5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of January 14, 2013

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.

4 Steps to Cultivate Insane Customer Loyalty by Carol Tice

(Forbes) If your business is trapped competing on price, it’s because they’re not loyal to your brand. But there are ways you can build that loyalty.

My Comment: The title of this article caught my attention. Who wouldn’t want “insane customer loyalty.” The four tactics in this article are worth considering for any customer loyalty strategy.

10 customer service resolutions for the new year by Michael Hess

(MoneyWatch) Here, in no particular order, are the 10 most important commitments you and your staff should make to your customers, and to yourselves, for 2013.

My Comment: These ten “resolutions” are some of the basics in customer service. It’s good to be reminded of them once in a while. And, I can’t think of a better time to be reminded of them than the beginning of the year (and maybe the beginning of each quarter).

Could 2013 Be the Year That Customer Service Gets Better? by Brad Tuttle

(Time) There’s nothing particularly new about the horrendous state of customer service. What is new is that maybe, just maybe, businesses will take steps to make customers happier this year.

My Comment: I am amazed that more companies aren’t putting the focus on customer service that they should. I’m fortunate, because in my world, I get to hang around some of the greatest customer service companies on the planet. They know why it’s important to deliver a great customer service experience. They know the customer-centric culture starts at the top and includes every employee. There is plenty of information here, both in statistics and suggestions, that any company can do to help make 2013 the year that customer service gets better.

The Social Help Desk Revolution

(Desk.com) The social help desk may turn out to be a game-changer in the ongoing relationship between businesses and their customers. As customers increasingly turn to social media sites for customer service, the social help desk lets you respond in real-time to meet the evolving customer definition of “now.”

My Comment: If you don’t believe social media is important, check out the statistics on this infographic. People are using social media. They expect the companies they do business with to respond when they have a question, an issue or a problem. And, if they don’t get a response, they may walk.

How REI Put A Bow On Social Marketing And Wowed Customers By Ekaterina Walter

(Fast Company) As marketers, we talk a lot about real-time response and true social agility. But very few brands were able to master the art. So is agile marketing a myth?

My Comment: REI is a customer service role model and we can learn a lot from them. The way they responded to Ekaterina Walter’s tweet asking for gift suggestions is something for all of us to admire and possibly emulate. Great article by Ekaterina, who is also the author of the just released book, Think Like Zuck  (http://amzn.to/WaOWL6).