Below are blog posts, articles and tips focused on customer service and experience. To view just the articles (typically longer than a blog post), click here.

Not long ago, I wrote an article that featured Todd Hopkins, CEO of Office Pride, and his concept of core values being a decision filter. I had the chance to interview him for Amazing Business Radio and he dropped another big concept on us that’s worth bringing to our followers. He talked about an agreement he makes with all his new customers and employees, an upfront agreement tied to future communication. Continue reading →

Habits for Success

Fostering Good Customer Service Habits to Make Your Business Stand Out

Shep Hyken interviews Mark Copeman. They discuss his new book, Helpdesk Habits, which teaches employees how to turn good customer service practices into routine habits. They also talk about the importance of humanity within the employee and customer experience.

Continue reading →

Each week I read a number of customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too. Continue reading →

This week we feature an article by Tom Buiocchi who writes about the importance of the “behind the scenes” work facilities managers do in order to enhance the customer experience. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

You’ve heard of the concept of Pay It Forward. Many people use the phrase to describe doing a good deed for someone with no other expectation than that person doing something nice for someone else and so on, creating a chain of good deeds. Don’t pay it back. Pay it forward. Continue reading →

Core Values and Company Culture

Culture, Commitment, and Taking Care of Customers

Shep Hyken interviews Todd Hopkins. They discuss how having a company-wide culture can lead to better customer service and success for your business.

Continue reading →

This week we feature an article by Jason Milleisen who shares three simple rules that will set you apart from your competition and help provide great customer service. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

Winter travel can be stressful with the concern of weather-related delays and cancellations. On a recent trip that had a connecting flight, I was notified the night before that my first flight was going to be delayed, which made me worry about missing my connection. I called the airlines and they suggested changing my connecting flight to a later one, which I was happy to do. Even though the flight was later, I would still arrive in time for my meeting. The customer service agent was happy to accommodate my request. Continue reading →

Excellent Decisions from the Cofounder of the Ritz-Carlton

Aligning Your Organization to a Company-wide Culture

Shep Hyken interviews Horst Schulze, the cofounder and COO of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. They discuss Schulze’s new book, Excellence Wins, and how he succeeded in creating one of the best hotel companies in the world by developing and sustaining a culture of excellence.

Continue reading →

This week we feature an article by Wayne Elsey who writes about how businesses can improve the experiences of their customers with the use of artificial intelligence. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure and honor of being the keynote presentation for River Valley Bank, soon to be Incredible Bank, as they merge the names of their brick-and-mortar banks and their online bank. I love that word, incredible, almost as much as my favorite word, amazing. If someone told you the customer service at a bank was incredible, you would only think positive things. What do they do that’s so incredible? I want to try some of what they call incredible. Continue reading →

Customer Feedback 101

Seeing Your Business Through the Eyes of the Customer

Shep Hyken interviews Jeff Robbins. They discuss the importance of customer feedback, the most effective surveys, and how to use these tools to create customer loyalty and improve your business.

Continue reading →

This week we feature an article by Stacy Sherman who reminds us that brands must not compete on price alone and shares a great story to illustrate this point from Stacy’s Pita Chips. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

When it comes to taking care of customers, sometimes people go a little further than expected. When asked why, they often say, “It was the right thing to do.” There’s no incentive other than the desire to care for someone else. In a sense, that is what customer service is about. While we may be paid to do a job, sometimes doing something that is not required – and therefore not expected – is what the next level of a good customer service experience is all about. Continue reading →

Are Rating Systems Skewed?

How to Get the Most Out of Your Customer Feedback

Shep Hyken interviews Martha Brooke. They discuss common rating systems implemented by many companies, the faults and flaws of these systems, and ways to improve the feedback process overall.

Continue reading →

This week we feature an article by Heather Hamilton who shares why investing in a point of sale (POS) system can empower your staff and improve the employee experience. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. This is the day where we send our spouses, partners, and loved ones a gift. Often it is out of obligation. I have plenty of friends who tell me if they don’t get their spouse some flowers and a card, they will pay for it. So we feel obligated to express our love and appreciation to those close to us. I’ve written several articles about this before, and my favorite one is called The Valentine Obligation. You don’t have to send your customer flowers, but how about an expression of appreciation? It can be something as simple as a thank you note or as elaborate as a customer appreciation event. And you don’t have to send it on Valentine’s Day. Any day is a good day to show some customer love. With that in mind, here are five ways to say thank you to your customers. Continue reading →