Joseph Michelli

Joseph Michelli is a bestselling author, organizational psychologist, and one of the world’s leading authorities on customer experience strategy. His books including The Starbucks Experience, The Zappos Experience, Driven to Delight (Mercedes-Benz), Leading the Starbucks Way, and The Airbnb Way have become essential reading for leaders who understand that exceptional service is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Inside the World’s Most Customer-Obsessed Companies

Dr. Michelli has been granted unprecedented access to study the customer experience strategies of some of the most admired companies in the world. His deep-dive research reveals the exact systems, behaviors, and cultural commitments that turn ordinary transactions into extraordinary relationships and casual customers into passionate advocates. He brings both the academic rigor of an organizational psychologist and the practical experience of a consultant who has worked with Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Building Customer Experiences That Drive Results

Michelli’s presentations provide teams with the frameworks and real-world examples they need to elevate their customer experience and build lasting competitive advantage. His keynotes deliver proven strategies for building customer experiences that create loyalty and advocacy, the specific systems behind Starbucks, Zappos, and Mercedes-Benz service excellence, creating cultures of customer obsession at every level, and turning customer experience into measurable business results.

The Starbucks Way – Creating the Total Customer Experience
By strategically focusing and executing on the details of the internal and external customer experience, Starbucks has become an employer and coffee provider of choice. In essence, Starbucks has become a name synonymous with coffee itself. While most people see Starbucks as a coffee company that serves people, its success is based on the inverse. It is a people company serving coffee. In this keynote or workshop, Dr. Michelli shows frontline workers and business leaders how to “stage” and perform on their brand’s promise. He analyzes the importance of identifying a desired emotional connection with the customer. Further, Dr. Michelli helps participants see the important distinction between “good” and “bad” profit. Lights, camera, action – the experience awaits.

From the Ordinary into the Extraordinary – Lessons for Growing People and Business
Starbucks took an extremely ordinary product and revolutionized the way people perceive and experience it. The Pike Place Fish Market has not only changed the way fish are sold but has innovated a business approach referred to as the “Fish Philosophy.” Just as Starbucks has transformed the coffeehouse experience, so too can you maximize your “ordinariness” for positive impact, organizationally and in your communities. Examine how cutting edge leadership and front line workers can make a consistently extraordinary difference — on and off the job.

When Fish Fly: Lessons from the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market 
When Fish Fly shares insights into the underlying principles and amazing popularity of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market. Excerpting from his book of the same name, Dr. Michelli reels in the complete fish story examining core principles that create Pike Place Fish’s uniquely vital and creative culture. A culture that leads to excellent customer service, legendary employee morale, a fun and energized work environment, and ultimately makes a “World Famous” difference in the lives of those they serve. This presentation offers a cohesive strategy for achieving world famous results for owners, managers, front-line workers, and customers alike. If Pike Place Fish can achieve world fame from a small storefront, with zero advertising in a smelly, physically arduous profession, just think what is possible for your company!

Companies that Play Together – Stay Together: Developing a Successful and Mirthful Corporate Culture
Borrowing from his experiences with companies such as the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Dr. Michelli shows you how a playful corporate culture attracts and retains the best workers. Get ready to learn how to celebrate your employees and increase your profitability through humor and play.

Change or Die! – Securing Maximum Innovation and Staff Engagement
This presentation examines the primary drivers of change in the technological age. It demonstrates ways to establish flexible service and quality standards while encouraging the sharing of unique ideas and talents of employees. By making important leadership distinctions between “being” and “doing”, Dr. Michelli offers a fun yet practical approach to infusing greater employee vitality, ownership and fun. It helps participants utilize essential strategies for seizing opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

Management Doesn’t Work
Admiral Grace Hooper once said “Manage things…lead people.” In the ever changing world of business, management may get things done right but leadership is about doing the right thing. In this keynote, Dr. Michelli examines important distinctions between leadership and management. He will explore the challenges of being a proactive strategic leader when most people are pulled toward reactive operational management. Borrowing from success principles in businesses as diverse as Starbucks or the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, Dr. Michelli will offer practical ideas to spark greater visionary leadership.

Enjoying Life to the Fullest by Capturing the Naturally Occurring Humor of Reality
Have you noticed that not everyone is amused by the challenges of living? In a world filled with depression, burnout and despair, it is clear that few have developed a perspective which makes the human experience enjoyable. This workshop reviews simple attitude and perspective shifts which can provide shock absorption on the bumpy road of life. It emphasizes that it is not the events of life that matter but the emotional choices we make in response to them.

Balancing Life through Play and Laughter
Borrowing from improvisational comedy, magic, juggling, mime, and music, Dr. Michelli explores playful strategies for finding more joy in your life. The importance of having a playful heart in a hectic world is emphasized.