5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of December 30, 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.

Using Social Media to Connect with Your Most Loyal Customers by Michael A. Stanko, Blanca Isabel Hernández Ortega, Francisco-Jose Molina-Castillo, Rishika Rishika, and José Franco

(Harvard Business Review) More and more companies have loyalty programs — and for good reason. A recent industry report showed that loyalty program members not only spend more and remain customers longer but they are also more likely to spread positive word of mouth.

My Comment: Want to get even closer to your most loyal customers? Create a better experience for them on social media. Several professors contributed to this short, but insightful, article about how to leverage social media in a way that drives higher revenue per customer. Note: Be careful not to move from relationship building to blatant marketing, or the strategy may backfire.

Customer experience trends to watch out for in 2020 by Mahir Prasad

(ClickZ) OpenText’s Nali Giliana highlights five key trends that will influence customer experience in 2020.

My Comment: Predictions and trends for the upcoming year are always interesting, and I’ve included several over the past few weeks in this roundup. This article included something worth considering. Voice search will become a key to a good customer experience – and the stat to back it up says as much as 80% of total customer interactions will be made by artificial intelligence. Be it Alexa, Google, Siri, etc., the response to customers’ questions are all managed by AI.

Delivering a more customer-centric experience by SmartBrief

(SmartBrief) This article shares five ways to get your employees excited and involved in creating a customer-centric experience.

My Comment: This short article emphasizes that the customer-centricity “doesn’t mean your employees take a backseat (to customers).” On the contrary, customer centricity starts inside of the organization. It is part of the culture. The article includes five ideas. All are good, but perhaps one of the most powerful – and simplest – is the first one, which is to host brainstorming sessions with different departments.

Good, the Bot and the Customer Experience: Five tips for brands looking to embrace AI-driven customer service by Arun Mani

(ITProPortal) Tips for brands looking to embrace AI-driven customer service.

My Comment: As you continue or think about rolling out more and more self-service solutions to help your customers get the answers they need quickly, you must also consider that the more “digital” you go, the further away you’re getting from maintaining real connections with your customers. This article includes several insights you need to avoid a customer service disconnect.

How Complaining Customers Can Become Your BBFs (Best Business Friends) by Alex Zlatin

(Franchising.com) Dealing with customer complaints isn’t a business owner’s favorite task. However, that sometimes stressful part of running a company can provide opportunities to improve the business in the long run.

My Comment: This short article reminds of that a complaint is actually a gift. When you manage your customer’s complaints or problems well you earn their loyalty. Also, their complaints may give you the insight to create a better process, which leads to more customers. Customers love to do business with the places they know will take care of them – even when there’s a problem.

BONUS

8 Experts on Changing Up Your Marketing Strategy in 2020 by Wild Coffee

(Wild Coffee Marketing) Want a bold new marketing plan for 2020? Learn from 8 well-known marketing professionals.

My Comment: Customer experience and marketing are often intertwined. Here are eight experts commenting on how to improve your marketing, and it’s an honor for my comments to be included in the article. Remember… a good CX can be some of your best marketing!

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.