5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of August 3, 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.

Personalization and Customer Experience Strategies for Success by Larisa Bedgood

(Business2Community) Personalized customer experiences are now at the center of all marketing initiatives. Brands are competing on customer experience and a recent Gartner survey shows that 81% of marketing leaders say they expect to be competing mostly or completely on the basis of customer experience.

My Comment: Here’s an article that is filled with stats and facts to make the case for delivering a good customer experience that is followed by some excellent takeaways and “how to’s” create a better, more personalized customer experience. Companies that can deliver on personalization are able to deliver value that makes price less relevant and fosters return business.

5 On the Fly Customer Experience Tips During-A Time of Uncertainty by Michael McNichols

(Smarter CX) Oracle CX Marketing has kicked off season 2 of “On the Fly”—a video series with small, 2-minutes-or-less bites of marketing tips, advice, and training from marketing experts.

My Comment: Smart CX (from Oracle) has been putting out great content. Here are five customer experience and marketing tips to consider during the uncertain times we are experiencing today. If you like these, be sure to click on the YouTube playlist link (here it is) to watch the videos that these tips are based on. Actually, there are quite a few videos with these short tips. So, happy reading and viewing!

Top customer service considerations for retailers in a post-COVID world by Jerry Cambell

(Retail Dive) It’s no surprise to anyone that retailers have been impacted by coronavirus shutdowns, not only because of the closures but due to an influx in customer service requests. One study found that customer support requests for sectors including retail and e-commerce have seen the highest increase since late February 2020 — up an average of 48%.

My Comment: Some of the best lessons are from those who not only teach, but those who also “do.” Jerry Campbell is head of CX for 7-Eleven, a brand we all know and one that has been around since the 1920s and survives and thrives in good times and bad. Campbell shares insights that all businesses, not just retailers, can relate to.

People, Business and the Pandemic – Measuring the Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 [An Infographic] by Dhawal Kumar

(Freshdesk) We conducted several polls across various channels and asked our audiences some crucial questions about the customer-business relationship in the new normal.

My Comment: Freshdesk has created an infographic to support several polls about doing business in today’s new business environment. While the stats and findings (the numbers) may not be specific to your business, the concepts we can learn from them are relevant to any business and industry.

The Era Of The Conscientious Consumer: What Younger Consumers Want From Your Brand by Matt Wujciak

(CCW) In the era of Uber Eats, Apple Pay, and Zoom, modern consumers are finding themselves in an exponentially changing environment, adopting new communication and purchasing behaviors as a result of shifting societal norms – many of which will become more permanent, many of which won’t.

My Comment: Forget that I’m quoted in the article, this is an important topic for all of us. We are entering into an era where our customer’s needs and buying habits are changing, especially those of “younger consumers,” identified as Gen Z and Millennials. When you’re in crisis mode (as we have been), the personality of a company becomes magnified, and the research shows that younger generations have the largest magnifying glass.

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