5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of July 30, 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.

12 Ways To Improve A Customer’s User Experience by Forbes Technology Council 

(Forbes) We asked members of the Forbes Technology Council for their best tips on improving a company’s user experience. The answers given are insightful and may prove useful if you’re looking to revamp your company’s customer engagement in the near future.

My Comment: How do you deliver a better customer experience? The members of the Forbes Technology Council have shared 12 ways to do so, starting with one of my favorites, which is to ensure the customer only has to tell their story once. There’s something here for every type of business to consider and execute.

Why is customer service training so important? by Flow XO

(Training Journal) Your staff are usually the first people customers will interact with. They act as a lasting first impression of your brand or business.

My Comment: I’m still surprised at the number of organizations that don’t provide proper training to their employees. Most of the time product and technical training are at the forefront of a company’s training. Soft skills, like customer service, seemed to get left out. This short article has some very powerful ideas on how to go about creating a customer service training program.

5 Ways Online and Offline Customer Experiences are Coming Together in 2018 by Vandita Grover

(Martech Advisor)  5 ways online and offline customer experiences are coming together.

My Comment: Retailers are recognizing the power of combining online and brick-and-mortar strategies. The two can co-exist, and the reality is that retailers who combine the two are finding greater success. This brief article shares five ways that prove that “the sum is greater than the parts.”

Reimagining customer experience, part 3: Airport innovations by Mitra Sorrells 

(PhocusWire) For part three we take a look inside airport terminals, where a variety of innovative work is being done to improve and ease the process of air travel.

My Comment: When it comes to customer experience, there is much we can learn from the airline business. Really! In spite of problems that cause passengers to be upset with the airlines, they have really defined some good success-criteria worth paying attention to. This excellent article is the third in a series of articles focused on CX. (You don’t need to have read the other two to enjoy this, but it wouldn’t hurt.

How to tune your customer service to run like a Porsche by Holly Simmons

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