Shep Hyken's Blog, page 32
December 6, 2023
Win the Customer, Not the Argument
In a confrontation with a customer, you have a goal: win the customer, not the argument. I’ve written about this before, and it’s worth coming back to this topic from another angle with a different example. First, an interaction with a customer should never result in an argument. The best people in customer service, sales, or any frontline customer-facing job avoid escalating a confrontation to the level of a dispute. Instead, the best people de-escalate a confrontation to a mutually agreeable solution.
Here’s what I witnessed this week. I was on a plane and noticed that the flight attendant greeting passengers was more interested in telling passengers the rules than offering a warm, friendly greeting as people boarded the plane. There was a woman with a small pack strapped to her belt. It was maybe an inch thick and barely larger than a cell phone. It probably held her phone and maybe her wallet, but it wasn’t big enough for anything else.
Rather than the flight attendant saying, “Welcome aboard,” he pointed at her belt and said, “That’s going to have to go in the overhead or under the seat.”
The passenger said, “I’ve been flying with this for 15 years, and nobody has ever asked me to remove it from my belt.”
The flight attendant replied, “I’ve been flying for 20 years, and I know the rules.”
So much for trying to win the customer. As I watched this, it was hard for me not to go to the flight attendant to introduce myself and suggest an alternative response that might have been friendlier and helped him convey his message. First, he could have extended a warm greeting. Then, he could have worded his statement as a friendly request rather than an order.
How is this different from what I’ve written about in the past? First, the customer (or passenger) didn’t walk on the plane with a bad attitude. She wasn’t coming into the conversation upset or angry. She didn’t have a complaint that eventually could turn into an argument. The opposite was happening. The flight attendant started it. Even if he was right and had to enforce a rule, he could have approached his request in a friendly manner that included an attitude of diplomacy and an explanation. Instead, he started the confrontation with an aggressive tone and a command that put the customer on the defensive and made the passengers around her uncomfortable.
There’s no good ending to this story. The passenger complied, but the employee never made things right. His angry and militant attitude continued throughout the flight.
It’s not about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s not about blame. It’s about a customer-focused, friendly approach that doesn’t taint the 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.
December 4, 2023
How Any Business Can Adopt a Hospitality Mentality
Top Takeaways:
The hospitality mentality is a mindset that focuses on treating every customer as a valued guest, going beyond their expectations, and providing exceptional service. This mindset can be applied to every organization in any industry.
A hyper-personalized experience is making the customer or guest feel like they are the only one that matters, even if it is only for a brief period of time. It’s about delivering an experience that exceeds their expectations and is tailored to their unique preferences and needs.
A “wow moment” is a surprise and delight moment. It goes beyond what an employee, a team member, or the organization typically needs to do, but it shouldn’t negatively impact any other guest’s experience.
“Wow moments” don’t have to be complicated or costly. There are many ways to create memorable and personalized experiences for guests that have high value but little to no cost to your organization. It’s about going the extra mile, finding moments to surprise and delight your guests, and creating a lasting impression that sets your business apart.
Consistency and predictability are crucial in delivering amazing customer service. While “wow moments” are memorable and can create a lasting impact, the foundation of great service lies in consistently delivering positive experiences (that are expected). The word “always” followed by something positive is how every customer should describe your business. Customers value businesses that are always friendly, always helpful, and always reliable.
Plus, Josh shares what it means to “get rid of your customers” and more nuggets from his latest book, The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Recognize that your guests don’t need you. They can go elsewhere. So be intentional about exceeding their expectations so that they want to do business with you again and recommend you to everyone they know.”
“The idea behind having a hospitality mindset is to look beyond the dollar amount customers bring into the business. Provide an experience that extends beyond the transaction and allows you to build a framework for a service culture that treats everyone like a guest.”
“Make the experience something to be loyal to. Loyal guests or loyal customers continue to do business with you, tell others about it, and even defend your business when needed. They help advocate for and evangelize your business.”
Josh Liebman specializes in guest experience within attractions, hospitality, and tourism. He is the co-host of the AttractionPros Podcast and the author of The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience .
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:
How can companies adopt the hospitality mentality?
How can businesses create hyper-personalized experiences for their customers?
What is a “wow moment” in customer service?
What can businesses do to surprise and delight their customers?
How can businesses operationalize “wow moments”?
The hospitality mentality is a mindset that focuses on treating every customer as a valued guest, going beyond their expectations, and providing exceptional service. This mindset can be applied to every organization in any industry.
A hyper-personalized experience is making the customer or guest feel like they are the only one that matters, even if it is only for a brief period of time. It’s about delivering an experience that exceeds their expectations and is tailored to their unique preferences and needs.
A “wow moment” is a surprise and delight moment. It goes beyond what an employee, a team member, or the organization typically needs to do, but it shouldn’t negatively impact any other guest’s experience.
“Wow moments” don’t have to be complicated or costly. There are many ways to create memorable and personalized experiences for guests that have high value but little to no cost to your organization. It’s about going the extra mile, finding moments to surprise and delight your guests, and creating a lasting impression that sets your business apart.
Consistency and predictability are crucial in delivering amazing customer service. While “wow moments” are memorable and can create a lasting impact, the foundation of great service lies in consistently delivering positive experiences (that are expected). The word “always” followed by something positive is how every customer should describe your business. Customers value businesses that are always friendly, always helpful, and always reliable.
Plus, Josh shares what it means to “get rid of your customers” and more nuggets from his latest book, The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Recognize that your guests don’t need you. They can go elsewhere. So be intentional about exceeding their expectations so that they want to do business with you again and recommend you to everyone they know.”
“The idea behind having a hospitality mindset is to look beyond the dollar amount customers bring into the business. Provide an experience that extends beyond the transaction and allows you to build a framework for a service culture that treats everyone like a guest.”
“Make the experience something to be loyal to. Loyal guests or loyal customers continue to do business with you, tell others about it, and even defend your business when needed. They help advocate for and evangelize your business.”
About:
Josh Liebman specializes in guest experience within attractions, hospitality, and tourism. He is the co-host of the AttractionPros Podcast and the author of The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience .
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:
How can companies adopt the hospitality mentality?
How can businesses create hyper-personalized experiences for their customers?
What is a “wow moment” in customer service?
What can businesses do to surprise and delight their customers?
How can businesses operationalize “wow moments”?
December 3, 2023
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of December 4, 2023
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 comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
How to Avoid Your Cx Initiatives from Being Another Flavor of the Month by Nicole Paul
(John DiJulius) You’ve spent months executing a new initiative to help streamline things for your team. Manuals have been created, processes have been approved, the collateral has been ordered, and the team may be weary – however, leadership is SO EXCITED for the culmination of this investment. The day arrives, the notice goes out to the team, manuals hit desks… and within two weeks, nothing has changed. Does no one want to see change? Don’t they want to improve the day-to-day?
My Comment: When our clients are interested in our customer service training for their “new” customer service/CX initiative, they are excited and ready to start. While most of our clients succeed, a few turn the initiative into “the flavor of the month” or “theme of the quarter.” For a customer service initiative to work, it has to keep going. John DiJulius is a fellow customer service expert and a great friend. Regarding service and CX, he’s one of the best, and this short article will give you a few insights into his thinking about moving from another “flavor of the month” to a program that lasts and makes change.
Personalization and Real-Time Interaction Management: Best of the Martechbot by MarTechBot
(MarTech) Best of the MarTechBot showcases the MarTechBot’s responses to prompts submitted by readers. The language model is based on content from MarTech embedded on top of ChatGPT. The editors of MarTech selected this response for its usefulness and have supplemented it with additional relevant content.
My Comment: This article shows the power of generative AI (ChatGPT-type technologies). The author prompted the chatbot with a question about personalization versus real-time interaction management. (Don’t worry if you don’t know what real-time IM is!) The bot delivered an answer. The prompt was tweaked, and the bot delivered an even better answer. The point is that generative AI can be used in so many ways. Ask questions, brainstorm with it, let it support your communication efforts, write your emails, and much more. Used the right way, it may even help you create more tailored and personalized customer experiences!
Loyalty is a Strategy, Not a Program by Kevin Susman
(Total Retail) In the commercial innovation workshops I lead around the globe, there are many strategies that clients and customers want to cover. However, without fail, I always get asked what can be done to improve customer loyalty. No matter the country or the language it’s being delivered in, the answer is always the same — invest in developing loyalty as a strategy, and not just a program.
My Comment: I’m a big fan of loyalty programs. However, most companies confuse a loyalty program with a discount or incentive program. Often, this falls into the marketing and/or sales departments. There’s nothing wrong with pushing for repeat business, which I love and promote; just don’t confuse it for an actual loyalty program. This thoughtful article discusses several loyalty program angles and offers a lot to think about, and you’ll understand how loyalty should be considered a strategy, not just a marketing program.
Six Simple Steps To Customer Growth by John Knotts
(Forbes) Growing a business means making more revenue. At the heart of business growth is a marketing and sales strategy. Included in this strategy are six distinct activities that grow revenue for your business. These items are gaining more customers, adding new products, adding new services, adjusting your pricing, bundling your products and services and creating recurring revenue systems.
My Comment: I was reluctant to include this article in the Top Five as it focuses more on marketing and sales. Often, there is a blurry line between these business strategies and customer experience. Knowing who your customers are (as in your target audience) and creating a value proposition that you honor leads to a better CX.
Why Your Company Needs a Comprehensive Employee and Customer Experience Plan by Kent Lewis
(Inc. Magazine) The EX/CX Evangelist would develop and manage an integrated plan to ensure employees are encouraged and empowered to execute a first-class mindset, resulting in extraordinary customer experiences. Central to this strategy is the creation of an exceptional employee experience program, incorporating the first-class mindset. The program would cultivate employees to provide the foundation and support for exceptional customer experience.
My Comment: This is an excellent article, with the first point being that a good customer experience starts on the inside with a good employee experience. The author summarizes some of the best parts of Tiffany Bova’s latest book, The Experience Mindset, which was included in my Forbes article on the top ten business books of the year. In addition, you’ll get six more strategies and tactics to create your customer and employee experience plan.
Best Customer Service 2024: The Winning Strategies by Rachel Rabkin Peachman
(Forbes) To create Best Customer Service 2024, Forbes partnered with HundredX, a data analytics company whose year-long survey had 201,000 people in the United States provide 4.2 million evaluations across more than 3,000 brands. (Those brands’ parent companies could be based in any country, but all respondents resided in the U.S.) Survey participants were asked to rate brands on four aspects of customer service: people, speed, services and resolution.
My Comment: This excellent article not only includes a few tips/strategies (including a couple of mine) to deliver amazing customer service but also includes a link to a list of the top 100 companies. What I like about this list, put together in partnership with HundredX, is that it’s based on 4.2 million ratings on more than 3,000 brands.
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.
How to Avoid Your Cx Initiatives from Being Another Flavor of the Month by Nicole Paul
(John DiJulius) You’ve spent months executing a new initiative to help streamline things for your team. Manuals have been created, processes have been approved, the collateral has been ordered, and the team may be weary – however, leadership is SO EXCITED for the culmination of this investment. The day arrives, the notice goes out to the team, manuals hit desks… and within two weeks, nothing has changed. Does no one want to see change? Don’t they want to improve the day-to-day?
My Comment: When our clients are interested in our customer service training for their “new” customer service/CX initiative, they are excited and ready to start. While most of our clients succeed, a few turn the initiative into “the flavor of the month” or “theme of the quarter.” For a customer service initiative to work, it has to keep going. John DiJulius is a fellow customer service expert and a great friend. Regarding service and CX, he’s one of the best, and this short article will give you a few insights into his thinking about moving from another “flavor of the month” to a program that lasts and makes change.
Personalization and Real-Time Interaction Management: Best of the Martechbot by MarTechBot
(MarTech) Best of the MarTechBot showcases the MarTechBot’s responses to prompts submitted by readers. The language model is based on content from MarTech embedded on top of ChatGPT. The editors of MarTech selected this response for its usefulness and have supplemented it with additional relevant content.
My Comment: This article shows the power of generative AI (ChatGPT-type technologies). The author prompted the chatbot with a question about personalization versus real-time interaction management. (Don’t worry if you don’t know what real-time IM is!) The bot delivered an answer. The prompt was tweaked, and the bot delivered an even better answer. The point is that generative AI can be used in so many ways. Ask questions, brainstorm with it, let it support your communication efforts, write your emails, and much more. Used the right way, it may even help you create more tailored and personalized customer experiences!
Loyalty is a Strategy, Not a Program by Kevin Susman
(Total Retail) In the commercial innovation workshops I lead around the globe, there are many strategies that clients and customers want to cover. However, without fail, I always get asked what can be done to improve customer loyalty. No matter the country or the language it’s being delivered in, the answer is always the same — invest in developing loyalty as a strategy, and not just a program.
My Comment: I’m a big fan of loyalty programs. However, most companies confuse a loyalty program with a discount or incentive program. Often, this falls into the marketing and/or sales departments. There’s nothing wrong with pushing for repeat business, which I love and promote; just don’t confuse it for an actual loyalty program. This thoughtful article discusses several loyalty program angles and offers a lot to think about, and you’ll understand how loyalty should be considered a strategy, not just a marketing program.
Six Simple Steps To Customer Growth by John Knotts
(Forbes) Growing a business means making more revenue. At the heart of business growth is a marketing and sales strategy. Included in this strategy are six distinct activities that grow revenue for your business. These items are gaining more customers, adding new products, adding new services, adjusting your pricing, bundling your products and services and creating recurring revenue systems.
My Comment: I was reluctant to include this article in the Top Five as it focuses more on marketing and sales. Often, there is a blurry line between these business strategies and customer experience. Knowing who your customers are (as in your target audience) and creating a value proposition that you honor leads to a better CX.
Why Your Company Needs a Comprehensive Employee and Customer Experience Plan by Kent Lewis
(Inc. Magazine) The EX/CX Evangelist would develop and manage an integrated plan to ensure employees are encouraged and empowered to execute a first-class mindset, resulting in extraordinary customer experiences. Central to this strategy is the creation of an exceptional employee experience program, incorporating the first-class mindset. The program would cultivate employees to provide the foundation and support for exceptional customer experience.
My Comment: This is an excellent article, with the first point being that a good customer experience starts on the inside with a good employee experience. The author summarizes some of the best parts of Tiffany Bova’s latest book, The Experience Mindset, which was included in my Forbes article on the top ten business books of the year. In addition, you’ll get six more strategies and tactics to create your customer and employee experience plan.
Best Customer Service 2024: The Winning Strategies by Rachel Rabkin Peachman
(Forbes) To create Best Customer Service 2024, Forbes partnered with HundredX, a data analytics company whose year-long survey had 201,000 people in the United States provide 4.2 million evaluations across more than 3,000 brands. (Those brands’ parent companies could be based in any country, but all respondents resided in the U.S.) Survey participants were asked to rate brands on four aspects of customer service: people, speed, services and resolution.
My Comment: This excellent article not only includes a few tips/strategies (including a couple of mine) to deliver amazing customer service but also includes a link to a list of the top 100 companies. What I like about this list, put together in partnership with HundredX, is that it’s based on 4.2 million ratings on more than 3,000 brands.
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.
November 28, 2023
Easy Is in the Eye of the B̶e̶h̶o̶l̶d̶e̶r̶ User
I recently bought a software solution. The advertising said, “Easy to install and easy to use.” It was half right. I had no problem installing the software. However, using it was a different story. The good news is that when I reached out to technical support, I had a response within minutes. Despite the quick service, after I followed the instructions, the software still wasn’t working, and the entire process was confusing. I emailed the support rep to tell him it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be, and he responded by saying, “It should be easy.”
There was a difference between him and me. This rep had been trained and was an expert. It was easy for him, but not for someone like me who wasn’t as familiar with the technology – and hadn’t been trained like him.
So, I have been thinking about the word easy. I wonder how often I’ve been guilty of saying, “It’s easy,” when it might not be for others.
A golf pro makes a swing look so easy. Experienced guitar players can play music by ear and not look at their hands and fingers. They play … effortlessly. The truth is that as easy as it looks, it’s not easy.
The lesson we take from this is that what’s easy for one person is not always easy for another. Someone’s education, training, and experience can make something seem normal or easy for them, but it can still be difficult for someone without the same background. We must keep that in mind.
This example of easy is a simple way to emphasize that some of us assume others are as knowledgeable or have similar experiences as we do. While I use easy as an example, there is a bigger picture. This concept of easy is just one example of how we assume and have bias, even if we don’t intend to. For example, we might use company jargon and acronyms that others outside of the company or industry might not understand.
In the customer experience world, one of the most challenging Moments of Misery™ to overcome is communication breakdown. It’s easy – there’s that word again – for a company to replace a broken product or a retailer to exchange a sweater that’s the wrong size, but when customers misunderstand you, they feel disconnected from you and the company.
And your experience may be different than your customers’. Don’t assume you’re on an equal footing. At the same time, be careful not to talk down to them. You must ask questions and communicate to understand and connect with them on their level.
Back to that word, easy. There’s an old saying: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’ve come up with a similar saying: Easy is in the eye of the user.
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.
November 27, 2023
How a Simple Search Bar Creates a Better Customer Experience
Top Takeaways:
Businesses use advanced technology like search and generative AI to create better customer experiences. When customers visit a company’s website and use the search bar to find information, the technology behind it can provide relevant and helpful results, making it easier to get the answers they need.
Searching on the internet used to be about using keywords, but now it’s smarter! It understands what you really want and gives you better answers. This shift allows customers to ask broader questions and receive accurate responses, improving the effectiveness of search platforms and thereby improving customer service.
Customers can now use everyday language to get better results that accurately match what they are looking for. For example, instead of searching “discount iPhone,” customers can ask, “I want the best family plan for an iPhone in California.” The answer or response suits what the customer needs better.
While digital self-service solutions continue to evolve and enhance the customer experience, phone support remains essential for customers to interact with companies. The goal is not to eliminate phone support but to augment agents with AI-driven tools. This allows support agents to focus on more personalized and complex issues.
Generative AI and advanced search technologies can help build unique customer experiences. Creating meaningful and personalized customer interactions with the help of AI-powered technology can help brands set themselves apart from the competition.
Plus, Chris shares how Elastic started and evolved from searching kitchen recipes to delivering AI-powered CX. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Self-service unblocks customer support… and enables a better customer experience.”
“The phone is not dead. It will be a while before we are at the point where you don’t need a phone number to call or a support agent to contact.”
“Generative AI and large language models like Chat GPT have revolutionized how we interact with chatbots, allowing for human-like conversations.”
“AI presents an opportunity to build a unique customer experience, separate yourself from the competition, and positively impact your brand.”
Chris Blaisure is the senior director of innovation and engineering at Elastic. He is a technology leader focused on customer satisfaction and driving exceptional user experiences in software and processes.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:
What is the role of generative AI in improving customer experience?
How has the use of generative AI in customer support evolved over time?
How does Artificial Intelligence enable personalization?
What impact has technology had on the customer support industry in terms of job roles?
How can AI help make customer support agents more efficient?
Businesses use advanced technology like search and generative AI to create better customer experiences. When customers visit a company’s website and use the search bar to find information, the technology behind it can provide relevant and helpful results, making it easier to get the answers they need.
Searching on the internet used to be about using keywords, but now it’s smarter! It understands what you really want and gives you better answers. This shift allows customers to ask broader questions and receive accurate responses, improving the effectiveness of search platforms and thereby improving customer service.
Customers can now use everyday language to get better results that accurately match what they are looking for. For example, instead of searching “discount iPhone,” customers can ask, “I want the best family plan for an iPhone in California.” The answer or response suits what the customer needs better.
While digital self-service solutions continue to evolve and enhance the customer experience, phone support remains essential for customers to interact with companies. The goal is not to eliminate phone support but to augment agents with AI-driven tools. This allows support agents to focus on more personalized and complex issues.
Generative AI and advanced search technologies can help build unique customer experiences. Creating meaningful and personalized customer interactions with the help of AI-powered technology can help brands set themselves apart from the competition.
Plus, Chris shares how Elastic started and evolved from searching kitchen recipes to delivering AI-powered CX. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Self-service unblocks customer support… and enables a better customer experience.”
“The phone is not dead. It will be a while before we are at the point where you don’t need a phone number to call or a support agent to contact.”
“Generative AI and large language models like Chat GPT have revolutionized how we interact with chatbots, allowing for human-like conversations.”
“AI presents an opportunity to build a unique customer experience, separate yourself from the competition, and positively impact your brand.”
About:
Chris Blaisure is the senior director of innovation and engineering at Elastic. He is a technology leader focused on customer satisfaction and driving exceptional user experiences in software and processes.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:
What is the role of generative AI in improving customer experience?
How has the use of generative AI in customer support evolved over time?
How does Artificial Intelligence enable personalization?
What impact has technology had on the customer support industry in terms of job roles?
How can AI help make customer support agents more efficient?
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of November 27, 2023
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 comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Field Tested Tips for Aligning Customer Service and Marketing by Ronnie Gomez
(Sprout Social) If a business is an orchestra, then every department is its own instrument. When teams work in isolation, the result is simply noise. However, when everyone unites around shared goals, beautiful music is made. And there’s no sweeter harmony than what’s created through collaboration between customer service and marketing.
My Comment: Let’s start with a great article about aligning customer service and marketing. I’ve been preaching for years that customer service is marketing. Done right, customer service will get your customers telling your story. This is a robust article (about 13 minutes) that is worthy of your attention.
20+ Customer Experience Statistics for 2023 by Fernanda Alvarez Pineiro
(Startups.co.uk) First impressions go a long way and that is certainly true when it comes to customers piecing together their opinion of your business. Evolving technologies make it easier to personalise the sales funnel but customer preferences are becoming more demanding. As a business, you should be thinking about ways to improve the customer experience to stay competitive.
My Comment: I’m a geek for great stats and facts about customer service and CX. My annual customer service and experience research (Download it at no charge!) has similar findings, but this list is worth diving into. The information is compelling to get a company started on their customer service/CX initiative or add “fuel to the fire” to your existing program, even if it’s doing well. There is no end to the service/CX journey. It’s ongoing, and we must always move forward or risk having to play catch up to the competition.
Your Brand Is Not What You Say—It’s What You Do by David M. M. Taffet and Jordan Goldenberg
(Fast Company) Here’s a little secret most branding agencies won’t tell you. You can’t define your brand—your customer does. It’s why the standard in brand measurement–net promoter score asks the fundamental question: How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?
My Comment: This is a branding article, but consider one of the definitions of a brand, which I’ve latched onto. A brand is a promise delivered. As mentioned in the article, a brand is not what you say. It’s what you do. So, if your promise is to create an amazing experience, as many brands do, do you deliver on that promise? Furthermore, as much as you think you are, the judge and the jury on this one is the customer. They decide if you keep your promise.
Why Is Service So Bad When We Supposedly Tip To Get Good Service? by Gary Leff
(Gary Leff) U.S. tipping culture is insane, it’s gotten out of control and what’s worse is that it’s getting exported to the rest of the world. Workers should be paid by their employer, not by an uncomfortable system where customers are supposed to pay extra – on top of posted charges – paying some amorphous amount meant to supplement an employee’s wages.
My Comment: Let’s lighten this week’s roundup with an article on tipping. I’ve written about Tipflation and Tip Creeping. I don’t agree with everything in this article, but there is a tipping epidemic – at least in the US. When the person taking your order in a drive-through window at a fast food restaurant is upset when they don’t get tipped, we have an issue (which is addressed in the article). There are ways around tipping, but that’s an article that I’ve already written or plan to expand on. In the meantime, you’ll enjoy this two-minute read.
The $400 Billion Opportunity for AI in Customer Service by Howard Rabinowitz
(CIO) Generative AI is predicted to produce billions annually in business value. Here are key strategies to capitalize on the promise.
My Comment: This is an excellent article from our friends at Freshworks about the power of AI and the customer experience. First, the headline caught my attention… $400 bill! Let’s find out what that number means (read the article). I want to reinforce a big point of the article. Generative AI (ChatGPT types of technologies) don’t have to replace people. Instead, the machine can become the co-pilot to a powerful interaction with the customer – one that gives the front-line customer service and sales reps tools that they can use to deliver a personalized and better CX.
BONUSES
15 Surprises for Boosting Agent Morale by Call Centre Helper Magazine
(Call Centre Helper Magazine) Are you tired of using the same old games and prizes? Then look no further as we have put together some fresh ideas to help boost agent morale in your contact centre – recommended by our consultants panel of industry experts.
My Comment: Several times this year, Call Center Helper has interviewed me about various customer service and CX topics. The most recent article to go live focuses on agent morale, featuring many great suggestions from nine seasoned customer service experts, with three ideas from me, including a fun and different way to show your employees a little love and appreciation.
The AI Customer Service Blueprint by Magical
(Magical) The easiest way to think about integrating AI customer support tools and apps into your business is to think of it like building a house. You need a good foundation of support content to help your customers succeed, a main floor for boosting customer retention, and an upper floor of customer expansion. This AI Customer Service Blueprint breaks down how to integrate AI for customer support into three main levels. First, we’ll lay down the foundation, then set up the main floor, and finish with building out the upper floors.
My Comment: This is a big one – a 22-minute read, unless you take notes (and you should). There is “a ton” of information here about how AI will help your customer service teams provide a better experience. Not everything is applies, but there’s something here for everyone. I’m honored to have some of my thoughts included.
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.
Field Tested Tips for Aligning Customer Service and Marketing by Ronnie Gomez
(Sprout Social) If a business is an orchestra, then every department is its own instrument. When teams work in isolation, the result is simply noise. However, when everyone unites around shared goals, beautiful music is made. And there’s no sweeter harmony than what’s created through collaboration between customer service and marketing.
My Comment: Let’s start with a great article about aligning customer service and marketing. I’ve been preaching for years that customer service is marketing. Done right, customer service will get your customers telling your story. This is a robust article (about 13 minutes) that is worthy of your attention.
20+ Customer Experience Statistics for 2023 by Fernanda Alvarez Pineiro
(Startups.co.uk) First impressions go a long way and that is certainly true when it comes to customers piecing together their opinion of your business. Evolving technologies make it easier to personalise the sales funnel but customer preferences are becoming more demanding. As a business, you should be thinking about ways to improve the customer experience to stay competitive.
My Comment: I’m a geek for great stats and facts about customer service and CX. My annual customer service and experience research (Download it at no charge!) has similar findings, but this list is worth diving into. The information is compelling to get a company started on their customer service/CX initiative or add “fuel to the fire” to your existing program, even if it’s doing well. There is no end to the service/CX journey. It’s ongoing, and we must always move forward or risk having to play catch up to the competition.
Your Brand Is Not What You Say—It’s What You Do by David M. M. Taffet and Jordan Goldenberg
(Fast Company) Here’s a little secret most branding agencies won’t tell you. You can’t define your brand—your customer does. It’s why the standard in brand measurement–net promoter score asks the fundamental question: How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?
My Comment: This is a branding article, but consider one of the definitions of a brand, which I’ve latched onto. A brand is a promise delivered. As mentioned in the article, a brand is not what you say. It’s what you do. So, if your promise is to create an amazing experience, as many brands do, do you deliver on that promise? Furthermore, as much as you think you are, the judge and the jury on this one is the customer. They decide if you keep your promise.
Why Is Service So Bad When We Supposedly Tip To Get Good Service? by Gary Leff
(Gary Leff) U.S. tipping culture is insane, it’s gotten out of control and what’s worse is that it’s getting exported to the rest of the world. Workers should be paid by their employer, not by an uncomfortable system where customers are supposed to pay extra – on top of posted charges – paying some amorphous amount meant to supplement an employee’s wages.
My Comment: Let’s lighten this week’s roundup with an article on tipping. I’ve written about Tipflation and Tip Creeping. I don’t agree with everything in this article, but there is a tipping epidemic – at least in the US. When the person taking your order in a drive-through window at a fast food restaurant is upset when they don’t get tipped, we have an issue (which is addressed in the article). There are ways around tipping, but that’s an article that I’ve already written or plan to expand on. In the meantime, you’ll enjoy this two-minute read.
The $400 Billion Opportunity for AI in Customer Service by Howard Rabinowitz
(CIO) Generative AI is predicted to produce billions annually in business value. Here are key strategies to capitalize on the promise.
My Comment: This is an excellent article from our friends at Freshworks about the power of AI and the customer experience. First, the headline caught my attention… $400 bill! Let’s find out what that number means (read the article). I want to reinforce a big point of the article. Generative AI (ChatGPT types of technologies) don’t have to replace people. Instead, the machine can become the co-pilot to a powerful interaction with the customer – one that gives the front-line customer service and sales reps tools that they can use to deliver a personalized and better CX.
BONUSES
15 Surprises for Boosting Agent Morale by Call Centre Helper Magazine
(Call Centre Helper Magazine) Are you tired of using the same old games and prizes? Then look no further as we have put together some fresh ideas to help boost agent morale in your contact centre – recommended by our consultants panel of industry experts.
My Comment: Several times this year, Call Center Helper has interviewed me about various customer service and CX topics. The most recent article to go live focuses on agent morale, featuring many great suggestions from nine seasoned customer service experts, with three ideas from me, including a fun and different way to show your employees a little love and appreciation.
The AI Customer Service Blueprint by Magical
(Magical) The easiest way to think about integrating AI customer support tools and apps into your business is to think of it like building a house. You need a good foundation of support content to help your customers succeed, a main floor for boosting customer retention, and an upper floor of customer expansion. This AI Customer Service Blueprint breaks down how to integrate AI for customer support into three main levels. First, we’ll lay down the foundation, then set up the main floor, and finish with building out the upper floors.
My Comment: This is a big one – a 22-minute read, unless you take notes (and you should). There is “a ton” of information here about how AI will help your customer service teams provide a better experience. Not everything is applies, but there’s something here for everyone. I’m honored to have some of my thoughts included.
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.
November 21, 2023
Always Look for Improvement
If it’s working fine, why mess with it? Well, whatever “it” is may work just fine, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be better.
This idea came to me as I read an article about United Airlines changing the way passengers board the plane. Most airlines put passengers in groups and call them in order. United will continue doing this but make changes to some of the groups. First-class passengers and higher-level frequent fliers won’t notice, but there will be a change once Group 4 is called. Passengers with window seats will board first, followed by passengers in middle seats, and eventually, passengers with aisle seats. This new process will save two minutes.
Now, you might be thinking, “Two minutes. Big deal!” But, in the airline business, two minutes is a big deal. A mismanaged boarding process could delay the departure and cause disruptions throughout the day. So, while two minutes may not seem like much, the goal is to always look for ways to streamline an often chaotic process.
This story has at least two lessons. First, every company should tinker with what’s working by experimenting and looking for better ways to do “what they’ve always done,” even if it’s working. And second, small changes can add up to make a bigger difference when combined.
So, you have two choices:
Do it the way you’ve always done it. Don’t question it. If it works, don’t try to change it. Unfortunately, many companies operate this way and miss opportunities to improve.
Always look to improve everything, even when it’s working well. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing something that works, come back on a regular basis – maybe annually – and take a closer look. This is an excellent way to use a Journey Map. Look at every interaction point a customer has with your organization and ask, “Is there a way to make it better?” While there may not be a better way today, keep asking the question; you might find one over time.
Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational speaker, used to tell a story of a little girl who asked her mom, “Why do we cut the end off the roast before we put it in the oven?” Mom answered, “Because that’s how your grandmother taught me to cook it.” So, the little girl went to her grandmother and asked the same question. Grandma answered, “Because that’s how your great-grandmother taught me.” So, the little girl went to her great-grandmother and asked the same question. Great Grandma responded, “Because back then, the ovens were smaller than they are today, so we had to cut off the end to get it to fit.”
The moral of the story is if something worked yesterday, that doesn’t mean it’s the best thing to do today. Always look for improvement.
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.
Balancing Automation and Personalization
Top Takeaways:
Self-service is becoming more than just enabling customers to attempt to resolve their own issues. Customers want a self-directed experience where they have control over how they are served and can resolve their issues in the way they want.
The pandemic has accelerated the normalization of digital experiences and digital tools. The lockdown has changed our customers’ perspective on how they want to spend their time. Customers want to be more self-sufficient and spend less time interacting with customer support if they can get answers faster on their own.
Generative AI, like ChatGPT, is expected to grow in customer contact organizations to support agents. AI will remove low-value, repeatable tasks and help with employee burnout.
Generative AI will improve agent experience by making them more self-sufficient. For example, for whatever reason, they can’t reach their manager or peers, they can interact with the AI-enabled knowledge base and get the answers they need.
Organizations need to focus on personalization and customer control in self-service experiences. Customers want a personalized experience that makes them feel valued and have the ability to resolve their issues in a way that suits them.
Plus, Nicole share stats from Self-Service CX: Executive Priorities & Technology Adoptions. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Generative AI might reduce frontline workers in the future, but the good news is it will create jobs internally for people to monitor those tools and extract and analyze data.”
“Customers with a poor self-service experience are less likely to return to self-service again. We need to offer the type of self-serve experience they want, which is easy, fast, and personalized.”
“The Amazon effect is when other organizations train our customers on the type of experience that they expect. They no longer compare us to other companies in our industry. They are comparing us to the best experiences they’ve had anywhere.”
“Digital dexterity is improving. Most customers can tell whether they are talking to an AI-driven chatbot or a human. But, customers are willing to use these digital tools if the results are good.”
“Improving self-service for people who want to use self-service will result in better live support. The adoption of self-service is not about replacing jobs or cost reduction. It’s about the ultimate end goal of a better customer experience.”
Nicole Kyle is the Managing Director and co-founder of CMP Research. Nicole joined CMP in November 2021 from Gartner, where she spent eight years leading research and advisory.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:
How has self-service evolved over the past three years?
What are customers’ preferences when it comes to self-service and digital customer service?
How do customers want to control their self-service experience?
How is generative AI used to support customer service agents?
Will the increased use of self-service and AI technology lead to job cuts in the customer support industry?
Self-service is becoming more than just enabling customers to attempt to resolve their own issues. Customers want a self-directed experience where they have control over how they are served and can resolve their issues in the way they want.
The pandemic has accelerated the normalization of digital experiences and digital tools. The lockdown has changed our customers’ perspective on how they want to spend their time. Customers want to be more self-sufficient and spend less time interacting with customer support if they can get answers faster on their own.
Generative AI, like ChatGPT, is expected to grow in customer contact organizations to support agents. AI will remove low-value, repeatable tasks and help with employee burnout.
Generative AI will improve agent experience by making them more self-sufficient. For example, for whatever reason, they can’t reach their manager or peers, they can interact with the AI-enabled knowledge base and get the answers they need.
Organizations need to focus on personalization and customer control in self-service experiences. Customers want a personalized experience that makes them feel valued and have the ability to resolve their issues in a way that suits them.
Plus, Nicole share stats from Self-Service CX: Executive Priorities & Technology Adoptions. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Generative AI might reduce frontline workers in the future, but the good news is it will create jobs internally for people to monitor those tools and extract and analyze data.”
“Customers with a poor self-service experience are less likely to return to self-service again. We need to offer the type of self-serve experience they want, which is easy, fast, and personalized.”
“The Amazon effect is when other organizations train our customers on the type of experience that they expect. They no longer compare us to other companies in our industry. They are comparing us to the best experiences they’ve had anywhere.”
“Digital dexterity is improving. Most customers can tell whether they are talking to an AI-driven chatbot or a human. But, customers are willing to use these digital tools if the results are good.”
“Improving self-service for people who want to use self-service will result in better live support. The adoption of self-service is not about replacing jobs or cost reduction. It’s about the ultimate end goal of a better customer experience.”
About:
Nicole Kyle is the Managing Director and co-founder of CMP Research. Nicole joined CMP in November 2021 from Gartner, where she spent eight years leading research and advisory.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:
How has self-service evolved over the past three years?
What are customers’ preferences when it comes to self-service and digital customer service?
How do customers want to control their self-service experience?
How is generative AI used to support customer service agents?
Will the increased use of self-service and AI technology lead to job cuts in the customer support industry?
November 19, 2023
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of November 20, 2023
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 comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
5 Ways to Track Customer Satisfaction by Foundever
(Foundever) Satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand, to recommend its goods and services to friends and family and are more likely to show forgiveness after a single disappointing customer experience.
My Comment: The obvious way to track customer satisfaction is by asking the customer for feedback. That’s the first of the five ways shared in this article. And then, there are other clues, such as how many tickets or requests for service/help, how long it takes to respond to a customer, and more. This short article will get you thinking about the clues indicating your customer support and CX efforts are working.
Qualtrics Announces Top Consumer Experience Trends for 2024 by Qualtrics, LLC
(Skagit Valley Herald) Just under half (48%) of consumers are comfortable engaging with chatbots and AI-powered customer support. Consumers are increasingly less likely to provide companies with direct feedback about bad experiences, so brands need to tap into feedback where customers are giving it.
My Comment: As we head toward the end of the year, there will be plenty of articles (including mine) that predict customer experience trends for 2024. Let’s start the “prediction and trends” season with one from Qualtrics. Technology is making a big difference in CX, and that’s the leading stat: “Just under half (48%) of consumers are comfortable engaging with chatbots and AI-powered support.” My take on this is that a year ago, hardly anyone knew about technologies like ChatGPT. Now they do, and customers are becoming more accepting of AI. Of course, there are plenty more predictions and trends in the article.
Are You Taking Risks On Behalf Of Your Customers? by Chip Bell
(Forbes) Every encounter a customer has with any service provider involves a trust gap. It is the emotional space between hope and evidence, and between expectation and fulfillment. Think of it as a trust walk.
My Comment: My friend Chip Bell is back this week with an interesting article about taking a risk on your customers. A simple example he shares is the customer who left his wallet at home. The manager says, “Just pay next time you’re in.” While this is a simple example, it illustrates how taking a risk and trusting your customers has the benefit of customers trusting and appreciating you. That can turn into more business – even customer loyalty. I’ve always preached, “Before you can expect your customers to be loyal to you, you must be loyal to your customers.”
Manage Expectations, But, Where It Matters…by JC Quintana
(Relationship-Focused) Expectation-setting forms the groundwork for communication and interaction in every aspect of personal and business relationships. It is the process of defining, communicating, and managing the anticipated outcomes or standards that individuals or groups expect from themselves, others, or specific situations.
My Comment: If you can’t meet your customers’ expectations, they will find someone or another company that will. This article focuses on how to manage expectations. The author provides a simple framework that includes defining the desired outcome, communicating the expectation, and ensuring both sides are in sync with the expectation.
Brand Loyalty in the Digital Age: Strategies to Build Trust by Meghana Dalal
(YourStory) Explore how businesses in the digital age can foster brand loyalty through authenticity, exceptional customer service, and social responsibility. Learn about the strategies that build trust in an era where consumers seek meaningful connections with the brands they choose.
My Comment: Loyalty doesn’t happen without trust. In a digital age, where customers communicate with machines rather than people, there are still ways to create positive emotions and trust. This article includes seven ideas. While there may not be anything new here, the ideas are valid and will give you some “food for thought” as you think about how your digital strategies can maintain and build trust with your customers.
BONUS
15 Surprises for Boosting Agent Morale by Call Centre Helper Magazine
(Call Centre Helper Magazine) Are you tired of using the same old games and prizes? Then look no further as we have put together some fresh ideas to help boost agent morale in your contact centre – recommended by our consultants panel of industry experts.
My Comment: Our friends at Callcentre Helper periodically interview me for an article. The most recent piece was about boosting agent morale. The article includes 15 ideas from nine experts, myself included. I’m happy they also included a short summary of my Employee Hierarchy of Needs , which is all about driving employee fulfillment.
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.
5 Ways to Track Customer Satisfaction by Foundever
(Foundever) Satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand, to recommend its goods and services to friends and family and are more likely to show forgiveness after a single disappointing customer experience.
My Comment: The obvious way to track customer satisfaction is by asking the customer for feedback. That’s the first of the five ways shared in this article. And then, there are other clues, such as how many tickets or requests for service/help, how long it takes to respond to a customer, and more. This short article will get you thinking about the clues indicating your customer support and CX efforts are working.
Qualtrics Announces Top Consumer Experience Trends for 2024 by Qualtrics, LLC
(Skagit Valley Herald) Just under half (48%) of consumers are comfortable engaging with chatbots and AI-powered customer support. Consumers are increasingly less likely to provide companies with direct feedback about bad experiences, so brands need to tap into feedback where customers are giving it.
My Comment: As we head toward the end of the year, there will be plenty of articles (including mine) that predict customer experience trends for 2024. Let’s start the “prediction and trends” season with one from Qualtrics. Technology is making a big difference in CX, and that’s the leading stat: “Just under half (48%) of consumers are comfortable engaging with chatbots and AI-powered support.” My take on this is that a year ago, hardly anyone knew about technologies like ChatGPT. Now they do, and customers are becoming more accepting of AI. Of course, there are plenty more predictions and trends in the article.
Are You Taking Risks On Behalf Of Your Customers? by Chip Bell
(Forbes) Every encounter a customer has with any service provider involves a trust gap. It is the emotional space between hope and evidence, and between expectation and fulfillment. Think of it as a trust walk.
My Comment: My friend Chip Bell is back this week with an interesting article about taking a risk on your customers. A simple example he shares is the customer who left his wallet at home. The manager says, “Just pay next time you’re in.” While this is a simple example, it illustrates how taking a risk and trusting your customers has the benefit of customers trusting and appreciating you. That can turn into more business – even customer loyalty. I’ve always preached, “Before you can expect your customers to be loyal to you, you must be loyal to your customers.”
Manage Expectations, But, Where It Matters…by JC Quintana
(Relationship-Focused) Expectation-setting forms the groundwork for communication and interaction in every aspect of personal and business relationships. It is the process of defining, communicating, and managing the anticipated outcomes or standards that individuals or groups expect from themselves, others, or specific situations.
My Comment: If you can’t meet your customers’ expectations, they will find someone or another company that will. This article focuses on how to manage expectations. The author provides a simple framework that includes defining the desired outcome, communicating the expectation, and ensuring both sides are in sync with the expectation.
Brand Loyalty in the Digital Age: Strategies to Build Trust by Meghana Dalal
(YourStory) Explore how businesses in the digital age can foster brand loyalty through authenticity, exceptional customer service, and social responsibility. Learn about the strategies that build trust in an era where consumers seek meaningful connections with the brands they choose.
My Comment: Loyalty doesn’t happen without trust. In a digital age, where customers communicate with machines rather than people, there are still ways to create positive emotions and trust. This article includes seven ideas. While there may not be anything new here, the ideas are valid and will give you some “food for thought” as you think about how your digital strategies can maintain and build trust with your customers.
BONUS
15 Surprises for Boosting Agent Morale by Call Centre Helper Magazine
(Call Centre Helper Magazine) Are you tired of using the same old games and prizes? Then look no further as we have put together some fresh ideas to help boost agent morale in your contact centre – recommended by our consultants panel of industry experts.
My Comment: Our friends at Callcentre Helper periodically interview me for an article. The most recent piece was about boosting agent morale. The article includes 15 ideas from nine experts, myself included. I’m happy they also included a short summary of my Employee Hierarchy of Needs , which is all about driving employee fulfillment.
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.
November 15, 2023
Guest Post: Three Rules to Kick-start Your Voice of the Customer Program
This week, we feature an article by Melanie Mingas, editor-in-chief at CX Network. She shares the research that confirms customers are being ignored – and explains how to listen better.
What if you had a colleague who could tell you exactly what to prioritize in your next CX strategy? A colleague who knows which prompts your chatbot needs to address and how much personalization is too much? What if this colleague was then excluded from all strategy meetings and decision-making? Or worse still, asked for their input and then ignored?
It would be a pretty terrible situation for the business, as well as the individual and wider employee morale. But the truth is everybody in CX has this colleague – it’s the customer.
Earlier this year, CX Network’s Global State research found that 29% of practitioners are not actioning customer feedback at present. There has also been a decline in the success of customer feedback reaching the right departments: in 2022, 43% said it mostly does, while this year, that figure dropped to 27%.
At a time when CX budgets are under pressure and teams are often stretched beyond capacity, the ability to narrow focus while still driving impact is crucial. The customer’s voice provides a necessary clarity that can validate ideas and priorities and steer efforts. So, how can you listen to customers better?
Here are three rules to kick-start your VoC program:
Take a precision approach
Today, business decisions are not made on whims. They are made on data. But many think data is about volume rather than diversity or quality. They deploy every VoC tool at their disposal only to find that analyzing and actioning huge and diverse data sets is far from easy. A precision approach to what you want to establish and how you’re going to do so will eliminate data overload, one of the most common VoC pitfalls.
Don’t use all your VoC tools at once
Every VoC program requires a diverse and high-quality data set to be of use, drawn from all the usual surveys, focus groups, interviews, and review analysis, as well as passive VoC methods, such as website behavior data.
The secret to a successful VoC program lies not in using all these methods at the same time but in combining and cross-referencing them in sequence to paint a higher-resolution picture.
For example, if a general customer satisfaction survey signals lower satisfaction levels on a certain day of the week, focus groups or customer interviews can then dive into the potential reasons. This way, different VoC methods are used as required, rather than being set to work in tandem and generating lots of data that goes unactioned.
Unite teams around feedback
While much of VoC can focus on product and service quality, the chance should also be taken to assess journeys. The first step is to analyze VoC feedback from various touchpoints, such as surveys, social media, community panels, and customer support interactions, to understand the customer’s voice, sentiments, and specific needs at different stages of their journey.
Cross-functional teams can then take a holistic view of this journey data and, rather than re-design the journey, manage it across the business to realize upsell, cross-sell, and retention opportunities.
Your customers already know everything your CX strategy needs to achieve – it’s time to get them involved!
Melanie Mingas is the editor-in-chief of CX Network, a platform that supports CX leaders and practitioners.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Are Your Customers Happy … Or Not?
What if you had a colleague who could tell you exactly what to prioritize in your next CX strategy? A colleague who knows which prompts your chatbot needs to address and how much personalization is too much? What if this colleague was then excluded from all strategy meetings and decision-making? Or worse still, asked for their input and then ignored?
It would be a pretty terrible situation for the business, as well as the individual and wider employee morale. But the truth is everybody in CX has this colleague – it’s the customer.
Earlier this year, CX Network’s Global State research found that 29% of practitioners are not actioning customer feedback at present. There has also been a decline in the success of customer feedback reaching the right departments: in 2022, 43% said it mostly does, while this year, that figure dropped to 27%.
At a time when CX budgets are under pressure and teams are often stretched beyond capacity, the ability to narrow focus while still driving impact is crucial. The customer’s voice provides a necessary clarity that can validate ideas and priorities and steer efforts. So, how can you listen to customers better?
Here are three rules to kick-start your VoC program:
Take a precision approach
Today, business decisions are not made on whims. They are made on data. But many think data is about volume rather than diversity or quality. They deploy every VoC tool at their disposal only to find that analyzing and actioning huge and diverse data sets is far from easy. A precision approach to what you want to establish and how you’re going to do so will eliminate data overload, one of the most common VoC pitfalls.
Don’t use all your VoC tools at once
Every VoC program requires a diverse and high-quality data set to be of use, drawn from all the usual surveys, focus groups, interviews, and review analysis, as well as passive VoC methods, such as website behavior data.
The secret to a successful VoC program lies not in using all these methods at the same time but in combining and cross-referencing them in sequence to paint a higher-resolution picture.
For example, if a general customer satisfaction survey signals lower satisfaction levels on a certain day of the week, focus groups or customer interviews can then dive into the potential reasons. This way, different VoC methods are used as required, rather than being set to work in tandem and generating lots of data that goes unactioned.
Unite teams around feedback
While much of VoC can focus on product and service quality, the chance should also be taken to assess journeys. The first step is to analyze VoC feedback from various touchpoints, such as surveys, social media, community panels, and customer support interactions, to understand the customer’s voice, sentiments, and specific needs at different stages of their journey.
Cross-functional teams can then take a holistic view of this journey data and, rather than re-design the journey, manage it across the business to realize upsell, cross-sell, and retention opportunities.
Your customers already know everything your CX strategy needs to achieve – it’s time to get them involved!
Melanie Mingas is the editor-in-chief of CX Network, a platform that supports CX leaders and practitioners.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Are Your Customers Happy … Or Not?
