Shep Hyken's Blog, page 9
May 19, 2025
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of May 19, 2025
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Removing Barriers: How Rigid Rules Can Damage Customer Relationships by Ryan Minton
(Forbes) In today’s experience-driven economy, rigid policies can be a competitive disadvantage. I believe the organizations that thrive will be those that empower their people to operate confidently in the gray area—where authentic human connection happens and customer loyalty is born.
My Comment: We kick of this week’s Top Five article with a reminder that it can be dangerous to have strict rules and policies that can erode the customer experience. The author’s background is in hotel management. He gets what it takes to make customers happy. His comment that exceptional service happens in the “gray area” is spot on.
Can Contact Centers Move From Cost Centers to Experience Hubs? by Scott Clark
(CMSWire) Many say yes. Brands are reinventing the contact center—from reactive support desks to loyalty-building experience hubs with emotionally intelligent agents.
My Comment: Whether you have a customer support team of one or ten thousand (or more), this article drives home the message that customer support becomes an experience shouldn’t cost. It should pay. Smart companies recognize that customer support should be measured with more than efficiency metrics (such as Average Handle Time). The experience and outcome of a call can drive repeat business, positive word-of-mouth, and confidence that can lead to customer loyalty.
Managing Today’s Crisis of Trust by Sam Richardson
(Business Reporter) Trust takes years to build but can shatter in an instant—a familiar adage that rings true across industries and relationships alike.
My Comment: Customer service and CX may have been big enough differentiators to make price less relevant. With the shaky economy and businesses raising prices due to inflation, tariffs, etc., something else beyond CX will help with price sensitivity, and that’s trust. This article covers that topic and introduces us to a role within an organization that most companies need to consider: the Chief Trust Officer.
Winning Customer Loyalty Starts with Straight Talk about Tariffs by Ryan Phelan
(MarTech) Learn why human, brand-aligned messaging beats corporate spin when tariffs hit. Real-world examples show what works — and what doesn’t.
My Comment: If your company is impacted by tariffs – or the possibility of them – this article is a must-read. The key is transparency and communicating with customers about why you’re raising prices. And it’s not just telling them why, it’s how you tell them. Included in the article are different examples of how companies are communicating with their customers.
Customer Loyalty Starts With Consistency, Ends With Advocacy by Scott Clark
(CMSWire) Customer loyalty isn’t just earned through rewards programs or sales-driven perks—it’s built through consistent, emotionally resonant experiences that meet customers where they are. As expectations rise and brand-switching becomes frictionless, businesses must rethink loyalty not as a program, but as a product of every interaction.
My Comment: Most articles on customer loyalty programs focus on the points and perks we offer customers in exchange for their repeat business. This article includes ideas that I’ve been preaching for many years. For true customer loyalty to happen, there must be an emotional connection. The author covers the topic of how emotional connections are redefining customer loyalty and there is a shift from rewards (points and perks) to relationships. The key is to create emotional loyalty.
BONUS
What Will Agent Roles Look Like in 2035? by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) The role of an agent is changing fast – as customer needs become more complex and technology continues to reshape day-to-day life in the contact centre. But with so many moving parts, what will an agent’s role look like 10 years from now?
My Comment: Our friends at CallCentreHelper.com have released another excellent article with insights from some of the top customer service and CX minds in the industry. This time the focus is what the future of a customer support agent role will be in ten years. I’m very excited about the future, and I think you will be, too!
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
Removing Barriers: How Rigid Rules Can Damage Customer Relationships by Ryan Minton
(Forbes) In today’s experience-driven economy, rigid policies can be a competitive disadvantage. I believe the organizations that thrive will be those that empower their people to operate confidently in the gray area—where authentic human connection happens and customer loyalty is born.
My Comment: We kick of this week’s Top Five article with a reminder that it can be dangerous to have strict rules and policies that can erode the customer experience. The author’s background is in hotel management. He gets what it takes to make customers happy. His comment that exceptional service happens in the “gray area” is spot on.
Can Contact Centers Move From Cost Centers to Experience Hubs? by Scott Clark
(CMSWire) Many say yes. Brands are reinventing the contact center—from reactive support desks to loyalty-building experience hubs with emotionally intelligent agents.
My Comment: Whether you have a customer support team of one or ten thousand (or more), this article drives home the message that customer support becomes an experience shouldn’t cost. It should pay. Smart companies recognize that customer support should be measured with more than efficiency metrics (such as Average Handle Time). The experience and outcome of a call can drive repeat business, positive word-of-mouth, and confidence that can lead to customer loyalty.
Managing Today’s Crisis of Trust by Sam Richardson
(Business Reporter) Trust takes years to build but can shatter in an instant—a familiar adage that rings true across industries and relationships alike.
My Comment: Customer service and CX may have been big enough differentiators to make price less relevant. With the shaky economy and businesses raising prices due to inflation, tariffs, etc., something else beyond CX will help with price sensitivity, and that’s trust. This article covers that topic and introduces us to a role within an organization that most companies need to consider: the Chief Trust Officer.
Winning Customer Loyalty Starts with Straight Talk about Tariffs by Ryan Phelan
(MarTech) Learn why human, brand-aligned messaging beats corporate spin when tariffs hit. Real-world examples show what works — and what doesn’t.
My Comment: If your company is impacted by tariffs – or the possibility of them – this article is a must-read. The key is transparency and communicating with customers about why you’re raising prices. And it’s not just telling them why, it’s how you tell them. Included in the article are different examples of how companies are communicating with their customers.
Customer Loyalty Starts With Consistency, Ends With Advocacy by Scott Clark
(CMSWire) Customer loyalty isn’t just earned through rewards programs or sales-driven perks—it’s built through consistent, emotionally resonant experiences that meet customers where they are. As expectations rise and brand-switching becomes frictionless, businesses must rethink loyalty not as a program, but as a product of every interaction.
My Comment: Most articles on customer loyalty programs focus on the points and perks we offer customers in exchange for their repeat business. This article includes ideas that I’ve been preaching for many years. For true customer loyalty to happen, there must be an emotional connection. The author covers the topic of how emotional connections are redefining customer loyalty and there is a shift from rewards (points and perks) to relationships. The key is to create emotional loyalty.
BONUS
What Will Agent Roles Look Like in 2035? by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) The role of an agent is changing fast – as customer needs become more complex and technology continues to reshape day-to-day life in the contact centre. But with so many moving parts, what will an agent’s role look like 10 years from now?
My Comment: Our friends at CallCentreHelper.com have released another excellent article with insights from some of the top customer service and CX minds in the industry. This time the focus is what the future of a customer support agent role will be in ten years. I’m very excited about the future, and I think you will be, too!
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
May 13, 2025
Seven Things Customers Hate to Do – But Companies Make Them Do It Anyway
Recently, I had an experience with a company and thought, “I hate this … Why do they make me do this?” This question wasn’t because of curiosity. No, I was thinking that this is something other customers must hate as well, but they make them do it anyway. So, I started a personal brainstorming session to list various processes, requirements, policies, rules, and more that cause customers to question why they continue to do business with these companies. Of course, my mind immediately went to customer service and experience issues, but there’s much more. With that in mind, here are seven practices, steps, processes, and policies that customers hate, but companies make them do it anyway. Customers Hate:
To Wait – Long hold times and long lines are frustrating and send negative messages, such as the customer’s time isn’t valued or the company is understaffed.
Repeating Anything – Calling customer support and being passed around to different people, having to repeat your story again and again, isn’t fun. Nor is filling out forms that repeat the information you’ve already filled out on previous forms.
Finding Hidden Fees – A stated price should be the price – with no extra fees. I recently checked into a hotel. They told me I had a $30 food and beverage credit as part of my stay – a nice surprise. Upon checking out, I noticed a $30 charge referred to as a “Destination Fee.” I asked about it, and the clerk said it was to cover the $30 food and beverage credit.
Filling Out Bad Surveys – Customers are learning to dislike surveys, especially if they are long. There are right and wrong ways to do surveys. And a bad survey shouldn’t be the last thing a customer experiences when doing business with you.
Listening to Complicated Phone Options – If you’ve called a company and been told to “listen to the following as our options have changed,” so you listen to the many options, and once you choose one, there are even more options … Well, I think you get the picture. There’s better technology to get the customer to the right person or the information they need.
Annoying Pop-Up Windows – If you’ve been on a website and are reading information or an article and pesky pop-up windows keep interrupting you with irrelevant messages and advertising, you’re a victim of annoying pop-up windows.
Anything that Requires Unnecessary Effort – Maybe you have a simple request or question. Why should it take a long time to fill out forms, answer unnecessary questions or more to get an answer?
There is a theme to this list. All of these imply the company doesn’t respect the customer’s time, energy, and effort. The goal should be the opposite: to respect and value your customer’s time, energy, and effort. Don’t create friction and put customers through anything more than necessary to get them what they want. In short, have a goal to be the easiest company to do business with. If you’re serious about it, you’ll find ways to eliminate and mitigate friction. And this list is far from complete. There are many, many other things customers hate doing.
So, here’s your assignment. Sit down with your team and brainstorm all the things they hate to do when doing business with any company. Then, ask what they think customers might hate about doing business with you. This can be processes, steps, policies, and more. Once you have the list, you know what to do. Eliminate all that makes doing business with you painful – or at least make some of the less painful. Don’t make your customers do things they hate doing!
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 .
May 12, 2025
All Business is Personal with Joseph Michelli
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
What are the benefits of combining technology with personal interaction in customer service?
What role does listening play in improving the customer experience?
How important is it for businesses to include digital and human touchpoints in customer interactions?
How does a seamless digital experience impact customer satisfaction and loyalty?
Why is emotional connection important in business?
Top Takeaways
Technology, like apps and AI, makes life convenient for customers by allowing easy online scheduling or instant answers through chatbots. However, it is still the human connection that builds lasting relationships. The best businesses use tech to make things faster and simpler but always offer a human backup for when a customer needs a personal touch.
So many businesses continue to operate the same way because “that’s how it’s always been done.” It is important to constantly ask why things are done a certain way and whether there’s a better, more modern, or easier approach for customers.
Delivering a great customer experience is not just about satisfying customer needs. It’s the best marketing a company can have.
People remember how you made them feel long after the transaction is over. Creating an emotional connection with your customers can transform a routine interaction into a memorable experience. Creating positive emotions through empathy, excitement, or delight builds loyalty and motivates customers to refer you to others.
Use Net Promoter Score as a guideline, not a vanity metric. While a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) can indicate customer satisfaction, the actual behavior of customers and the genuine referrals they make is what counts.
Train your employees to listen to what customers say, not just hear their words. Many businesses train their staff to communicate, but few teach them to listen deeply and with empathy. Listening well helps you understand how your product and services impact the customer’s life and what it means to them.
Wow moments are not always over-the-top experiences. Going slightly beyond what’s expected can create a big impact on customers. Small gestures such as remembering a customer’s name or a personal preference can elevate a service experience from just fine to amazing.
Plus, Joseph shares how One Medical transformed healthcare by blending technology with personal service, creating a more convenient and customer-focused experience. Tune in!
Quotes:
“There’s a difference between personalization and a personal connection.”
“You need to make things easily accessible with technology. But, when it doesn’t work, or you truly need a human touch, have a real person empowered by technology to make them faster and smarter, ready to help.”
“The best way to market is to deliver a great experience. That’s how people determine whether or not a brand keeps their promises and if they are worthy of sharing.”
“If you want to grow your business, don’t overlook the power of referrals. It is an overlooked metric, but it is worth tracking. What percentage of your clients come from other clients?”
“It’s one thing to achieve operational excellence, but you also need to design an emotional experience at the most important touch points so customers leave with a connection.”
About:
Joseph Michelli is a speaker and consultant renowned for his customer experience and leadership expertise. He has worked with global brands like Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. His latest book, All Business Is Personal: One Medical’s Human-Centered, Technology-Powered Approach to Customer Engagement, is now available on Amazon.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
What are the benefits of combining technology with personal interaction in customer service?
What role does listening play in improving the customer experience?
How important is it for businesses to include digital and human touchpoints in customer interactions?
How does a seamless digital experience impact customer satisfaction and loyalty?
Why is emotional connection important in business?
Top Takeaways
Technology, like apps and AI, makes life convenient for customers by allowing easy online scheduling or instant answers through chatbots. However, it is still the human connection that builds lasting relationships. The best businesses use tech to make things faster and simpler but always offer a human backup for when a customer needs a personal touch.
So many businesses continue to operate the same way because “that’s how it’s always been done.” It is important to constantly ask why things are done a certain way and whether there’s a better, more modern, or easier approach for customers.
Delivering a great customer experience is not just about satisfying customer needs. It’s the best marketing a company can have.
People remember how you made them feel long after the transaction is over. Creating an emotional connection with your customers can transform a routine interaction into a memorable experience. Creating positive emotions through empathy, excitement, or delight builds loyalty and motivates customers to refer you to others.
Use Net Promoter Score as a guideline, not a vanity metric. While a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) can indicate customer satisfaction, the actual behavior of customers and the genuine referrals they make is what counts.
Train your employees to listen to what customers say, not just hear their words. Many businesses train their staff to communicate, but few teach them to listen deeply and with empathy. Listening well helps you understand how your product and services impact the customer’s life and what it means to them.
Wow moments are not always over-the-top experiences. Going slightly beyond what’s expected can create a big impact on customers. Small gestures such as remembering a customer’s name or a personal preference can elevate a service experience from just fine to amazing.
Plus, Joseph shares how One Medical transformed healthcare by blending technology with personal service, creating a more convenient and customer-focused experience. Tune in!
Quotes:
“There’s a difference between personalization and a personal connection.”
“You need to make things easily accessible with technology. But, when it doesn’t work, or you truly need a human touch, have a real person empowered by technology to make them faster and smarter, ready to help.”
“The best way to market is to deliver a great experience. That’s how people determine whether or not a brand keeps their promises and if they are worthy of sharing.”
“If you want to grow your business, don’t overlook the power of referrals. It is an overlooked metric, but it is worth tracking. What percentage of your clients come from other clients?”
“It’s one thing to achieve operational excellence, but you also need to design an emotional experience at the most important touch points so customers leave with a connection.”
About:
Joseph Michelli is a speaker and consultant renowned for his customer experience and leadership expertise. He has worked with global brands like Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel. His latest book, All Business Is Personal: One Medical’s Human-Centered, Technology-Powered Approach to Customer Engagement, is now available on Amazon.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of May 12, 2025
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
(Re-)Focus On Customer Retention And Growth During Volatile Times by Laura Ramos
(Forrester) While deeper understanding is the first step, retention should be the desired result. B2B teams that fail to prioritize, resource, and measure the impact of postsale customer engagement risk negative repercussions on customer retention, loyalty, growth, and advocacy.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about retaining and growing customers during tough and shaky economic times. There are five strategies or tactics to consider. The important thing to keep in mind is that during tough times, companies that can remain customer-focused typically come out on top.
Your Business Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect — Here’s How Customer Loyalty Really Works by Jeff Helfgott
(Entrepreneur) It’s not a one-time achievement, building customer loyalty a continuous process of building trust by showing up, delivering value and being reliable.
My Comment: “Loyalty earns you the opportunity to make a second mistake.” That’s the opening line of the article. I’ll take it a step further that a mistake handled the right way earns you more chances. As long as mistakes or problems don’t happen all the time, if you recover well, you earn trust. Customers say, “Even when there’s a problem, I can always count on them.” That’s one reason customers stick around, even when the experience isn’t perfect.
10 Ways to Make Customers Feel More Valued by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) When customers feel valued, they are more likely to stay loyal to your brand. It’s as simple as that! But getting this right can be tricky – especially when gimmicks can come across as too tacky, and personalization can be overused to the point of being overfamiliar (and even creepy!).
My Comment: This excellent article has four CX experts (myself included) sharing 10 ways to show appreciation to your customers, but they are not what you might think. These ideas are more than ways to say, “Thank you.” Empowering agents and frontliners is a start. You’ll find a few interesting and new ideas here.
Don’t Let Tariffs Sabotage Customer Service by Leonard Klie
(CRM) Let’s face it, market volatility is here to stay while companies and countries negotiate with the Trump administration to reach a deal on tariffs. In the meantime, stock market turmoil, sourcing concerns, potentially higher production costs, supply chain disruption, and far more will threaten companies and leave the U.S. economy in a state of flux.
My Comment: Many companies and brands are in flux due to some uncertainties in the economy and the tariffs that are being imposed. Whenever there are tough times, the organizations that stay focused on their customers come out ahead. As the article points out, be careful with the changes you make. Cost-cutting measures are fine, but try to avoid changes that will negatively impact the customer experience. Don’t give customers a reason to try a competitor.
95% of Businesses Fail at This One Thing — Fix It Before It Costs You Customers by Antonia Hock
(Entrepreneur) Most businesses believe that they deliver a great customer experience, but this is based on outdated, old-fashioned ideas. Here’s what businesses can do to shift their customer experience to the modern customer.
My Comment: Surveys work, as long as they are done correctly. The problem is that some companies create or deliver a survey to the customer that is biased. Getting lots of great ratings is nice, but if they aren’t a true reflection of the entire customer base, you’re not seeing the entire picture. That’s what this article is about. According to the author, 95% of executive teams aren’t analyzing their customer metrics properly. The result is false assumptions and missed opportunities.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
(Re-)Focus On Customer Retention And Growth During Volatile Times by Laura Ramos
(Forrester) While deeper understanding is the first step, retention should be the desired result. B2B teams that fail to prioritize, resource, and measure the impact of postsale customer engagement risk negative repercussions on customer retention, loyalty, growth, and advocacy.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about retaining and growing customers during tough and shaky economic times. There are five strategies or tactics to consider. The important thing to keep in mind is that during tough times, companies that can remain customer-focused typically come out on top.
Your Business Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect — Here’s How Customer Loyalty Really Works by Jeff Helfgott
(Entrepreneur) It’s not a one-time achievement, building customer loyalty a continuous process of building trust by showing up, delivering value and being reliable.
My Comment: “Loyalty earns you the opportunity to make a second mistake.” That’s the opening line of the article. I’ll take it a step further that a mistake handled the right way earns you more chances. As long as mistakes or problems don’t happen all the time, if you recover well, you earn trust. Customers say, “Even when there’s a problem, I can always count on them.” That’s one reason customers stick around, even when the experience isn’t perfect.
10 Ways to Make Customers Feel More Valued by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) When customers feel valued, they are more likely to stay loyal to your brand. It’s as simple as that! But getting this right can be tricky – especially when gimmicks can come across as too tacky, and personalization can be overused to the point of being overfamiliar (and even creepy!).
My Comment: This excellent article has four CX experts (myself included) sharing 10 ways to show appreciation to your customers, but they are not what you might think. These ideas are more than ways to say, “Thank you.” Empowering agents and frontliners is a start. You’ll find a few interesting and new ideas here.
Don’t Let Tariffs Sabotage Customer Service by Leonard Klie
(CRM) Let’s face it, market volatility is here to stay while companies and countries negotiate with the Trump administration to reach a deal on tariffs. In the meantime, stock market turmoil, sourcing concerns, potentially higher production costs, supply chain disruption, and far more will threaten companies and leave the U.S. economy in a state of flux.
My Comment: Many companies and brands are in flux due to some uncertainties in the economy and the tariffs that are being imposed. Whenever there are tough times, the organizations that stay focused on their customers come out ahead. As the article points out, be careful with the changes you make. Cost-cutting measures are fine, but try to avoid changes that will negatively impact the customer experience. Don’t give customers a reason to try a competitor.
95% of Businesses Fail at This One Thing — Fix It Before It Costs You Customers by Antonia Hock
(Entrepreneur) Most businesses believe that they deliver a great customer experience, but this is based on outdated, old-fashioned ideas. Here’s what businesses can do to shift their customer experience to the modern customer.
My Comment: Surveys work, as long as they are done correctly. The problem is that some companies create or deliver a survey to the customer that is biased. Getting lots of great ratings is nice, but if they aren’t a true reflection of the entire customer base, you’re not seeing the entire picture. That’s what this article is about. According to the author, 95% of executive teams aren’t analyzing their customer metrics properly. The result is false assumptions and missed opportunities.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
May 6, 2025
Best in Class or World-Class Customer Experience
I’m going to start this article with a theme I’ve preached for years: When it comes to customer service and experience, our customers no longer compare us just to our competitors. Their mental benchmark, whether they know it or not, comes from the best experience they have had from any company or brand. It’s companies like Amazon, Apple, Costco, Chick-fil-A, and others that excel in providing an experience that gets customers to come back, that become our customers’ standard for service. When they have anything other than a positive experience, they may say something like, “Why can’t they be as good as _____?” (Fill in the blank with their favorite company.) With that in mind, I’d like to offer up the idea that if we focus on creating an experience based on trying to be better than a competitor, and that may mean you are the best in your industry, it still may not meet a customer’s expectations. All you are is the best dog in a horse race.
Being best in your industry means best in class, but as I just mentioned, it may not be enough. What you want to do is start comparing yourself – as in your company – to the obvious customer experience leaders. No, you may not be able to do what Amazon or Apple do, but using them as a model can help you move from best in class to world class.
So, how can you make this shift? Start by identifying what makes world-class companies so appealing to their customers. In my annual customer service and CX research, we find the best companies and brands share certain traits:
Consistency – Customers can predict their experience every time. It’s not great one time and the next time just average. Consistency creates predictability, and if the consistent experience is what customers want and know they will get, they come back.
Quick Response – Whether it’s Amazon’s instant confirmation emails or a faster-than-expected returned phone call or email, customers love it when the companies they do business with are fast in their communication.
Empowered Employees – Your customers are frustrated when they are dealing with employees who aren’t allowed to make decisions. If you hire good people and train them well, let them do their job. Not only will customers be happy, but your employees will appreciate the company they work for even more.
Friction-Free – I wrote an entire book on this topic, The Convenience Revolution . Find ways to be easy to do business with. Eliminate anything that is a hassle or has friction associated with it.
Here’s why I love these ideas. You don’t have to be Amazon or Apple to implement any of these. Any company, regardless of size or industry, can do this. You don’t need a technology budget to respond to customers quickly or empower your team.
Look at your customer journey and ask: What would world-class companies, such as Amazon, do at this touch point?” Or, “How would Apple handle this situation?” This exercise can reveal the opportunities you might miss when you’re only comparing yourself to your direct competitors.
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 .
May 5, 2025
How to Create a Winning Customer Experience with Mike Milliron
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
How does the Net Promoter Score (NPS) help organizations measure the effectiveness of their customer experience programs?
What role does employee engagement play in enhancing the customer experience?
How can schools empower students to achieve their future goals, both academically and in sports?
How can schools create a system that effectively responds to feedback from students and parents?
What is reputation marketing?
Top Takeaways
Happy and engaged employees naturally create better experiences for customers. When staff members feel heard, empowered, and proud of their work, they go above and beyond to help others.
While good marketing helps, it is not enough to build a good reputation. The real magic happens when people keep coming back and telling their friends because they had an amazing experience.
IMG Academy uses Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure satisfaction and drive real improvements based on student and parent feedback. They’ve built a listening program that keeps their NPS steadily rising. Their winning customer experience and employee experience show that NPS is most valuable when it leads to actionable insights and loyalty rather than just being a score.
Creating an excellent customer experience takes everyone working together, from those working on the frontlines to the back office and the C-suite. When all team members are clear on the mission and know how they can make a difference, it creates a culture where it is “cool to care” about your customers.
When leaders are engaged and actively participate in initiatives, they can better understand the challenges faced by their teams and customers.
Collecting feedback and turning it into actionable steps helps create a culture that values continuous improvement. Customers and employees like knowing their opinions are heard and valued.
IMG Academy puts students at the center of everything they do. They have built an unrivaled experience through innovative listening programs that actively collect and act on feedback from students, parents, and staff multiple times each semester. This helps personalize and continuously improve every student’s journey.
Beyond academics and athletics, IMG Academy focuses on holistic development to empower student-athletes to thrive not just in sports, but also academically and socially, helping them “win their future.”
Plus, Mike Milliron shares how they create a 15 out of 10 experience at IMG. Tune in!
Quotes:
“You need to marry employee experience and customer experience, put a system around that, and act on it. Listening to your customers and your team is only powerful when you turn those insights into meaningful action.”
“Make sure there are opportunities for employees’ voices to be heard. Then act on that feedback.”
“Culture change is real and it’s powerful. If you rally the right people and put the right systems and structures together, you can have transformational change in a short period of time and have people excited about doing it.”
About:
Mike Milliron is the Chief Operating Officer of IMG Academy’s Bradenton campus. He focuses on creating an unrivaled experience for students, parents, campers, competitors, guests, and employees.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
How does the Net Promoter Score (NPS) help organizations measure the effectiveness of their customer experience programs?
What role does employee engagement play in enhancing the customer experience?
How can schools empower students to achieve their future goals, both academically and in sports?
How can schools create a system that effectively responds to feedback from students and parents?
What is reputation marketing?
Top Takeaways
Happy and engaged employees naturally create better experiences for customers. When staff members feel heard, empowered, and proud of their work, they go above and beyond to help others.
While good marketing helps, it is not enough to build a good reputation. The real magic happens when people keep coming back and telling their friends because they had an amazing experience.
IMG Academy uses Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure satisfaction and drive real improvements based on student and parent feedback. They’ve built a listening program that keeps their NPS steadily rising. Their winning customer experience and employee experience show that NPS is most valuable when it leads to actionable insights and loyalty rather than just being a score.
Creating an excellent customer experience takes everyone working together, from those working on the frontlines to the back office and the C-suite. When all team members are clear on the mission and know how they can make a difference, it creates a culture where it is “cool to care” about your customers.
When leaders are engaged and actively participate in initiatives, they can better understand the challenges faced by their teams and customers.
Collecting feedback and turning it into actionable steps helps create a culture that values continuous improvement. Customers and employees like knowing their opinions are heard and valued.
IMG Academy puts students at the center of everything they do. They have built an unrivaled experience through innovative listening programs that actively collect and act on feedback from students, parents, and staff multiple times each semester. This helps personalize and continuously improve every student’s journey.
Beyond academics and athletics, IMG Academy focuses on holistic development to empower student-athletes to thrive not just in sports, but also academically and socially, helping them “win their future.”
Plus, Mike Milliron shares how they create a 15 out of 10 experience at IMG. Tune in!
Quotes:
“You need to marry employee experience and customer experience, put a system around that, and act on it. Listening to your customers and your team is only powerful when you turn those insights into meaningful action.”
“Make sure there are opportunities for employees’ voices to be heard. Then act on that feedback.”
“Culture change is real and it’s powerful. If you rally the right people and put the right systems and structures together, you can have transformational change in a short period of time and have people excited about doing it.”
About:
Mike Milliron is the Chief Operating Officer of IMG Academy’s Bradenton campus. He focuses on creating an unrivaled experience for students, parents, campers, competitors, guests, and employees.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
May 4, 2025
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of May 5, 2025
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Here’s Why Trader Joe’s Doesn’t Need A Loyalty Program… And You Might Not, Either. by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) A recent article in Customer Experience Dive noted that 90% of grocery shoppers now switch between online and in-store, and most retailers are leaning hard into data, tech, and personalization to stay competitive. But not Trader Joe’s.
My Comment: I’ve often written about customer loyalty programs actually being marketing programs that drive repeat business, which can sometimes lead to loyalty. It turns out, some customers are more loyal to the loyalty program than the business they keep returning to. My friend and fellow CX expert, Brittany Hodak, has written an excellent article about Trader Joe’s, the grocery retailer who proves that providing the best experience is the ultimate loyalty program.
Inside USPS’s Plan to Reinvent Customer Service With AI by Franck S Ardourel
(CMSWire) The agency is doing more than upgrading tech — it’s building a smarter, more inclusive customer experience.
My Comment: When we think of great case studies for customer service and CX, companies like Amazon, Apple, Costco, and other iconic brands come to mind. But there are plenty of less obvious brands we can all learn from, which is why I enjoyed this article about the USPS—yes, the post office! The article dives into how the USPS is modernizing its CX with AI and more. When you see what the USPS is doing – and why – you might ask yourself, “What can we do to be more proactive versus reactive and create better experiences for our customers?”
Global Customer Experience Differences: How Culture Shapes Consumer Expectations Across Asia, Europe, and Beyond by Dan Gingiss
(Dan Gingiss) Global customer experience differences are often a matter of unique cultural elements that lead to differing consumer expectations.
My Comment: Customer service and CX are different depending on what part of the world you’re in. However, while there may be cultural differences, the result the business is trying to achieve is the same: create an experience that is good enough to make the customer say, “I’ll be back.” After a recent trip to Asia, Dan Gingiss, “The Experience Maker,” shares his insights about the cultural nuances he observed. Dan states in the article, “From Japan’s meticulous service standards to Germany’s efficiency-focused approach, recognizing these differences allows companies to create meaningful connections with consumers across borders.”
12 Customer Service Email Templates—Plus 6 Best Practices by Shopify
(Shopify) These templated customer service emails will give your team quick and polished responses to the most common customer service scenarios.
My Comment: This is a very tactical article that includes 12 templates for the most common customer service issues and experiences. The examples cover everything from a thank you note/email to responding to a complaint, customers unsubscribing to your list, birthday discount offers, and more. Having templates that allow for a little personalization will make customers feel they are appreciated and heard. In addition, templates can save your people time, increase response times, and create a standardized approach to common requests and issues.
3 Customer Service Trends to Drive Loyalty by Michael Podolsky
(Inc. Magazine) With economic uncertainty in the headlines, consumer confidence is crossing stormy waters—changing expectations, thus driving consumer trends, and making it critical for businesses to stay on top of what customers want from a brand.
My Comment: We started this week’s Top Five roundup with an article on customer loyalty—specifically loyalty programs, and how some customers are more loyal to the program than the company or brand. Let’s wrap up with a few strategies to drive loyalty by properly responding and reacting to customers who have questions, complaints, or other issues. A loyalty program won’t make a difference if the customer experience is mismanaged. These three tactics are somewhat common sense, but often, common sense is not so common.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
Here’s Why Trader Joe’s Doesn’t Need A Loyalty Program… And You Might Not, Either. by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) A recent article in Customer Experience Dive noted that 90% of grocery shoppers now switch between online and in-store, and most retailers are leaning hard into data, tech, and personalization to stay competitive. But not Trader Joe’s.
My Comment: I’ve often written about customer loyalty programs actually being marketing programs that drive repeat business, which can sometimes lead to loyalty. It turns out, some customers are more loyal to the loyalty program than the business they keep returning to. My friend and fellow CX expert, Brittany Hodak, has written an excellent article about Trader Joe’s, the grocery retailer who proves that providing the best experience is the ultimate loyalty program.
Inside USPS’s Plan to Reinvent Customer Service With AI by Franck S Ardourel
(CMSWire) The agency is doing more than upgrading tech — it’s building a smarter, more inclusive customer experience.
My Comment: When we think of great case studies for customer service and CX, companies like Amazon, Apple, Costco, and other iconic brands come to mind. But there are plenty of less obvious brands we can all learn from, which is why I enjoyed this article about the USPS—yes, the post office! The article dives into how the USPS is modernizing its CX with AI and more. When you see what the USPS is doing – and why – you might ask yourself, “What can we do to be more proactive versus reactive and create better experiences for our customers?”
Global Customer Experience Differences: How Culture Shapes Consumer Expectations Across Asia, Europe, and Beyond by Dan Gingiss
(Dan Gingiss) Global customer experience differences are often a matter of unique cultural elements that lead to differing consumer expectations.
My Comment: Customer service and CX are different depending on what part of the world you’re in. However, while there may be cultural differences, the result the business is trying to achieve is the same: create an experience that is good enough to make the customer say, “I’ll be back.” After a recent trip to Asia, Dan Gingiss, “The Experience Maker,” shares his insights about the cultural nuances he observed. Dan states in the article, “From Japan’s meticulous service standards to Germany’s efficiency-focused approach, recognizing these differences allows companies to create meaningful connections with consumers across borders.”
12 Customer Service Email Templates—Plus 6 Best Practices by Shopify
(Shopify) These templated customer service emails will give your team quick and polished responses to the most common customer service scenarios.
My Comment: This is a very tactical article that includes 12 templates for the most common customer service issues and experiences. The examples cover everything from a thank you note/email to responding to a complaint, customers unsubscribing to your list, birthday discount offers, and more. Having templates that allow for a little personalization will make customers feel they are appreciated and heard. In addition, templates can save your people time, increase response times, and create a standardized approach to common requests and issues.
3 Customer Service Trends to Drive Loyalty by Michael Podolsky
(Inc. Magazine) With economic uncertainty in the headlines, consumer confidence is crossing stormy waters—changing expectations, thus driving consumer trends, and making it critical for businesses to stay on top of what customers want from a brand.
My Comment: We started this week’s Top Five roundup with an article on customer loyalty—specifically loyalty programs, and how some customers are more loyal to the program than the company or brand. Let’s wrap up with a few strategies to drive loyalty by properly responding and reacting to customers who have questions, complaints, or other issues. A loyalty program won’t make a difference if the customer experience is mismanaged. These three tactics are somewhat common sense, but often, common sense is not so common.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
April 29, 2025
Five Words Customers Love
“So you don’t have to …” These five words are powerful, and whether or not customers realize it, they love them. Think about what makes certain companies stand out from their competitors. Is it their product? Is it price? These matter, but as I’ve been preaching for decades, the differentiator is the customer experience. And specifically, the experience I want to focus on in this article is convenience.
These five words, “So you don’t have to,” form a statement that embodies the essence of creating a convenient customer experience. When companies take on certain responsibilities, eliminate friction points and other tasks to make the buying process easier for a customer, they are sending a message to their customers that says, “We’ll handle this so you don’t have to.”
Amazon delivers packages to your doorstep … so you don’t have to drive to the store.
Online grocery delivery services shop for your food and deliver it … so you don’t have to spend time in the store, pushing the cart, waiting in line to check out, and like Amazon, you don’t even have to drive to the store.
Auto-renewal subscriptions charge you automatically … so you don’t have to remember to re-subscribe.
I can go on with numerous examples. The So You Don’t Have To experience is about making it easy for your customers and saving them time, energy and effort. My annual customer service and experience research consistently shows that convenience is a major driver of customer loyalty. In fact, 66% of customers say convenience is more important than friendly service, and 58% of customers are willing to pay more for it.
So, how can you deliver the So You Don’t Have To experience to your customers? Here are four ideas to get you started:
Identify Your Customers’ Friction Points – Identify any areas of stress or effort in your process that can be changed or eliminated to make it easier for your customers.
Practice Proactive Service – Train your team to solve customers’ problems proactively before they contact you – ideally before they even know there is a problem. Examine the reasons for these problems and find ways to eliminate them altogether.
Become Your Customer – Look at your processes as if you are the customer. Mystery shop your own business and experience what your customers experience.
Don’t Be Shy – If you’re going to make it easy for your customers, let them know. Explain why doing business with you is different.
Every time you remove a step, eliminate a form, reduce waiting time or simplify a process, you’re telling the customer you value their time. Whether the words are explicitly stated or implied through your actions, you’re saying, “We’ll handle this … so you don’t have to.”
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com . Connect with Shep on LinkedIn .
How to Operationalize WOW Experiences with Eric D. Stone
This episode of
Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken
answers the following questions and more:
What is a ‘wow moment’ in customer interactions?
How can organizations operationalize positive customer feedback?
How can an organization create a workplace culture focused on providing an amazing customer experience?
Why is it important for employees to have clear goals and expectations?
How can employees’ personal and professional growth impact the overall customer service experience?
Top Takeaways
Creating a strong workplace culture is crucial for providing excellent customer service and experience. What is felt by the employees inside a company will be felt outside by the customers. That’s why empowering employees and focusing on customer satisfaction should be built into every part of the company’s culture.
It is impossible to go above and beyond in every interaction with a customer. However, simple gestures like writing a note or responding to a customer’s email quickly can create lasting impressions on customers. These WOW moments may be small, but they can become part of the culture when encouraged consistently throughout the organization.
Eric also shares the five key factors for employee engagement.
Strong relationships: Connection matters. When employees have strong relationships with each other, they’re more likely to build great connections with customers.
Clear expectations: When goals and expectations are clearly communicated, they create a consistent customer experience.
The right tools: Employees must be equipped with tools and information to achieve the desired outcome.
Opportunities for growth: How does the organization help employees grow personally and professionally?
Recognition: Recognize and reward excellence.
While many organizations focus on mitigating negative feedback, it’s also important to celebrate positive interactions and find a way to operationalize them so that they become a part of the culture.
An important part of addressing customer complaints is understanding the employee’s viewpoint before making assumptions or taking corrective actions. This prevents employee frustration and promotes a supportive work environment where they feel valued and heard.
While the phrase “the customer is always right” is well-known, the customer is not always right, but they’re always the customer. Let them be wrong with dignity and respect. However, there are customers whom you can fire if they are abusive toward employees.
Did we live up to our promise? This is an important question because we make a commitment to our customers at the beginning of their journey with us. This commitment is the reason why they choose to do business with us instead of our competitors. This promise must be clear to our employees across the organization to ensure we deliver what our customers expect from us.
Plus, Eric D. Stone shares the story of Johnny the Bagger and how his WOW moments can be operationalized into the company culture. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Be mindful of how you handle negative feedback. Track those moments, watch for patterns, and bring your team together before small issues become bigger problems.”
“Customers can be unreasonable, unrealistic, and demanding, but you must always make them feel they are being treated fairly, with respect, and dignity.”
“What are you doing to create a continuous learning cycle in your organization? Does your training align with your key initiatives, allow people to be at their best, and foster a show, observe, and shape mentality?”
“Employees sometimes confuse effort with execution. They need to understand what promises we make to our customers and live up to them consistently. Our delivery needs to match our customers’ expectations.”
About:
Eric D. Stone is the author of the award-winning book Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture. Before founding Clear Path Ventures, he had a successful twenty-six-year career at Enterprise Holdings.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
What is a ‘wow moment’ in customer interactions?
How can organizations operationalize positive customer feedback?
How can an organization create a workplace culture focused on providing an amazing customer experience?
Why is it important for employees to have clear goals and expectations?
How can employees’ personal and professional growth impact the overall customer service experience?
Top Takeaways
Creating a strong workplace culture is crucial for providing excellent customer service and experience. What is felt by the employees inside a company will be felt outside by the customers. That’s why empowering employees and focusing on customer satisfaction should be built into every part of the company’s culture.
It is impossible to go above and beyond in every interaction with a customer. However, simple gestures like writing a note or responding to a customer’s email quickly can create lasting impressions on customers. These WOW moments may be small, but they can become part of the culture when encouraged consistently throughout the organization.
Eric also shares the five key factors for employee engagement.
Strong relationships: Connection matters. When employees have strong relationships with each other, they’re more likely to build great connections with customers.
Clear expectations: When goals and expectations are clearly communicated, they create a consistent customer experience.
The right tools: Employees must be equipped with tools and information to achieve the desired outcome.
Opportunities for growth: How does the organization help employees grow personally and professionally?
Recognition: Recognize and reward excellence.
While many organizations focus on mitigating negative feedback, it’s also important to celebrate positive interactions and find a way to operationalize them so that they become a part of the culture.
An important part of addressing customer complaints is understanding the employee’s viewpoint before making assumptions or taking corrective actions. This prevents employee frustration and promotes a supportive work environment where they feel valued and heard.
While the phrase “the customer is always right” is well-known, the customer is not always right, but they’re always the customer. Let them be wrong with dignity and respect. However, there are customers whom you can fire if they are abusive toward employees.
Did we live up to our promise? This is an important question because we make a commitment to our customers at the beginning of their journey with us. This commitment is the reason why they choose to do business with us instead of our competitors. This promise must be clear to our employees across the organization to ensure we deliver what our customers expect from us.
Plus, Eric D. Stone shares the story of Johnny the Bagger and how his WOW moments can be operationalized into the company culture. Tune in!
Quotes:
“Be mindful of how you handle negative feedback. Track those moments, watch for patterns, and bring your team together before small issues become bigger problems.”
“Customers can be unreasonable, unrealistic, and demanding, but you must always make them feel they are being treated fairly, with respect, and dignity.”
“What are you doing to create a continuous learning cycle in your organization? Does your training align with your key initiatives, allow people to be at their best, and foster a show, observe, and shape mentality?”
“Employees sometimes confuse effort with execution. They need to understand what promises we make to our customers and live up to them consistently. Our delivery needs to match our customers’ expectations.”
About:
Eric D. Stone is the author of the award-winning book Jumpstart Your Workplace Culture. Before founding Clear Path Ventures, he had a successful twenty-six-year career at Enterprise Holdings.
Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .
April 27, 2025
Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of April 28, 2025
Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
Valuable Experience by William Grobel
(Deloitte) CX is a significant influence on revenue and 87 per cent of business leaders say it’s their top growth driver. It’s the sum of your interactions with customers – the advertising viewed, the receipts and invoices received, the ease of transaction, the performance of your website, your social presence, customer service and product performance – all shape how your customers feel about your brand.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s top five with an interesting article that comes from the private equity world. In short, PE firms are very careful about the companies they invest in. They scrutinize every part of the business. Measurement of everything helps drive their investment decisions. This Deloitte article confirms the importance of CX to the current and future revenue of the company. In this article, you’ll find lots of numbers and concepts about why CX can be one of the most important success criteria for any type of business.
How Smart Onboarding Turns New Customers into Lifelong Fans by Alexander Procter
(Okoone) High-impact onboarding cuts churn, accelerates product adoption, and drives real ROI. When teams align and optimize around the customer journey, friction drops, and retention rises. Most companies miss this. The ones that don’t are pulling ahead fast.
My Comment: Most businesses have an opportunity to “onboard” customers. This could be for a first purchase or when they purchase something new that requires some special attention. This is the perfect opportunity to confirm in the customer’s mind that they made the right decision to buy from you versus a competitor. If you haven’t already done so, create an onboarding program; a powerful part of the CX.
Video Experiences That Create Loyalty, Engagement, and Conversions by Michael Stelzner
(Social Media Examiner) Struggling to turn viewers into loyal fans or paying customers? Wondering what type of video content actually builds trust and drives conversions in 2025?
My Comment: This excellent article is about creating videos that are more about an experience than just information. I’ve written about Dollar Shave Club’s videos in the past. They are memorable and funny—as in laugh-out-loud and want to share them with friends funny. The experience helped propel their success. The title sums up what the article is all about.
Most Consumers Will Pay 25% More for Their Favorite Brands, Survey Finds by Michael Brady
(Marketing Dive) Positive customer experiences, consistent product quality and long-term brand familiarity drive greater loyalty, a UserTesting study found.
My Comment: My annual customer service and CX research found that 59% of customers are willing to pay more for a good experience. But how much more? According to this article, most consumers will pay 25% more for their favorite brands. And what makes them a favorite brand? Positive customer experiences, product quality, and long-term brand familiarity drive loyalty that makes price less relevant.
Customers Want Relationships, Not Just Easy Experiences by Rob Markey, Phil Sager, Cassy Reichert, Eduardo Roma, Joanna Zhou, and Sophia Rodawig
(Bain & Company) The gap between what executives believe about their customer experience (CX) and what customers actually feel has never been wider. While C-suite leaders speak confidently about being “customer-first” and “experience-led,” their own teams confessed to a reality of dashboard overload, survey fatigue, and tools that gather dust rather than insights.
My Comment: Did I save the best for last? I love this article, which includes five trends/ideas from the good people at Bain & Company. Let’s start with the idea that no matter how easy you make it for your customers, they still want a relationship where the company knows and recognizes them for their past business. The second trend regarding surveys is pricelessness. Surveys still have a place, when done well, but there are more effective ways to find out how customers are thinking about you. I’ll let you read the article to learn about the other three.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
Valuable Experience by William Grobel
(Deloitte) CX is a significant influence on revenue and 87 per cent of business leaders say it’s their top growth driver. It’s the sum of your interactions with customers – the advertising viewed, the receipts and invoices received, the ease of transaction, the performance of your website, your social presence, customer service and product performance – all shape how your customers feel about your brand.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s top five with an interesting article that comes from the private equity world. In short, PE firms are very careful about the companies they invest in. They scrutinize every part of the business. Measurement of everything helps drive their investment decisions. This Deloitte article confirms the importance of CX to the current and future revenue of the company. In this article, you’ll find lots of numbers and concepts about why CX can be one of the most important success criteria for any type of business.
How Smart Onboarding Turns New Customers into Lifelong Fans by Alexander Procter
(Okoone) High-impact onboarding cuts churn, accelerates product adoption, and drives real ROI. When teams align and optimize around the customer journey, friction drops, and retention rises. Most companies miss this. The ones that don’t are pulling ahead fast.
My Comment: Most businesses have an opportunity to “onboard” customers. This could be for a first purchase or when they purchase something new that requires some special attention. This is the perfect opportunity to confirm in the customer’s mind that they made the right decision to buy from you versus a competitor. If you haven’t already done so, create an onboarding program; a powerful part of the CX.
Video Experiences That Create Loyalty, Engagement, and Conversions by Michael Stelzner
(Social Media Examiner) Struggling to turn viewers into loyal fans or paying customers? Wondering what type of video content actually builds trust and drives conversions in 2025?
My Comment: This excellent article is about creating videos that are more about an experience than just information. I’ve written about Dollar Shave Club’s videos in the past. They are memorable and funny—as in laugh-out-loud and want to share them with friends funny. The experience helped propel their success. The title sums up what the article is all about.
Most Consumers Will Pay 25% More for Their Favorite Brands, Survey Finds by Michael Brady
(Marketing Dive) Positive customer experiences, consistent product quality and long-term brand familiarity drive greater loyalty, a UserTesting study found.
My Comment: My annual customer service and CX research found that 59% of customers are willing to pay more for a good experience. But how much more? According to this article, most consumers will pay 25% more for their favorite brands. And what makes them a favorite brand? Positive customer experiences, product quality, and long-term brand familiarity drive loyalty that makes price less relevant.
Customers Want Relationships, Not Just Easy Experiences by Rob Markey, Phil Sager, Cassy Reichert, Eduardo Roma, Joanna Zhou, and Sophia Rodawig
(Bain & Company) The gap between what executives believe about their customer experience (CX) and what customers actually feel has never been wider. While C-suite leaders speak confidently about being “customer-first” and “experience-led,” their own teams confessed to a reality of dashboard overload, survey fatigue, and tools that gather dust rather than insights.
My Comment: Did I save the best for last? I love this article, which includes five trends/ideas from the good people at Bain & Company. Let’s start with the idea that no matter how easy you make it for your customers, they still want a relationship where the company knows and recognizes them for their past business. The second trend regarding surveys is pricelessness. Surveys still have a place, when done well, but there are more effective ways to find out how customers are thinking about you. I’ll let you read the article to learn about the other three.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
