Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for Week of September 1, 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 Business Owners Must Know to Build Brand Loyalty Through Customer Experiences by Jason Zickerman
(Entrepreneur) When business leaders consider brand building, they often think of traditional promotion, like print and digital advertising, or maybe a well-placed radio commercial to attract their target audience. They spend massive amounts of ad dollars to build brand awareness. But for most private businesses, brand building isn’t about throwing more money at advertising. It’s about creating an organization that engages, delivers on promise, and perhaps most of all, provides exceptional customer experience.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s article with an important message: A great customer experience often outperforms expensive advertising. The experience that brings customers back and makes them want to talk about you is your best marketing, and it’s far less expensive than traditional advertising. This is why I’ve preached for years that there is a blurry line (if there is a line at all) between marketing and CX.
Generational Preferences Are Shaping Attitudes toward Customer Service by Kristen Doerer
(CX Dive) All consumers demand accuracy, while younger consumers stand out with an affinity for self-service and AI, a Decagon survey found.
My Comment: I love customer service and experience research that confirms the power of delivering the right experience. This article includes some findings around customers paying more if the company provides service, why they will spend less or leave altogether (after just one bad experience), and more. Then the author looks at some of the differences between younger and older customers. This is important information that will help guide decisions you make around your CX strategy and initiatives.
Closing the CX Gap: What Business Leaders Get Wrong—and How to Fix It by Alicia Smith
(Five9) When it comes to customer experience (CX), perception matters—but reality matters more. Our latest Five9 Business Leaders CX Report uncovered a clear truth: while leaders often understand their customers, critical gaps still exist between what customers say they want and what businesses think they want. And those gaps can make or break loyalty, revenue, and brand reputation.
My Comment: Here are some more stats and facts about customer service and experience from Five9’s CX Leaders Report. Customers want information fast, but only if it’s accurate. Given the choice, they would rather have the correct information than a speedy experience. Voice is still the preferred channel for most customers, especially when urgency is involved. If this information intrigues you, there’s plenty more just like it in this short and informative article.
How to Collect Customer Feedback and Actually Make It Count by Monika Lončarić
(Infobip) Optimizing customer journeys is a surefire way to differentiate yourself from the competition. If you can offer a personalized, meaningful, and painless experience, you will already stand out among your audience and boost your CX Maturity.
My Comment: Feedback is a gift. When a customer gives you feedback, negative or positive, they have taken the time to share a thought, idea, problem, or comment that may help you create a better experience for all of your customers. According to the article, “88% of brands say they collect feedback, but the way you ask matters just as much as the fact that you ask.” The author then summarizes some ideas and feedback strategies from Joanna de Quintaniha from Forrester, who covers why feedback matters, how to collect it, asking the right questions, and more.
7 Customer Loyalty Strategies for Delivering Exceptional Service by Ryan Robinson
(Nicereply) What drives customer loyalty? Is it the products brands offer? Or is it the exceptional service they deliver? Maybe it’s a bit of both. But one certain thing is brand loyalty is a powerful thing. However, only 2 in 5 brand executives believe their customer loyalty strategies are successful.
My Comment: We wrap up this week’s Top Five roundup with an excellent and robust article that includes seven strategies to foster repeat business and loyalty. Every type of business should find at least one (probably more) of the strategies to apply. Most of the ideas are common sense, but they all make sense. In the author’s final thoughts, the idea of loyalty and repeat business can be summed up in this sentence: “Build customer loyalty strategies with memorable experiences that make your brand stand out from the pack.”
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 Business Owners Must Know to Build Brand Loyalty Through Customer Experiences by Jason Zickerman
(Entrepreneur) When business leaders consider brand building, they often think of traditional promotion, like print and digital advertising, or maybe a well-placed radio commercial to attract their target audience. They spend massive amounts of ad dollars to build brand awareness. But for most private businesses, brand building isn’t about throwing more money at advertising. It’s about creating an organization that engages, delivers on promise, and perhaps most of all, provides exceptional customer experience.
My Comment: We kick off this week’s article with an important message: A great customer experience often outperforms expensive advertising. The experience that brings customers back and makes them want to talk about you is your best marketing, and it’s far less expensive than traditional advertising. This is why I’ve preached for years that there is a blurry line (if there is a line at all) between marketing and CX.
Generational Preferences Are Shaping Attitudes toward Customer Service by Kristen Doerer
(CX Dive) All consumers demand accuracy, while younger consumers stand out with an affinity for self-service and AI, a Decagon survey found.
My Comment: I love customer service and experience research that confirms the power of delivering the right experience. This article includes some findings around customers paying more if the company provides service, why they will spend less or leave altogether (after just one bad experience), and more. Then the author looks at some of the differences between younger and older customers. This is important information that will help guide decisions you make around your CX strategy and initiatives.
Closing the CX Gap: What Business Leaders Get Wrong—and How to Fix It by Alicia Smith
(Five9) When it comes to customer experience (CX), perception matters—but reality matters more. Our latest Five9 Business Leaders CX Report uncovered a clear truth: while leaders often understand their customers, critical gaps still exist between what customers say they want and what businesses think they want. And those gaps can make or break loyalty, revenue, and brand reputation.
My Comment: Here are some more stats and facts about customer service and experience from Five9’s CX Leaders Report. Customers want information fast, but only if it’s accurate. Given the choice, they would rather have the correct information than a speedy experience. Voice is still the preferred channel for most customers, especially when urgency is involved. If this information intrigues you, there’s plenty more just like it in this short and informative article.
How to Collect Customer Feedback and Actually Make It Count by Monika Lončarić
(Infobip) Optimizing customer journeys is a surefire way to differentiate yourself from the competition. If you can offer a personalized, meaningful, and painless experience, you will already stand out among your audience and boost your CX Maturity.
My Comment: Feedback is a gift. When a customer gives you feedback, negative or positive, they have taken the time to share a thought, idea, problem, or comment that may help you create a better experience for all of your customers. According to the article, “88% of brands say they collect feedback, but the way you ask matters just as much as the fact that you ask.” The author then summarizes some ideas and feedback strategies from Joanna de Quintaniha from Forrester, who covers why feedback matters, how to collect it, asking the right questions, and more.
7 Customer Loyalty Strategies for Delivering Exceptional Service by Ryan Robinson
(Nicereply) What drives customer loyalty? Is it the products brands offer? Or is it the exceptional service they deliver? Maybe it’s a bit of both. But one certain thing is brand loyalty is a powerful thing. However, only 2 in 5 brand executives believe their customer loyalty strategies are successful.
My Comment: We wrap up this week’s Top Five roundup with an excellent and robust article that includes seven strategies to foster repeat business and loyalty. Every type of business should find at least one (probably more) of the strategies to apply. Most of the ideas are common sense, but they all make sense. In the author’s final thoughts, the idea of loyalty and repeat business can be summed up in this sentence: “Build customer loyalty strategies with memorable experiences that make your brand stand out from the pack.”
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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