Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of September 28, 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.

It’s Time to Get Personal with Your Customers Again by Chris Malone

(Fidelum Partners) Our smartphones and email in-boxes are stuffed these days with automated emails and phone calls that request customer feedback in the most sterile and impersonal ways. These automated surveys typically contain the warning “do not reply to this e-mail,” as if to tell us, “We want to know what you think, but only on our terms.”

My Comment: The personal touch; I like this concept. Are we good enough – and confident enough – to say, “If you have a comment or are unhappy with our product (service, etc.), here is my personal email and phone number. I want to hear from you.” However, if there is “fine print” as this article points out in the example, you blow it. The personal connection could be what gives the customer that added confidence to do business with you.

Customer words make brands by Torben Rick

(Meliorate) Top 14+ customer experience quotes to live by

My Comment: Word-of-mouth-marketing is perhaps the best way to promote your brand. Just be so good that others talk about you to their friends, colleagues and family members. Read and share  the 14 quotes in this article with your team. They come from some amazing customer service experts, authors and business geniuses and will give you a little motivational fuel that could help motivate you to deliver a level of customer service that gets your customers talking about you.

Why You Can’t Ignore Customer Service on Twitter by Lisa Woods

(Echogravity) With the viral negative publicity possible through Twitter’s one-to-one-to-many conversations, active customer service on Twitter is a no-brainer.

My Comment: I’m still amazed at how many companies ignore this (and other) social media channels. Twitter is a great way to engage with your customers. And, it’s more than just a forum to react to complaints. Twitter, and any other social media channel is a great place to interact and add value to your customer community.

5 Reasons Great Employee Experience Leads to Great Customer Experience by Niraj Ranjan Rout

(Business 2 Community) Employees are the backbone of any company. It’s them who help foster, and build relations with the customer. Treating your employees right will not just boost their well-being and happiness, it’ll gradually trickle down to your customers.

My Comment: A great customer service experience starts with giving employees a great employee experience. It’s this simple: What’s happening on the inside of your company is felt on the outside by the customer. All you have to do is get a list of the best companies to work for and the top rated customer-focused companies. You’ll be amazed at how many of the same companies show up on both lists.

Bruce Temkin, Customer Experience Researcher, On Best Practices For Client Loyalty by Daniel  J. Parnell

(Forbes) To get a better idea as to best practices that surround client experience and loyalty, I reached out to Bruce Temkin, founder of Temkin Group, a customer experience research, consulting, and training firm. Each year they gather and analyze consumer feedback to rate customer experience, forgiveness, trust, service, and web experience in industries that range from airlines and automakers, to health plans and hotel chains, to banks and insurance carriers.

My Comment: When Bruce Temkin talks, I listen. David Parnell interviews one of the gurus in the customer experience world. I always learn when Bruce shares his wisdom and insight with us. Great read!

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314)692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken