Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 22, 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.

10 Customer Experience Mistakes You Need to Avoid in 2018 by Ronak Meghani

(Harvard Business Review) Customer service seems like common sense for businesses. But how valuable is it really?

My Comment: This is a fascinating article with a focus on customer service delivered through social channels. The authors started by surveying 400,000 customers who interacted with brands in the airline and wireless industries to find out how much more customers would spend if they received better service. What drives a positive experience is applicable to any industry.

What an Amazon mistake and a burning car taught me about Customer Experience Planning by Ricardo Saltz Gulko

(CustomerThink) I call this “The 22 Commandments” of dealing with mistakes and crises in UX, CX, design, and more.

My Comment: Here is a tale of two brands that promises a hassle-free “No Questions Asked” return policy. You’ll learn the right and wrong way to handle a problem. I love when a good story teaches a valuable lesson.

Incorporating a chatbot? How to put the customer first by Jay Baer

(MarTech) bots can cut costs, but columnist Jay Baer says before you jump on the chat bandwagon, you need to make sure you’re putting the customer first

My Comment: This article is written by Jay Baer, one of the smartest customer service and experience experts in the industry. If your company currently uses chatbots, or is thinking about implementing a chatbot solution, then you must read this article. The focus, as it always should be in customer service, is to put the customer first.

Easy Things You Can Do to Improve Customer Experience by Olga Kolodynska

(LiveChat) There are numerous of situations outside of work when customer service leads the prime. And I can’t help but notice when it’s done right or not. If it’s a “no” I immediately have a subject for another blog post. For me, real life examples are the best place for inspiration. So let me guide you through my latest customer experiences. I hope you’ll learn from them.

My Comment: This article has some wisdom on what companies are doing right when it comes to customer experience, but just as important (if not more so) is what they are doing wrong. For example, regarding feedback, I’m surprised at how some companies (and people) fight feedback with excuses rather than embrace it with appreciation.

BONUS

The Expectation Economy by Trendwatching

(Trendwatching) Even though you’ve heard about the New Economy, the Experience Economy, the Surprise Economy, the Attention Economy, the Leisure Economy and so on, we can’t help but throw yet another Economy your way: the EXPECTATION ECONOMY. Capturing the essence of 2008’s demanding consumer arena, it is—surprise, surprise—all about those pesky, demanding consumers.

My Comment: Here’s a reprint of an article that came out ten years ago -and it is just as relevant today as it was back then. It focuses on the “Expectation Economy.” Consider that today your competition could be anyone – even outside of your industry. And, just copying competitors is a “race to the bottom.”

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