Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of April 27, 2026

Every week, I read dozens of articles on customer service and customer experience from a wide range of sources. Below are my top five picks from last week, along with my takeaways. I’d love to hear your thoughts as well.

The Engagement Divide: 15 Reasons It’s Time to Fix CX by Manos Raptopoulos

(SAP News) Customer engagement is at a breaking point, and the most recent data proves it. Even as organizations accelerate their investment in AI, automation, and analytics, experiences often feel disconnected, impersonal, and reactive.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with some compelling reasons to deliver an excellent (dare I say “amazing”) CX. You know I love stats and facts, many of which you can find in my annual CX research. Here you’ll find 15 reasons to focus on CX, all backed with research.

CX Leaders Agree on the Importance of Cross-Functional Work, but Few Have Achieved It by Bryan Wassel

(CX Dive) Technological and organizational impediments both stand in the way of integrating customer-facing functions across departments, a KMPG survey found.

My Comment: What happens when you integrate frontline customer support, marketing, sales, and other departments within an organization? According to KPMG, higher customer satisfaction in the form of higher CSAT and NPS. As much sense as this makes, it is surprising that very few (about 5%) do this effectively.

“Where’s My Package” Problem: The Revolution in Retail Logistics by Sritama Sanyal

(Retail Customer Experience) By elevating logistics from a back-office function into a core component of customer experience, brands can turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.

My Comment: The experience doesn’t end when the customer pays. If it’s ecommerce or any business that requires delivery or shipping, problems can occur, some of which are beyond the brand’s control. This article shares several ideas on how to control the logistics and that “last mile.”

Common Customer Service Problems and How to Overcome Them by Kevin Akoyo Aswani

(BoldDesk) Customer service problems, such as high-ticket volumes, long wait times, inconsistent support, poor personalization, and communication gaps can damage customer trust and revenue. Addressing their root causes with better processes, training, self‑service, automation, and centralized support tools enables businesses to deliver faster, more consistent, and customer‑centric experiences.

My Comment: This excellent article shares 11 of the most common “customer challenges,” some of which are the top reasons customers leave a brand. If any of these are your challenges, it is in your best interest to fix them.

How To Improve Employee Engagement—Especially In High-Turnover Roles by Brittany Hodak

(Brittany Hodak) When you combine these two ideas—empowerment and understanding—you create an environment where engagement becomes natural. Employees feel more confident. They feel more invested. And your customers can feel that immediately.

My Comment: We wrap up this week’s Top Five with an article from my good friend and customer service expert, Brittany Hodak. If you want to have a great customer experience, start on the inside with your employees. In this article, you’ll find two tips on how to help your employees feel more confident and connected to their company, which will help them better engage with your customers.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.