Shep Hyken's Blog, page 79

Amazing Business Radio: Philipp Wolf

Managing Customer Success

Preventing Customer Churn

Shep Hyken interviews Philipp Wolf, CEO of Custify, a company that helps SaaS businesses deliver great results for customers. They discuss how to utilize customer information and behavior to help ensure customer success.

Top Takeaways:

– Customer service can be reactive. It typically happens when a customer reaches out (via phone, chat, email, or other channels) because they have a problem, and the customer service department helps them resolve their concerns.

– Customer success can be proactive. It happens when a company uses the information that they have to proactively reach out to customers who are having a problem or are not utilizing features of the product that are most helpful to them.

– Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy.

– Delivering proactive customer service is profitable. It saves companies money, ensures customer retention, and encourages customers to spend more.

– Around 30% of customers who want to cancel a service can be recovered if companies take time to have a conversation with them to uncover why they want to cancel and what can be done (such as discounts or product training) to continue the relationship.

– Customer Success is about continuously finding ways to add value and ensure that your customers are maximizing the features and benefits of products or services that they bought from you.

Quotes:

“Customer success not only provides a great customer experience, it also helps companies save time and make the next upsell or cross-sell opportunity happen naturally.”

“Building a strong relationship and making sure that customers continuously get value from your products is the best way to prevent customer churn.”

“If you have the information such as trends, customer behavior, and feedback, use it to proactively serve your customers.”

About:

Philipp Wolf is the CEO of Custify where he helps SaaS businesses deliver great results for customers. After seeing companies spend big money with no systematic approach to customer success, Philipp knew something had to change. He founded Custify to provide a tool that helps companies get the most out of the time they spend with their customers.

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 customer success?What is the difference between customer success and customer service?How do you ensure your customers can get the most value out of your products and services?What is the meaning of customer churn?How do you prevent customer churn? 

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5 Top Customer Service Articles of the Week 8-23-2021

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.

Frictionless Shopping Provides Enhanced Customer Experience, Retail Efficiencies by NVIDIA

(Retail Dive) A survey this year from Piplsay found that a large majority of consumers who had visited an Amazon Go store that incorporated frictionless shopping and checkout found the experience either “good” or “excellent,” and 57% of consumers overall said they would like to see an Amazon Go or a similar tech-enabled store near them.

My Comment: Reducing friction is important to any business. This article, while focused on retail, has application to any industry. Reducing friction creates efficiencies, not only for the customer but also the business. And, it’s a competitive differentiator. Customers expect an easy and convenient experience with anyone they do business with. A great product delivered with a great customer experience that is also easy is a winning combination.

The New Era of Loyalty: Why Brands Should Embrace Loyalty Schemes by Stoyan Petrov

(The Drum) A study found that customers with high emotional engagement spend two times more on brands they are loyal to than those without an emotional connection. This isn’t to say people have stopped seeking rational rewards such as points or discounts, but it seems that a new era of ‘human’ loyalty is upon us

My Comment: I love the concept of loyalty programs. However, there is a difference between a loyalty program and a marketing program. Both are great for the right reasons. Just know the difference. The idea behind any loyalty or marketing program is to drive repeat business. This article has some great stats and descriptions of the different types of programs to consider.

How To Conduct the Best Customer Service Training (+ Top Training Programs) by Alejandra Zilak

(Bluleadz) At the end of the day, you can invest all you want in fancy customer relationship management (CRM) tools and omnichannel communications. But if you fall short in providing adequate training, you’re just flushing money down the drain.

My Comment: The title of this article says it all. It’s about customer service training. There are plenty of ideas. My only disappointment was they didn’t mention our training program in the article. (Just kidding! It really is an excellent article!)

3 Ways To Improve Customer Experience with Content that Communicates by Tim Ludwig

(Business 2 Community) Not all content is created equal. From your user’s perspective, your content (whether through a support team or self-help content) either serves to communicate value, or add confusion. Ask yourself; “Does our support team communicate solutions well to customers? Does our content communicate clear, helpful answers to people searching for it?”

My Comment: Content marketing is more than just marketing. It’s about creating a better experience for the customer through valuable information. The content can focus on valuable information, how to best use products, and even special sales. The companies that are best at this know how to balance blatant promotion with value-added content.

96% Of Customers Will Leave You For Bad Customer Service – So What Are You Doing About It? by Peter Flynn

(LinkedIn Pulse) Of course there are many other considerations that go into delivering consistent and sustainable quality customer service but just doing this basic ‘Customer Interface Analysis’ will put you miles ahead of your competition.

My Comment: The title of the article grabbed my attention. The short answer to the question in the title has to do with tracking the flow of customers. It’s another way of walking the customer’s journey. When you truly understand what your customers experience, you can create a better experience.

BONUSCustomer Experience Speakers for Your Event by Deanna Ritchie

(ReadWrite) Whether you want to improve your business’ reputation, raise customer satisfaction scores, or ensure customer loyalty, creating a memorable customer experience (CX) is how your brand can stand out in a very competitive market. What better way to improve your customer experience knowledge and develop a practical game plan than getting to know CX experts and their strategies?

My Comment: This week I’m sharing links to two articles. These are two lists that I’m honored to be on. The people represented are the best in the industry. The first lists the top customer experience speakers you would want to book for your next event (if you’re hiring speakers for events.)

9 Customer Service Blogs Every Support Pro Should Follow by Mercer Smith

(Help Scout) One of the best ways to stay current with trends and customer needs is by following customer service blogs. Reading about the tools and techniques that other companies are using to provide excellent experiences helps inform your team and strategy on doing the same.

My Comment: The second list, from Help Scout, shares nine customer service blogs you may want to subscribe to. All have great information and come from different perspectives.

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: How to Go Above & Beyond for Your Customers to Secure Their Repeat Business

This week we feature an article by Ray Blakney, CEO and co-founder of Live Lingua, a renowned online language learning platform. He writes about how companies can secure their current customers’ repeat business.

Every entrepreneur knows how important repeat customer business is for the overall success of their enterprises. Rather than spending a ton of money on marketing to try to land new buyers, if you are able to secure loyal, lifelong customers, their repeat business will continually grow your profits. This continual repeat business can be key for catapulting your company into greater levels of success! With that in mind, are you wondering how you can secure your current customers’ repeat business?  

Of course, it is vital to make sure that you or other representatives on your team provide excellent help whenever customers email or call with questions about your business offerings. However, there are other tried-and-true ways to secure your customers’ repeat business. Here are a handful of them: 

Give Them a Surprise Bit of Joy

Who doesn’t love a warm, heartfelt surprise? Show your buyers your appreciation with a gesture that will really make them smile! There are many ways to do this — you can send them a personalized email thanking them for their business, or better yet, send a handwritten thank-you letter. Or, if you have the data on hand, send your customers flowers to wish them a happy birthday! You can also offer your buyers a special “Thank you for your business!” discount for the next time they want to purchase one of your products or services.  

Set the Customer Expectations at Each Step of the Journey

Whenever your customers buy one of your products or services, they will want to know what the status of their order is. Thus, ensure that they know what to expect and when in the entire purchasing process. With this clearly conveyed to your buyers, you will avoid 80% of the friction in the process. Even if a certain step in your process takes a few days, you will find that most customers will not mind as long as you let them know beforehand and explain to them why there is a delay. They will really appreciate that you are keeping them in the loop. 

Over-Deliver on What Is Promised

This goes hand in hand with setting up expectations. If you are shipping an item and let them know that it will arrive in 3-5 days, you probably won’t get any blow back. But then, if you do overnight shipping and they get it in 24 hours, you will get rave reviews. This entire thing can be planned — even before they were going to finalize their order, you knew you were going to overnight the product but you still told them 3-5 days. This also ensures that even if something delays the overnight delivery, and it arrives in 2-3 days, you are still over-delivering. 

That is just one example and it can be applied to multiple areas in your business. This is not about tricking your customers; what you do is set the expectation to that of the worst-case scenario (in this example, it is a shipping delay due to a blizzard). However, you do better than the expectation you set 99% of the time.  

Listen to Your Customers

Your buyers might voice their opinions about your company on Facebook and other social media channels. They may also send your enterprise emails with suggestions for improvements, as well as write online reviews about your business’s offerings. Whether they give good or bad feedback, listen to your customers and let them know you listen. Reply to their social media comments, online reviews, and suggestion emails. Showing that you care about their feedback will be key for securing their repeat business.  

Build a Referral Program

You may be thinking, “Isn’t a referral program a way to get new customers?” Yes, of course it is, but we have also found that customers who refer others to our business are more likely to stay a long time because now their friends are also using Live Lingua‘s services. Thus, a referral program can be pivotal in building a community of loyal buyers who stay with your enterprise even after they introduce their friends and family to it. Reward your current customers with special discounts, a free product, or a complimentary service every time they refer someone to your company. 

Final Thoughts

Going above and beyond for your customers will be key for securing their repeat business. If you are looking for surefire ways to do this, try to surprise your customers with a thoughtful gesture every so often. Also, set the customers’ expectations at each step of the journey and over-deliver on what is promised. Don’t forget to also listen and reply to your customers and build a referral program. Taking these steps will help you secure a solid base of repeat buyers. 

Ray Blakney is the CEO and co-founder of Live Lingua, a renowned online language learning platform. An award-winning, Filipino-American entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster, Ray builds and helps others build 6- and 7-figure businesses on a bootstrap budget using SEO. 

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

Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: The Netflix-Experience Is The New B2B Standard

 

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Personalizing the Customer Experience Is a Competitive Differentiator

I recently released my 2021 Achieving Customer Amazement research. We surveyed 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and asked them numerous questions about topics related to customer service, customer experience, loyalty, reviews, and more. One of the questions had to do with creating a personalized experience.  

We asked customers to rate various customer service experiences on a scale of one to five, in which a score of one signified not important at all with five being very important. Of the experiences that customers listed as very important or important, a personalized experience was number eight on the list.   

Yet so much data and research from others claim that personalization is more important than ever. Well, it is! You just have to understand the data. This was eight on the list of what’s important – not what’s unimportant. Consider this:  

Seventy-five percent surveyed are more likely to be loyal to a company or brand that delivers a personalized customer experience. 

Here’s an example. If I had to book a flight on an airline, why would I choose one over another? Most airlines, at least the major carriers, are close in price and offer similar frequent flier programs, so let’s take those out of the decision process. That leaves airline schedules, seat availability, etc. Let’s assume that at least two airlines meet my needs and have availability. So, what is the tiebreaker? Maybe it’s how well I know this airline, based on my past experience, and maybe even more importantly, how well they know me.  

When I go to the airline’s website, find the flight I want and start to make the reservation, does the form auto-populate my personal information? If I use the phone to make a reservation, once the agent has determined it’s actually me, does he or she see my history with the airline and treat me accordingly? That’s personalization at both the digital and human-to-human level. And that may be the reason I choose one airline over another.   

Think about it another way. What do we really want from the airlines we fly with? We want them to get us to our destination safely and on time. If that were all there was to it, safety and on-time performance, then what could break the tie?  

There might be several answers to that, but when you look at the results of the 2021 ACA study, three-quarters of customers are more likely to come back because the company, in this case an airline, knows who they are. 

So, how well do you know your customers? And do you treat them like you know them? Knowing your customers better than your competition knows them may be the differentiator that earns you their business. 

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: Greg Hanover

The Uncommon Soft Skills That Make Up the Best Customer Service Representative

Creativity, Coordinating and Cognitive Flexibility

Shep Hyken interviews Greg Hanover, CEO at Liveops. They discuss the three most uncommon soft skills that make up the best customer service reps: Creativity, Coordinating with others, and Cognitive Flexibility.

 

Top Takeaways:

– What’s needed to deliver an excellent customer experience is creativity and problem-solving. It’s right up there at the top of the list. This is a key personality trait. When running your home-based business or working remotely, you don’t have somebody holding your hand every day. You are really in control, and to succeed, you are required to take control and run it as your own business.

– Coordinating with others is important. When you consider the different scenarios that individuals are put in, dealing with different contacts every day, they have a lot of people they have to interact with, whether that’s the customer directly or the supervisor at the company they’re supporting. So, the ability to coordinate across a number of different fronts is critical.

– Cognitive Flexibility is the multiple tasks that an individual encounters as a customer care provider. Their ability to adjust based on the content in an activity is an important requirement. So, to be flexible and adjust quickly is a significant skill that is required to be successful.

– The shift in the remote work mindset has been happening for a while, even before the pandemic. However, the pandemic has accelerated this shift.

Quotes:

“The future of customer service is leveraging flexible workforces to serve our enterprise customers.”

“When you think about creativity and problem solving, it’s right up there at the top of the list of what’s needed to deliver an excellent customer experience.”

“Those who have that discipline and the ability to manage their time and are motivated are the ones who have the most success in a flexible workforce model.”

About:

Greg Hanover was named CEO of Liveops Inc. in 2017 after 10 years with the company in senior leadership roles. Liveops is a leader and pioneer in the virtual call center space, with a distributed workforce of over 20,000 domestic home-based agents.

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:  

Why do you need creativity as a soft skill?What is cognitive flexibility?Why is coordinating with others an important soft skill?Why is assessment vital when you hire people?Why is a flexible work schedule beneficial?

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5 Top Customer Service Articles of the Week 8-16-2021

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.

16 Great Customer Service Tips and Examples by Tom Coombe

(Small Business Trends) Customer service in the U.S. is a multi-billion dollar industry, one that’s growing all the time. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that customer service is solely the domain of people in call centers answering complaints and questions.

My Comment: Great customer service isn’t rocket science. At some level, it’s common sense, which unfortunately isn’t as common as it should be. For example, how hard is it to answer the phone (quickly)? That’s the first tip in a list of 16 tips (actually there’s more) to deliver better customer service. This is worth a read and a share with your team.

How to Scale Customer Success Without Losing the Human Touch by Tyler Holmes

(Built In Austin) Companies that scale too quickly are prone to losing one-to-one customer communication. As a result, prized customers feel lost or ignored when they most need help using a product or measuring success.

My Comment: Scaling customer service or CX is about using technology to create a better experience. Unfortunately, some companies or brands lose sight and focus too much on the tech and end up losing their human-to-human connection. There are a couple of great quotes in big letters that are spot on. So, even if you don’t read the article – and you should – at least check out the quotes.

How Customer Service Technology Helps You Delight and Retain Customers (+ Trends to Follow) by Alejandra Zilak

(Bluleadz) When your tech misbehaves, it inevitably sabotages any process it’s applied to. And since so much of software and IT is opaque, you might follow whatever recommendations it spits out – without ever knowing they’re off the mark.

My Comment: Let’s stay in the technology lane. Here we have a very robust article on how technology can enhance, or as the title promise, delight, and retain customers. There is plenty of good information here – and it’s fun to read. I love the GIF’s! There is also some info on how outdated tech could be hurting the experience, as well as Following the article are several trends to track. There’s something here for every business.

4 Ways to Build a Stronger Brand-Consumer Relationship Using Social Media by Jonathan Riff

(Entrepreneur) The way brands and customers communicate and interact with each other has been changed significantly by social media. It’s become the preferred way to ask questions, relay information, and receive feedback.

My Comment: I’m a big fan of using social media to enhance the customer experience. Here’s an article that includes four ways you can do exactly that. Pay special attention to number two, which is to post or re-post “User Generated Content” ( also known as USC) created by your customers on the different social media channels your company is on.

3 Projects to Refresh your Customer Service Strategy and Relieve Stress by Laura Krajewski

(Sharpen) When businesses focus on improving their customer experience and service strategy, they can see up to an 80% increase in revenue.

My Comment: Let’s jump over to the contact center world with a great article from our friends at Sharpen. Training, automation, and data are the three topics that this article focuses on. This isn’t just information. The author refers to these as projects to help refresh your customer service strategy.

BONUSESRead It & Reap: 10 Top New Marketing Books To Savor On #NationalBookLoversDay by Lane Ellis

(TopRank Marketing) Take a look at 10 forthcoming or recently published books that offer an array of fascinating tactics, tips, case studies, and other insight from some of the industry’s top business marketers and subject matter experts.

My Comment: I am honored to be on the list of Ten Top New marketing Books. My newest book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again is included. You can learn more at www.IllBeBackBook.com or Amazon.

Top Customer Experience Keynote Speakers for 2021 by Michelle Joyce

(Michelle Joyce Speakers) It comes as no surprise that a few of our speakers are included in this list because we do think they are among the best at what they do. At the same time, we recognize there are many other great speakers out there too. In our efforts to educate all event organizers, here is a list of seven speakers we feel have earned an incredibly solid reputation in this space.

My Comment: And yet another list. Michelle Joyce Speakers is one of the top management companies in the world of professional speaking. She’s compiled a list featuring the top customer experience keynote speakers. It is an honor to be associated with such an esteemed group of professionals.

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: How Can PR Crisis Management Shape Customer Experiences?

This week we feature an article by David Tattersall, Head of Client Relations at Handpicked Accountants, an online network housing the best-performing accountants across the UK. He writes about how successful, global brands use social media to deliver outstanding customer service experiences.

In the digital era where customer experience is defined by a customer’s first impression of a website, interaction with a chatbot, or response to a social media remarketing advert, the opportunity stands to deliver an omnichannel customer experience.  Social media is a powerful tool that can encourage customers to acknowledge a job well done. It is part and parcel of building an online reputation and can drive traffic to your brand at record levels when used tactically.  

Social media has forced the hand of businesses to operate transparently and communicate openly with consumers, in addition to investors. It has shifted the goalposts for businesses as online customer feedback can be viewed by any user. It is therefore a powerful tool that can be used to build reputations and break reputations.  

We run through how global brands have used social media to deliver outstanding customer service experiences, grow their consumer base, retain clients, and protect their brand reputation.  

Separate technical support from core marketing accounts

Many leading brands with enough consumer traffic filled with customer care inquiries operate separate social media accounts dedicated to providing social media support. This isolates complaints and technical inquiries from marketing campaigns, preventing creative messages from being diluted by the likes of refund requests, product defects, and website issues.    

Market leaders, such as Nike, Starbucks, and Netflix use the following handles to signpost their customers service Twitter accounts; @NikeService, @StarbucksCare, @Netflixhelps. In addition to responding to tweets, these brands also invite online users to send direct messages. There are features in place to support such accounts, from chatbots, categorization tools for queries, to the option to list online service hours.  

KFC – #KFCCrisis

After hundreds of KFC stores across the UK run out of chicken, KFC diners turned to Twitter to share their apology poster addressing the ironic issue of a fried chicken shop running out of its core ingredient…chicken. The poster was first printed in British newspapers, Metro and The Sun.  

By addressing the issue head-on and apologizing to diners who traveled to their local store to find it closed, the bitter experience quickly turned into a comical one. Branded a ‘PR Crisis Masterclass’, KFC earned its place in the public relations Hall of Fame.  

American Red Cross – #gettngslizzerd

The American Red Cross, a non-profit humanitarian organization, experienced a social media blunder when a rogue tweet made its way through the @RedCross Twitter account. As a disaster and emergency relief service, the following tweet went against the brand’s messaging, tone and image.  

“Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch beer… when we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd”  

Addressing their accidental slip of the tongue, the American Red Cross replied with the following Tweet.  

“We’ve deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we’ve confiscated the keys.” 

Even deleted tweets can find their way back into the public domain, which is why tackling the PR disaster head-on and promptly can save your reputation and turn the Twitter storm into an infamous giggle.  

 Aldi Vs M&S – Colin Vs Cuthbert

Dubbed the battle of the caterpillars, Marks & Spencer sued Aldi for imitating one of their bestselling confectionery products, Colin the Caterpillar, a Caterpillar-shaped chocolate log wrapped in milk chocolate. Aldi kicked off the Twitter storm with this tweet: 

“This is not just any court case, this is… #FreeCuthbert” 

Instantly going viral, Aldi increased brand engagement on Twitter by 2000%. M&S matched the tone and tweeted a witty reply to spark laughter and maintain their position that Cuthbert the Caterpillar is a copyright infringement.   

M&S tweeted: “Hey @AldiUK we love a charity idea (Colin’s been a BIG fundraiser for years). We just want you to use your own character. 

“How about #kevinthecarrotcake? That idea’s on us… and we promise we won’t do Keith.” 

These memorable social media moments can unite customers loyal to a particular brand, as seen with the Caterpillar battle between Aldi & M&S. The key is to respond fast before users launch attacks and you take a financial hit. As a voice of authority, consumers can just as easily understand that you are also human, mistakes happen and to find humor in such mishaps.  

David Tattersall is Head of Client Relations at Handpicked Accountants, an online network housing the best-performing accountants across the UK. David regularly advises business owners on how to find an accountant, financial reporting duties, insolvency, and company rescue options.

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

Read Shep’s latest Forbes article: Who Wants To Be A Motivational Speaker?

 

 

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The Difference Between Repeat Customers and Loyal Customers

“We love our customers, and they obviously love us. They keep coming back, again and again!” 

Who doesn’t want to be able to say that? And, if that is the case with your organization, let me ask you this question: Do you know why they are coming back? 

Not to be a “downer,” but we shouldn’t confuse a repeat customer with a loyal customer. They are not the same.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love repeat customers, and we absolutely want them. Repeat customers are very desirable. I write about this topic in my latest book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again. As a business, you should do everything you can do to get the customer to come back. However, as I explain in the book, just because they do come back, that doesn’t mean they are loyal. You have to understand the why behind the repeat business. 

For example, let’s say you own a retail store. There are a number of reasons customers might come back. Ideally, it’s related to an emotional connection that causes them to want to come back to you and not the competition. Maybe they love your unique merchandise. Maybe they love your salespeople. Perhaps there is a cause or charity you support. These are reasons that customers could be emotionally connected to you.  

But, maybe it’s because of your location or low prices. If the customer keeps coming back because of a convenient location, the moment a competitor opens a store that’s more convenient, the customer may go there instead. It’s the same with price. If you promise low prices, and that’s what is driving customers to come back, as soon as the competition offers a lower price, you may lose the customer. And you thought they were loyal? They were, but that loyalty was to location and price, not to your business.  

The point is to recognize the difference between repeat customers and loyal customers. Make sure you understand the why behind what brings that customer back. If it’s something other than an emotional connection that can drive loyalty to your business, work to move that customer from just being a repeat customer to loyalty.  

I like to refer to repeat customers as gold and loyal customers as sacred. And to emphasize, while customer loyalty is the “holy grail,” there is nothing wrong with going for repeat business. The point is that you must understand why the customer comes back. Once they start coming back, make sure they are coming back for reasons that will keep them from leaving you for your competition. 

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: Sharad Khandelwal

Customer Insight

Help Customers Solve Problems

Shep Hyken interviews Sharad Khandelwal, co-founder and CEO of SentiSum. They discuss Khandelwal’s artificial intelligence platform that collects valuable information and insights from consumers who reach out.

 

Top Takeaways:

– The new technology, artificial intelligence, reads and analyzes all support conversations, regardless of channel, and even tags them with reasons. The goal of this platform is to provide you with real-time insight into why consumers are contacting you in the first place.

– Customers’ input is as critical as what prevents them from checking out, purchasing something, or returning anything.

– The ultimate goal of gathering information is to help this customer solve the problem and prevent future problems. This information should subsequently be disseminated across the board with everyone involved.

– Businesses often overlook the value of the customer service department. This department assures and is accountable for your customer’s return. They’re essentially a client retention division. Companies should appreciate their support workers in addition to their data.

Quotes:

“Support information is basically a gold mine of insight. And that goldmine is not just for your support department, it’s for an entire company.”

“This is how you can become a bit more proactive and collaborate better to improve customer experience by bringing everyone together by sharing these insights, making everyone at the same pit with another problem. The bigger the company, the bigger the problem of silos.”

“Value your support, the support data, and that can change the trajectory of your company.”

“The qualitative data from customers tell you why; quantitative data mostly tells you what everyone needs like.”

About:

Sharad Khandelwal, co-founder and CEO of SentiSum, aspires to alter the way major corporations make key choices. He believes they should shift away from gut feelings and toward data-driven judgments. He’s passionate about using data and technology to help businesses become more customer-centric.

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:  

Why is Customer Insight Important for Business?What are some non-tech methods for gaining valuable consumer insights?Assuming there’s no AI technology, what other ways to acquire additional consumer information in advance?How do you improve customer experience?What steps can you take to avoid future consumer complaints?

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5 Top Customer Service Articles of the Week 8-9-2021

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.

Eight Ways Companies Can Turn A Negative Customer Experience Into A Positive One by Young Entrepreneur Council

(Forbes) To demonstrate how to turn unsatisfactory experiences into satisfactory ones, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council shared their top-recommended ways to improve customer service.

My Comment: It is not if it will ever happen. It is when it happens. How do you handle a bad customer service experience? The Forbes Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) has written an article that gives insights from eight very successful members on how to do exactly that. The goal is not only to fix the situation but to also restore their trust and loyalty with you.

Customer Experience Starts – and Stops – With Emotions by Kristi Knight

(CMSWire) By understanding and tapping into those emotions, brands can build powerful connections that create fierce advocates. Think about a memorable experience you’ve had with a company. Why does it stand out?

My Comment: This is an interesting article about how a customer’s emotions play into the overall customer experience. Whether it is a good or a bad experience, the customer has an expectation. Can you meet it? If you do, can you create an emotional experience that brings them back? Do you understand the difference between understanding the customer and empathizing with the customer? All of this and more are covered in this excellent article.

10 Simple Steps Toward Delivering a More Convenient Customer Experience by Rolling Stone Culture Council

(Rolling Stone) To make sure you’re delivering the best overall experience, you’ll need to start with a few simple steps. 10 Rolling Stone Culture Council members each shared one thing leaders can do to maximize convenience and create more happy customers.

My Comment: We’re back to one of my favorite topics, convenience. I even wrote an entire book devoted to this topic, The Convenience Revolution. If you want to create a better CX, eliminate the friction. Customers hate friction, and they will seek out the places that are easiest to do business with.

Decoding Customer Experience by Anjali Malhotra

(ETCIO) Customer Experience is oft mistaken with customer service. The truth is far away from this. In fact, Customer Service begins, where Customer Experience Fails!

My Comment: I recently wrote an article about the difference between customer service and customer experience. This article includes a comment that I don’t always agree with: Customer service begins where customer experience fails. That said, there are some insights into the importance of managing CX.

Customer Service Benchmark Report – 2021 by Hiver

(Hiver) Hiver surveyed 500+ US-based customer service professionals to find out how their teams handle requests – how quickly they respond, what channels they use, what KPIs they track to measure their support quality, and more!

My Comment: Here is an excellent benchmark report from Hiver. It includes some stats and facts that you should find interesting and relevant. The report takes a look at customer service from the company’s perspective and covers topics that include remote workforce, most popular customer support channels (phone, email, etc.), and more.

BONUSThe Best Way to Complain to a Company on Social Media by Octavio Blanco

(Consumer Reports) Public rants may not get the results you want. Instead, send a private message to give it a chance to respond.

My Comment: I was recently interviewed by Consumer Reports about the best way to get complaints resolved, especially when you’re not getting the response you want or it’s hard to connect with a customer support rep. One area we covered was how social media can help. It’s not just about complaining to the world. A less outspoken approach may be your best approach.

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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