Shep Hyken's Blog, page 152

Guest Blog: Why Luxury Retail KPIs and Incentive Schemes Need a Makeover

This week we feature an article by Christophe Cais who writes about how the internet and Millennials have disrupted retail, suggesting that retail KPIs and incentive schemes need to be evaluated.  – Shep Hyken

In luxury retail these days (or any retail, for that matter), it all seems to be about the internet and Millennials, doesn’t it? Retailers would tell you that digital technologies have disrupted the business, then go on to add that Millennials are proving a tough demographic to crack. And all of this is absolutely correct, but the picture is far more nuanced.

Let’s consider the impact of the internet first. In the case of retailers, it turned their world upside down after shopping became as simple as opening a website and clicking a few online store buttons. This ease spawned all sorts of challenges, first and foremost the obsolescence of the product and transactional model upon which retail was built. It’s easier, faster, and sometimes cheaper for consumers to conduct a transaction online.

Now let’s spend a minute on Millennials. I recently came across an article where the author very aptly noted that “retail moves at the speed of culture.” And culture nowadays is dominated by those born between 1980 and 2000. Being the first generation to grow up amid a boom in web and mobile technologies, Millennials are a key demographic in terms of spending: according to a study by Accenture, they contribute $600 billion to the annual US shopping tally. But that same study established some other critically important points as it challenged certain myths associated with Millennials. Yes, they are extremely well-informed, tech-savvy shoppers, but it’s not all about online with them – Millennials haven’t lost the love for brick-and-mortar stores. Moreover, they are not the loyalty-challenged bunch many make them out to be. In fact, Accenture found that when made to feel welcome in stores and treated right, Millennials can be extremely loyal customers. And for luxury brands, loyalty is the make-or-break factor, more so than in other retail segments.

But a memorable and distinctive experience is not something that only young people seek. It’s what Baby Boomers and Generation Xers want as well, so we can safely assume that shoppers of all ages want to feel special when they cross the threshold of a luxury goods store. The thing is that the physical location is no longer the final destination, but a touch point: customers may come in to browse and then opt to conclude the transaction elsewhere.

All of the above brings us to the issue at hand: in the current luxury retail environment, it makes no sense to have retail KPIs and incentive schemes that force a sales team to focus on the immediate transaction. They promote pushy behaviors, which is particularly problematic with Millennials – a generation that online shopping has made averse to being pressured into buying.

How should luxury retailers respond?

Traditional retail KPIs need to be revisited and adapted to support a model based on experience and relationship. These are the forces that trigger a transaction, not the other around, and luxury brands have to embrace this fact.

What we continue to see are retailers that obsess about the conversion rate without realizing one crucial thing: it’s not just an issue of how many customers buy in the store on a given day but also how many of the non-buyers the brand can still talk to after the store visit. Maintaining the dialogue requires obtaining the customer’s contact information. A pivotal question that needs answering is what percentage of those non-buying visitors leave their contact details and would like to hear from the brand.

If they are to address adequately the needs of modern luxury retail, new KPIs and incentive schemes have to focus on what leads to a transaction, not on the transaction itself or at least not entirely. To ensure maximum relevance and effect, the design of these updated versions should involve client-facing teams since store manager and sales assistants are the people whose fingers are truly on the customer pulse.

What does it take?

This is admittedly a big step to take as it requires letting go of the comfort of familiar practices and long-ingrained perceptions of floor personnel. Managers often assume that sales staff push product because they have an immediate incentive to do it, but this is not the case. There is a huge payoff in trusting and empowering sales teams to meet customer expectations, which essentially boil down to building a relationship and fostering memorable experiences.

In the end, culture does play a crucial role. With luxury retail brands, the goal should be to build a culture where the sales team feels it is its primary task to delight clients. With empowered, dedicated employees and customers who feel pampered and valued, formidable results won’t be long in coming.

Christophe Cais is the founder and CEO of the Customer Experience Group (CXG). He is responsible for communicating and implementing the organization’s vision, mission and overall direction.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:  A $600 Billion Employee Engagement Problem Solved: Empathy

The post Guest Blog: Why Luxury Retail KPIs and Incentive Schemes Need a Makeover appeared first on Shep Hyken.

What Doesn’t Get Done Gets Noticed

Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, once said, “The best customer service is if the customer doesn’t need to call you, doesn’t need to talk to you. It just works.”

In other words, the best customer service is invisible. It just happens. The customer doesn’t have to ask for it. It just gets done the way it’s supposed to. What does get done isn’t always noticed, and shouldn’t be. Invisible service means it happens without you ever seeing it.

The short version of the story behind the Bezos quote is that he didn’t feel it was necessary to put contact information on Amazon’s website. He felt that if Amazon did what they did, as well as they did it, the customer would never have a reason to call. There shouldn’t be a problem. And, that works… until there is a problem. Amazon may be flawless on their end. But, then they turn the customer’s package over to FedEx, UPS, or the USPS for delivery. What happens if the package gets lost or there is a weather delay? Is that Amazon’s fault? No, it’s not. But, to the customer, it appears to be that way. So, who does the customer want to contact? Amazon. They realized that very quickly. And now, it’s very easy to reach someone on customer support.

Let’s take a less obvious example. You never see what goes on behind-the-scenes. That’s why they call it “behind-the-scenes”. For example, you probably have no idea all the steps in the process of how your checked luggage ends up at your destination. And, you don’t really care. If it shows up, on time, the way it’s supposed to, it’s a non-event. You never notice because that’s just what you expect.

But, if the bag doesn’t show up… you notice. If someone “behind-the-scenes” doesn’t do what they are supposed to do, and the bag ends up in the wrong city or never makes the flight at all, you notice. In other words, what doesn’t get done, or what gets done incorrectly, gets noticed.

The phrase “conspicuous by your absence” comes to mind here. You’re so used to something that you don’t even notice until it’s no longer there.

Yes, the best service may be invisible. It goes unnoticed. It just happens the way it is supposed to until it doesn’t happen. The absence of good service, which always seemed to happen, becomes obvious and gets noticed immediately.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXVIII, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: Denise Lee Yohn

Company Fusion Rather Than Company Confusion: The Importance of a Clearly Defined Culture
Shep Hyken Interviews Denise Lee Yohn, Author of Fusion

Are your brand and culture clearly defined?

 

 

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Shep Hyken sits down with Denise Lee Yohn, to discuss her new book, Fusion, and discusses the importance of congruency creating a clearly defined culture, which positively impacts the customer experience.

Top Takeaways:

Brand is your external identity and culture is your internal operations. Many companies deal with them as though they are two separate entities. When that happens, a lot of power gets lost. This leads to a disconnect with how the company is run.
As a manager, it is your obligation to treat employees how you would like to be treated. That’s the fundamental level. Once that base is covered, work on engaging your employees the same way you want them to engage your customers.
The problem with mission statements is that many times they are not relevant to employees, and definitely not to customers. They are written for annual reports and are too business-y. If there is a disconnect with the mission statement and the brand of the company, employees get confused when it comes time to make decisions. They are not sure if the decision should be based on the mission statement, or on the brand. When this happens, the employees are not set up for success.
A mission statement should be a filter, a lens in which you see everything through. It should serve as a clarifying, unifying, and motivating idea for everyone who is impacted by the company.
In order to cultivate the desired culture within your organization, leadership must take responsibility for it. So much of what employees communicate comes as an example from leaders, who set the tone.
Do sweat the small stuff: rituals, artifacts, policies and procedures. These things seem like mundane elements, but they are little things that make a big impact.
Ignite your transformation: kick off your culture statement and then sustain the momentum for employee brand engagement. You don’t just want happy and productive employees, you want happy and productive employees that create extraordinary experiences. The only way they can do that is if they truly understand the company’s mission.
Build your brand from the inside out. When your culture is healthy, you can take what you are doing on the inside and then make it meaningful to customers. Make that part of your identity.

About:

Denise Lee Yohn is the go-to expert on brand-building for national media outlets, an in-demand speaker and consultant, and an influential writer.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, “New York Times” best-selling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

“There is not one right culture that every organization should have, but there is one right culture for your organization.” – Denise Lee Yohn

 

       

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

Is my culture clearly defined?
Is my brand clearly defined?
How can I better lead my employees?
Are my employees well-equipped to make decisions?
How do I create a customer-focused culture?
How do I create a culture statement?

The post Amazing Business Radio: Denise Lee Yohn appeared first on Shep Hyken.

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of February 26, 2018

Each week I read a number of 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.

Can awful airline customer service be overridden with AI and analytics? by Scott Kendrick

(tnooz) After the debacles that occurred within domestic air travel in 2017, it’s clear airlines need to look carefully at their customer service tactics.

My Comment: Many of us know what is like to deal with the airlines when there are weather delays, mechanical issues and cancelled flights. These problems can result in long waits in line or hold times on the phone. This article by Scott Kendrick of Callminer is about how the airlines are using (or should be using) AI to support their customers. Interesting ways that can be applied to other businesses, as well.

Managing the Fragile Customer Experience by Laurent Bride

(IT ProPortal) Customer experience must be redefined for the digital age.

My Comment: Customers are more demanding than ever, especially when it comes to the customer experience. They know what good service is and expect it. This, according to the article, can put a company that’s not customer focused in a “fragile” position. Mismanage the customer’s experience and you may shatter the relationship and any hope for future business.

Why Paid Memberships Are the New Loyalty by Doug Stephens

(The Business of Fashion) What if businesses could turn transient loyalty into something deeper and more engaging?

My Comment: Here’s an interesting take on loyalty programs. Maybe they aren’t as effective as they could be, as the article points out that “retailers are spending mountains of money to retain the very customers they had the least chance of losing to begin with.” In other words, maybe the member of the loyalty program would still be loyal without the program.

Will virtual customer assistants dominate customer service by 2020? by Nick Ismail

(Information Age) Gartner has revealed that 25% of customer service operations will use virtual customer assistants by 2020.

My Comment: Gartner reveals that by 2020, 25% of customers support operations will be using virtual customer assistants (VCA) or chatbots on the channels that customers engage with companies. That is up from less than 2% just last year. That’s a big gain in three years! One major point this article mentions is that, at least in the near future, there will still need to be human interaction. Chatbots and AI can’t do everything… yet.

Millennials Are an Amazingly Patient Bunch by Zoya Gervis

(New York Post) Millennials are the most patient generation of all, according to surprising new research. A study examining the customer service experiences and expectations of 2,000 people found millennials are prepared to wait the longest times before getting agitated and are less likely to complain when things go awry.

My Comment: There are so many articles about the millennial generation. I’m intrigued by this one as Jive Communications released a study that indicates that millennials are the most patient and forgiving customers, backing that claim up with stats and facts on that topic – and many more.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

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Guest Blog: 3 Key Principles for Customer Satisfaction

This week we feature an article by Nathalie Herrman who writes about three key principles that are at the root of all great customer service. She also reminds us that the customer experience begins with the employee experience.  – Shep Hyken

I recently found myself on the receiving end of a recording that told me for the tenth time after being on hold for fifteen minutes that, “Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line and a representative will be with you shortly.”  And then, after  half an hour of waiting, and ten minutes of circular conversation that led to nowhere, when it became painfully clear that the “representative” was not going to be able to help me at all, and I was noticeably frustrated and about to hang up, she finalized our exchange with the following question in a scripted sing-songy voice, “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

It made me want to scream. Where had she been for the previous ten minutes? Wasn’t it clear to her that she could not, in fact, help me? Where was the humanity? Where was the empathy?  Where was the acknowledgment that what had transpired had just transpired?

And I’m quite certain that my experience was not unique. In a wide range of customer service scenarios, this brick wall kind of result happens frequently- so much so, in fact, that it has become a kind of cultural joke that we can all laugh about and relate to, but there’s a missed opportunity here, and a chance to amaze and delight customers that have been tragically lost.

At the root of all great customer service are three key principles, seems to me, and none of them particularly complex: authenticity, empathy, and integrity. We experience these at the L.L. Beans of the world, and The Ritz Carlton’s. These companies, and others like them, allow us our dignity as human beings. They make us feel cared about. They make us feel seen and heard.

So how can these principles be applied across the board as the rule instead of the exception?

It starts at the level of the employee experience. As employees are seen and heard, valued, engaged, acknowledged, and appreciated, so too will the customers.

So how do we do that?

Be Authentic:

When interacting with another, whether customer or employee, genuinely listen for understanding. Be present. Acknowledge what’s being said or implied and mirror their concerns and needs back to them. Don’t give them some rote, scripted response, but customize the script to the situation, if you have to use a script at all. Take your time- no one likes to be rushed- and most of all, be yourself. If you have concerns or needs in the situation or something you’d like to suggest, speak up- not aggressively, but with compassion and a desire to connect. All authentic exchange is based on our shared humanity- that we are one and the same, not at odds, or as some kind of burden to each other, but interested in working together to create a sense of mutual respect and a shared positive outcome.

Be Empathetic:

Make it your goal to see the situation from the other person’s perspective. Instead of defending or attacking, validate their position, and be sincere in appreciating where they’re coming from. Whatever their issue, it’s real to them. Make it your goal to be responsive instead of reactive, and to truly care.

Have Integrity:

Avoid mixed messages. In the example above, the recording said my call was important, but keeping me waiting endlessly showed that clearly it was not, so “thank you for your patience” would have been more accurate. Nothing destroys trust like a lack of integrity. We must be scrupulous about promising only the things we are able to deliver and follow through on whatever we promise. On this point, employee engagement in the company message is critical. Whatever we present to the world as a core value, we must honor and exemplify, across the board with no exceptions, and when we fall short, acknowledge that immediately. Otherwise, we lack integrity, employees lose interest, and customer service suffers.

Exceptional customer service isn’t rocket science. It’s attention to detail and interest in actually being of service, in any way we can, to whoever is in front of us. It’s remembering that we are human beings interacting with human beings, that we are emotional, and that we want to be acknowledged and respected and listened to and understood.

How we begin and end each interaction is the lasting impression we leave, so having integrity with our message and our delivery, being friendly and polite, consistent, authentic, and empathetic with both our employees and our customers is the ticket to customer satisfaction and the key to ongoing success.

Nathalie W. Herrman is an  Employee Experience Specialist who works with organizations to amplify employee engagement, optimize productivity, and positively impact the bottom line. She is the international author of two books, Daily Enlightenments  and   The Art of Good Habits , holder of two patents, founder of Conscious Living Online Community , and an award-winning blogger .

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:  L.L. Bean Discontinues Lifetime Guarantee

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Operating on Your Personal Assumptions Can Be Dangerous

Not long ago, I had a somewhat tenuous conversation with one of our suppliers. I mentioned to him that it took too long for him to call me back. This time it took three days. His response was, “I called you back the same week. That isn’t good enough?”

No! It’s not! That’s not what good service, at least for me, is about. But, that’s not what this lesson is really about. It is actually about this guy’s assumption that three days would be an acceptable response time. The key word here is assumption.

This reminded me of a roofer I wanted to hire to fix my leaky roof. He had come recommended by a friend. I called him and he said he would come out in a few days to have a look. As long as we didn’t have a major downpour, that would be fine. I didn’t hear from him for over a week, so I decided to call and see when he planned to come check out my roof. His exact words were, “Don’t worry, I’ll get around to it.”

A week later, I called him again. He gave me the same answer, “I’ll get around to it.” By that time, I realized his definition of “getting around to it,” was different than mine. So, I called another roofer. He told me exactly when he would be able to come out, which was in two days.

Several days later, the original roofer called me back to let me know he would be over the next day. I gave him the news: I’d hired someone else.

He said “Okay” and hung up the phone. He didn’t ask why. He didn’t even seem to care. All I know is that he never “got around to it.” His assumption that I’d be okay with waiting a couple of weeks

with a leaky roof, worrying if it would rain and start leaking again, didn’t meet my expectation.

In both of these examples, the personal assumption that each of these people had was not in sync with mine. In both of these cases, it was about time. Specifically, how much time I was willing to wait before complaining or, ultimately, choosing to do business with someone else.

Consider this: Just because I don’t like mushrooms, doesn’t mean my friends won’t. Just because I don’t drink coffee, doesn’t mean others might not want a cup of coffee during a morning meeting. And, just because I don’t care about you calling me back the same day, doesn’t mean my customer won’t.

Operating based on personal assumptions – or my personal likes and dislikes – can be dangerous. What makes me happy or upset may not be in sync with how my customers feel. And when my assumptions don’t align with my customers’, it’s a potential customer experience disaster.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXVIII, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: Tom Karinshak

Great Customer Experiences Start with Great Employee Experiences: Valuable Lessons From Comcast
Shep Hyken Interviews Tom Karinshak, Executive VP of Customer Service at Comcast
Are your employees properly equipped?

 

 

 

Shep Hyken sits down with Tom Karinshak, Executive VP of Customer Service at Comcast, to discuss the importance of investing in training and equipping employees so that they can better serve customers.

Top Takeaways:

Your customers know what good customer service is. They aren’t usually comparing your service to a direct competitor. They are comparing it to any company that gives them good service, no matter what the company is selling.
Look around and take notes from companies that are giving great service. You are a customer as well. When you have a great experience, implement those strategies into your own business.
Meet your customers where they want to be met. This could be social media, chat, phone calls, email, etc. In whatever way your customers want to reach you, make sure you are there.
It’s so important to get things right the first time around so that there doesn’t have to be a second time.
Employees must be armed with the proper tools, technology, and training so that they are able to give great customer experiences.
Consistency amongst employees is so critical. When customers ask questions, there should be consistent answers, no matter who they talk to.
Ask your customers for feedback on how you can be better. But also ask your employees for feedback on how the company can be a better place to work.

About:

Tom Karinshak serves as Executive Vice President of Customer Service for Comcast Cable. Tom oversees call center operations including phone, chat and social media agents, in addition to other key touch points and service channels with customers.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, “New York Times” best-selling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

“Training does not stop at new hire training. The learning journey continues throughout your entire career.”  – Tom Karinshak

 

       

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

How can we improve customer service training?
What tools do employees need to offer great customer service?
How can I be more accessible for my customers?
How do I create better customer experiences?

The post Amazing Business Radio: Tom Karinshak appeared first on Shep Hyken.

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of February 19, 2018

Each week I read a number of 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.

Top 5 Tips to Improve Social Customer Service by Kristina Knight

(BizReport) While most companies are on-board in improving social network-based customer service, many continue to approach social customer service in a not fulfilling way. And, while about two-thirds of consumers contacting businesses for customer service are doing so on social media, this is a problem. Here are five tips to improve social customer service.

My Comment: I’m still surprised at the number of companies that don’t embrace social media as a viable customer support channel. And, as you read in this article, social care is more than just handling complaints and questions.

Customer Experience Must Be a Board Level Discussion by Richard Corps, MD

(The C Suite UK) It’s no secret that providing a quality customer experience (CX) is now – and has been for several years – an important factor for modern businesses.

My Comment: What I like about this article is that it is a reminder that creating a customer-focused culture, and that includes customer service and CX, starts with the top in the C-Suite with leadership defining the CX vision.

When Customer Service Automation Goes Off the Rails by Don Fluckinger

(SearchCRM) CRM sales and service automation can drive down costs when they drive customer self-service. But if they frustrate customers, what’s the actual implementation cost?

My Comment: Sometimes an automated customer support solution (like chatbots) or a self-service solution can frustrate the customer when they can’t get the answer they want. That’s when support must seamlessly and easily flip over to a human connection. By the time it reaches a customer service professional, there may be a higher level of frustration, if not even anger. This article discusses some of the problems and solutions for when your automated service isn’t working.

15 Surprising Customer Experience Statistics and How Training Can Help by Mindflash

(Mindflash) The secret is out: 2018 has been declared the “Year of the Customer” — and there is a list of surprising statistics about the customer experience to support this claim. Though people pleasing always has been a fundamental truth of business, it’s no longer acceptable to shout that tired, trite saying, “the customer is always right,” and expect it to translate into the kind of satisfactory experience that buffets the bottom line.

My Comment: Here are some great stats and facts that support the need for better customer service. Then the article goes on to discuss the importance – and the benefit – of proper training. Customer service training doesn’t cost, it pays. And, it’s not a one-and-done. It’s something you do often to sustain the positive experience you want your customers to have when they do business with you.

Driving New Savings and Growth with Superior Customer Service by Paul Selby

(CustomerThink) The customer service function in many companies is regularly challenged to reduce costs while maintaining or even improving customer satisfaction. And how to get to that point? “Be more efficient.” “Do more with less.”

My Comment: Sometimes customer service departments are challenged to cut costs while still maintaining the same or better levels of customer service. That can be quite challenging. There are ways to do it, and the point of the article made me think, not so much about how much we can save with new and innovative solutions, but how much we gain when we deliver the support that takes great care of the customer.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

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Guest Blog: Understanding the Impact of Competitive Benchmarking Programs

This week we feature an article by Daniel Bakst who explains why competitive benchmarking is key to better serving your customer base. – Shep Hyken

Contextualizing your brand’s place amongst competitors in the industry you encompass is vital to creating a leading Customer Experience. Mystery shopping is a great way to capture an understanding of how your brand is performing in the eyes of your customer, but if your team does not have the ability to place this data alongside information from the rest of the industry, then you will be unable to accurately reflect how you stack up. Pointing the magnifying glass of a mystery shopping program towards your competitors is called competitive benchmarking, and brands with this kind of program will be able to better serve their own customer base.

Brands in any industry can benefit from a competitive benchmarking program because the information collected can have a direct impact on the Customer Experience platform you produce. However, it is important to begin this program at the right point of your organizational timeline. If you are not investing anything into CX measurement at the moment, it may be more valuable to discover more about your own brand’s performance before beginning to measure what your competitors are doing. Once you have a hefty portion of self-analysis, begin to branch outwards to compare how your experience is perceived compared to industry competition.

While there is a considerable investment necessary to complete these research projects, some of the insights collected can have a direct impact on your brand identity and experience, thus impacting customer retention and satisfaction rates. By shifting the focus of your measurement programs externally, you can collect information as to which specific brands are most valued by the customers, as well as what specific moments along the customer journey have the greatest impact on brand perception. Expanding the scope of your research beyond self-assessment allows your brand to understand and replicate what has been working for leading competitors, in addition to avoiding common problems faced by the rest of the industry.

One organizational aspect that is a great opportunity for competitive benchmarking is the digital Customer Experience. Whether it is an eCommerce store or just measuring a site experience, gathering quantifiable data about how your competitors’ sites perform can set an easily understandable goal for your website. These shops are relatively easy for evaluators because it can be completed in the comfort of their homes, and they grant you a better understanding of what improvements you need to make on your site to become the number one destination in your industry.

Additionally, competitive benchmarking can grant great insights to your marketing team, helping you to better deliver your brand message to customers. Specific information and citations about how you are outperforming the competition can be a great asset to convince customers to choose your brand over the competition, especially considering the vast amount of options available to customers across different industries.

Competitive benchmarking is an often-overlooked aspect of Customer Experience measurement, but brands that can effectively implement these programs will have better opportunities to shine in the eyes of their customers. These programs can illuminate industry trends, ensuring that you do not fall behind the pack in terms of the value provided to customers. Start crafting a better Customer Experience than your competitors by measuring and understanding what is happening throughout the industry you encompass.

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:  How Zappos And Nordstrom Use Convenience To Create Confidence

Daniel Bakst is the Social & Digital Marketing Associate for Second To None , a leading Customer Experience research firm that empowers customer-centric brands to deliver consistent, intentional and authentic consumer experiences. They adeptly design and manage mystery shopping, compliance, engagement and voice of customer solutions grounded in strategic relevance, program integrity and actionable insights. 

The post Guest Blog: Understanding the Impact of Competitive Benchmarking Programs appeared first on Shep Hyken.

Are You So Good Your Customers Would Pay You Double?

What if your customers said they would be willing to pay you twice what you normally charge? All they want in return is an amazing customer service experience.

Really? That’s it? That’s all they want? We already give great customer service. This will be a piece of cake! (Or, will it?)

If someone is willing to spend more, they will surely expect to get more value, and that value should be in the form of a better customer experience. A recent study by Aspect found that 52% of consumers said that they would pay more for “good” customer service while 66% will pay more for “great” customer service. And, an astounding 75% will pay more for what they consider to be “exceptional.”

The point is that great customer service makes price less relevant. Three out of four people are willing to pay more for “exceptional” customer service. How much more are they willing to pay? And what defines “exceptional” customer service? Maybe customers wouldn’t pay double the normal price, but what if they would? What would you do differently? Here are a few ideas to consider:

You would return your customers’ emails. Can you believe that 62% of companies don’t?! That’s according to a recent Super Office study. And, not only would you return them, you would do so quickly. And, by quickly I mean minutes, not hours or days. And, the same goes for your customers’ phone calls.
You would probably contact your customers more often. A salesperson could check in with their customers to see how they are doing or to notify them of a promotion, sale, or special event. A customer service rep could follow-up to make sure everything was working. There are plenty of reasons to stay in touch.
You would be as convenient for your customers as possible. You might be open longer hours or drive to a customer rather than make them come to you. There are many ways to make yourself more convenient.
You might take the time to send a thank you note. I know that sounds so basic, but you can’t believe how few people send thank you notes. And, given how we are in an age that’s moving away from paper, I’ll accept an email or text message – as long as it’s personalized. Be sure to say something that truly connects with the customer. That said, the “snail mail” note has more impact than an email or text. After all, they are spending twice as much to do business with you!

So, maybe the customer isn’t spending twice as much. Maybe they are paying you the same thing they would pay a competitor. Do any of the four customer service tactics seem so far-fetched that you couldn’t or wouldn’t do them regardless of what the customer paid? I don’t think so.

Do you want to stand out from your competition? Do you want to make price less relevant? Sit down with your team and discuss what “exceptional” customer service looks like to your customer. Then do it!

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

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