Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 20, 2015

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.

How to Grow Your Online Shop: 26 Ecommerce Marketing Experts Share Their Tips by Ecommerce Platforms

(Ecommerce Platforms) No matter what niche you are in, setting up a successful ecommerce store requires both planning and a lot of smart work. If you take into account that customers now have around a gazillion of online stores to turn to for their shopping spree, you can understand why you have to develop both a short term and a long term strategy. From figuring out exactly what you have to sell to choosing the right platform for you, you have to take into account almost everything.

My Comment: Love this compilation of experts talking about e-commerce strategies. Most companies today have a web presence.  Even if your company doesn’t sell online, there are lots of good sales and marketing strategies that a company can use for traditional or “offline” sales.

10 Best Customer Service Articles for 2015 by Jason

(Fonolo) Here at Fonolo, customer service is a passion. We’re always reading, writing and discussing ways to help companies improve their service delivery and make life easier for consumers.

My Comment: Here is an article that will make you read more articles.  Similar to this publication of my Top Five Articles for the Week, this article has ten excellent articles to discover and read about.  I think you’ll enjoy many of them.

5 Points To Align With What Retail Customers Really Want. by Mark Doornbosch

(MarketSource) Supporting your retail partner with these 5 points will help you optimize your coverage and increase your speed to market and Sell More, Faster.

My Comment: While this article focuses on retail, it could really be about any company and any industry.  Who doesn’t like knowledgeable, available and friendly staff to work with? Common sense ideas here, that, unfortunately, aren’t always as common as they should be.

5 Successful Loyalty Program Pegs for Small Businesses by Infinit Contact

(Infinit Contact) Every small business aspires to grow, maintain loyal customers and gain new ones. One way to do this is through a successful loyalty program.

My Comment: I’m always concerned that when it comes to loyalty programs customers are more loyal to the program than they are to the company. I like that the author took five of the most successful loyalty programs (and by the way, they aren’t from small companies) and showcased their best features. Even though these loyalty programs are focused on retail, there is something we can take away for just about any type of business.

One Word for Great Customer Service by Russel Lolacher

(The Upsell) I threw the question out on the show to listeners and guests, and online through Twitter and Facebook and I heard back from authors, customer experience strategists, product managers, communicators, writers, public servants, salespeople, podcasters and radio hosts. What surprised me most was the variety in responses…though one certainly stood out.

My Comment: This is a very cool article. Several customer service experts (including myself) were asked to define customer service in one word. I think this would make a great exercise to do at your next employee meeting. You will be surprised, and mostly delighted, with some of the words that they come up with. And, they will make for some great discussions. Enjoy this article.

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.