Posts by Shep Hyken

When I was in college, I worked at a gas station. This was at the time when gas stations were converting from full-service to self-service. Where we previously would pump the gas for the customer as well as wash their windows and check their oil, the new procedure was that they would pump their own…

The connection between customer service and marketing is undeniable. If you deliver good customer service, let people know as part of your marketing efforts. And you can expect an effortless marketing boost as well, as happy customers talk to their friends about their experience. Smart companies know the value of promising—and delivering—great customer service. I…

For my sixth year of speaking at the International Franchise Association’s convention, I decided to take a different approach. I engaged in more of a conversation with the members of this great organization and asked the audience members to share some of their best practices that were related to various topics on the agenda. Jim…

When we talk about customer service, what usually comes to mind is the experience you have when you shop in a store or eat in a restaurant, or the relationship your company has with a vendor. It’s easy to know if you are receiving good customer service: you judge it by the interaction with the…

Perhaps you heard about the major cable and Internet provider that made “headline” news last year when a customer recorded a call to the company’s customer service center. The customer had simply called to terminate his service, but first, the representative he spoke to insisted upon asking him some questions. The agent asked why the…

I love when great hotels offer nice amenities. Some include a newspaper in the morning, complimentary bottles of water, a piece of chocolate on the nightstand—you get the idea. Notice I didn’t say expensive or fancy hotel. I used the word “great.” Sometimes you don’t have to be expensive or fancy to WOW the customer the…

The second-generation owner of a chain of Ace Hardware stores, Tom Glenn, tells an inspiring story about his father, Elder Glenn. Elder Glenn was working in the hardware store one day when he was approached by an upset customer who said he had a problem. The customer had bought two items that each featured a…

When a client calls my office wanting to schedule a speaking appointment, one of the first questions is usually, “Are you available on this date?” And that was the case recently when a potential client inquired about having me speak about customer service at his company’s annual meeting. The answer to the first question was…

What is it that makes great companies great? Is it the product? The short answer would be no. A company can offer a product that is truly amazing, even something so innovative that it changes lives, but that doesn’t make the company behind it great. However, when you add customer service to the mix, then…