Posts by Shep Hyken

Does everyone on your team know what to do in the case of an emergency? It could be the fire alarm going off, or a power outage, or even a customer threatening to harm themselves or others. Be prepared for the scenarios that you’re most likely to encounter in your business, and make sure your…

Employees who have to engage with customers have to have the right attitude. And you can’t just count of people to “fake it.” You may have had an experience where an employee was providing good service, up until the moment you weren’t their responsibility any more…and then the attitude flipped. They didn’t have to fake…

As you build a customer-focused and customer-friendly business, there are some things that your employees should never say to customers. The way they learn what to say and what not to say is training. But that training is less about teaching specific things than about teaching the common sense that employees should use any time…

Next week the updated, revised edition of my book The Cult of the Customer comes out. The book is all about helping you find ways to amaze your customers, including both the occasional over-the-top experience as well as the everyday, consistently good experience that you should aim to deliver. So watch this week’s video for…

As a business owner, you want to amaze your customers. But amazing them doesn’t just come from a single experience, no matter how wonderful it may be. What’s even more important is being better than average every single time. It’s about consistency. You want customers to know that they’ll have a good experience no matter…

After Valentine’s Day last week, do your customers love you? Consider finding ways to show a little extra love to your customers, and they’ll love you right back. In this week’s video, I discuss six ways you can step up your game, including being customer-focused, being transparent, and avoiding transactions. What does that mean? Watch…

You want to create a better experience for your customers. That naturally requires change. Sometimes, it requires dramatic change. So what can you do to make sure that your dramatic change is a positive one, and not a negative one? You want a dramatic change that doesn’t cause a lot of drama, and doesn’t turn…

Do you have the best product? That’s great. The best location? Great. But what will really make your business successful is something else: a customer! Without customers—and loyal customers who will come back and do business with you again—none of the other things really matter. It comes down to building a strong customer base, and…

There was once a time when having great customer service really stood out. But as more companies have discovered the importance of a great customer experience, it has come to the point where it’s no longer a nice-to-have luxury, but rather an essential, must-have for any business. Now, you’ll stand out when you don’t make…