Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of July 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.
Why Predictive Service Is the Next Big Thing for Your Customer Service by Juan C. Rezk
(Entrepreneur) To drive growth, companies should transform customer support from reactive to predictive and proactive. Using foresight, ethical data, and strategic alignment can turn customer experience into a key competitive advantage.
My Comment: We open this week’s Top Five with an article about proactive service. It’s one thing to answer calls and inquiries quickly. Customers expect that. However, what if you took care of problems before they happened? The article can be summed up by the author’s comment, “The new standard set by digital leaders has created a powerful demand for proactive personalization… A reactive model is inherently defensive, waiting for a customer to raise a flag that signals a problem.”
Bill Gates Just Worked a Shift at His Daughter’s Startup. It Taught an Important Leadership Lesson by Jessica Stillman
(Inc. Magazine) The Microsoft co-founder’s stint in customer service was a publicity stunt, but also a good reminder to leaders to spend more time in the trenches.
My Comment: This article reminds us of the importance of stepping out of our offices and spending time on the front line to understand the reality of what customers experience when they do business with us. In my book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again, I tell the story of Bill Gates who went to Microsoft’s product support center, put on a headset, and answered the phone, “Microsoft product support. This is William. How can I help you?” Whether you answer customer calls or mystery shop your company, you must know and understand what customers experience.
8 Brands That Nail The Branded Packaging Experience by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) Even before a customer opens your product, they’re interacting with your packaging. The box on their doorstep sets the tone for everything inside. And once it’s opened? It might stick around in their home for days, weeks, or even months. That’s not just packaging—it’s a branded experience that lingers.
My Comment: Customer Experience is more than responding to customer complaints, issues, and inquiries. It’s the total experience, from beginning to end, and then continues when the customer comes back. My friend and co-host of our SUPER AMAZING Show, makes the point with brands that have nailed the experience of packaging. Yes, that cardboard box you receive in the mail (or from any other carrier) makes an impression. Brittany has great comments and examples about the concept that everything is experience.
Orchestrating Empathy Where Your Funnel Falls Short by Tav Laskauskas
(MarTech) The uncomfortable truth? Your sophisticated automation is creating experiences so robotic that customers can smell the algorithm from a mile away. And in a world where trust and genuine connection are commodities, that’s a problem worth solving.
My Comment: The sales funnel (the journey customers take as they discover you, learn about your products, do their research, and eventually buy) is a big part of the customer experience. That early journey will help a customer decide whether to do business with you or not. This article discusses the opportunity to incorporate empathy into the process. Today’s customers want to feel connected. They may not need much empathy or emotion, but they still want to feel good about their decision to do business with you. This interesting article covers empathy in the automated sales process.
Costco’s Insane Return Policy Correlates with Insane Growth by John Dijulius
(The Dijulius Group) One of Costco customers’ most beloved perks? A 100% satisfaction guarantee on most items. Members can return most purchases at any time—no time limit required. Even without a receipt, returns are easy since every purchase is linked to a member’s account.
My Comment: We wrap up this week’s roundup with a very short article that will take you less than a minute or so to read. My buddy and fellow CX expert, John DiJulius, points out and comments on the power of “Costco’s Insane Return Policy,” and how it helps drive their success. Our annual customer service and CX research confirms this idea that easy returns are a big reason why customers come back. Costco nails it!
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.
Why Predictive Service Is the Next Big Thing for Your Customer Service by Juan C. Rezk
(Entrepreneur) To drive growth, companies should transform customer support from reactive to predictive and proactive. Using foresight, ethical data, and strategic alignment can turn customer experience into a key competitive advantage.
My Comment: We open this week’s Top Five with an article about proactive service. It’s one thing to answer calls and inquiries quickly. Customers expect that. However, what if you took care of problems before they happened? The article can be summed up by the author’s comment, “The new standard set by digital leaders has created a powerful demand for proactive personalization… A reactive model is inherently defensive, waiting for a customer to raise a flag that signals a problem.”
Bill Gates Just Worked a Shift at His Daughter’s Startup. It Taught an Important Leadership Lesson by Jessica Stillman
(Inc. Magazine) The Microsoft co-founder’s stint in customer service was a publicity stunt, but also a good reminder to leaders to spend more time in the trenches.
My Comment: This article reminds us of the importance of stepping out of our offices and spending time on the front line to understand the reality of what customers experience when they do business with us. In my book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again, I tell the story of Bill Gates who went to Microsoft’s product support center, put on a headset, and answered the phone, “Microsoft product support. This is William. How can I help you?” Whether you answer customer calls or mystery shop your company, you must know and understand what customers experience.
8 Brands That Nail The Branded Packaging Experience by Brittany Hodak
(Brittany Hodak) Even before a customer opens your product, they’re interacting with your packaging. The box on their doorstep sets the tone for everything inside. And once it’s opened? It might stick around in their home for days, weeks, or even months. That’s not just packaging—it’s a branded experience that lingers.
My Comment: Customer Experience is more than responding to customer complaints, issues, and inquiries. It’s the total experience, from beginning to end, and then continues when the customer comes back. My friend and co-host of our SUPER AMAZING Show, makes the point with brands that have nailed the experience of packaging. Yes, that cardboard box you receive in the mail (or from any other carrier) makes an impression. Brittany has great comments and examples about the concept that everything is experience.
Orchestrating Empathy Where Your Funnel Falls Short by Tav Laskauskas
(MarTech) The uncomfortable truth? Your sophisticated automation is creating experiences so robotic that customers can smell the algorithm from a mile away. And in a world where trust and genuine connection are commodities, that’s a problem worth solving.
My Comment: The sales funnel (the journey customers take as they discover you, learn about your products, do their research, and eventually buy) is a big part of the customer experience. That early journey will help a customer decide whether to do business with you or not. This article discusses the opportunity to incorporate empathy into the process. Today’s customers want to feel connected. They may not need much empathy or emotion, but they still want to feel good about their decision to do business with you. This interesting article covers empathy in the automated sales process.
Costco’s Insane Return Policy Correlates with Insane Growth by John Dijulius
(The Dijulius Group) One of Costco customers’ most beloved perks? A 100% satisfaction guarantee on most items. Members can return most purchases at any time—no time limit required. Even without a receipt, returns are easy since every purchase is linked to a member’s account.
My Comment: We wrap up this week’s roundup with a very short article that will take you less than a minute or so to read. My buddy and fellow CX expert, John DiJulius, points out and comments on the power of “Costco’s Insane Return Policy,” and how it helps drive their success. Our annual customer service and CX research confirms this idea that easy returns are a big reason why customers come back. Costco nails it!
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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