5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 11, 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.

Delivering Remarkable Experiences Is How You Win More Customers by Sonia Thompson

(Entrepreneur) Equip your team to make a lasting impression.

My Comment: Sure… Deliver a remarkable experience and you win more customers. Common sense. But, what I like about this article is that it focuses on three simple ideas. (By the way, simple does not always mean easy). 1. Trust your employees. 2. Create great customer events. 3. Deliver relevant and valuable content. Great ideas for creating a remarkable experience!

Customer Loyalty is Not the Same as Repeat Business by Joseph Michelli 

(Joseph Michelli) Given the confusion that abounds between loyalty and repeat business, I thought I would share a couple of nuances that I hope will prove conceptually helpful.

My Comment: I’ve always believed that customer retention is about repeat business, which is transactional. People confuse repeat business with loyalty. They are not the same. Loyalty includes repeat business, but more than a transaction, it includes an emotional connection. Joseph Michelli is one of my favorite experts in customer service and CX space, and I always enjoy his articles.

How You Can Cultivate the One Thing Customers Truly Want by Peter Daisyme

(Entrepreneur) Every company wants to drive customer loyalty, but many neglect the fact that what customers want is community.

My Comment: While we’re on the topic of loyalty, one way to drive more customer loyalty is to create a community for your customers to be a part of. Finding ways to bring them together, either as a group of valued customers or to rally around a cause, creates a connection that drives loyalty. Here are three tips to help you do exactly that.

Team-Building Tips: 8 Ways to Make Sure Every Employee Feels Included by John Rampton

(Entrepreneur) People take jobs for a paycheck but they only keep jobs when they feel valued and part of a team.

My Comment: We always want our customers to feel good about us. Well, how about our employees? (That’s a rhetorical question.) Here is a great list of eight tips to make your employees feel like they are valued and part of a great organization. Happier employees mean more engaged employees, which is good for the customer and the company.

10 inspiring podcasts to level up your customer experience on-the-go by Zarina de Ruiter

(CX Network) Podcasts are more popular than ever before, but what are the best series to get stuck into for CX and leadership inspiration?

My Comment: Let’s wrap up this week’s Top Five with a list of great customer experience podcasts you may want to listen to. I’ve listened to many of these and am a big fan of several of the hosts. If you want to increase your knowledge and expertise in the CX world, you can’t do wrong to take time to listen to an episode or two (or many) from these excellent resources.

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