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Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of May 5, 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. Customer Surveys: Talking or Walking Improvements? by Melissa Kovacevic (MKCallConsult) Today, moments […]

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.

Customer Surveys: Talking or Walking Improvements? by Melissa Kovacevic

(MKCallConsult) Today, moments of truth are an integral part of our Voice of the Customer or VoC data we gather through feedback processes such as customer surveys. Our surveys help to determine how our people, processes and technology make the customer journey with us:  positive or painful?

My Comment: What caught my eye about this article was the reference to Jan Carlzon’s concept, “The Moment of Truth,” which is anytime the customer has any interaction with your business and has an opportunity to form an impression. However, the article really focuses on the data, feedback and suggestions you can pick up at these “Moments of Truth.” The problem, as the article points out, is that this information means mean nothing if they aren’t used to improve the customer experience.

Lessons from the Don Draper School of Business by Susan Solovic

(Susan Solovic) We’ve heard the phrase “too big to fail” a lot in recent years. These are the business relationships that for your small business are too important to fail. I’ll begin with some general advice and then toss in some specifics you need to master.

My Comment: Susan Solovic is an expert in small business.  However, this article, focused on customer service, has six ideas that can apply to any type of business, large or small.  The article starts off quoting Don Drape, a character from the TV show “Mad Men.”  Don says, “The day you sign a client is the day you start losing one.”  Put another way, the most abused customer is a sold customer.  Once you have the customer, you can’t afford to lose them.  Implement the tactics in this article to avoid the “Don Draper Syndrome.”

Utilizing Complaints to Improve the Customer Experience By Matt Keenan

(Bank Systems & Technology) These are the four levels of the complaint management maturity model.

My Comment: Even the best companies to do business with have complaints and unhappy customers. It’s the way they go about resolving the complaints that turn these dissatisfied customers around. This is an interesting concept regarding the complaint cycle that most companies may go through. 1. Avoidance a no, not us mentality. 2. Awareness or acceptance. 3. Enterprise recognizes that the entire organization impacts the customer experience, including complaints. 4. Technology or any other type of solution that can systematize and streamline the complaint process.

How to Handle Angry Customers [Infographic] by Mary Shulzhenko

(Provide Support Blog) Customers might get angry for a variety of reasons, some justified, some not. Whether they confront you face-to-face, over the phone or in Live Chat, you are likely to encounter frustration, aggressiveness, irritation and very little patience. Handling such customers is one of the most difficult, stressful and challenging parts of the customer service job.

My Comment: This great “infographic” provides both the “why” and the “how to.”  The stats make the case and make a case for why you can’t afford to ignore an angry customer.  (And, just as important, why you should try and find them!)  The ten tactics listed are simple reminders about how to get that angry or complaining customer back on track.

HOW TO ACE WINNING NEW CUSTOMERS BY BUILDING GREAT RELATIONSHIPS BY MIKE SCHOULTZ 

(Digital Spark Marketing) So there are many important reasons to focus on building strong customer relationships. Here are fifteen tips to help you forge new, and strengthen existing, relationships.

My Comment: Business is a “people activity.” Customers (also known as people) do business with people or a website. They want and expect a certain level of service. This list of 15 simple ideas to win new customers and win existing customers’ loyalty is a good stat. There are many other ideas, strategies and tactics to add to the list, but for today, here is a great stat.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

(Copyright ©MMXIV, Shep Hyken)

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