5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of July 2, 2018

Each week I read a number of 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.

11 Types of Difficult Customers and Ideas for How to Handle Them (INFOGRAPHIC) by David William

(Small Business Trends) A critical part of running a successful business is managing customers.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five articles with a combo article and infographic on different types of “difficult” customers and how to handle them. Suggestions in the form of short bullet points will have you managing these customers’ experiences like a pro.

3 Ways To Rethink Customer Relationships In The Age Of The Consumer by John Hall

(Forbes) I think we can all agree that the world of buying and selling today looks drastically different than it did as little as 10 or 15 years ago. With the advent of the internet and the proliferation of content, consumers are more informed than ever.

My Comment: Here is a list of three ideas that will make you and your company stand out. Number one is my favorite of the three: Don’t just think about the sale. Think about what happens after the sale. Good info that everyone should consider if they want to build a stronger relationship with their customers and give them a better experience.

5 Tips for IT to Better Manage the Customer Experience by BizReport

(BizReport) Customer experience is no longer just a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) strategy for winning and retaining customers. Thanks to “consumerization” – where employees are bringing their often-superior personal-life experiences of services, support, and customer service into the workplace – it’s also increasingly relevant to internal IT service delivery and support.

My Comment: Almost every week I’m asked if our training programs will help IT departments deliver a better internal customer experience. This is obviously an important topic, and these five tips will help any IT department create fans on the inside of the company.

How to Really Hear and Use Customer Feedback by Jason McCann

(Entrepreneur) Listening to criticism pays off big time. Here’s how to identify — and encourage — the customer love that makes brands flourish.

My Comment: Feedback is a gift! When your customers share it, good or bad, embrace it, appreciate it and act on it. This short article has four ways to get and use feedback – ideas that will work for any and every company.

No Joke! The Role of Humor in Customer Experience by Joseph Michelli

(Joseph Michelli) Isn’t it remarkable how things we learn at one point in our life come back to us as welcome gifts later?

My Comment: Customer experience expert Joseph Michelli has a serious message about using humor in customer service situations. He’s a fan of using humor, and in this short article, he will share how and when to use humor in customer service situations. Sometimes, humor is serious business!

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