Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of March 10, 2025

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.

Loyalty Programs by Marketoonist

(Marketoonist) According to BCG, the average US consumer now belongs to more than 15 loyalty programs. BCG also found that as the number of loyalty programs has increased, the less engaged and loyal consumers actually are.

My Comment: This week’s Top Five roundup starts with a fun take on loyalty programs. I’m a huge fan of cartoons, so much so that about ten years ago, I started creating cartoons to go with my weekly newsletter (The Shepard Letter) to give a visual and (usually) humorous take on the topic of my article. Tom Fishburne is a cartoonist and speaker who also does weekly cartoons, and this week, he not only shares a great cartoon about customer loyalty but also shares commentary and several other cartoons he’s created on the topic over the years. Get ready to smile!

Privacy-First Personalization in Marketing Wins Customer Trust by Atul Jindal

(CMSWire) Personalization gets customers hooked, but cross the privacy line, and they’ll ghost your brand. Here’s how to keep trust alive.

My Comment: As companies and brands use AI to help create personalized experiences, the topics of trust and transparency arise. This article makes the case of ensuring you have a “privacy first” policy. Anything less could erode trust with your customer, and customers who don’t trust you won’t buy from you.

Gratitude in Action: How Top Entrepreneurs Recognize Their Teams on Employee Appreciation Day by Entrepreneurs’ Organization

(Entrepreneurs’ Organization) Successful entrepreneurs know that when you treat employees well, they are more likely to treat your customers well. Thriving companies are built on a foundation of genuine appreciation. As a result, employee appreciation is fast becoming the crown jewel of company culture.

My Comment: National Employee Appreciation Day falls on the first Friday of March each year. This year, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization reached out to its membership and asked them how they recognize and appreciate their employees. Nine responses (mine included) shared some great ideas to consider. Remember, a good customer experience (CX) starts with a good employee experience (EX). Also, even though the “holiday” falls on one day a year, we should practice the idea of employee appreciation every day.

Getting Ghosted? 5 Ways to Boost Customer Loyalty by Foundever®

(Foundever®) Customer care has entered a new era — one where AI, automation and self-service are reshaping the landscape faster than you can say, “Let me speak to a manager.” While these tools enhance efficiency, they can also feel impersonal without careful attention and planning. So how do you strengthen customer loyalty while embracing digital convenience?

My Comment: Sometimes, customers just seem to disappear. We thought they were happy, but apparently, they were not. Of course, you want to create the experience that gets the customer to say, “I’ll be back,” yet today, it is more difficult than ever. In addition to competition, there are other ways companies are ramping up their CX that include automation, AI, and other enhancements to the experience. Here are five ideas to help you avoid being “ghosted” by your customer.

Survey Says: Students Are Customers by Colleen Flaherty

(Inside Higher Ed) More than three in five students consider themselves customers of their institution, according to a new analysis of Inside Higher Ed’s Student Voice data. Is that a bad thing?

My Comment: This is an article that takes the position that a college or university student should be treated as a customer. I love this idea and have been booked several times over the years to speak to teachers and school administrators (both primary and secondary education) about customer/student service. If you want to get a case study on how a University does this well, take a look at High Point University, which has been recognized as the #1 Best-Run college in the nation by The Princeton Review. Businesses want their customers to return and refer friends and family, so why not a college or university? By the way, the concept of “The Customer Is Always Right” does not apply to students who get the wrong answer on a test.

BONUS

2025 CX Senate: The Fate of Customer Experience by Metric Sherpa

(Metric Sherpa) Draped in Roman togas but armed with modern insights, Shep Hyken, Juanita Coley, Justin Robbins, Mary Drumond, and Nate Brown gather in this epic, no-nonsense discussion on the future of customer experience.

My Comment: This week, I was on a panel with several other customer service experts. We took a unique and very entertaining approach. The five of us on the panel were part of a “CX Senate” from ancient Roman times. If you want to see what I (and my colleagues) look like in a toga while talking about modern-day CX challenges, this is your chance. This is a great video. Nate Brown and Mary Drumond set up the premise in the first seven minutes or so, and then we launched into some great conversations about the problems and opportunities in CX. This is a YouTube video. Enjoy!

“This Is Just Evil”: Servers Share The Most Infuriating ‘Tips’ They’ve Ever Received by Simona Kinderytė, Rugile Baltrunaite, and Robyn Smith

(Bored Panda) Bored Panda has put together a jaw-dropping list of the wildest ways customers have “thanked” staff for serving them. And some might make you want to pay a little extra at your next restaurant visit to make up for other people’s bad behavior. We also spoke to customer service expert and best-selling author Shep Hyken about tipping culture.

My Comment: In the past few weeks, Robyn Smith at Bored Panda has interviewed me on several business-related topics. This week, she interviewed me about the “evil side of tipping” and sprinkled my commentary throughout more than 60 examples of bad tipping experiences posted on social media. Some of these examples will make you cringe, smile, and even laugh out loud (LOL)!

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.