5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of August 27, 2018

Each week I read a number of 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 Companies Thrive by Making You Obsessed by Tiffani Bova

(Medium) Customer service is still king.

My Comment: Tiffany Bova is smart, and I’m especially excited about her new book, Growth IQ. What caught my eye was this powerful statement: No amount of money, advertising, or vast product portfolio will make up for subpar customer experiences. Tiffany is right!

Top 5 Customer Experience (CX) Predictions for 2020 by  Sonali Datta

(MarTech Advisor)  By 2020, digital technologies like AI, biometrics, machine and deep learning and robotic automation will revolutionize the way consumers interact with organizations and brands.

My Comment: What will the future – at least in 2020 – of customer experience look like? AI, Personalization and the Internet of Things is just the beginning.

Do Happy Employees Really Lead to Happy Customers? by Jeff Toister

(Toister Solutions) I decided to investigate the happy employees equal happy customers claim by reviewing Glassdoor ratings for the 20 companies with the best customer service. This list was compiled by Christopher Elliott using data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Mobile App Support: Why You Should Do it and How by Sarah Blackstock

(Nicereply) Providing a mobile app support presents new challenges— troubleshooting for all kinds of devices and it provides an opportunity for big wins.

My Comment: 77% of Americans own a smartphone. The idea of delivering customer service through messaging is increasing. If you’re not using an app to deliver customer service messages, maybe it’s time to start.

Enhancing The Customer Journey — Even When You’re Not In The Driver’s Seat by Justin Grossman

(Forbes) In the past, customers could compare a company’s products or services against another’s — apples to apples. But the influence of digital has made it so that it’s not enough to stand out in terms of features, functionality or price anymore. Now, customer experience (CX) is the metric that counts in the eyes of the consumer.

My Comment: Consider this: 81% of marketing leaders responsible for customer experience say their companies will: “mostly or completely compete on the basis of CX in two years.” If customer experience isn’t yet a top priority, it should be. Yet sometimes there are issues that get in the way of creating that great CX. Compliance, regulations, etc. can erode some of a companies’ efforts. Here’s some insight on what to do when outside forces intercept your best efforts.

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