Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of 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. That means that customer experience leaders have a lot of pressure on them to “get it right” from a variety of angles.

My Comment: Annette Franz is a customer experience and journey map expert. This excellent article lists five essential areas an organization must focus to have a successful CX program. The first one is about executive commitment. Without that, the CX program will fail. Unfortunately, I’ve seen organizations make an effort, but not all executives are aligned with the program, and it ultimately fails. A strong CX program starts at the top with leadership!

Organizations Should Focus on NPS by Dave Michels

(No Jitter) There’s a lot of change occurring in Customer Service. AI is disrupting just about every workflow and process, but there are some things that shouldn’t change. NPS, or Net Promoter Score, is a highly effective, yet misunderstood metric that makes sense to keep.

My Comment: If you’ve followed my work, you know I’m a big fan of NPS. If you aren’t using it to measure customer satisfaction, this article will get you started. For more insights, check out my interview with Fred Reichheld, the man behind this powerful metric, on my Amazing Business Radio podcast.

How to Develop a Winning Customer Experience Strategy by Mahnoor Sheikh

(Sprout Social) The customer experience (CX) is all about how your customers perceive their interactions with your brand. A positive CX can turn casual browsers into loyal customers, while a negative one can send them straight to your competitors.

My Comment: If you combined the first and second articles of this week’s roundup, you would come up with a version of this excellent article from our friends at SproutSocial. The focus is on CX, metrics, and much more.

Harnessing the Customer Experience to Recession-proof Your Small Business by Brandi Marcene

(America’s Small Business Network) Whether your business has just started or completed its fifth anniversary, we understand that you are worrying about how to reflect on the ever-changing economic situation and how it can affect your company. In recent years, these worries have increased due to the rising global inflation that is more likely to follow with recession. You need to find ways to recession-proof your small business to retain your position in the market.

My Comment: Want to recession-proof your business? Of course, you do! Even if you don’t believe there will be a recession (or we are already in one), this article is important to read. Whether you have a small business or a large brand, some tips and ideas in this article will help you attract and keep your customers.

Apple’s Vision Pro and Steve Jobs’ Legacy of Customer-Centric Innovation by Justin Racine

(CMSWire) Steve Jobs was known for his unwavering commitment to what he believed was best for consumers. He was a visionary who constantly pushed boundaries and left a lasting legacy. Now, the Apple Vision Pro enters the arena, carrying on his vision. Will it have a transformative impact on the world?

My Comment: This isn’t the typical article I share in the Top Five roundup, as it isn’t specifically about customer service and CX. If you haven’t heard about Apple’s newest (and very cool) product, Vision Pro, this is your introduction. The author shares his take on how Apple is rolling it out and how it may impact CX in the near future.

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.