5 Top Customer Service Articles For the Week of October 8, 2012

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.

7 Ways to Boost your Customer Focused Culture by Christopher Brown

(Business2Community) Customer focused businesses outperform their competition on every metric that matters – profitability, sales growth, innovation and customer satisfaction. Most business leaders agree that increasing customer focus will improve business performance so the question then becomes how? Here are 7 ways leaders can help improve the level of customer focus across their businesses.

My Comment: I love lists, especially when they are good lists! If you want to create a customer focused culture, these seven tips will get you started. And, if you already have the customer focused culture, these are some great reminders.

5 Tips for Using Social Media as a Customer Service Tool by Scott Levy

(Entrepreneur) Here are five tips for implementing social customer service protocol for your business.

My Comment: Great tips for using social media for customer service. In business, a problem is an opportunity. The line in this article makes a bold and true statement about social media: “Every negative comment or customer service issue posted online is an amazing opportunity to wow people, provide incredible customer service and win new customers.”

Providing the customer service that your customers deserve by Cheryl Hanna

(Service Untitled) Regardless of how customers choose their shopping venues, outstanding customer service still sets organizations apart from their competition. Here are some time tested suggestions.

My Comment: This article has eight great tips on how to provide excellent customer service. We may have seen them before, so think of them as an excellent reminder of the right way to deliver the service that your customers expect.

Four Technologies That Are Transforming Customer Experiences by Linda Ireland

(MarketingProfs) Four emerging technologies that are transforming customer experiences across a number of industries.

My Comment: These four technologies really are changing the way we do business; tablets, apps, mobile payments and E-visits. Most intriguing is the E-visit. This allows communication via the video/microphone function on your computer or tablet – even a smart phone. It will allow for a “virtual visit” to the doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, etc. Be it a Skype call, Google+ Hangout or the iPhone FaceTime, the E-visit is a very cool technology that will enhance the customer’s experience.

How Customer Loyalty Has Changed by Christine Crandell

(MediaPost Communications) Today the elements of loyalty have changed. Clients have radically different expectations from their vendors, and the product itself is only 20 percent of what they are paying for. Customers are purchasing a relationship, an ally and a customer experience.

My Comment: Great article on the importance of loyalty. It takes more than just good customer service to create loyalty. It takes confidence and a relationship that borders on becoming a partner with your customer, not just a vendor or supplier. The three concepts in this article will help any company start to build, or enhance, the relationships they have with their customers.