Posts by Shep Hyken

I’ve been preaching for a while now about the importance of reducing friction in your customer experience. That’s the theme of my latest book, The Convenience Revolution. But how do you get started? Don’t feel overwhelmed by the task; there’s a simple 4-step process that any business, of any size, in any industry, can follow…

What does a customer service representative have in common with a boxer? They both have to be able to take a punch—literally for the boxer, metaphorically in customer service. But customer service pros have to expect to be hit with verbal jabs; that’s why they need the right personality, skills, and training to deal with…

Are you really able to understand things from your customer’s perspective? It’s one thing to say, “Walk a mile in your customer’s shoes.” But sometimes, even when we’re trying to think like a customer, we find it too difficult to forget all the things we know from the inside. We know things about the company…

What do you do when a customer is upset about something that’s out of your control? It’s one thing when a customer is mad about something you did; you can go to work fixing it. But when it has nothing to do with you and the customer is raging over the phone or across the…

Bad new is an unavoidable part of life. It’s going to happen. Your business is going to have to deliver bad news to a customer at some point. Maybe you’re increasing prices, or a particular service or product is going away. So how do you deliver that bad news? If you take the right steps,…

Have you ever experienced lazy customer service? It’s one thing when someone makes an over-the-top extravagant request that can’t be met, but what about when it’s something small that takes little or no extra effort? Sure, it’s not a requirement, but one of the best ways to show appreciation to a customer is to give…

Have you created an amazing customer experience, from beginning to end? Many people make the mistake of only thinking about customer service. And customer service is important, don’t get me wrong! But customer service is only part of your customer experience. Your customer experience includes the whole journey, from the moment they think about doing…

Perhaps you’ve heard of the concept of “Surprise & Delight” in customer service. But is it really such a good idea? I believe that the key focus should always be on delight. The time to surprise is when you can make a good situation even better, not trying to use a surprise to make up…

Have your customers developed experiential calluses? Sometimes, customers stick with a business despite poor customer service because they’re simply used to it, and it’s easier to put up with the pain than to deal with the hassle of switching. That can work for a company in the short term, but ultimately, competitors will see opportunities,…

Leadership defines company culture. Employees look to leadership as role models, so the way leadership treats customers affects how employees will treat customers, too. So if you’re a leader, at any level, in your business, it’s your responsibility to set the standard for how you want your people to act. In this week’s video, I…