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.
15 Customer Loyalty Strategies that Work by Gregory Ciotti
(Help Scout) In order to help you increase your own retention rates, we’ve compiled a list of our 15 favorite tips (backed by academic research and case studies) on increasing customer loyalty, divided into five easy-to-browse sections.
My Comment: This awesome article features fifteen ideas on how to create loyal customers. The Harvard Business School survey mentioned at the beginning of the article indicates that increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits by 25%-90%. What company wouldn’t want to create more loyal customers!
20 Tricks of the Trade to Develop Superior Customer Service By Valentine Belonwu
(Small Business Trends) Here are 20 “tricks of the trade” to develop superior customer service that will also attract new customers.
My Comment: Here is a list of 20 “Tricks of the Trade” to create superior customer service. Many of the “tricks” you are probably familiar with, but I think you find a few new ones that will interest you. I especially liked #17. It’s nice to see a large corporation (Lexus) make a personal connection like this with their customers.
What Really Motivates Employees? [Infographic] by Kathleen Davis
(Entrepreneur) The truth behind employee motivation is a more complicated mix including praise, autonomy, and leadership opportunities. Take a look at the infographic below for more on the many factors involved in motivating employees.
My Comment: Employee motivation is crucial to the customer experience (both internal and external customers). What is happening on the inside of an organization is being felt on the outside by the customer. This infographic may share some insight as to what motivates (and doesn’t motivate) employees, which may lead to a better workplace and customer experience.
5 Phrases Guaranteed to Boost Your Customer Service by Barry Moltz
(Open Forum) Many times it’s the simple words that make a big difference in customer service. Use these five phrases in your customer service training and efforts.
My Comment: These simple common sense phrases unfortunately aren’t always so common, but what a difference they can make. And if you’re not on the front line, with a little tweaking, these are worth considering for the “internal customers” you work with.
Being Liked: An Essential Element to Improving Healthcare by John Nosta
(THINKOLOGY) While this image might not conger thoughts of quality, high-tech medicine, it might make you smile. And there’s the secret. Like-ability. Today’s busy and complicated world of medicine has moved away from what most industries call “customer service” and evolved into an impersonal gauntlet of technology and limited human interaction.
My Comment: This is a very funny article, and at the same time, a very serious article with an excellent point. Even though it isn’t always necessary, people want to like who they do business with (especially in healthcare). This article is appropriate for just about any business in any industry.
