Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of September 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.

CX Day: Better Outcomes for Everyone by Lynn Hunsaker

(CustomerThink) CX Day is a highlight of the year, celebrating customers, CX professionals, and CX outcomes.

My Comment: Tomorrow (October 1, 2024) is CX Day. Our friend Lynn Hunsaker shares an article about this year’s theme: Good CX delivers better outcomes for customers, employees, and organizations. So read this article, along with the others in today’s Top Five roundup, and focus on creating a better CX for everyone – and not just for tomorrow, but for every day!

10 Steps to Boost Employee Motivation for Better Customer Experience by Ricardo Saltz Gulko

(CMSWire) There’s a powerful link between employee motivation and customer experience. Empowering your team drives better customer outcomes and business success.

My Comment: While tomorrow is CX Day, next week (the first full week of October) is Customer Service Week. I always say, “A good CX starts with a good EX (Employee Experience),” and that is what Customer Service Week is all about: recognizing and appreciating the employees who get customers to say, “I’ll be back!” The author of this article shares ten ideas to motivate employees. I’m sure you’ll find one or two you can use. This is a perfect conversation starter for ways to recognize and motivate your employees for Customer Service Week and beyond.

Debunking Your Biggest Customer Experience Misconceptions by Annette Franz

(CustomerThink) It’s important that everyone is clear on the definition of customer experience because there are so many incorrect uses of the term and misconceptions about the concept itself. It creates confusion and dilutes the concept and the work that needs to be done.

My Comment: I love a great list, and Annette Franz has given us 25 CX misconceptions. According to Franz, there are plenty of misconceptions and misuses of the term Customer Experience (CX). She starts with her definition of CX and helps us understand why people are confused.

CX + EX = BG: the Formula for Sustainable Business Growth by ML Maco

(CIO) Exceptional Customer Experience (CX) is vital for brands to differentiate themselves, but it can only be achieved by also focusing on Employee Experience (EX), as the two are deeply interconnected. By aligning CX and EX, companies can drive measurable business growth, with engaged employees delivering better customer service and fostering loyalty…ultimately leading to sustainable success.

My Comment: Here’s a new formula for you to consider. What causes business growth? It’s the combination of CX and EX. As mentioned earlier in this roundup, you can’t have a good CX without an EX. The two are connected. If you want customers to come back, provide a great CX. If you want employees to stay, provide a great EX. If you combine the CX and EX, everyone wins!

The Blueprint for Great Customer Experience by Billy Klein

(Marketing Mag) For any business focused on growing its brand and increasing market share, loyalty, awareness and revenue, the marketing department can be one of most strategic and impactful growth levers.

My Comment: Let’s wrap this week’s roundup with two incredible findings. First is Qualtrics survey that claims poor CX puts $5.5 trillion on the line. That’s a HUGE number. The second is PwC’s annual Global CEO Survey, which reports that CEOs rank changing customer demands as one of the greatest risks to the business. And there’s much more in this excellent article.

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.