Each day I read a number of articles from various online resources. Someone suggested I compile a list of my favorites for the week. Great idea. So, here you are. And, I’ve included a short description and a comment about each article.
The 10 Best Customer Service Infographics for 2012 posted by Omar Zaibak
(fonolo) Here are the 10 most useful customer service infographics I’ve ever come across that I hope you will find useful.
My Comment: I really enjoyed this blog post of 10 customer service inforgraphics and I think you will too.
Four Ways Brands Can Build Better Relationships by JP LaFors
(Forbes) That’s why the pursuit and reward of transactional excellence for brands is over. Transactional excellence is now simply tablestakes. Interactional excellence, where a personal experience and relationship is created and fostered, is imperative for success.
My Comment: A number of years ago I started replacing the word “transaction” with “interaction.” This article does a great job of explaining how a single interaction that you might have with a customer can change everything about how they feel toward you and your brand. This “moment” can be a Moment of Magic® a Moment of Misery™!
4 Signs You’re a Terrible Communicator by Les McKeown
(Inc.) Sure, you’re a visionary leader. But do your day-to-day discussions actually move your company forward, or just cause confusion? Here’s how to tell.
My Comment: Communication may be one the one thing that makes or breaks a relationship. Mr. McEown does a great job of giving us four types of communication problems, and most important, a solution to preventing them.
FruitGuys Strive to Be Top Banana in Company Culture by Mark Henricks
(OpenForum) “People talk about corporate culture as if it’s something different and outside of the way that I would hope people behave outside of work,” Mittelstaedt says. All the FruitGuys’ policies, communications, compensation and incentives encourage employees to act like good people, instead of just good employees.
My Comment: Sometimes the best way to learn is through a clear example. This example from Chris Mittlestaedt’s company, The FruitGuys, is a great story about how to create a culture focused on service. I love the five “R’s” as a simple strategy and guide for employees.
You Don’t — and Can’t — ‘Control’ Your Brand by John Friedman
(Huffington Post) So many companies and organizations consider social media to be a threat to how they control their brand and messaging that they’re missing the larger opportunity to use these powerful tools to build their reputation through authenticity and transparency.
My Comment: Excellent article about the concept of who is in control of the brand. All a company can do is make a promise or try to create an image. It is the customer who makes the decision about the brand. Regardless of what the company tries to do, it’s the customer’s perception that counts.
Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, professional speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information contact (314) 692-2200 or http://www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to http://www.thecustomerfocus.com/. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken
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