Contact Shep (314) 692-2200

Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of August 22, 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. How CMOs Can Master Their New Job: Leading Customer Experience by Chris Johnson (CMSWire) Great […]

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.

How CMOs Can Master Their New Job: Leading Customer Experience by Chris Johnson

(CMSWire) Great news, CMOs: customer experience (CX) is the future … and if you aren’t already, you’re going to be in charge of it. According to Salesforce’s latest State of Marketing report, 80% of marketers are now in charge of CX initiatives across the enterprise. But whether or not this has been added to your purview, you probably have some questions about this new responsibility. Specifically: How are you supposed to do it?

My Comment: Marketing has traditionally been about getting customers to want to do business with a company or brand. The trend over the recent years has been to put customer experience under the responsibility of the CMO. The result is that marketing is now more than getting people to the front door. This article shares several ideas on how CMOs can adopt a CX mindset.

How To Make Hospitality Customer Service Shine by Paul Savarino

(Facility Executive) The hospitality industry is fueled by happy customers. If guests have a great experience, they’re more likely to return and recommend the hotel to friends, family, and colleagues. If they don’t, the hotel will lose them and their circle of contacts as customers. The hotel’s reputation may be damaged if unhappy guests use social media to amplify their dissatisfaction with customer service during their stay.

My Comment: Here’s an article from the hospitality industry, written by someone on the hotel’s engineering and facility management side. That said, every business (B2B and B2C) can learn from this. Some of the best companies have a hospitality mentality, regardless of their industry.

What Is Your Service Achilles Heel? by Chip Bell

(Forbes) “Achilles heel” originated in Greek Mythology when infant Achilles was dipped in the Styx River by his mom to prevent his death at a young age, as foretold by the gods. It left the heel she held him by entirely defenseless. He became a great warrior who looked like Brad Pitt and survived many battles. But he was later killed by Paris (aka Alexander) when he was shot in his heel with a poisonous arrow during the Trojan War. The cool story became our best characterization of vulnerability.

My Comment: I always enjoy an article with a story or metaphor to make its point. Chip Bell, a customer service expert, shares the story of the “Achilles Heel,” which originated in Greek Mythology. Every business has an Achilles heel, and as Bell compares them to “gremlins hiding in the shadows, waiting to turn a potentially cheerful experience into a customer calamity.”

When A Customer Wants To Cancel by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) Most companies spend a lot of time thinking about the sales and marketing process, the customer onboarding process, and the larger customer experience. But very few think strategically about when a customer wants to cancel or otherwise “break up” with them.

My Comment: Whether you like it or not, there will be a point in time when a customer decides to part ways. The decision can be for good reasons or bad. The fact is, they “cancel” their relationship with you. Dan Gingiss, the “Experience Maker,” shares his wisdom on why customers cancel, the right metrics to use, how to handle customers who cancel, and more.

Top 10 Successful CX Strategies – 2022 by SoftClouds

(SoftClouds) Here are the Top 10 Successful CX Strategies compiled by SoftClouds, a company that provides IT, CRM, and CX solutions to clients worldwide.

My Comment: Here is an infographic that lists some compelling CX strategies supported by research findings. For example, “It’s a mobile-first world. 50% of customers will stop visiting a website if it is not mobile-friendly.” So the question becomes, is your website optimized for your customers’ mobile phones?

BONUS

I Do Customer Service at Southwest. I Just Want to Help, but Sometimes People Get So Mad Police Have to Step in by Katherine Stinson

(Business Insider) This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a 47-year-old customer-service representative who works at Southwest Airlines. They asked to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of professional repercussions, but Insider has verified their identity and employment with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

My Comment: This is an interesting article. The airline industry has been plagued with all kinds of problems that are not very passenger friendly. The result is passengers are angry – and even hostile – toward the people who want to help them. Here are comments from a Southwest Airlines customer service agent on the front line of business in turbulent times. So, the next time you are upset with a company or brand, remember that the people (at least most of them) trying to help you are doing their best.

Meeting Cx Standards in a Downturn by Melanie Mingas

(CX Network) In the US in June 2022 inflation reached a 40-year high of 9.1 percent, putting pressure on the entire economic system. Similar situations are unfolding in other major economies, including the UK, Netherlands and Spain. The question for many organizations in the current trading climate is how to ensure their CX strategy does not become a casualty of the times.

My Comment: The CX network’s Melanie Mingas interviewed me about managing the customer experience in tough and challenging times (like a recession, a pandemic, etc.) She had some excellent questions, and hopefully, I delivered some good answers.

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.

Want to receive Shep’s latest customer service and CX research?

Sign up for instant access to Shep’s research report on customer service and customer experience.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

© 2024 Shepard Presentations, LLC.
All Rights Reserved.

Legal Information | Sitemap Legap

Site by: digitalONDA