Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of April 21, 2014

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.

Everything I Need to Know About Customer Service, I Learned at Nordstrom by Marie Rosecrans

(Desk.com) That first job at Nordies helped me understand what it meant to deliver great customer service, and a few key things have really stayed with me throughout my 20+ year career (yes, it’s been that long!).

My Comment: Three words that belong together: customer + service + Nordstrom. This very short article is another great story and demonstrates that not only does Nordstrom have a great system in place, they also have a great culture.

5 Things Customers Hate about Customer Support (And How to Address Them) by Adel Zsurzsan

(Merlin) We listed 5 things customers hate about customer support, so that we know what we can do to lessen these pain points in our daily operations.

My Comment: It doesn’t matter if you are a small company without a true customer support department or a large company with a large call center, at some point a customer is going to call for help or support.  When they do, is it an opportunity to show how good you are?  Or, a disappointment and confidence-buster for the customer?  I know what I want: No or short wait times, knowledgeable reps that help me on the first call, someone that treats me like me and not a number and someone that focuses on reasonable solutions and not policies.

The Five Agreements of Customer Experience by Annette Franz

(CX Journey) Have you thought about how the Five Agreements relate to customer experience management?

My Comment: Love this article! These “agreements” work for customers, employees – and in life. They are about a positive way to think and the right way to treat people. They create personal confidence and customer confidence. If you ever thought about creating a set of core values for a company, this would be a great place to start.

Capitalizing on Customer Lifetime Value By Anna Papachristos

(1to1 Media) While brands recognize the importance of customer lifetime value, many fail to calculate its true impact, for most are still unable to offer the type of holistic customer experience that builds loyalty and retention from the first interaction onward.

My Comment: Every employee should understand the customer lifetime value. It makes it easier to make customer-focused decisions. Years ago Stu Leonard used to say the average grocery story customer was worth about $5,000 a year. So, when the customer complains that the carton of milk was spoiled, don’t hesitate to give him/her another three dollar carton of milk.

Why We Do All Hands Support at Olark by Ben Congleton

(Olark) Our hope for All Hands Support Month is to provide templates that other companies can use to create their own take on All Hands Support.

My Comment: The idea of letting non-front-liners experience what it is like to be on the front line is a great idea. Olark is a case study on the benefits of such a program. Everyone should experience what it is like to be in customer support.

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 http://www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

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