Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of April 8, 2024

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 comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

72 Vital Customer Retention Statistics by Samson Haileyesus

(Small Business Trends) Businesses are increasingly recognizing that earning customer loyalty is not just a nice-to-have but a vital component of their strategy for sustainable growth. Recognizing the importance, impact, and nuances of customer retention and loyalty in today’s business landscape is a must. The customer retention statistics in this article will highlight important metrics you need to know to grow your business.

My Comment: The theme for this week’s Top Five articles is lists. This first list is a big one, filled with stats (72 of them) about customer retention. If you’ve been following me, you know I geek out (just a little) over customer service and CX statistics. There is a LOT of interesting information here, so spend a few minutes looking over numbers tied to the cost of losing customers, the impact of repeat customers, and much more!

21 Important Customer Service Skills (With Resume Example) by Audrey Eads

(Indeed) Customer service skills are traits and practices that equip you to address customer needs and foster a positive experience. In general, customer service skills rely heavily on problem-solving and communication. Customer service is often considered a “soft skill,” including traits like active listening and reading both verbal and nonverbal cues.

My Comment: This article includes a list of important customer service skills you want to look for on a resume. In addition to some general commentary about some of the basics of customer service, the list of 21 skills links to another article, most of which are more lists. There is a huge amount of good information (when you combine this article with all the others that are linked to it) that will help you find your next customer service employee.

11 Customer Service Objectives & How to Set Them by Aksheeta Tyagi

(Sprinklr) Customer service is not as simple as it used to be. Your customer service objectives need to achieve more than the basics. Brands can’t simply rely on a reactive approach because customers today expect so much more.

My Comment: Do you have customer service objectives? These could include KPIs such as how fast you want issues resolved, what you want you want for your NPS or CSAT ratings to be, and more. Or maybe they are more strategic and include better ways to collect feedback and mend broken relationships. There’s plenty to consider in this robust article from our friends at Sprinklr.

5 Examples of a Good Customer Experience in 2024 by Suay Çakırca

(UserGuiding) No matter how great your product is, if the customer service you provide lacks reliability and helpfulness or simply fails to offer exceptional experiences, chances are your customers will hear – and talk – about this for quite some time. And what happens next?

My Comment: What does a good customer service experience look like in 2024? This article includes a list of five ways to deliver great service with examples from Apple, Nike, Tim Hortons, Microsoft, and Ikea – all iconic brands that can teach us how to deliver a better CX this year and beyond.

Marketing Fail: 5 Customers Who Want to Destroy Your Business by Andrew McDermott

(business.com) Predatory customers can be a massive problem for businesses. You know the type: They try to squeeze as much time, money and resources out of your business as possible. Predatory customers may comprise only a small portion of your business, but they cause most of your problems. And while it’s easy to treat this dilemma like a customer service problem, it’s actually a marketing strategy issue. You may be inadvertently marketing to the wrong type of customer.

My Comment: This article describes the five customers with whom you probably won’t want to do business. I’m not typically excited about articles that focus on the negative, but the author describes some pretty crazy examples of customers who scheme, slander, disrupt, and corrupt the way you do business. I’ve always preached, “The Customer is NOT always right, but they are always the customer – so let them be wrong with dignity and respect.” That said, there are some customers you really don’t want to do business with, and they may be included on this list.

BONUS

Want a Better Customer Experience? Build a Better Work Environment by Colin Velez

(CBT News) Dealers know how crucial it is to provide an exceptional customer experience. But in pursuing high standards of service, many find themselves forgetting an equally crucial component of the consumer satisfaction: the employee experience.

My Comment: You may have read my article on the Employee Hierarchy of Needs. Like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, this is a list (there’s that word again) that starts with the basic compensation plan and moves to the tip of the pyramid, where you find employee fulfillment. Also included in this article is the video of the original interview.

AI Trends Reshaping Customer Experience by Bernie Borges

(iQor) This blog is a collection of insights on artificial intelligence (AI) in customer experience (CX) strategies from an elite group of CX strategists and consultants. Collectively, they explore a future where AI is not just an operational tool but a transformative element for exceptional customer and employee experiences. Their reflections consider AI’s use, limitations, and methods for maximizing its potential in the ongoing delivery of irresistible customer experience across all industries.

My Comment: My friends at iQor included me in an article with a list of CX influencers sharing their thoughts on the AI trends that are reshaping the customer experience. You’ll find some very interesting insights from some of the brightest people in the CX world.

April Is Customer Loyalty Month: A Starting Point to Create Lasting Connections by Top Sales Magazine

(Top Sales Magazine) Sign up here for the most popular and relevant sales magazine available and enjoy this monthly treat, jam-packed with articles, features and advice from the world’s leading sales experts and commentators.

My Comment: Let’s end this week’s list with something other than a list. The amazing people at Top Sales Magazine put me on the cover of this month’s magazine, which features Customer Loyalty Month. What a surprise! You’ll have to give them your name and email address to get the issue (and all others), but it’s free and worth it! (Thank you, Top Sales Magazine, for this honor!)

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.