ShepHyken

JANUARY 15, 2024

Top Takeaways: Shep’s Comment: Some may not see this as a customer service or CX interview. I beg to differ. This is about the performance of your people. If they are on the frontline, dealing with customers, you want an elite performer, not just a competent performer. I know you will enjoy this episode! Elite performance in business and sports involves an emphasis on mindset mastery and deliberate practice.

Accountability 196

Accountability Coaching Best practices Customer Service 196

ShepHyken

JANUARY 14, 2024

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 comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too. Consumer Trust Languishes at 2016 Levels by MarTech Cube (MarTech Cube) Consumers’ trust in the organizations they do business with has not recovered from its pandemic decline.

Customer Service 142

Customer Service Best practices Metrics Banking 142

ShepHyken

JANUARY 14, 2024

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 comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too. Consumer Trust Languishes at 2016 Levels by MarTech Cube (MarTech Cube) Consumers’ trust in the organizations they do business with has not recovered from its pandemic decline.

Customer Service 137

Customer Service Best practices Metrics Banking 137

ShepHyken

DECEMBER 18, 2023

Top Takeaways: A brand is not just about a name. It’s about being united and joining together under a common set of values. It starts with leadership defining who you are as an organization and what you stand for. Then, it is reinforced daily throughout the organization through empowerment and recognition. Creating an organization’s positive and supportive culture is key to delivering extraordinary experiences.

Customer centricity 217

Customer centricity Feedback Customer Experience Customer Service 217

ShepHyken

DECEMBER 10, 2023

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. 10 Questions Every Business Leader Should Ask About Customer Retention by Samuel Wilson (Forbes) Many of you can probably recall an experience of sitting in a big conference room with the quarterly review slides and questioning why growth isn’t higher.

Customer Service 151

Customer Service Customer retention Advertising Contact Center 151

ShepHyken

NOVEMBER 21, 2023

If it’s working fine, why mess with it? Well, whatever “it” is may work just fine, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be better. This idea came to me as I read an article about United Airlines changing the way passengers board the plane. Most airlines put passengers in groups and call them in order. United will continue doing this but make changes to some of the groups.

Airlines 207

Airlines Journey mapping Morale Customer Service 207

ShepHyken

NOVEMBER 21, 2023

Top Takeaways: Self-service is becoming more than just enabling customers to attempt to resolve their own issues. Customers want a self-directed experience where they have control over how they are served and can resolve their issues in the way they want. The pandemic has accelerated the normalization of digital experiences and digital tools. The lockdown has changed our customers’ perspective on how they want to spend their time.

Personalization 222

Personalization Self service Chatbots Customer Support 222

ShepHyken

OCTOBER 31, 2023

My friend Norman Beck sends me interesting articles and newsworthy information regularly. This one is worth talking about here. A grocery store chain had a sign in front of its entrance that read: Free Delivery – $99 a Year! I had to smile – even laugh out loud – thinking of how many people would roll their eyes when they read that sign. It’s not free if you have to pay $99 for it!

Airlines 331

Airlines Marketing Customer Service Customer Experience 331

ShepHyken

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Top Takeaways: The hospitality mentality is key to creating a great customer experience in any type of business. Industries like hotels, restaurants, and cruise lines excel in this area because they live with their customers 24/7, which creates a unique dynamic for delivering outstanding service. We can all learn from their methods. Living with customers means managing their experience from the moment they start considering a purchase to the time they return for another one.

Employee engagement 184

Employee engagement Education Management Customer Service 184

ShepHyken

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Top Takeaways: The hospitality mentality is key to creating a great customer experience in any type of business. Industries like hotels, restaurants, and cruise lines excel in this area because they live with their customers 24/7, which creates a unique dynamic for delivering outstanding service. We can all learn from their methods. Living with customers means managing their experience from the moment they start considering a purchase to the time they return for another one.

Employee engagement 167

Employee engagement Education Management Customer Service 167

ShepHyken

OCTOBER 10, 2023

The title of this article may sound like a lesson in sales, but it’s much bigger than that. It’s about the entire customer experience. If a promise to provide value in the CX is built into a company’s mission and values statements, it potentially becomes part of the culture. Imagine if your organization were bold enough to state that the value it delivers to customers would make price irrelevant.

Customer Experience 367

Customer Experience Customer Service Sales 367

ShepHyken

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Top Takeaways: Conversational AI technology, powered by artificial intelligence, has revolutionized customer support by providing efficient and personalized assistance to customers. This technology can understand customers’ queries, provide relevant answers, and guide them toward a resolution. Combining AI and human agents can create a seamless and effective customer experience.

Customer Support 212

Customer Support Enterprise Technology Contact Center 212

ShepHyken

OCTOBER 9, 2023

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. 5 Elements to Maintaining Consumer Trust in Today’s Experience Economy by Barbara Holzapfel (Fast Company) Earning customer trust does not require a complex strategy, but it needs a thorough understanding of the customer and a strong desire to deliver truly differentiated a

Customer Service 155

Customer Service Airlines Customer Experience Technology 155

ShepHyken

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

One of the more enjoyable activities in my life is playing hockey. When I’m in town – not out speaking at conferences – I lace up the skates several times a week to play in a friendly hockey game. In close games, when my team is up by one or two goals, I remember my school days when our coaches encouraged us to continue playing to score, even when we were winning, versus switching to more defensive play to prevent the other team from scoring.

Customer Service 341

Customer Service Coaching Customer Experience Management 341

ShepHyken

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

Top Takeaways: In today’s fast-paced world, customers expect timely responses across various communication channels. Whether it’s email, phone calls, or social media, consistent and efficient interaction is essential to meet customer expectations. Speaking of customers expecting quick and timely responses, if they wanted to wait, they would have waited to make ask their question or make their request in the first place.

B2B 184

B2B Analytics Customer Experience Management 184

ShepHyken

AUGUST 29, 2023

Many years ago, I walked into an Ace Hardware store to find a new hinge for a swinging door. When I showed the salesperson my broken hinge, he asked if I was open to a suggestion. He sold me a better hinge that was less expensive. Who could argue with that? I had no idea that years later, I would write about this example in one of my books, Amaze Every Customer Every Time.

Sales 307

Sales Customer Service Customer Support Customer Experience 307

ShepHyken

AUGUST 28, 2023

Top Takeaways: Authenticity and personalization can strengthen business relationships, build trust, and create emotional connections that lead to repeat business and loyalty. Personalized notes are a powerful tool in business. They break through the clutter of digital communication and create a meaningful connection with customers and clients. Greeting cards can be used strategically to strengthen business relationships.

Personalization 173

Personalization Customer Experience Journey mapping Marketing 173

ShepHyken

AUGUST 8, 2023

CX is the abbreviation for customer experience. Somehow, someone decided X is a better abbreviation for experience than E is. Regardless, I’ve started seeing the X being used in other ways. For example, there is UX, or user experience , which is the experience the customer has with your products and services. Here are some others that you may have heard of: EX is to employees as CX is to customers.

Customer Experience 294

Customer Experience Customer Service Management 294

ShepHyken

JULY 4, 2023

I was just at an industry conference focusing on AI (Artificial Intelligence). Someone commented, “AI is going to make us stupid.” Elaborating on that statement, the commenter’s reasoning was that it takes thinking and problem-solving out of the process. We will be given the answer and won’t have to know anything else. I can see his point, but there is another way of looking at this.

Customer Service 319

Customer Service Customer Support Technology Personalization 319

ShepHyken

JUNE 19, 2023

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. Prioritize These Five Things to Drive Exceptional Customer Experiences by Annette Franz (CustomerThink) In a world where products and services are becoming more and more commoditized, customer experience is the only true and sustainable differentiator.

Customer Service 34

Customer Service Journey mapping Customer centricity Metrics 34

ShepHyken

MAY 22, 2023

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. To Drive Customer Retention, Don’t Neglect Culture by David Ducharme and Nick Furman (Gallup) Neglecting culture affects your teams and your customers.

Customer Service 33

Customer Service Customer retention Best practices Customer Experience 33

ShepHyken

MAY 9, 2023

Top Takeaways: The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is the question that lets your customer rate the likelihood of them recommending your business on a scale of 0 to 10. A rating of 9 or 10 is a promoter. Customers are more likely to recommend you after a great experience. A successful NPS program in your business ensures that all of your employees are aligned and understand their role in delivering an exceptional service experience.

Surveys 156

Surveys Feedback Employee engagement Customer Service 156

ShepHyken

MAY 8, 2023

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. How Midsize Companies Can Repair Damaged Customer Relationships by Jason McDannold and Saurabh Singh (Harvard Business Review) Addressing the tension between cost efficiency and customer intimacy is important for companies of any size, but it’s especially important for mids

Customer Service 32

Customer Service Personalization Marketing Customer Experience 32

ShepHyken

APRIL 11, 2023

The other day I was having breakfast with 11 of my friends. The server came over, introduced herself, and said, “I’ll be taking care of you.” She took our orders, and a few minutes later, a different server dropped off three of our meals. Then, two more servers brought a few more meals a moment later, and another server showed up just after that with the rest of our meals.

Customer Service 336

Customer Service Employee engagement 336

ShepHyken

APRIL 10, 2023

Top Takeaways: Over the last 20 years, organizations have been busy improving the functional experience (doing more things, faster, and cheaper than ever before) at the expense of the emotional, human experience. In his book, The Human Experience , John Sills shares the three myths that create poor customer service. Myth #1. The Myth of Customer Feedback.

Feedback 156

Feedback Contact Center Surveys Customer Experience 156

ShepHyken

MARCH 6, 2023

Top Takeaways: Human-centric CX design is all about communicating with customers, and this goes beyond a one-off survey. It is about regularly speaking with customers directly to deeply understand the customer. It is uncovering where they’re benefiting from your product and identifying barriers or pain points that they are experiencing. Bringing engaged customers who are utilizing your products and services into the design process can help shape great outcomes for your company.

Feedback 313

Feedback Customer centricity Contact Center Surveys 313

ShepHyken

MARCH 5, 2023

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. How Companies Can Improve Their Customer Service Practices by Pete Mercer (Repertoire) Every year, businesses across the world spend months planning and strategizing the best ways to attract and retain customers in an increasingly competitive market.

Customer Service 33

Customer Service Metrics Healthcare Upselling 33

ShepHyken

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Top Takeaways: The customer journey is like a romantic relationship. The marketing and sales phase is like dating. It is tactical and fun. When your prospect becomes a customer, you move them into the “marriage” stage, which is non-tactical and requires a different set of skills to maintain. Customer service must be built into every aspect of the journey.

Customer retention 156

Customer retention Sales Customer Service Marketing 156

ShepHyken

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

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. How to Calculate Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) & Why It Matters by Clint Fontanella (HubSpot) The last thing you want is for customers to churn before you recoup the investment required to earn their business in the first place.

Customer Service 32

Customer Service Chatbots Metrics Surveys 32

ShepHyken

JANUARY 25, 2023

Here’s an interesting concept. I’ll describe it in the form of a question: Do you create an experience that is so good your customers want to remember it with a photograph? I started thinking about this as I walked through Times Square in New York City and couldn’t help but notice how many people were taking pictures of themselves with the bright lights, huge signs, and thousands of other people in the background.

Customer Service 184

Customer Service Personalization 184

ShepHyken

JANUARY 24, 2023

Faster Service Without Sacrificing Satisfaction Delivering Personalized Support with Technology Shep Hyken interviews Paulo Almeida, CEO & Co-Founder of Clientscape , a company that helps support agents seamlessly manage customer interactions across multiple channels. He talks about how companies can adapt to changing customer expectations by leveraging data and analytics.

Transportation 161

Transportation Advertising Analytics Chatbots 161

ShepHyken

DECEMBER 28, 2022

Happy New Year! I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, which are often broken. Instead, I like setting and resetting my goals for the year, and in my world, those goals focus on delivering an amazing customer service experience. So, I’ve created a list of simple ways to deliver the experience that everyone wants. Here are 23 ways to help you and your teams provide an amazing customer experience in 2023. .

Customer Service 325

Customer Service Personalization Accountability Sales 325

ShepHyken

DECEMBER 16, 2022

This week, we feature an article by Stephen Holliday, CEO and Founder of Level , an on-demand pay platform that helps employees manage their financial well-being. He writes about ‘quiet quitting’ and how contact centers can resolve this challenge in their organization. The concept of ‘quiet quitting’ has become a popular term within the working world.

Contact Center 167

Contact Center Banking Education Accountability 167

ShepHyken

DECEMBER 7, 2022

When a client is interested in engaging me to speak at their meeting, I’ll usually ask in our initial call, “Why is hiring a customer service speaker important to you at this time?”  . We get many different answers that include low customer satisfaction, ratings are slipping, we are great and want to stay great, and our competition is always trying to catch up to us, and we need to stay ahead.

Customer Service 190

Customer Service Surveys Customer Experience Sales 190

ShepHyken

DECEMBER 6, 2022

The Chief Moment Officer . Building a Customer-centric Culture From the Frontlines to the C-suite. Shep Hyken interviews Diane Hopkins, Certified Experience Economy Expert, CEO of ExPeers Consulting and author of Unleashing the Chief Moment Officers. She shares how to leverage the insights of your frontline staff to design customer experiences and create a customer-centric culture. .

Customer centricity 302

Customer centricity Consulting Consulting Healthcare 302

ShepHyken

NOVEMBER 18, 2022

This week, we feature an article by Kateryna Boiko, Marketing Director at Mobilunity , an organization that provides dedicated digital marketing and development teams to companies worldwide. She shares the benefits of having dedicated customer support in B2B organizations. Any company needs to become a part of B2B or “business-to-business,” where legal entities establish trading relationships with each other.

B2B 167

B2B Customer Support Best practices Coaching 167

ShepHyken

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

Creating Defining Moments for Customers and Employees. Why Businesses Should Invest in EX (Employee Experience) as Much as CX. Shep Hyken interviews Liza Smyth, senior vice president of customer experience at Formstack , a company that helps organizations create workflows that enhance productivity. She shares how to make your internal and external customers feel seen and heard throughout their entire journey with your brand.

Employee engagement 156

Employee engagement Customer Care Metrics Customer Experience 156