Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of April 28, 2014

15 ways for companies to increase customer lifetime value by Graham Charlton

(Econsultancy) A recent Econsultancy report found that 64% of companies rate customer experience as the best tactic for improving customer lifetime value (CLV), followed by better use of data and personalisation.

My Comment: While this article seems to focus on the retail industry, I can see how most of the fifteen “ways” to increase customer lifetime value can work for just about any organization. Understanding the lifetime value of a customer can help make customer-focused decisions easier.

Don’t forget the importance of email in customer service by Julian Sammells

(EpticaUK) Email is still a critical customer service channel for consumers, generally ranking second (to telephone) in customer preference studies. But the latest Eptica Multichannel Customer Experience Study reveals that many companies seem to be placing less value on email, despite the importance of this channel to their customers.

My Comment: If a customer sends an email, most likely they want an answer… NOW. They don’t want to wait an hour or a day. They want an immediate response. So, why do companies not respond to emails over 50% of the time? Personally, I like doing business with companies that treat me right, and that includes quick response to any request, using any channel. This article focuses on email, one of the main “pipelines” of communication between a customer and a company.

Top 5 Reasons Why ‘The Customer Is Always Right’ Is Wrong by Alexander Kjerulf

(Huffington Post) Here are the top five reasons why “The Customer Is Always Right” is wrong.

My Comment: The customer is NOT always right, but they are always the customer. That said, some customers really are not a good fit for a company. Case and point is made with the old Herb Kelleher story (one of my favorites). This is an excellent article that points out why some customers aren’t right, but also what the impact is to an organization.

5 Key Words of Advice from the World’s Most Famous Customer Service Representative by Tricia Morris

(LinkedIn) Here are five keywords of advice for any customer-focused organization from The World’s Most Famous Customer Service Representative.

My Comment: Tricia Morris has done us a great service by compiling five great tips (from five great articles) from one of the icons in business and customer service, Sir Richard Branson. Creating and managing expectations, hiring the right people and empowering them to deliver amazing service, and more, we should all take notes and learn from a master.