5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of July 9, 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.

How to Deliver Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Customer Experience by Deb Miller

(CMSWire) I ordered new products and services from my provider last month and in the bargain had to endure some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad customer experience.

My Comment: Want to deliver bad customer service? Then read this article. Want to deliver good customer service? Then read this article. I enjoyed the author’s sarcastic approach to what companies do to fail their customers. (I especially like the first one, which is to treat new customers better than your loyal customers.)

Poor Customer Service Costs UK Businesses £37 Billion by Stephanie Liais

(RingCentral) UK businesses are losing billions of pounds each year as consumers continue to demonstrate their intolerance for bad customer experience. Technology has been driving fundamental changes to the global economy, leaving many companies struggling to hold onto even their most loyal customers.

My Comment: This article comes from our friends in the UK and starts with the stat that £37 billion (pounds) is lost due to poor customer service. (That’s almost $50 billion USD.) What can we do to make sure our company isn’t participating in this major hemorrhage? Start by reading this article.

6 Tips For Delivering The Best Customer Service Possible by Himanshu Agarwal

(CustomerThink) Customer service representatives are problem solvers who need to react quickly, efficiently, while maintaining a compassionate and nourishing relationship with customers.

My Comment: Here you will find a good list of six ideas that will help any business deliver a better customer experience. And, while some are standards you read and think about often, a few are not – and those are the ones you should pay close attention to.

The Accidental Customer Experience by Ian Golding

My Comment: Customer experiences should not happen by accident. They should be purposeful and intentional. To start, the author has provided three questions worth discussing with your team. Don’t leave the customer experience to chance!

The Role of AI in Customer Experience [Infographic] by CallMiner

(CallMiner) It seems like everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is affecting our lives at home, at work, as well as how we communicate, shop and consume media. And AI is changing the customer experience!

My Comment: We close this week’s Top Five roundup with an infographic on AI that includes some interesting – and incredible – stats and facts. Fifty percent of people interacted with AI in the past year – and didn’t realize it! The graphic shows what AI is, what it isn’t, what it will look like in the future and more.

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