Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 8, 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.

How Do You Maintain Customer Experience on a Shrinking Budget? by Phil Britt

(CMSWire) While the most common recommendation is to demonstrate the value of CX programs well before the budget ax falls, that tactic may be too late and not enough to avoid cutbacks in a sharply declining economy. We asked CX professionals how they would handle a reduced budget.

My Comment: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic companies were forced to cut expenses, overhead, etc. I cautioned clients to be careful where they cut and to try and stay away from places where their customers would notice. This article looks at how to maintain a good CX, while at the same time, doing what’s necessary (in the form of cuts) for your business in trying times.

Got Emotional Connection? Then You’ve Got Profits by Heidi Tolliver-Walker

(WhatTheyThink) What is the secret to keeping customers from switching to a competitor with lower prices, faster curbside pickup, or a coupon that drops at just the right time? Motista, a provider of predictive intelligence, thinks it has the answer. Customer affinity. A look at the conclusions and data from its two-year study.

My Comment: You can’t have customer loyalty with an emotional connection with the customer. That emotion can come from the way the customer is treated, the confidence they have in the company’s products/services, the trust they have with the employees of the company and more. This great article is all about how the customer’s emotional connection drives profits.

More than just the customer service experience by David Beaumont

(David Beaumont) I have learned over the years the importance of saying the right things to people. There are three items I would like you to think about the next time you are engaging with someone. Whether it is with a family member, customer, employer, employee or business owner consider these three items.

My Comment: This article is a great follow up to the second entry this week on creating an emotional connection with customers. This one focuses on three ideas; how you treat people, what you say to people and your intention toward people. Three simple ideas to drive the emotional connection, thereby creating a better experience, thereby a reason for the customer to want to come back.

Adapting Your Customer Experience For a Post-COVID World – Joseph Michelli, Best-Selling Author by Atlanta Small Business Network

(ASBN) In this segment, Jim and Joseph talk about what your customer experience strategy should look like post COVID-19.

My Comment: I don’t often include a video in the TOP FIVE roundup, but couldn’t pass this one up. Jim Fitzpatrick of the Atlanta Small Business Network (ASBN) interviewed my friend, Joseph Michelli on how to adapt the customer experience as we come out of COVID-19. Enjoy the show!

5 Customer Experience Lessons From USAA by Blake Morgan

(Forbes) Companies in any industry can learn from the best. Here are five customer experience lessons from USAA.

My Comment: USAA has a long list of awards in the customer service and experience world. Year after year they are recognized for how well they treat their customers (members). Customer futurist expert Blake Morgan shares five ways they do it. Solid lessons here to benefit any type of business.

BONUS

7 Expert Customer Service Tips during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis by Dwayne Charrington

(ProProfs) The good news is that CX experts from big brands are ready to spill the beans with their valuable customer service tips during COVID 19. These tips will help you keep your business operations afloat and make you ‘live to fight another day’.

My Comment: Here is a compilation of customer service ideas from seven experts (myself included). I always enjoy “digesting” bite-sized tips that make me think about how to deliver better service. Here’s a quick read with some great ideas.

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.