Shep Hyken's Blog, page 159

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of October 30 2017

Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online 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 Steps to Enhancing the Customer Experience with Social Media by Alison Zeringue

(Marketing Land) Social media marketing isn’t just about winning followers. Columnist Alison Zeringue shares tips for improving customer service and delighting consumers publicly through your social channels.

My Comment: If creating a great customer experience is a top marketing strategy, then using social media to deliver a better customer experience should be one of your top efforts. This short article has four excellent ideas. Pay attention to number two, which is to respond to social media inquiries and comments with urgency.

The Most Important Voice In Customer Service by Murph Krajewski

(Forbes) As a business owner or leader in a customer service organization, you can spend countless hours (and dollars) on refining your processes and technology. Despite the expense of research and planning, the entire customer experience is actually made or broken in an instant. One moment.

My Comment: Most would think that the most important voice in customer service is the customers. Not according to Murph Krajewski, VP of Marketing at Sharpen, who has a different take. It’s the support center rep. ICMI recently found that 92% of consumers say an agent’s perceived happiness affects their personal customer experience. Yes, you want your customers to be happy, but maybe just as important, if not more so, are your employees.

Where Has All The Loyalty Gone? by Joseph Michelli

(Joseph Michelli) Today it’s a very different story! Customer loyalty is at a premium and to the surprise of many that premium is not just for Millennials.

My Comment: Joseph Michelli always writes insightful articles. This one is focused on loyalty. Lifetime loyalty from a customer is a BIG goal. This is Michelli’s take on how loyalty has changed.

Turn Your Customer Experience Vision into Reality by Christy Pettey

(Gartner) Jenny Sussin, vice president at Gartner and CX program lead at the Gartner Application Strategies and Solutions Summit, looks at how organizations can take CX to the next level.

My Comment: Customer experience (and service) is a philosophy that must be embraced by every area of the company. It’s about leadership having a CX vision that becomes part of the culture of the company. This short article emphasizes that message and why creating a CX vision that is embraced by all employees is of the utmost importance.

Is Amazon Dooming Retailers or Are Retailers Dooming Themselves? by W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne 

(Blue Ocean Strategy) Authors of Blue Ocean Shift W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne discuss Amazon and explain why retailers need to make creating, not competing, their number one priority.

My Comment: Amazon changed the retail world, and there is a tremendous amount we can learn (in any business and any industry) from studying how they did it. The authors of “Blue Ocean Shift” have written an interesting article about how smaller retailers must change their mindset – and their strategy – when it comes to competing against Amazon. It’s a David and Goliath story.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact 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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Guest Blog: Empathy – What Your Customer Service Strategy Is Missing

This week we feature an article by Tim Fujita-Yuhas that discusses the importance of empathy when using new technology for customer service. He looks at the next generation of texting, known as RCS (Rich Communication Services), which I think will become a very valuable tool. – Shep Hyken

When the topic of customer service comes up, the most common associations aren’t typically positive ones.  People’s minds wander towards automated voice messaging systems, long hold times, or in today’s day and age, chatting in an online forum with a virtual assistant who, if we’re being honest, really doesn’t understand what you want, how you want it, or when you need it.

Over the years, brands have experimented with a variety of methods to most effectively serve their customers. From contact centers to email marketing campaigns, we’ve seen it all. But when it comes to reaching your customers at exact moments on the precise channel, email and voice have failed to meet customer expectations. In fact, they’ve frankly come across as cold and impersonal, leaving customers often asking themselves, “Do they even care about keeping my business?” With the majority of Americans now owning a mobile device, what better way to stay in touch and relevant to your customers than texting them? By incorporating a text messaging strategy into your customer experience strategy, you’ll never miss an opportunity to connect on a personal level with a customer again.

While customer service strategies are constantly in flux with evolving trends and technological innovations, one foundational aspect remains at the core of every successful plan: Empathy. Empathy isn’t restricted to its dictionary definition as the “ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” It’s much more than that, especially in the customer service realm. Incorporating empathy into the business world shows that you and your brand care about your customers on a personalized level, and you prioritize methodical and timely interactions. A company that has effectively adapted an empathy-first strategy when caring for their customers is not only able to accurately predict their needs, but they’re consistently a few steps ahead, enabling them to conveniently be in the palm of their customer’s hand when they’re most needed.

Often mistaken as a traditional, or outdated form of communication, text messaging is, in fact, one of the most ubiquitous, personal, and efficient methods used to reach a target audience. With nearly 5 billion people using text messaging, and 90 percent of text messages read upon receipt, it’s no wonder customer-centric companies have adopted this method to deliver a top-notch experience for their customers. With the next evolution of texting, also known as RCS (Rich Communication Services) right around the corner, companies will have an even more powerful way to reach customers through a genuine and intuitive empathetic interaction.

Still in its infancy, RCS is primed to significantly improve the customer experience. For instance, in the hospitality industry, hotels can adopt RCS messaging to boost brand loyalty by offering customers with a hyper-personalized check-in experience all from their messaging inbox. Upon check-in, hotel guests will receive automated confirmations, access to room numbers, pertinent front desk information, and details of their stay. What’s more, the key features of RCS extend even further; ensuring customers are taken care of every step of the way. For example, guests can plan ahead by activating weather updates, getting maps to tourist destinations in the area, and making restaurant reservations and reviews, all from the palm of their hand. With the help of RCS, an enhanced text messaging experience is tailored to their specific journey. To successfully join the ranks of the ever-growing list of companies entering the business of empathy, the adoption of an SMS-based customer service plan (and soon its next evolution, RCS) is key.

Long story short: Texting provides a way for your brand to tap into the business of empathy, and to remain at the pulse of your customer’s every need.

Tim Fujita-Yuhas serves as Director of Product Management and New Product Strategy for OpenMarket’s Mobile Engagement Platform, specializing in enterprise mobile engagement services. He is responsible for product strategy and business planning for the company’s mobile messaging solutions. 

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

Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:  Amazon And Walmart Take On Porch Pirates

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Customer Service Tip: The Power of Observation

I was out to lunch with a colleague at one of our local St. Louis restaurants. Rico was our waiter and was taking great care of us. First came the bread and butter. He then took our drink order. He came back with our drinks and asked if we were ready to order lunch. We were. My friend ordered a Caesar salad with chicken.

Rico asked my friend if he wanted the croutons left off the salad. My friend was surprised by the question and responded, “Yes. How did you know?”

And, I wondered the same thing. How did Rico know?  It turns out the answer was simple. He was very observant. He noticed that my friend hadn’t touched the bread and butter. He assumed, and correctly so, that my friend was staying away from bread. And just to make sure, he asked.

We were both impressed and noticed that Rico paid very close attention to everything that was said or implied. He watched our body language for clues to determine when he should come by and check on us, when we were finished with our meals, and when we were ready to pay the check.

Rico’s observation skills were a ten out of ten. He was flawless.

Not long after this lunch, I had the opposite experience. My wife and I were at a restaurant. I asked for a suggestion about what to order. The server asked me if there was anything I especially liked or disliked. I responded with a smile and said, “Most everything on the menu looks good, but I hate mushrooms.” He recommended a chicken dish with an Italian sauce. Just a few minutes later, the dinners were served and my chicken was covered with mushrooms. I could tell that he was uncomfortable. He apologized and said it was his fault.

Yes, it was his fault. Apparently, he didn’t listen. He asked a good question but didn’t pay attention to an important part of my answer. And, if he had and it was a mistake in the kitchen, once he saw the dish coming out of the kitchen, covered with mushrooms, he should have intercepted it before it was put on the table.

Sometimes it’s what a customer doesn’t do or doesn’t say that gives you the opportunity to create an amazing customer service experience. Sometimes it’s a subtle reaction. It may be a facial expression or a pause or hesitation. It can be almost invisible, but if you’re paying close enough attention, you’ll notice it. And, you’ll take advantage of this moment to deliver a better service experience.

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, 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 © MMXVII, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: Mikhail Naumov

Mikhail Naumov Discusses How AI is a Tool for Customer Service, Not a Replacement

There seems to be a lot of talk about artificial intelligence lately, but what do we really know about it? Is it anything like what we see in the movies, like computers taking over the world, or is it something else entirely?

Mikhail Naumov shares in-depth what AI is and what it can do for companies when it is properly partnered with human interaction.

 

 

Shep talks to Mikhail about artificial intelligence, and how it can be a tool for customer service employees. Mikhail shares with listeners the benefits, and value that using AI can bring to every type of company. At his company, DigitalGenius, the main focus is tying AI to customer support.

 

Top Takeaways:

AI is best used when it is teamed up with real people – the combination is better than the sum of its parts.
Some companies want AI to be used for everything, but successful companies use it to focus on one thing, one function. In the case of DigitalGenius, that one focus point is customer support.
AI is a tool for customer service representatives, in the same way that a calculator is a tool.
AI does not eliminate the customer’s interaction with a human customer service representative; rather it adds to it, fueling the knowledge behind the agent.
When done properly, the integration of AI and human interaction is so seamless that the customer is completely unaware of its existence.
AI can range in capability, depending on the size of the company using it. It can do more for bigger companies, but that doesn’t mean smaller companies can’t join the AI revolution.
AI isn’t magic. It is simple mathematics based on history. The machine learns and understands based on past interactions with customers, and then knows what information to deliver that is most useful and helpful.

About:

Mikhail Naumov is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of DigitalGenius, a venture backed artificial intelligence company focused on transforming customer service and brand communications. He is the leading voice in the Human+AI movement, which focuses on the seamless interaction of human and machine intelligence in business applications and everyday life. Mikhail was recognized as Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Enterprise Technology. He is passionate about bringing emerging technologies to life.

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.

“AI in and of itself is not a solution. AI is a technology that enables product people and companies to build products that can solve problems and can help people solve problems.” – Mikhail Naumov

 

      

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

How can I use AI for my company?
What is my company’s main focus?
Do the employees at my company have all the tools they need to be as efficient as possible?
Is AI going to get rid of jobs?
Is AI going to replace humans?
What is the best way to use AI?
What are different ways I can use AI?

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5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of October 23, 2017

Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online 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.

The Most Costly Mistake In Business by Vala Afshar

(Huffington Post) High performing customer service organizations are changing and redefining performance metrics to better align how they measure service delivery success to their customer expectations, according to the worldwide state of customer service research by Salesforce.

My Comment: What’s the most costly mistake in business? You’ll have to read this excellent article by Vala Afshar, a genius in the world of customer service and CX. The information that Vala shares through his articles and blogs is always spot on. This article covers the importance of… well, you’ll have to read the article to find out.

Impulse service on steroids by Chip Bell

(Retail Customer Experience) If service was an impulse encounter, what would be its features? How do service providers convince customers to assume a “got-to-have” state of mind?

My Comment: You are familiar with “impulse purchases.” You are in a store or shopping online and something catches your eye. Next thing you know, you buy it. Why you just have to have it. Customer service expert Chip Bell has come up with a concept he calls “impulse service.” How can you provide that same feeling to your customer about the customer service you provide. What’ makes them say, “I just have to have it!”?

Carnival’s New Wearable Makes Big Ships Feel Smaller by Cliff Kuang

(Fast Company) How the new Ocean Medallion—from the guys who created Disney’s MagicBand—will help passengers navigate Carnival’s busy ships.

My Comment: Part of an amazing customer experience can be driven by technology. Check out how Carnival Cruise Ships are using a wearable bracelets (called the Ocean Medallion) to create a better experience for the guests on their cruise ships. The future is now!

Why personalization is key for retail customer experiences by Jim Dicso

(Retail Customer Experience) With technology evolving, giant digital-forward companies taking over in-store shopping, and brick-and-mortar stores slowly closing their doors, it’s an understatement to say the retail industry is drastically changing. But, one thing that will always be important? Customers — specifically, loyal customers.

My Comment: Personalization is a major trend. It’s not just for retail, but all industries. That said, this article from RetailCustomerExperience.com shows a number of ways to think about your organization’s personalization strategy. The likelihood that people will spend more and buy more often dramatically increases when you personalize your customer’s experience.

Study: Consumers rate privacy, transparency, and trust over customer service by Andrew Birmingham

(Which-50) When it comes to deciding whether to stick with a brand or walk away it turns out that consumers rate privacy, transparency, and trust more highly than customer service.

My Comment: Is customer service the number one priority? Only if  your customer trusts  you to begin with. This very short article makes the point that without trust, it doesn’t matter how good the customer service and CX is, the customer walks.

Shep Hyken is a customer serv ice expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information ciontact (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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Guest Blog: Assistive AI for Real Work

This week we feature an article by Christopher Connolly who shares fascinating information about enterprise-grade assistive AI and how it can help make customer support more effective.  AI has come a long way in recognizing the content – and context – of customers’ requests and questions. – Shep Hyken

Enterprise-grade assistive AI initiatives are already in evidence across various industries. There’s been plenty of publicity around IBM’s Watson and precision medicine, but that’s not the only game in town. According to The Verge, “Microsoft’s Project Hanover aims to help doctors narrow their search for the right drug regime, sifting through medical papers to suggest the most effective treatments. IBM is working on a similar project, using 600,000 medical and 1.5 million patient records to explore better cancer treatments.”

These systems don’t have to target only life and death issues. In July, Google launched a People + AI Research (PAIR) program to “democratize” AI, focusing on its helpfulness to humans, and exploring how AI systems can “amplify the expertise of doctors, technicians, designers, farmers, musicians, and more.” Microsoft launched a similar effort the same week. This concept recognizes the larger truth about our expanding AI capabilities. In essence, this technology has the potential to help people in nearly any endeavor. At Genesys, we make customer experience management systems that use assistive AI development — we call it “blended AI” and have personified it as “Kate.” Kate aims to augment the capabilities of call center agents and customer service/helpdesk personnel. It is a hybrid execution leveraging automation and machine learning so real agents can better handle customer inquiries. That’s it. The technical implementation combines a collection of technologies — chatbots, micro-applications, knowledge center, widgets, a dialog engine, engagement engine, APIs, etc. — under an integration layer. This assists human agents with customer interaction information, sentiment analysis, suggestions on how to respond to queries, help executing processes and providing guidance on what to do next during an interaction.

This blended AI model doesn’t eliminate the need for customer service reps. But it can significantly help a select group of people perform specific duties with greater ease and acuity — and that’s the whole point of enterprise-grade assistive AI. Applied to a target task, it can serve a purpose beyond the mere novelty displayed in consumer AI personas, but it does not replace the person. As noted by MIT Technology Review’s Jamie Condliffe, “The implication is that AI shouldn’t necessarily take over from humans but, rather, help them do a better a job.”

Christopher Connolly is the vice president of solution strategy for Genesys , the global leader in omnichannel customer experience and contact center solutions. He is based in the company’s regional offices in Miami and can be reached at christopher.connolly@genesys.com .

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

Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:  Walmart Moves From Traditional Retailer To High-Tech Innovator

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When Customer Service Creates Customer Validation

Many people think of customer service as a department. If you’ve been following me, you’ll know my belief is that customer service is a philosophy, not a department. It should be embraced by every employee, regardless of their job and how long they’ve been there. With that said, the focus on this topic is on what many consider to be the customer service and support department – the people who have contact and interaction with the customer.

Direct interaction can come in many forms. It can be the traditional customer service team who fields questions and complaints. It can come through a customer simply calling, for any reason, to connect with someone inside the company. The customer may reach out to the company via social channels, a website, a text message – really any interaction with the company.

So here is the big question to ponder: Does your company just answer questions and manage complaints, or do they validate the customer’s decision to do business with you?

In other words, when the interaction with the customer is over, does the customer think, “I love doing business with this company”?

Now, that makes common sense, but here is where some companies get it wrong. They focus on metrics – or should I say, the wrong metrics. Metrics are important, as they can tell a big part of the story. If one of your key metrics is about getting the customer off the phone as quickly as possible, however, you could be shortsighted.

The best customer support does several things. First, it answers the customer’s question. Second, it gives an opportunity for the service provider to make suggestions, answer future questions the customer may have (but, doesn’t know it yet), and more. This doesn’t happen if you’re trying to rush a customer off the call.

Customers will call for help and support – and even to complain. And, this is when the company gets to prove itself. Through an employee’s knowledge, communication skills, patience, willingness to help, and ability to build rapport, he or she can ensure the customer is not only happy but has also made the right choice. In other words, validate the reason a customer chose to do business with the company in the first place. But, that can’t happen if efficiency is how you measure success. Instead, the focus should be on the customer’s level of delight and willingness to want to do business with you the next time they need whatever it is that you sell.

Validation needs to be a part of the customer experience. It creates confidence, and that can lead to loyalty!

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, 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 © MMXVII, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: James Dodkins

James Dodkins on Putting the Employee First, the Customer Second

It is common belief that the customer’s needs should always come first, but what if employees’ needs were put first in order to ensure customer satisfaction?

Shep Hyken interviews James Dodkins who shares his ideas on what a company looks like when the employees are made top priority, so that in return they can be best prepared to treat customers as their main focus.

 

 

Shep speaks with James Dodkins about his idea of what it looks like for companies to put employees first and customers second. James shares seven key components to creating a working culture that best allows for customer success, when the employees are taken care of first and foremost.

Giveaway:

 Download James’ book Foundations for Customer Centricity at no charge!

Top Takeaways:

Seven components to creating a culture of outstanding customer experience:

Vision: Have a core understanding of who your customer is, what their needs are, and what a successful outcome would be.
Align: Align the vision around the delivery of those specific things.
Capability: Make sure the people within the company are skilled enough to make the vision come to life.
Workplace: Have the right environment for the right employees, to ensure the best work is being done.
Incentive: Make sure workers are getting paid for doing the right and important things, not just doing mundane tasks.
Resources: People within the company must have the budget to be able to make the right things happen for the customer.
Empowerment: Without this key component, the rest don’t work. Workers must feel confident that their decisions will be supported by leadership within the company.



About:

James Dodkins is the author of Foundations for Customer Centricity. He helps companies create outstanding and unforgettable customer experiences, and travels the globe learning the secrets of the world’s best performing companies, and uses that information to help organizations replicate that success. He specializes in customer experience and customer centricity.

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.

“If you pay people for doing stupid things, they’ll become very smart at doing them.” – James Dodkins

 

      

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

How can understand what my customer needs?
How can I equip my employees with the proper skills to deliver excellent customer service?
How can I create happy employees?
What can I do to create a more conducive workplace for employees?
How can I create a better customer experience?
How can I create a better employee experience?

The post Amazing Business Radio: James Dodkins appeared first on Shep Hyken.

5 Top Customer Service Articles for the Week of October 16, 2017

Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online 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.

Engage Your Front Line To Increase Your Bottom Line by Beth Benjamin and Emma Sopadjieva

(Forbes) Your frontline employees often know what’s wrong in your company before you do. They can tell you what delights customers and what frustrates them and, perhaps more importantly, they can tell you “why.” They can tell you why some customers are buying more of your services, while others are returning products, canceling contracts, and taking their business elsewhere. The problem is that many companies aren’t listening.

My Comment: This article starts with the following sentence: “Your frontline employees, like your sales associates, technicians and customer service reps, often know what’s wrong in your company before you do.” For many leaders, that one line should grab your attention. Engage your front liners. They are with your customers every day, and they may know more about them that just about anyone else in your company.

91% of Top Companies Use AI to Boost Customer Service, Improve Branding by Alison DeNisco Rayome

(TechRepublic) Companies including Alibaba, Lexus, and Uber use both human and automated customer service to deliver the best results, according to a report from MIT Technology Report and Genesys.

My Comment: The companies that use AI (Artificial Intelligence) effectively have figured out an important part of the AI customer experience. There must be a balance between the machine and the human. The best companies know when it’s time to move away from the machine. Customers will accept an AI customer support alternative as long as they can quickly and conveniently (and sometimes invisibly) switch to a live person.

Key Takeaways from Zendesk’s Customer Experience Council by Elyse Simek

(Userlane) A novice’s first impressions on customer success, customer experience, artificial intelligence, and more.

My Comment: Zendesk recently had a Customer Experience Council event. The author of this article, Elyse Simek, has done us a great service and written up a robust recap of some of the top concepts discussed at the event.

Customer Lifecycle Marketing: A Simple Yet Powerful Concept by Lindsay Tjepkema

(Retail TouchPoints) Studies show it costs nearly five times as much to acquire customers than to retain them over the long term. For marketers, this makes sense. Rather than spending valuable time and resources continuously searching for new customers, marketers can spend that time and those resources keeping current customers happy and engaged throughout the customer lifecycle.

My Comment: The “customer lifecycle” concept is interesting. While this article focuses on the retail industry, understanding how it applies to your company, regardless of industry, can be important to how you market, sell and service your customers.

The Elusive ROI of Customer Experience by Annette Franz

(Effectly) When you’re trying to get executive commitment for your employee and customer experience improvement initiatives, what’s the first question they ask? Typically, it’s something along the lines of: Why? What’s in it for us? What’s the ROI? If I spend money on those improvement initiatives, that takes money from some other initiative. Which is more important?

My Comment: You’ve seen Annette Franz’s name and articles frequently in this roundup of customer service and CX articles. This excellent post by Annette focuses on how to prove the ROI on CX for the C-Suite.

Shep Hyken is a customer serv ice expert, professional 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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Guest Post: The Future of Customer Loyalty Mimics the Past – Customer Centricity Says It All

This week we feature an article by Jess Mizerak discussing the future of brand loyalty and how to continue to be successful in the world of E-commerce. We want the customer to feel a sense of ownership in the relationship they have with us. That’s what your loyalty program should do. – Shep Hyken

Back when E-commerce was really growing, it was little surprise to learn when our favorite retailers opened for business online. Now that Ecomm is well developed, it’s more surprising when brick-and-mortar retailers don’t have an online presence. Even more interesting is the trend over the last few years as major companies go analog after having built up a successful business 100% online. Names like Rent the Runway, Google and Amazon are making the move to brick-and-mortar. After those dozens of doomsday opinion posts, we’re now seeing that offline retail is definitely not dead.

It’s all just a part of consumer demand, and customers still demand the in-store experience. That’s important because customer-centricity continues to be the driving force behind sales, and true customer loyalty.

So, what’s the future of brand loyalty? Well, it sounds a whole lot like the past…. except there’s a lot more technology at retailers’ disposal to help make consumers’ high expectations a reality.

1. Build relationships with better engagement

If you’re only engaging during, around, or because of the purchase process, you’re doing it wrong. You and I are consumers, too, so you probably know how it feels when brands only reach out to you to say “Hey you. Get back on our site and buy.” I personally don’t really like this obvious approach, and I know I’m not the only one.

Brands have to get clever and get rid of checkout tunnel vision because that’s not going to help build the relationship. You have to add more depth to it.

Retailers can make it happen by rewarding customers for actions that have nothing to do with the purchase but have solid ties to their brand and brand values. Is your brand eco-focused? If you’re selling beauty products, make like Lush and reward customers for bringing back your used containers. Or if you’re in the fashion business, like Madewell, for recycling their used shirts. Consider your brand values and brainstorm every possible customer action that you could reward, and show customers you care.

2. Unique rewards and special experiences

Did you catch Intelligence Report 2017? The report indicated that loyalty program members aren’t always interested in discounts. They’d rather see better tiers, product samples and get access to VIP experiences. And it makes sense because these are all things they can use, (hopefully) love and remember!

Discounts are important, and they’re the basis of any rewards program, but if that’s all you’re offering, chances are the repeat purchases you’re getting are fleeting and not customer “loyalty” at all! And if you’re not inducing true loyalty, your business is not future-proof.

3. Loyalty programs shouldn’t exist in a vacuum

Just like online brands are delving into the world of in-person experiences, loyalty program presence should also be diversified. Rewards programs should be visible on each channel that a brand is already on, and continually seek to incorporate new channels, where their customers already are.

It seems like there’s a lot of work to be done here. Intelligence Report 2017 found that 71% of loyalty program mentions are in an email subject. They’re also mentioned often on the homepage. If brands continue to promote in predictable ways only, they’ll miss out on the chance to engage potential members (and potential returning customers!) that browse, recommend and shop in less predictable ways.

What’s next?

In the ROI of Customer Loyalty, Forrester’s research indicates that brands are still talking about pumping up customer retention efforts. However, brands are still spending far more on customer acquisition than retention. So where do we go from here? We take a look at our past. The customer is always right. It’s time to consider what they’re already asking for.

Technology has already been built to improve the customer experience, provide a greater variety of memorable rewards, and spread the experience across all channels. You’re only job is to take advantage of it.

Jess Mizerak has worked with clients at Antavo Loyalty Software to structure and build truly engaging loyalty programs in a range of industries. Her idea of relaxation involves drinking a warm coffee and perusing the latest articles from Adweek.

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

Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:  Your Customer Service Isn’t As Good As You Think It Is

The post Guest Post: The Future of Customer Loyalty Mimics the Past – Customer Centricity Says It All appeared first on Shep Hyken.