Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 12, 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.

Integrity Results in Customers for Life by Tom Smith

(Insights From Analytics) Integrity means doing what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it. It’s the imperative foundation for creating trust.

My Comment: This very short article is a nice reminder of the importance of integrity, with both customers and employees.

How Communication Channels Help Building Strong Client Relationship? by Fred Quinncy

(Live Admins) There are a number of ways through which, the communication channels help entrepreneurs building strong client relationships.

My Comment: Clients often ask me, “Which channels of customer support should we be on?” My response is always simple. “Go where the customers are.” And, as this article points out, the main channels include phone, email, social and chat. Regardless of the channel the customer chooses, the response should be consistent. And, it should be fast.

Defining the “Customer Experience” by Don Peppers

(LinkedIn) In my view, before setting off on any initiative to improve your company’s customer experience, you first need to agree on what a customer experience actually is.

My Comment: The top companies know that every interaction with a customer is an opportunity for the customer to form an impression. That means EVERY interaction. It all becomes part of the customer experience. This is a great reminder of some of the important tactics it takes to create an amazing customer experience.

Philosophies to Improve Your Customer Experience in 2015 by Colin Shaw

(LinkedIn) There are many philosophies out there. The thing about philosophy is that it doesn’t always have much real-world application behind it. Anyone can claim a philosophy but can they make it work in the real world?

My Comment: While I agree with all five of these philosophies on creating and improving the customer experience, it is the fifth one that resonates with me the most. One of the drivers of customer experience is customer service, which I’ve always preached is not a department. It’s a philosophy. The general philosophy of customer experience must be embraced by every department in an organization, and in turn, every employee. This is the root of the company’s culture.

10 Tips from an Amazon Customer Service Elf to Manage Post-Holiday Reviews by Jeff Breitenstein

(Business2Community) Here are 10 tips from a former Amazon Customer Service Elf to help you offer world-class customer service.

My Comment:This is a great article that focuses on the importance of how you handle returns and customer service issues after the holidays. However, I think that these tactics are excellent reminders for anytime there is a customer service issue.

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