10 Great Customer Service Articles You Might Have Missed
These Are The 10 Customer Service Articles From Last Year You Might Have Missed
Customer service sets businesses apart. Once relegated to a minor role in marketing, customer service is now the darling of many companies. And for good reason. Today, customer service is a potent marketing weapon that can help you grow your business in hotly contested business environments.
But delivering epic customer service is easier said than done. Today’s customers are more demanding than ever. If you don’t provide them what they want when they want it and how they want it, they’ll bolt. So, you need to raise customer service to the next level if you want to build loyalty.
The ten articles summarized below can help you deliver epic customer service and build brand and product loyalty. Among the most read pieces last year, they’ll help you navigate uncertain waters for years to come:
Customer Service is the New Marketing (by Michah Solomon)
Customer service is the new marketing says Michah Solomon. A customer service consultant, Solomon believes people have lost faith in gimmicky mass marketing campaigns. Instead, they’re placing more trust in direct experience with companies. Every time you provide a “WOW” customer experience, says Solomon, it’s marketing.
Every time you provide a “wow” customer service experience, adding emotional transportation to the experience of your customer, it’s marketing.
Micah Solomon – Customer Service is the New Marketing – Forbes.com
The Parts of Customer Service That Should Never be Audited (Ryan W. Buell)
Today’s businesses are investing heavily in automation. Amazon Go, says Buell, is a good example. It’s the first cashless store. Automation has promise, says the author, but don’t over-automate. Companies that succeed with service automation will be those organizations that supplement technology with actual people.
And research shows that we’re perfectly happy engaging through digital channels to look up information. Nevertheless, when we’re looking for creative solutions to service problems, we still seek out other humans.
Ryan W. Buell – The Parts of Customer Service that Should Never Automate – HBR.org
Customer Experience Vs. Customer Service Vs. Customer Care (by Blake Morgan)
Companies these days take customer experience seriously. Organizations that invest in customer experience generate higher stock prices and total returns than those that don’t. But do you know the difference between customer experience, customer service, and customer care? The article explains the difference and how to benefit from improving each.
Customer experience is more than just a buzzword—it should be at the heart of everything a company does. By including customer service and customer care, brands can exceed expectations and delight customers.
Blake Morgan – Customer Experience Vs. Customer Service Vs. Customer Care – Forbes.com
Four Roads to Customer Service (Seth Godin)
Godin explains the four “roads” to customer service. They describe different but viable approaches to customer service. If you call a business and it puts you on hold for a while, the company is taking Road 4, which is Go Away. The company thinks you’re a cost instead of an asset and doesn’t want your business. Choosing the right road at the right time boosts profits, says Godin.
The confusion about what you’re seeking to achieve helps no one.
Seth Godin – Four Roads to Customer Service – Seths.Blog
15 Heartwarming Customer Service Stories That Will Make You So Freaking Emotional (Spencer Althouse)
This post provides real-life examples of how going above and beyond to help customers is a winning strategy. A good example is the barista that came out with an umbrella on a wind-swept, rainy day to help a young girl in a wheelchair get out of her car. Extending oneself like this wins over customers and generates word-of-mouth advertising.
There was a torrential downpour outside, but this random Starbucks employee ran to our car to help my daughter, who’s in a wheelchair… He totally saved the day and cemented himself in the ~knight in shining armor~ category.
15 Heartwarming Customer Service Stores that will make You so Freaking Emotional – Buzzfeed.com
6 Ways Marketing Content Can Support a Customer Service Team (Braden Becker)
Companies providing the best customer experiences share information across all departments., which boosts the quality of customer experiences dramatically. This article provides six types of information customer service should share with marketing, like reporting on chatbot conversations. Sharing can help companies develop content that better supports customer service.
Companies with the best customer experience share information across every department, and Customer Success is no exception. By keeping this department informed on what Marketing does all day, you equip them with the answers they’re expected to have and offer a more stable buyer’s journey to everyone the company works with.
Braden Becker – 6 Ways Marketing Content Can Support a Customer Service Team – Hubspot.com
Handling Customer Service as Your Business Grows (Editor/Home Business Magazine)
Some aspects of a new business are easier to manage than others. Customer service is among them. Companies can often provide excellent customer service when they’re small. But as the business grows it gets harder and harder to deliver that kind of service. The steps and ideas in this article help grow businesses by enhancing customer service and building customer loyalty.
All small businesses dream of flourishing. And when that day arrives, thorough preparation for scaling customer service is essential to your company’s success.
Editor – Handling Customer Service a Your Business Grows – homebusinessmag.com
4 Common-Sense Ways to Help Boost Customer Service (Dan Scalo)
Customer service differentiates business. But delivering epic customer service gets harder and harder to do. That’s because customers have more power than ever. Following the four practical strategies discussed in this post, like extending empathy and practicing active listening, can help you take customer service to the next level.
A negative customer service incident can badly affect your brand. These tips can help make sure your customer service is effective, efficient and friendly.
Dan Scalco – 4 Common-Sense Ways to Help Boost Customer Service – americanexpress.com
4 Customer Service Psychology Tips (Staci Matt)
Do you make customers feel good about working with you? It’s the cornerstone of epic customer service. But it’s hard to do when dealing with disgruntled callers. Implementing the psychological tips featured in this post can help you develop customer service protocols that make customers like working with you.
The cornerstone of customer service is making the people that your business serves feel good about working with you.
Staci Matt – 4 Customer Service Psychology Tips – nextiva.com
Customer Service Tips for Small Businesses (Bramble Berry)
Providing excellent customer service is critical for all businesses. With small business, however, reputation with customers is paramount, since they don’t always the budget to use other marketing tactics, like print advertising. The tips in this article will help you build your reputation by being fair, consistent, and efficient with every customer, boosting word-of-mouth advertising.
If the interaction doesn’t go as planned, consider it a learning experience for next time. As a small business owner, you’re constantly improving as you go – even if you’ve been selling your products for years.
Bramble Berry – Customer Service Tips for Small Business – soapqueen.com
These customer service articles —some of the most shared last year on social media—provide practical tips on the field. This information can help you deliver an amazing customer experience and combat shrinking profit margins. It’s what you’ll need to do to meet the demands of today’s customers and survive and thrive in 2019 and beyond.
