Shep Hyken's Blog, page 22
July 1, 2024
Customer Focused Leadership with Blake Morgan
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
How can leaders in a company build a customer-centric culture from the top down?
How does employee satisfaction translate into a positive customer experience?
What are the keys to hiring and retaining employees who actively contribute to a positive customer experience?
What are the potential downsides of relying solely on customer satisfaction scores to gauge success?
How does company culture impact customer experience?
Top Takeaways
In business, customer service and experience are not just strategies. They are a way of life. It’s not just about how a company sells, but how it serves.
Companies that treat their employees well often provide better customer service. It’s not just about what the company offers to the customers but also about how it treats its people. When employees feel valued and happy, they pass that positivity to their customers.
Long-term and short-term goals can go side by side. A successful leader understands the importance of balancing two opposing ideas — figuring out how to address immediate customer needs without losing sight of the organization’s long-term goals.
Leading with a customer-focused mindset means putting in the work to elevate oneself first. Whether it is through music, exercise, meditation, etc., do what you must to elevate your own mindset so you can uplift your team and your customers.
The true measure of a company’s customer service comes from the customers themselves. It’s not about how high the numbers on your metrics can go. It’s about creating experiences that make customers want to come back again and again.
Plus, Blake shares more insights from her latest book, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building a Business Around Today’s Customer . Tune in!
Quotes:
“If you want to compete on customer experience, you have to work harder than others. You have to bring more energy, more excitement, and a more service-oriented approach.”
“Customer experience starts with a leadership conversation. You cannot build a customer-centric culture that starts from the frontline. A company becomes customer-centric when the leadership decides to put their resources into empowering their employees to serve their customers.”
“Customer experience mindset is not just a business strategy. It’s a way of life.”
“Don’t forget that employees are customers too. One of the most overlooked pieces of customer strategy is the employee strategy. If your employees are not happy, how will they bring positive energy to the customers?”
About:
Blake Morgan is a customer experience keynote speaker, dubbed by Meta as “The Queen of CX.” She is the author of three customer experience books, including her latest, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building A Business Around Today’s Customer. She is the host of The Modern Customer Podcast .
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
How can leaders in a company build a customer-centric culture from the top down?
How does employee satisfaction translate into a positive customer experience?
What are the keys to hiring and retaining employees who actively contribute to a positive customer experience?
What are the potential downsides of relying solely on customer satisfaction scores to gauge success?
How does company culture impact customer experience?
Top Takeaways
In business, customer service and experience are not just strategies. They are a way of life. It’s not just about how a company sells, but how it serves.
Companies that treat their employees well often provide better customer service. It’s not just about what the company offers to the customers but also about how it treats its people. When employees feel valued and happy, they pass that positivity to their customers.
Long-term and short-term goals can go side by side. A successful leader understands the importance of balancing two opposing ideas — figuring out how to address immediate customer needs without losing sight of the organization’s long-term goals.
Leading with a customer-focused mindset means putting in the work to elevate oneself first. Whether it is through music, exercise, meditation, etc., do what you must to elevate your own mindset so you can uplift your team and your customers.
The true measure of a company’s customer service comes from the customers themselves. It’s not about how high the numbers on your metrics can go. It’s about creating experiences that make customers want to come back again and again.
Plus, Blake shares more insights from her latest book, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building a Business Around Today’s Customer . Tune in!
Quotes:
“If you want to compete on customer experience, you have to work harder than others. You have to bring more energy, more excitement, and a more service-oriented approach.”
“Customer experience starts with a leadership conversation. You cannot build a customer-centric culture that starts from the frontline. A company becomes customer-centric when the leadership decides to put their resources into empowering their employees to serve their customers.”
“Customer experience mindset is not just a business strategy. It’s a way of life.”
“Don’t forget that employees are customers too. One of the most overlooked pieces of customer strategy is the employee strategy. If your employees are not happy, how will they bring positive energy to the customers?”
About:
Blake Morgan is a customer experience keynote speaker, dubbed by Meta as “The Queen of CX.” She is the author of three customer experience books, including her latest, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building A Business Around Today’s Customer. She is the host of The Modern Customer Podcast .
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
June 30, 2024
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of July 1, 2024
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
CX Makeover: 11 Ways to Improve Customer Experience by Ken McMahon
(Nextiva) Employees interact with customers every day and are a valuable source of CX knowledge. Regularly collect feedback from staff through surveys, meetings, or suggestion boxes to identify customer pain points and opportunities for improvement.
My Comment: We start this week’s Top Five roundup with a list of eleven ways to improve customer experience. As with many of these types of lists, you’ll agree with most of the ideas, but don’t skim over them. Take a close read and see what ideas they spark.
Eliminate Inconveniences For Your Customers With These 5 Tips by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) When it comes to creating an exceptional customer experience, businesses often focus on the big gestures – impressive loyalty programs, flashy gifts, and over-the-top service at one or two big moments. While these things are important, there’s an often overlooked component that can make a massive difference. Now more than ever, it’s critical to eliminate inconveniences for your customers.
My Comment: Brittany Hodak continues to publish excellent content. In this short article, she covers five ways companies inconvenience their customers and what to do about it. If you’re guilty of any one (or more) of these, it might be time to consider changing your process. How you’ve “always done it” may not meet the modern customer’s expectations.
Take This Radical Approach to Customer Retention to Boost Employee Morale — And Your Profit by Christine Park
(Entrepreneur) Customer retention has never been more important to an organization’s bottom line, but achieving it means doubling down on the connection between employees and customers. Here’s why it works, and how to get there.
My Comment: The title of this article suggests that its ideas are radical. I wouldn’t call them radical as much as they are necessary. First, making customer success everyone’s responsibility is about a culture that is customer-focused. (I love that!) Second, supercharging customer touchpoints is looking at every customer interaction and maximizing the opportunity to create an experience that makes customers say, “I’ll be back.” And third, focus on the EX (Employee Experience) as much as your CX.
How Convenience Stores are Elevating Customer Experience in 2024 by Dan Gingiss
(Dan Gingiss) With competition growing from grocery chains, dollar stores, and other retailers, magnified by an emphasis on brick-and-mortar customer experience post-pandemic, “convenience store customers have evolved and are looking for retailers to meet their new, heightened expectations,” according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.
My Comment: While this may seem like an article about convenience stores, a more open-minded view would be to view this article by Dan Gingiss, a fellow CX expert, as giving us an inside look at how an industry we’re all familiar with is reinventing itself. The convenience store industry has a few brands worth knowing about and emulating their attention to customer experience.
The Secret Sauce That Drives Costco’s Customer Loyalty by Roger Dooley
(Forbes) How many retail stores are there where customers willingly pay an annual fee just to shop there? Not many, but Costco is one of the few. And, its customers are loyal. According to UBS analyst Michael Lasser, Costco has the most loyal customers of any retailer. I’ll explain some of the factors that drive that loyalty.
My Comment: Who has the most loyal customers of any retailer? According to the author, the answer is Costco, with a 92.9% membership renewal rate. Here’s an opportunity to get a glimpse inside a company that has found ways to drive incredible loyalty in good and bad times. While we can’t all be Costco, there are lessons to learn that can help any type of business.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
CX Makeover: 11 Ways to Improve Customer Experience by Ken McMahon
(Nextiva) Employees interact with customers every day and are a valuable source of CX knowledge. Regularly collect feedback from staff through surveys, meetings, or suggestion boxes to identify customer pain points and opportunities for improvement.
My Comment: We start this week’s Top Five roundup with a list of eleven ways to improve customer experience. As with many of these types of lists, you’ll agree with most of the ideas, but don’t skim over them. Take a close read and see what ideas they spark.
Eliminate Inconveniences For Your Customers With These 5 Tips by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) When it comes to creating an exceptional customer experience, businesses often focus on the big gestures – impressive loyalty programs, flashy gifts, and over-the-top service at one or two big moments. While these things are important, there’s an often overlooked component that can make a massive difference. Now more than ever, it’s critical to eliminate inconveniences for your customers.
My Comment: Brittany Hodak continues to publish excellent content. In this short article, she covers five ways companies inconvenience their customers and what to do about it. If you’re guilty of any one (or more) of these, it might be time to consider changing your process. How you’ve “always done it” may not meet the modern customer’s expectations.
Take This Radical Approach to Customer Retention to Boost Employee Morale — And Your Profit by Christine Park
(Entrepreneur) Customer retention has never been more important to an organization’s bottom line, but achieving it means doubling down on the connection between employees and customers. Here’s why it works, and how to get there.
My Comment: The title of this article suggests that its ideas are radical. I wouldn’t call them radical as much as they are necessary. First, making customer success everyone’s responsibility is about a culture that is customer-focused. (I love that!) Second, supercharging customer touchpoints is looking at every customer interaction and maximizing the opportunity to create an experience that makes customers say, “I’ll be back.” And third, focus on the EX (Employee Experience) as much as your CX.
How Convenience Stores are Elevating Customer Experience in 2024 by Dan Gingiss
(Dan Gingiss) With competition growing from grocery chains, dollar stores, and other retailers, magnified by an emphasis on brick-and-mortar customer experience post-pandemic, “convenience store customers have evolved and are looking for retailers to meet their new, heightened expectations,” according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.
My Comment: While this may seem like an article about convenience stores, a more open-minded view would be to view this article by Dan Gingiss, a fellow CX expert, as giving us an inside look at how an industry we’re all familiar with is reinventing itself. The convenience store industry has a few brands worth knowing about and emulating their attention to customer experience.
The Secret Sauce That Drives Costco’s Customer Loyalty by Roger Dooley
(Forbes) How many retail stores are there where customers willingly pay an annual fee just to shop there? Not many, but Costco is one of the few. And, its customers are loyal. According to UBS analyst Michael Lasser, Costco has the most loyal customers of any retailer. I’ll explain some of the factors that drive that loyalty.
My Comment: Who has the most loyal customers of any retailer? According to the author, the answer is Costco, with a 92.9% membership renewal rate. Here’s an opportunity to get a glimpse inside a company that has found ways to drive incredible loyalty in good and bad times. While we can’t all be Costco, there are lessons to learn that can help any type of business.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
June 25, 2024
Some Customers Aren’t Worth Doing Business With
In some of my customer service speeches, I joke that some customers aren’t worth doing business with. The way I position it in the speech is funny, but in reality, it’s pretty serious. Sometimes, a customer isn’t worth doing business with because they are truly a bad customer. The result could be choosing to say, “Goodbye,” and sending them to the competition. While there are many reasons you might end your relationship with a customer, I came up with six obvious ones to get you thinking:
Customers who repeatedly return products. This is often the result of a liberal return policy that some customers abuse. Repeated returns cost money – sometimes more than the profit from the sale.
Customers who make unwarranted complaints about service. You’ve heard the recording: “These calls are recorded for quality assurance.” Not only are recorded calls great for training, but they can also become evidence of a customer who has an unwarranted complaint about the company’s customer service – or any other situation.
Customers who demand unreasonable solutions to problems. If the customer’s demands are unreasonable and they won’t accept the solutions or compensation an employee is offering, it may be time to let them go.
Customers who take up too much time. For example, customers who repeatedly send back products, which takes up too much time and costs the company money.
Customers who are argumentative. Some customers will argue, and nothing will make them happy. When they realize you are about to “fire” them as a customer, they sometimes recognize that they are being unreasonable. But, when they don’t, it’s time to consider saying, “Goodbye.”
Customers who are abusive toward employees. This is more than an argumentative customer – it is taking rude and argumentative to another level. The customer curses, insults or threatens the employee. While we always want to be polite to our customers, sometimes it’s okay to politely transfer them to a manager or, if empowered to do so, politely say goodbye and hang up.
Keep in mind that it’s our job to take a negative event or abusive customer and turn the situation around. Another way of saying it is to turn rants into raves. Yet, in some cases – hopefully very few – the customer may truly not be worth doing business with … today. That could change in the future. Keep that in mind. Remember one of my favorite sayings:
The customer is not always right, but they are always the customer.
Consider that saying before slamming the door on an abusive customer. If you feel it can’t be worked out – today – close the door quietly, but consider leaving it open, ever-so-slightly, just in case they realize the error of their ways. Maybe they will come back, apologize, and become a great customer – one that is well worth doing business with!
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
June 24, 2024
Nordstrom’s Customer Service Evolution with Robert Spector
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
How does Nordstrom balance tradition and innovation to stay relevant?
How does a successful company prioritize social responsibility in its operations and community engagement?
In what ways can businesses maintain strong connections with their customers in an increasingly digital world?
How does social responsibility impact customer loyalty?
How does an organization instill a culture of empowerment and trust to enhance the customer experience?
Top Takeaways
In its employee handbook, Nordstrom has only one rule: Use good judgment. It empowers employees by trusting their ability to assess a situation and make decisions based on their values. Nordstrom also empowers employees by sharing examples of what other excellent employees have done to solve problems.
Clear and transparent communication reassures both employees and customers. During challenging times, such as the pandemic, effective communication with leaders and stakeholders helps alleviate uncertainties, creates a sense of stability, and builds trust and confidence in the brand.
Customers prefer brands that support the same social causes that they care about. Social responsibility isn’t just about giving back to the community but also about understanding and respecting diverse values and perspectives. Embracing social responsibility means adapting to the changing cultural landscape, from hiring practices to ethical consumption and sustainable business operations.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with customers is the foundation of business stability. Going above and beyond to satisfy customers’ needs and create memorable experiences will result in positive word-of-mouth and enduring customer loyalty.
Balancing technology with personal connections and understanding the importance of human interactions is key to creating a differentiated and exceptional customer experience.
Timeless customer service stories from the past continue to inspire and are essential reminders of how businesses should serve their customers. These stories showcase principles that stand the test of time, emphasizing the significance of customer satisfaction and the impact of going above and beyond expectations.
Plus, Shep and Robert discuss the F.A.C.T.S. (flexibility, agility, communication, transformation, and social responsibility) of customer experience. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Ultimately, it’s about how your decisions positively impact the customer, not just the company.”
“Who trains good employees? Their parents. We hire good people with good values who understand how to care for others.”
“Change is part of life. If you are standing still, you are falling behind. Make how you can positively impact the customer your driving force to move ahead.”
“To stay in business, be flexible and comfortable with transformation. If you want to survive, you have to constantly ask yourself, what’s next? What can we do to enhance the customer experience?”
About:
Robert Spector is an international keynote speaker, thought leader, and best-selling author. His book, The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture , has become a business classic. His latest book, The Century Old Startup: The Nordstrom Way of Embracing Change, Challenges, and a Culture of Customer Service , is available now.
Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
How does Nordstrom balance tradition and innovation to stay relevant?
How does a successful company prioritize social responsibility in its operations and community engagement?
In what ways can businesses maintain strong connections with their customers in an increasingly digital world?
How does social responsibility impact customer loyalty?
How does an organization instill a culture of empowerment and trust to enhance the customer experience?
Top Takeaways
In its employee handbook, Nordstrom has only one rule: Use good judgment. It empowers employees by trusting their ability to assess a situation and make decisions based on their values. Nordstrom also empowers employees by sharing examples of what other excellent employees have done to solve problems.
Clear and transparent communication reassures both employees and customers. During challenging times, such as the pandemic, effective communication with leaders and stakeholders helps alleviate uncertainties, creates a sense of stability, and builds trust and confidence in the brand.
Customers prefer brands that support the same social causes that they care about. Social responsibility isn’t just about giving back to the community but also about understanding and respecting diverse values and perspectives. Embracing social responsibility means adapting to the changing cultural landscape, from hiring practices to ethical consumption and sustainable business operations.
Building and maintaining strong relationships with customers is the foundation of business stability. Going above and beyond to satisfy customers’ needs and create memorable experiences will result in positive word-of-mouth and enduring customer loyalty.
Balancing technology with personal connections and understanding the importance of human interactions is key to creating a differentiated and exceptional customer experience.
Timeless customer service stories from the past continue to inspire and are essential reminders of how businesses should serve their customers. These stories showcase principles that stand the test of time, emphasizing the significance of customer satisfaction and the impact of going above and beyond expectations.
Plus, Shep and Robert discuss the F.A.C.T.S. (flexibility, agility, communication, transformation, and social responsibility) of customer experience. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Ultimately, it’s about how your decisions positively impact the customer, not just the company.”
“Who trains good employees? Their parents. We hire good people with good values who understand how to care for others.”
“Change is part of life. If you are standing still, you are falling behind. Make how you can positively impact the customer your driving force to move ahead.”
“To stay in business, be flexible and comfortable with transformation. If you want to survive, you have to constantly ask yourself, what’s next? What can we do to enhance the customer experience?”
About:
Robert Spector is an international keynote speaker, thought leader, and best-selling author. His book, The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture , has become a business classic. His latest book, The Century Old Startup: The Nordstrom Way of Embracing Change, Challenges, and a Culture of Customer Service , is available now.
Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
June 23, 2024
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of June 24, 2024
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Customer Experience Gets Worse. Again. by Katie Deighton
(The Wall Street Journal) The average customer experience rating of U.S. companies hits a new low amid inflation and fallible customer-service chatbots.
My Comment: Let’s start this week’s Top Five Roundup with an article from the Wall Street Journal that indicates customer experience has hit a new low. Forrester surveyed 98,363 consumers’ perceptions of 223 brands across 13 sectors for its latest annual report on CX. The average score has dropped to the lowest it’s been since 2016. This is bad news for CX laggards, but for the companies that excel, our CX research shows that 79% of consumers will switch to a competitor that provides better service.
Customer Loyalty Matters More Than Ever. Rewarding That Loyalty Is Mandatory. by Joe Procopio
(Built In) In the age of AI, the relationship strands between a business and its customers are becoming thinner and thinner, opening up that relationship to various new and more complicated threats.
My Comment: This is an interesting article on customer loyalty programs. The “3 Things to Remember about Customer Loyalty)” at the top of the article summarizes three important points: 1) Everyone is a VIP somewhere. 2) Customers are loyal to people, not a product. 3) Tracking customer loyalty boils down to math. It’s transactional, not emotional. That last sentence has me thinking. Traditional loyalty programs are based on transactions. The more you spend, the more perks you get. However, I believe that true loyalty does have emotion. Take away the perks, and you want customers to still do business with you and say, “I love doing business with them!”
Ageism in the Workplace: Transforming a Challenge into a CX Opportunity by Stacy Sherman
(Doing CX Right) Ageism is a critical issue in the workplace, particularly for women who are often labeled as either “too young” or “aged-out and irrelevant.”
My Comment: I’ve not seen the topic of “Ageism in the Workplace” tied to CX, but Stacy Sherman has an opinion about it. The overarching concern is age discrimination. Sherman recommends age diversity, making the case that ageism can become an opportunity that can enhance the inclusive culture of a company and create a better customer experience.
Embracing 5 Hard Truths of Customer Experience to Improve Your CX Strategy by Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP
(Experience Investigators) I’ve seen organizations adopt a few common mindsets that inadvertently hold them back, as well as CX pros who overlook key resources that can help them get ahead. By facing these realities head on you can more quickly implement the best customer experience strategy for your organization.
My Comment: Jeannie Walters is back in our roundup with an excellent article about five “hard facts” you want to know about CX. I love her first point: Prioritizing the customer isn’t enough! Yes, there’s more. And in point number four, she reminds us that a great customer experience requires a great employee experience.
7 Ways Generative AI Can Drive Innovation in CX Strategies by Foundever
(Foundever) Companies are continually searching for innovative ways to enhance their customer experience (CX) strategies. And since the meteoric rise of generative AI (GenAI), companies have been scrambling to find tangible ways to use it in their approach to customer engagement, support and satisfaction.
My Comment: This is the only article on AI in this week’s Top Five. I included it because some people still wonder about or don’t understand AI’s capabilities for CX. If that’s you, read this article. Generative AI is more than AI-fueled chatbots. This is a short summary of seven ways generative AI is making customer service and CX better.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
Customer Experience Gets Worse. Again. by Katie Deighton
(The Wall Street Journal) The average customer experience rating of U.S. companies hits a new low amid inflation and fallible customer-service chatbots.
My Comment: Let’s start this week’s Top Five Roundup with an article from the Wall Street Journal that indicates customer experience has hit a new low. Forrester surveyed 98,363 consumers’ perceptions of 223 brands across 13 sectors for its latest annual report on CX. The average score has dropped to the lowest it’s been since 2016. This is bad news for CX laggards, but for the companies that excel, our CX research shows that 79% of consumers will switch to a competitor that provides better service.
Customer Loyalty Matters More Than Ever. Rewarding That Loyalty Is Mandatory. by Joe Procopio
(Built In) In the age of AI, the relationship strands between a business and its customers are becoming thinner and thinner, opening up that relationship to various new and more complicated threats.
My Comment: This is an interesting article on customer loyalty programs. The “3 Things to Remember about Customer Loyalty)” at the top of the article summarizes three important points: 1) Everyone is a VIP somewhere. 2) Customers are loyal to people, not a product. 3) Tracking customer loyalty boils down to math. It’s transactional, not emotional. That last sentence has me thinking. Traditional loyalty programs are based on transactions. The more you spend, the more perks you get. However, I believe that true loyalty does have emotion. Take away the perks, and you want customers to still do business with you and say, “I love doing business with them!”
Ageism in the Workplace: Transforming a Challenge into a CX Opportunity by Stacy Sherman
(Doing CX Right) Ageism is a critical issue in the workplace, particularly for women who are often labeled as either “too young” or “aged-out and irrelevant.”
My Comment: I’ve not seen the topic of “Ageism in the Workplace” tied to CX, but Stacy Sherman has an opinion about it. The overarching concern is age discrimination. Sherman recommends age diversity, making the case that ageism can become an opportunity that can enhance the inclusive culture of a company and create a better customer experience.
Embracing 5 Hard Truths of Customer Experience to Improve Your CX Strategy by Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP
(Experience Investigators) I’ve seen organizations adopt a few common mindsets that inadvertently hold them back, as well as CX pros who overlook key resources that can help them get ahead. By facing these realities head on you can more quickly implement the best customer experience strategy for your organization.
My Comment: Jeannie Walters is back in our roundup with an excellent article about five “hard facts” you want to know about CX. I love her first point: Prioritizing the customer isn’t enough! Yes, there’s more. And in point number four, she reminds us that a great customer experience requires a great employee experience.
7 Ways Generative AI Can Drive Innovation in CX Strategies by Foundever
(Foundever) Companies are continually searching for innovative ways to enhance their customer experience (CX) strategies. And since the meteoric rise of generative AI (GenAI), companies have been scrambling to find tangible ways to use it in their approach to customer engagement, support and satisfaction.
My Comment: This is the only article on AI in this week’s Top Five. I included it because some people still wonder about or don’t understand AI’s capabilities for CX. If that’s you, read this article. Generative AI is more than AI-fueled chatbots. This is a short summary of seven ways generative AI is making customer service and CX better.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
June 18, 2024
Change Requires Choice (and Work)
At the end of the CEO’s speech to his employees, he said, “And one other thing, we want to deliver better customer service.” Then he walked off stage. Delivering better customer service is a good idea, but just saying you want to do so will not make it happen. Most likely, it will remain just a good idea, because, without the right implementation, the idea will never come to anything. Nothing will change.
A big part of my business is serving as a keynote speaker on customer service and CX for all kinds of companies and organizations. I always ask, “Why is this topic important to you and this audience?” Most of the time, clients have a good answer, but occasionally, I hear something like, “We have terrible customer service, and we need someone like you to come in and share what we can do to be better.”
Trying not to sound flippant, I ask, “So you think that having me or someone like me do a one-hour speech is going to fix that?”
Asking the Right Questions
This leads to a bigger discussion about the company’s desire to change and the resources – time, talent, and dollars – it requires to make that happen. I then continue with a few more questions:
What makes you think you need help with your customer service or CX?
What would happen if you continued to do what you do and didn’t make a change?
What does success look like, and how quickly do you want to see results?
The answers to these questions are the fuel needed to make the choice to change an easy one.
Then, there is another series of questions to determine the investment they are willing to make to carry out this choice to change. It’s going to take time. It’s going to take training, which is about talent. And then there are the dollars. And one final choice must be made, and it may be the most important of all. Will the leadership get behind the choice to change?
To summarize, the choice to change, especially in customer service and/or CX, is more than a verbal commitment. It requires substantial and sustained effort backed by resources and leadership support. Simply expressing the desire for improvement is not enough. Real change demands actionable plans and the alignment of time, talent, and investment. Companies must determine their current service levels, define success, and commit to the necessary steps and time to achieve it.
One more question: Are you ready to invest in a future where exceptional service is not just an aspiration but a reality? Act now! Your customers and your business can’t afford to wait.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
June 17, 2024
The Employee Experience Revolution with John DiJulius
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
How can every employee contribute to a better customer experience?
How can company leaders support successful customer experience investments?
What role does employee training play in improving customer satisfaction?
What are common staffing mistakes that companies should avoid for better customer service?
How are customer retention and employee retention similar?
Top Takeaways
A Good customer experience starts with a good employee experience. The CX will never be better than the EX.
An employee experience revolution is where great companies have leaders who help people live extraordinary lives with meaning and purpose.
The culture of a company is a major driver of the customer experience. As leaders, we set the tone for what the culture is supposed to be. A positive employee experience contributes to a healthy company culture, which affects their motivation and satisfaction. Ensuring a positive employee experience is as essential for your business’s success as delivering an outstanding customer experience.
There is a quote that says, “You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with.” However, in the workplace, your employees cannot choose their five. When a superstar employee is surrounded by underperformers, it can be challenging for them to maintain excellence. Making the right hiring decisions sets the stage for a positive work environment and facilitates the company’s and its employees’ success. As leaders, we are responsible for creating a team that helps each other excel.
Every employee plays a role in customer experience. Regardless of their position, from the front desk to the C-suite, each employee contributes to customer perception and the company’s success.
Prioritizing employee satisfaction and fulfilment is essential for business success. Just as companies strive to fulfil their customers’ needs, they must also address the needs of their employees. Companies can boost productivity and morale by providing a work environment that supports employees’ growth and fulfilment.
Executive sponsorship is crucial for a successful investment in customer experience. Leaders must empower and support training and customer-centric initiatives. By providing the necessary resources and guidance, executives can drive the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Plus, Shep and John discuss what “hire’s remorse” is and how to avoid it. Tune in!
Quotes:
“The two biggest mistakes companies make in staffing are hiring just anyone to replace turnover and looking the other way on poor performers.”
“You can’t fully separate your personal and professional life. If employees are miserable in a toxic work environment, it impacts their overall happiness. So, you want your employees to be proud and have meaning and purpose in what they do.”
“If you are not taking care of your employees, you will have the problem of having to train new ones every 90 to 120 days. If they are not happy, you cannot keep them.”
“If you set out to change your company culture to turn it into a customer-obsessed culture, but you don’t have support from the leadership, it is a wasted investment.”
About:
John DiJulius III is the founder and chief revolution officer of The DiJulius Group and the best-selling author of six books, including his latest, The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, and Drive Business Growth.
Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
How can every employee contribute to a better customer experience?
How can company leaders support successful customer experience investments?
What role does employee training play in improving customer satisfaction?
What are common staffing mistakes that companies should avoid for better customer service?
How are customer retention and employee retention similar?
Top Takeaways
A Good customer experience starts with a good employee experience. The CX will never be better than the EX.
An employee experience revolution is where great companies have leaders who help people live extraordinary lives with meaning and purpose.
The culture of a company is a major driver of the customer experience. As leaders, we set the tone for what the culture is supposed to be. A positive employee experience contributes to a healthy company culture, which affects their motivation and satisfaction. Ensuring a positive employee experience is as essential for your business’s success as delivering an outstanding customer experience.
There is a quote that says, “You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with.” However, in the workplace, your employees cannot choose their five. When a superstar employee is surrounded by underperformers, it can be challenging for them to maintain excellence. Making the right hiring decisions sets the stage for a positive work environment and facilitates the company’s and its employees’ success. As leaders, we are responsible for creating a team that helps each other excel.
Every employee plays a role in customer experience. Regardless of their position, from the front desk to the C-suite, each employee contributes to customer perception and the company’s success.
Prioritizing employee satisfaction and fulfilment is essential for business success. Just as companies strive to fulfil their customers’ needs, they must also address the needs of their employees. Companies can boost productivity and morale by providing a work environment that supports employees’ growth and fulfilment.
Executive sponsorship is crucial for a successful investment in customer experience. Leaders must empower and support training and customer-centric initiatives. By providing the necessary resources and guidance, executives can drive the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Plus, Shep and John discuss what “hire’s remorse” is and how to avoid it. Tune in!
Quotes:
“The two biggest mistakes companies make in staffing are hiring just anyone to replace turnover and looking the other way on poor performers.”
“You can’t fully separate your personal and professional life. If employees are miserable in a toxic work environment, it impacts their overall happiness. So, you want your employees to be proud and have meaning and purpose in what they do.”
“If you are not taking care of your employees, you will have the problem of having to train new ones every 90 to 120 days. If they are not happy, you cannot keep them.”
“If you set out to change your company culture to turn it into a customer-obsessed culture, but you don’t have support from the leadership, it is a wasted investment.”
About:
John DiJulius III is the founder and chief revolution officer of The DiJulius Group and the best-selling author of six books, including his latest, The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, and Drive Business Growth.
Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of June 17, 2024
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
The Secret to Dealing With Awkward Customers by Call Centre Helper Magazine
(Call Centre Helper Magazine) From repeatedly sending back products and making apparently unwarranted complaints, to demanding something over and above your offer… Not to mention taking up too much of your agents’ time!
My Comment: We start this week’s Top Five Roundup with 18 tips on how to deal with awkward customers. What is an awkward customer? Here’s the first line of the article: “Let’s talk about awkward customers… You know, the ones that make you seriously think that some people aren’t worth doing business with!” What follows are tips from some of the top experts and practitioners in the customer service and CX world.
Marketing to Young People? It’s as Easy as A, B, (Gen) Z…by Mike Wickham
(The Drum) Gen Z has been on marketers’ radars for some time now. But with Gen Alpha just around the corner, Yasmin Burchill and Mike Wickham of Impression take a look at how best to connect with young consumers.
My Comment: Marketing and CX go hand-in-hand with each other. The experience a company provides can be the best marketing strategy. Smart companies and brands recognize the difference in their customers – specifically their ages. Gen Zs are the customers of our future. The next generation, Alphas, is just around the corner. How they choose the companies they do business with is very clear. This article has three simple tips on how to connect and attract young consumers.
Consumer Insights: Customer Loyalty Has Changed by Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis
(Jeweller) There’s been a significant shift in the focus of loyalty in the retail sector. Customers want to create an emotional connection with a business. They want to interact with brands, to be ‘part of the tribe and part of the team’. In essence, they’re becoming brand advocates.
My Comment: This article on customer loyalty appeared in an Australian and New Zealand jeweler magazine. You don’t need to own a jewelry store to appreciate the ideas. There is some interesting information about customer loyalty programs, and even more interesting and enjoyable to read (at least for me) was the breakdown of the different groups and labels they used to describe different types of customers and what motivates them to return.
How Retailers Can Fight Theft without Hurting Customer Experience by Bryan Wassel
(Retail Dive) More and more retailers are locking products inside cabinets to prevent theft. While this approach can thwart would-be thieves, it can also frustrate customers who have to wait for assistance to access common products.
My Comment: Shoplifters are a problem for retailers and their customers. I recently went to a drugstore to buy shaving cream. I had to find an employee to unlock the display to get the tube of cream. Why was so much of their merchandise under lock and key? One word: Theft. The problem is now interfering with the customer experience. Customers must find an employee to unlock display cases, adding a layer of friction to the shopping experience. In this article, you’ll read how some retailers are dealing with theft while not inconveniencing their customers.
Five Insights on the State of CX in 2024 by Melanie Mingas
(CX Network) When CX Network researched the Global State of CX in 2024, 282 CX practitioners, consultants, authors and analysts told us how CX is being reshaped by new technological developments, changing customer demands, the continued digitalization of the modern enterprise and, of course, AI.
My Comment: We close this week’s Top Five Roundup with five insights from five CX practitioners who helped analyze CX Network’s Global State of CX. You’ll find comments and opinions about AI, the importance of rapid adaption, the problem with inconsistency, and more. Listening to and learning from people who are doing this every day is important to staying on top of the latest and greatest opportunities that give you and your organization a competitive advantage.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
The Secret to Dealing With Awkward Customers by Call Centre Helper Magazine
(Call Centre Helper Magazine) From repeatedly sending back products and making apparently unwarranted complaints, to demanding something over and above your offer… Not to mention taking up too much of your agents’ time!
My Comment: We start this week’s Top Five Roundup with 18 tips on how to deal with awkward customers. What is an awkward customer? Here’s the first line of the article: “Let’s talk about awkward customers… You know, the ones that make you seriously think that some people aren’t worth doing business with!” What follows are tips from some of the top experts and practitioners in the customer service and CX world.
Marketing to Young People? It’s as Easy as A, B, (Gen) Z…by Mike Wickham
(The Drum) Gen Z has been on marketers’ radars for some time now. But with Gen Alpha just around the corner, Yasmin Burchill and Mike Wickham of Impression take a look at how best to connect with young consumers.
My Comment: Marketing and CX go hand-in-hand with each other. The experience a company provides can be the best marketing strategy. Smart companies and brands recognize the difference in their customers – specifically their ages. Gen Zs are the customers of our future. The next generation, Alphas, is just around the corner. How they choose the companies they do business with is very clear. This article has three simple tips on how to connect and attract young consumers.
Consumer Insights: Customer Loyalty Has Changed by Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis
(Jeweller) There’s been a significant shift in the focus of loyalty in the retail sector. Customers want to create an emotional connection with a business. They want to interact with brands, to be ‘part of the tribe and part of the team’. In essence, they’re becoming brand advocates.
My Comment: This article on customer loyalty appeared in an Australian and New Zealand jeweler magazine. You don’t need to own a jewelry store to appreciate the ideas. There is some interesting information about customer loyalty programs, and even more interesting and enjoyable to read (at least for me) was the breakdown of the different groups and labels they used to describe different types of customers and what motivates them to return.
How Retailers Can Fight Theft without Hurting Customer Experience by Bryan Wassel
(Retail Dive) More and more retailers are locking products inside cabinets to prevent theft. While this approach can thwart would-be thieves, it can also frustrate customers who have to wait for assistance to access common products.
My Comment: Shoplifters are a problem for retailers and their customers. I recently went to a drugstore to buy shaving cream. I had to find an employee to unlock the display to get the tube of cream. Why was so much of their merchandise under lock and key? One word: Theft. The problem is now interfering with the customer experience. Customers must find an employee to unlock display cases, adding a layer of friction to the shopping experience. In this article, you’ll read how some retailers are dealing with theft while not inconveniencing their customers.
Five Insights on the State of CX in 2024 by Melanie Mingas
(CX Network) When CX Network researched the Global State of CX in 2024, 282 CX practitioners, consultants, authors and analysts told us how CX is being reshaped by new technological developments, changing customer demands, the continued digitalization of the modern enterprise and, of course, AI.
My Comment: We close this week’s Top Five Roundup with five insights from five CX practitioners who helped analyze CX Network’s Global State of CX. You’ll find comments and opinions about AI, the importance of rapid adaption, the problem with inconsistency, and more. Listening to and learning from people who are doing this every day is important to staying on top of the latest and greatest opportunities that give you and your organization a competitive advantage.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
June 11, 2024
Start With YES … Even If It Doesn’t End That Way
It’s time to revisit the idea of avoiding the word “no,” but this time, I want to approach it from a different angle. First, let me tell you about my friend Dr. Nido Qubein, a devoted husband and father, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, president of High Point University, and mentor to many, who came to this country when he was 17 with little more than $50 to his name. Almost 50 years ago, he attended High Point University, never dreaming that one day he would be president of the institution, a position he accepted in 2005. Since that time, there has been incredible growth at HPU. In his first year, the university had about 1,400 students enrolled on the 91-acre campus. Today, there are almost 6,000 students, including 623 graduate students. The campus has grown to more than 500 acres, includes 128 buildings, and is considered an elite university.
If you Google “Nido Qubein,” you will see a list of accomplishments that give insight into this man’s extraordinary career. As mentioned, he is a mentor to many, and even as a friend, I am among those who consider him a mentor. I’ve learned much from his willingness to share the lessons he learned from his successes, and today, I want to share a simple lesson we might all want to consider, which has to do with the word no.
If you’ve been following my work, you know I’ve written several articles about avoiding the word no. Christine Trippi and Cameron Mitchell have been featured in The Shepard Letter and in my videos discussing the topic. This time, I give you Nido’s perspective, and even though he’s not talking about customer service or customer experience, it ties in perfectly.
Nido recognizes that when someone new steps into a leadership role in any type of organization, authenticity and listening skills are of the utmost importance. People can be skeptical. He says, “I always start with a yes. It doesn’t always end that way after we’ve done the study, but a lot of people start with no.”
I love this idea. When our customers ask us for something or they have an issue, starting on a positive note, such as finding a way to use the word yes from the start can help guide the conversation in the right direction. This is what it looks like:
“Yes, I understand.”
“Yes, that’s a great idea worth considering.”
“Yes, you do have a problem, so let’s see what we can do about it.”
“Yes, that is a possibility. Let’s look at the situation more closely.”
Nido’s simple leadership lesson is also a powerful customer service lesson. When a customer comes to you with a problem or issue, you are in a leadership position. You are empowered with authority to help the customer. Saying yes is not about giving in. It’s about using the right word at the right time to create a better customer experience.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
June 10, 2024
Adding Value Beyond the Purchase with Mikhail Naumov
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
What role do perks and incentives play in driving customer behavior?
How can businesses elevate customer experience and create additional value for their customers beyond their core products and services?
What challenges do businesses encounter when trying to provide complementary products and services to their customers?
How can businesses use special offers and benefits to motivate and reward their customers?
How do businesses in the B2C and B2B worlds differ in their approaches to offering additional value to their customers?
Top Takeaways
Proactively anticipate and address customers’ needs beyond your core product or service. Customers often face secondary and tertiary problems after making a purchase. Meeting them where they are and helping them solve these additional problems thoughtfully can create strong loyalty, engagement, and gratitude that can earn you customers for life.
By offering customers something outside of, but related to, your typical value proposition, you uplift their experience. This approach can set you apart from your competition and make your business stand out.
Every interaction with a customer is a chance to provide value. Businesses can take advantage of these opportunities by offering complimentary perks or rewards to engage, motivate, and reward customers for specific desirable actions.
When businesses want customers to take certain actions that benefit the business, they should consider what’s in it for the customer. Rewarding customers for desired actions can be a cost-effective strategy (and sometimes free) that provides value to the customer and the business.
Building and implementing a framework for offering complimentary perks and engagement programs doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right platform, businesses can streamline the process and launch loyalty programs efficiently, creating a seamless experience for both the business and the customer.
Plus, Shep and Mikhail discuss how companies in the B2B and B2C industries can best utilize customer perks and rewards. Tune in!
Quotes:
” Your job may begin and ends with the sale, but customers often have secondary and tertiary needs that you may want to proactively address.”
“Perks are not just engagement tools. They are a way to motivate and reward customers for taking specific and desirable actions that businesses want them to take. Most of the time, the cost of the reward is negligible, yet it provides value to your customers.”
“Businesses should think beyond their core product or service and consider the problems that arise for the customer after the purchase. Proactively solving these secondary problems creates loyalty, engagement, and gratitude that brings in customers for life.”
“We live in an incentives-driven economy. If you want your customers to take action, think about about what’s in it for them.”
About:
Mikhail is the Founder & CEO of Paylode Inc and has been recognized by Forbes Magazine in the “Forbes 30 Under 30” list. He is the best-selling author of AI is My Friend: A Practical Guide for Contact Centers .
Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
What role do perks and incentives play in driving customer behavior?
How can businesses elevate customer experience and create additional value for their customers beyond their core products and services?
What challenges do businesses encounter when trying to provide complementary products and services to their customers?
How can businesses use special offers and benefits to motivate and reward their customers?
How do businesses in the B2C and B2B worlds differ in their approaches to offering additional value to their customers?
Top Takeaways
Proactively anticipate and address customers’ needs beyond your core product or service. Customers often face secondary and tertiary problems after making a purchase. Meeting them where they are and helping them solve these additional problems thoughtfully can create strong loyalty, engagement, and gratitude that can earn you customers for life.
By offering customers something outside of, but related to, your typical value proposition, you uplift their experience. This approach can set you apart from your competition and make your business stand out.
Every interaction with a customer is a chance to provide value. Businesses can take advantage of these opportunities by offering complimentary perks or rewards to engage, motivate, and reward customers for specific desirable actions.
When businesses want customers to take certain actions that benefit the business, they should consider what’s in it for the customer. Rewarding customers for desired actions can be a cost-effective strategy (and sometimes free) that provides value to the customer and the business.
Building and implementing a framework for offering complimentary perks and engagement programs doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right platform, businesses can streamline the process and launch loyalty programs efficiently, creating a seamless experience for both the business and the customer.
Plus, Shep and Mikhail discuss how companies in the B2B and B2C industries can best utilize customer perks and rewards. Tune in!
Quotes:
” Your job may begin and ends with the sale, but customers often have secondary and tertiary needs that you may want to proactively address.”
“Perks are not just engagement tools. They are a way to motivate and reward customers for taking specific and desirable actions that businesses want them to take. Most of the time, the cost of the reward is negligible, yet it provides value to your customers.”
“Businesses should think beyond their core product or service and consider the problems that arise for the customer after the purchase. Proactively solving these secondary problems creates loyalty, engagement, and gratitude that brings in customers for life.”
“We live in an incentives-driven economy. If you want your customers to take action, think about about what’s in it for them.”
About:
Mikhail is the Founder & CEO of Paylode Inc and has been recognized by Forbes Magazine in the “Forbes 30 Under 30” list. He is the best-selling author of AI is My Friend: A Practical Guide for Contact Centers .
Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
