Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of February 16, 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.

8 Customer Experience Failures Every Leader Should Address Now by Natalie Ruiz

(Entrepreneur) Customer experience isn’t a department. It’s a leadership decision. Every interaction a customer has with your business, from their first inquiry to how you resolve problems, signals what you value. Over time, those signals compound into trust or erosion, loyalty or churn. As companies grow, customer experience failures rarely come from neglect. More often, they come from decisions made in the name of efficiency, scale or cost control.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about what NOT to do. The list of eight “CX Failures” makes for a nice checklist to confirm you’re staying away from what drives customers away.

Why Customer Service Determines the ROI of Your Marketing Spend by Shama Hyder

(MarTech) Marketing creates expectations that customer service must fulfill. When they don’t, acquisition gains turn into retention losses.

My Comment: We spend so much effort and money to acquire customers; we shouldn’t risk losing them due to customer support and CX. This article demonstrates the direct effect of customer service on marketing and explains why they must be connected. I’ve long argued that customer service and CX are marketing strategies, not departments. There are plenty of facts, stats, and ideas to help build repeat business and reduce churn.

Why Your Digital-First CX Strategy is Failing (and how to fix it) by Marie Angselius

(CustomerThink) For years, the prevailing wisdom in customer experience (CX) has been to steer customers towards digital channels. The promise was a win-win: customers would get quick, 24/7 self-service and companies would slash operational costs.

My Comment: I’m a fan of digital-first customer support, but there must always be a human backup for customers who choose to speak with a live agent or are forced to do so when they can’t resolve their issue through self-service. The author writes about the “Two-to-One Problem,” in which companies and brands invest twice as much in automation and self-service solutions, even as their data indicates that the push to digital-first is failing.

How CSR Shapes Loyalty, Reputation, and Long-Term Success by Richard Kilgannon

(Inc. Magazine) Corporate social responsibility (CSR) isn’t just a nice idea; it is a critical strategic business component that all companies should explore. Nearly 80 percent of consumers surveyed say they are motivated to purchase from companies that demonstrate they want to make the world a better place.

My Comment: My annual customer experience research finds that customers enjoy doing businesses that have a social cause or give back to the communities they serve. This article is written by the president and CEO of a painting company who recognizes the power of CSR (corporate social responsibility). The four benefits of his CSR strategy are increased loyalty, hiring top talent, brand recognition, and a positive impact on the community.

Customer Retention Didn’t Get Harder. It Got Faster. by Brian Riback

(CMSWire) Retention teams are not failing because they forgot how to market. They are failing because they keep executing strategies built for a slower customer. In 2026, the environment is hostile to slow persuasion and tolerant of only one thing: relevance that arrives immediately.

My Comment: This article emphasizes the importance of speed. In my five-step process for managing customer complaints, step five is to create a sense of urgency. In other words, speed. This is what restores customer confidence. The author makes the case for improving time-to-resolution or risk losing customers to competitors.

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.