Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 3, 2013

Top Customer Service and Business Articles

Each week I read a number of customer service 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.

Deliver a World-Class Customer Experience by Lauren Simonds

(Time) Take a page out of Disney’s employee training playbook to see how creative management can lead to fully engaged employees dedicated to pleasing customers.

My Comment: Nice to have a glimpse behind the curtain of Disney’s training program.  The key is to connect the dots.  How can Disney strategies and tactics be used in your business?  The answer is your blueprint for success.

(The FINANCIAL) Customer loyalty can directly impact business profitability – 60% of consumers are willing to pay more for a similar product from a small independent retailer, compared to a cheaper product from a large, corporate retailer, a report shows.

My Comment: It doesn’t matter if it is a small or big business. These stats make a point about the importance of customer loyalty and how it increases profitability. And, isn’t that what every business wants?

Injecting the Fun Factor into Customer Service by Mila D’Antonio

(1to1 Media) Good customer service is difficult to come by these days, but even more elusive is fun service.

My Comment: This is a simple reminder that some of the best companies to work for and do business with have a fun factor. If appropriate, try to incorporate a fun, upbeat and enthusiastic attitude in your customer interactions. It really is about attitude. The old saying goes, “Enthusiasm is contagious.” And, my friend Danny Cox says, “If what you have is not enthusiasm, that is also contagious.”

The Big Brand Theory: How FedEx Achieves Social Customer Service Success by Ekaterina Walter

(Social Media Today) Ginna Sauerwein is a customer service veteran who knows the value of social media. Working for the companies such as JC Penney, Delta Airlines, Miller Brewery, and—for the past 29 years—for FedEx, she is now a Managing Director of Customer Service in the Western Region. It is her team that is responsible for delighting customers through excellent and timely service. And many of those interactions nowadays are happening through social channels.

My Comment: So many companies compare themselves to other companies in their own industry.  Customers do some of that, but they are also comparing the places they do business with to companies outside their industry.  When a customer has a great customer service experience at a hotel or restaurant, it raises the bar for all companies that the customer does business with, which is why I love FedEx.  They have a brand promise and they keep it.  And, just about any company can learn from FedEx, which is why I love this article, which teaches us five ways that FedEx delivers amazing customer service.

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.

(Copyright ©MMXIII, Shep Hyken)