Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of February 2, 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.

When Tipping Becomes a Customer Experience Problem by Mark Bender, Marco Bertini, Oded Koenigsberg and Rob Waiser

(Harvard Business Publishing) Surveys show that a significant portion of Americans feel tipping culture is out of control, with many annoyed by preset tip screens and the pressure to tip in unexpected situations.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with a Harvard Business Review article on tipping. I’ve written about tipping and tipflation before. The article mentions a Bankrate survey that found 41% of Americans believe tipping is “out of control.” It makes sense to tip your server, taxi (or Uber or Lyft) driver, the pizza delivery person, and the hotel employee who carries your luggage to your room. But tipping has been seeping into other areas that surprise customers, such as the self-checkout kiosk. The authors of the article write, “If the trend continues unchecked, professionals… such as attorneys, consultants, and hedge fund managers might soon argue that gratuities belong in their line of work, too.”

Customers Are More Likely to Forgive High Prices over a Bad Customer Experience: Study by Jeena Sharma

(Retail Brew) Shoppers may forgive high prices, but poor customer experience…is far less negotiable. Havas CX’s X Index Report suggests consumers are now more likely to walk away over how a brand makes them feel than how much it charges.

My Comment: This very short article emphasizes that customers will “abandon” a brand after one bad experience. On the other hand, more customers are willing to pay more for service for customer service. My annual CX and customer service research confirms that 59% of customers will pay more for better service. This article has some good information about what typical consumers are willing to forgive, pay, and how much they enjoy a personalized experience.

Customer Service under Pressure as Automation, Cost Controls Shape Experience: Report by Teddy Cambosa

(MARKETECH APAC) Customer service continues to be a primary point of contact for consumers seeking help from businesses, playing a central role in shaping customer perceptions and loyalty, a new report from Accenture Song notes. Often described as a “first responder” in customer experience, service interactions can influence whether customers remain loyal or disengage from a brand.

My Comment: The article makes many excellent points, supported by Accenture’s research. One worth paying very close attention to is about automation and customer service. When done well, it works, but as this article points out, customers are noticing that a company’s goal of self-service solutions is preventing them from speaking with a live agent who can help. Furthermore, nearly half of CX executives cited cost control as a top concern, and 64% said they are making trade-offs between cost savings and customer satisfaction.

10 Signs Your CX Strategy Is Broken and How to Fix It by Annette Franz

(MarTech) CX doesn’t stall because teams lack insight, but because the questions they keep asking protect the system from real change.

My Comment: This excellent article includes ten questions that many companies ask themselves about CX. However, even though they end with a question mark, they may not actually be a question, but an excuse. For example, “Are customers just more demanding?” The underlying meaning of that question may be an internal message (excuse) that says, “The problem isn’t us. It’s the customer.”

The 7 Pillars of Advisor Morale by Megan Jones

(Call Centre Helper) Megan Jones – spoke to employee engagement experts Alex McConville, Danny Wareham, Emma Wilson, Maria McCann, Matt Riley, and Shep Hyken to find out what the 7 pillars are and why you need them – all to help you easily pinpoint where there’s room for improvement across your contact centre.

My Comment: Our friends at Callcentre Helper have released another excellent article focused on seven ways to help keep agent morale high. The author interviewed seven CX experts (including me) about what CX leaders can do to create a positive, fulfilling experience for their contact center employees.

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.