Top 5 Customer Service Articles for the Week of November 19, 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.

Customer Service Rookie Mistakes That Could Be Tarnishing Your Business Image! by Deeksha Dadu

(CustomerThink) Let’s face it, poor customer care support service can cost a business a fortune!

My Comment: Don’t let the article fool you. Many of the customer service mistakes mentioned in this article aren’t “rookie mistakes.” Unfortunately, they are found in companies that have been around for many years. What makes them appear to be “rookie mistakes,” is that they could be easily avoided.

How psychology affects the customer experience of voice support by UJET

(UJET) When done right, a conversation with the customer over the phone can be helpful, engaging, and even fun. The problem with voice support is that it can also go terribly wrong, and those are the types of interactions that people hear about.

My Comment: Even with self-service and automated customer service solutions, some customers still want to (and sometimes have to) talk to a human being. There was a stat in the article that caught my eye: “On average, US customers spend more than thirty hours per year on the phone with customer support.” That’s three-quarters of a typical work week! And, it’s not because they want to call. It’s because they have to call to have a question answered or a problem resolved.

How to Find Value in Every Customer by Knowledge@Wharton

(Knowledge@Wharton)  The Customer Centricity Playbook: Implement a Winning Strategy Driven by Customer Lifetime Value is designed to guide businesses to the next level, where success is measured beyond mere dollars. Fader and Toms recently spoke on the Knowledge@Wharton radio show on SiriusXM about the importance of being customer centric.

My Comment: When people from Wharton Business School talk or write, I listen and read. This is an interview with Peter Fader (Marketing professor at Wharton) and Sarah Toms (executive director of Wharton Interactive), the authors of “The Customer Centricity Playbook.” About halfway into the article, there was a profound comment by Professor Fader: “We are not going to judge ourselves by the least happy customer, we are going to judge ourselves by the most valuable customers.”

Harnessing the Power of Video for Customer Service: 5 Tips by Sean Gordon

(Chief Marketer) Video is great for creating social engagement, but it can also be a powerful customer service tool. Here are five ideas for using video to help maximize customer experience with your product or service.

My Comment: I’ve always felt video was a powerful customer service tool. At the same time, it can be a powerful marketing tool. This short article shares five ways to use video to enhance the customer experience, including how-to videos, clients sharing how they best use the company’s products and more.

How Human-Centric Design Thinking Can Improve the Customer Experience by Kindra Cooper

(LinkedIn) Given the deeply human-centric nature of hospitality, luxury hotels are under intense pressure to get into their customer’s hearts and minds to differentiate from their competition – but so is any profit-seeking business.power of video

My Comment: CX Design is a hot topic recently. Understanding the experience a customer has with your organization, and designing that experience to give the customer the very best, is not a simple task. This short article shares several great ideas to simplify the process.

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.