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.

Wed, 02/18/2026 - 12:22
Four Ingredients in the Jack Daniel’s Leadership Recipe Visions only work if associates see them in their leaders’ actions
Wed, 02/18/2026 - 12:02
Walk the aisles of any liquor store in the U.S., and brands named after people call for your notice—Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, and Jim Beam. Perhaps the most revered name among them is Jack Daniel. Established in 1875, Jack Daniel’…
Keys to Managing a Customer Who Is Wrong How organizations can turn moments of conflict into lasting allegiance
Tue, 02/10/2026 - 12:02
The customer is not always right. We are all customers, and sometimes we’re dead wrong. Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of Stew Leonard’s grocery stores, enjoys saying, “The goal is to make the customer feel right.”  His sentiment means never dealing with a…
How to Get Your Employees to Love Your Brand 4 secrets leaders use to bolster brand loyalty by employees
Mon, 02/02/2026 - 12:02
‘I don’t want my Dollar General store to look like a Dollar General store!” That was the owner’s assertive Sunday morning response to a sincere compliment on her immaculate, well-organized store. Her loud echo of pride stood in contrast to two other…
How to Manage Painful Customer Experiences Four approaches for conquering service gremlins
Thu, 11/13/2025 - 12:02
One hour after takeoff from London’s Heathrow Airport on an intercontinental flight to the U.S., the pilot announced the aircraft was returning, “because my windshield just shattered.” After gasps from passengers, he calmly announced there was no…
What Leaders Can Learn About Innovation From a Pistol Maker And other sharpshooters who stuck with it
Thu, 04/10/2025 - 00:02
Innovation is vital to the success of all businesses. Innovate or perish is the new mantra. Leaders must perpetually reinvent their processes, products, and services, because they typically have multiple competitors offering similar offerings. Only…
How Can You Make Your Customer Strategy Fun? Focus on customer fit, disciplined execution, and complete alignment
Thu, 12/05/2024 - 12:02
Is your organization about fun? How often do your customers giggle? How much of your business strategy is about funniness—not just entertainment, but customer experiences made joyful by design? What are your customers’ principal memories of their…
Give Your Customers ‘Crayons’ to Decorate Their Experiences Customers want more than service. They want happenings.
Mon, 10/07/2024 - 12:02
The Madison, a historic hotel overlooking the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, was rebranded into a modern hotel. It was, in some ways, a sad event. Memphis is the birthplace of the blues, and the Madison was my introduction to the powerful…
All I Need to Know About Customer Experience I Learned From a Jack Nicholson Movie How movie lines inspire customer care
Wed, 09/11/2024 - 12:01
The diner scene from the 1970 movie Five Easy Pieces appeared in many customer service training classes. Do you recall Bobby Dupea (played by Jack Nicholson) trying to order a plain omelet with a side order of wheat toast? He ran straight into: “No…
Take Out Your Customers’ Trash Creating less hassle and gaining customer loyalty
Thu, 08/01/2024 - 12:02
‘T ake out the papers and the trash.” That was the opening line of the song “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters. It spent weeks as the No. 1 hit in 1958. Teenagers everywhere wore out their shoes dancing to the hot song. The lyrics hold a strong message…
Customer Fog: The Real Reason Customers Leave Finding and fixing the problem
Tue, 07/23/2024 - 12:02
The cost of acquiring a new customer can be five to 10 times the cost of keeping an existing customer, depending on the industry. You already knew that. But while most organizations know why their customers opened the exit door, they devote little…