5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of August 14, 2017

Each week I read a number of customer service and experience articles from various online 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.

Appearing to Care by Seth Godin

(Seth Godin) We know that your customers will put up with imperfect, but one thing that they’d like in return is for you to care.

My Comment: Let’s start this week’s Top Five with another Seth Godin article. As usual, Seth’s articles are very short, so I’ll share the essence of this one. It’s simple: Care about your customers.

10 Things Never to Say To a Customer On Live Chat by Chandan Kumar Singh

(ProPofs) Over time, I have learned a few more lessons and in this post, I am going to share the 10 things that you should never say to a customer on live chat.

My Comment: Here is a great list of ten things to never say (or type) to a customer on “live chat.” The reality is you would never want to say any of these things to a customer in any form of communication. This is the kind of list you want to print out and share with all employees who talk, email, tweet, etc. to your customers.

I beg you, retailers, don’t digitize the in-store customer experience by Ben Davis

(Econsultancy) Online shopping is eating into physical store visits – that much is obvious if you watch any news bulletin about Black Friday.

My Comment: Innovation is a big word in business today. What does it really mean and how can it positively impact business? Read this article about five ways successful retailers have innovated to make a better CX. Even if you’re not in the retail industry, these examples may kick-start a good conversation around creativity and innovation.

How to Justify the Importance of Customer Experience by Nitish Gautam

(Ameyo) What is the best way you can improve your business? It’s not to build an excellent product using the latest innovative technologies. The answer lies in improving Customer Experience (CX). But just how important is customer experience for your organization?

My Comment: It seems surprising to me that a company’s leadership would question the importance of customer experience, but some do. This article shares some of the reasons that CX is important and why it shouldn’t be left to chance.

Will AI Replace Humans In The Customer Service Industry? by Tiago Paiva

(Forbes) On the heels of several recent high-profile customer service debacles in the airline industry, it’s clear that how you treat your customers can make or break your company and its reputation. From legacy giants to the booming on-demand economy, fast and intelligent customer service has never been more crucial. And with new developments in technology, including buzzwords like cognitive computing, machine learning, and VR, merging human interaction with AI is seeming to be more and more likely the solution for managing customers needs.

My Comment: Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI take away jobs in the customer service industry? (Did video kill the radio star?) The short answer is no. This article is a good look at how AI can support customer service reps, and the result is a better experience for the customer.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.