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.

This week we feature an article by Ian Moyse who writes about how important it is to examine the customer journey you are providing. You must deliver a consistent, convenient and frictionless experience. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

The other day I was at my hotel waiting for my client to pick me up for a meeting. I wanted a quick breakfast, so I went to the hotel’s coffee shop to pick up some oatmeal. They had instant oatmeal in a cup. The cashier added the hot water and $4.00 later I was on my way. I sat down at an open seat in the hotel lobby and noticed that my oatmeal looked more like soup that oatmeal. Usually, you just wait a few minutes and the oatmeal thickens up, but that was not the case. So, I walked over to the coffee shop to see if they had any suggestions. Her response: “People always complain about that.” Continue reading →

Give Employees What They Crave Most

Take Time to Properly Motivate Your Team

Shep Hyken sits down with Gregg Lederman to talk about his new book, Crave: You Can Enhance Employee Motivation in 10 Minutes by Friday. They discussed how to replicate your best people and give them the happiness and motivation they crave and deserve.

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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 David Olson who shares tips on how to use live chat software correctly. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

One of my favorite restaurants in St. Louis, where I live, is Tony’s. You may be familiar with Tony’s if you have been following my articles and videos for a while. They are an outstanding example of a great product – their food – and amazing service. So, good in fact that they are one of the businesses that don’t have to exceed expectations. They are so good at what they do, all they have to do is meet expectations to amaze their guests. Continue reading →

Ten Ways To Recognize Employees During National Customer Service Week

National Customer Service Week Is About Customers AND Employees

Shep Hyken sits down with Bill Gessert to talk about National Customer Service Week (October 1-5, 2018). They discussed 10 ways to celebrate the week-long event, how to create an employee-centric culture, and how to get C-suite executives involved in the everyday culture.

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This week we feature an article by Michelle Nickolaisen about customer review programs. Accept that you may be reviewed by the customer. But, even if you’re not going to be reviewed, perform as if you are. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

We can train people on how to deliver good customer service. We teach people how to greet customers when they walk in the store, how to properly answer the phone when customers call the company and much more. It’s easy to teach the basics. They are part of the operation and the process. They happen every day. But, sometimes there are opportunities to deliver customer service when it’s not expected. An employee does something, not because they were taught to do it, not because it’s expected, but simply because it’s intuitively the right thing to do. Continue reading →

Bend Over Backwards For Your Customers

How to adopt a hospitality mentality within your organization.

Shep Hyken sits down with his friend and restaurateur Kim Tucci. They discussed “the hospitality mentality,” how to hire good people and ways to reduce employee turnover.

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This week we feature an article by Yura Filimonov who shares some of the many ways we can use AI to provide customer support. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

When you treat employees like rock stars, they will treat your customers like rock stars. That is what employee engagement is all about. Great leaders have preached that when you treat your employees well, they treat their customers – and fellow employees well. My friend and fellow customer experience expert, James Dodkins, has a great way of saying it:

If you want to put your customers first, you need to put your employees first, first.

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Be Nice… Always

Why (and How) to Put Your Customers at the Center of Your Decisions

Shep Hyken sits down with his close friend, colleague and customer service expert Buddy Rice. They discussed how he helped Delta Airlines with their customer service culture, what customers are really looking for, and the RATER service quality model.

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This week we feature an article by Wayne Turmel who writes about how to be successful with a remote customer service team. This is a new challenge that many employers are facing. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

Someone once said that if you want to know if the company is treating their employees well, try the coffee.

The coffee? Really? Okay, I get it. One little detail can give you a glimpse into a much bigger picture. The idea is that the coffee machine and the quality of the coffee is an indication of how the employees are treated. Continue reading →

Amazing Customer Service Tips From A Doctor

Techniques from the stage to optimize the patient/customer experience

Shep Hyken sits down with Dr. Bob Baker. They discussed his new book The Performance Of Medicine, how Bob relates his experiences as a magician and doctor to customer service, and how to optimize the customer/patient experience. There is a lot that anyone and any business can learn from Dr. Bob!

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I’ve spent my professional career teaching companies and individuals how to provide amazing customer service and a customer experience (CX) that would keep customers coming back and help their businesses to grow and thrive. But today, customers expect more. They know what good service looks like and they expect it. And, they not only compare you just to your direct competitor, but to the best service they have ever received – from anyone. Delivering an expected level of service is now the baseline, and you have to find a way to differentiate yourself from the competition – because they are also trying to out-service you. I have found a way. It’s a concept that is being embraced by smart, successful companies to disrupt their competition, and in some cases, entire industries. Continue reading →

This week we feature an article by Kaavya Karthikeyan who writes about customer support metrics that you should be tracking. – Shep Hyken Continue reading →

Over the years I’ve taught a concept I refer to as the One Thing Question. This is a very simple question to use in a survey as a follow-up to the simple survey question, like the Net Promoter Score question (NPS). For those that may not be familiar with the NPS survey question, it is simply this: On a scale of zero to ten, what is the likelihood that you would recommend us to a friend, colleague or family member. This simple question gives you an idea if your organization did well enough for the customer to recommend you. The follow-up question is this: