Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of May 15, 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.

4 Ways to Create the Authentic Relationships Customers Crave by Ed Hallen

(Fast Company) In a world of infinite choices, customers remember brands that provide genuine, trustworthy, and authentic experiences. Here are four ways brands can create more meaningful connections with their customers. Here are four ways brands can create more meaningful connections with their customers.

My Comment: I’m noticing a lot is being written about brand authenticity. Just last week, I included an article focused on this trending topic. Authenticity turns into trust, which is essential for repeat business and loyalty. Here you will find four ideas: showing humanity, keeping customers informed, creating a customer-first experience, and connecting emotionally.

The Missing Link: Connecting NPS Programs to Financial Success by Amitayu Basu

(LinkedIn Pulse) Customer experience (#cx ) and Net Promoter Score (#nps) have become key indicators for businesses to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, many companies struggle to demonstrate a direct relationship between their NPS programs and financial performance. In this blog post, we’ll explore why it’s essential to connect NPS initiatives to financial success, how insights from top CX and NPS influencers can help, and identify specific links that companies can look for between NPS and financial performance.

My Comment: A lot has been written about NPS (Net Promotor Score) – and I’m one of the authors that does so. I’ve also included many articles about NPS in this weekly roundup. Well, here’s another one, this time focusing on the ROI of the measurement. Any customer satisfaction survey a company uses should provide insights that turn into actions that create better processes, increase customer satisfaction, and ultimately provide information that gets customers to return and spend more.

Can AI Deliver A Customer Experience Like A Grandmother Would? by Chip Bell

(Forbes) But can AI ever replace “grandmother service” — the wholesome, genuine connection that builds loyalty, not just efficiently performs a service? Can ChatGPT and its AI cousins yet to be created, generate a customer experience that leaves customers with such a compelling memory they want to become ardent brand advocates? Here are three features of #”grandmother service” beyond the capacity of AI.

My Comment: The title of the article emphasizes a concern through an intriguing question. Here’s another version of the question: If a company provides a good self-service experience (fueled by AI and technology), will the customer feel any type of emotional connection? Creating digital self-service solutions, especially using AI, can be powerful, but at the same time can potentially commoditize the company or brand. Chip Bell, a customer service expert, shares his take on this important topic.

Social Listening: Keeping Your Fingers on the Pulse of Your Business Reputation, Part 1 by Keren Peters-Atkinson

(Monday Mornings with Madison) According to an ancient Chinese proverb, “A good reputation is more valuable than diamonds.” But how do you know what your company’s reputation really is? What do people say about your business out in the world? It starts with Social Listening. Social Listening is the process of monitoring online conversations about your brand, competitors, and industry. It involves tracking mentions of your brand on social media, forums, blogs, and other online channels.

My Comment: This is an excellent article about “Social Listening.” Your customers are talking about you over social media channels. Here are many tactics and tips on how to be a “good listener.” By the way, not only should you be listening, but you should be joining their conversations. That’s why it’s called “social.”

The Little Known Disadvantages of a Customer-first Strategy by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

(CustomerThink) The business world has significantly shifted in recent years, and I, for one, am excited to see so many companies adopting a customer-first strategy. However, like any strategy, a customer-first approach has pros and cons. Therefore I thought it would be helpful to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of a customer-first plan. Feel free to add your additions in the comments below.

My Comment: Are there disadvantages to having a customer-first strategy? According to this author, there are! First, she shares some of the advantages of a customer-first strategy before covering some of the pitfalls and disadvantages. I’ll admit to not agreeing with some of the author’s comments, but they are definitely making me think.

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.