Top 5 Customer Service Articles for the Week of December 17, 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.

Why Customer Experience Has Never Been More Vital by Samantha Paxson

(Forbes) No matter what services your company provides or what communication platforms you use, customer experience (CX) needs to be at the core of everything you do.

My Comment: As we head into 2019 I’m reminded of the many predictions that said that CX would be the most important focus of brands for the upcoming year. Several years back, large consulting firms were forecasting this important trend. Well, they were right, and this article from Samantha Paxan of the Forbes Council Council explains why.

These 3 Steps Will Turn Occasional Customers Into Loyal Ones by Rhett Power

(Inc.) Loyal customers can turn a business with a gloomy outlook into a stunning success, but they need a reason to stick around.

My Comment: Here are three reminders (for some of you this may be new) about how to create loyal customers. Predicting what your customers will do next comes from data. Creating valuable content will help customers be interested in what you do and sell. And, connecting on an emotional level helps drive return visits/purchases.

Six Trends Shaking Up Customer Care in 2019 by Julien Rio

(CustomerThink) As 2018 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect upon this year’s Customer Care industry highlights, and to think about what’s expected to happen next year. To help you plan for 2019, we report on six major trends that are set to shake up the industry.

My Comment: More trends for 2019, this time with a focus on how technology is impacting customer service. More channels for customers to connect, voice messaging becomes more popular with services like WhatsApp, the maturity of chatbots and more are covered in this article.

How to Use Email Support to Deliver Better Customer Experiences by Alan Finlay

(Relay) As customer expectations continue to rise, support teams need to deliver a reliable, high-quality experience across every channel – including email.

My Comment: Some say that email is an “old-school” customer support channel. There’s a generation of customers that do very little if any email. But, some of us still like it, and for some businesses, it’s still a viable channel. This article has nine ways to make email responses better. I’d add one more to make it an even ten, and that is to respond quickly. Not hours, but (ideally) minutes.

This Avoidable Situation Is Costing U.S. Businesses $11 Billion Every Single Year by Bryan Adams

(Inc.) Employee turnover is on the rise but it is entirely avoidable.

My Comment: What’s costing US businesses over 11 billion dollars a year? Employee turnover, some of which can be avoided. Unhappy employees have a negative impact on customers, and the opposite is true. Employees treated right will treat customers right. The point is that a good customer service strategy starts on the inside of a company with employees. Understanding what causes turnover can help you avoid this costly problem, which is good for the company, the employees and the customers.

BONUS ONE

How Conversational Surveys Can Offer 91% More Actionable Insight Than Form Based Surveys by Wizu

(Wizu) The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and performance of conversational surveys against form-based surveys. We look at the impact on the quality of feedback, the survey experience, the level of actionable insight and more.

My Comment: We want feedback from our customers. It helps us get better. The problem is that a bad survey means bad data and might even irritate the customer. This extensive case study/report has some excellent ideas around surveys. It is a gated report, so you’ll have to include your email address to get it, but if you do any type of customer service, it will be worth the effort.

BONUS TWO

Many millennials love Amazon more than drinking, sex by Retail Customer Experience

(Retail Customer Expeience) A good majority of millennials, 77 percent, are willing to give up drinking and 44 percent are willing to give up sex before giving up access to Amazon.

My Comment: Here’s a short read, about 30 seconds, with a fun fact. How good is Amazon? Well… 77 percent are willing to give up drinking and 44 percent are willing to give up sex before they will give up doing business with Amazon. (Is your company that good?)

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