Shep Hyken's Blog, page 209

5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 22, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

Why You Should Treat Your Employees Like Your Most Loyal Customers by Sarah Patterson

(Fast Company) It’s time for companies to think longer and harder about employee satisfaction. One way to do this is with technology.

My Comment: This article is spot on. For a company to become customer-focused, they must first be employee-focused. The best companies (as this article points out) have done just that. I’ve always said, what’s happening on the inside of an organization is felt on the outside by the customer. Treat your employees the way you want your customers treated – maybe even better.

How Social Media Has Forever Changed Customer Service by Jodi Bart Holzband

(Bloomfire) Social media enables companies to foster positive relationships by meeting consumers where they live.

My Comment: Social customer service is a hot topic these days. Most companies haven’t embraced it, and most of those that have just see it as a way to react to customers complaints. There is so much more to it than that, and as this article points out, companies must embrace this opportunity to enhance the value and relationship the company has with its customers.

How to live happily ever after with your customers by Olga Kolodynska

(LiveChat) But along the way, it’s easy for a customer to be amazed by the competition and try their service. For you, it means that once somebody buys a product, that’s when your hard work begins. Falling in love is the easiest part of any relationship. Maintaining it, that’s a different story. So, what do you do to keep your customers engaged over the years?

My Comment: Part of delivering a great customer experience is the connection you make with your customers. One of the more powerful strategies is personalization.  This article has some great examples of how to create the connection we want to have with our customers, and we hope customers want to have with us.

Spend time in the field and get a customer service education by Ron Kaufman

(New Voice Media) Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits is a popular chain of more than 1,300 restaurants in 20 countries. It promotes understanding between the people in head office and those in the restaurants with a range of vigorous and innovative programs. Its focus on customer service education is exceptional and extends to all levels of the company.

My Comment: This short article has several ideas, but the concept of the support center getting out from behind a desk and going into the field is what stands out for me. It makes a connection between support, what’s happening in the field and the customer.

The 3 Secrets To An Exceptional Customer Experience by Idit Aloni Halfon

(Business2Community) Social platforms present several unique challenges to exceptional customer service. For it to be truly effective, it must be integrated fully into the customer journey – the sum total of interactions a consumer has with a company – and must be carried out in real time. But social media is in many ways a different ball game, requiring different skills and practices than those that have been refined for years on other channels.


My Comment: Here are three great ideas to deliver a better customer experience. I especially appreciate that the first “secret” is about the customer journey. This is the starting point of understanding what the customer goes through. Great food for thought!



Shep Hyken is a customer service 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 Blog: 5 Signs It’s Time to Fire a Customer

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Collin Burke writes about when it’s time to fire the customer. I believe that some customers aren’t worth doing business with.  It’s okay. Toxic customers may be bad for you and your company’s health.  – Shep Hyken

We’ve all heard the age-old expression: The customer is always right. It has a nice ring to it. But anyone who thinks critically about this statement for half a second knows that it’s simply not true.

The issue with this claim lies in the word always – it’s clearly an exaggeration. Very few things are always the case, especially in the complicated world of customer service.

Sure, it’s important to accommodate and avoid confronting your customers. But there are plenty of occasions when customers are straight up wrong. Bowing down to every single customer who pays you a dime is not the right way to provide customer service.

When customers are wrong, there’s no real reason to pretend that they are right – it’s an unproductive waste of time. And when customers do wrong by disrespecting you or other members of your team, they shouldn’t get away with it just because we’ve been told all of our lives that they are always right.

In certain instances, customers are so wrong that you should let them go. That’s right – sometimes it’s actually okay to fire a customer.

Here are 5 signs that it’s time to fire a customer:

They are abusive.

You shouldn’t put up with customers who cross the line. There’s a difference between being annoying and being abusive. If a customer regularly loses their cool and kills your team’s morale, then they’re not worth your time. Stand up for your team for the sake of your culture.

They threaten you.

Some customers will have problems so complex that they keep you up at night as you constantly strive to find a resolution. However, customers should never keep you up at night because they make you feel anxious about what they might do to harm your business (e.g. bashing you on social media). Receiving real threats from customers should not be tolerated. At some point, you need to put your foot down.

They lie to you.

And not just a white lie – I’m talking about a lie that totally screws you over. If a lie from a customer costs you business, then you should ask yourself: Are they worth it?

They don’t pay you.

Customers need to hold up their end of the deal. But sometimes, they try to sneakily get away without making their payments. Customers who can’t be held financially accountable aren’t really customers – they’re more like leeches that suck resources from your organization. Parasitic business relationships are simply unsustainable.

They waste your time.

There are some customers who reach out to customer service far too often, wasting your team’s valuable time and energy. As a result, your team isn’t able to spend as much time dealing with other customers. Some low-paying customers can hinder the efficiency of your team to the point where they are not worth retaining.

If you’ve noticed any of these 5 signs within your organization, you should look into which customers you should fire and how to fire a bad customer.

Don’t be held hostage by unprofessional customers. Take a stand and stick up for yourself – it’s worth it.

Want more insights on maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of your customer service team? Check out this free eBook on customer service metrics.

Collin Burke is a content marketing associate at InsightSquared , a business intelligence startup based in Boston, MA. He writes about all things customer service, while focusing on reporting and analytics . You might enjoy his extensive list of 100 customer service statistics .

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com. Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:

How Online Video Can Do Double Duty For Your Company

 

 

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A Customer Service Moment of Misery™: My Worst Taxi Ride Ever!

Bad Customer Experience

If you’ve seen me speak or been on my YouTube channel you may be familiar with my favorite story about the customer service experience I had with a taxi-cab driver. Well, this is the opposite of that experience, although it still provided some valuable lessons.

Many times I use a transportation company to take me from my home to the airport. I typically call the night before my flight to arrange for an early-morning ride to the airport. One evening I reserved my car for 4:15am to get me to the airport by 4:30am to catch my 5:30am flight.

At 4:15am, I was outside our building waiting for the driver. My first indication that something was wrong was that drivers usually arrive at least five or 10 minutes early. So, I called the company and the dispatcher told me my driver was two or three minutes away. Five minutes later I called back and I could hear the dispatcher on the radio with the driver who said she was turning on my street now.

Well, I was standing outside and could see that no one was turning on my street, and I told the dispatcher. Another few minutes went by and I called the dispatcher to say that I was going to the local taxi stand, which was just a short walk up the block. If the driver showed up before I got into a cab, I would go with her. Otherwise, too bad.

As my luck would have it, just as I was almost to the taxi stand, the driver showed up. I was not happy and said the obvious. “I’ve got a flight to catch. We need to move.” She replied, “I’m only ten minutes late. It’s not like you’re going to miss your flight.” I replied, “How do you know what time my flight is?” Frustrated, I got into the car.

She didn’t say she was sorry. She only complained about how bad her day had started. I told her nicely that I understood she was having a bad day, but my interest was in getting to the airport as quickly as possible. She insisted on telling me how this was an in-between job and how much she hated this company. I was shocked and didn’t say a word. She kept talking and was working herself up into being emotionally upset. She eventually became so upset that she picked up the radio to connect with the dispatcher and announced that as soon as she dropped me off she was bringing the car back and quitting.

The driver was a little crazy. That’s not a medical diagnosis, just an observation. I feared for my life as I thought she might intentionally cause an accident or drive the car into a wall. Good news: We eventually made it to the airport.

All I could think about was how bad this experience was and what we could all learn from it:

Show up on time. Anything else is disrespectful, destroys confidence and can ultimately cost you business.
The customer is not your therapist. It doesn’t matter how bad your day is, don’t burden him or her with your problems. Your job is to take care of the customer, regardless of how you feel.
Don’t air your dirty laundry in public. You may not like the company you work for, but you should still be respectful. They are paying you to do a job, so do it well and represent the company to the best of your abilities.
When you are in front of your customer, you are your company. You represent the company, their brand, and all of their employees. You have the power to give the customer a great experience – or not. Anything you do, positive or negative, reflects on the company – so seize it as an opportunity to amaze your customer!

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 © MMXV, Shep Hyken)

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 15, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

Hire a Team of Ruths by John Boccuzzi, Jr.

(LinkedIn) Hiring a team of Ruths could be one the most important things you do for your retail location(s) this year.

My Comment: I think we’d all like to have a woman like Ruth on our team. She gets it. She makes her customers feel special. She pays attention to them, creates confidence with her knowledge and expertise and she knows how to provide value. As some might say, “She’s a triple threat!” At least to the competition.

Customer Journey Maps – the Top 10 Requirements (Revisited) by Jim Tincher

(Heart of the Customer) Two years ago I posted Customer Journey Map – the Top 10 Requirements. Since then, it’s been viewed over 60,000 times at this site, as well as many times on other sites. After a little more than two years I decided to revisit it. While the core philosophy remains consistent, we’ve made a few small tweaks and brought in some new examples.

My Comment: I’m a big advocate of my clients creating a customer journey map. This article has a number of good ideas about how to create a journey map for any organization’s customers. Definitely worth consideration.

Seven Questions With Customer Strategy Expert Jeanne Bliss by Blake Morgan

(Forbes) Did you know some of the best companies in the world have Chief Customer Officers? These are board appointed roles who have the ability to create and drive customer strategy across the company, unencumbered by boundaries or traditional silos of business units.

My Comment: I’m a big Jeanne Bliss fan. When she talks, I listen, take notes and then execute. Great interview with some insights to the importance of the customer experience. And, I’m looking forward to reading her newest book, “Chief Customer Officer 2.0.”

Why customer love matters: Inspiring quotes from 9 business leaders by Kelvin Claveria

(Vision Critical) Showing customers the love and respect they deserve has never been more critical. In the age of mobile, cloud and social technologies, customers have more choices than ever. They have louder voices. And they have more opportunities to amplify their message.

My Comment: Here are nine inspiring quotes that should motivate you to show your customers the love and respect they deserve.

 10 Most Common Customer Service Failures by Manuel Grenacher

(LinkedIn) Many other companies suffer from the same common problems that frequently upset customers or that lead to customer complaints. If you want to delight your customers, avoid these customer service failures.

My Comment: Great list of what NOT to do if you want to deliver a great customer service experience. As much as we can learn from the best of the best, we can also learn from the worst.

Shep Hyken is a customer service 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 Blog: How to Adapt Customer Service in an Ever Growing Social Media World

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague Anna O’Toole writes about the importance of a customer centric approach to dealing with customers, especially with all of the new trends in digital customer service. While technology is great, it’s important to remember to use it for improving customer service and enhancing the customer’s experience!  – Shep Hyken

Social media and mobile technology were game changers regarding the way we communicate, not only with each other socially but on a business level as well. Anyone with a cell phone, and that is just about everyone over age 9, has constant access to social media. With the sheer volume of tweets, Facebook posts, Yelp reviews and general searches going on every second of every day, companies have realized they too have constant access to their customer base. With the sheer volume of people online 24/7, how is excellent customer service manageable, much less adaptable?

CUSTOMER CENTRIC APPROACH

It used to be that the business or company had control of how and when customers shopped. That is largely in the control of the customer now with interactive websites being the connective tool. Because of this shift, businesses need to switch to a customer centric approach. Commit to customer success and engage from the get-go. This is done in several ways.

STAY WITH YOUR CUSTOMER

Be where the customers are. While certain social media sites come and go in popularity, key sites such as Facebook remain popular. Be adaptable and engaged on the social media of preference among your base. When a customer tweets, respond with a tweet. Allow interaction to come through chat, Twitter, SMS, voice and email. It seems like a lot but today’s customers communicate in ways as varied as people themselves, with the one thing in common being the phone or tablet in their hands.

CUSTOMER SERVICE BENCHMARK PLAN

Studies show that 72% of customers complaining on Twitter expect a response within 60 minutes. Try to respond in a timely manner and make responses as personal as possible. There is nothing more maddening than a generic response that falls short of addressing the issue.

A VB Insight report reveals that today’s consumers complain about specific brands a whopping 879 million times annually using Facebook, Twitter and other social portals. Some 10% or so complain daily. Is your company prepared to keep up and learn?

INVEST IN THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

Customer service agents must be able to handle multiple interactions across different channels. Investing in technology that can handle inbound complaints and questions will put your company on top. Think about when you’ve been the customer and needed an issue resolved. Did you enjoy being put on hold multiple times, switched around and possibly lost in the process? Of course not, if anything your frustration level went through the roof. Instead of keeping a client on the line repeating the same information numerous times, be prepared to handle the incoming complaint on the spot.

The latest call center software technology from Bright Pattern Inc., called Rich Contact Experience, allows customer service agents to interact across various channels simultaneously. Think back to the bit about being put on hold and switched around. Wouldn’t it be better if you could talk on the phone with an agent about your issues while sending a screenshot via text or tweet? How much easier this would be than trying to describe what you’re talking about. It’s another in a long line of technology game changers.

Only companies willing to adapt and respond to ever changing nuances among their customers will come out on top. Staying up to date with the latest and greatest trends in digital customer service and investing in the right technology go a long way toward more satisfied customers and improve client retention.

At Bright Pattern, we are advocating a new paradigm of rich contact experience and believe that contact between customers and contact centers will become richer and more complex, dramatically improving the quality of customer service. To make this happen we propose a new approach to arranging agents’ work by distributing to them multiple cross-channel interactions, therefore improving their productivity and utilization. 

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com. Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:

Meet A Leader Who Makes Getting RICH Simple

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Buyer Behavior Is Changing Faster Than Ever Due to Technology

Customer Behavior

It wasn’t that long ago that there were just two ways someone could buy something; either in a store or through the mail – if you were willing to wait four to six weeks for delivery. Today the typical mail order purchase has been replaced with the ability to go online, either through your computer or mobile device. And instead of the merchandise arriving in four to six weeks, it takes just a day or two – and sometimes just an hour or two.

It’s not just how we buy that is changing, but also what we buy. And, in many cases, technology is the driving force behind our changing behavior. Here is an example that might put it into perspective.

At the recent IBM Amplify conference in San Diego, an executive from Facebook made a presentation and commented that chewing gum sales were down last year by 10 percent.

What might cause this? Are people shying away from sugar? No, because there are plenty of sugarless options. Is there a lack of interest in gum? Sales have been waning, but companies such as Wrigley and Kraft have developed new brands and pricing strategies to jump start their sales.

So what’s the real reason behind deflating gum sales? Mobile phones.

Think about this and it will make total sense. People typically buy chewing gum in the checkout lane at the grocery store. It’s purposefully put there to be an impulse buy, along with candy, magazines, and other items in the display.

But, no longer are you just standing in line and looking around. No, you’re standing in line looking at your mobile phone. You’re on Facebook, checking your email, texting a friend or tweeting out a message. You’re now preoccupied with an activity that has your mind so engaged you may not even notice the chewing gum display.

As a result of mobile phones, the customer’s behavior in grocery stores is changing. The part of the customer’s journey that included the wait at the checkout lane has changed, forcing companies to adjust.

Hearst Corporation, one of the largest media companies in the country, has started placing magazine displays in other areas of grocery stores to avoid competition with the “mobile blinders.” Soft drink companies have employed similar strategies when it comes to their single-serve drink coolers. Instead of going for impulse purchases as the customer is checking out, they’ve moved drink displays elsewhere in the store to try and catch the customer’s eye.

These companies haven’t completely checked out of the checkout lane (there are still magazines, candy, gum and soda available up front). But they’re cognizant of the fact that buyer behavior is changing. So they’re trying to change as well.

How else has technology impacted the behavior of customers in a grocery store? (That’s a rhetorical question.) The bigger and more personal question, however, is how is technology changing the way your customer does business with you and your company? Think about it now, before your sales are negatively affected by your business’ version of mobile blinders.

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 © MMXV, Shep Hyken)

 

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 8, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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 Retail Customer Connection by Richard Shapiro

(Richard R. Shapiro) The new “buzz” is all about the emotional connection in customer service.  I say, yes! Companies should be focused on creating and building relationships.  By forming a human bond, your organization will not only have a volume of happy customers, but customers who need, want you, and will return.

My Comment: You can’t beat the connection made between people. Companies are becoming focused on using technology to take care of customers. They create self-service solutions to get customers what they need quickly and hassle-free. They do this knowing that they are giving up the opportunity for the human connection. That may not be bad in most cases. But the lack of the human connection may lose the emotional connection that most companies need to create true brand loyalty.

Banking on Kindness: How One Phone Rep Went Above and Beyond the Call by Robert Wallace

(Good News Network) Ellen and Bob Wallace have built a strong marriage over 41 yrs. Not only have they raised children together, they have worked side by side seven days a week to build a business. “She runs half the company; she is my best friend, she is my everything.”

My Comment: This is a great (and emotionally touching) story about the connection that an employee, and therefore the company, can have with a customer. In an era where most support centers want their people to keep calls as short as possible, this shows how taking a few extra minutes to do something special for a customer can create an emotional connection that cements the relationship between the brand and the customer.

Unfriendly Signs Are Bad For Business by Jeff Toister

(Toister Performance Solutions) The business hung the sign because a few people would come into the shop, load up on samples, and then leave. This sign was the response.

My Comment: This short post reminds us that rules and signs should be written for good customers. Think before you make the rule – or post a sign – that will impact all of your customers, just because one or two people abuse the system or try and take advantage of you.

Southwest Airlines Did Something AMAZING for This Mom’s Son Who Slipped Into a Coma by Michael Cantrell

(Young Conservatives) That’s precisely what this story about what Southwest Airlines did for a passenger who a comatose son accomplishes, and why you absolutely need to hear it.

My Comment: Another great Southwest Airlines story. In an industry that is constantly frustrating their customers (passengers) with marginal levels of customer service and failed experiences due to late flights (which may be due to mechanical issues with the planes, weather problems and more), Southwest, while not perfect, continuously proves to be a role model for other airlines to look up to.

How Customer Experience Expertise Can Lead To More Humane Workplaces by Augusta Meill

(Fast Company) There is a movement for a more equitable workplace, and customer experience firms are uniquely positioned to help drive this change.

My Comment: I agree that the happy and fulfilled employee is typically a more engaged. And, raising employees’ salaries may help with that happiness, but I think the money solution is short term. In addition, it takes a good culture and environment to create (long term) fulfillment and appreciation of the employees.

Shep Hyken is a customer service 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 Blog: Mind blowing customer service starts with mind blowing employee service

This week on our Friends on Friday guest blog post, my colleague David Martin writes about the amazing internal service he has experienced at the company for which he now works. I love how the Bellhops continuously try and make their customers happy. What a great company culture they have created! – Shep Hyken

Author note: This guest blog post should be read as a complement to Alison Brattle’s February entry titled, “How Internal Customer Service Can Strengthen Your Business.”

One of the first things I noticed when interviewing at Bellhops was a sign hanging from the wall that read “Treat the Bellhops like kings.”

Bellhops–college aged movers–are the lifeblood of their namesake business, a tech-enabled moving and lifting company headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Leveraging the sharing economy to have a market presence in more than 130 American cities, the business would utterly fail without a legion of empowered and motivated bellhops in the field delivering premium customer service every single day.

My first day on the job I spent a few minutes going through Yelp customer reviews of Bellhops experiences nationwide. They were wildly flattering. I then learned that the company has a +62 Net Promoter score, on par with Zappos, Amazon, and Southwest Airlines.

I asked VP of Customer Experience, Nate Sexton, how it’s possible to get hundreds of geographically dispersed undergrads (all bellhops are active college students) to earn a customer care ranking that industry giants would be envious of.

“Simple,” he said. “We engage our bellhops the exact same way we treat our customers.”

In other words, Bellhops executives and support staff provide great customer service to their own employees. Indeed, they are treated like kings. Here’s an excerpt from an internal company wide email sent out by Bellhops COO Matt Patterson:

Bellhops are the Kings of the company. We are nothing without the bellhops. The green headband (company trademark) is their crown. Every bellhop who crushed a move and got a great review has to hear about it from us. Positive reinforcement and encouragement is essential. When they call in, we need to take care of their every need. If a bellhop is visiting headquarters, everyone needs to get out of their chair and cheer that warrior on.

Bellhops aims to blow each of their customer’s minds. But considering that most consumers already expect good service, blowing minds requires more than just delivering quality work. Blowing minds requires the delivery of an incredible overall experience.

Knowing that, bellhops routinely bring their customers things like bottled water and snacks for moving day. Taking that spirit farther, headquarters set up a concierge department that works with bellhops in each market to find out ways to make their jobs as memorable (in a good way!) as possible.

Are two newlyweds moving into their first home together? Great. The concierge team could work with the bellhops to bring those lovebirds a Monopoly set so they can throw great board game parties. Is a family with young children moving? The bellhops might just show up with toys for the kids since many of their own will be in boxes.

Happy customers equal strong markets. And those healthy markets equal more jobs for the college bellhops. The bellhops work hard to foster great experiences for customers, and they know that headquarters will work with them to help make that happen.

The equation is as straightforward as can be: Bellhops provide great customer service because they, themselves, are the recipients of it from headquarters.

These variables aren’t just tied to the sharing economy. They are the same for any business–brick and mortar, or online. When an employer blows the minds of their employees, those team members will likely do the same for the customer.

David Martin is on the Marketing & Communications team at Bellhops, a tech-enabled moving a lifting company headquartered in Gig City (aka Chattanooga, Tennessee).

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com . Read Shep’s latest Forbes Article:

Is Zappos Marching Bravely into the Future?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Membership Experience Is a Powerful Customer Service Strategy

Customer Experience

One of my favorite strategies in customer service is the membership experience. And, you don’t have to be an exclusive or private club to create that membership experience for your customers. In my book The Amazement Revolution, I used American Express as a role model for this powerful concept. They are hardly a private club, but they create an amazing customer – or should I say member – experience. As they say, “Membership has its privileges.”

Well, I’ve recently become a member of another club, and the experience is worth sharing. Ladies and gentlemen, I am now a proud member of the Dollar Shave Club.

If you know about the Dollar Shave Club, I know what some of you are thinking. It’s not really a club. It’s just an online store that sends you razor blades every month. A valid credit card is pretty much all you need to join the club. Well, at that basic level you may be right. But at a deeper, marketing and customer focused level, there is much more to the Dollar Shave Club than being an online store for razor blades.

First, this company’s marketing is fantastic. It is fun, engaging and makes you want to be a member of their club. Just look at their short videos on YouTube and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Who would think that selling razor blades can be that much fun?

Joining the club was easy. After filling out and submitting a very simple form online, I received their welcome email. This did a couple of things. More than just welcome me, it confirmed that I made a good decision to join their club. Again, they used humor. The letter was funny. More importantly, it validated my decision and actually got me excited to try my new shaving experience. My blades would be coming within the next few days.

Just a few days later the small package came in the mail. The razor handle and blades were exactly what I thought they would be. Great quality and less expensive than the blades I’d been using for years. And, I didn’t have to go to the store anymore. As a member of the club, each month I receive a small box with four blades; one for each week. And of course the package came with my member handbook, which told me more about the blades, when to expect my next box of blades, and additional information about other items I could potentially enjoy if I chose to do so.

Obviously, anyone can join the Dollar Shave Club. So is it really a club? Am I really a member? Or, is this just another online store and I’m just another customer? Technically that may be the case. But here is the reality:

My member experience has great value. It’s inexpensive, the product is very high quality and customer service is outstanding. Plus I get the benefit of a feeling of belonging. There are many names for the people who do business with you… customers, guests, clients, patients, etc. It doesn’t really matter what you call them. They can still receive the member 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 © MMXV, Shep Hyken)

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5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of June 1, 2015

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BUSINESS ARTICLES

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.

Brand your employees, not your organization by Aniisu K. Verghese 

(Open for Business) While it may sound counterintuitive, organizations that invest time to brand their employees are more likely to get back commitment and loyalty in return.

My Comment: The company (employer) may work to create the brand, but the customer has the final word in defining the brand. This article takes an interesting approach of focusing on branding the employees, not the company. Hmmm…. I like this. The focus on employees might create greater employee appreciation, fulfillment and engagement, which is all good for the customer.

Dos and Don’ts of Customer Service Automation by Fuse Machines

(Fuse Machines) Here are some of the best practices for automating and streamlining your customer service processes to suit your business.

My Comment: There is a shift toward companies providing automated self-service (customer service) solutions. Customers appreciate it when it works, yet can become frustrated when it doesn’t – unless the company backs it up with an easy to get to “human solution.” From something as simple as FAQ’s on a website, to a sophisticated voice recognition system, the ideas in this article should be considered for any company offering a self-service solution.

Customer Service Language. by Bruce Turkel

(Turkel Talks) First a customer service confession: I forgot to pay a bill. Got no good excuse, just didn’t see it when I sat down to do my monthlies and it slipped my mind. Don’t judge, don’t hate, let’s just move on…

My Comment: It can be very frustrating to the customer when an employee uses industry jargon or acronyms that the customer doesn’t understand. This is a humorous example of exactly that.

Boost Loyalty with Perks for Repeat Customer by Rieva Lesonsky

(Small Business Trends) Do you have a customer loyalty program? If not, you’re missing out — because loyalty programs drive sales.

 My Comment: I’m constantly asked about how to deal with negative online reviews. I now have a simple response: Read this article.” Great advice for companies in all industries. The customer has gone social with their rants and companies need to accept and embrace this.

Why is the Amazon Prime Loyalty Program So Popular? by Jim Tierney

(Loyalty 360) Amazon Prime’s customer loyalty program celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and recently eclipsed 41 million members. The program’s astounding success is well documented, along with how valuable Amazon Prime members are.

My Comment: The Amazon.com Prime program is one of the elite and most respected loyalty programs in existence. This article helps explain why. I’ll argue that a paid loyalty program is actually a membership program, but somehow Amazon has managed to successfully merge the two together. The reason may be as simple as they consistently exceed their customers’ expectations. And when you factor in that Amazon provides great product selection and great prices, it’s a combination that is hard to beat.

Shep Hyken is a customer service 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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