Shep Hyken's Blog, page 37
September 7, 2023
Guest Post: How to Design a Customer Success Program That Works
This week, we feature an article by Devin Pickell, Growth Marketing practitioner and head publisher of Do I Need SEO. He writes about designing a compelling customer experience process and training your team to implement it.
The bar for providing a top-notch customer experience (CX) seems to be rising year after year, regardless of whether you operate in B2B or B2C.
Companies that are able to meet these expectations will be able to retain more customers and increase satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to more revenue growth. In fact, in a three-year study, companies that implemented a well-designed customer success program saw a 91% return on investment and more productive CX teams.
So, how does your CX team rise to the occasion? What does a “well-designed customer success program” even look like? You’ll primarily need:
Time for training new CX processes.
A dedicated CX leader to guide strategy.
A customer success platform for managing interactions in a single space.
How to train new CX processes
Refining your current CX processes and training your team is crucial for developing a more customer-centric team culture and building a well-oiled machine. Here are some ways to approach new processes.
Customer onboarding
Conduct role-playing sessions where teams act as both the customer and the onboarding specialist. Provide them with checklists, guides, and best practices. Regularly update training materials based on customer feedback.
Account management
Offer workshops on relationship-building, active listening, and consultative selling for identifying upsell or cross-sell opportunities. Encourage shadowing experienced account managers who can disseminate their best tips and tricks.
Customer health monitoring
Train your team on the tools and analytics platforms you use to monitor customer health. Provide guidelines on interpreting data and taking proactive measures before minor issues become churn risks. We’ll get into the specifics of customer success platforms later in this guide.
Feedback collection and analysis
Teach your team how to conduct surveys and interviews with customers. Emphasize the importance of collecting and acting on feedback, as well as sharing results with product, sales, and marketing teams.
Support and troubleshooting
Offer technical training sessions role-playing for support scenarios, and provide a knowledge base or internal FAQ for common issues. Emphasize empathy and transparent communication with customers.
Renewal and retention
Train your team on renewal processes, negotiation techniques, and how to address common objections. Partnering with your sales team here can help. Provide insights into the value proposition and ROI to communicate to customers who are at risk of churning.
How to find the right CX leader
You have the processes in place, now you need someone to guide your CX team. Here are some ways to vet the right CX leader for your organization.
Strategic vision around CX
Your ideal CX leader should be able to articulate a clear vision for the future of customer success in your organization and have a strategic mindset to align the CS goals with the company’s broader objectives.
Customer-centric mindset
This leader should genuinely care about customers’ success and be able to understand their needs, pain points, and aspirations. And this doesn’t just come from a place of intuition and experience, but also drawing insights upon real data within the business. Assess how they’re going to harness analytics to make the right decisions.
Operational excellence
The right leader will have experience in setting up processes, tools, and systems that scale and can drive operational efficiency in the customer success function.
Stakeholder collaboration
This person should be adept at collaborating with other departments like sales, marketing, product, and support to ensure a seamless customer experience.
How to select a Customer Success Platform
With the proper processes and team leader in place, you now need to bring it all together with a customer success platform (CSP). These platforms help businesses manage customer relationships, collect customer data, and provide tools for onboarding, analyzing behavior, collecting feedback, and educating customers.
When looking for a platform, take all of this into consideration.
Integration capabilities
You want to be able to bring all of your customer data together seamlessly, which is why it’s important to find a CSP that integrates with your existing CRM, support ticketing system, marketing automation tools, and other essential software. Integrations can be a dealbreaker for some organizations.
360-degree view
This platform should be able to consolidate customer data from various sources to provide a holistic view of each customer’s journey, interactions, and health.
Health scoring
In order to assist your CX team in making proactive decisions, your CSP should have comprehensive customer health scoring based on metrics like product usage, support tickets, feedback, and more.
Task and workflow automation
The great thing about CSPs is they’re able to vastly improve the productivity of your CX team. Find a platform with collaboration features, knowledge-sharing, automated renewals and account updates, and other features that speed up your CX workflow.
Scalability
The platform you choose should scale with your business as you acquire more customers and as your team grows. Pricing and plans should be flexible to accommodate your growing business. Don’t get locked into unfavorable terms!
Customer success is three steps away
Building out a scalable customer success program takes training, leadership, and the right tools to empower your team. By investing in these foundational elements, your company will not only meet but exceed customer expectations. Now is the time to turn more satisfied customers into success stories.
Devin Pickell is a Growth Marketing practitioner with vast experience collaborating with content, product, and customer success teams to grow website traffic and demand. He is also the head publisher of Do I Need SEO.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: What In The Heck Is ChatGPT?
The bar for providing a top-notch customer experience (CX) seems to be rising year after year, regardless of whether you operate in B2B or B2C.
Companies that are able to meet these expectations will be able to retain more customers and increase satisfaction, which can ultimately lead to more revenue growth. In fact, in a three-year study, companies that implemented a well-designed customer success program saw a 91% return on investment and more productive CX teams.
So, how does your CX team rise to the occasion? What does a “well-designed customer success program” even look like? You’ll primarily need:
Time for training new CX processes.
A dedicated CX leader to guide strategy.
A customer success platform for managing interactions in a single space.
How to train new CX processes
Refining your current CX processes and training your team is crucial for developing a more customer-centric team culture and building a well-oiled machine. Here are some ways to approach new processes.
Customer onboarding
Conduct role-playing sessions where teams act as both the customer and the onboarding specialist. Provide them with checklists, guides, and best practices. Regularly update training materials based on customer feedback.
Account management
Offer workshops on relationship-building, active listening, and consultative selling for identifying upsell or cross-sell opportunities. Encourage shadowing experienced account managers who can disseminate their best tips and tricks.
Customer health monitoring
Train your team on the tools and analytics platforms you use to monitor customer health. Provide guidelines on interpreting data and taking proactive measures before minor issues become churn risks. We’ll get into the specifics of customer success platforms later in this guide.
Feedback collection and analysis
Teach your team how to conduct surveys and interviews with customers. Emphasize the importance of collecting and acting on feedback, as well as sharing results with product, sales, and marketing teams.
Support and troubleshooting
Offer technical training sessions role-playing for support scenarios, and provide a knowledge base or internal FAQ for common issues. Emphasize empathy and transparent communication with customers.
Renewal and retention
Train your team on renewal processes, negotiation techniques, and how to address common objections. Partnering with your sales team here can help. Provide insights into the value proposition and ROI to communicate to customers who are at risk of churning.
How to find the right CX leader
You have the processes in place, now you need someone to guide your CX team. Here are some ways to vet the right CX leader for your organization.
Strategic vision around CX
Your ideal CX leader should be able to articulate a clear vision for the future of customer success in your organization and have a strategic mindset to align the CS goals with the company’s broader objectives.
Customer-centric mindset
This leader should genuinely care about customers’ success and be able to understand their needs, pain points, and aspirations. And this doesn’t just come from a place of intuition and experience, but also drawing insights upon real data within the business. Assess how they’re going to harness analytics to make the right decisions.
Operational excellence
The right leader will have experience in setting up processes, tools, and systems that scale and can drive operational efficiency in the customer success function.
Stakeholder collaboration
This person should be adept at collaborating with other departments like sales, marketing, product, and support to ensure a seamless customer experience.
How to select a Customer Success Platform
With the proper processes and team leader in place, you now need to bring it all together with a customer success platform (CSP). These platforms help businesses manage customer relationships, collect customer data, and provide tools for onboarding, analyzing behavior, collecting feedback, and educating customers.
When looking for a platform, take all of this into consideration.
Integration capabilities
You want to be able to bring all of your customer data together seamlessly, which is why it’s important to find a CSP that integrates with your existing CRM, support ticketing system, marketing automation tools, and other essential software. Integrations can be a dealbreaker for some organizations.
360-degree view
This platform should be able to consolidate customer data from various sources to provide a holistic view of each customer’s journey, interactions, and health.
Health scoring
In order to assist your CX team in making proactive decisions, your CSP should have comprehensive customer health scoring based on metrics like product usage, support tickets, feedback, and more.
Task and workflow automation
The great thing about CSPs is they’re able to vastly improve the productivity of your CX team. Find a platform with collaboration features, knowledge-sharing, automated renewals and account updates, and other features that speed up your CX workflow.
Scalability
The platform you choose should scale with your business as you acquire more customers and as your team grows. Pricing and plans should be flexible to accommodate your growing business. Don’t get locked into unfavorable terms!
Customer success is three steps away
Building out a scalable customer success program takes training, leadership, and the right tools to empower your team. By investing in these foundational elements, your company will not only meet but exceed customer expectations. Now is the time to turn more satisfied customers into success stories.
Devin Pickell is a Growth Marketing practitioner with vast experience collaborating with content, product, and customer success teams to grow website traffic and demand. He is also the head publisher of Do I Need SEO.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: What In The Heck Is ChatGPT?
September 5, 2023
The Biggest Opportunity in Customer Service
I was asked the same question three times in the last week: “What is the biggest opportunity in customer service?” If you had asked me this question a month ago – or asked it a month from now – there could be a different answer. But today’s answer is not just timely, but also timeless. And the answer is: The Speed to Happiness
The meaning of this short answer is simple. If a customer has a problem, issue or question, the speed in which you move them from concerned or upset to happy could be the difference between the customer coming back or not. And when I refer to happiness, I’m not talking about utter delight or elation. I’m talking about a result that does three things:
The customer’s problem, issue or question is resolved or answered.
The interaction is managed quickly, efficiently and with as little friction as possible – ideally, without friction.
The interaction is handled so well that the customer wouldn’t mind going through the process again if they had to.
Happiness leads to confidence
It’s the second point of this answer that is most important, and it is where some companies fail. How the interaction is managed ideally leads to the third result, which is the ultimate level of happiness in problem-solving. A better word for happiness could be confidence.
My definition of confidence in this situation is important. It’s more than just the confidence to continue doing business with the company after the interaction. It’s the confidence to enjoy doing business with the company.
There are certain companies that I dread calling for customer support. I know there will be long hold times and that after sharing my issue, I will probably be transferred at least once (probably more) to other people who are supposed to be better equipped to answer my question or resolve my problem. Then, there are companies that make it so easy to resolve an issue that I consider a support call part of the positive experience I have with them.
I’ve preached most of my career that resolving issues and managing complaints isn’t just about fixing problems. It’s about fixing the customer, which means restoring confidence. We want our customers to say, “I enjoy doing business with them. Even when there is a problem, I know they always take care of me, which is why … I’ll be back!”
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.
September 4, 2023
How to Redefine Leadership and Empower Employees with Chris Mefford
Top Takeaways:
There is a gap between how leaders perceive employee engagement and how employees actually feel. According to Gallup research, 70% of employees are disengaged at work. However, only 30% of leaders feel that way. In the same way, a significant gap often exists between what executives believe about their customer service and what customers actually experience.
Despite the high investment of $300 billion annually worldwide on leadership development, surveys consistently show that employees still feel disengaged. Most of the time, people don’t leave because of the company. They leave their managers.
Leaders should give authority to their teams, not just responsibility. Often, leaders think they are empowering their team by giving them more work. Empower teams by listening to their ideas and enabling them to make decisions based on what they believe is best.
In special forces like the Navy SEALs, the leader of a mission is not necessarily the highest-ranking officer but someone with the most relevant experience. The Navy SEALs practice “killing the leader,” where they train by removing a leader or two to help the team understand that they are empowered to make decisions.
Acknowledgment is the top motivator for workers, even more than pay. Giving credit and acknowledging the team’s efforts along the way, not just when a project is completed, boosts engagement. Boston Consulting surveyed 200,000 workers across the globe to find what motivates them the most. An attractive fixed salary is number eight, while the number one factor is “Appreciation for your work.”
When leaders let their egos get in the way, it hinders collaboration and prevents teams from coming together to create amazing results. Great leadership requires humility and putting the team’s needs above personal ego.
Plus, Shep and Chris discuss what happens when egos are removed from the leadership with examples from Aretha Franklin to book retailers. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Empathy is a billion-dollar industry. When companies are not intentional about making their employees feel engaged and empowered, the financial cost is tremendous.”
“When you let leaders get their egos involved, you prevent your team from creating magic and coming together to create world-class stuff.”
“You have a culture, whether you are intentional about it or not. Whether you do anything or not, your culture gets developed. It is a question of what type of culture you are willing to fight for.”
“Your team is desperate for acknowledgment. When you pour into your team and invest in them, they will pour into your customers and clients.”
Chris Mefford is the CEO of Culture Force and co-author of Leadership Is Overrated: How the Navy SEALs (and Successful Businesses) Create Self-Leading Teams That Win. He helped the Dave Ramsey Organization win the “Best Place to Work” award for eight straight years.
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 are the top motivators for workers, apart from pay?
Why do employees feel disengaged?
What are the benefits of investing in team development?
What role does acknowledgment play in team motivation and productivity?
How do you develop a sustainable company culture?
There is a gap between how leaders perceive employee engagement and how employees actually feel. According to Gallup research, 70% of employees are disengaged at work. However, only 30% of leaders feel that way. In the same way, a significant gap often exists between what executives believe about their customer service and what customers actually experience.
Despite the high investment of $300 billion annually worldwide on leadership development, surveys consistently show that employees still feel disengaged. Most of the time, people don’t leave because of the company. They leave their managers.
Leaders should give authority to their teams, not just responsibility. Often, leaders think they are empowering their team by giving them more work. Empower teams by listening to their ideas and enabling them to make decisions based on what they believe is best.
In special forces like the Navy SEALs, the leader of a mission is not necessarily the highest-ranking officer but someone with the most relevant experience. The Navy SEALs practice “killing the leader,” where they train by removing a leader or two to help the team understand that they are empowered to make decisions.
Acknowledgment is the top motivator for workers, even more than pay. Giving credit and acknowledging the team’s efforts along the way, not just when a project is completed, boosts engagement. Boston Consulting surveyed 200,000 workers across the globe to find what motivates them the most. An attractive fixed salary is number eight, while the number one factor is “Appreciation for your work.”
When leaders let their egos get in the way, it hinders collaboration and prevents teams from coming together to create amazing results. Great leadership requires humility and putting the team’s needs above personal ego.
Plus, Shep and Chris discuss what happens when egos are removed from the leadership with examples from Aretha Franklin to book retailers. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Empathy is a billion-dollar industry. When companies are not intentional about making their employees feel engaged and empowered, the financial cost is tremendous.”
“When you let leaders get their egos involved, you prevent your team from creating magic and coming together to create world-class stuff.”
“You have a culture, whether you are intentional about it or not. Whether you do anything or not, your culture gets developed. It is a question of what type of culture you are willing to fight for.”
“Your team is desperate for acknowledgment. When you pour into your team and invest in them, they will pour into your customers and clients.”
About:
Chris Mefford is the CEO of Culture Force and co-author of Leadership Is Overrated: How the Navy SEALs (and Successful Businesses) Create Self-Leading Teams That Win. He helped the Dave Ramsey Organization win the “Best Place to Work” award for eight straight years.
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 are the top motivators for workers, apart from pay?
Why do employees feel disengaged?
What are the benefits of investing in team development?
What role does acknowledgment play in team motivation and productivity?
How do you develop a sustainable company culture?
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of September 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.
Elevating Customer Experience: Embracing Hospitality as the Foundation by Charles Ryan Minton
(Newsweek) When it comes to providing exceptional customer experiences, few industries excel quite like the hotel business. With a strong emphasis on hospitality, hotels have mastered the art of creating a welcoming environment and exceeding guests’ expectations. For companies aspiring to enhance their customer service, the hotel industry offers valuable insights and strategies that can be adopted across various sectors. Drawing from my experience as a hotel executive, here are five key areas that companies can focus on to improve their customer service by embracing the principles of hospitality.
My Comment: The idea of a “hospitality mentality” should not be new to those following my work (including these weekly roundups). That’s why I’m excited to share this article by Charles Ryan Minton, one of the top managers in the Marriott/Bonvoy organization. The five ideas in this article are exactly what he uses when leading his team to deliver a great guest experience.
Customer Service as Experience: Fast, Consistent Comms Boost Customer Lifetime Value by Andy Farmer
(The Drum) Is it me or do we seem to be stuck in a customer experience (CX) time warp? You can’t download a report about digital or technology trends without being assailed with stats and surveys outlining how great CX is key to keeping and gaining customers. Figures like ‘89% of businesses see customer experience as a key factor in driving customer loyalty and retention,’ or ‘increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25-95%,’ or ‘95% of customers will stay if their experience is outstanding.’: they’re everywhere.
My Comment: This short article packs a lot of info. First, the author cites plenty of stats and findings to support the importance of customer service and CX. Second, the author challenges the status quo with his take on why many people misinterpret the meaning of CX. Finally, he presents the concept of “customer Service as an Experience.”
7 Small-Business Strategies for Customer Retention by Kalin Kassabov
(Inc. Magazine) Customer retention is a crucial aspect of any successful business. It can lead to increased customer loyalty, repeat business and, ultimately, higher profits. Customer retention can also help build your brand and reputation. Loyal and satisfied customers are more likely to recommend you to others and leave positive online reviews. Here are a few strategies small businesses can use to build customer loyalty and minimize churn.
My Comment: In my last book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again , I mention that the most important measurement in business isn’t NPS, CSAT, or others related to customer satisfaction. It’s if the customer comes back. Another word for that is your customer retention rate. In this short article, the author serves up seven common-sense strategies for customer retention that are good for any size business (even if the title of the article refers to them as “Small-Business Strategies”).
Decreasing Customer Retention Rate? Check Out These 5 Strategies to Fix It by The Drum
(The Drum) In this article, Depositphotos, one of the world’s leading platforms for stock images, videos and music, explains key principles behind customer retention and share some tried-and-true ideas on how to improve your customer retention rate (CRR) using visuals.
My Comment: And as long as we’re talking about customer retention, here is another excellent article on the topic. In addition to some strategies (different from the last article), the author includes a way to measure CRR (Customer Retention Rate). There’s also some information on prioritizing retention over new leads. The old saying, “It costs less to keep existing customers than to chase after new ones,” comes to mind.
7 Tips for Building a Successful Customer Onboarding Process by Rahul Sridhar
(G2) This blog will explore key strategies and best practices for building a successful customer onboarding process. Whether you’re a startup, a mid-market SaaS company, or an enterprise-level organization, these insights will help you maximize customer value, foster long-term relationships, and ensure a smooth customer onboarding journey.
My Comment: Onboarding customers at the beginning of the relationship is crucial to their success with your products and services. Some even refer to it as a customer success program. The result is typically fewer support calls and complaints. That turns into what we’ve been covering in the last two entries of this week’s Top Five articles: customer retention!
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.
Elevating Customer Experience: Embracing Hospitality as the Foundation by Charles Ryan Minton
(Newsweek) When it comes to providing exceptional customer experiences, few industries excel quite like the hotel business. With a strong emphasis on hospitality, hotels have mastered the art of creating a welcoming environment and exceeding guests’ expectations. For companies aspiring to enhance their customer service, the hotel industry offers valuable insights and strategies that can be adopted across various sectors. Drawing from my experience as a hotel executive, here are five key areas that companies can focus on to improve their customer service by embracing the principles of hospitality.
My Comment: The idea of a “hospitality mentality” should not be new to those following my work (including these weekly roundups). That’s why I’m excited to share this article by Charles Ryan Minton, one of the top managers in the Marriott/Bonvoy organization. The five ideas in this article are exactly what he uses when leading his team to deliver a great guest experience.
Customer Service as Experience: Fast, Consistent Comms Boost Customer Lifetime Value by Andy Farmer
(The Drum) Is it me or do we seem to be stuck in a customer experience (CX) time warp? You can’t download a report about digital or technology trends without being assailed with stats and surveys outlining how great CX is key to keeping and gaining customers. Figures like ‘89% of businesses see customer experience as a key factor in driving customer loyalty and retention,’ or ‘increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25-95%,’ or ‘95% of customers will stay if their experience is outstanding.’: they’re everywhere.
My Comment: This short article packs a lot of info. First, the author cites plenty of stats and findings to support the importance of customer service and CX. Second, the author challenges the status quo with his take on why many people misinterpret the meaning of CX. Finally, he presents the concept of “customer Service as an Experience.”
7 Small-Business Strategies for Customer Retention by Kalin Kassabov
(Inc. Magazine) Customer retention is a crucial aspect of any successful business. It can lead to increased customer loyalty, repeat business and, ultimately, higher profits. Customer retention can also help build your brand and reputation. Loyal and satisfied customers are more likely to recommend you to others and leave positive online reviews. Here are a few strategies small businesses can use to build customer loyalty and minimize churn.
My Comment: In my last book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again , I mention that the most important measurement in business isn’t NPS, CSAT, or others related to customer satisfaction. It’s if the customer comes back. Another word for that is your customer retention rate. In this short article, the author serves up seven common-sense strategies for customer retention that are good for any size business (even if the title of the article refers to them as “Small-Business Strategies”).
Decreasing Customer Retention Rate? Check Out These 5 Strategies to Fix It by The Drum
(The Drum) In this article, Depositphotos, one of the world’s leading platforms for stock images, videos and music, explains key principles behind customer retention and share some tried-and-true ideas on how to improve your customer retention rate (CRR) using visuals.
My Comment: And as long as we’re talking about customer retention, here is another excellent article on the topic. In addition to some strategies (different from the last article), the author includes a way to measure CRR (Customer Retention Rate). There’s also some information on prioritizing retention over new leads. The old saying, “It costs less to keep existing customers than to chase after new ones,” comes to mind.
7 Tips for Building a Successful Customer Onboarding Process by Rahul Sridhar
(G2) This blog will explore key strategies and best practices for building a successful customer onboarding process. Whether you’re a startup, a mid-market SaaS company, or an enterprise-level organization, these insights will help you maximize customer value, foster long-term relationships, and ensure a smooth customer onboarding journey.
My Comment: Onboarding customers at the beginning of the relationship is crucial to their success with your products and services. Some even refer to it as a customer success program. The result is typically fewer support calls and complaints. That turns into what we’ve been covering in the last two entries of this week’s Top Five articles: customer retention!
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.
August 31, 2023
Guest Post: 7 Ways Improved Customer Journey Results in Business Growth
This week, we feature an article by Sage, an international company that helps organizations of all sizes with accounting, payroll, and payment solutions. They write about how improving customer journeys increases business growth.
When simply surviving in the saturated e-commerce market is a struggle, achieving business growth might just feel impossible. But don’t worry.
Consistently improving the customer journey and user experiences can help you attract and retain loyal customers. Your customer journey refers to the path that your customers take as they interact with your brand at different touchpoints.
Optimize this journey, and growth is well within your grasp.
Still not sure about the link? Let’s explore how improving customer journeys and user experiences empowers you to achieve sustainable business growth.
Enhanced customer satisfaction
Stockouts, inaccurate forecasting, delays, silos, poor customer service: all of the weaknesses within your customer journey threaten to ruin experiences. The result of all of this is angry, frustrated customers.
Without sufficient or up-to-date customer journey mapping, it’s difficult to pinpoint the origination of these weaknesses. This means that pain points can go unresolved, losing you valuable customers.
Improving your customer journey doesn’t just eliminate the inefficiencies that cause dissatisfaction and churn. It leads to the creation of a holistic customer experience in which every level of your sales funnel is optimized to meet customer needs and expectations.
Use technology to optimize the customer experience
To do this, you need to use the right solutions to accurately identify and resolve shortcomings in your customer journey. This is where ERP and CRM integration comes into play.
What is an ERP? Enterprise resource management (ERP) systems centralize, automate, and manage core business data and processes, from inventory management to real-time sales information. When integrated with a CRM, you can unify all of your inventory and customer data to eliminate silos and increase data accessibility and management.
So, for example, salespeople can access hyper-accurate inventory and pricing information to keep customers up-to-date. Customer service teams can access updated customer information in real time to deliver first-class customer service.
Positive word-of-mouth and referrals
Smooth, personalized customer journeys result in great customer experiences. And when customers have a great experience with your brand, they tell their friends and family about it.
This is called word-of-mouth marketing, and it’s one of your most valuable strategies for growth.
88% of customers trust personal recommendations more than any other type of advertising.
According to RRD, word-of-mouth has a higher research-to-purchase ratio than every other type of marketing. In just one month, 40% of consumers made a purchase after receiving a word-of-mouth recommendation.
Improved customer loyalty and retention
Customers repeatedly return to brands that provide consistently stellar customer experiences.
According to Zendesk, 60% of customers are loyal to a brand purely based on the quality of their customer experience. So, if you want customers to stick around for the long haul, you need to continuously refine your customer journey. It’s worth it, too, as loyal customers not only make more frequent and higher-value purchases—they sing your praises online and offline, driving more customers your way.
Sets you apart from competitors
There are bound to be competitors that aren’t putting the same degree of effort into their customer journey—and it’ll show.
According to the Zendesk study, 73% of customers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad customer experiences. Over half will leave after one singular bad interaction.
Through competitor analysis, you can identify weaknesses in your competitors’ customer journey and use them to inspire improvements in your own. So, when customers abandon your competitor and are on the lookout for a new company, you can lure them in by resolving that specific pain point.
More cross-selling and upselling opportunities
Targeting customers with personalized recommendations can generate significant revenue growth. In fact, according to Hubspot, for 42% of companies, 11-30% of their revenue can be attributed to cross-selling. The same goes for upselling—47% of companies report that 11-30% of their revenue comes from upselling.
But it doesn’t come easy. Cross-selling and upselling require an intimate understanding of your customer’s needs and goals that allows you to target them with the right products at the right time. Tellingly, this is a more effective strategy than offering discounts and promotions.
Use data to pinpoint opportunities
By mapping your customers’ journey, you can accurately pinpoint cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Combined with the data you’ve collected about your customers, you can make personalized recommendations to increase your chances of success.
Remember, cloud ERP software unifies all of this data for you. So not only can you automate the online cross-selling process, but your salespeople can also access customer and inventory information to make quick, knowledgeable, and personalized recommendations to customers. No more missed opportunities for a sale!
Improved customer feedback and insights
Your customer satisfaction (CSAT) and net promoter scores (NPS) provide invaluable insight into how satisfied customers are with their experience. Even handling negative feedback offers valuable opportunities for growth.
But knowing exactly when to ask for customer feedback—as well as who and what to ask—is the tricky part.
Customer journey mapping illuminates touchpoints that present perfect opportunities for collecting customer feedback. Leaving no stone unturned, you can gather feedback from every area and use these insights to improve and refine your customer journey.
Expansion into new markets
Entering a new market is a notoriously high-risk, high-reward endeavor. It can catapult your growth or leave you lying flat on your face. But expanding into a new market is much less daunting—and risky—when you’ve mastered customer journey mapping.
Market expansion involves intricately understanding your new target customer and market. Market trends and customer pain points, preferences, and personas need to be as accurate as possible to allow you to localize customer journeys.
This is the case whether you’re selling a new product to your existing customers or targeting an entirely new customer base with your current product.
Optimizing the customer journey for success
If you’re looking to bolster your growth strategy, improving customer journey touchpoints and user experiences, then using data insights should be one of your leading initiatives.
An optimized customer journey does so much more than attract new customers through intuitive simplicity. It tailors the experience to meet customer expectations, enhancing satisfaction through personalization and efficiency. And the higher your customer satisfaction, the more sales, positive reviews, and loyalty you’ll receive.
Sage is a global software company that provides accounting, payroll, and payment solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: AI Will Not Eliminate Jobs
When simply surviving in the saturated e-commerce market is a struggle, achieving business growth might just feel impossible. But don’t worry.
Consistently improving the customer journey and user experiences can help you attract and retain loyal customers. Your customer journey refers to the path that your customers take as they interact with your brand at different touchpoints.
Optimize this journey, and growth is well within your grasp.
Still not sure about the link? Let’s explore how improving customer journeys and user experiences empowers you to achieve sustainable business growth.
Enhanced customer satisfaction
Stockouts, inaccurate forecasting, delays, silos, poor customer service: all of the weaknesses within your customer journey threaten to ruin experiences. The result of all of this is angry, frustrated customers.
Without sufficient or up-to-date customer journey mapping, it’s difficult to pinpoint the origination of these weaknesses. This means that pain points can go unresolved, losing you valuable customers.
Improving your customer journey doesn’t just eliminate the inefficiencies that cause dissatisfaction and churn. It leads to the creation of a holistic customer experience in which every level of your sales funnel is optimized to meet customer needs and expectations.
Use technology to optimize the customer experience
To do this, you need to use the right solutions to accurately identify and resolve shortcomings in your customer journey. This is where ERP and CRM integration comes into play.
What is an ERP? Enterprise resource management (ERP) systems centralize, automate, and manage core business data and processes, from inventory management to real-time sales information. When integrated with a CRM, you can unify all of your inventory and customer data to eliminate silos and increase data accessibility and management.
So, for example, salespeople can access hyper-accurate inventory and pricing information to keep customers up-to-date. Customer service teams can access updated customer information in real time to deliver first-class customer service.
Positive word-of-mouth and referrals
Smooth, personalized customer journeys result in great customer experiences. And when customers have a great experience with your brand, they tell their friends and family about it.
This is called word-of-mouth marketing, and it’s one of your most valuable strategies for growth.
88% of customers trust personal recommendations more than any other type of advertising.
According to RRD, word-of-mouth has a higher research-to-purchase ratio than every other type of marketing. In just one month, 40% of consumers made a purchase after receiving a word-of-mouth recommendation.
Improved customer loyalty and retention
Customers repeatedly return to brands that provide consistently stellar customer experiences.
According to Zendesk, 60% of customers are loyal to a brand purely based on the quality of their customer experience. So, if you want customers to stick around for the long haul, you need to continuously refine your customer journey. It’s worth it, too, as loyal customers not only make more frequent and higher-value purchases—they sing your praises online and offline, driving more customers your way.
Sets you apart from competitors
There are bound to be competitors that aren’t putting the same degree of effort into their customer journey—and it’ll show.
According to the Zendesk study, 73% of customers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad customer experiences. Over half will leave after one singular bad interaction.
Through competitor analysis, you can identify weaknesses in your competitors’ customer journey and use them to inspire improvements in your own. So, when customers abandon your competitor and are on the lookout for a new company, you can lure them in by resolving that specific pain point.
More cross-selling and upselling opportunities
Targeting customers with personalized recommendations can generate significant revenue growth. In fact, according to Hubspot, for 42% of companies, 11-30% of their revenue can be attributed to cross-selling. The same goes for upselling—47% of companies report that 11-30% of their revenue comes from upselling.
But it doesn’t come easy. Cross-selling and upselling require an intimate understanding of your customer’s needs and goals that allows you to target them with the right products at the right time. Tellingly, this is a more effective strategy than offering discounts and promotions.
Use data to pinpoint opportunities
By mapping your customers’ journey, you can accurately pinpoint cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Combined with the data you’ve collected about your customers, you can make personalized recommendations to increase your chances of success.
Remember, cloud ERP software unifies all of this data for you. So not only can you automate the online cross-selling process, but your salespeople can also access customer and inventory information to make quick, knowledgeable, and personalized recommendations to customers. No more missed opportunities for a sale!
Improved customer feedback and insights
Your customer satisfaction (CSAT) and net promoter scores (NPS) provide invaluable insight into how satisfied customers are with their experience. Even handling negative feedback offers valuable opportunities for growth.
But knowing exactly when to ask for customer feedback—as well as who and what to ask—is the tricky part.
Customer journey mapping illuminates touchpoints that present perfect opportunities for collecting customer feedback. Leaving no stone unturned, you can gather feedback from every area and use these insights to improve and refine your customer journey.
Expansion into new markets
Entering a new market is a notoriously high-risk, high-reward endeavor. It can catapult your growth or leave you lying flat on your face. But expanding into a new market is much less daunting—and risky—when you’ve mastered customer journey mapping.
Market expansion involves intricately understanding your new target customer and market. Market trends and customer pain points, preferences, and personas need to be as accurate as possible to allow you to localize customer journeys.
This is the case whether you’re selling a new product to your existing customers or targeting an entirely new customer base with your current product.
Optimizing the customer journey for success
If you’re looking to bolster your growth strategy, improving customer journey touchpoints and user experiences, then using data insights should be one of your leading initiatives.
An optimized customer journey does so much more than attract new customers through intuitive simplicity. It tailors the experience to meet customer expectations, enhancing satisfaction through personalization and efficiency. And the higher your customer satisfaction, the more sales, positive reviews, and loyalty you’ll receive.
Sage is a global software company that provides accounting, payroll, and payment solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: AI Will Not Eliminate Jobs
August 29, 2023
The Difference Between What Customers Want and What They Need
Many years ago, I walked into an Ace Hardware store to find a new hinge for a swinging door. When I showed the salesperson my broken hinge, he asked if I was open to a suggestion. He sold me a better hinge that was less expensive. Who could argue with that? I had no idea that years later, I would write about this example in one of my books,
Amaze Every Customer Every Time
. After that, I noticed that salespeople were more helpful than “salesy.” And guess what happens when they practice helpful behavior versus typical sales behavior? They make the sale.
Another example of this “helpful” level of service happened at B&H Photo. I had made a list of equipment I would buy to upgrade my studio so I could create better virtual keynote speeches for my clients. I was getting ready to spend more than $20,000 on equipment. The woman helping me asked me several questions and made some suggestions. She said I was overspending and didn’t need all the gear I thought I did. Her recommendations saved me more than $12,000!
The same thing happened at one of my favorite music stores, Eddie’s Guitar, where I’ve purchased some beautiful-sounding guitars over the years. I had my sights on a jazz guitar that I thought was the best for my budget. Nate, the owner, and Granville, the salesperson, said almost in unison, “You don’t want that. What you want is this one.” It was the same price, yet it sounded so much better.
What I love about these examples is that the focus was on selling me the best. Saving money was a nice perk, but even if they suggested higher-priced items, if they could prove it was more about what I needed versus what I thought I needed, I’d buy. They asked the right questions to understand my needs and made the appropriate suggestions for what was in my best interest. Consider what happened:
They were interested. They asked questions to understand what I needed.
They demonstrated expertise that led to appropriate suggestions.
Money was less important than the customer’s long-term happiness. In these examples, the salespeople cared as much – maybe more – about me than the sale. The result, by the way, is that I’ve been back many times to both stores.
Trust was created. When the salespeople proved they were helping more than selling, they won me over. And by the way, selling with service is a great sales strategy!
The result of these experiences is everything I speak and write about. It doesn’t matter if it’s sales, customer support, or anything else in the customer’s journey. Create an experience that makes them say, “I’ll be back!”
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.
August 28, 2023
Hallmark Explains How Personalization Enhances Business Relationships and the Customer Experience
Top Takeaways:
Authenticity and personalization can strengthen business relationships, build trust, and create emotional connections that lead to repeat business and loyalty.
Personalized notes are a powerful tool in business. They break through the clutter of digital communication and create a meaningful connection with customers and clients. Greeting cards can be used strategically to strengthen business relationships. Sending cards for special occasions, milestones, or even reminders for appointments can show thoughtfulness and attention to detail.
A well-thought-out client journey map can ensure that personalized notes are sent at the right moments. By mapping out the timeline of each client’s relationship, businesses can create a systematic approach to sending cards and notes.
Building trust and authenticity is crucial in business. Sending personalized notes creates emotional connections and reinforces the credibility and reliability of the brand or company.
The physical and digital worlds can work together to enhance customer experience. By combining the magic of the “old school touch” with digital tools, businesses can create a seamless and impactful communication strategy.
Businesses can use life touch points such as birthdays, holidays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day to connect with customers. But, what customers find surprising are business touch points that also create connections. For example, a customer signing up for a new health insurance plan may be expecting onboarding materials and contracts. So, sending a personalized note that says, “Thank you so much for choosing us, and we’re going to do everything we can to stand by you.” makes for a more wonderful start to the experience.
The impact of personalized gifts goes beyond the moment it is received. It leaves a lasting impression and can be a catalyst for repeat business, increased customer loyalty, and referrals.
Plus, Shep and Patrick talk about companies that have mastered personalization at scale. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Customer experience goes beyond the experience inside our stores, on the apps, or within our website. Customer experience is also about trust, loyalty, and building relationships in a more meaningful way.”
“Greeting cards provide a tangible and unique way to break through the digital noise and make a lasting impression on customers and clients.”
“Using personalized greeting cards allows businesses to make each recipient feel special and valued, even when sending messages at scale.”
“When was the last time you thought about making a difference in your customers’ lives, even in a small way? Those small ways can build customer relationships and differentiate you from your competitors.”
“Creating unexpected touch points and personalized moments leaves lasting memories and a positive experience for your customers and even for those who may not be buying from you at the moment.”
Patrick McCullough is the president of Hallmark Business Connections, which helps businesses strengthen customer and employee relationships by deepening emotional connections with them through life event marketing.
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 businesses strengthen their relationships through personalization?
How does technology play a role in creating authentic handwritten notes at scale?
Why is it important for businesses to build trust and emotional connections with their customers?
What is the role of personalized notes in building trust and loyalty in the business world?
What are some creative ways businesses can use personalized greeting cards beyond traditional occasions like birthdays and anniversaries?
Authenticity and personalization can strengthen business relationships, build trust, and create emotional connections that lead to repeat business and loyalty.
Personalized notes are a powerful tool in business. They break through the clutter of digital communication and create a meaningful connection with customers and clients. Greeting cards can be used strategically to strengthen business relationships. Sending cards for special occasions, milestones, or even reminders for appointments can show thoughtfulness and attention to detail.
A well-thought-out client journey map can ensure that personalized notes are sent at the right moments. By mapping out the timeline of each client’s relationship, businesses can create a systematic approach to sending cards and notes.
Building trust and authenticity is crucial in business. Sending personalized notes creates emotional connections and reinforces the credibility and reliability of the brand or company.
The physical and digital worlds can work together to enhance customer experience. By combining the magic of the “old school touch” with digital tools, businesses can create a seamless and impactful communication strategy.
Businesses can use life touch points such as birthdays, holidays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day to connect with customers. But, what customers find surprising are business touch points that also create connections. For example, a customer signing up for a new health insurance plan may be expecting onboarding materials and contracts. So, sending a personalized note that says, “Thank you so much for choosing us, and we’re going to do everything we can to stand by you.” makes for a more wonderful start to the experience.
The impact of personalized gifts goes beyond the moment it is received. It leaves a lasting impression and can be a catalyst for repeat business, increased customer loyalty, and referrals.
Plus, Shep and Patrick talk about companies that have mastered personalization at scale. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Customer experience goes beyond the experience inside our stores, on the apps, or within our website. Customer experience is also about trust, loyalty, and building relationships in a more meaningful way.”
“Greeting cards provide a tangible and unique way to break through the digital noise and make a lasting impression on customers and clients.”
“Using personalized greeting cards allows businesses to make each recipient feel special and valued, even when sending messages at scale.”
“When was the last time you thought about making a difference in your customers’ lives, even in a small way? Those small ways can build customer relationships and differentiate you from your competitors.”
“Creating unexpected touch points and personalized moments leaves lasting memories and a positive experience for your customers and even for those who may not be buying from you at the moment.”
About:
Patrick McCullough is the president of Hallmark Business Connections, which helps businesses strengthen customer and employee relationships by deepening emotional connections with them through life event marketing.
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 businesses strengthen their relationships through personalization?
How does technology play a role in creating authentic handwritten notes at scale?
Why is it important for businesses to build trust and emotional connections with their customers?
What is the role of personalized notes in building trust and loyalty in the business world?
What are some creative ways businesses can use personalized greeting cards beyond traditional occasions like birthdays and anniversaries?
How Personalization Enhances Business Relationships and the Customer Experience with Patrick McCullough
Top Takeaways:
Authenticity and personalization can strengthen business relationships, build trust, and create emotional connections that lead to repeat business and loyalty.
Personalized notes are a powerful tool in business. They break through the clutter of digital communication and create a meaningful connection with customers and clients. Greeting cards can be used strategically to strengthen business relationships. Sending cards for special occasions, milestones, or even reminders for appointments can show thoughtfulness and attention to detail.
A well-thought-out client journey map can ensure that personalized notes are sent at the right moments. By mapping out the timeline of each client’s relationship, businesses can create a systematic approach to sending cards and notes.
Building trust and authenticity is crucial in business. Sending personalized notes creates emotional connections and reinforces the credibility and reliability of the brand or company.
The physical and digital worlds can work together to enhance customer experience. By combining the magic of the “old school touch” with digital tools, businesses can create a seamless and impactful communication strategy.
Businesses can use life touch points such as birthdays, holidays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day to connect with customers. But, what customers find surprising are business touch points that also create connections. For example, a customer signing up for a new health insurance plan may be expecting onboarding materials and contracts. So, sending a personalized note that says, “Thank you so much for choosing us, and we’re going to do everything we can to stand by you.” makes for a more wonderful start to the experience.
The impact of personalized gifts goes beyond the moment it is received. It leaves a lasting impression and can be a catalyst for repeat business, increased customer loyalty, and referrals.
Plus, Shep and Patrick talk about companies that have mastered personalization at scale. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Customer experience goes beyond the experience inside our stores, on the apps, or within our website. Customer experience is also about trust, loyalty, and building relationships in a more meaningful way.”
“Greeting cards provide a tangible and unique way to break through the digital noise and make a lasting impression on customers and clients.”
“Using personalized greeting cards allows businesses to make each recipient feel special and valued, even when sending messages at scale.”
“When was the last time you thought about making a difference in your customers’ lives, even in a small way? Those small ways can build customer relationships and differentiate you from your competitors.”
“Creating unexpected touch points and personalized moments leaves lasting memories and a positive experience for your customers and even for those who may not be buying from you at the moment.”
Patrick McCullough is the president of Hallmark Business Connections, which helps businesses strengthen customer and employee relationships by deepening emotional connections with them through life event marketing.
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 businesses strengthen their relationships through personalization?
How does technology play a role in creating authentic handwritten notes at scale?
Why is it important for businesses to build trust and emotional connections with their customers?
What is the role of personalized notes in building trust and loyalty in the business world?
What are some creative ways businesses can use personalized greeting cards beyond traditional occasions like birthdays and anniversaries?
Authenticity and personalization can strengthen business relationships, build trust, and create emotional connections that lead to repeat business and loyalty.
Personalized notes are a powerful tool in business. They break through the clutter of digital communication and create a meaningful connection with customers and clients. Greeting cards can be used strategically to strengthen business relationships. Sending cards for special occasions, milestones, or even reminders for appointments can show thoughtfulness and attention to detail.
A well-thought-out client journey map can ensure that personalized notes are sent at the right moments. By mapping out the timeline of each client’s relationship, businesses can create a systematic approach to sending cards and notes.
Building trust and authenticity is crucial in business. Sending personalized notes creates emotional connections and reinforces the credibility and reliability of the brand or company.
The physical and digital worlds can work together to enhance customer experience. By combining the magic of the “old school touch” with digital tools, businesses can create a seamless and impactful communication strategy.
Businesses can use life touch points such as birthdays, holidays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day to connect with customers. But, what customers find surprising are business touch points that also create connections. For example, a customer signing up for a new health insurance plan may be expecting onboarding materials and contracts. So, sending a personalized note that says, “Thank you so much for choosing us, and we’re going to do everything we can to stand by you.” makes for a more wonderful start to the experience.
The impact of personalized gifts goes beyond the moment it is received. It leaves a lasting impression and can be a catalyst for repeat business, increased customer loyalty, and referrals.
Plus, Shep and Patrick talk about companies that have mastered personalization at scale. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Customer experience goes beyond the experience inside our stores, on the apps, or within our website. Customer experience is also about trust, loyalty, and building relationships in a more meaningful way.”
“Greeting cards provide a tangible and unique way to break through the digital noise and make a lasting impression on customers and clients.”
“Using personalized greeting cards allows businesses to make each recipient feel special and valued, even when sending messages at scale.”
“When was the last time you thought about making a difference in your customers’ lives, even in a small way? Those small ways can build customer relationships and differentiate you from your competitors.”
“Creating unexpected touch points and personalized moments leaves lasting memories and a positive experience for your customers and even for those who may not be buying from you at the moment.”
About:
Patrick McCullough is the president of Hallmark Business Connections, which helps businesses strengthen customer and employee relationships by deepening emotional connections with them through life event marketing.
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 businesses strengthen their relationships through personalization?
How does technology play a role in creating authentic handwritten notes at scale?
Why is it important for businesses to build trust and emotional connections with their customers?
What is the role of personalized notes in building trust and loyalty in the business world?
What are some creative ways businesses can use personalized greeting cards beyond traditional occasions like birthdays and anniversaries?
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of August 28, 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 Customer Experience Lessons You Can Learn From the Eras Tour by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) Beyond the spectacle of the show-stopping performances, the unique celebrations, and the staggering economic impact, the Eras Tour is a testament to Taylor’s fan-centric philosophy and serves as a masterclass in customer experience. In this article, I’m going to break down the customer experience lessons you can learn from the Eras Tour that will help you get the loyal audience of your wildest dreams. So, are you ready for it?
My Comment: I love learning and reading articles about how iconic brands treat their customers. Brands like Amazon, Chick-fil-A, Ritz-Carlton, and others have “cracked the code” on the customer experience. This week, we start our Top Five roundup with another iconic brand to learn from, which comes from superstar Taylor Swift. Customer experience expert Brittany Hodak breaks down five ways Taylor creates raving fans that you can use in your business.
What’s Wrong With Customer Satisfaction? by Chip Bell
(Forbes) Research shows that 75% of customers who leave a company to go with a competitor assess their experience of the company they abandoned as “satisfied” or “completely satisfied.” So, why do too many leaders continue to focus on customer satisfaction as a measure of customer affinity, even loyalty?
My Comment: I’ve always said there is a big difference between satisfied customers and loyal customers. Satisfactory isn’t enough. Chip Bell dissects the word “satisfied” and shows you why you need to be better than that.
Optimizing Your Customer Feedback Strategy in 2023 by Lumoa
(Lumoa) Your customers are sharing their experiences online. They’ve been doing it for years, but with the continuing proliferation of social media platforms, their voices are only getting louder. No matter what industry you’re in, your customers are eager and encouraged to share their feedback: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Businesses that want to grow in 2023 (and beyond) realize that this isn’t a problem—it’s an opportunity.
My Comment: As Peter Drucker was often quoted as saying, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” How do you know what your customers think of you? Ask them. That feedback could give you the answer to whether your products, services, processes, and more will survive or die. This is a very robust article all about taking advantage of the gift of customer feedback.
Two Elements of Successful Branding You Don’t Want to Overlook by Jacob Goldberg
(The CEO Magazine Global) Branding and marketing have changed in recent years. Gone are the days when they merely revolved around flashy logos and catchy jingles. In the digital age, building a successful brand requires a strategic and holistic approach. We’ve consulted top experts in the industry to uncover the crucial factors that can either make or break a company’s brand in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
My Comment: Many have said that customer service and CX are the new branding. This short article emphasizes that with several strategies, one of which is worth highlighting, which is to understand the journey your customer takes to loyalty. Customer loyalty doesn’t happen by accident, so this idea, a variation of a journey map exercise, will help you understand the customer’s behavior on their way to loyalty.
How to Ensure AI Enhances, Rather Than Ruins, the Customer Experience by Marketing Mag
(Marketing Mag) When it comes to great customer engagement, AI enhances your experience. It can be your best friend. Or, an inadvertent foe. When used in the right way, AI can eliminate many challenges faced by both customers and agents – reducing operational costs and agent stress, allowing greater personalisation and a seamless experience for consumers. However when used incorrectly, AI can swiftly turn customers away.
My Comment: I couldn’t go a week without an article about AI. So, let’s round out the Top Five with this short article showing us how AI and automation create a better experience for customers and employees.
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.
5 Customer Experience Lessons You Can Learn From the Eras Tour by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) Beyond the spectacle of the show-stopping performances, the unique celebrations, and the staggering economic impact, the Eras Tour is a testament to Taylor’s fan-centric philosophy and serves as a masterclass in customer experience. In this article, I’m going to break down the customer experience lessons you can learn from the Eras Tour that will help you get the loyal audience of your wildest dreams. So, are you ready for it?
My Comment: I love learning and reading articles about how iconic brands treat their customers. Brands like Amazon, Chick-fil-A, Ritz-Carlton, and others have “cracked the code” on the customer experience. This week, we start our Top Five roundup with another iconic brand to learn from, which comes from superstar Taylor Swift. Customer experience expert Brittany Hodak breaks down five ways Taylor creates raving fans that you can use in your business.
What’s Wrong With Customer Satisfaction? by Chip Bell
(Forbes) Research shows that 75% of customers who leave a company to go with a competitor assess their experience of the company they abandoned as “satisfied” or “completely satisfied.” So, why do too many leaders continue to focus on customer satisfaction as a measure of customer affinity, even loyalty?
My Comment: I’ve always said there is a big difference between satisfied customers and loyal customers. Satisfactory isn’t enough. Chip Bell dissects the word “satisfied” and shows you why you need to be better than that.
Optimizing Your Customer Feedback Strategy in 2023 by Lumoa
(Lumoa) Your customers are sharing their experiences online. They’ve been doing it for years, but with the continuing proliferation of social media platforms, their voices are only getting louder. No matter what industry you’re in, your customers are eager and encouraged to share their feedback: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Businesses that want to grow in 2023 (and beyond) realize that this isn’t a problem—it’s an opportunity.
My Comment: As Peter Drucker was often quoted as saying, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” How do you know what your customers think of you? Ask them. That feedback could give you the answer to whether your products, services, processes, and more will survive or die. This is a very robust article all about taking advantage of the gift of customer feedback.
Two Elements of Successful Branding You Don’t Want to Overlook by Jacob Goldberg
(The CEO Magazine Global) Branding and marketing have changed in recent years. Gone are the days when they merely revolved around flashy logos and catchy jingles. In the digital age, building a successful brand requires a strategic and holistic approach. We’ve consulted top experts in the industry to uncover the crucial factors that can either make or break a company’s brand in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.
My Comment: Many have said that customer service and CX are the new branding. This short article emphasizes that with several strategies, one of which is worth highlighting, which is to understand the journey your customer takes to loyalty. Customer loyalty doesn’t happen by accident, so this idea, a variation of a journey map exercise, will help you understand the customer’s behavior on their way to loyalty.
How to Ensure AI Enhances, Rather Than Ruins, the Customer Experience by Marketing Mag
(Marketing Mag) When it comes to great customer engagement, AI enhances your experience. It can be your best friend. Or, an inadvertent foe. When used in the right way, AI can eliminate many challenges faced by both customers and agents – reducing operational costs and agent stress, allowing greater personalisation and a seamless experience for consumers. However when used incorrectly, AI can swiftly turn customers away.
My Comment: I couldn’t go a week without an article about AI. So, let’s round out the Top Five with this short article showing us how AI and automation create a better experience for customers and employees.
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.
August 22, 2023
Don’t Fake the Personal Touch
One of the most powerful customer service and CX tactics is personalization. We interviewed more than 1,000 consumers for our CX research, and 71% said a personalized experience is important to them. When personalization is used correctly, customers feel as if you recognize them. Using their name, remembering their past purchases, their buying patterns, and more can build confidence and trust. While personalization is nice, it is not required, and if you decide to do it, there are some mistakes you must avoid. For example, if you’ve ever talked to a customer service agent who uses your name repeatedly to the point that it seems disingenuous, the effort to personalize fails. Another example came in the form of an email I recently received from a sales rep. It started out like this:
Dear ,
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to discuss upgrading your current technology …
Obviously, my name is not “Not Provided.” I could tell the mail-merge field didn’t work. It took about two seconds for me to delete the email.
What made it worse was the next day, I received a phone call from the salesperson who sent the email. He didn’t ask for me by name. He asked for “the person in charge of technology.” So, this guy has my phone number and email address, but can’t get my name? His “personalization” strategy failed. As always, I’m polite to every salesperson who calls, but the conversation and relationship were over in less than a minute.
There are some pretty easy ways to create a personalized experience. Here are three of many to consider.
How to Create a Personalized Experience
Use the Customer’s Name – As already mentioned, be sure to use it correctly.
Know the Customer’s Buying History – With the right software, you can track what the customer bought, how often and more.
Make Appropriate Recommendations – Knowing your customer’s buying history can give you insights into upsell and cross-sell opportunities. This isn’t a traditional sales pitch. It’s based on what you know about the customer. And if you know a customer can use something and don’t tell them about it, that is actually bad customer service.
While there are many more ideas, let’s wrap up with this. Personalization in customer service is about connecting with your customer. Be sure to do it right, whether it is as simple as using the customer’s name or as sophisticated as using data to understand your customer’s needs. No personalization is better than personalization done wrong.
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.
