Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of August 11, 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.
How Verizon Is Tapping AI to Drive Customer Experience Innovation by Judy Mottl
(Retail Customer Experience) Verizon has unveiled its most significant customer experience transformation involving every customer channel – from retail stores to its app to its online storefront and within its phone-based customer service.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about Verizon’s focus on customer experience. I always enjoy learning what large brands are doing to focus on their customers. Brian Higgins, Verizon’s Chief Customer Experience Officer, talks about personalization, proactive service, and how they are using AI for customer support, without replacing live agents. It’s about removing “heavy cognitive load” so humans can work better, smarter, and more efficiently.
How to Win Customer Loyalty in Unprecedented Times by Christopher Cubba
(Total Retail) Shoppers aren’t just tightening their wallets; they’re rethinking what loyalty really means. Loyalty isn’t dead, but traditional programs alone are no longer enough to keep shoppers engaged.
My Comment: Tariffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty are creating unrest in almost every industry, not just retail. Customers are increasingly sensitive to price, including loyal customers. The author shares several ways to help keep your customers coming back, even in uncertain times.
US Senators Propose Bill to Mandate the Right to Human Customer Service by Charlie Mitchell
(CX Today) Two US senators have proposed a bill that forces contact center agents to immediately disclose their location and/or whether they’re AI. The bill would then make the agent, human or AI, transfer the contact to a US-based call center if the customer requests it.
My Comment: Last week, I included an article where Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPT), predicted the end of customer support centers. Others mentioned in the article weren’t in alignment with Altman. This article shares that two U.S. senators are proposing a bill, the “Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025,” that gives customers the right to talk to a live agent. By the way, I’m not in alignment with Altman’s prediction either. Yes, AI will change the way we do business, but I think it’s too early to start closing up the customer support center.
Shoppers Sick of Service With a Shrug by Instore Magazine
(Instore Magazine) When it comes to providing satisfactory customer service, retailers and other businesses appear to be losing the battle. Nearly half of U.S. shoppers say customer service provided by businesses is getting worse the latest GoDaddy Consumer Pulse survey found that Gen Z and Millennials are more upbeat than their parents’ generations about their level of customer satisfaction.
My Comment: This article includes findings from a GoDaddy survey, claiming that customer service is declining. 42% of customers feel that customer service isn’t what it used to be, versus 20% who feel that service has improved. And the differences between older and younger generations is interesting. Not all customers are the same. If you have read my customer service and CX research, then you know I love looking at this type of information. The numbers tell a story, one that will help learn to better serve our customers.
This Is the Polite Way Restaurants Tell You That You’re Being a Jerk by Seth Gerber
(Food & Wine) Regardless of the ongoing hardship in the restaurant industry, the public still demands chipper and prompt service from people like me. The phrase, “not as good as before the pandemic” appears frequently in online reviews, as if all it takes is to simply pick ourselves up, shake it off, and get right back to work.
My Comment: I’ve often written and preached that the customer is NOT always right . And sometimes, based on certain behaviors, some customers aren’t worth doing business with . I love articles that focus on hospitality in the restaurant world. Any business can learn to adopt a hospitality mentality. This article includes some tips on how to handle rude and difficult customers.
BONUS
Want to Foster Knowledge Sharing Between Your Agents? by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) Fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing is more than a nice-to-have!It’s a necessity, empowering agents to work smarter, not harder, while improving morale, performance, and customer satisfaction.
My Comment: Our friends at Call Centre Helper have just published another excellent article for the contact center world. Megan Jones interviewed several customer service experts (myself included) and compiled a list of excellent answers to the question: How do you share knowledge between customer support agents?
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.
How Verizon Is Tapping AI to Drive Customer Experience Innovation by Judy Mottl
(Retail Customer Experience) Verizon has unveiled its most significant customer experience transformation involving every customer channel – from retail stores to its app to its online storefront and within its phone-based customer service.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article about Verizon’s focus on customer experience. I always enjoy learning what large brands are doing to focus on their customers. Brian Higgins, Verizon’s Chief Customer Experience Officer, talks about personalization, proactive service, and how they are using AI for customer support, without replacing live agents. It’s about removing “heavy cognitive load” so humans can work better, smarter, and more efficiently.
How to Win Customer Loyalty in Unprecedented Times by Christopher Cubba
(Total Retail) Shoppers aren’t just tightening their wallets; they’re rethinking what loyalty really means. Loyalty isn’t dead, but traditional programs alone are no longer enough to keep shoppers engaged.
My Comment: Tariffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty are creating unrest in almost every industry, not just retail. Customers are increasingly sensitive to price, including loyal customers. The author shares several ways to help keep your customers coming back, even in uncertain times.
US Senators Propose Bill to Mandate the Right to Human Customer Service by Charlie Mitchell
(CX Today) Two US senators have proposed a bill that forces contact center agents to immediately disclose their location and/or whether they’re AI. The bill would then make the agent, human or AI, transfer the contact to a US-based call center if the customer requests it.
My Comment: Last week, I included an article where Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPT), predicted the end of customer support centers. Others mentioned in the article weren’t in alignment with Altman. This article shares that two U.S. senators are proposing a bill, the “Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025,” that gives customers the right to talk to a live agent. By the way, I’m not in alignment with Altman’s prediction either. Yes, AI will change the way we do business, but I think it’s too early to start closing up the customer support center.
Shoppers Sick of Service With a Shrug by Instore Magazine
(Instore Magazine) When it comes to providing satisfactory customer service, retailers and other businesses appear to be losing the battle. Nearly half of U.S. shoppers say customer service provided by businesses is getting worse the latest GoDaddy Consumer Pulse survey found that Gen Z and Millennials are more upbeat than their parents’ generations about their level of customer satisfaction.
My Comment: This article includes findings from a GoDaddy survey, claiming that customer service is declining. 42% of customers feel that customer service isn’t what it used to be, versus 20% who feel that service has improved. And the differences between older and younger generations is interesting. Not all customers are the same. If you have read my customer service and CX research, then you know I love looking at this type of information. The numbers tell a story, one that will help learn to better serve our customers.
This Is the Polite Way Restaurants Tell You That You’re Being a Jerk by Seth Gerber
(Food & Wine) Regardless of the ongoing hardship in the restaurant industry, the public still demands chipper and prompt service from people like me. The phrase, “not as good as before the pandemic” appears frequently in online reviews, as if all it takes is to simply pick ourselves up, shake it off, and get right back to work.
My Comment: I’ve often written and preached that the customer is NOT always right . And sometimes, based on certain behaviors, some customers aren’t worth doing business with . I love articles that focus on hospitality in the restaurant world. Any business can learn to adopt a hospitality mentality. This article includes some tips on how to handle rude and difficult customers.
BONUS
Want to Foster Knowledge Sharing Between Your Agents? by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) Fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing is more than a nice-to-have!It’s a necessity, empowering agents to work smarter, not harder, while improving morale, performance, and customer satisfaction.
My Comment: Our friends at Call Centre Helper have just published another excellent article for the contact center world. Megan Jones interviewed several customer service experts (myself included) and compiled a list of excellent answers to the question: How do you share knowledge between customer support agents?
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.
Published on August 11, 2025 04:41
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