5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of August 24, 2020

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.

Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Your Customer Service? by Mitul Makadia

(Business2Community) By transforming customer service interactions, AI-powered digital solutions are prepared to improve every aspect of your business including online customer experience, loyalty, brand reputation, preventive assistance, and even generation of revenue streams.

My Comment: There is a lot written about chatbots and AI (Artificial Intelligence). I have seen incredible strides over the past few years as these technologies improve. The question is, do they really improve your customer service? This article has plenty of information to make the case. As you read this, keep in mind, you must maintain the balance between what you do in the digital world and how you connect in the human-to-human world.

13 Actionable Tips to Attract More Clients to Your Law Firm by Jacob Maslow

(LegalScoops) Here are actionable tips that can be employed to successfully maintain and grow client relationships, which results in a profitable customer base for your law firm.

My Comment: Just because this article is about attracting clients to a law firm, don’t think you can’t learn from it. Any – or maybe even all – of the ideas are appropriate for most businesses. You can call them clients, customers, patients, guests, members, etc. You want more of them, then read this article. And, for many of these ideas, you won’t need much of a budget. It’s just doing the work.

The 6 Pillars to Create a Positive Digital Customer Experience (dCX) by Andre Havro

(Business2Community) With a global crisis forcing many companies to close or operate at reduced capacity, it may be surprising to learn that consumers expect service to remain unchanged. It is apparent people want to feel seen, recognized, and appreciated by the companies they choose to support.

My Comment: The article starts with a comment that in spite of the global crisis that has forced change on many businesses, customers still expect customer service to remain unchanged. That’s an intriguing statement that is then supported with six “pillars” (actually strategies and tactics) to help you and your organization deliver a better digital experience.

What’s the difference between CX and UX? by Qualtrics

(Qualtrics) The terms CX and UX are often confused or used interchangeably. Here we define each one and explain the differences between them.

My Comment: Is there a difference between CX and UX? Of course, there is, and this article will not only point out the differences but also give you some actionable ideas and best practices. I like articles with bullet points. They are typically short and concise nuggets of information. There are plenty of them here. Eighteen to be exact.

5 Ways To Elevate Employee Satisfaction That Boost Customer Satisfaction by Anjan Pathak

(CustomerThink) Customer wellbeing has become the most crucial factor to consider when you want your business to grow. To achieve this feat, it’s vital to account for your employee’s satisfaction, who deals with customers directly or indirectly.

My Comment: If you want a good customer experience, then take a look at the inside of your business or organization at the employee experience. That’s where it starts. While there are a number of ideas, pay attention to number three, which is about conducting employee feedback sessions. Many companies focus on getting feedback from their customers. It’s just as important to know how you’re doing with employees. Remember, what’s happening on the inside of an organization is felt on the outside by their customers.

BONUS

Top Eleven CX Contact Center Influencers You Need to Follow by Anna Tsymbalist

(shelf) Since these folks have been so helpful sharing advice and best practices, we compiled a list of the top ten contact center and customer experience influencers we think you should follow. We think you’ll appreciate the latest insights and valuable advice they regularly share with their followers.

My Comment: I’m honored to be recognized as one of the top customer experience contact center influencers. And, this is a very impressive list of thought leaders and executives. Thank you to Shelf.io for this great surprise!

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.TheCustomerFocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken