Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of February 19, 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.

Top 5 Tips to Improve Social Customer Service by Kristina Knight

(BizReport) While most companies are on-board in improving social network-based customer service, many continue to approach social customer service in a not fulfilling way. And, while about two-thirds of consumers contacting businesses for customer service are doing so on social media, this is a problem. Here are five tips to improve social customer service.

My Comment: I’m still surprised at the number of companies that don’t embrace social media as a viable customer support channel. And, as you read in this article, social care is more than just handling complaints and questions.

Customer Experience Must Be a Board Level Discussion by Richard Corps, MD

(The C Suite UK) It’s no secret that providing a quality customer experience (CX) is now – and has been for several years – an important factor for modern businesses.

My Comment: What I like about this article is that it is a reminder that creating a customer-focused culture, and that includes customer service and CX, starts with the top in the C-Suite with leadership defining the CX vision.

When Customer Service Automation Goes Off the Rails by Don Fluckinger

(SearchCRM) CRM sales and service automation can drive down costs when they drive customer self-service. But if they frustrate customers, what’s the actual implementation cost?

My Comment: Sometimes an automated customer support solution (like chatbots) or a self-service solution can frustrate the customer when they can’t get the answer they want. That’s when support must seamlessly and easily flip over to a human connection. By the time it reaches a customer service professional, there may be a higher level of frustration, if not even anger. This article discusses some of the problems and solutions for when your automated service isn’t working.

15 Surprising Customer Experience Statistics and How Training Can Help by Mindflash

(Mindflash) The secret is out: 2018 has been declared the “Year of the Customer” — and there is a list of surprising statistics about the customer experience to support this claim. Though people pleasing always has been a fundamental truth of business, it’s no longer acceptable to shout that tired, trite saying, “the customer is always right,” and expect it to translate into the kind of satisfactory experience that buffets the bottom line.

My Comment: Here are some great stats and facts that support the need for better customer service. Then the article goes on to discuss the importance – and the benefit – of proper training. Customer service training doesn’t cost, it pays. And, it’s not a one-and-done. It’s something you do often to sustain the positive experience you want your customers to have when they do business with you.

Driving New Savings and Growth with Superior Customer Service by Paul Selby

(CustomerThink) The customer service function in many companies is regularly challenged to reduce costs while maintaining or even improving customer satisfaction. And how to get to that point? “Be more efficient.” “Do more with less.”

My Comment: Sometimes customer service departments are challenged to cut costs while still maintaining the same or better levels of customer service. That can be quite challenging. There are ways to do it, and the point of the article made me think, not so much about how much we can save with new and innovative solutions, but how much we gain when we deliver the support that takes great care of the customer.

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