Contact Shep (314) 692-2200

Top 5 Customer Service Articles for the Week of July 15, 2019

Each week I read a number of customer service and customer experience articles from various 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. Why B2B Customer Experience Programs Fail by Sarah Frazier (CustomerGauge) The days of B2B […]

Each week I read a number of customer service and customer experience articles from various 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.

(CustomerGauge) The days of B2B companies trying to differentiate themselves through services and products alone are gone. Today, B2B companies need to focus on creating customer experiences that deliver—at scale.

My Comment: There are some B2B companies that believe most customer experience strategies are more focused on B2C type businesses. Yes, the retail to consumer industry is full of great examples of brands seizing the opportunity to win over customers with a superior CX, but B2B companies can do the same. As a matter of fact, the opportunity there is potentially greater as old-style thinking prevents some companies from moving forward with a CX strategy. The B2B world must step up to meet the new standards that customers now expect.

Great Expectations: What Businesses Need To Know About Customer Service in the On-Demand Economy by Brad Birnbaum

(Forbes) It’s hard to imagine a time when humans survived without Google and Amazon delivering information and products as immediately as the laws of physics allow.  Today, customers experiencing slow load times, same-day shipping delays or a lapsed customer service response can wreak absolute havoc among businesses.

My Comment: This article is a great reminder about what customers expect – if not demand – from the places they do business. Sometimes simple ideas aren’t easy to implement but consider this. Customers expect you to know them, communicate the way they want to communicate, value their time, and more. These expectations, when met, can earn you repeat business and even customer loyalty.

How to Boost Customer Loyalty Without Using Discounts by Syed Balkhi

(CustomerThink) If you’re on a budget or want to gain the loyalty and respect of your customers, we are going to show you how without offering a single discount on the products in your showcase.

My Comment: I often write about the difference between a loyalty program and a marketing/promotional program. They are often confused and for good reason. Both drive repeat business, but both don’t always create loyalty. And, there’s a difference between loyalty and repeat business. Nothing wrong with either, but it’s important to know the difference. Marketing programs often offer discounts, points, rewards for dollars spent. Again, nothing wrong with that. But, what if you could drive loyalty without discounting?

This Warby Parker Co-Founder’s Next Startup Set Out to Beat a Razor Giant. 6 Years Later, He Sold Harry’s for $1.3 Billion by Tom Foster

(Inc.) Harry’s aimed to disrupt its industry–then, it sold to an incumbent. Co-founder Jeff Raider sees the acquisition as a new opportunity.

My Comment: Who is Jeff Raider? He co-founded the amazingly successful Warby Paker. He then co-founded Harry’s, the direct to consumer razor company, which Schick bought earlier this year for a cool $1.37 billion. Raider understands customers, and this article gives you insight into his brilliant business mind.

How to Find Your Way to the Customer Experience Promised Land by Janelle Estes 

(CMSWire) Customer experience has become so important — even more important than products themselves — that more than 80% of consumers are willing to pay more for a great one, according to research by Capgemini. And yet the same report showed that while 75% of companies believe themselves to be customer-centric, only 30% of customers feel this is the case.

My Comment: What is your company’s customer experience maturity level? Are you aware that CX is important? Do you react when there is a need to deliver or improve CX, or do you have a process already in place? This author shared four levels of CX, and your organization falls into one of them. So, just how mature are you when it comes to customer experience?

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 at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

Want to receive Shep’s latest customer service and CX research?

Sign up for instant access to Shep’s research report on customer service and customer experience.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

© 2024 Shepard Presentations, LLC.
All Rights Reserved.

Legal Information | Sitemap Legap

Site by: digitalONDA