5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of April 18, 2016

Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online 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.

When Price trumps Customer Experience by Lisa Sigler

(CustomerThink) “Showrooming,” as it is called, is the bane of retail locations in today’s web-enabled age. People check out the merchandise in a physical location, and then comparison shop using technology.

My Comment: This is a great example that the best service can still lose out to price. That doesn’t mean that price wins every time. As pointed out in the article, competitive pricing doesn’t mean the lowest pricing. I believe that great service may not make price irrelevant, yet it can make price less relevant.

23 Statistics That Show Why Customer Service Mostly Sucks by Jay Baer

(Convince & Convert) Here are the 23 Statistics That Show Why Customer Service Mostly Sucks in bullet point form, for easier tweeting.

My Comment: The first two stats in this list of important information tell the story: 80% of companies think they give great customer service, yet only 8% of customers agree. This could be a wake-up call for some companies. It’s time to get serious about customer service. And, even if you already are, this is a great reminder – and motivator – to continue to do so!

Help Me Out! This CX Story DESERVES to Go Viral by Victoria Kenward

(haley Marketing) What we say about customer service stories spreading like wildfire isn’t lip service – it’s a fact. Case in point? Zulily got a ton of exposure from this Mashable post about a coat exchange – it was shared over 8,000 times in just a few days!

My Comment: This is an excellent short article about how a retailer handles a return in a way that some might say is “above-and-beyond” expectations. While a great story (worth sharing, by the way), the real story is the simplicity, ease and lack of friction the company causes the customer when making a return. All companies should be this easy to do business with!

Why Successful Marketing Relies On Customer Service by psfk Labs

(psfk) NBTV’s Above The Clutter series explores how The Home Depot is keeping its customers engaged in a mobile world.

My Comment: This is the first of eight articles from NBTV about marketing innovation, and this article focuses on how customer service and marketing belong together. Some say that customer service and/or experience is the “new marketing” (and I agree). Topics such as mobile marketing, customer service, and employee engagement are covered. The article is actually based on Pete Krainik’s new video series “Above the Clutter,” which is included in the article, so be sure to take the time to watch the show.  

The surprising ROI of great customer experience (and the terrible cost of bad CX) by Len Markidan

(UserTesting) Yes, this is an article about why you should invest in customer experience. But first, I want to make something very clear that makes most CX “gurus” uncomfortable: you can grow your business with an average customer experience.

My Comment: Here’s an excellent article that makes a compelling case for investing in customer service. I’ve always said that like advertising, customer service doesn’t cost. It pays. There are plenty of stats, facts as well as some strategies and tactics to help you reap the most of your customer experience efforts.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken