Shep Hyken's Blog, page 14

December 17, 2024

How to Execute the Optimal Customer Experience with John Durocher

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

How can companies integrate their sales and support teams to enhance customer interactions?  
How can small businesses enhance customer support after a sale? 
What are the benefits of a customer advisory board? 
Why is it important for companies to proactively communicate when there are problems, service outages, or maintenance periods? 
How can businesses create an emotional connection with their customers through community involvement? 

Top Takeaways

Companies can improve their service and product offerings by listening to customers. Engaging customers through surveys and advisory boards (made up of customers) allows companies to understand their customers’ needs and generate new ideas.  


Customer surveys should be a two-way communication. Customers spend time answering customer feedback. So, companies should respond to the feedback by showing appreciation for their customers’ input and making them feel heard by letting them know what actions are taken.  


Customer experience doesn’t stop after a sale. It encompasses every interaction the customer has with the company. Each touchpoint should be designed to delight the customer, from when a product is purchased to when they receive any follow-up service or support.  


Communication and collaboration between teams ensure that there are no gaps in service delivery. When a customer interacts with one team, they expect the entire company to be aware of their history and needs. They do not want to repeat themselves. Effective communication ensures a consistent and convenient customer journey. 


Proactive communication alleviates customer frustration. When there is a problem,  businesses must proactively notify their customers using all appropriate channels, including text, emails, and social media, that their customers are using. This keeps customers informed about what’s happening, how long a problem might last, and reassures them that it is being addressed.  


Businesses that engage with the communities they serve often stand out. Customers like doing business with companies who value the same things as them. 


Plus, John shares examples of how local broadband providers have gone above and beyond for their community during crucial moments. These are lessons for any type of business. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“It’s important not to have gaps in the customer experience. You have to work and communicate as one team. Customers expect that what they have heard from the sales team will be consistent throughout your organization.” 

“Customers can surprise us by using our products in ways we never imagined. By truly listening and engaging with them, we uncover new ideas to enhance and tailor our offerings to meet their needs better.” 

“To prevent survey fatigue, it’s crucial to be smart about when and what we ask our customers. When feedback is less than stellar, proactively reach out to understand how to improve. Customers want to trust you to deliver a great experience.”  
About:
John Durocher is the Chief Customer Officer at Calix. He is widely acknowledged as an expert in customer relationship management (CRM) and has contributed numerous articles and papers to industry and academic publications. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
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Published on December 17, 2024 02:03

The Gift of Customer Feedback with Isabelle Zdatny Copy

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What is survey fatigue? 
How can negative feedback act as a valuable tool in preventing customer churn? 
Why should companies prioritize genuine feedback over high survey scores? 
What are the best practices for creating effective and concise customer surveys? 
How many chances do customers typically give companies after a poor experience? 

Top Takeaways

Customer feedback is a gift. Negative feedback uncovers areas for improvement, potentially saving businesses from losing customers to competitors. 


Customer loyalty is fragile. High customer expectations and the ability to switch to competitors easily mean companies must work even harder to keep their consumers happy. “Nice to have” industries like online retailers, hospitality, and airlines must invest more in experience to establish trust and loyalty with their customers.  


Customer service is increasingly becoming more important than price. More and more customers are willing to pay extra for convenient, hassle-free experiences.  


Companies need to look beyond the Voice of the Customer. Other sources, such as customer history, support interactions, and social media, can help companies understand the full scope of their customers’ experiences.  


Isabelle shares stats from the 2025 Consumer Trends Report by Qualtrics . Here are some highlights: 

61% of consumers shared that trust in the information that companies provide to them is a top priority. 
53% of bad customer experiences result in a decrease in spending. 
Customers are less willing to give feedback than they were a few years ago. Compared to 4 years ago, customer feedback after a bad experience has dropped by 8%. The number of customers who do not tell anyone about their experience has increased by over 6% 


Plus, Shep and Isabelle discuss why getting honest feedback is more important than getting high metric scores. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The overall quality of customer experiences has improved. What’s changing is customer expectations. Consumers are less tolerant of bad experiences, so when they happen, they are more likely to either decrease or stop spending money on a business.” 

“Customers are experiencing survey fatigue. They are bombarded with long, irrelevant surveys about their experiences, and they don’t see the companies taking action based on the insights they provide.” 

“If customers take the time and effort to fill out a survey, it says that they care about you getting better and about the future of your company. If the company doesn’t thank them or acknowledge their feedback, it creates an erosion of trust.” 

“All feedback is a gift. If customers are telling you about a pain point, you should cherish that because they could churn without ever letting you know why.”
About:
Isabelle Zdatny is the Head of Thought Leadership with Qualtrics Experience Management Institute. She produces industry-leading content on experience management trends and best practices, including the 2025 Consumer Trends Report

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
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Published on December 17, 2024 02:03

December 16, 2024

Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of December 16, 2024

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 comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
The Customer Experience Paradox – and How to Overcome It by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE
(MARKETING-INTERACTIVE) As consumers tighten their spending after poor experiences, brands face mounting pressure to prioritise CX or risk losing market share. Qualtrics’ fourth annual Consumer Experience Trends report reveals the stakes: despite fewer negative interactions, consumers are quicker to cut spending after bad experiences, while trust, loyalty, and satisfaction have all fallen over the last year.

My Comment: Let’s kick off this week with a powerful statement: In 2025, delivering exceptional customer experiences (CX) is the difference between growth and decline. This is the opening line of this excellent article, which is filled with stats and findings from Qualtrics’ fourth annual Consumer Experience Trends report. This information will compel you to make sure you’ve given the attention CX deserves. Not doing so is a risk to the long-term survival of your company!
Loyalty Programs Are Growing—So Are Customer Expectations by Ed Crouch, Ben Eppler, Lauren Taylor, Christina Mühlenbein, and Elizabeth Hearne
(Boston Consulting Group) This article explains that the incentives companies offer in a loyalty program must go beyond points, perks, and cash. In short, to quote the article, “To keep people happy, companies must deliver a differentiated experience with personalized benefits and relevant partnerships.” What does that mean? Go back and read the first sentence of this very short description, and then read the article.

My Comment: This article explains that the incentives companies offer in a loyalty program must go beyond points, perks, and cash. In short, to quote the article, “To keep people happy, companies must deliver a differentiated experience with personalized benefits and relevant partnerships.” What does that mean? Go back and read the first sentence of this very short description, and then read the article.
Building Relationships That Last a Lifetime by Inc. Custom Studio
(Inc. Magazine) A growth-at-all-costs mindset can land a company in hot water, creating misalignment with consumer needs and preventing the development of the long-term customer relationships that are foundational to healthy businesses. In fact, it’s so-called forever customers who remain perennially faithful to a brand that can be key to delivering steady growth year after year. Indeed, driving that kind of sustainable growth is a top priority for 94.8% of midmarket consumer products businesses, according to new research from SAP Insights.

My Comment: What is a Forever Customer? Exactly what it sounds like. They are repeat and loyal customers who are crucial to a company or brand staying in business. They appreciate the value (product and experience) of the brands they love. They aren’t wooed away by a better price or deal. This is the customer you want!
Emotion Is the New Metric: The Rise of Sentiment Analysis in Retail by Scott Clark
(CMSWire) Sentiment analysis — a technique that uses natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML) and AI to gauge emotions in customer interactions — has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Sentiment analysis enables retailers to go beyond surface-level data, uncovering the emotional trends that shape purchasing behavior and brand loyalty.

My Comment: A new metric? Could emotion or “sentiment” be the next metric that helps predict customer loyalty – or at least a returning customer? This is an interesting new way to look at customer interactions, both in person and digitally. Customer behavior is driven by the experience, which could include an emotional connection to the company or brand. Maybe understanding sentiment analysis is worth considering as you look for ways to track and understand your customers’ buying patterns.
Jet-Lagged but Inspired: Fresh Takes on AI and Customer Experience by Ian Jacobs
(Opus Research) Despite the headlong rush enterprise and contact center leaders are in to automate seemingly every customer interaction, the low-hanging fruit for brands remains in augmenting the employees providing interaction assistance.

My Comment: We close out this week’s Top Five with a focus on the role of a contact center. Two lines in this article caught my attention. First: The Contact Center Is More than Just Agents. Second: CX Is More Than Just Customer Service. If you have a contact center, this is an excellent article that will make you realize that the customer support department does much more than answer questions and solve problems. This takes the traditional customer service or support department (and agent) to another level. And while CX is a popular name that, for some companies, is synonymous with customer service, it’s not. It’s much more powerful and important than just service.

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. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
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Published on December 16, 2024 04:22

December 10, 2024

Three Things You Must Know About Dealing with Angry Customers

Dealing with Angry CustomersHow to handle angry customers is a topic I’ve covered in the past. Recently, I was interviewed by three different reporters/authors about this topic within a week. Why, all of a sudden, is there a renewed or greater than usual interest in this topic? I’ve been reading a lot about how the tough economy can cause customer frustration or anxiety. Maybe this is part of why some customers lash out at employees when there’s a problem. Or maybe, as I’ve written about many times, the customer is more demanding. Unfortunately, when some people don’t get what they feel they deserve, they get angry. So, how can we deal with those angry customers? Here are three concepts you must know and understand about how to deal with angry customers:    

The angry customer is not angry at you. They may be mad because the product didn’t work, they had a bad experience, or maybe it’s a broader anger toward the company. So, when the angry customer comes to you, remember it’s not you. It’s something else that made them angry. Don’t take it personally!  


The customer is NOT always right. If you’ve been following my work, you know this is one of my favorite sayings. Too many good employees have been told, “The customer is always right,” but they aren’t. And when they are wrong, and we’re told that we must treat them as if they are right, we become conflicted. We don’t know what to do or how to respond to their issue. So, remember that the customer is NOT always right, but they are always the customer. So, if they are wrong, let them be wrong with dignity and respect.  


Some customers will lash out at you, yelling and even cursing. This is a difficult situation. It’s rude, disrespectful and unnecessary. Our customer service research (sponsored by RingCentral) found that 34% of customers admit to yelling at customer service reps, and 21% of customers admit to cursing. How you deal with the angry customer at this point is crucial. Until the customer acts in a somewhat reasonable manner, it is almost impossible to make them happy. Inform them you are there to help, but you can’t until they calm down and you can do your job. For leaders and managers, it’s important for your employees to know you have their backs. Employees need to know you’ll support them in a decision to terminate a call properly. Train agents and anyone on the front line dealing with customers when it’s the right time to end the interaction and how to do so properly.

Regardless of how angry the customer is, keep these ideas in mind, and always remember: You’re not trying to win the fight. You’re trying to win the customer!

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 .
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Published on December 10, 2024 22:00

December 9, 2024

The Gift of Customer Feedback with Isabelle Zdatny

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What is survey fatigue? 
How can negative feedback act as a valuable tool in preventing customer churn? 
Why should companies prioritize genuine feedback over high survey scores? 
What are the best practices for creating effective and concise customer surveys? 
How many chances do customers typically give companies after a poor experience? 

Top Takeaways

Customer feedback is a gift. Negative feedback uncovers areas for improvement, potentially saving businesses from losing customers to competitors. 


Customer loyalty is fragile. High customer expectations and the ability to switch to competitors easily mean companies must work even harder to keep their consumers happy. “Nice to have” industries like online retailers, hospitality, and airlines must invest more in experience to establish trust and loyalty with their customers.  


Customer service is increasingly becoming more important than price. More and more customers are willing to pay extra for convenient, hassle-free experiences.  


Companies need to look beyond the Voice of the Customer. Other sources, such as customer history, support interactions, and social media, can help companies understand the full scope of their customers’ experiences.  


Isabelle shares stats from the 2025 Consumer Trends Report by Qualtrics . Here are some highlights: 

61% of consumers shared that trust in the information that companies provide to them is a top priority. 
53% of bad customer experiences result in a decrease in spending. 
Customers are less willing to give feedback than they were a few years ago. Compared to 4 years ago, customer feedback after a bad experience has dropped by 8%. The number of customers who do not tell anyone about their experience has increased by over 6% 


Plus, Shep and Isabelle discuss why getting honest feedback is more important than getting high metric scores. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The overall quality of customer experiences has improved. What’s changing is customer expectations. Consumers are less tolerant of bad experiences, so when they happen, they are more likely to either decrease or stop spending money on a business.” 

“Customers are experiencing survey fatigue. They are bombarded with long, irrelevant surveys about their experiences, and they don’t see the companies taking action based on the insights they provide.” 

“If customers take the time and effort to fill out a survey, it says that they care about you getting better and about the future of your company. If the company doesn’t thank them or acknowledge their feedback, it creates an erosion of trust.” 

“All feedback is a gift. If customers are telling you about a pain point, you should cherish that because they could churn without ever letting you know why.”
About:
Isabelle Zdatny is the Head of Thought Leadership with Qualtrics Experience Management Institute. She produces industry-leading content on experience management trends and best practices, including the 2025 Consumer Trends Report

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
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Published on December 09, 2024 22:30

The Gift of Customer Feedback by Isabelle Zdatny

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What is survey fatigue? 
How can negative feedback act as a valuable tool in preventing customer churn? 
Why should companies prioritize genuine feedback over high survey scores? 
What are the best practices for creating effective and concise customer surveys? 
How many chances do customers typically give companies after a poor experience? 

Top Takeaways

Customer feedback is a gift. Negative feedback uncovers areas for improvement, potentially saving businesses from losing customers to competitors. 


Customer loyalty is fragile. High customer expectations and the ability to switch to competitors easily mean companies must work even harder to keep their consumers happy. “Nice to have” industries like online retailers, hospitality, and airlines must invest more in experience to establish trust and loyalty with their customers.  


Customer service is increasingly becoming more important than price. More and more customers are willing to pay extra for convenient, hassle-free experiences.  


Companies need to look beyond the Voice of the Customer. Other sources, such as customer history, support interactions, and social media, can help companies understand the full scope of their customers’ experiences.  


Isabelle shares stats from the 2025 Consumer Trends Report by Qualtrics . Here are some highlights: 

61% of consumers shared that trust in the information that companies provide to them is a top priority. 
53% of bad customer experiences result in a decrease in spending. 
Customers are less willing to give feedback than they were a few years ago. Compared to 4 years ago, customer feedback after a bad experience has dropped by 8%. The number of customers who do not tell anyone about their experience has increased by over 6% 


Plus, Shep and Isabelle discuss why getting honest feedback is more important than getting high metric scores. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The overall quality of customer experiences has improved. What’s changing is customer expectations. Consumers are less tolerant of bad experiences, so when they happen, they are more likely to either decrease or stop spending money on a business.” 

“Customers are experiencing survey fatigue. They are bombarded with long, irrelevant surveys about their experiences, and they don’t see the companies taking action based on the insights they provide.” 

“If customers take the time and effort to fill out a survey, it says that they care about you getting better and about the future of your company. If the company doesn’t thank them or acknowledge their feedback, it creates an erosion of trust.” 

“All feedback is a gift. If customers are telling you about a pain point, you should cherish that because they could churn without ever letting you know why.”
About:
Isabelle Zdatny is the Head of Thought Leadership with Qualtrics Experience Management Institute. She produces industry-leading content on experience management trends and best practices, including the 2025 Consumer Trends Report

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
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Published on December 09, 2024 22:30

Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of December 9, 2024

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 comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Top 30+ Customer Experience Statistics to Know in 2025 by Viraj Mahajan
(Notta) If you were to list a business’s most crucial operations in 2024, customer service would probably be among the most important ones. Stiff competition means a customer can simply switch to a competitor if your business fails to provide a stellar customer experience. Having been a marketer for over a decade, I deeply understand the impact of a good customer experience. So, I’ve compiled over 30 customer experience statistics you should know for 2025.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article from Tomas Hult, professor at the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University and a part of the leadership team of the American Customer Satisfaction Index. He shares an interesting concept about customer asset management, which takes advantage of the link between satisfied customers and brand loyalty, helping to build a stronger relationship with customers that protects them from competitive challenges and more.
Can Your Customer Service Make a Sale? by Greg Martinelli
(Greg Martinelli) You might think that in business-to-business selling, it would be all hardnosed negotiation styles of purchasing and everything would come down to the bottom-line pricing. And sure, there were those sales. However, I also realized that even B2B buyers prefer to buy from a salesperson or a company that has better customer service.

My Comment: Customer service is more than a department that answers questions or fixes problems. That’s a department. Customer service must be baked into the entire customer journey, especially in sales. In addition, the customer support department, when they provide stellar service, may have an opportunity to make additional sales. As the title implies, this article focuses on how great customer service can make a sale.
How to Balance Customer Experience and Returns in Ecommerce by Alicia Arnold
(MarTech) With the right strategies, retailers can turn ecommerce returns into an opportunity for building lasting customer loyalty.

My Comment: Customers want to do business with retailers that provide “hassle-free” returns, but when customers abuse the liberal policy, it becomes expensive. Some of the stats in the article are surprising, such as the average return rate for an online/ecommerce is estimated at 20-30%. That’s a lot of returns! And when 75% of customers expect free returns, what’s a retailer to do? Find out in this article.
Top Customer Experience Trends You Should Watch in 2025 by Scott Clark
(CMSWire) Customer experience has become more than just a priority; it’s a competitive differentiator. With customers expecting consistent personalization across channels, proactive engagement and the flexibility to control their own narrative, brands must respond by leveraging AI-driven insights and omnichannel capabilities that offer deeper connections.

My Comment: If you have followed my weekly roundups, you know I’m a big fan of lists with future trends and predictions. Here are ten with an emphasis on AI, customer control, and hyper-personalization. (My trends will be published in my weekly Forbes column next Sunday.)
CX Predictions for 2024: What Came True? by John Davis
(CX Today) As 2024 draws to a close, and before we share expert predictions for 2025, the landscape of customer experience has been profoundly reshaped by the trends predicted earlier this year. Experts across the industry forecasted significant advancements in AI, personalization, self-service, immersive technologies, and omnichannel strategies. Let’s dive into which predictions materialized, based on insights shared by industry leaders.

My Comment: Speaking of predictions and trends, here’s an excellent article about the trends predicted for this year that DID NOT happen. The experts can’t always be right!
BONUS
How to Ensure Agents Love Your Products and Services by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) Making sure agents champion your products and services can improve brand advocacy in your contact centre and help your agents take their customer conversations to the next level.

My Comment: Our friends at CallCentre Helper included me in this recent article on how to inspire customer service agents to love your products. Including my tip, there are 12 great 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. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
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Published on December 09, 2024 04:28

December 3, 2024

I Told Them, but They Didn’t Listen! (At Least I Don’t Think They Did)

responding to customer feedbackI’ve done a lot of business with this company over the past five years, and it’s always been a great experience. About twice a year, they send out a survey. I’ve always shared glowing comments and high scores – until recently. 

First, a little background. The surveys are always short, and because I like the company, I always fill them out. Since I’ve never had anything negative to say or guidance to offer, I assume that’s why I never heard back from them. Still, even an automated email might have been a nice touch. Then, as mentioned, I recently had a bad experience. I told my wife, “I hope they send the survey now because I’d like to tell them what happened.” 

By coincidence, a survey arrived in my inbox. It had two questions. The first asked, “On a scale of 1-10 (where one is not likely and 10 is very likely), how likely would you be to do business with us again?” I gave them a four.  

The second question asked why. I told them I’ve enjoyed doing business with them, but in my recent experience, they made several mistakes. I shared what happened and also mentioned that despite the bad experience, I would continue to do business with them again. In other words, they were getting another chance. I also mentioned that if I were a first-time customer, I would most likely not come back. 

There was one optional question asking if they could follow up with me. I shared my contact information, but unfortunately, I’ve not heard from them. It’s now been a month, and it may be time to stop hoping for a response.  

In my customer service and CX research (sponsored by RingCentral), there is an entire section devoted to surveys, and two findings apply to this experience:  

72% of customers say they never hear back from the company or brand after completing a survey. 


71% assume the company or brand won’t make changes after receiving their feedback. 

So, here are three lessons we can take away from this experience: 

Keep the survey short. The company did this well. A few questions that take the customer a minute or two to answer will provide insight into their level of happiness and why they feel that way. If you want more information, ask permission to send a longer survey. 


Send the survey at the right time. This company gets a perfect score for timing. Keep in mind that sending it out three weeks after the experience is way too late, and sending it out before the experience is over is obviously too soon. (Yes, it happens!) 


Acknowledge the customer! Failure! This may be the most important lesson, and it is what this short article is all about. If the customer is willing to spend time sharing their opinion, thank them for doing so! And, if appropriate, acknowledge their specific feedback and let them know how you are using it.

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 .
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Published on December 03, 2024 22:00

December 2, 2024

Mastering the Customer Experience with Edwin Margulies

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

How can companies effectively integrate new technology into existing systems to enhance customer experience? 
Why is creating a frictionless customer experience important, and how can businesses achieve it? 
Why is understanding consumer behavior crucial for improving customer experience? 
What role does technology play in transforming the customer experience? 
Why should your customer experience strategies align with corporate goals? 

Top Takeaways

The customer experience has become the most important differentiator between companies. It’s not just about the products or services offered but the entire journey and interactions a customer have with a brand. 


A frictionless experience leads to happy customers and a stronger relationship with the brand. Eliminating unnecessary steps and making processes more convenient can create a significant impact on customer experience. 


Customers today are more educated and demanding than ever before. With information at their fingertips, they often know as much or more than the agents assisting them. Businesses must adapt by providing tailored, knowledgeable, and efficient customer service.  


Edwin Margulies developed an  8-step process to help businesses tackle CX improvements: 




Teaming and Goal-Setting: Understand the corporate goals and ensure that your CX goals are aligned with them. Secure support from leadership by ensuring that they understand the return on investment in the customer experience initiative. 






Transaction Taxonomy: Make an account of the different types of transactions you are already doing. Then, categorize all customer interactions to identify where improvements can be made. 






Customer Maturity Model: Evaluate your appetite as a company to determine how advanced you want to go in terms of CX capabilities. 






Mapping Volume and Complexity: Prioritize interactions to improve by analyzing how complex and frequent they are.  






Workflow Candidates: Identify specific processes that are ideal for optimization and automation. 






Rationalize Business Rules and Policies: Avoid potential errors by aligning your organization’s current policies with the new automated processes. 






High-Level Workflow Worksheets: Map current to future workflows to see where you can enhance the customer journey. 






CX Best Practices Template: Develop a blueprint combining all the moving parts for seamless implementation. 




Plus, Edwin shares more insights from his book, Mastering the Customer Experience. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The modern consumer is a wily beast. They are demanding, and they want great service. They want personalization. They don’t want to repeat themselves. They want to communicate on the channel of their choice, and they self-publish, giving them a megaphone on the experience.” 

“Consumers now have more information at their fingertips. When they call for support or to complain, sometimes, they are armed with more information than the agent.” 

“Develop a thirst for understanding the customer’s problem. When you try to solve the customer’s problem, you can figure out where the friction is, which drives the best outcome.” 
About:
Edwin Margulies is the Chief Evangelist at Nextiva. He is a serial entrepreneur and is the author of 19 books, including his latest, Mastering the Customer Experience

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
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Published on December 02, 2024 22:00

December 1, 2024

Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of December 2, 2024

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 comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Top 30+ Customer Experience Statistics to Know in 2025 by Viraj Mahajan
(Notta) If you were to list a business’s most crucial operations in 2024, customer service would probably be among the most important ones. Stiff competition means a customer can simply switch to a competitor if your business fails to provide a stellar customer experience. Having been a marketer for over a decade, I deeply understand the impact of a good customer experience. So, I’ve compiled over 30 customer experience statistics you should know for 2025.

My Comment: I love customer service and CX stats, facts, and findings from different surveys (including our own CX research). Notta.ai has compiled some great information from sources such as McKinsey & Company, PwC, Salesforce, and others who have done CX research.
Customer Experience Journey Mapping Strategies to Improve Business Performance by Mike Henry
(InMoment) Customer experience journey mapping is how organizations visualize the end-to-end customer experience. Effective customer journey maps result in improved customer experience and business performance.

My Comment: As you know, I’m a big fan of customer experience journey mapping. This is an excellent article that breaks down reasons why it’s important, different types of journey maps you should consider, and much more.
Stop Doing These Stupid Things to Your Customers by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) There are many cringeworthy mistakes contact centre teams make when trying to deliver a great customer experience – yet they become so ingrained in day-to-day working life that no one thinks to challenge them any more.

My Comment: If you have a contact center or help desk, you will love this article. Our friends at CallCentre Helper have compiled ten “stupid things” to STOP doing to your customers. I’m honored they included one of my ideas, and you’ll be glad you took the time to read the other nine.
16 Big Trends In Marketing That May Soon Be On Their Way Out by Forbes Councils Member
(Forbes) Marketing strategies rooted in fleeting digital trends can become obsolete faster than companies can adapt their long-term brand narratives. Rapid evolutions in consumer attention spans, technological platforms and social media algorithms mean that today’s cutting-edge marketing approaches could be considered passé within months, potentially wasting significant creative and financial resources.

My Comment: As we approach the beginning of the new year, articles featuring trends and predictions are abundant. I’ll even be adding my own predictions in my weekly Forbes column later this month. This article mentions 16 trends that, while wildly popular (and successful), may soon be trending in the opposite direction. Whether the authors are right or wrong is to be seen. Regardless, this information could be the topic of conversation at your next strategy meeting.
Annual Recurring Revenue — What It Is, Why It Matters and 3 Simple Tips for Increasing Yours by Andres Tovar
(Entrepreneur) Unlock the secret to skyrocketing your subscription revenue! Discover how ARR can fuel your business growth with strategic pricing, retention tactics and value-driven promotions that keep customers hooked and profits climbing.

My Comment: I love the subscription model. Almost any type of business – not all, but most – can come up with a way to incorporate a subscription model that provides monthly recurring revenue that, if done well, creates annual recurring revenue. While this article doesn’t take a deep dive into the subject, the author provides three tips that will intrigue you to consider a subscription model if you don’t already have one or remind you of some important points if you do.

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. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
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Published on December 01, 2024 22:00