Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of September 18, 2023

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 comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

Price vs. Value: Brands Should Add Benefits When They Charge More by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) The price vs. value conundrum is alive and well with companies and their customers. Businesses will tend to raise prices when they can, especially in an inflationary economy. But do they also increase the value of their products for consumers?

My Comment: Dan Gingiss is back with another excellent article, this time about price versus value. My annual customer experience research found that almost half of American consumers will pay more for value in the form of a great service experience. Price becomes more important to customers when value is missing. Gingiss covers that and more as he demystifies the price versus value conundrum.

7 Ways Companies Are Using Generative AI in Customer Experience by Leila Hawkins

(CX Network) As tech revolutions go, it is still very early days for generative AI, however its power to analyze data and produce content faster than a human means many companies are already harnessing its potential to improve customer service and drive engagement and promotional activities.

My Comment: Every week, I’ve been finding a good article about using AI and ChatGPT. This has some interesting mini-case studies showcasing how different brands use AI and related technologies for digital assistants, travel needs, marketing, and more.

Should Your Brand Embrace Social Issues? Here’s What to Consider by Christopher Tompkins

(Entrepreneur Media) With the digital landscape evolving at a rapid pace, consumers are not focusing their search strictly on products and services – they are also seeking to connect with brands that share their values and support social causes. As a result, many businesses find themselves asking a crucial question: “Should we embrace social issues and integrate them into our brand identity?”

My Comment: Should a brand actively support a social issue? And if they do, how will the customer respond? According to this author, the answers to these questions are positive. And this also impacts the employee experience. Both consumers and employees enjoy doing business with or working for the company or brand that stands for something!

10 CEOs Customer Experience Leaders Who Work On The Front Lines by Blake Morgan

(Forbes) Customer-obsessed leaders are foundational to a strong customer experience strategy. But being customer-obsessed requires leaders to know and interact with their customers. The best customer experience heroes are the CEOs who step outside their offices to work on the front lines and interact with customers and employees.

My Comment: Blake Morgan is a fellow customer experience expert who has been featured in this roundup a number of times. I love this article because it shows the power of a leader (CEO, President, etc.) who spends time “on the front line” of their business. The CEO of Starbucks spends one day a month as a barista. The CEO of Airbnb rents out his home once a month to customers. The CEO of Zapier spends time each week in the contact center working through support calls. These executives stay in touch with their customers by spending time with their customers – and you should, too!

Five Surprising Ways to Unearth UX Differentiators by Andy Ingle

(MyCustomer.com) From brand differentiation and customer loyalty, to cost savings and having an innovative edge, unearthing differentiators can ultimately drive growth, instill customer loyalty, and increase revenue. Yet how exactly can businesses unearth these sought-after differentiators?

My Comment: How do you use UX (User Experience) to set yourself apart from the competition? Here are five ways to do that. Some of them are common, but there are a couple that you probably haven’t thought about before. It’s a quick three-minute read that will give you some ideas on how you can create a better user experience.

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 at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.