Contact Shep (314) 692-2200

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of September 26, 2016

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. Contact Center Satisfaction Negatively Impacting the Customer Experience by Andrew Burger (Telecompetitor) Contact center satisfaction has […]

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.

Contact Center Satisfaction Negatively Impacting the Customer Experience by Andrew Burger

(Telecompetitor) Contact center satisfaction has worsened over the last two years despite investments in new customer engagement channels, according to new market research released by BoldChat. Furthermore, there’s a wide, global gap in perceptions of customer service quality between contact center managers and customers, according to BoldChat’s study, which was carried out by LogMeIn and Ovum.

My Comment: The contact center can be the focus of how a customer rates a company’s customer service. It used to be the main mode of contact was with the phone. Now, there are multiple channels for the customer to use to connect to a company. It’s more important than ever to manage all of these channels with a consistent CX. Anything less than a consistent experience erodes confidence and eventually sales. This article is a great “state of the industry” for what is happening in the contact and support center industry.

Agencies Turning to ‘Customer Journey Maps’ to Tackle Service Woes by Nicole Ogrysko

(Federal News Radio) As agencies begin to pay greater attention to customer service, more organizations are developing customer experience “journey maps” to help them better understand and respond to their constituents.

My Comment: When a client asks us to help them create a better customer experience, the first thing we do is ask if they have journey mapped the typical customer experience – and sometimes that’s multiple maps for different types of customers or different customer situations. If they haven’t, it’s time to go to work. Knowing the points and interactions in a typical customer’s journey allows you to capitalize on opportunities, eliminate and mitigate friction points and more. This article includes some good ideas and a couple of great mini-case studies that emphasize the power of the customer journey map.

Make a Mouse: The Power of a Culture of Customer Experience Excellence by Joseph Michelli

(Joseph’s Blog) I’ve often said anyone can create a mouse. All you have to do is put a copious quantity of food and cloth scraps on your floor and, over time, a mouse will appear. The same can be said for great service cultures. Leaders are responsible for “creating the right environment” for world-class customer experiences to occur. Take Starbucks as an example.

My Comment: Joseph Michelli is one of the top authors in the field of customer service and experience. In this article he shares a Starbucks story (He wrote the book The Starbucks Experience.) that shows how sometimes different stores and different employees are inconsistent with the company’s culture. More impressive is how Starbucks handled the situation. A great example we can all learn from.

Are you serving your customers or smothering them? by Benjamin Noble

(New Voice Media) Do you have a positive relationship with your customers or are you smothering them? Four reasons customers may want to dump your clingy business.

My Comment: The opening line in this article is: The customer/company relationship is just that, a relationship. So, just like any relationship – both personal and business – there are a few things you should consider. Drawing some parallels between personal relationships and customer relationships, this article highlights several ways that companies “smother” their customers. A quick – and fun – read.

Does Good Customer Service Matter for the Price Sensitive Customer? by Lia Winograd 

(Conversocial) The stats are loud and clear, and we’ve heard them over and over again: the cost for bad customer service is high. “78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience”, according to American Express. It also takes “12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience”, says Ruby Newell-Legner. However, my experience flying an airline this past month made me seriously question these claims.

My Comment: I just wrote an article about customers who focus on low prices and are loyal to the low price and not the business. However, this compelling article sheds some light on the mindset of a customer who is sensitive to price yet also wants good service. You’ll find some solid ideas here with some good examples to back them up.

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.

Save

Save

Want to receive Shep’s latest customer service and CX research?

Sign up for instant access to Shep’s research report on customer service and customer experience.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

© 2024 Shepard Presentations, LLC.
All Rights Reserved.

Legal Information | Sitemap Legap

Site by: digitalONDA