Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of September 9, 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.

Nine Areas of Focus for Improved Customer Service Training by Rolling Stone Culture Council

(Rolling Stone) Because they have direct interactions with customers on a daily basis, a company’s customer service team plays a large role in that organization’s success. Quality customer service will not only impress new customers but will also be a key motivator in their decision to stick around for the long term. This means that training customer service reps on how to do their job efficiently and with quality and positivity in mind is an important task that leaders shouldn’t take lightly.

My Comment: Let’s start this week’s Top Five roundup with a list from Rolling Stone.com. Here are nine areas to focus on when you’re training your front-liners. My favorite is the fifth one, teaching to “overmanage the customer experience. The short version of this idea is to pay more attention to details others tend to overlook or disregard.

48 Percent of Consumers Want to Speak to a Real Person in Customer Services by Direct Commerce Magazine

(Direct Commerce Magazine) Twilio Inc., a customer engagement platform, has released new research emphasizing the critical role of effective listening in enhancing brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.

My Comment: With all the hype around self-service and AI-infused technology that supports a better experience, is it surprising that almost half of customers (48%) prefer to talk to a live person? (Our CX research finds that number to be closer to 70%.) Part of this finding is dependent on the customer’s age. Baby Boomers push the percentage higher. In addition to this finding, there are plenty more to motivate you to provide the best possible experience for your customers.

Returns: The Silent Killer of Profits or a Tool to Build Customer Loyalty? by Robert Stockdill

(Inside Retail) The cost of getting returns wrong is massive – and if a retailer gets it wrong, it is very likely a return might be the last interaction a retailer has with a shopper.

My Comment: What business (retailer) wants customers to return merchandise? In a perfect world, every purchase would never need to be returned – but that’s not reality. This article addresses a very important point at the beginning, and that is a bad experience due to a customer returning merchandise could end with the customer never coming back. On the other hand, returns handled well can give the customer confidence to continue to do business. Think about how easy Nordstrom and Amazon make it for a customer to return merchandise. The point is that an easy and friction-free return policy can be one of your best marketing strategies.

Top 5 Ways to Future-Proof Your Loyalty Program by Sara Galloway

(The Wise Marketer) Imagine a world where prioritizing customer loyalty is even more relevant tomorrow than it is today. We see this future just ahead of us and believe that adopting the right strategic mindset will separate loyalty leaders from laggards. Brands navigating this fast-changing landscape by exploiting dynamic approaches will rise above the noise to make significant impact with their customers.

My Comment: If you have a loyalty program, this article is for you. What previously worked for a loyalty program, typically rewards for purchases, needs a facelift. This article dives into how evolving customer expectations and technological advancements are changing customer loyalty. The focus is on outcome-based loyalty marketing and AI-fueled personalization.

5 Ways the NFL Has Improved the Fan Experience by Brittany Hodak

(Brittany Hodak) In this article, let’s look at five highlight-reel worthy examples of how NFL teams have improved their fan experience and the key takeaways you can use to score big with your own customers.

My Comment: This past week, the NFL kicked off (no pun intended) the 2024-25 football season. One of my favorite CX experts wrote a fun article showcasing how the NFL created a great fan experience. I’ll quote Britney to summarize the article: “Let’s look at five highlight-reel worthy examples of how NFL teams have improved their fan experience and the key takeaways you can use to score big with your own customers.”

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.