Top 5 Customer Service Articles for the Week of July 7, 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.

When customer service goes to the dogs by Dayna Steele

(Your Daily Success Tip) Don’t be afraid to get personal with customers.

My Comment: I love great customer service stories. This one makes me smile.  It’s very short, to the point and proves that it’s never out-of-line to “get personal” with a customer.

5 impacts that Amazon has had on customer experience by Pauline Ashenden

(Eptica Customer Experience Blog) Amazon has radically changed how consumers shop, read and watch films, and affected a wide range of industries, from bookselling to video rental, and now, with the new Amazon Kindle Fire phone, mobile telecoms. So what have been the 5 key impacts on the customer experience?

My Comment: In five short points, this article sums up what has made Amazon – and many other companies – successful. Sometimes customer service seems so simple. However, simple is not always easy. Still, follow these five points and just about any company can upgrade their customer service/experience.

5 Signs You May Not Be As Customer-Centric As You Think You Are by Kate Feather

(PeopleMetrics) So many businesses claim that they have or aspire to have a customer centric culture – to become more customer-centric, to put the customer first, to be customer-inspired.

My Comment: I’ve always believed that leadership (and management) define the culture.  They also deliver and defend it.  However, there are many companies that claim to be customer-centric but aren’t.  They think they are, but in reality, they aren’t quite there.  The five points raised in this post will give any company ideas on a customer-centric “gut check.”

17 ways to identify your level of commitment by Doug Sandler 

(Doug Sandler) How committed are you to your career? I know many people that get paid by the hour but take ownership of their position at work. And I  know many people that hold ownership and management positions that do not like what they do for a living. Life is too short to not love what you do.

My Comment: One of my favorite customer service points is to “Act Like an Owner.” In other words, be so good people think you are the owner. While I don’t think everyone will agree on all of the points made here (and that’s okay), there are a great number of points that could be a conversation starter for how engaged we are with the customer as well as the company and employees.

Moving from Customer Service to Customer Care by Gareth Cartman

(WintheCustomer)  When you care, you’re proactive, and you listen to the needs of the customer (or patient), or better – provide what your customer needs before they say they need it.

My Comment: Yes, there is a difference between customer service and customer care.  Sometimes they appear to be the same.  So, consider this: Customer service is something you deliver to a customer.  Customer care is the attitude you and your company demonstrates toward the customer.  The best companies make their customers feel like they care for them as they deliver amazing customer service.

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