Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 15, 2020

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.

The Rise Of Premium Loyalty: What Do Your Customers Expect in 2020? by Retail TouchPoints

(Retail TouchPoints) In 2020, revenue is critical. And one of the biggest factors contributing to revenue is customer loyalty.

My Comment: This is a report you’ll have to download, so if you’re interested in customer loyalty (and who isn’t), then this is for you. The research in the report found that almost two-thirds of consumers surveyed say their loyalty is hard than ever to keep. The goal is to build revenue while building and earning your customers’ loyalty. You’ll find some good ideas in this report.

The 7 Rs of resiliency programs by Doug Reifschneider

(Retail Customer Experience) The 7 Rs of Resiliency Programs is a checklist that can help frame and direct the efforts to respond to COVID-19. It’s based on a mental framework from the US Marines that is centered on three steps in coping with a crisis: improvise, adapt and overcome.

My Comment: Resiliency is important in people and in business. Under difficult times, resiliency can be the difference between moving forward or potentially failing. As many businesses move into the post-pandemic phase, they should consider a resiliency strategy. This article uses the mental thinking of the US Marines to help look at how to reframe your business for success.

MarTech Interview with Christine Rimer, VP of Customer Experience and Advocacy at SurveyMonkey by Sudipto Ghosh

(MarTech) As the leader of customer experience and advocacy at SurveyMonkey, my work focuses on innovating CX for three specific areas: SurveyMonkey, our customers and the industry as a whole.

My Comment: At first, I thought this article was going to be about how to create better customer surveys, but that is not what it is about. Christine Rimer, VP of CX and Advocacy at Survey Monkey, talks about the success of the company, not about surveys. What really caught my eye was her comments about convenience, which was the focus of one of my recent books (The Convenience Revolution). Customers are very focused on convenience, so much so, they are choosing it over experience. As Rimer points out, convenience shouldn’t be separate from CX, but part of it.

Measuring Customer Experience: Metrics and the Benefits of Scorecards by Dick Bourke

(CustomerThink) Despite how trendy it is to talk about customer experience, few companies understand what it is. And that’s a significant problem because customer service is only a very small piece of the puzzle.

My Comment: Since we were just mentioning Survey Monkey, let’s dive into feedback and metrics. This short article addresses a number of different ways you can use metrics to better understand the customer experience you’re providing your customers – and how to make it better.

Proactive customer service drives greater retention, loyalty, and stories like these by Paul Selby

(CustomerThink) Though each day brings new hope, the pandemic continues to keep much of what was once “regular life” on hold. Society is not working, shopping, or traveling the same. Where this intersects with customer service is the abruptness of all the change and the uncertainty it brought for everyone.

My Comment: If there is one way to create more confidence with your customers, which leads to more business with them, it’s to deliver proactive customer service. In other words, helping your customers before they even know they need help. Paul Selby of ServiceNow shares his ideas on how to use proactive service to drive repeat business, and ultimately, customer loyalty.

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