5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of May 13, 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.

Bad Experiences Aren’t Always The Problem for Companies by Mary Drumond

(LinkedIn) When it comes to the strategic decisions that will help you thrive as a company, a positive experience is not the only factor that will make customers choose you, or stay with you. Likewise, negative experiences aren’t a guarantee that customers will leave.

My Comment: Just as it takes more than just good customer service to keep a customer coming back, a bad customer experience may not cause you to lose customers, either. Counter-intuitive as that may seem, the author is making the case that companies who deliver poor customer service are “most profitable.” Okay, I’m intrigued!

Chatbots vs. Humans: The Better Option for Customer Service by Michael

(FreshDesk) Chatbots are going head-to-head with human customer service. They can help you reduce customer service costs by up to 30% in some cases.

My Comment: I’ve always cautioned that companies jumping into digital customer service solutions should be careful not to become so enamored with the technology that they lose their human and emotional connection with their customers. Should chatbots replace humans for customer support? Or, maybe a better question is: When should chat-bots replace humans for customer support?

Seven Tips For Successful Customer Loyalty Programs In 2019 by Sallie Burnett

(Forbes)Boosting customer loyalty is an ongoing challenge for marketers, and below are seven strategic tips for increasing engagement and strengthening customer loyalty.

My Comment: My belief is that many customer loyalty programs are actually marketing programs. That’s not a bad thing. It is marketing techniques, not a true emotional connection, that drives the loyalty. The buy-five-sandwiches-and-the sixth-one-is-free punch card is an example of a marketing program versus a loyalty program. That said, this article has seven good ideas to consider for your next run at a loyalty program (if you’re not already doing them).

Are you reactive, proactive or predictive when it comes to customers? by Michael Stelzer

(CEO Magazine) The introduction of Voice of the Customer solutions enables a predictive management style that operates effectively the same way that a check-up at the doctor does.

The Secret To Create Extraordinary CX Memories by Team Survaider

(Survaider) Businesses now have more opportunities to get closer to their customers and do more than just deliver their products and services. Hence, this is where the concept of creating unforgettable customer experience (CX) memories comes into the picture.

My Comment: This article starts with a bold statement: Customer service is no longer alive in the contemporary world. Hmm… Well, it turns out the focus is more on customer experience (CX). Of course, customer service is part of the CX. The intended meaning, at least how I perceive it, is that customer service is not enough. Furthermore, the goal isn’t just to provide a good CX, but a memorable CX.

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.