Top Customer Service and Business Articles
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.
25 Employee Engagement Tips to Improve Your Workplace by Debbie Laskey
(Debbie Laskey’s Blog) I asked 25 of my favorite leadership and employee engagement experts to answer the question, “What one tip would you give to employers to promote employee engagement?” Here are their insightful tips.
My Comment: Debbie Laskey has done it again. A great article that compiles ideas from 25 experts on the topic of employee engagement. There are so many benefits to an engaged workforce. What’s happening on the inside of an organization is being felt on the outside!
10 customer experience soundbites from Jeff Bezos by Chris Lake
(Econsultancy) I find it totally striking that Bezos was so customer-focused, back in the day. It’s easy to think that the phrase ‘customer experience’ is relatively new. It’s not.
My Comment: Jeff Bezos is definitely one of the rock stars when it comes to customer service. I love this compilation of Bezos quotes. They make great conversation starters for a team meeting. If nothing else, they give insight into just how customer-focused Jeff Bezos really is.
Crazy Makers, Trust Busters And How Customers Get Even by Christine Crandell
(Forbes) While understanding the specific actions and motivations of buyers is important to delivering a valued lifetime customer experience, it is not everything.
My Comment: Trust is such a big part of the customer experience, and ultimately a big driver of loyalty. While the customer focuses primarily on B2B, I believe much of this crosses over to B2C. Here is a list of some of the reasons a customer trusts a business and some of the mistakes businesses make to lose a customer’s trust.
4 Ways to Own Your Customer Relationships by Mark
(Contactzilla) Use these four business management tips to ensure you own the customer relationship.
My Comment: If you want to own your customer relationships, you should take a good look at these four ideas, which fall into four very important areas: culture, customer experience, systems and communication.
(htrnews.com) According to the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index, the federal government scored a meager 68, four points lower than the worst private industry, the information sector.
My Comment: If the government really wants to get customer service right they should pay attention to a very important concept: consistency. You can’t let agencies make up their own standards. Everyone and every agency needs realistic and consistent benchmarks. And, it would help to pay attention to what countries like Singapore are doing. I agree with the comment from Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson who is quoted as saying, “By embedding the concept of customer service into government operations, agencies will ultimately become more efficient and effective.”
