What do Citicorp, UPS, and Marriott have in common? They are "breakthrough" service providers, firms that changed the rules of the game in their respective industries by consistently exceeding customer needs and expectations, thus forcing their competitors to either adapt or fail. With detailed case studies of Nordstrom, American Airlines, McDonald's and dozens of other companies, service management experts Heskett, Sasser and Hart show exactly how breakthrough managers - with an intuitive understanding of the "self-reinforcing management cycle" have development a strategic service vision, built loyalty, and positioned their service more successfully than their competitors.