Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of November 28, 2022

Each week, I read many 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.

When CEOs Engage Directly with Customers by G. Tomas M. Hult

(Harvard Business Review) Customer expectation in the United States has held steady for the last decade, while customer satisfaction has deteriorated. To reverse this trend, many companies are now strategically leveraging all parts of their organizations to offer customer-centric approaches to increase customer satisfaction. CEOs can potentially serve as important customer service reps in complementary roles to frontline customer service, sales, and customer experience management personnel. But do the potential benefits of the CEO as customer service rep outweigh the potential drawbacks?

My Comment: What is the likelihood that Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or other high-profile CEOs would take the time to answer a question or complaint from a customer? It’s more likely than you might think. In this article by Tomas Hult, part of the team that brings you the American Customer Satisfaction Index, you will learn the importance and power of the CEO, president, or owner of a company spending time on the frontline, hearing from, learning from and answering customers questions, comments, and complaints.

3 Tips To Improve Your Survey Response Rates by Kelechi Okeke

(CustomerThink) Customers are constantly evolving and their behaviours has been significantly impacted on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more businesses are working hard to keep a pulse on their customers to better understand their needs. In doing this, they strategically reposition their operations, product, services as well as the processes to meet those needs.

My Comment: I’m often asked, “How can I get more customers to respond to our surveys?” There are plenty of reasons customers respond to some and not others. My friend from Africa, Kelechi Okeke, has written an interesting article that answers that very question.

Brands Must ALWAYS Listen to Customers! by Debbie Laskey

(Debbie Laskey’s Blog) Jeremy Watkin is Director of Customer Experience and Support at NumberBarn and cofounder of the CustomerServiceLife blog. He has more than 20 years of experience as a customer service and contact center professional leading high-performing teams. He has been recognized as a thought leader for his writing and speaking on a variety of topics including quality management, outsourcing, customer experience, contact center technology, CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service), product marketing, social media, and more.

My Comment: Of course, you listen to your customers! That’s what the title implies, but there’s more to this article than a tip on listening. The author interviewed Jeremy Watkin, Director of Customer Experience and Support at NumberBarn, who is also well known for his expert commentary in the customer service world. There are some great tips and examples throughout the interview. To paraphrase a quote from Watkin: “The moment you think you don’t need to listen to your customers, you’re headed for trouble.”

The Secret’s Out: Murphy Door Unlocks Hidden Benefits with BILT by BILT Incorporated

(BILT Incorporated) Murphy Door is the industry innovator in creative door solutions. They manufacture customizable hidden bookcase doors, dresser and hamper doors, and Murphy beds that add functionality to wasted space. Founded in 2012 by firefighters seeking supplemental income and a flexible schedule, the company is customer and employee centric. CEO Jeremy Barker believes these two focal points go hand in hand: “Happy employees create happy customers. You must eliminate as much friction as possible in the customer experience.”

My Comment: A frictionless experience is not only for customers. Employees benefit as well. This article is a case study of how Murphy Door created a digital support experience using BILT, a customer service solution that delivers 3D interactive instructions and tutorials that give customers the information they need and reduces overall customer support costs.

What Is Advocacy Marketing? Let Your Customers Speak for You by Ajit Narayan

(G2) Advocacy marketing is the process of turning customers into brand advocates. It’s the best way to turn word of mouth into a positive force that drives your business forward. An advocacy marketing strategy helps build mutually beneficial customer relationships with customers, promote your brand, and reach your target audience more effectively. It’s an essential component of any digital marketing strategy.

My Comment: This last article in our Top Five roundup is more about marketing than customer service or experience. But what drives this strategy is the CX. It’s about word-of-mouth marketing, which the author refers to as advocacy marketing. He shares five steps to get you started as well as how to avoid potential mistakes and pitfalls.

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.