5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of July 15, 2013
Each week I read a number of customer service articles from various online resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.
2013 Customer Service Hall of Fame, by Karen Aho
(MSN Money) The 10 companies most often credited for ‘excellent’ service in our annual survey share a similar focus — and results that suggest focusing on customers pays off.
My Comment: The MSN Money Customer Service Hall of Fame is always interesting to look at. Look at the companies that made the list and see what they have in common, what they do different, etc. We can learn a lot by understanding how these companies do what they do. It doesn’t surprise me that Amazon is at the top.
4 Customer Service Tips from Disney, by Anna Eschenburg
(Salesforce) Here are four customer service lessons you can learn straight from Walt Disney.
My Comment: Hard to believe that Walt Disney opened the gates to Disney land 58 years ago. How many businesses have earned and maintained an excellent reputation for that long. Read these four quotes by Walt himself and you’ll understand (and learn) why Disney’s customer service and excellent reputation have become legendary.
Three Tips For Finding (And Retaining) More Customers, by Young Entrepreneur Council
(Forbes) While many business leaders are content to sit at their desk waiting for the phone to ring, in today’s competitive business environment, you must begin thinking differently in order to grow (or retain) your client or customer base. This doesn’t mean changing your service offerings; it means spending time on the prospect-client relationship itself. Below are three tips to help you do just that.
My Comment: Three simple ideas to keep your customers; make it personal, go the distance (actually the extra mile) and empathize. Sounds simple, so why don’t more people/companies do it?
How to Sell the C-Suite on Service, by Sumair Dutta
(SmartVan) A customer-centric transaction doesn’t necessarily mean less focus on product features and capabilities. It means that the features and capabilities built into the product are tied to the needs of the customer. Note, I didn’t say that product features are solely designed based on what customers want or fancy; they are tied to a deeper understanding of customer needs and how you can maximize value.
My Comment: The best leaders don’t just focus on the numbers. They also focus on the people/customers. Customer service is not just for the front line. It’s for everybody. It’s not a department. It’s a philosophy.
What Your Company Can Learn From the Best, by Ed O’Boyle and Jim Harter
(Gallup Business Journal) Only 30% of American employees are engaged in their jobs — a figure that hasn’t moved much in more than a decade. Given the proven links between employee engagement and financial outcomes, this low level of engagement is a drag on an already sluggish U.S. economy. Imagine the positive — even dramatic — impact on the country’s economic prospects if companies could double the number of their engaged employees.
My Comment: Engaged employees are happier, harder working and do a better job at delivering a better customer experience. Here are four concepts that every company should consider when creating an engaged workforce.
Professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314) 692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to http://www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
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