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

4 Ways Digital Evolution Has Changed Customers’ Ideas About Patience by Scott Clark

(CMSWire) We know that customers expect answers to service inquiries within an hour, and they also expect their online experiences to be convenient and fast, with their questions answered and their goals accomplished. How has the ongoing digital evolution impacted how customers view patience today? How has your business reacted to customers’ limited patience? What can brands do to perform within their customers’ expectations?

My Comment: Customers don’t want to wait on hold, they demand instant access to customer support, and they have little patience for poor experiences. It’s that simple. Our customer experience research confirms this, finding that 74% of consumers would switch to a competing company brand if they provided a better customer service experience. (The article quotes a survey that claimed 64% of consumers would switch. Close enough!)

“We Serve To Serve Again” by Fred Reggie

(Fred Reggie) Take a look at your business and ask yourself, “Does our business serve our customers or does it serve us?” You may discover that your business might be more competitive and productive by refining the focus of how your serve your customers. Are you in business to “serve to serve again”?

My Comment: When I was a kid, I worked at gas stations. I loved the motto of the author’s father’s Sinclair service station. “We Serve to Serve Again!” Isn’t that what we should do? Let’s give the customer an experience that makes them want to say, “I’ll Be Back.”

Could NPS Detractors Be A Good Thing? New Evidence Says Yes by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) NPS Detractors, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey respondents who rate your business between 0 and 6, are typically referred to in a negative light. This is because they’re the most likely customers to churn if they have the chance. But what you don’t hear is that they’re also your most valuable. And maybe, they’re also your future Promoters.

My Comment: My friend and fellow customer service expert, Dan Gingiss (a.k.a. The Experience Maker), has written an excellent article about why a low NPS (Net Promoter Score) can be a good thing. Yes, even negative feedback and ratings can be positive.

The Remarkable Customer Experience Recovery System and Digital Transformation by Are Morch

(Hospitality Net) In the hotel industry, we have traditionally emphasized customer service and customer service recovery. Customer service is the assistance and advice provided to a customer for a hotel’s product or service as needed. And customer service recovery have represented the ability of a hotel to solve a dissatisfied customer’s problem through good customer service. The principles of customer service and customer service recovery have been built around data from surveys, customer forums, inspections, audits, dedicated customer research, reviews, and reputation management tools.

My Comment: I always enjoy learning from the hospitality industry. Even if you’re not in the hospitality business, you can still have a hospitality mentality. When you see the word hotel in this article, just mentally swap it with the word “business.” The article includes a short tip on journey mapping, creating an experience vision, and more.

7 Engagement Lessons I Wish We Knew 7 Years Ago by Wise Marketer Staff

(The Wise Marketer) If a company believes it is using the right words with its customers, it needs to ask itself two big questions: 1) How do we know what they want to hear? And 2) How the heck do they even hear us?

My Comment: Do you tell your customers what they want to hear? I’ll add that it’s also what they need to hear. This is an interesting article about communicating and engaging with your customers. While all seven strategies may not apply to your business, I’m willing to bet at least one or two, probably more, will.