Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of September 7, 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.

Want Customer Loyalty? Be Loyal To Customers by Dan Olson

(MediaPost) Put the focus on what consumers value. Let’s look to improve what we give them in return for their time and attention. Here are some areas to concentrate on.

My Comment: I’ve always believed that before you can expect your customers to be loyal to your company, you have to show loyalty toward your customers. It’s a two-way street.  This article has some great ideas and sound advice on how to deliver loyalty.

2015 State of Service – 15 Key Business Findings by Vala Afshar

(Huffington Post Business) In a knowledge sharing and hyper-connected economy, where on-demand services are fueling business growth and customer advocacy, companies must differentiate with faster, smarter, proactive and personalized service. Precision and velocity is what separates high-performing service organizations.

My Comment: When Vala Afshar talks (or writes), I listen (or read). This article is filled with insights about what service looks like today, and will look like in the future. I read this three times.

3 Technology Trends That Are Transforming The Customer Experience by Shana Rusonis

(Optimizely Blog) To stay ahead of the competition, it’s important for marketing leaders to have an eye on trends that have the potential to accelerate—or disrupt—their business.

My Comment: Some great information here about what we will need to do to earn our customer’s loyalty. It starts by recognizing that customer experience is becoming competitive advantage. It used to be customer service. Now it’s the entire experience. And, thanks to technology, there is an intrinsic link between people and machines or technology.

5 Easy Steps to Top-Notch Customer Service by Cheryl Scott

(Huffington Post Business) Here are five “customer service thoughts” that can help us and our work teams hit a hole-in-one.

My Comment: Here are five great ideas to enhance any business’s customer service. While the article states there are “Five Easy Steps,” Are they really easy? Definitely easy to understand. Sometimes customer service seems easy. When done well, it looks easy. They key is execution and integration throughout the organization. Sometimes not so easy, but well worth the effort. Regardless, they are great and we should consider all five in any customer service and experience strategy.

How One Company Won My Loyalty With Only $100 by Peter Gasca

(Entrepreneur) How much would you pay to create a loyal long-term customer? Well, to have my loyalty, the answer is apparently $100, courtesy of HelloFresh. Allow me to explain.

My Comment: There are a number of lessons wrapped up in this story. Complaints are opportunities to show how good a company can be. Empowering employees to make decisions without having to consult a manager. And, more. Great story that any business can learn from.

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