Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of August 14, 2023

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 comment about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

How to Use SEO and CX for Better Organic Performance by Veruska Anconitano

(Search Engine Land) A well-optimized website attracts more traffic, and a positive customer experience ensures that the traffic converts into loyal customers. SEO brings customers to your digital doorstep, and CX makes them stay, engage, and return. The following tactics improve your search engine rankings and enhance the customer experience.

My Comment: A few years ago, I was purchasing a software program. I asked the salesperson how easy it is to get customer support. He said, “Google the question.” I did, and a YouTube video tutorial came up and showed me exactly how to do what I needed. It was so easy. This article is about that – and more. When you create content that answers your customers’ questions, you’re also (potentially) creating an SEO-optimized piece of content that could bring you new customers.

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Customer Retention by Aryan Jakhar

(Inc42) Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to retain its existing consumers over time. It is essential to the success of a business because it demonstrates the organization’s ability to cultivate strong customer relationships and customer loyalty.

My Comment: The title implies this is everything you need to know about customer retention. That’s a pretty bold statement. While it’s not “everything,” plenty of ideas, definitions, formulas, and more can be found in this article. If customer retention is important to you (and you know it is), then hurry up and read this article!

11 Post-purchase Retention Tactics by Pamela Hazelton

(Practical Ecommerce) Retaining customers is easier and cheaper than securing new ones. Plus, happy customers refer friends and family. Here are 11 post-purchase tactics to prompt customers to return and encourage others.

My Comment: Another article on customer retention, and this time we have a list with eleven tips. I’ve always preached that one of the most important (maybe the most important) measurements in business is simple – Does the customer come back? Once a customer chooses to do business with us, what are we doing to get them to say, “I’ll be back.” Just read this article, and you’ll find ways to do exactly that.

6 Ways to Improve CX – Even if It’s Not in Your Job Description by Jeannie Walters

(CX Network) Even in the absence of dedicated leadership, investment or a coherent strategy, your organization is delivering some type of experience to its customers. If no one in the organization is responsible for looking at the journey experienced by a customer through the customer’s perspective, it is very possible that the experiences are unintentional, inconsistent, ordinary and fail to meet expectations.

My Comment: Who’s responsible for customer service in an organization? Everyone! And this article, but CX expert Jeanie Walters, explains how anyone within the organization can adopt and embrace the concept that CX is everyone’s job!

Why Great Employee Experience Leads to Great Customer Experience by Myles Suer

(CMSWire) A few weeks ago, Tiffani Bova released the The Experience Mindset. Armed with research, she proves you can’t have great CX without great EX and her data extends across industries. Tiffani quotes a real believer, the former chairman of Best Buy, who said, “The heart of business is the idea of pursuing a noble purpose, putting people at the center, creating the environment where you can release human magic, embrace all shareholders, and treat profit as an outcome.”

My Comment: I’ve included an article from and about Tiffani Bova’s new book, The Experience Mindset. Here’s another with a focus on one of my favorite CX topics – how a great employee experience leads to a great customer experience. This is a summary of an interview that Tiffany did for a video podcast. So don’t just read the article. Experience it with the video that’s included.

BONUS

The Human Factor: Redefining Customer Experience in a Digital World by Glance

(Glance) The abundance of digital tools and channels has transformed the way customers interact with businesses. Chatbots, automated emails, and self-service portals have made it convenient for customers to find information and complete routine tasks. However, there are moments when a more personal approach is needed. For instance, during high-value transactions or when customers encounter complex issues, the human touch becomes indispensable.

My Comment: I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Martin, CEO of Glance, on Amazing Business Radio. The topic of the day was how human interactions play in today’s digital world. The Glance team did an excellent job of summarizing the episode in this article.

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.