Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 5, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online 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.

Big Idea 2015: Companies Should Fire Bad Customers by Fred Reichheld

(Time) Fred Reichheld is a Bain Fellow and founder of Bain & Company’s Loyalty Practice, which helps companies achieve results through customer and employee loyalty. He is the creator of Net Promoter System℠.

My Comment: If a customer can choose not to do business with a company, why shouldn’t a company be able to choose not to do business with a customer. The concept of “firing a customer” isn’t new, but I like the way that Fred Reicheld frames it up in this article.

5 Ways to Strengthen Customer Loyalty by Lilian Sue

(In Retrospect) Here are 5 unique ways you can increase customer loyalty to your brand, both online and offline.

My Comment: All the stats and facts say that it’s less expensive to keep a customer than to acquire a new one. This article has five great ideas on how to create customer loyalty. I’m sure any company can use at least one of them, if not all five to help build long-term relationships with their customers.

ROI of Customer Experience by Bruce Temkin

(LinkedIn) Our analysis shows a strong correlation between customer experience (CX) and loyalty factors such as repurchasing, trying new offerings, forgiving mistakes, and recommending the company to friends and colleagues.

My Comment: If you want proof of the return on your customer experience efforts, read this article that proves CX doesn’t cost. It pays. Bruce Temkin is one of the top researchers and consultants in this area, and this short article is proof that you should invest effort and dollars into the customer.

What customers really want – and how to delver it by Michele McGovern

(Customer Experience Insight) For everything you do to build relationships with customers, you’ll probably be surprised to see what they really want from you.

My Comment: If the product or service a company offers doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, then it doesn’t matter how nice or easy it is to do business with you. Yes, customer service and relationship are key to repeat business, but it must also include efficiency and ease of business.

Does Your Customer Service Bring People to Tears Like the Boston Red Sox? by Stan Phelps

(Forbes) Over the last year, I’ve written about a select number of companies that have done heroic things to honor their customers. Not because of marketing but because these things were the right things to do.

My Comment: These are great stories. Customer satisfaction is a rating. Customer loyalty is an emotion. Have a good product and even provide good service, then add some type of emotional connection, and you may have a customer for life. These stories are great examples of how companies and individuals connect with their customers on an emotional level.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken