Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of July 17, 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 Factors That Make for a Great Employee Experience by Tiffani Bova

(Harvard Business Review) Decades of business strategy have urged leaders to concentrate the bulk of their business efforts on the customer experience. While prioritizing customers over employees can drive short-term revenue growth, it will cost companies in long-term employee retention and engagement. The author and colleagues conducted a new study of thousands of employees and executives from around the world and across multiple industries. Using regression analysis, they pinpointed the five most important factors in creating a better employee experience: mutual trust, C-suite accountability, alignment of employee values and company vision, recognizing success, and seamless technology.

My Comment: One of the secrets behind a good customer experience is a good employee experience. Tiffani Bova, the bestselling author of The Experience Mindset, shares five “factors” that drive an excellent employee experience. If these aren’t happening behind the scenes, you are missing the opportunity to optimize the EX.

Real Marketing and Customer Experience Questions — and Microsoft Bing AI’s Answers by Raleigh Butler

(CMSWire) Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have been a hot topic of conversation for months now and are only continuing to grow, both in popularity and capabilities. These bots can do more than just answer simple questions; they can also hold a conversation. But what about when it comes to giving advice, particularly in the world of customer experience? That’s the big question we’re exploring here today and in this series of articles that explored how ChatGPT, Google Bard and now Bing AI can assist in customer experience scenarios. Can these chatbots really help improve customer service? And if so, how?

My Comment: Have you ever wanted to ask a customer service or CX expert a question? Why not try asking ChatGPT or Google Bard? Or how about Microsoft’s Bing AI, a newer player in the game? In this article, the author asked Bing AI four questions, such as, “How should my contact center agents handle a conversation when the person’s been on hold for more than 10 minutes?” And there were some excellent answers!

10 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction by Allen Bernard

(CMSWire) There was a time when the cliche, “The customer is always right,” defined the essence of customer satisfaction. But this was never really true. Back when this expression was in vogue, consumers had far fewer choices than today so, ultimately, customer satisfaction wasn’t really a big concern.

My Comment: Will the ten ways in this article really guarantee customer satisfaction? According to the author, there are some universal ways to make customers from any industry happy. After reading the list, I’ll argue that not all ten apply to every type of business, but most of them do. And that’s why you should read this article.

Why and How ChatGPT Will Drive a Better Customer Experience by Judy Mottl

(Retail Customer Experience) While it’s just the midpoint of 2023, it’s pretty safe to predict this is the year ChatGPT arrived for the consumer given torrential mainstream news coverage. But that doesn’t mean consumers haven’t been aware of AI tech playing a role in the retail customer experience.

My Comment: If you’re in retail and wondering how ChatGPT can positively impact the customer experience, this article is for you. This is an interview with Matt McConnell, CEO of Intradiem, an automation solution for customer service teams. He answered questions about how ChatGPT will play a defining role in the customer experience. He shares thoughts on how ChatGPT is used today and predicts how it will be used in the future.

Is Your Organization’s Customer Experience Success Intentional? by Jeannie Walters

(Experience Investigators) Organizations that prioritize customer experience outperform their competitors and enjoy higher customer loyalty, increased revenue, and improved brand reputation. However, achieving these outcomes requires more than just collecting customer feedback and making reactive changes. It demands proactive leadership that understands the importance of customer experience as a strategic imperative.

My Comment: I’ve always said, “Success doesn’t happen by accident.” This article by CX Expert Jeannie Walters emphasizes the importance of being intentional with CX. In the first few sentences, she makes clear that there needs to be clear goals, effective communication, employee empowerment, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

BONUS

The State of AI in Customer Service by Intercom

(Intercom) AI is transforming the customer service industry—so we asked 1,000+ global support professionals how they’re making the most of this once-in-a-generation shift.

My Comment: How is AI impacting customer service? Intercom asked 1,000+ global support professionals how AI, automation, and ChatGPT are impacting customer support. The answers and commentary are very optimistic. You’ll have to share your information (name, email, company, etc.) to get this 44-page report, but it’s worth doing so if the topic is important to you.

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.