured share but which are uncommon in many organizations today. Shaun Smith is Senior Vice President of Forum's Customer Experience Business. Forum, an FT Knowledge company, is a global workplace-learning corporation. Shaun is responsible for directing client projects that address a wide range of business issues including: managing and sustaining customer-focused change, and helping companies define and deliver customer experiences that differentiate t