Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of June 12, 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.

B2B Customer Experience Examples: Think Like A B2C by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) While B2B businesses are technically providing products and services to companies, they are selling to individual buyers who are consumers. In other words, they are marketing their services to humans. And most B2B companies have a leaky bucket – customers that are leaving them regularly without telling them why. This means B2B firms should also focus on customer experience. CX results in more customers who spend more, stay longer and refer others.

My Comment: Even if you’re in the B2B world, your customers are going to compare you to the best service they have had from any company or brand. And most likely, that will be to a consumer experience. Companies like Chic-fil-a and Amazon have taught customers what a great experience looks like. Dan Gingiss is often featured in this weekly roundup (because he writes excellent content). This week he emphasizes B2B must think like B2C.

5 Things Clients Won’t Tell You Before They Leave by Dawna Jarvis

(Salon Today) As service providers, we often wonder why clients choose to leave without providing any feedback. Most of the reasons can be traced back to one key factor: communication. Here are five things your clients might not be telling you.

My Comment: Let’s take a lesson from the salon industry. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; customers leave you, and often they don’t want to tell you the truth if they tell you anything at all. Not all of the reasons shared in this article will resonate with you unless you run a salon, but I want you to use it as a conversation starter with your team. After reading the article, ask, “What do you think our the customers that don’t do business with us anymore didn’t tell us?” You never know what kind of insight you’ll get from brainstorming this question.

9 Building Blocks Toward Exceptional Customer Experience by Olga Potaptseva

(CMSWire) What do Amazon, Starbucks, Tesla, Airbnb and Zappos have in common? They’re big companies, yes, but they’re also guided by a customer-centric approach to business, which is built on a foundation of customer service excellence.

My Comment: There are a number of ideas here, some better than others, but what I like about this article is how it begins. The author states right up front that “CX isn’t a one-time deal…” I agree. Some companies consider a CX initiative as a short-term plan. It must be ongoing and continuously improving.

Four Tips for Keeping Your Employees Happy by Retail Technology Innovation Hub

(Retail Technology Innovation Hub) Having happy employees brings a business many benefits, and it ensures that you’re not going to have a high employee turnover. Having to constantly hire new employees will cost your business a lot of money and time, so it’s important that you’re doing everything you can to ensure that your employees are happy where they are and that they’re not going to have a better time working for another business.

My Comment: If you want happy customers, start with happy employees. There are dozens of ways to make that happen. Here are four of them. If nothing else, these are an excellent primer for a good conversation about keeping your best employees.

Cultivating Customers: Top ‍5 Marketing Strategies for Small Business Success by Noah Miller

(Tech Times) In today’s competitive business landscape, customer loyalty is more significant than ever. It’s no longer enough to merely attract new customers; retaining existing clients and turning them into brand advocates is vital for long-term success. Loyal customers not only provide a steady stream of revenue but also help spread word-of-mouth marketing, which is the most trusted form of advertising. In this article, we will delve into the importance of customer loyalty and the top five marketing strategies small businesses can employ to cultivate and enhance customer loyalty.

My Comment: Customer service and CX is marketing! Even though the five ideas shared are focused on small businesses, I can’t see why any brand couldn’t take advantage of a version of these five ideas.

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.