Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of December 30, 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.

17 Key Customer Service Skills + Ways to Develop Them by Nidhi Lohia

(Hiver) In this article, we take a look at 17 essential skills that are relevant for those working in customer service. We will also discuss how to improve customer service skills.

My Comment: We start this week’s Top Five roundup with a list of 17 skills and traits that will make any customer service agent (and any employee for that matter) better at what they do. The list is really a reminder of the type of person we want to engage with our customers. The list starts with “Active Listening” and ends with a more motivational concept, “an Optimistic Mindset.” Some of these are what I refer to as “non-negotiable behaviors” for all employees who must talk to another person, be it a customer or a fellow employee.

Using Data, Technology and Creativity for Meaningful Customer Connections by Melanie Mingas

(CX Network) Deloitte’s Perrine Masset explains how to creating meaningful customer connections with data and technology without stifling creativity

My Comment: What happens when CX and marketing collide? Melanie Mingas interviews Perrine Masset, a partner at Deloitte Digital, to get the answer. Masset says, “Marketing has undergone a profound transformation… This shift is directly tied to the increasing emphasis on delivering exceptional CX.” For years, I’ve said that CX is part of marketing—and vice versa. This excellent article/interview will give you even more insight into the importance and power of integrating the two.

New CX Index Report: Data Reveals Personalization and Integrity Are the New Imperatives for Customer Loyalty in Retail, Financial Services, and Telecoms by Fabrizio Trotti

(Technology Reseller News) Today, customer experience (CX) is no longer just a differentiator; it’s the foundation of customer loyalty and long-term business growth. Brands that deliver outstanding CX grow faster than their rivals because expectation-exceeding experiences make a lasting impression.

My Comment: If the word in 2020 (the year of the pandemic) was empathy, then the year of 2025 is personalization and integrity. Okay, that’s two words. For the past few years, our CX research (sponsored by RingCentral) has seen personalization as a top experience customers desire. They want the companies and brands to know them. When you couple that with integrity, another word for trust, you have a combination that’s hard to beat. Make customers feel included and give them confidence (trust) in your brand, and they will say, “I’ll be back!”

4 Ways Content Can Make or Break Your Customer Experience by Colleen Jones

(Entrepreneur) When efforts to modernize customer experience focus too much on technology and not enough on content, your company risks wasting resources, falling behind the competition and losing customers.

My Comment: Content marketing is part of the customer experience. The four ideas included in this article focus on the content that introduces a new customer to your company and products (onboarding), cross-selling other products and features (adopting), keeping customers informed (communication), and easy and frictionless support (self-service). All of these add up to how content can not only add to the customer experience but retain and grow your existing customers.

What Is Social Listening? How to Take Advantage of Word of Mouth by Foundever

(Foundever) Do you know what your customers are saying about you? Online reputation is critical for businesses, and a key part of understanding how to improve CX. Let’s talk about how social listening can help you tap into the conversation.

My Comment: The simple definition or description of social listening is to pay attention to what customers are saying about you anywhere other than directly with you. In other words, any social media or online forum where customers can rate you, review you, and share their story about you, is where you want to pay attention – in the form of social listening.

BONUS

Customer Experience Predictions for 2025: Expert Insights on AI, Leadership, and Human Connection by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) Our customer experience predictions for 2025 reveal a transformative shift in how businesses will connect with their customers. Based on insights from leading CX experts, these predictions highlight the critical intersection of artificial intelligence, human connection, and evolving customer expectations that will shape customer experience trends in 2025 and beyond.

My Comment: My buddy and fellow customer experience expert, Dan Gingiss, reached out to a bunch of other buddies and CX experts (myself included) to compile a list of predictions for the new year. The list includes the experts’ opinions of the brands leading the CX revolution and those that need to improve.

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.