Welcome to the Monthly Mash, a mashup of tools, tales and tips on customer service and the customer experience from around the blogosphere.
Volume 11: September 2012
Customer Experience Resource: National Customer Service Week 2012
National Customer Service Week begins today, October 1 and lasts through October 5. Last year, we decided to highlight what different customer service experts such as Richard Shapiro, Shep Hyken, and Kate Nasser were suggesting for National Customer Service Week (NCSW). For some great ideas, I suggest you take a look at the original post.
This year, we are going to suggest a little bit different focus: take the week and evaluate the state of your organization’s service delivery and customer experience.
- Have a speed meeting each day with a different objective.
- Put together brainstorming sessions to address your top 3-5 customer service challenges.
- Pose a different question to your team every morning.
This year, make National Customer Service Week about organizational introspection and creating action plans to make sure future weeks are full of great customer service.
The Month in Customer Service Blogging
A collection of the best posts about customer service and the customer experience I read this past month.
- What to Say to Customers When Technology Fails – It’s going to happen. Some good advice for call centers on how to handle it.
- Easy Customer Experience Lesson: A Tale of Two Surveys – The goal of a survey should not be to measure how well employees execute company policies.
- When a Favored Employee Leaves the Company, Ensure that Your Customers Don’t – A great article on how to handle transitions of team members that have worked closely with customers.
- Mapping Surveys to the Customer Journey – When is the perfect time to request a customer feedback survey? When is the customer experience really finished?
- 42% of Consumers Complaining in Social Media Expect 60 Minute Response Time – Interesting research about consumer expectations and social media response.
- 6 Signs That It’s Time to Resign a Client – Tips on cutting ties with insatiable clients in an agency environment.
- In Defense of the Lifetime Value (LTV) Formula – Practical, non-technical advice on how to determine the lifetime value of your customers. Check out our guide to customer lifetime value if you want to learn more about this concept.
- When It Comes to Total Returns, Customer Experience Leaders Spank Customer Experience Laggards – Nice proof using the CxI that shows the performance of S&P 500 companies relative to their service levels. The experience you provide your customers matters to your company’s value.
- Customer Satisfaction Leads to Higher Stock Prices: New Evidence — A different look at the same topic.
- How a Fan Post on Panera’s Facebook Page Got Half a Million Likes – An interesting story of a nice customer service gesture gaining massive traction on Facebook. A good read!
- iPhone 5 & the Myth of Steve Jobs – Steve Jobs was obviously a successful leader but was his success because of or in spite of his tough management style?
- Would You Rather Hire Rock Stars or Roadies? – Although “rock star” implies awesomeness, they might not be the best people to handle customers’ complaints…
- “Culture is Not the Most Important Thing, It’s the Only Thing” – Costco’s Jim Sinegal – Why has Costco been so successful? One theory is here…
- I Just Had a Fascinating Customer Experience! – How often does a customer experience strike a positive emotional chord? This one did.
Someone Was Listening
Sometimes the most popular post from the previous month; sometimes just the one I liked best.
On September 10, we saw a spike in traffic to a post from June called How to Be a Good Customer: 16 Ways to Not Be a Jerk. As it turns out, the post (one of my personal favorites) was picked up on Reddit. It was interesting to see people unfamiliar with our blog commenting and interacting with the material. Maybe someone was listening? 
Enjoy the comments from Reddit here!
Thoughts on the Customer
This month, we wanted to highlight this brief post from Seth Godin about customer service. The entire post is as follows:
“The simplest customer service frustration question of all – ‘Why isn’t this as important to you as it is to me?’”
It is a point that should resonate with all customer facing professionals, because in the gap between what matters to the customer and what team members focus on lie the remains of failed customer service.
Hero-class customer service begins with focusing on what customers care about.
Adam Toporek
Latest posts by Adam Toporek (see all)
- Slideshare: What is a Customer Service Hero? - June 13, 2013
- Can Complaining About a Company Online Hurt Your Job Prospects? - June 10, 2013
- Inside Customer Service: Richard Shapiro - June 6, 2013
Wow: do you ever sleep Adam? This is one comprehensive mash-up, and one that I’ve bookmarked to get back to. With your prolific writing, including your recent ebook, I’m running as fast as I can to keep up:) At least I’m not procrastinating (winkwink) Cheers! Kaarina
Kaarina Dillabough recently posted..Is Procrastination Killing your Productivity and Profits?
Thanks Kaarina! I appreciate you keeping up and all of your support.
As for sleep…
My stock answer is, ‘it’s not my fault.’ I just want everybody to be clear on who was responsible for that mess.
Actually, I got a call at 8:30 am yesterday and one of my customers had a water pipe break and flooded their offices. I set the wheels in motion on my side and followed up later in the day to ask how the clean-up was going and what the next step would look like. I also followed up this am just to make sure everything is still on track. I don’t think I ‘wow’d’ them, but I did want to make sure they knew I was available to jump in if needed.
I also had another crackling fire to be taken care of this morning at 9:00 am, and can safely say mission accomplished.
Some Monday’s you better be ready to hit the road running……..:).
Good stuff; I’ll have to check out some of your recommendations. Still trying to get to your e-book; crazy week last week and it’s still an adventure.
Bill Dorman recently posted..Help me help you jump the hump
Bill, does that mean you’re the roadrunner? Was this what your Monday morning felt like? http://youtu.be/cgMHA4S1T1g
Kaarina Dillabough recently posted..Is Procrastination Killing your Productivity and Profits?
It’s always better to be the Roadrunner than the Coyote!
Beep Beep! (That’s all I wanted to say, but apparently commentluv doesn’t like my brevity:)
Kaarina Dillabough recently posted..Is Procrastination Killing your Productivity and Profits?
Absolutely…..I prefer to ease into my weeks; I’m usually ready to go by Wednesday………..:)
Bill Dorman recently posted..Help me help you jump the hump
I don’t know about that Bill. Seems like you were the roadrunner this morning:) Beep beep!
Kaarina Dillabough recently posted..Is Procrastination Killing your Productivity and Profits?
That’s ironic, since my stock answer is “it’s not Bill’s fault.” You’re off the hook all around.
Sounds like even if you didn’t WOW them, you did what they expected from an insurance agent — being there when the stuff hits the fan to help them through the joy of claims. If you had not, I am sure they would have taken away a negative WOW — like “WOW, where is that guy when I need him!”
Look forward to your thoughts on the book — whenever you get to it!
Adam, you collect the BEST articles in these Monthly Mashes. It’s like having my very own (FREE!) subscription to a magazine about Customer Service! Thanks for taking the time to do his every month.
Michelle Quillin recently posted..The Return on Influence: How Relationship Changes Everything
Glad to know it’s appreciated Michelle! Thanks for the encouragement.
Enjoy the links!!!
Hi Adam
Wow, I’m going to have fun reading these. I’ve starred it on Google Reader so I can come back and read some of them later.
Thanks for sharing such a comprehensive roundup.
Tim
Tim Bonner recently posted..Self Confidence – Oh Yes, I Can Dingle Dangle With The Best Of Them
Thanks Tim! I really appreciate it.
Hope you enjoy the links!