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Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of March 28, 2022

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. Research: How Employee Experience Impacts Your Bottom Line by Kate Gautier, Tiffani Bova, Kexin Chen, […]

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.

Research: How Employee Experience Impacts Your Bottom Line by Kate Gautier, Tiffani Bova, Kexin Chen, and Lalith Munasinghe

(Harvard Business Review) Most people believe — and research backs them up — that great customer experience drives revenue growth. But who claims credit for these successes?

My Comment: Let’s kick off this week’s Top Five Roundup with an excellent article that appeared in Harvard Business Review, and the topic is the employee experience. No doubt that a great customer experience helps drive growth and revenue, but what about the employee experience? As you read through the article, you will eventually come to a bold subtitle: Employee experience drives revenue. Enough said! Read the article!

Customer Obsession: Being Real, Sensitive, and Personal is a Requirement Now by Sharel Omer

(Total Retail) The latest post to take LinkedIn by storm wasn’t an announcement about a startup raising millions in funding or an A-list executive joining the board of an industry titan. Rather, a highly personal story by self-employed writer, Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi, quickly went viral on the professional social networking site. Sodhi shared her courageous journey during the 45 days following reconstructive surgery on both her knees.

My Comment: A recent LinkedIn post that “went viral” with more than 58,000 reactions and over 1,826 comments was not about business but a self-employed writer’s personal story about her reconstructive knee surgery. The article’s author emphasizes the need for brands and people to bring a personal/real element into the customer experience.

What Today’s Guests Really Want When It Comes To Hotel Loyalty Programs Might Surprise You by Ellis Connolly

(Hospitality Net) Why do so many hotel loyalty programs fail? This is a good question, and it’s definitely one you should be asking if you are eager to set up a well-designed, effective loyalty program that mutually benefits your bottom line and your guests.

My Comment: Here’s an interesting take on loyalty programs. While the author focuses on the hospitality industry, the ideas can be considered for any type of points or perks type of program. Looking at the first stat is intriguing. 78% of customers prefer immediate benefits over accumulating points. For a hotel, that could mean an upgrade. For a restaurant, it might be a free appetizer. For a manufacturer, it might mean a free month of maintenance. Get creative and find ways to reward customers immediately, versus making them accumulate points to get their perks.

The ‘Last Mile’ in Retail is Often the Most Important by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) Product delivery, also known as the “last mile” in retail, is often the most complex part of the transaction because it’s usually dependent on third parties. It’s been a strange few weeks for me and delivered packages recently, and those third parties didn’t do the retailers any favors.

My Comment: My friend and fellow customer experience expert, Dan Gingiss, shares several entertaining stories in his take on the “last mile” in retail. Dan has a Ring video on his front door that recorded a delivery man throwing a package (which could have been breakable) at his front door. While the article is an entertaining rant on the topic, it makes a good point. Whether it be the “last mile” of delivery or any other finish to an experience, the customer always deserves the company’s full attention, right up until the very end.

How to Ensure Your Customers Remain Satisfied & Loyal by Olivia Parkinson

(The Apopka Voice) Your business can’t operate and grow unless you have steady and paying customers. You not only need consumers to make purchases from you but you also need ways to turn them into returning customers who are pleased with your company and brand.

My Comment: As you may know, I love lists. Here are 11 ways to deliver a service experience that makes customers come back. Most of these are basic and common sense, but I want to emphasize three of them. First, make it easy for customers to get in touch. I’m surprised at how difficult it can be to find contact information for some companies. Second, measure customer satisfaction regularly. Knowing how customers feel about you once every year or two is not enough. And third, be honest and transparent, of course! But in times of supply chain issues, delays, etc., it’s more important than ever to tell customers exactly what’s going on.

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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