Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of July 7, 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.
What Makes for a Good Loyalty Program? by Kristen Doerer
(CX Dive) The elements will depend on a brand’s customer base, industry and competition. But experts identified commonalities across successful programs: differentiation, value and emotional connection.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about loyalty programs that is actually a compilation of six other articles on customer loyalty. The main article links to six others that include case studies, strategies, and ideas to consider as you review or develop your program.
Online Review Management Strategy Tips + Software Picks by Shopify
(Shopify) There are meaningful ways you can encourage reviews, respond to them in a way that builds trust, and take action on critiques to improve your brand image.
My Comment: How do you manage reviews and comments on social media and review sites? If you don’t currently have a strategy, then this article is essential reading. My short version of an online review strategy is to acknowledge every review and respond quickly to any complaints or negative comments. Yes, that’s common sense, but it amazes me how it’s not always so common. This article offers ideas on how to respond and includes suggestions for software programs to help you do so.
Built to Serve, Designed to Last: Medtronic’s CX-Driven Culture Over 76 Years by Ricardo Saltz Gulko
(Eglobalis) This article explores the roots of Medtronic’s longevity, how it executes its 100-year vision, and why its culture and business cannot afford—and are engineered—not to fail.
My Comment: Ricardo Saltz Gulko is no stranger to this weekly roundup. I’ve shared his articles in the past. What I like about this one is that it is a deep dive into one company’s CX strategy. The company is Medtronic, the world’s largest medical device company. Ricard shares how Medtronic differentiates itself from its competitors, the company’s commitment to its customers, the focus on culture, and much more.
How Agentic AI Will Change the Customer Experience by Drapers Bespoke
(Drapers) Six out of 10 customers (63%) expect AI-fuelled technologies to become the primary mode of customer support in the years to come, compared with 21% just four years ago, an annual survey of 1,000 US consumers by customer service expert Shep Hyken shows.
My Comment: This short article covers what many are calling “next-level AI” in the customer support and contact center. Typical AI will have answers. Agentic AI can take action on those answers. In other words, it can do the appropriate follow-up based on what the customer needs. It helps both customers and customer support agents.
Call Center Workers Are Tired of Being Mistaken for AI by Morgan Meaker
(Bloomberg) As more workers are asked by strangers if they’re bots, surreal conversations are prompting introspection in the industry about what it means to be human.
My Comment: One of the top topics and concerns around AI for customer support is transparency. Sometimes, the AI is so good, the customer doesn’t realize they are talking to a machine. This article flips this concept around. Some customers may not realize they are speaking with a human. Some customers don’t believe they are talking to live agents. One contact center agent is quoted: “I even ask them, ‘Is there anything you want me to say to prove that I’m a real human?”
BONUS
How is AI impacting Customer Support? Lessons from 20+ Support Leaders by Hiver
(Hiver) AI in customer support isn’t all hype. It’s got real, practical use cases that are changing the way businesses build customer relationships. So, we asked 20+ support leaders how AI is showing up in everyday support processes.
My Comment: This report from Hiver is “gated,” so you’ll have to give your email address to get the report, but it is well worth it. More than 20 CX experts and support leaders (myself included) share their thoughts on how AI is impacting customer support.
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.
What Makes for a Good Loyalty Program? by Kristen Doerer
(CX Dive) The elements will depend on a brand’s customer base, industry and competition. But experts identified commonalities across successful programs: differentiation, value and emotional connection.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about loyalty programs that is actually a compilation of six other articles on customer loyalty. The main article links to six others that include case studies, strategies, and ideas to consider as you review or develop your program.
Online Review Management Strategy Tips + Software Picks by Shopify
(Shopify) There are meaningful ways you can encourage reviews, respond to them in a way that builds trust, and take action on critiques to improve your brand image.
My Comment: How do you manage reviews and comments on social media and review sites? If you don’t currently have a strategy, then this article is essential reading. My short version of an online review strategy is to acknowledge every review and respond quickly to any complaints or negative comments. Yes, that’s common sense, but it amazes me how it’s not always so common. This article offers ideas on how to respond and includes suggestions for software programs to help you do so.
Built to Serve, Designed to Last: Medtronic’s CX-Driven Culture Over 76 Years by Ricardo Saltz Gulko
(Eglobalis) This article explores the roots of Medtronic’s longevity, how it executes its 100-year vision, and why its culture and business cannot afford—and are engineered—not to fail.
My Comment: Ricardo Saltz Gulko is no stranger to this weekly roundup. I’ve shared his articles in the past. What I like about this one is that it is a deep dive into one company’s CX strategy. The company is Medtronic, the world’s largest medical device company. Ricard shares how Medtronic differentiates itself from its competitors, the company’s commitment to its customers, the focus on culture, and much more.
How Agentic AI Will Change the Customer Experience by Drapers Bespoke
(Drapers) Six out of 10 customers (63%) expect AI-fuelled technologies to become the primary mode of customer support in the years to come, compared with 21% just four years ago, an annual survey of 1,000 US consumers by customer service expert Shep Hyken shows.
My Comment: This short article covers what many are calling “next-level AI” in the customer support and contact center. Typical AI will have answers. Agentic AI can take action on those answers. In other words, it can do the appropriate follow-up based on what the customer needs. It helps both customers and customer support agents.
Call Center Workers Are Tired of Being Mistaken for AI by Morgan Meaker
(Bloomberg) As more workers are asked by strangers if they’re bots, surreal conversations are prompting introspection in the industry about what it means to be human.
My Comment: One of the top topics and concerns around AI for customer support is transparency. Sometimes, the AI is so good, the customer doesn’t realize they are talking to a machine. This article flips this concept around. Some customers may not realize they are speaking with a human. Some customers don’t believe they are talking to live agents. One contact center agent is quoted: “I even ask them, ‘Is there anything you want me to say to prove that I’m a real human?”
BONUS
How is AI impacting Customer Support? Lessons from 20+ Support Leaders by Hiver
(Hiver) AI in customer support isn’t all hype. It’s got real, practical use cases that are changing the way businesses build customer relationships. So, we asked 20+ support leaders how AI is showing up in everyday support processes.
My Comment: This report from Hiver is “gated,” so you’ll have to give your email address to get the report, but it is well worth it. More than 20 CX experts and support leaders (myself included) share their thoughts on how AI is impacting customer support.
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.
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