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5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of April 15, 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. 6 Customer Service Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them by Sam Del Rowe […]

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.

6 Customer Service Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them by Sam Del Rowe

(destinationCRM.com) Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, customer service and customer experience are not the same thing, Forrester Research asserts in a new report.

My Comment: This article is an interpretation of a Forrester report focused on customer service and customer experience. Riccardo Pasto, the senior analyst of CX at Forrester, identified a number or “pitfalls” that can potentially apply to almost any business. This is a nice recap of that info and good “food for thought.”

How to create a customer experience that keeps bringing people back by Joe Schultz

(Retail Customer Experience) Delivering an exceptional customer experience in the retail space requires more than a great product. Much more. In fact, in the discovery phase of CX design, your product or service is probably the least important factor to consider.

My Comment: Want your customers to keep coming back? Let’s take some lessons from the retail industry. I especially like idea number two, which is to show the customer their future with your product or service. In short, what would it look like if they bought what you sell? Give them the experience of learning/seeing how buying from you will benefit them.

Why service staff avoid taking ownership – and how to help them by Jeff Toister

(MyCustomer) Customer service staff often deflect problems when they believe the issue was someone else’s fault. But customers don’t want blame – they want the problem solved. So how can organisations ensure their service staff has an ownership mindset?

My Comment: There are many things that could frustrate a customer when they have a problem or complaint. One of them is when the customer service rep casts blame on someone else. I’ve always believed the philosophy that “It may not be my fault, but it is my opportunity to resolve the issue and make the customer happy.” As the author points out, customers don’t want blame. They want the problem solved. Here are some suggestions on how to get your team to take ownership of their customers problems.

New Study: Customer Service in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by David Wang

(Zingle) From Solving Problems to Saving Time — How Consumers Feel About ‘Bots’ vs Humans When it Comes to Customer Service.

My Comment: Here is a great report on how customers are warming up to chatbots and robots versus a human-to-human customer service experience. While 57% of consumers say that human customer service agents are more effective, 35% said that bots and human agents are equally effective. Interesting stats, facts and comments.

What is the future of customer service? by Anastasiia Khlystova

(Quora) The funny thing about customer service is that it’s not really changing that much. In 2019, customer service is still about listening, reacting, helping and being friendly. The only thing that is changing with customer support is technology.

My Comment: As long as we’re on the subject of chatbots (Number four in this week’s “Top Five” list), here is a glimpse into the future of customer service. Self-service, messaging and chatbots are the focus of the article. I think the future looks good!

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.

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