Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 26, 2017

Each week I read a number of customer service and experience 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.

All It Takes Is Effort by Seth Godin

(Seth Godin) Customer service used to be a great divide. Well-off companies would heavily invest in taking care of customers, others would do the minimum (or a bit less). Of course, back then, organizations couldn’t possibly give you all the service you might dream of. They can’t all afford to answer the phone on one ring, it’s expensive to hire enough operators and train them. And they certainly can’t dedicate an operator just to you, someone who would know your history and recognize your voice.

My Comment: I am a big Seth Godin fan. His daily blogs are short and quick bursts of mental fuel. This short article is about the cost and effort of good customer service. A quick read that will make you think.

The Most Powerful Phrase to Boost your Company and Career by Josh Linkner

(Josh Linkner) In our world of quick fixes and success hacks, there’s an old school approach that wins consistently. Think of it as the most potent high-octane formula to fuel your relationships, career trajectory, client satisfaction, investor relations, and company’s growth. A simple phrase that’s easy to say, but may require a mindset shift to fully embrace: How Can I Help?

My Comment: “How can I help you?” These five words make up one of the most powerful questions you can ask a customer or colleague at work. Innovation expert Josh Linkner calls this question a “difference maker” – a question that could boost your company and career.

The Real Reason Amazon Wants to Buy Whole Foods by Nick Bravo

(TrendSource) You can buy a lot with $13 billion in cold cash. Islands…cities…elections…six to ten major market NBA teams. Or, if you are Amazon, you can acquire Whole Foods at a reported 27% premium over closing cost.

My Comment: Just over a week ago Amazon announced their bid to acquire Whole Foods. That acquisition will change the grocery business – and general business – as we know it. TrendSource sheds some light on “the real reason” Amazon wants to be in the local grocery business.

Bleak Friday – Is Retail Roast or Toast? by Aidan McCullen

(LinkedIn) The Internet and resulting E-commerce has changed retail forever, no surprise there.

My Comment: I met Aidan McCullen when he recently interviewed me. We had a great conversation, and I especially appreciated when he shared a Ben Franklin quote: “The taste of the roast is often determined by the handshake of the host.” I’ll probably write an article about this in the future, but in the meantime, enjoy Aidan’s take on this as he shares some insights on eCommerce, Amazon and much more.

Do Your Customers Love You? A Guide to Customer Loyalty by Ruthie Miller

(Salesforce) The term customer loyalty is a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg situation: Is it a customer remaining loyal to the company — or the company remaining loyal to its customers? Hmmm.

My Comment: How important is customer loyalty? Our customers are just one click away from doing business with your competitor. Our friends at Salesforce share some important information, backed up with some stats and facts, as to why you need to be focused on loyalty. It’s simple: Loyalty breeds profitability.

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