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Top 5 Customer Service & CX Articles for the Week of May 22, 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. To Drive Customer Retention, Don’t Neglect Culture by David Ducharme and Nick Furman (Gallup) Neglecting […]

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.

To Drive Customer Retention, Don’t Neglect Culture by David Ducharme and Nick Furman

(Gallup) Neglecting culture affects your teams and your customers. Only 29% of employees strongly agree they’re proud of the quality of products or services their organization offers, and a meager 23% strongly agree their organization always delivers on the promises it makes to its customers. These perceptions are symptoms of culture problems — and in a competitive market, leaders can’t afford to deliver mediocrity to clients.

My Comment: I’ve always believed (and have written numerous articles about the topic) if you want a good customer experience, it starts with a customer-focused culture. Here’s an article with several short examples about how companies created a culture that helped create the experience that retains customers.

Loyalty Programs – A Few Best Practices by MTS Staff Writer

(MarTech Series) Loyalty management encompasses more than just software or a vendor running a loyalty program. It involves a range of strategies, tools, and tactics that organizations use to attract, engage, and retain customers. By implementing effective loyalty management practices, brands can better target their audience and offer them the best possible customer experience, rewards, and other benefits, ultimately driving long-term success.

My Comment: There have been numerous articles in this weekly roundup that have focused on customer loyalty. And here’s another, but with an emphasis on loyalty management, which is the processes, systems, and strategies used to create repeat business and, ultimately, true customer loyalty. In addition to sharing “must-have elements to build a successful loyalty program,” there is a list of seven of the more popular loyalty management software programs.

The State of Social Media 2023: Business Leaders Weigh in on What’s Next by Jamie Gilpin

(Sprout Social) Emerging technologies, rising consumer expectations and a shifting social media marketing landscape have left many with questions on how to navigate this changing terrain. To provide brands with a roadmap for success, we’re launching a new study that sheds light on how business leaders view social’s role within their organization.

My Comment: Your organization’s participation in social media is part of the customer experience. When customers post, and you respond with a comment, it’s a conversation that is open for the public to see and even participate in. While not the most popular channel, some customers use social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to communicate with a company. Again, this is an excellent opportunity for the world to see how you respond to questions and problems. Here’s the article to help you learn what customers want and how businesses are approaching social media in 2023.

5 Customer Experience Strategies From RH by Blake Morgan

(Forbes) Purchasing furniture and home decor is a fairly standard experience. Customers browse online or wander through a stark showroom, order their pieces, and move on with their lives. RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) turns that on its head by creating an immersive experience that builds a lifestyle brand, not just sells products. RH’s unique approach to membership, social media, and physical stores has created a loyal following and incredible growth. Here are five customer experience strategies from RH.

My Comment: I love learning what popular brands do to deliver an exceptional customer experience. RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware) is a brand with an incredibly loyal following. The author of this article, Blake Morgan, outlined five customer experience strategies RH uses to attract and retain their customers. By the way, my wife and I are in the middle of redecorating our living room, and we have chosen RH as the primary source of furniture, lamps, etc. So, we are experiencing firsthand what Blake writes about in this article.

Brands That Own Up To Mistakes With Humor Can Reap Marketing Gold by Dan Gingiss

(Dan Gingiss) When brands make mistakes, they may be best served by following the advice of an American writer known for his inspirational maxims. “To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity,” wrote William Arthur Ward. KFC took that advice to heart when it made perhaps the ultimate mistake for a chicken restaurant: it ran out of chicken. After the shortage forced the shutdown of hundreds of restaurants in Britain, the chain took a full-page ad in British newspapers.

My Comment: Dan Gingiss finds his way back into the Top Five Roundup with an excellent article on how brands use humor to poke fun at their mistakes. Making fun of themselves “humanizes” the brand and lets the world know they own up to their mistakes and flaws. This humorous approach is a great marketing and CX strategy to consider when the right opportunity presents itself.

BONUS

Funny Tweets About Customer Service Interactions by Caroline Bologna

(Yahoo Life) When people need to get in touch with a company’s customer service department, they often turn to Twitter. So it’s only natural they might use the platform to share their hilarious anecdotes and musings about this topic. We’ve rounded up 25 too-real tweets about customer service interactions, both from the frustrated callers and the exhausted workers on the other end of the line. Keep scrolling for some major laughs and relatability.

My Comment: Following the Dan Gingiss article on humor and mistakes, here’s another funny one with plenty of examples. Twitter is still a channel customers use to communicate with a company’s customer service department. This article “rounds up” 25 funny tweets, many of which are sure to make you smile.

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.

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