Shep Hyken's Blog, page 73

Here’s a New Word: Skimpflation

The other day my friend asked me, “Is mediocrity the new customer experience?” He mentioned how he’s had to wait longer when he called customer support and that there weren’t enough cashiers at the grocery store. 

I said, “You are a victim of skimpflation.” 

The word skimpflation was introduced recently on NPR’s Planet Money podcast. I’ve already written several articles about this ugly word, and I thought it was time to introduce it here. Skimpflation is a result of rising business costs and the labor shortage caused by what we’ve been calling The Great Resignation, in which employees have chosen to quit their jobs in search of something better. The result is that companies are forced to “skimp” on the quality and service customers have come to expect. It’s not that they want to do it. They have no choice.  

I recently went to breakfast at a hotel. There was a line, yet there were a number of open tables. I asked the manager why we couldn’t be seated. He apologized and said they couldn’t staff the dining area properly. Rather than deliver a poor customer service experience, they felt it was better to shut down part of the restaurant. He assured me I would be seated within 10 minutes if I was willing to wait. 

It was the perfect explanation.

Three lessons here: Transparency: The answer was honest. Customers love honesty. It builds trust, credibility, and in some cases like this, empathy. Information: I was told what to expect. When the manager said it would be 10 minutes, that seemed like a reasonable time to wait. Customers love information. It gives them a feeling that they have some control of the situation. By the way, the manager was true to his word. Actually, we were seated in just eight minutes.  Customer Service: Providing the expected great customer service was more important than serving more people. The manager made a choice. Open up all the tables and get complaints about the service or close off part of the restaurant to maintain the high standard they were known for. Customer service won. As mentioned, it’s what they are known for. No need to taint their reputation because they wanted to fill every seat in the restaurant.  

None of us want to wait. None of us want to experience a lower level of service. Unfortunately, that’s typical of what’s happening for many businesses as a result of skimpflation. It’s not something any company wants, but it’s become a reality for some. So, consider the lessons we learned from the restaurant. Customers will overlook certain issues when there’s transparency, a flow of information, and the effort to create an excellent customer service experience. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times, bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXXI, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: Len Herstein

Vigilant Customer Service

  How to Avoid Complacency in Customer Interactions

Shep Hyken interviews Len Herstein, CEO and President of ManageCamp Inc. and author of Be Vigilant!: Strategies to Stop Complacency, Improve Performance. They discuss how businesses can be vigilant against complacency by safeguarding success and customer relationships.

 

 

Top Takeaways:

What breeds complacency in business?

Most businesses don’t realize that one of the main drivers of complacency is success. The more success we have in our customer interactions, the more we get overconfident. We become vulnerable to taking customer relationships for granted.

This week on Amazing Business Radio, Len Herstein discusses why complacency is dangerous and how to avoid it. He offers the following insights and more:

Avoid tunnel vision. Companies can become too focused on matching their top competitors that they lose sight of new competitors or new categories that have entered the market.Be a disruptor. Successful companies like Amazon and Netflix are always coming up with new ways to engage their customers. Instead of reacting to what their top competitors are doing, they are the disruptors in their industry and beyond.Learn from success. Most companies debrief when a mistake happens with the idea they will avoid the same mistakes in the future. However, they often forget to look back on their successes, not realizing there are opportunities to replicate the same moving forward.Always be vigilant. The best way to fight complacency is to be aware of it. You can’t protect against threats that you didn’t see coming.Quotes:

“Complacency kills businesses. It kills brands, customer relationships, and personal relationships.”

“Complacency is born out of success. The more successful we are, the more vulnerable we are to complacency.”

“In business, we form tunnel vision. We become comfortable with where our competition is coming from, and we fail to recognize the ‘danger’ that comes from other places.”

“The best way to fight complacency is to be aware. The more aware you are, the more in the moment you are, the more you have that forces you to think, and the less complacent you’re going to be.”

“Success is not the end goal. Keeping it is.”

About:

Len Herstein, CEO and President of ManageCamp Inc. and author of Be Vigilant!: Strategies to Stop Complacency, Improve Performance, and Safeguard Success. Your Business and Relationships Depend on It. He has worked with brands like Coca-Cola, The Campbell Soup Company, and Nabisco. He is also a volunteer State-certified peace officer with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

What causes complacency in business?Why is complacency so dangerous in customer service and experience?How can a business fight complacency?How can businesses safeguard success?What does it mean to be vigilant in business?

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5 Top Customer Service Articles of the Week 12-6-2021

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.

3 Ways to Move From Customer Service to Customer Care by Patrick McCullough

(Destination CRM) What’s the difference between customer service and customer care? Think of it using a medical analogy: Service fixes the underlying problem—such as a broken arm—in the most practical, affordable, and speedy way. Yet service without care is like a doctor without a soothing bedside manner. Yes, the patient receives the necessary treatment, but the success of the treatment is devalued by the frustration of the interaction.

My Comment: I’ve been preaching for years (since my first book over 30 years ago) that customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy to be embraced by every employee from the CEO to the most recently hired. It’s baked in the culture. So, if customer service isn’t a department, what do you call it? How about “customer care?” While the article focuses on more of the differences between service and care, the first thing I thought about when I saw the title was a better name to describe the type of service we deliver.

8 Ways to Build an Effective Marketing Campaign on a Tight Budget by Lyle Solomon

(Ad Age) The promotion of a business is an integral part of driving its revenue. But problems might arise when you need to create a marketing campaign that fits into a slim budget.

My Comment: Some may refer to this as a marketing article, but I’ll argue that marketing is part of the customer experience – and vice versa. Consider that the first strategy is about content marketing, which when done well, is a wonderful customer experience. And, there’s the strategy of customer loyalty programs. And promoting exclusive offers to loyal customers. This is customer experience intersecting with marketing.

The Customer Experience Is a Content Experience by Andrew Wheeler

(Skyword) Digital experiences were thrown into the spotlight, and all the trillions spent on digital transformation (DT) initiatives over the years didn’t keep brands from being caught on the back foot.

My Comment: The opening few lines in this article sum up what I mentioned about content marketing in the second article on our Top Five list. “Let’s talk about the convergence of content marketing and the customer experience (CX). Two years ago—and 23 years since Bill Gates declared “content is king”—few brands had truly made content the cornerstone of their customer experience. That changed with the pandemic.” This excellent article will show you how marketing and CX belong together, and specifically, how content marketing is part of CX.

How to Improve Employee Retention by Zoe Leibling

(The Instant Group) After the unprecedented challenges of the past two years, around 9 in 10 British employees are on the hunt for a new job in 2021. And as we head into 2022, more than half of employees worldwide (54%) say they will leave their job if not offered post-pandemic flexibility on when and how they work.

My Comment: It’s been hard for businesses to keep their good employees. “The Great Resignation” (TGR) is reality. If you want to keep delivering a great customer experience, you need the people – good people – to do so. Here are nine ways to improve employee retention that will help put an end to any impact you’re organization has felt from TGR.

How To Create Shareable Customer Experiences by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) How do you create a Shareable customer experience? It doesn’t happen by accident. Shareable experiences are carefully and strategically crafted so that customers can’t help themselves but pull out their phones and capture the moment for posterity.

My Comment: It should be every organization’s goal to create a customer experience that people want to share. The author shares a brief overview of a concept from his latest book, “The Experience Maker: How to Create Remarkable Experiences That Your Customers Can’t Wait to Share.” Sharable means customers talk about you and recommend you, and who doesn’t want that?

BONUS23 Experts Share How Chatbots Will Transform Customer Experience in 2022 by Gina Shaw

(BotCore.AI) In order to adapt to the sudden shift towards interacting with customers on digital channels, organizations across the globe have swiftly implemented chatbots to improve customer self-service, provide information, deliver continuous and cost-effective support, and delight customers with personalized experiences.

My Comment: Our friends at BotCore asked 23 experts to share their insights on chatbots and how they will “transform” custom experience in the next year. That’s a pretty heavy word, “transform,” and I’ll let you decide if you agree with these thought leaders (myself included.) Yes, the technology has improved. For the right opportunity, chatbots are a great self-service/digital solution. Read the expert commentary, and you can decide for yourself.

Shep Hyken[image error] is a customer service expert, professional speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. Go to The Customer Focus to learn more about our customer service training programs. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

 

 

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Guest Post: 4 Ways to Transform Customer Experience While Growing Rapidly

This week we feature an article by Dan Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Xpress Global Systems, an organization focused on innovation, efficiency, and scalability of shipping and distribution of flooring products. He shares the four key areas that lead to elevated customer experiences while growing rapidly.

In April 2021, I had the honor of becoming the chief executive officer of Xpress Global Systems (XGS), a trucking company that specializes in transporting flooring products across all 50 of the United States. Prior to my arrival at XGS, the company had trained its focus on the flooring space and had kicked off an ambitious growth phase. 

Since I assumed the chief executive role, we have targeted our efforts on continuing to grow our service footprint, but doing so in tandem with delivering excellent customer care. This is often a tough act to balance: rapidly scaling up business while still providing personalized customer service. But we believe it can, and should, be done. To thread this needle, we’ve identified four key areas that, since being addressed, have led to elevated customer experiences: 

Happy Enabled Employees = Happy Customers

Before truly focusing energy on the customer, the XGS team has had to focus on the most important asset of all: its people. Through a variety of surveys and feedback forums, XGS realized that we had some work to do to create an internal culture that drove employee engagement and satisfaction. More than 20 initiatives were instituted, including the creation of communication channels; the establishment of a path for employee recognition; and performance/individual development plans. This may sound rudimentary, however, the impact was almost immediately felt. For example, employee turnover dropped more than 100 percent quarter over quarter and we are continuing that impressive trend. 

Voice of Customer

Next, the company began an evaluation process of the customer experience from their perspective through a variety of initiatives. 

Net Promoter Score (NPS) — Establishing baseline ratings and gathering key customer feedback   Mapping out the ‘ease of doing business’ and essentially removing any barriers to service Creating an “Environment of Self Service” — XGS deployed a CRM system as well as an improved and expanded customer portal to capture and improve service levels Based on early feedback loops, the company adopted a new set of “customer rules.”  Every employee pledged by signing a commitment letter promising to own and apply the rules throughout their day. Closing the Operational Gap

Ensuring accountability to the metrics that matter most to our customers is something that has been institutionalized across the organization as the company scaled up over the past three years. Leadership did this through the use of key tools such as Tableau dashboards, as well as through their own weekly scorecard that consistently measured on-time deliveries and critical-to-quality measurements.   

Leadership also changed the organizational structure to drive regional accountability and allowed each new Regional Director the ability to focus on a smaller number of locations which prevented their efforts from being spread too thinly.     

XGS is now moving toward what we call a “100% mindset.” This means that rather than targeting industry-wide acceptable thresholds of On Time In Full (OTIF) deliveries in the 90 percent range, XGS is focusing efforts on meeting customer expectations 100 percent of the time. Anything less is a failure, in our eyes, and requires corrective action and root cause analysis follow-up. We are still in the early days of this transformation, but the “Drive to 100” will be embedded in the fabric of each customer-facing metric within the business. 

Spectacular Recovery

While XGS  is building a “100% mindset,” invariably failure will occur, or perhaps, an instance of service will be slightly off expectation. What happens in response to these circumstances is how the company wants to really differentiate itself from our industry peers. Allowing each employee the ability to wow customers is being instituted throughout XGS. While maintaining some semblance of controls, the company allows the customer service team and field leadership the ability to solve the problem, attempting to leave the customer saying “wow!” We believe that moments of tumult contain the opportunity to shine for a customer. The past several monthly XGS employee town halls have recognized and rewarded key employees who have demonstrated the “wow” experience in the face of adversity.  

We have a ways to go in fulfilling our “Drive to 100,” and we know that we’ll have to work hard to remain at that level. However, we believe that the above four efforts will get us to that goal…and keep us there.  

Dan Martin joined Xpress Global Systems, LLC (XGS) as Chief Executive Officer in April 2021. In addition to growing XGS’s service area, Dan remains focused on enhancing company culture through a people-centered approach to business. 

For more articles from Shep Hyken and his guest contributors go to customerserviceblog.com.

Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Amazon Vs. Walmart—Goliath Vs. Goliath

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The Three N’s of Employee Fulfillment

In the best of times, it’s important to keep your best employees. In tough times, it’s even more important. Customers are beginning to feel the results of The Great Resignation, which quite honestly, is not so great. It has resulted in longer lines, longer hold times, and slower service – basically a lower level of customer service.  

So, how can you keep good employees, and keep them not only engaged with their jobs but also engaged with their customers? The best employees don’t just work for a paycheck. They also work for the company and the customer. Is there a way to keep good people? 

Meet my friend, leadership expert Tim Durkin – he has an answer. He shared his 3-N strategy, and it’s simple. If you want to keep great employees, you must make them feel needed, noticed and known. Okay, that last word doesn’t start with an N, but it sounds like it does. Here’s my take on these three powerful words. 

Needed: Everyone wants to feel needed. They want to know they are contributing to their team and their company in a positive way. If the employee is interacting with a customer, they want to know they are helping to make a difference.  

Noticed: Do you notice the good work your employees are doing? If so, tell them! It creates very fulfilling moments when the boss notices employees doing the right thing and tells them.  

Known: For almost a year my friend had been working for a company. He did a great job. One day he got a call from the CEO. They had a nice chat. That night he told me he couldn’t believe that the CEO knew who he was. They had never talked before. After working for a year at the company, my friend came away with a renewed energy for his job. He couldn’t wait to go back to work the next day. 

In all of the Three N’s, feedback is imperative. Sharing positive feedback with employees is what this is all about. The No. 1 reason employees leave does not have to do with what they are paid. It’s because they are not appreciated, which is where Tim’s Three N’s come into play. Share positive feedback with your employees. Make them feel needed, known, and appreciated.  

Years ago, I learned about a concept called Destination Employment. Brian Kealy, the CEO of Baptist Health South, a healthcare system in Southern Florida, believed that if you have the right culture and treat your employees in such a way that they would never want to find another job, they will treat customers (patients and their families) the same way.   

If you want employees to stay – by creating a destination employment opportunity – the Three N’s are a perfect way to begin.   

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times, bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXXI, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: Fred Reichheld

Net Lives Enriched

How NPS Enriches the Lives of Customers, Employees, and Leaders

Shep Hyken interviews Fred Reichheld, creator of the Net Promoter® system of management, the founder of Bain & Company‘s Loyalty practice, and the author of five books including his latest, Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers. They discuss how companies can use Net Promoter Score to enrich lives and drive sustainable growth.

Top Takeaways:

Net Promoter Score is the metric that millions of companies have used for decades to know if they are doing a good job for their customers and their employees. It aims to measure if you have gained your customer’s loyalty enough to earn their repeat business and new business from their friends and family.

But, in the age of cookies, click rates, and measurable eyeball hang times, is a company’s NPS still relevant?

And, is your company using the NPS metric correctly?

This week, we interview Fred Reichheld, the developer of the Net Promoter score to talk about how many companies are misusing the Net Promoter Score and missing out on the potential benefit that it can help your business achieve. We also talk about how NPS is still applicable in modern business and how it can be used correctly.

To put his money where his mouth is, Fred invested his own money in all of the public companies that are NPS leaders. The return on his investments is almost three times the S&P. In today’s episode of Amazing Business Radio, Fred and I discuss how you can use the Net Promoter Score to invest in customer loyalty, which pays big dividends!

Quotes:

“The Net Promoter Score plus caliber research is the only way to sustainably deliver great results to your shareholders over time”

“Treating customers so well that they come back and bring their family and friends is the flywheel of profitable, sustainable growth.”

“Who you hang around within your life influences everything – how you think about success and what’s important to you. This is true with who you want to be a customer of, who do you want to be an employee of, who do you want to invest in.”

About:

Fred Reichheld, creator of the Net Promoter® system of management, the founder of Bain & Company’s Loyalty practice, and the author of five books including his latest Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers. He is currently a Fellow and Senior Advisory Partner at Bain, where he has worked since 1977.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

What is Net Promoter Score?How do you calculate Net Promoter Score?Is NPS still relevant today?How can I improve my Net Promoter Score?What is a good NPS score for a company?

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5 Top Customer Service Articles of the Week 11-29-2021

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.

Increase Employee Retention With These 4 Tips by David Finkel

(Inc. Magazine) Employee turnover is always a stressful situation. For many businesses it can take months or even years to recover from losing a key team member, especially if you struggle with hiring and onboarding employees.

My Comment: With “The Great Resignation” being such a hot topic, I felt this article should be at the top of the list for our Top Five roundup this week. The customer experience really starts on the inside of an organization with the employee experience. Take care of employees and they stay. And remember what I always say: “What’s happening on the inside of an organization is felt on the outside by the customer.”

4 Tips for Avoiding Another ‘Shipageddon’ This Holiday Season by Valerie Metzker

(Total Retail) Remember last year’s “Shipageddon,” when many delivery providers struggled to meet demand in the lead-up to the holidays? Well, like a sequel to a movie that no one enjoyed the first time around, Shipageddon 2 could be coming soon. But the good news for retailers is that if you play it smart, you can avoid being front row, center.

My Comment: “Shipageddon” is back! If you are in a business that ships merchandise, then you must read this article. Yes, it’s focused on retail, but with supply-chain issues hitting virtually every industry (B2C and B2B), the ideas shared in this article are applicable to most businesses.

5 Smart Strategies That Help Avoid Losing Loyal Customers by Natalya Bucuy

(HelpSquad) The important task for businesses is to retain their customers as much as possible. How? Well, that’s a good question. And we asked some experts to share their best tips on how to gain customer loyalty. Here are five strategies that can help avoid losing loyal customers.

My Comment: It’s one thing when a first-time customer doesn’t come back, but what about loyal customers. If repeat customers are gold, loyal customers are platinum. To upset them – and lose them – has a much higher cost than a one-time or once-in-a-while customer. Here are several excellent ideas on how to ensure you don’t lose a loyal customer, even when there is a problem or complaint.

5 Questions to Ask in Building a Customer Experience Strategy for 2022 by Phil Britt

(CMSWire) Customer experience has a lot of moving parts and recent shifts in customer behaviors have made the pace seem frantic at times. Navigating all of this requires a good plan.

My Comment: We’re just a little over a month away from 2022, and if you haven’t started strategizing on how to have your best year ever, it’s time to do so. And of course, the main focus of that strategy should be on CX. This article will give you several questions to consider using as conversation starters in your next planning meeting.

4 Ways Chatbots Help for CX Smooth Sailing This Holiday Season by Bob Grohs

(Total Retail) The holiday season guarantees a seasonal spike in customer support tickets, resulting in a 42 percent increase. This is because 20 percent to 40 percent of annual sales take place during the holiday season, followed by an inevitable spike in product returns. To ensure that the customer experience (CX) isn’t negatively impacted by this surge, you’ll need to ramp up your business’s customer service capabilities.

My Comment: Chatbots are becoming more and more popular as a way to scale customer support and give customers the answers they need in a quick and efficient manner. While the focus of this article is on retail and the holiday season, three of the four ideas apply to any business, in any industry, and during any time of the year. In short, chatbots allow you to keep your brand messaging consistent, allows you to scale your support without having to hire more employees, and as already mentioned, get customers the answers they need quickly.

BONUSBest New Customer Experience and Design Books – 2021 List by Ricardo Saltz Gulko

(Eglobalis) Here are the best twelve books for generating business growth of 2021 that I read and can highly recommend to you, as we have been doing since 2017 with our yearly lists.

My Comment: I’m proud, honored, and flattered to have made another list. This time it is Ricardo Saltz Gulko’ s picks of the best customer experience and design books of 2021, and he included my latest book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again.

Shep Hyken[image error] is a customer service expert, professional speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. Go to The Customer Focus to learn more about our customer service training programs. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

 

 

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Feedback Bribery

To what extent will a company go to try to get customer feedback? Is it a simple email request? Is it an incentive to fill out a survey? And, if there is an incentive, can that skew the results? 

 One of our faithful subscribers sent in a question. At the end of a project with a customer, she sends an email requesting the customer take a short survey. She said that she gets a very low response rate. So, she sends another. Then another. On the fourth try, she writes, “Do you like coffee? My treat!” 

She says that she gets a response to that almost every time. Her question to me was, “Is this a form of bribery, or is this a simple incentive?”  

First, I congratulated her on her creativity and ingenuity that persuaded her customers to respond. Then I answered that a cup of coffee would not be considered bribery. It’s just a way to get attention. The only other thought I shared was to maybe make the offer on the third try. By then, it’s time to get noticed. 

So, what constitutes a bribe to get feedback?

A cup of coffee gets you noticed. Some may disagree and call the cup of coffee a bribe. You could easily convince me that it is a bribe to take the survey, but I am doubtful you could convince me that a free cup of coffee is going to get a customer to leave a positive review if the customer was unhappy. But, send me a new 80-inch flat-screen TV to get me to take a survey … now that’s a bribe! 

Seriously, I’m surprised at how some companies offer incentives that are obvious bribes. A customer could feel guilty if they didn’t give the company a good rating after receiving a gift card. And some companies don’t offer up a physical bribe, but they beg and plead for a good rating, often guilting the customer into filling out a survey, just to make sure the employee keeps his or her job.  

I was asked by an auto dealership to rate them a 10 on their service. The service rep said that his job and salary depended on his ratings. That’s putting quite a bit of weight on my shoulders. My rating is responsible for his ability to feed his family. Had the experience been less than excellent, would I have shared truthful feedback and risked this guy not being able to take care of his family? (That’s a rhetorical question.) 

The lesson here is simple.

In addition to what I’ve written in the past about feedback, consider a way to get noticed. It could be a clever email, a clever video asking for feedback, or something small, like a cup of coffee, that shouldn’t distort the results. You want feedback. It’s a history lesson that lets you know whether you’re doing a good job or if you need to improve. It’s valuable information, so do what is necessary, reasonable, and ethical to ensure you get as much feedback as possible. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times, bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

(Copyright © MMXXI, Shep Hyken)

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Amazing Business Radio: Kiel Harkness

What the Holidays Mean for SMB’s

The Opportunities and Challenges Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMB’s)Will Face This Holiday Season

Shep Hyken interviews Kiel Harkness, Head of Global Marketing and Business Intelligence at UPS Capital®. They discuss how SMB’s can compete with giant brands when it comes to problem resolution for delays, theft, and problems during the holiday season.

Top Takeaways:

The holidays are upon us! What does it mean for SMB’s – and businesses of all sizes? That was the main focus of the interview.

UPS commissioned research to find out what really matters to both small to medium business owners and their customers. Here’s some good news, some challenges, and some opportunities.

Almost two-thirds of SMB’s are going to make up to 20% of their sales during the holiday season.Two-thirds of customers will spend at least $100 on SMB’s during the holiday season.80% of businesses that were surveyed said that they are worried about inflation. Whether it is on the cost of production or their price point.SMB’s are 26% more worried about the delays, damage, and theft of the shipments than labor shortage.Over 40% of SMB’s say that they see an increase in porch piracy during the holidays.44% of consumers said that the lack of a strong problem resolution on a stolen or damaged goodwill cause them not to shop with an SMB again.35% of consumers said that it’s a huge motivator for them to spend more with retailers who will guarantee the replacement of lost or damaged items.Quotes:

“44% of consumers said that the lack of a strong problem resolution on a stolen or damaged goods will cause them not to shop with an SMB again.”

“35% of consumers said that it is a huge motivator for them to spend more with retailers who will guarantee the replacement of lost or damaged items”

“SMB’s are 26% more worried about the delays, damage, and theft of the shipments than labor shortage.”

About:

Kiel Harkness, Head of Global Marketing and Business Intelligence at UPS Capital®. He led the Digital Transformation of UPS Capital US Domestic Go-to-Market. Supported rebranding of core digital offering and proposition. He manages and directs global UPS Capital Digital Marketing and Digital Properties, Channel Marketing, Business Intelligence, Product Development, Communications and Advertising, and International Field Marketing teams.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

Are the holidays good for SMB’s?How can SMB’s compete with giant brands?What are the challenges that SMB’s need to face this holiday season?What are porch pirates?How can SMB’s prevent delays and loss in the shipment?

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5 Top Customer Service Articles of the Week 11-22-2021

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

6 Ways To Create Customer Experience Consistency Throughout Your Organization by John R. DiJulius

(Franchise Update Media) Is the level of experience your customers receive dependent on which employee they encounter? Are there certain employees on your team you hope your best clients interact with? If so, then you have what is known as employee roulette. Employee roulette is a problem most organizations have.

My Comment: John DiJulius is one of the leading customer experience experts in the world. When he talks, I listen. When he writes, I read. This article shares some simple ways to improve the customer experience. My favorite is… Well, I like all of them.

15 Tips For Improving Your Customer Experience Strategy by Forbes Communications Council

(Forbes) If you’re seeking to better understand how your customers feel and think about your business so that you can improve how they experience it, see the expert tips below. Here, members of Forbes Communications Council share their best insights to help you devise an effective strategy for improving your CX.

My Comment: Here’s another list that includes 15 more tips to improve CX. I really appreciate the first one, which is about every level of the organization speaking with customers. There is no way to know what a customer is thinking if you don’t interact with them. While there are plenty of people on the front line to share information, nothing beats hearing it firsthand. My comments here aren’t as much directed at all employees, which is what the tip implies, but really at leadership. If the leadership isn’t getting out of their offices and communicating directly with customers, they are missing the opportunity to hear from one of their best assets, their customers.

The Secret to a Superb Customer Service Team? Hiring Actual Customers by Gabrielle Bienasz

(Inc. Magazine) Organic baby food company Little Spoon unlocked a competitive advantage when a conversation about baby food turned into something bigger.

My Comment: This is a super quick read – about 60-90 seconds, but don’t let brevity get in the way of thinking there isn’t a good idea here. Hiring customers isn’t new. I wrote about this in my book The Amazement Revolution almost ten years ago when I featured The Container Store and how they hire some of its best customers. Maybe one (or some) of your best customers might want to work for you?

Your In-Store Customer Experience and Bottom Line Are Linked. Here’s Why by Bobby Marhamat

(TotalRetail) Regardless of retail’s latest headwind, brick-and-mortar organizations continue to embrace their enduring mission: get consumers into retail locations and convince them to part with their money. The emphasis on e-commerce over the past year or so hasn’t changed this mission, but it has re-emphasized that customers want unique in-store experiences.

My Comment: The online/digital world has created a new way for consumers to buy. This has taken its toll on traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores. This article shares some excellent ideas on how to create a better in-store experience that contributes directly to the bottom line. If you can get a customer to your store and manage the experience correctly, you’ll see repeat and loyal business, higher spending per visit and per customer, and more.

17 Customer Service Horror Stories That Prove The Customer Is — In Fact — Sometimes Wrong by Allie Hayes

(BuzzFeed) We recently asked customer service and retail workers in our BuzzFeed Community, “What’s your wildest ‘Holy heck, this customer is almost hilariously irrational’ story?” Well, their absolutely unhinged anecdotes inspired others to share even MORE tales of C.S. terror!

My Comment: Let’s close out this week with a fun one. Here are some customer service horror stories. Is the customer always right? The short answer is, NO! But, they are always the customer, so let them be wrong with dignity and respect. However, some of these stories test this theory! Some of these might make you even laugh out loud!

BONUSBlack Friday and Cyber Monday Trends in Retail in 2021 by Monika Kisielewska

(Tidio) We decided to take a closer look at customer expectations about this hot period in the retail sector and how businesses can prepare. So, we surveyed 1,000+ US consumers to learn what they thought.

My Comment: Here’s a nice bonus from our friends at Tidio.net. Their recent research includes some interesting stats, facts, and trends related to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Shep Hyken[image error] is a customer service expert, professional speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. Go to The Customer Focus to learn more about our customer service training programs. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

 

 

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