Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of July 20, 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.

Customers Don’t Experience Your Intentions. They Experience Your Systems. by Annette Franz

(CustomerThink) We’ve established that the Golden Thread breaks when what leaders say, what systems reward, what managers enforce, and what employees can actually do fall out of alignment. We’ve established that strategy isn’t a statement but a system. Now let’s get specific about what that system actually is, why it’s so hard to change, and what it looks like to build one that actually delivers the experience you say you want.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five with a great article from my friend and fellow CX expert, Annette Franz. I’ve written about how often it’s the system that’s the problem with customer service or CX, not the people or the intentions. And to Franz’s point, customers don’t experience intentions. Intentions are goals. What they do experience is reality, and that’s your system.

Brands Miss the Mark on Recovery after a Poor Customer Service Interaction by Bryan Wassel

(CX Dive) Three in 10 consumers say the company took no action at all in response to their most recent poor customer service experience, a CCW Digital survey found.

My Comment: Here’s a sure-fire way to lose customers. When they have a complaint, don’t respond. A recent CCW survey found that 3 in 10 customers say a company didn’t respond to or take action on a complaint. How a company handles problems can not only get them to come back but endear them even more to the company.

Consumers Say Rewards Matter, but Many Aren’t Actually Using Them by Bryan Wassel

(CX Dive) In the crowded loyalty landscape, a successful program goes beyond growing enrollment to actually influencing customers’ shopping behavior.

My Comment: I’ve included many articles on loyalty programs in this weekly roundup, and in just the past few weeks, those articles warned of loyalty programs losing effectiveness. This article makes that point as well and includes examples of what drives repeat business in the retail world. While points, perks, and discounts can create repeat business, the best loyalty programs change the customer’s behavior or habits. That potentially moves the customer from a repeat customer to a loyal customer.

Customer Service, Customer Experience, and Customer Success: Are They the Same Thing? by Ayat Adam

(LinkedIn Pulse) As companies increasingly focus on building stronger relationships with their customers, these three concepts have become central to modern business strategy. Yet, despite their popularity, they are often misunderstood.

My Comment: This article is about the author’s interpretation of the definitions of three terms that are often confused: customer service, customer experience, and customer success. While this is basic information, it’s a great reminder of the differences. This is important information to understand as you continually work on your CX strategy.

Contacting Customer Service Is the Last Thing Customers Want to Do by Kristen Doerer

(CX Dive) Handoffs are a source of friction. Nearly all consumers expect their information to be available across channels so they don’t have to repeat themselves, according to Genesys.

My Comment: Let’s start with this stat from a Genesys report released last week: “More than half of consumers would rather do “anything else” than contact customer service.” And if cleaning a toilet is considered “anything else,” my annual customer service research found 41% would rather clean a toilet than call customer support. (Ouch!) The reason, according to this short article, is friction. Multiple transfers or handoffs, having to repeat their stories, and long hold times are the friction that customers hate.

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.