Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of August 8, 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.

The WOW Factor: How to Deliver an Amazing Customer Experience Every Time by Benny Marotta

(CEOWORLD Magazine) Creating a positive customer experience is key to keeping your target market coming back, whether you’re operating a digital business or a brick-and-mortar storefront. You don’t just want your customers to enjoy themselves when they’re in your store or shopping on your website–you want to create such an amazing user experience that your customers won’t be able to help but tell their friends about all your business has to offer. After spending decades creating great experiences for my patrons, I’m excited to share my top tips on delivering the WOW factor for your customers, time after time.

My Comment: I love the idea of WOWING the customer. My definition of WOW is different than most. I believe it’s impossible to create an over-the-top or above-and-beyond experience every time the customer interacts with you. You can always do what is expected, such as responding quickly, being easy to connect with, having answers to questions, etc. Wow, is meeting these expectations every time. That said, you’ll enjoy this author’s version of how to WOW your customers.

5 Ways to Drive Customer Retention in a Post-pandemic World by Katie Fairchild

(FastCasual) Building a customer retention program is important for improving the lifetime value of current customers, which can make up a large portion of your restaurant’s revenue. Customer retention statistics show that 65% of a company’s business comes from its existing customer base.

My Comment: While this article focuses on fast-casual restaurants, just about any business can incorporate these ideas. I’ve always preached the hospitality mentality. So take a few lessons from the restaurant industry and create a better customer experience.

15 Strategies to Enhance a Company’s Customer Service by Fast Company Executive Board

(Fast Company) Whether your company is thriving through a peak season or facing uncertain challenges, Fast Company Executive Board members have 15 tips to encourage team members to provide quality customer service, even if you’re short on staff.

My Comment: Here’s another list on how to create a better customer experience, and notice number one. Start with creating the right culture, in this case, a “customer-first” culture. And you’ll probably notice many of the other ideas tie into employees and culture. It’s no coincidence that if you want to create a customer experience, it starts on the inside with the culture and employees.

Make Continuous Improvement Culture Your Competitive Edge With These 5 Tips by Gulcan Telci

(Entrepreneur Media) The continuous improvement culture of an organization is the dynamic force that is vital in getting that desirable competitive edge. It may sound like management lingo for a small business owner or hard work for the senior leader of a large organization. Nevertheless, it plays a pivotal role in sealing the successful future of any business.

My Comment: Number three on our list was about creating a customer-first culture. Number four looks at a different type of culture, a continuous improvement culture. No doubt these can co-exist and the end result is a better experience for your customers and employees.

7 Ways Videos Improve Customer Experience by Andre Oentoro

(Zonka) Smartphones and the internet have influenced the way people consume online content and access information. Medium, such as websites and social media channels, is becoming essential in today’s marketing landscape as users will check on these platforms to find out about the product.

My Comment: In short, this video is “hot.” People love watching videos. That’s why people are spending hours watching videos on YouTube, TikTok, etc. So, why not move some of those eyes to videos related to your products and services? Here are seven ways to use video to improve your customer experience.

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.