Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of December 11, 2017

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.

How to Choose a Gift That Will Wow Your Customers by John Ruhlin

(Business.com) Giving a gift? Waiting for inspiration to hit means you could easily strike out with the recipient. That’s why you need a methodology for selecting gifts that will help you grow your relationships consistently.

My Comment: It’s the time of year when we give gifts to the people we care most about, and for some of us that include customers and people we work with. John Ruhlin is the corporate gifting expert, and in this article, he shares some of his best tips to ensure that the gifts you give will be meaningful, memorable, and wow your customers.

Top 10 Wow Customer Service Stories for 2017 by Shaun Belding

(Shaun Belding) With 2017 drawing to a close, we’ve gone through our notes to find what we felt were the top 10 Wow customer service stories of the year. It was a big task – there were a lot of great stories out there! Here are our winners, presented in order from number 10 to number one.

My Comment: This article is a fun read – the authors top ten picks for “Wow Service Stories.” And, he’s picked some great ones. While fun to read, think about which of these stories could happen in your company. Share them with your team and look for opportunities to emulate these examples and “wow” your customers!

How To Tackle Difficult Customers and Earn Their Trust by Michael Spicer

(Martech Advisor) Michael Spicer, Director, The Website Group, guides on how to handle arduous customers and develop a bond with them.

My Comment: There is no simple answer on how to deal with angry or difficult customers, but if there was a quick way to get you started, then this article would be it. The author has assigned names to these difficult customers, which makes it easier to identify the proper response. Read this article and you’ll find some great tactics – and it’s fun to read!

The Top Customer Success Strategies Used by Successful Companies (Complete Guide) by Tyler Basu

(Thinkific) Today’s most successful companies are committed to understanding the desired outcomes of their customers, and they’re designing experiences to help their customers achieve those outcomes. In other words, they’re focused on customer success.

My Comment: Customer success is an important concept to just about any business. However, many people I talk to don’t quite understand exactly what it means and how it differs from customer service or satisfaction. This “guide” is a great resource as it gives a clear picture of what customer success is along with ten ways brands are using the concept to their advantage.

Why investing in employee IT is the first step to becoming a customer-centric company by Natalie Lambert

(HuffPost) Here’s a look at three benefits that come with investing in IT to create an employee-centric company.

My Comment: Companies invest a tremendous amount of dollars to create a better customer experience. They use technology and apps to make life easier and more convenient for customers. How about considering investing some of that IT and technology in your employees? This article shares three ways to do exactly that. The third idea is potent: Prioritize people. In other words, take care of your employees first, and they will, in turn, take care of your customers.

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