Every business involves customer service, and with so many businesses worldwide, there’s sure to be a flood of customer service stories and insights that will be published online every week. From developments, failures, and lessons – it can be overwhelming to sift through what can be interesting to read and spend precious time on.
transcosmos is also always on the lookout for interesting reads in the Internet, so here’s a roundup of some of our picks for must-read customer service articles to add to your weekend reading list!
1. Sharing compelling stories in social media to connect with customers
Don’t let the ‘hotel industry news’ tagline confuse you. While the article is targeted at the hotel industry, it’s also a good read for any type of business that involves having customer service operations.
The author, DJ Vallauri, discussed about the most common mistake of businesses when using social media to promote their business: posting the same content in every channel. “Think of the social media channels the way you would your personal social circles; when reflecting on a college experience, the stories you share with parents and grandparents are far different than those you share with friends and business associates”, Vallauri said.
2. True Customer Service experience as told in memes and e-cards
Customer service articles don’t always need to be so serious. Here’s a fun article that compiles memes and e-cards that every person involved in customer service can relate to, aptly titled “Customer Service from the Heart”. Go ahead, laugh at yourself, you need a break from all the hard work.
3. Don’t be a fool when it comes to customer service
If #2 article left you wanting more, here’s another fun read on customer service. Apparently a special April Fool’s day post, it’s a compilation of amusing customer service cartoons both from the agent and customer perspective.
4. Customers are not ‘target’ anything
Ask yourself, do you really know who your customers are? Are these customers those that you call “target segments”, “target customers”, or “target demographics”? According to the author, Annette Franz, your customers are not target anything.
“Targets are broad, ill-defined, and meaningless. You can’t take a 30,000-foot view of your customers, which is what targets do. No, there’s a better way to describe your prospects or customers. You need to drill down deeper and develop personas, which will focus on the needs and jobs to be done by the customer.” Franz said.
5. The new face of Customer Service
When a customer experiences anything bad or good with a company, they will most likely tell the world about it through Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and whatever social media they frequent. Today, it’s not enough that companies give good customer service; they need to build good customer relationship. “Customer relationships matter more than ever, because your future revenue depends on those relationships lasting well beyond a single transaction”, says Mikkel Svane. Read his article to learn more about how relationships work for businesses and how you can build them.
6. Customer service lessons from hospitals
A lot of people hate hospitals, and you can’t blame them because most hospitals are just depressing. When Leigh Fletcher went to the hospital with his wife recently, they didn’t just get medical service; he also realized that customer service is a lot like operating a hospital, and there’s a lot to be learned. Read his very interesting article to find out the five customer service lessons that he says companies in the industry can take note of from hospitals.
7. The Pixar approach in Customer Experience
Pixar is known for its heartwarming and visually stunning films that are not only entertaining to kids but to adults as well. Who knew that Pixar can also teach us a thing or two about customer service? In this article by Flavio Martins titled “Designing Customer Experience Like Pixar”, he discusses about “the Pixar approach” which is creating positive emotional connections with every customer.
Have a great weekend! Happy reading!
Roundup: What’s Up in the Customer Service Industry
