Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of June 20, 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.

Eight Tips To Get Inactive Customers Excited About Your Business Again by Young Entrepreneur Council

(Forbes) Without customer loyalty, a business can struggle to succeed. While your business may have a few standout customers who have become brand ambassadors for your product or service, the unengaged or inactive customers are often the ones you need feedback from the most. These customers can provide candid and honest feedback as to why they aren’t more engaged with your business.

My Comment: It’s not unreasonable to think that a customer that left you for a competitor might come back in the future – especially if you make an effort to do so. The Young Entrepreneur Council at Forbes shares eight ideas on exactly how to do that. While some of these are very common sense, it surprises me that more people/companies don’t use these tips.

How to Create a Total Experience that Fulfills 3 Fundamental Customer Needs by Kate Kompelien

(CMSWire) For as long as goods have been bought and sold, customer expectations for how these goods should be delivered have been in a constant state of evolution. Consider the example of coffee. At first, coffee was cheap and plentiful — though options for consuming it were limited. Then came the pre-packaged goods economy, where consumers could purchase pre-roasted beans and product offerings diversified. As this economic model gave way to the service economy, customers began to seek out coffee brands with a signature style, which opened the door to new custom brews and flavors.

My Comment: This article features the three basic needs of (most) every customer. The first is a functional need. The product or service needs to do what it’s supposed to do. The second is an emotional need, which considers how someone feels when interacting with a company or brand. And the third is a social need. Many customers want the companies they do business with to give back at some level.

What You’re Getting Wrong About Customer Journeys by Ahir Gopaldas and Anton Siebert

(Harvard Business Review) Most marketing experts agree that it’s not enough to give customers a satisfying initial experience with a product. Instead, product managers must offer them a compelling series of experiences—a customer journey—to keep them coming back for more. The design of customer journeys is the new marketing battleground.

My Comment: Anytime an article about customer service or CX comes out in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), I get excited to learn something new. The gist of this article is that it’s not enough to give customers an “initial satisfying experience with a product.” Instead, provide them with a series of experiences. In other words, give them a customer journey that makes them come back for more.

Let Your Brand Strategy Be Your Superpower by Julie Reeves

(Gartner) The thing is, there’s no superhuman ability required to have all that for your organization — and more. All it takes — and I get that this is no small task — is a solid brand strategy. In a highly competitive and polarized environment, a strong brand strategy is not only valuable, it’s essential. Unfortunately, most companies find it difficult to stand out from the competition. According to a Gartner survey, only one in four respondents can see a difference between brands in a given competitive set.

My Comment: Brand strategy and CX strategy go hand in hand. Many companies/brands don’t focus enough attention on the brand strategy. Here are six reasons you should make this a priority. While you may not agree with all six, you’ll find something here that will make a great conversation starter at your next brand strategy meeting? (What, you don’t have brand strategy meetings? Maybe it’s time to start!)

Consumers Embracing Premium Loyalty Programs by Retail Customer Experience

(Retail Customer Experience) Consumers are more likely than ever to join a premium loyalty program and willing to pay if the program guarantees discounts and offers relevant benefits.

My Comment: This short article includes a number of findings from the Clarus Commerce 2022 Premium Loyalty Data Study. If you have a loyalty program, you’ll want to read these stats. A significant finding was that 72% of the 2,500 U.S. consumers were already enrolled in a premium loyalty program, and 77% who weren’t said they would join one if a favorite brand offered it.