Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of October 25, 2021

Each week I read many 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.

What Kind of CX Do Customers Really Want? by Eric Krapf

(No Jitter) Many customers still prefer email and voice channels for customer service requests over chatbots. But will that perception shift?

My Comment: How do customers prefer to reach out to you for help and support? Many companies are trying to move the initial contact to chatbots. This article emphasizes that customers may not be so quick to want to use an automated or digital system. Our customer service research indicates that 59% of customers prefer to go to the phone or email over digital channels. Read this article and learn more about what customers expect.

4 Ways Chatbots Can Fail at Customer Experience by Phil Britt

(CMSWire) Chatbots continue to handle an increasing amount of customer support and other B2C and B2B interactions. Reports and Data expect the global chatbot market to reach $10.08 billion by 2026, representing a 30.9% compound annual growth rate from the $1.17 billion market of 2018. Chatbots are being used to take customer orders, speed interactions, increase access, generate leads, and for a variety of other uses.

My Comment: This is the perfect follow-up to the first article in our weekly roundup. The author notes that while chatbots continue to be popular with companies, customers are experiencing a CX failure. It’s simple: Chatbots can’t perform or answer “sophisticated interactions.”

Next Generation Loyalty – Part One by Braden Kelley

(Braden Kelley) Marketers have an overly optimistic perspective on customer loyalty and their implementations of customer loyalty programs. The reality is that very few customers are loyal and much of what we speak of as customer loyalty is no more than repeat transaction behavior.

My Comment: This article resonated with me. I’m a big believer that the typical loyalty program is actually a marketing program. It awards points, miles, etc. for the dollars spent. It does drive repeat business, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it is actually a discount program. Loyalty is more than points. It’s about value creation. In short, don’t confuse repeat business with loyal business. While I love both, just know that there is a difference.

What is Brand Loyalty and How Can You Build It? by Pam Hughes

(Pam Hughes) Everybody has brands they are loyal to. It could be their local coffee shop. For others, it may be the pub down the street. You might even feel connected to a brand you haven’t purchased from but are still interested in. Trust is the most common source of that pull.

My Comment: And on the subject of loyalty programs, here is a great article on what drives loyalty. While the author does mention a loyalty program (actually a marketing program), much more of the article is based on the value of the experience and how the customer is treated.

27 Helpful Customer Support Tools and Resources by Jesse Short

(Help Scout) To help make things a little easier, we’ve put together a list of 27 support tools and resources to help you create the best support team possible. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro, there’s something on this list that can help improve your performance.

My Comment: As the title states, here is a list of 27 tools that could help you deliver a better customer service experience. You’ll find everything from software solutions to communication apps to customer support books and more. I found the list interesting, not just for the resources mentioned, but for the different categories of tools.

BONUS

10 Customer Service Quotes to Inspire Your Team by Sage Johnson

(CH Consulting Group) 10 customer service quotes from industry experts and leaders to inspire your team this week.

My Comment: To wrap up this week’s roundup, here’s a great list of customer service quotes that will inspire, motivate, and give you something to talk about at your next meeting. I’m honored that my quote is at the top of the list that includes business luminaries such as Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Maya Angelou, and even Mahatma Gandhi! (Thank you CH Consulting Group!)