Ron Kaufman
Ron Kaufman (born 1956, from Westport, Connecticut, USA) is a book author, columnist, management consultant, keynote speaker, and founder of the customer service training company, UP! Your Service.
Ron Kaufman | |
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Born |
1956 Connecticut, United States |
Residence | Singapore |
Alma mater | Brown University |
Occupation | Keynote Speaker; Author; Management Consultant |
Organization | UP! Your Service |
Notable work | Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet |
Spouse(s) | Jenny Kaufman |
Children | Brighten Kaufman |
Website | Ron Kaufman |
Authorship
Kaufman is the author of 16 published books on business, service, and professional motivation. Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet[1] was published on May 15, 2012, and has appeared at the #5 spot on The New York Times Book Review, “Best Sellers Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous”(June 3, 2012).[2]
Kaufman also serves as a columnist for Bloomberg Businessweek[3] and Chief Learning Officer magazines.[4] Kaufman's work with large organizations was cited in Harvard Business Review, April 2016, in "Revolutionizing Customer Service".[5]
Founder of UP! Your Service
In 1990, Singapore Airlines and the government of Singapore through SPRING Singapore (formerly the Productivity and Standards Board and National Productivity Board)[6] invited Kaufman to help create and launch a national service quality training organization, the Service Quality Centre, in an effort to improve the nation’s service culture.[7] Kaufman resides in Singapore. He became a citizen of Singapore in 2013, where he lives with his wife Jenny and daughter Brighten.[8]
In 1993, Kaufman founded Ron Kaufman Pte Ltd to coordinate his speaking, training, and publishing activities around the world.[9] In 2006, Kaufman founded the company UP! Your Service to provide education and consulting services to help organizations build an “Uplifting Service” culture. Kaufman’s methodology includes Service Leadership consulting, Service Education courses (named “UP! Your Service College”), and The 12 Building Blocks of Service Culture.[9]
UP! Your Service has offices in Singapore and the USA. The company provides management consulting and customer service training for businesses, associations, and government agencies.[10] Kaufman’s UP! Your Service courses have subsequently been translated into 14 languages.[11]
"Uplifting Service®"
In his book, Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet, Kaufman states his definition of service: “Service is taking action to create value for someone else.” Kaufman suggests incorporating service education into school systems.[11]
The book also outlines what Kaufman calls his “12 Building Blocks of Service Culture,” which are:[12] 1. Common Service Language 2. Engaging Service Vision 3. Service Staff Recruitment 4. New Staff Orientation 5. Service Communications 6. Service Recognition and Rewards 7. Voice of the Customer 8. Service Measures and Metrics 9. Service Improvement Process 10. Service Recovery and Guarantees 11. Service Benchmarking 12. Service Role Modeling
Early Entrepreneurship and Citizen Diplomacy
Kaufman learned to play Ultimate Frisbee while at Staples High School in Connecticut, USA, which was the second high school in the nation with a team. Later he co-founded and captained the Ultimate Frisbee team at Brown University.[13][14]
In 1976, Kaufman founded Discovering the World as a mail-order operation selling flying disc sport equipment,[15] which is now a store in Buena Park, CA, and an online outfit specializing in Disc Golf, Ultimate Frisbee, and all other flying disc sports equipment.[16] Kaufman then planned a national series of Frisbee Disc and Hackysack Footbag Festivals with Wham-O company sponsorship.[17]
Between 1985 and 1990, Kaufman used Frisbee as a means of citizen diplomacy. Part of this mission was the creation of World Peace Tours,[18] based in La Jolla, CA, to organize Frisbee Flying Friendship Tours to the People’s Republic of China. These tours included Frisbee demonstrations, festivals, and tournaments to cities around the world. Kaufman also led Youth Ambassadors of America tours to the Soviet Union.[11][19] Kaufman stated that the purpose of the China and the Soviet Union tours was to “to break down the walls of misunderstanding.”[7] As Kaufman recounts, “How can you drop a bomb on somebody you’ve gone skateboarding with down the Great Wall of China or played Frisbee with in Red Square?”[18]
Awards and Accolades
The National Speakers Association named Kaufman an award-winning speaker in their July/August 2009 issue of Speaker magazine in its “Top 25 Who’s Hot.”[20] Also in 2009, Kaufman earned the Spirit of Enterprise Award in Singapore.[9] In 2016, the Asia Professional Speakers Association awarded Kaufman the inaugural "Lifetime Achievement Award".
During the 1980s, Kaufman served as the Master of Ceremonies for the World Frisbee Disc Championships at the Rose Bowl in California; the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Frisbee Festival in Washington, DC; and the Milton Keynes Bowl Air Day in the United Kingdom.[11][21]
Kaufman is a professional member of the Author’s Guild, Global Speakers Federation, and the Association of Learning Providers.[8] He is a founding member of Asia Professional Speakers Singapore.[22]
Notable Presentations
Speaking Engagements
Kaufman’s line of work includes keynote motivational speaking engagements. He has been invited to present for audiences such as Authors@Google,[23] Stanford University,[24] and Harvard Business School.[25]
Television Appearances
Kaufman also appears on television. He has been interviewed about his book and business philosophy by Fox 5 Morning News,[26] Fox News,[27] Fox & Friends,[28] The Morning Blend with Mary Perkins,[29] and First Business in Chicago.[30]
Noted Webinars
Kaufman also holds webinars, including the University of Chicago Women’s Business Group[31] series.
Bibliography
Books and eBooks
Ron Kaufman has written the following books and eBooks:
- Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet, (May 15, 2012); ISBN 978-0-9847625-5-2 – USA paperback; ISBN 978-0-9847625-0-7 – USA hardcover; ISBN 978-0-9847625-9-0 - USA ebook; ISBN 978-981-07-1832-9 - Singapore hardcover
- UP! Your Service! Action Steps (March 1, 2006) ISBN 9789810529598
- UP! Your Service! New Insights (May 14, 2002) ISBN 9789810459390
- UP! Your Service! Great Ideas (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529383
- Service With A Smile (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529277
- Loving Your Life (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529284
- You Make A Difference (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529291
- Let's Make Money (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529307
- Take The Lead (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529314
- Words Of Wisdom (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529321
- What A Great Idea! (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529338
- Teams Win, Teams Work (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529345
- Wow! That's Inspiring! (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529352
- You Can Do It (May 14, 2005) ISBN 9789810529369
- Celebrate Family & Friends (May 14, 2005) ISBN 978-9810529376
- Make It Happen (September 1, 2012) ISBN 9789810719692
- Reach the Top (September 1, 2012) ISBN 9789810719708
Video-Based Courseware
- The Secrets of Superior Service, video and audio program, ISBN 981-00-8946-5
- Service Encounters of the Third Kind, video and audio program, ISBN 981-00-8948-1
- Partnership Power, video and audio program, ISBN 981-04-1787-X
- Quality Service – LIVE!, video program, ISBN 981-04-6228-X
- Unbelievable!, video program, ISBN 981-00-8949-X
- Videos that are part of the UP! Your Service College:
- Achieving Superior Service (Course 100), ISBN 978-981-07-3630-9
- Building Service Partnerships (Course 200), ISBN 978-981-07-3631-6
- Increasing Customer Loyalty (Course 300), ISBN 978-981-07-3632-3
Education and Personal Life
Kaufman is a 1979 graduate of Brown University, with a History degree concentrating in International Political History.[32] He obtained Singapore Citizenship in 2013.
References
- ↑ Kaufman, Ron (2012). Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet. Evolve Publishing. ISBN 0984762507.
- ↑ “Best Sellers: Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous.” The New York Times. June 3, 2012
- ↑ Ron Kaufman Bio. Bloomberg Businessweek
- ↑ "Why Customer Service Training is Missing the Mark." Kaufman, Ron. Chief Learning Officer. June 3, 2012
- ↑ "Revolutionizing Customer Service" April 2016
- ↑ SPRING Singapore. Singapore Infopedia.
- 1 2 "The Interview: Sunday Post Magazine (Hong Hong)." McHugh, Fionnula. 2000
- 1 2 "Eminent Service Leadership Guru Ron Kaufman Presents You with a Proven Path to Uplifting Your Service this July 13th." WDM Group. Business Review USA. July 9, 2012
- 1 2 3 "Mr. Ron Kaufman." Spirit of Enterprise website: 2009 Awards.
- ↑ "Ron Kaufman Client List." Ron Kaufman website accessed September 14, 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 "Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet.” Kaufman, Ron. Evolve Publishing Inc. 2012. Preface
- ↑ "Uplifting Service: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet.” Kaufman, Ron. Evolve Publishing Inc. 2012. Section III
- ↑ Woog, Dan. "Woog's World: Ron Kaufman’s Ultimate Game.” Westport News
- ↑ Pasquale, Anthony Leonardo (2005). Ultimate: The First Four Decades.
- ↑ "American tossers plan summer tour of China." The Bulletin. March 3, 1985.
- ↑ "About Us." Discovering the World website. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012
- ↑ "Frisbee Players to Show Chinese Art of Throwing." United Press International. May 26, 1985
- 1 2 "Peace Tours Make Friends with Frisbees." Knight-Ridder Newspapers reprinted by Chicago Tribune. May 4, 1986
- ↑ "International Play: Frisbee Diplomacy." Blanc, Robin. Originally published in Play & Humor, Spring 1986, pg. 52
- ↑ Speaker Who's Hot?" Speaker: The Official Magazine of the National Speakers Association. July/August 2009. pg. 26
- ↑ Warshaw, Sammy. "Chasing a Passion: Frisbee Inspires Motivational Speaker." Inklings. Oct. 30, 2009. pg. 16
- ↑ "APSS Membership Programme" Asia Professional Speakers Singapore website accessed Sept. 14, 2012
- ↑ "Authors@Google: Ron Kaufman." Published on July 10, 2012
- ↑ "Stanford University Break Briefing by Ron Kaufman." Published on June 10, 2012
- ↑ "Uplifting Service!" Harvard Business School Association of Boston. September 12, 2012.
- ↑ "TV Interview: Ron Kaufman with Tony Perkins on Fox 5 Morning News." Published on June 1, 2012
- ↑ TV Interview on Fox News with Ron Kaufman: How to get better service when you fly." Published on June 2012
- ↑ Fox&Friends Interview with Ron Kaufman on Uplifting Service in America. Published on June 1, 2012
- ↑ Ron Kaufman with Mary Nelson, TV Interview on Financial Crisis The Morning Blend. Published June 9, 2012
- ↑ The Customer Service Conundrum First Business. Published June 9, 2012
- ↑ "Uplifting Service." The University of Chicago Women's Business Group. April 13, 2012
- ↑ "The Best of Active Learning." Newsletter June 2003