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Top 5 Customer Service Articles For the Week of September 13, 2021

Each week I read many 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. What Is Customer Loyalty and Retention (And 3 Tips for Improvement) by Scott Clark (CMSWire) […]

Each week I read many 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.

What Is Customer Loyalty and Retention (And 3 Tips for Improvement) by Scott Clark

(CMSWire) Although the terms “customer loyalty” and “customer retention” are often used interchangeably, they actually refer to two different things. Customer loyalty refers to customers who have decided to continue to do business with a brand as a preference over that brand’s competitors.

My Comment: In my newest book, I’ll Be Back, I cover the difference between a repeat customer and a loyal customer. There’s a big difference. As the author points out in the very first sentence: “Although the terms ‘customer loyalty and ‘customer retention (as in repeat business)’ are often used interchangeably, they actually refer to two different things.”

Florida Butcher Shop Installs Vending Machine to Serve Customers 24/7 by Retail Customer Experience

(Retail Customer Experience) The machine offers cuts of steak, pork and sausage as well as ground beef, bacon, and beef jerky, and accepts debit cards, credit cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay.

My Comment: It should be every company’s goal to deliver a convenient experience. In another one of my books, I cover six “Convenience Principles.” First and foremost, you must eliminate friction. That’s exactly what a Florida butcher shop did when they took their business that’s open during traditional hours and found a way to take care of their customers 24/7. Consider this article as a launch into a discussion about how to be more convenient for your customers.

Why B2B Customer Experience is Just as Vital for Growth as B2C by Gal Oron

(Fast Company) If you’re running a B2B company, you should take note: delivering on similarly high standards of customer experience can reduce customer churn by up to 15%, according to research by McKinsey & Company.

My Comment: I hear it over and over again from B2B leadership. They claim they aren’t the same as B2C, so many of the ideas about customer service and CX don’t apply. WRONG! I’ve been preaching for some time that they do, and this article helps make the point. You’re not just selling to a company. You’re selling to a human in that company. And, that human just had a great experience with Netflix that was, as the author says, is fast, personalized, and effortless. That’s what you’re being compared to. Are you ready to meet the customer’s new expectations?

The Art of Customer Experience – From Transaction to Conversation by Bridgette Darling

(diginomica) Customer journeys today travel across multiple channels, devices and pathways leading to data becoming tangled and disparate. Bridgette Darling of Adobe shares four practical steps to keep a customer and their experience on track.

My Comment: I enjoyed this article on creating a better customer experience, and the author’s four “steps” to make that happen. While you might say, “Nothing new here,” you should consider this a reminder of what’s important: good conversations, actively listening, building relationships on the customer’s terms, and delivering conversations that have value for the customer.

18 Tricks to Getting Better Customer Service by Beth Braverman

(AARP) We gathered insider advice from experts on how to get better customer service from six institutions that aren’t necessarily known for making it easy on those in need of assistance. Here’s what they recommend.

My Comment: Let’s close out this Top Five roundup with an article that can help you receive better customer service. Here are 18 “tricks” to help you when reaching out to the phone company, health insurance companies, the IRS, banks/lenders, and more.

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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