Shep Hyken's Blog, page 23
June 9, 2024
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of June 10, 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 Loyalty Stats in 2023: Loyal Customers Spend More! by Jeff Beckman
(The Tech Report) Consumers do not usually just focus on the function and appearance of a product when purchasing products. When it involves the quality of a product, then the name of the brand becomes a crucial factor in making a purchase decision for most users. For this reason, many opt to go for a well-trusted company rather than a newbie in the industry.
My Comment: There is a theme to this week’s Top Five articles: customer loyalty. So, we’ll lead with an article filled with stats and findings that will give you a sense of what customers want and expect from the brands they keep returning to. And, if you enjoy this type of article, you’ll also want to check out our annual customer service and CX research (sponsored by RingCentral).
Unlocking Customer Loyalty: 5 Core Motivations Powering Personalized Marketing by Alicia Arnold
(MarTech) Personalized marketing taps into core human desires. Here’s how to create tailored experiences that resonate with customers on a deeper level.
My Comment: Personalization is a powerful loyalty strategy. People want to feel that the companies and brands they do business with know them. This article has five “motivators” to consider. Customers want to feel a personal connection, a sense of belonging, a level of emotional engagement, and an easy experience—all of which can get a customer to say, “I’ll be back!”
Lessons in Loyalty from the Sports Industry by Michael Harris
(The Wise Marketer) Brands looking to continuously seek innovative strategies to engage and retain their customers should look towards the sports industry and fan engagement for how to not only gain an advantage against the competition but to turn their customers into diehard fan-level devotees and advocates.
My Comment: It’s time to turn to the sports industry for a lesson in loyalty. It would be great if a company or brand could create an emotional and loyal connection to its customers similar to the way a sports team connects with its fans. This article uses FC Barcelona (soccer/football) as an example. Soccer teams, especially in Europe and Central and South America, have an intense fan base. How do they do it? This article gives you some of the answers.
The Science Behind Why Customers Stay Loyal by Yajush Gupta
(Dynamic Business) Understanding why customers stick around can be tricky, especially when factors like subconscious influences come into play. This creates challenges for business leaders wishing to boost customer loyalty.
My Comment: This article is an introduction to Mail Chimp’s loyalty report, which focuses on the scientific approach to understanding the psychological drivers behind loyalty. It’s more than rewards, prices, and value. Sometimes, it’s even irrational behavior. There is also a link to the original report, which you can download if you want a deeper dive into the topic.
8 Marketing Methods to Build Client Loyalty in the Travel Industry by the Fast Company Executive Board
(Fast Company) In the digital economy, now more than ever, promoting travel destination deals to potential customers is extremely competitive. Everyone travels for specific reasons, so it’s important to identify who your target audience is and how best to customize your offerings.
My Comment: It doesn’t matter if you are in the travel industry or not, there are ideas in this article for you to consider. Even though the title uses the words Marketing Methods, it’s important to remember that CX is a powerful marketing strategy. Everyone has taken a trip, so this is the perfect case study that we can all relate to.
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 Loyalty Stats in 2023: Loyal Customers Spend More! by Jeff Beckman
(The Tech Report) Consumers do not usually just focus on the function and appearance of a product when purchasing products. When it involves the quality of a product, then the name of the brand becomes a crucial factor in making a purchase decision for most users. For this reason, many opt to go for a well-trusted company rather than a newbie in the industry.
My Comment: There is a theme to this week’s Top Five articles: customer loyalty. So, we’ll lead with an article filled with stats and findings that will give you a sense of what customers want and expect from the brands they keep returning to. And, if you enjoy this type of article, you’ll also want to check out our annual customer service and CX research (sponsored by RingCentral).
Unlocking Customer Loyalty: 5 Core Motivations Powering Personalized Marketing by Alicia Arnold
(MarTech) Personalized marketing taps into core human desires. Here’s how to create tailored experiences that resonate with customers on a deeper level.
My Comment: Personalization is a powerful loyalty strategy. People want to feel that the companies and brands they do business with know them. This article has five “motivators” to consider. Customers want to feel a personal connection, a sense of belonging, a level of emotional engagement, and an easy experience—all of which can get a customer to say, “I’ll be back!”
Lessons in Loyalty from the Sports Industry by Michael Harris
(The Wise Marketer) Brands looking to continuously seek innovative strategies to engage and retain their customers should look towards the sports industry and fan engagement for how to not only gain an advantage against the competition but to turn their customers into diehard fan-level devotees and advocates.
My Comment: It’s time to turn to the sports industry for a lesson in loyalty. It would be great if a company or brand could create an emotional and loyal connection to its customers similar to the way a sports team connects with its fans. This article uses FC Barcelona (soccer/football) as an example. Soccer teams, especially in Europe and Central and South America, have an intense fan base. How do they do it? This article gives you some of the answers.
The Science Behind Why Customers Stay Loyal by Yajush Gupta
(Dynamic Business) Understanding why customers stick around can be tricky, especially when factors like subconscious influences come into play. This creates challenges for business leaders wishing to boost customer loyalty.
My Comment: This article is an introduction to Mail Chimp’s loyalty report, which focuses on the scientific approach to understanding the psychological drivers behind loyalty. It’s more than rewards, prices, and value. Sometimes, it’s even irrational behavior. There is also a link to the original report, which you can download if you want a deeper dive into the topic.
8 Marketing Methods to Build Client Loyalty in the Travel Industry by the Fast Company Executive Board
(Fast Company) In the digital economy, now more than ever, promoting travel destination deals to potential customers is extremely competitive. Everyone travels for specific reasons, so it’s important to identify who your target audience is and how best to customize your offerings.
My Comment: It doesn’t matter if you are in the travel industry or not, there are ideas in this article for you to consider. Even though the title uses the words Marketing Methods, it’s important to remember that CX is a powerful marketing strategy. Everyone has taken a trip, so this is the perfect case study that we can all relate to.
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 6, 2024
Guest Post: The Four Phases of Contact Center Maturity
This week, we feature an article by Joe Walsh, GoTo‘s Vice President of Product Marketing. He discusses the Four Phases of the Contact Center.
To keep up with increasing customer demands and new technology, businesses must continue to evolve. They need to mature their contact centers to help deliver the best customer service possible and ensure they’re not wasting time and resources. Unfortunately, the status quo at many companies means the customer service arm operates autonomously. This isn’t effective and can inhibit growth. To find success, contact centers should aim to evolve past this initial, siloed stage.
Contact centers range from rudimentary to cutting-edge across a spectrum that can be classified into four distinct phases. It’s important for a business to know where it stands along this spectrum so it can tailor its growth and modernization strategy accordingly. To aid in this process, GoTo developed a maturity model that helps businesses map out their transition from phase one through to phase four. If followed, businesses can shift their contact center from a cost center to a center of growth.
Phase 1: Initiate Conversations
This initial phase is defined by the traditional contact center – and is where most companies start. Costs for these centers are often high. And, agents are reactive to customer needs rather than proactive, which can put them a step behind.
Businesses in this stage must focus on two areas as they look to build towards phase two. The first is identifying the limitations within their technology and potential roadblocks that currently exist within their organization. Once identified, they can initiate important internal conversations that will help start the path toward growth. Next, they should begin to build compliance by implementing policies and procedures. This includes call monitoring to better understand customer and agent interactions and set a baseline for performance moving forward.
Phase 2: Collaborate Internally
The second phase of maturity sees a shift towards action. The internal conversations that began in the prior step transform into collaboration towards newly defined goals – the main one being minimizing costs.
Businesses can take a few key tactics to cut costs and increase internal collaboration. A major area of focus should be integrating internal systems, especially the CRM application, so that information can be better shared across the organization. Agent training should also be elevated in this phase, where extra focus on developing soft skills will be important as the organization matures further.
In this stage, analysis also comes into play. By analyzing past calls, companies can assess the quality of service being provided and identify common pain points and customer frustrations. These insights can be leveraged to improve and document the customer journey and find other areas for optimization and improvement.
Phase 3: Digital Transformation
After laying the groundwork during the first two phases, this is where increased maturity begins to come to fruition. This is the stage where silos between the contact center and other departments start to break down while also starting to digitally transform – allowing for improved customer interactions.
Omnichannel messaging can be embraced by integrating voice, text, email, video, and more, allowing agents to meet customers on their preferred channels where they’re already comfortable communicating. Simplifying the customer communication process is the most effective method of improving the customer experience. This also includes offering self-service and outbound capabilities, which reduces burden on agents who are then able to use the time saved to improve their skills and focus on goals that drive the business forward.
Another core focus area should be on software improvements for agents. This includes upgrades like contact management tools that make it easy for agents to redirect communications to colleagues in other departments who have better skills that match the customer’s needs. Other improvements might include a solution that allows agents to manage multiple interactions simultaneously without reducing the quality of the interactions.
Overall, the goal of this phase is to leverage new solutions to increase employee and customer satisfaction. This will, in turn, improve the overall customer experience and agent contentment, reducing turnover.
Phase 4: Automate & Accelerate
In the final phase, technology takes center stage. Businesses should look to level up their tech stacks to include tools that allow agents to take their skillsets to the next level. AI can be leveraged to assist customers, eliminate time-intensive manual processes for agents, and fuel analytics that will ultimately help spur growth.
Further, creating a centralized contact center platform will connect disparate systems throughout an organization. This allows for AI and automation tools to be leveraged to improve the customer experience. Advanced automation streamlines processes and produces better data-driven insights. AI can help make insights that were previously only reachable to enterprises – who have the ability to invest in expensive tools – available to companies of all sizes.
On the personnel front, contact centers in phase four should aim to develop more autonomy in their agents. This will not only help them train new joiners more effectively but also make them more likely to experience job satisfaction and stay in their role, creating valuable cost savings over time.
Reaching Maturity
Despite the sentiment held by some company leaders, contact centers should not be considered cost centers. A fully evolved and modernized contact center can be a key growth engine for a company. It creates tangible benefits like increased customer satisfaction that leads to more sales and retention that far outweigh center costs. By investing in the right technology and training for agents, businesses will be well on their way to developing a contact center that fosters growth and success for years to come.
Check out GoTo’s Contact Center Blueprint for Growth to learn more.
Joseph Walsh serves as the Vice President of Product Marketing for GoTo. He helps organizations in enhancing customer and employee experiences and increasing revenue by embracing digital technology.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Revolutionizing Customer Service: Brian Higgins On Driving Verizon’s CX Vision
To keep up with increasing customer demands and new technology, businesses must continue to evolve. They need to mature their contact centers to help deliver the best customer service possible and ensure they’re not wasting time and resources. Unfortunately, the status quo at many companies means the customer service arm operates autonomously. This isn’t effective and can inhibit growth. To find success, contact centers should aim to evolve past this initial, siloed stage.
Contact centers range from rudimentary to cutting-edge across a spectrum that can be classified into four distinct phases. It’s important for a business to know where it stands along this spectrum so it can tailor its growth and modernization strategy accordingly. To aid in this process, GoTo developed a maturity model that helps businesses map out their transition from phase one through to phase four. If followed, businesses can shift their contact center from a cost center to a center of growth.
Phase 1: Initiate Conversations
This initial phase is defined by the traditional contact center – and is where most companies start. Costs for these centers are often high. And, agents are reactive to customer needs rather than proactive, which can put them a step behind.
Businesses in this stage must focus on two areas as they look to build towards phase two. The first is identifying the limitations within their technology and potential roadblocks that currently exist within their organization. Once identified, they can initiate important internal conversations that will help start the path toward growth. Next, they should begin to build compliance by implementing policies and procedures. This includes call monitoring to better understand customer and agent interactions and set a baseline for performance moving forward.
Phase 2: Collaborate Internally
The second phase of maturity sees a shift towards action. The internal conversations that began in the prior step transform into collaboration towards newly defined goals – the main one being minimizing costs.
Businesses can take a few key tactics to cut costs and increase internal collaboration. A major area of focus should be integrating internal systems, especially the CRM application, so that information can be better shared across the organization. Agent training should also be elevated in this phase, where extra focus on developing soft skills will be important as the organization matures further.
In this stage, analysis also comes into play. By analyzing past calls, companies can assess the quality of service being provided and identify common pain points and customer frustrations. These insights can be leveraged to improve and document the customer journey and find other areas for optimization and improvement.
Phase 3: Digital Transformation
After laying the groundwork during the first two phases, this is where increased maturity begins to come to fruition. This is the stage where silos between the contact center and other departments start to break down while also starting to digitally transform – allowing for improved customer interactions.
Omnichannel messaging can be embraced by integrating voice, text, email, video, and more, allowing agents to meet customers on their preferred channels where they’re already comfortable communicating. Simplifying the customer communication process is the most effective method of improving the customer experience. This also includes offering self-service and outbound capabilities, which reduces burden on agents who are then able to use the time saved to improve their skills and focus on goals that drive the business forward.
Another core focus area should be on software improvements for agents. This includes upgrades like contact management tools that make it easy for agents to redirect communications to colleagues in other departments who have better skills that match the customer’s needs. Other improvements might include a solution that allows agents to manage multiple interactions simultaneously without reducing the quality of the interactions.
Overall, the goal of this phase is to leverage new solutions to increase employee and customer satisfaction. This will, in turn, improve the overall customer experience and agent contentment, reducing turnover.
Phase 4: Automate & Accelerate
In the final phase, technology takes center stage. Businesses should look to level up their tech stacks to include tools that allow agents to take their skillsets to the next level. AI can be leveraged to assist customers, eliminate time-intensive manual processes for agents, and fuel analytics that will ultimately help spur growth.
Further, creating a centralized contact center platform will connect disparate systems throughout an organization. This allows for AI and automation tools to be leveraged to improve the customer experience. Advanced automation streamlines processes and produces better data-driven insights. AI can help make insights that were previously only reachable to enterprises – who have the ability to invest in expensive tools – available to companies of all sizes.
On the personnel front, contact centers in phase four should aim to develop more autonomy in their agents. This will not only help them train new joiners more effectively but also make them more likely to experience job satisfaction and stay in their role, creating valuable cost savings over time.
Reaching Maturity
Despite the sentiment held by some company leaders, contact centers should not be considered cost centers. A fully evolved and modernized contact center can be a key growth engine for a company. It creates tangible benefits like increased customer satisfaction that leads to more sales and retention that far outweigh center costs. By investing in the right technology and training for agents, businesses will be well on their way to developing a contact center that fosters growth and success for years to come.
Check out GoTo’s Contact Center Blueprint for Growth to learn more.
Joseph Walsh serves as the Vice President of Product Marketing for GoTo. He helps organizations in enhancing customer and employee experiences and increasing revenue by embracing digital technology.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Revolutionizing Customer Service: Brian Higgins On Driving Verizon’s CX Vision
June 4, 2024
Simplify the Complicated (Part Three)
This is the third article this year about the concept of simplicity. Why? It apparently resonates with our subscribers, as there have been many comments and emails. Consider these quotes: It was either Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Pascal, Cicero, or some other famous smart person who said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”
Einstein said, “Genius is making complex ideas simple, not making simple ideas complex.”
What else can I add to this concept? The same day the last article came out in The Shepard Letter, I was asked to complete some “paperwork.” Once again, I had to fill in duplicate information on each form. What a waste of time! And to add some fuel to this fire, the forms were online, which doesn’t really make it paperwork. How can “they” not figure out how to take the information I type on the first page of the paperwork and add it to the appropriate fields throughout the rest of the paperwork? (That’s a rhetorical question, by the way!)
And to top it all off, one of my “best friends” in my writing projects, Grammarly, the software program that checks my work for grammar, made a suggestion for my concept of simplicity. I’ve been writing and saying this for years: Make the complicated simple. That’s four words. It seems pretty … simple. But, Grammarly called me out and suggested that I simplify that to: Simplify the complicated.
We just took four words and made it three! We just reduced the “paperwork” by 25%!
This reminds me of something one of my favorite philosophers, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, shared in an Inc. Magazine interview. He talked about how he obsesses over every word when writing a joke. “You are always trying to trim everything down to absolute rock, solid rock,” said Seinfeld. “I will sit there for 15 minutes to make it one syllable shorter.”
So, I’m giving you an important assignment. Take a walk in your customers’ shoes and experience everything they go through. Take time to actually go through the process rather than look at it on paper or a whiteboard. Depending on the type of business you have, you can pick up the phone and call customer support, go through your online checkout process, experience what it takes to become a new customer, and fill out the “paperwork” your customers must complete – the word paperwork being a metaphor for anything your customer must do when doing business with you.
And while you’re at it, do the same for your employees. What unnecessary or complicated paperwork – again, a metaphor – do they go through that wastes their time and makes them less productive?
In short – about as short as it can be – simplify the complicated!
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 3, 2024
The Power of Human-Applied AI with Verizon CXO Brian Higgins
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
Will AI replace human employees?
How can AI and human employees work together to enhance customer service?
Why should companies prioritize customer experience?
What is the role of AI in improving the interaction between employees and customers?
In what ways can AI personalization impact customer loyalty and retention?
Top Takeaways
The customer experience is essential for any business. It plays a role in attracting and keeping customers. It affects how customers perceive the brand, its products, and pricing. An exceptional experience keeps customers coming back and builds brand love.
Technology is transforming customer experience. Companies use AI to provide employees with real-time information, helping them better assist customers and enhance the overall experience.
Instead of replacing jobs, AI empowers employees by working alongside them. This allows them to focus on interpreting and sharing information with the customer in a way that best suits their needs, whether empathetic, energetic, enthusiastic, detailed, or simplified.
Digital interactions are crucial for enhancing the customer experience, but they must be organic. Brands need to ensure that their customers want to interact with them digitally, and when they do, it needs to be seamless.
The employee experience is closely linked to the customer experience. If the employees are unhappy and don’t feel they have the right policies and tools, your customers will not have a good experience.
AI can simplify complex business interactions and lead to a more customer-centric experience. By using predictive and generative AI, businesses can anticipate what customers need, offer relevant deals, and make complex information easier for employees to understand and relay to customers.
Brands must prioritize creating a positive impact in every interaction, keeping in mind that it may be the customer’s only interaction with you in a long time. The role of every employee is to prioritize each interaction as a key moment, recognizing that it can significantly impact the brand and Net Promoter Score. By focusing on delivering amazing experiences every time, employees can play an essential role in building brand love and long-term customer relationships.
Plus, Shep and Brian discuss how Verizon continuously monitors and mitigates pain points at every stage of the customer journey. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Empowering your employees to quickly and correctly address any breakdown in the customer experience is crucial. Ensure you provide them with the tools to engage with customers effectively.”
“AI is a powerful tool that should complement, not replace, human interactions. Human-applied AI leverages the capabilities of artificial intelligence to empower employees who engage directly with customers, elevating the customer experience to a superior level.”
“Treat every interaction like it could be the customer’s only interaction with you over the next three years. Handle each interaction like it is the one moment that can greatly impact your brand.”
About:
Brian Higgins is Verizon Consumer Group’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. He ensures that Verizon employees have the right tools, capabilities, and resources to excel at delivering amazing customer experiences.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
Will AI replace human employees?
How can AI and human employees work together to enhance customer service?
Why should companies prioritize customer experience?
What is the role of AI in improving the interaction between employees and customers?
In what ways can AI personalization impact customer loyalty and retention?
Top Takeaways
The customer experience is essential for any business. It plays a role in attracting and keeping customers. It affects how customers perceive the brand, its products, and pricing. An exceptional experience keeps customers coming back and builds brand love.
Technology is transforming customer experience. Companies use AI to provide employees with real-time information, helping them better assist customers and enhance the overall experience.
Instead of replacing jobs, AI empowers employees by working alongside them. This allows them to focus on interpreting and sharing information with the customer in a way that best suits their needs, whether empathetic, energetic, enthusiastic, detailed, or simplified.
Digital interactions are crucial for enhancing the customer experience, but they must be organic. Brands need to ensure that their customers want to interact with them digitally, and when they do, it needs to be seamless.
The employee experience is closely linked to the customer experience. If the employees are unhappy and don’t feel they have the right policies and tools, your customers will not have a good experience.
AI can simplify complex business interactions and lead to a more customer-centric experience. By using predictive and generative AI, businesses can anticipate what customers need, offer relevant deals, and make complex information easier for employees to understand and relay to customers.
Brands must prioritize creating a positive impact in every interaction, keeping in mind that it may be the customer’s only interaction with you in a long time. The role of every employee is to prioritize each interaction as a key moment, recognizing that it can significantly impact the brand and Net Promoter Score. By focusing on delivering amazing experiences every time, employees can play an essential role in building brand love and long-term customer relationships.
Plus, Shep and Brian discuss how Verizon continuously monitors and mitigates pain points at every stage of the customer journey. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Empowering your employees to quickly and correctly address any breakdown in the customer experience is crucial. Ensure you provide them with the tools to engage with customers effectively.”
“AI is a powerful tool that should complement, not replace, human interactions. Human-applied AI leverages the capabilities of artificial intelligence to empower employees who engage directly with customers, elevating the customer experience to a superior level.”
“Treat every interaction like it could be the customer’s only interaction with you over the next three years. Handle each interaction like it is the one moment that can greatly impact your brand.”
About:
Brian Higgins is Verizon Consumer Group’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. He ensures that Verizon employees have the right tools, capabilities, and resources to excel at delivering amazing customer experiences.
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 2, 2024
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of June 3, 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
(Call Centre Helper) Let’s talk about awkward customers… You know, the ones that make you seriously think that some people aren’t worth doing business with! 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! It can be tough to know what to do in these situations, can’t it? So, we asked our consultants panel for their best advice on how to firmly (but politely) handle these conversations for the best possible outcome.
My Comment: Let’s start this week’s Top Five roundup with an article that has compiled tips and techniques for dealing with “awkward customers” from a number of recognizable customer service and CX experts. What is an awkward customer? It’s the polite way of referring to the customers that you say, “They just aren’t worth doing business with!”
Practical Ways to Improve Your Customer Experience by Bindiya Thakkar
(LogRocket) Businesses worldwide have recognized the immense value and significance of good customer experience. This is especially important in the digital era where customers are empowered with choices, convenience, and knowledge. As a result, customers are well informed about the products and services they use, as well as what your competitors offer.
My Comment: How do you improve your company’s customer service and CX? Here are five ways. While you may not see anything new, I want to emphasize the third strategy, which is proactive customer service. Our customer service and CX research found that customers expect (and hope) a company or brand will proactively contact them about problems.
15 Expert Insights On How To Elevate Customer Service With Chatbots by Forbes Expert Panel®
(Forbes) Chatbots provide a convenient first line of customer service, but there are times when users need more personalized assistance. While escalating complex issues to a higher tier can improve satisfaction, many chatbots lack robust escalation features. However, if a chatbot’s ability to provide customer support is sophisticated enough, it can help users feel their concerns are being adequately addressed.
My Comment: Since chatbots were introduced, I have promoted the idea that the bot must me smart enough to recognize when a customer is not getting their question answered or their problem resolved. Here’s a group of 15 members of the Forbes Agency Council who share different ideas on how using chatbots can increase and improve customer service and experience.
7 Tips to Inspire Lifelong Customer Loyalty by Asad Salman
(Hiver) Needless to say, today, it’s not good enough for brands to just offer a great product or service – modern consumers are far more demanding. They expect businesses to be there for them even after they make a purchase. The product is only part of what customers buy; they also buy the experience and associated lifestyle that comes with their purchase.
My Comment: This excellent article includes seven tips to create stronger customer loyalty. Not only does the author share ideas, but also includes examples from very recognizable brands. In addition, I love the reminder that there are two types of loyalty: emotional loyalty and transactional loyalty.
Why You Should Be Tracking Customer Surplus Value by Felix Eggers, Marco Vriens, Rogier Verhulst, Jason S. Talwar, and Avinash Collis
(Harvard Business Review) How much value are your customers getting from your products? Net Promoter Scores are one tool to answer that question but the authors offer another: Customer Surplus Value. The idea, drawn from economics, is to ask customers how much money they’d need to be given to give up your product for a period of time. The more money it would take for them to accept, the more valuable the product. An experiment at LinkedIn shows how this measure complements NPS scores as a way of measuring customer satisfaction.
My Comment: This article starts with a nod to NPS and the success of companies using this metric to measure customer satisfaction. One of the authors came up with another metric, Customer Surplus Value (CSV), to complement NPS. This is “the difference between what consumers are willing to pay for a product or service and its price.” The example they use is simple. If a customer is willing to pay $5 for a cup of coffee, but it only costs them $3, there is a $2 surplus. I’m intrigued by this measurement and plan to do a little more research to get a better understanding of the importance of this metric.
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
(Call Centre Helper) Let’s talk about awkward customers… You know, the ones that make you seriously think that some people aren’t worth doing business with! 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! It can be tough to know what to do in these situations, can’t it? So, we asked our consultants panel for their best advice on how to firmly (but politely) handle these conversations for the best possible outcome.
My Comment: Let’s start this week’s Top Five roundup with an article that has compiled tips and techniques for dealing with “awkward customers” from a number of recognizable customer service and CX experts. What is an awkward customer? It’s the polite way of referring to the customers that you say, “They just aren’t worth doing business with!”
Practical Ways to Improve Your Customer Experience by Bindiya Thakkar
(LogRocket) Businesses worldwide have recognized the immense value and significance of good customer experience. This is especially important in the digital era where customers are empowered with choices, convenience, and knowledge. As a result, customers are well informed about the products and services they use, as well as what your competitors offer.
My Comment: How do you improve your company’s customer service and CX? Here are five ways. While you may not see anything new, I want to emphasize the third strategy, which is proactive customer service. Our customer service and CX research found that customers expect (and hope) a company or brand will proactively contact them about problems.
15 Expert Insights On How To Elevate Customer Service With Chatbots by Forbes Expert Panel®
(Forbes) Chatbots provide a convenient first line of customer service, but there are times when users need more personalized assistance. While escalating complex issues to a higher tier can improve satisfaction, many chatbots lack robust escalation features. However, if a chatbot’s ability to provide customer support is sophisticated enough, it can help users feel their concerns are being adequately addressed.
My Comment: Since chatbots were introduced, I have promoted the idea that the bot must me smart enough to recognize when a customer is not getting their question answered or their problem resolved. Here’s a group of 15 members of the Forbes Agency Council who share different ideas on how using chatbots can increase and improve customer service and experience.
7 Tips to Inspire Lifelong Customer Loyalty by Asad Salman
(Hiver) Needless to say, today, it’s not good enough for brands to just offer a great product or service – modern consumers are far more demanding. They expect businesses to be there for them even after they make a purchase. The product is only part of what customers buy; they also buy the experience and associated lifestyle that comes with their purchase.
My Comment: This excellent article includes seven tips to create stronger customer loyalty. Not only does the author share ideas, but also includes examples from very recognizable brands. In addition, I love the reminder that there are two types of loyalty: emotional loyalty and transactional loyalty.
Why You Should Be Tracking Customer Surplus Value by Felix Eggers, Marco Vriens, Rogier Verhulst, Jason S. Talwar, and Avinash Collis
(Harvard Business Review) How much value are your customers getting from your products? Net Promoter Scores are one tool to answer that question but the authors offer another: Customer Surplus Value. The idea, drawn from economics, is to ask customers how much money they’d need to be given to give up your product for a period of time. The more money it would take for them to accept, the more valuable the product. An experiment at LinkedIn shows how this measure complements NPS scores as a way of measuring customer satisfaction.
My Comment: This article starts with a nod to NPS and the success of companies using this metric to measure customer satisfaction. One of the authors came up with another metric, Customer Surplus Value (CSV), to complement NPS. This is “the difference between what consumers are willing to pay for a product or service and its price.” The example they use is simple. If a customer is willing to pay $5 for a cup of coffee, but it only costs them $3, there is a $2 surplus. I’m intrigued by this measurement and plan to do a little more research to get a better understanding of the importance of this metric.
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.
May 28, 2024
The Cost of Surprising the Customer
Surprising customers with something they weren’t expecting doesn’t have to be expensive. In many cases, it can be very inexpensive or even free. For example, surprising a couple with a cake and candle when they are celebrating at a restaurant costs a tiny fraction of the meal but greatly impacts the evening.
For years, I’ve shared the story of a cab driver who surprised his customers with a newspaper, a bottle of water and a side trip to see a famous local landmark. That side trip cost the driver nothing but a few minutes of time. And the newspaper and water cost him far less than the extra tip he received for adding these surprises to the experience.
Even though I have covered this concept before, it’s worth resurrecting. What inspired me to do so was an article by Chip Bell, my friend and fellow customer service expert, who recently wrote a Forbes article titled The Magic of Serving with Radical Generosity . His main example of this happened at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston. He checked in late for a one-night stay. The front desk clerk upgraded him to one of the grandest rooms in the hotel.
The front desk clerk recognized Chip as a loyal Marriott Bonvoy member and knew the surprise of upgrading him to the nicer room wouldn’t cost the hotel any more than the regular room he was booked in. The result was a deepened sense of loyalty and sharing the story with others—in this case, thousands of readers of Chip’s Forbes article. The goodwill and word-of-mouth marketing the hotel received was far more than the upgrade cost, which was virtually nothing.
But the surprise is nothing if there isn’t a supporting cast, as in the employees who make what Chip calls Radical Generosity come to life. The cast member’s role is to do more than just surprise the customer—it is to create a positive experience that transcends the surprise.
In my restaurant example, if all the server did was set a slice of cake in front of the guests and begrudgingly say, “Happy anniversary,” the experience would be tainted by the lack of enthusiasm for the moment. The guest might say, “That was nice, but …” It takes more than one positive moment to make the experience.
If you like the idea of surprising a customer, share these examples at your next team meeting. Then, kick off a discussion that starts with this question: What’s our version of a hotel’s room upgrade or a surprise slice of cake?
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.
Challenging the Status Quo of Customer Experience with Joseph Michelli
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
How can companies effectively challenge the status quo to drive innovation in customer service?
What is the “challenger mindset”?
How can storytelling culture contribute to a company’s success in customer service and experience?
What drives improvement and innovation in business?
Why is it essential for companies to create products tailored to their customers rather than finding customers for their products?
Top Takeaways
An insatiable curiosity and a commitment to innovation enable leaders to constantly seek new ideas and solutions that create value for their employees and customers. This is how leaders remain relevant and impactful as their business grows.
Creating a storytelling culture within the organization is an amazing tool for engaging customers and employees. It builds a culture that resonates with its audience and strengthens emotional connections.
Adopting the challenger mindset or zigging while others are zagging doesn’t always mean contradicting every idea. It means questioning the status quo and driving continual improvement. Leaders must promote an environment where employees are encouraged to challenge prevailing norms and seek opportunities to do things differently. This can lead to unique solutions and fresh approaches that set a business apart.
Shift from finding customers for your products to finding products for your customers. This customer-centric approach focuses on understanding and addressing the needs of your customers.
When hiring, prioritize individuals who embody a customer service-focused mindset. Seeking out employees who not only have the necessary technical skills but also demonstrate genuine care and approachability toward customers can significantly transform your business.
Plus, Joseph Michelli shares how the inspiration for his book, David and Aidan Tudehope of Macquarie Technology, has achieved great success by challenging the status quo of their industry. Tune in!
Quotes:
“It’s not about the product. The product is a vector to create an impact on the lives of humans. The magic is in how we create an experience in the lives of our customers.”
“Be the person who is approachable and can help solve problems. When you’re the expert, help the customer by empathizing and communicating in a way that is easy to understand and doesn’t demean the person asking.”
“Zig while others zag. Constantly challenge the mindset and question the status quo. We take so much for granted because it has always been done a certain way. Things won’t change unless we question them.”
“Insatiable curiosity keeps a brand fresh. It continuously creates new ideas and value for those we serve.”
About:
Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., C.S.P., is an international keynote speaker and organizational consultant. He is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Nielson BookScan, and New York Times #1 bestselling author. His latest book, Customer Magic – The Macquarie Way: How to Reimagine Customer Experience to Transform Your Business , is available now on Amazon.
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 companies effectively challenge the status quo to drive innovation in customer service?
What is the “challenger mindset”?
How can storytelling culture contribute to a company’s success in customer service and experience?
What drives improvement and innovation in business?
Why is it essential for companies to create products tailored to their customers rather than finding customers for their products?
Top Takeaways
An insatiable curiosity and a commitment to innovation enable leaders to constantly seek new ideas and solutions that create value for their employees and customers. This is how leaders remain relevant and impactful as their business grows.
Creating a storytelling culture within the organization is an amazing tool for engaging customers and employees. It builds a culture that resonates with its audience and strengthens emotional connections.
Adopting the challenger mindset or zigging while others are zagging doesn’t always mean contradicting every idea. It means questioning the status quo and driving continual improvement. Leaders must promote an environment where employees are encouraged to challenge prevailing norms and seek opportunities to do things differently. This can lead to unique solutions and fresh approaches that set a business apart.
Shift from finding customers for your products to finding products for your customers. This customer-centric approach focuses on understanding and addressing the needs of your customers.
When hiring, prioritize individuals who embody a customer service-focused mindset. Seeking out employees who not only have the necessary technical skills but also demonstrate genuine care and approachability toward customers can significantly transform your business.
Plus, Joseph Michelli shares how the inspiration for his book, David and Aidan Tudehope of Macquarie Technology, has achieved great success by challenging the status quo of their industry. Tune in!
Quotes:
“It’s not about the product. The product is a vector to create an impact on the lives of humans. The magic is in how we create an experience in the lives of our customers.”
“Be the person who is approachable and can help solve problems. When you’re the expert, help the customer by empathizing and communicating in a way that is easy to understand and doesn’t demean the person asking.”
“Zig while others zag. Constantly challenge the mindset and question the status quo. We take so much for granted because it has always been done a certain way. Things won’t change unless we question them.”
“Insatiable curiosity keeps a brand fresh. It continuously creates new ideas and value for those we serve.”
About:
Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., C.S.P., is an international keynote speaker and organizational consultant. He is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Nielson BookScan, and New York Times #1 bestselling author. His latest book, Customer Magic – The Macquarie Way: How to Reimagine Customer Experience to Transform Your Business , is available now on Amazon.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
May 26, 2024
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of May 27, 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.
Is Your Net Promoter Score Biased? by Alex Bitca
(Retently) Is your Net Promoter Score a reliable metric for judging what customers think of your business, or is it biased? This is a common question that can be particularly worrying for small businesses that maintain a close relationship with their customers and clients.
My Comment: If you’ve been following my work, you know I’m a huge NPS – Net Promotor Score – fan. (See my article on the Top 14 Customer Service and CX Metrics.) This is an interesting article about NPS. It has some great ideas on how to get the best results from the question. And even if you don’t use NPS, some of these ideas cross over into other survey questions you might use to evaluate your company’s customer experience.
What Is Ecommerce Customer Experience (CX)? by Company 119
(Company 119) Ecommerce customer experience, or ecommerce CX, encompasses the interactions and perceptions a customer has while navigating through an online store or platform to make a purchase. It’s not only about the ease of finding a product or the efficiency of the checkout process. Instead, it encapsulates the entirety of the customer journey—from their initial discovery of a product to post-purchase support and beyond.
My Comment: If you do any business online, this is a must-read” article. First, the author defines ecommerce CX as: “The interactions and perceptions a customer has while navigating through an online store or platform to make a purchase.” From there, you will find plenty of ideas. And the author has done all of us a favor by highlighting the most important points of the article.
Will ‘Shrinkflation’ Drive Away Your Customers? by Ben Gran
(The Ascent) Recent years of high inflation and supply chain problems have hit small businesses hard. Consumers often believe that inflation is good for business, or that businesses enjoy driving up profits when prices are high. But that’s not always true for smaller companies. Many small businesses are struggling to cope with higher costs of doing business, and they can’t always raise prices without risking customer attrition.
My Comment: Shrinkflation is the idea that a company (from any industry) chooses to shrink the size or quantity of what it sells rather than raise prices. For example, maybe you notice the portions at a restaurant are smaller than in the past. They may be smaller because food costs have increased, and rather than charge more, they provide less. The author is not in favor of this concept and suggests price transparency as a way to explain higher prices.
How to Make Customer Service Your Company’s Superpower by Jaquie Scammell
(The CEO Magazine) Customer service no longer sparks the same enthusiasm it once used to. Is it time to lead a new service leadership revolution and put the human back in ‘human service’?
My Comment: I’d like to think that outstanding customer service is NOT rare, but according to the author of this excellent article, it is. How do you combat poor service? The answer is generosity. This is an interesting concept, and I won’t disagree. By itself, it’s not enough. Wrap it around the basics of a good customer experience and yes, you can deliver a better (or leveled up) service experience.
Twenty Ways to Delight Your Customers: Transforming Satisfaction into Loyalty by Denyse Drummond-Dunn
(C3Centricity) Today, most markets are saturated, and companies are fighting for the same customers. This is why organizations should no longer aim for customer satisfaction but rather delight. But how can you delight your customers so they remain loyal?
My Comment: Here’s an excellent list of ways to convert your customers from satisfied to loyal. Delivering an amazing customer service experience isn’t rocket science. Often, it’s just common sense. (Unfortunately, that’s not always common!) This article gives us 20 ideas to choose from. There is something here for everyone in any business or industry.
BONUSES
Onalytica Insider: 2024 B2B Influencer Marketing Report by Onalytica
(Onalytica) Discover the latest trends and strategies in B2B Influencer Marketing with our new 2024 report. Our report offers a dual-perspective analysis, comparing insights directly from brands and influencers to reveal a holistic view of the B2B influencer ecosystem. This unique approach allows for strategic alignments and actionable insights tailored to enhance your influencer marketing strategies.
My Comment: Here’s a great report from Onalytica in their 2024 B2B influencer Marketing Report. Read my thoughts as well as other industry experts like Helen Yu, Rob May, Shelly Kramer, Theodora Lau, Timothy Hughes and others. It is gated, so you will have to provide your name, email address, etc., but it is well worth it.
Why summer can be a testing ground for holiday season preparedness by Bryan Wassel
(CXDive) Companies can test CX strategies during elevated periods to ensure they’re delivering consistent experiences that work during the busy holiday season.
My Comment: Are you ready for busy times in your business? I was interviewed for an article in CX Dive about how to prepare and why it is important to be prepared in busy times.
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.
Is Your Net Promoter Score Biased? by Alex Bitca
(Retently) Is your Net Promoter Score a reliable metric for judging what customers think of your business, or is it biased? This is a common question that can be particularly worrying for small businesses that maintain a close relationship with their customers and clients.
My Comment: If you’ve been following my work, you know I’m a huge NPS – Net Promotor Score – fan. (See my article on the Top 14 Customer Service and CX Metrics.) This is an interesting article about NPS. It has some great ideas on how to get the best results from the question. And even if you don’t use NPS, some of these ideas cross over into other survey questions you might use to evaluate your company’s customer experience.
What Is Ecommerce Customer Experience (CX)? by Company 119
(Company 119) Ecommerce customer experience, or ecommerce CX, encompasses the interactions and perceptions a customer has while navigating through an online store or platform to make a purchase. It’s not only about the ease of finding a product or the efficiency of the checkout process. Instead, it encapsulates the entirety of the customer journey—from their initial discovery of a product to post-purchase support and beyond.
My Comment: If you do any business online, this is a must-read” article. First, the author defines ecommerce CX as: “The interactions and perceptions a customer has while navigating through an online store or platform to make a purchase.” From there, you will find plenty of ideas. And the author has done all of us a favor by highlighting the most important points of the article.
Will ‘Shrinkflation’ Drive Away Your Customers? by Ben Gran
(The Ascent) Recent years of high inflation and supply chain problems have hit small businesses hard. Consumers often believe that inflation is good for business, or that businesses enjoy driving up profits when prices are high. But that’s not always true for smaller companies. Many small businesses are struggling to cope with higher costs of doing business, and they can’t always raise prices without risking customer attrition.
My Comment: Shrinkflation is the idea that a company (from any industry) chooses to shrink the size or quantity of what it sells rather than raise prices. For example, maybe you notice the portions at a restaurant are smaller than in the past. They may be smaller because food costs have increased, and rather than charge more, they provide less. The author is not in favor of this concept and suggests price transparency as a way to explain higher prices.
How to Make Customer Service Your Company’s Superpower by Jaquie Scammell
(The CEO Magazine) Customer service no longer sparks the same enthusiasm it once used to. Is it time to lead a new service leadership revolution and put the human back in ‘human service’?
My Comment: I’d like to think that outstanding customer service is NOT rare, but according to the author of this excellent article, it is. How do you combat poor service? The answer is generosity. This is an interesting concept, and I won’t disagree. By itself, it’s not enough. Wrap it around the basics of a good customer experience and yes, you can deliver a better (or leveled up) service experience.
Twenty Ways to Delight Your Customers: Transforming Satisfaction into Loyalty by Denyse Drummond-Dunn
(C3Centricity) Today, most markets are saturated, and companies are fighting for the same customers. This is why organizations should no longer aim for customer satisfaction but rather delight. But how can you delight your customers so they remain loyal?
My Comment: Here’s an excellent list of ways to convert your customers from satisfied to loyal. Delivering an amazing customer service experience isn’t rocket science. Often, it’s just common sense. (Unfortunately, that’s not always common!) This article gives us 20 ideas to choose from. There is something here for everyone in any business or industry.
BONUSES
Onalytica Insider: 2024 B2B Influencer Marketing Report by Onalytica
(Onalytica) Discover the latest trends and strategies in B2B Influencer Marketing with our new 2024 report. Our report offers a dual-perspective analysis, comparing insights directly from brands and influencers to reveal a holistic view of the B2B influencer ecosystem. This unique approach allows for strategic alignments and actionable insights tailored to enhance your influencer marketing strategies.
My Comment: Here’s a great report from Onalytica in their 2024 B2B influencer Marketing Report. Read my thoughts as well as other industry experts like Helen Yu, Rob May, Shelly Kramer, Theodora Lau, Timothy Hughes and others. It is gated, so you will have to provide your name, email address, etc., but it is well worth it.
Why summer can be a testing ground for holiday season preparedness by Bryan Wassel
(CXDive) Companies can test CX strategies during elevated periods to ensure they’re delivering consistent experiences that work during the busy holiday season.
My Comment: Are you ready for busy times in your business? I was interviewed for an article in CX Dive about how to prepare and why it is important to be prepared in busy times.
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.
May 21, 2024
Twenty-One Percent of Customers Admit to Cursing at Customer Service Agents
There’s an old story about an airline passenger who walks into the baggage claim office and starts screaming and cursing at the airline employee. The employee, who is calm and collected, responds, “I am sorry about your lost luggage. At this point in time, there are only two people in the entire world who care about your luggage, and you’re starting to make one of them upset.” Unfortunately, some customers, like the passenger in the story, are angry. If 21% of customers admit they curse at customer service agents, does that mean that 79% are lying? I’m just kidding, of course, but with customer service being more important than ever, it surprises me that some companies haven’t leveled up their customer service and support. In some instances, they flat-out make customers angry.
Consider these findings from our customer service and CX research:
60% of customers have hung up on a customer service/support agent.
34% of customers admit to yelling at a customer service agent.
And the customer doesn’t even have to talk to an agent to become angry …
79% of customers have called customer support, encountered an automated menu system, repeatedly shouted “Agent” or “Representative” into the phone, and eventually, out of frustration, hung up.
I’m an optimistic person, and it pains me to share negative information like this. Unfortunately, it’s the truth. On the positive side, more companies are getting it right.
Customer service trends and predictions
Each January, I share customer service trends and predictions. I almost always start with the trend that our customers keep getting smarter when it comes to customer service. They are educated by the best companies and brands that get it right. These companies provide easy access for customers to connect with their customer support teams. They don’t make customers wait, or if they do, they offer the option of being called back. They have knowledgeable and friendly agents who positively represent their brands. In reality, all they are doing is what they are supposed to do – what customers hope for and expect them to do.
Unfortunately, some contact centers still don’t do a good job. Customers experience long hold times, multiple transfers, phone disconnects, inconsistent answers, agents who are hard to understand, agents without authority to make customer-focused decisions, and agents who are less than helpful – and sometimes even rude. These are just some of the reasons customers don’t like calling customer support, which is why 43% of customers would rather clean a toilet than call customer support. Ouch!
To wrap this up, as customers, we need to give the people who have been hired to help us a chance. Don’t curse, yell and belittle the people who are there to help us. As company leaders, we need to provide a level of service and support that meets, if not exceeds, our customers’ expectations.
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.
Embracing the Four Phases of the Contact Center with Joseph Walsh
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
What are the four phases of a customer service center’s life cycle?
Why is it important to understand customer demands in the context of social media and other communication channels?
Why is it essential for companies to balance their technology, people, and processes?
How can organizations evaluate and improve customer service to increase revenue and better serve customers?
What potential risk do organizations face when they fail to focus on improving customer experience?
Top Takeaways
Managers and CX leaders must listen to what’s happening on the frontline and how customers interact with agents on the phone, chat, or AI. Find out where your frontline is excelling and what its shortcomings are. Analyze conversations, not just to grade but to determine if you are doing what is best for your customers.
Joseph shares the Four Phases of the Contact Center.
Phase 1 is all about customer-initiated conversations. Agents field multiple calls and answer queries following a script. The tech is often very limited to the standard phone system. There is little room for creativity, and it is all about compliance.
Phase 2 is about collaboration. Beyond the phone system, more technology and communication channels are introduced into the conversation. The CRM platform is integrated, so agents, subject matter experts, and everyone in the company are on the same page and can work together on the customer journey, products, and pain points.
Phase 3 is about entering the digital experience and growth. Customers and agents are using a full array of communication channels, such as web chat, social media, email, and more, that work seamlessly together.
Phase 4 is about automation, AI, self-service, and sustained growth. Customers are empowered to find answers and solve problems on their own through online portals and interactive web chats. Companies are finding ways to reduce repetitive tasks for agents and deliver faster answers to customers, resulting in a better experience for both.
Customers now turn to social media to seek help or voice their frustrations. If your company is on social media, embrace the entire medium, the people who use it, and their expectations.
Customer service is about more than fixing issues. It’s about enhancing the overall customer experience. Businesses can continuously evaluate and improve their customer service strategies, increase revenue, and build stronger customer relationships.
Plus, Shep and Joseph discuss the top channels for customer communication. Tune in!
Quotes:
“To answer customer needs, you need the entire company working together. It’s about ensuring an organization can answer all customer queries and answer them the best they can.”
“Customer experience goes hand in hand with the growth of your organization. Disgruntled customers are more price-sensitive and less likely to make repeat purchases. Happy customers, on the other hand, are much less price-sensitive and buy more. CX directly impacts your bottom line.”
“Tech is very important. But, businesses must not forget to build the right business processes around it and make sure people experiencing the technology are well equipped to handle it.”
“Happy employees will treat you much better than disgruntled employees.”
“Is your customer service up to scratch, or can you do a better job? If you don’t do it, your competitors will.”
About:
Joseph Walsh is the Vice President of Product Marketing for GoTo. He helps organizations improve customer and employee experience and grow revenue by embracing digital technology.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
What are the four phases of a customer service center’s life cycle?
Why is it important to understand customer demands in the context of social media and other communication channels?
Why is it essential for companies to balance their technology, people, and processes?
How can organizations evaluate and improve customer service to increase revenue and better serve customers?
What potential risk do organizations face when they fail to focus on improving customer experience?
Top Takeaways
Managers and CX leaders must listen to what’s happening on the frontline and how customers interact with agents on the phone, chat, or AI. Find out where your frontline is excelling and what its shortcomings are. Analyze conversations, not just to grade but to determine if you are doing what is best for your customers.
Joseph shares the Four Phases of the Contact Center.
Phase 1 is all about customer-initiated conversations. Agents field multiple calls and answer queries following a script. The tech is often very limited to the standard phone system. There is little room for creativity, and it is all about compliance.
Phase 2 is about collaboration. Beyond the phone system, more technology and communication channels are introduced into the conversation. The CRM platform is integrated, so agents, subject matter experts, and everyone in the company are on the same page and can work together on the customer journey, products, and pain points.
Phase 3 is about entering the digital experience and growth. Customers and agents are using a full array of communication channels, such as web chat, social media, email, and more, that work seamlessly together.
Phase 4 is about automation, AI, self-service, and sustained growth. Customers are empowered to find answers and solve problems on their own through online portals and interactive web chats. Companies are finding ways to reduce repetitive tasks for agents and deliver faster answers to customers, resulting in a better experience for both.
Customers now turn to social media to seek help or voice their frustrations. If your company is on social media, embrace the entire medium, the people who use it, and their expectations.
Customer service is about more than fixing issues. It’s about enhancing the overall customer experience. Businesses can continuously evaluate and improve their customer service strategies, increase revenue, and build stronger customer relationships.
Plus, Shep and Joseph discuss the top channels for customer communication. Tune in!
Quotes:
“To answer customer needs, you need the entire company working together. It’s about ensuring an organization can answer all customer queries and answer them the best they can.”
“Customer experience goes hand in hand with the growth of your organization. Disgruntled customers are more price-sensitive and less likely to make repeat purchases. Happy customers, on the other hand, are much less price-sensitive and buy more. CX directly impacts your bottom line.”
“Tech is very important. But, businesses must not forget to build the right business processes around it and make sure people experiencing the technology are well equipped to handle it.”
“Happy employees will treat you much better than disgruntled employees.”
“Is your customer service up to scratch, or can you do a better job? If you don’t do it, your competitors will.”
About:
Joseph Walsh is the Vice President of Product Marketing for GoTo. He helps organizations improve customer and employee experience and grow revenue by embracing digital technology.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
