Top 5 Customer Service Articles for the Week of August 26, 2019

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.

37 Customer Experience Statistics You Need to Know for 2019 by  Toma Kulbytė

(Super Office) Customer experience has fast become a top priority for businesses and 2019 will be no different. But, why are so many companies focusing on the customer experience and what happens to companies that choose to ignore it?

My Comment: We start this week’s Top Five roundup with an article filled with stats – 37 of them! Sure, you may already know how important customer service and experience are, but just a reminder that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a great experience. And 65% of customers find a positive experience to be more influential than all that money invested in great advertising. Now you only have 35 more to read!

5 Strategies On How To Stay Ahead Of Customer-Driven Disruption by NJ Goldston

(Forbes) Sarkar details five strategies that any company can adapt in their own push to connect with, and capitalize on, customer needs. See how many of them your company is currently executing or what you should be adding to your project list.

My Comment: As I read this article I thought about the companies that have disrupted their industry – or even just their competition. How do we defend against disruption? Consider that maybe it’s not the competition, but us doing what we’ve always done – even if it always worked. Here are some good ideas and reminders. My favorite strategy is the fifth one, which tells us to disregard the first four (even if they always worked). You see, once something is working, you must find a way to change it up and make it better. Otherwise, someone will come along and disrupt you.

Customer Service Challenges the Industry Will Face in 2020 and Beyond by Cory Hedgepeth

My Comment: This is a glimpse into the future… as in next year. The speed at which business is moving can be overwhelming at times, but you must keep up. Here are some ideas and trends you must consider. Basics, such as avoiding slow response times, to cutting edge ideas incorporating blockchain into the customer experience.

How to Handle Difficult People (and Still Achieve Your Business Goals) by Aytekin Tank

(Entrepreneur) A founder’s guide to effectively utilizing feedback — even from impossible-to-please, difficult people.

My Comment: It’s never fun to deal with difficult customers. There are thousands of articles out there on how to deal with them. (I’ve written a number of them!) So why include another one in this roundup? There was a concept the author covered that intrigued me; distinguishing between a difficult message and a difficult person. There’s a big difference.

Are You Meeting & Exceeding Customer Expectations? by Teresa Allen

(Teresa Allen) My new customer service keynote, A 2020 Service Strategy to Grow Your Business focuses on 5 specific strategies. Today’s article focuses on Step ONE. Evaluate what your organization needs to do to implement these important steps moving toward 2020.

My Comment: Teresa Allen lays out ten major expectations that your customers are expecting, and if you want to keep your current customers, you must meet, if not exceed, these expectations. Even the author admits they may seem basic, but she suggests to “read between the lines,” and you should. These are the ways to keep a competitor from disrupting your business and stealing away your customers.