Amazing Business Radio

How to Seamlessly Implement AI into Your Customer Support Process  Shep Hyken interviews Elizabeth Tobey, Head of Marketing for Digital and AI at NICE. She talks about testing, implementing, and embracing AI to increase customer and employee satisfaction.   This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How does AI impact customer experience and satisfaction?  What are the key considerations for businesses when testing and implementing AI in customer service?  What role does knowledge management play in shaping the quality of AI responses in customer service?  How can AI help in providing a personalized customer?  What are the challenges and benefits of implementing AI in business?  Top Takeaways:   Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing  how businesses interact with customers. It can streamline processes to improve customer experiences and empower employees. The key is to find the right AI partner who understands a company's specific needs and can provide solutions that work seamlessly without making the process more complicated and less convenient for customers and employees.    Implementing AI into business practices doesn't have to be a long and challenging process. Companies should seek vendors who can move quickly to provide solutions that improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. It's important to test AI thoroughly to ensure it positively impacts the customers, employees, and the company.    Some companies make the mistake of creating a solution that's great for the customer but adds three more steps to the agent, creating a more complex process, frustration, and burnout.    Companies need to set clear goals and success metrics before implementing new technology. Establish the outcomes and KPIs you want to see for your customers and employees. Don't put together a solution, be it AI, self-service, or any other type of technology, without an end in mind.    The budget and cost of AI solutions have evolved over the years, making them more accessible to a wider range of businesses. The focus is now on the proof of value that AI can bring, such as reducing cognitive overload for employees and enhancing service efficiency.    Plus, Shep and Elizabeth discuss the gap between digital customer support and what companies provide. Tune in!  Quote:   "AI management is actually knowledge management. Your AI is only as good as the data and knowledge that you feed it. If you put garbage in, you might get garbage out."    About:   Elizabeth Tobey is the Head of Marketing for NICE's Digital Solutions group. She has held leadership roles in marketing, communications, community management, and customer experience across video game, social media, and cloud platform technology firms operating in both B2B and B2C.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Elevate Customer Experience and Strengthen Loyalty  Shep Hyken interviews Katie Mares, brand experience expert and best-selling author of CustomHER Experience. She talks about the 5 steps to creating a 5-star customer experience and the importance of genuine human connection to win over customers.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   What five steps are crucial for creating a five-star customer service experience?  How can language and tone significantly impact customer service interactions?  What are the potential drawbacks of companies relying solely on AI and technology for customer interactions?  How does the human touch impact customer experiences in an increasingly tech-driven world?  How does service recovery contribute to building customer loyalty and trust?  Top Takeaways:   Katie has shared the five steps to a five-star service on her previous episode on Amazing Business Radio. We are bringing it back as a reminder, plus more insights, examples, and actionable tips!    #1 What you say and how you say it matters. Focus on the language and tone you use to communicate with your customers.  #2 Use your customer's name. Break down those walls immediately to create that instant connection.  #3 Be genuine. Customers want to know that you care, not just that you have to care.  #4 Anticipate their needs and deliver that plus one. Customers will give you the information, listen, and use what you know to elevate their experience. #5 Be a hero. Sometimes, humans drop the ball. Service recovery doesn't just fix the problem, it restores confidence.  Women influence $43 trillion of worldwide spending annually. They also refer businesses they like 25% to 35% more than men. They influence 3 to 5 generations of spending. If you provide a good experience, you are not only earning her money and loyalty, but she is referring you to everyone in her orbit.     While technology plays an important role in customer service, it should include the essential element of human interaction. Maintaining a balance between technology and human connection is crucial to providing a holistic and satisfying customer experience.    Plus, Shep and Katie discuss how a good customer experience can double your revenue in 36 months. Tune in!  Quote:   "Often, we forget that our customers are humans who want an experience. Our sales systems and processes make the experience smoother, but they don't make the experience. It is up to us to elevate that experience and create trust that will lead to customer loyalty, increased referrals, and increased revenue."  About:   Katie Mares is a brand experience expert, TED talk speaker, and #1 Best Selling Author of CustomHER Experience.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Impact of “Customer Research” on Achieving Customer Success  Shep Hyken interviews Sara Caldwell, VP of Customer Experience at Dovetail. She talks about the importance of everyone in the company being involved in customer research to understand and meet customer needs.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   Why is it essential for companies to understand the specific needs of their customers?   How can unstructured data from customer conversations be transformed into actionable insights?   How can companies use conversational research to gain insights and improve the customer experience?  How can companies effectively leverage customer feedback from call center recordings for improvements?  How do companies use customer feedback to enhance products and services and better serve customers?  Top Takeaways:   Customer success in any business is about making your customers successful so that they can, in turn, be more successful with their clients. It means understanding your customers' core needs and matching them to a solution. The goal is to focus on how often the product or service is used and how it helps the customer succeed in their role and achieve their objectives.    Researching customer insights is not limited to a specific role or department. It's something that everyone in a company can do to help improve products and services. This allows various teams in a company to learn more about their users and build their products or services accordingly.    Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of understanding customer feedback to inform decision-making. By analyzing and understanding customer conversations, companies can gain valuable insights that inform product development, customer support enhancements, and overall business decision-making.    Self-service customer support is becoming increasingly important. Many customers prefer to resolve their issues without interacting with a support team. Companies must create a seamless customer experience where customers can find answers to their questions without interacting with a support representative.    Transforming complex, unstructured data into actionable insights is key to helping teams build products their customers love. This involves taking conversations with customers and consolidating them into understandable insights. By making customer insights accessible and actionable, organizations can continually leverage this information to enhance their products, services, and support systems.     Plus, Sara shares what every customer success manager needs to know. Tune in!   Quote:   "If you're confident in your resources and abilities to truly excel in providing a remarkable customer experience, and it fulfills a customer need while setting you apart in the market, then it's worth prioritizing."    About:   Sara Caldwell is the VP of Customer Experience at Dovetail. A science school teacher by background, she transitioned into customer service and experience, gaining valuable insights and skills at companies like Asana, Reforge, and Neverware.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Embracing AI for Marketing and Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Spencer Burke, SVP of Growth at Braze. He talks about the significance of collaboration within organizations, the impact of multichannel engagement on customer interaction, and the role of AI in enhancing customer experiences.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How can companies use AI effectively to enhance customer experience?  How can businesses leverage multichannel marketing to increase customer engagement and retention?  Why is it important for marketers to balance personalization with customer privacy concerns?  What are the fundamentals of marketing and customer engagement that businesses should prioritize?  What role does AI play in unleashing creativity and improving customer experience?  Top Takeaways:   Effectively connecting with customers is a crucial aspect of marketing and customer service. Understand where your customers are and what tools and data are available to create personalized experiences. The goal is to provide value to the customers and meet their expectations while respecting their privacy and preferences.    Keep focusing on the fundamentals when it comes to customer engagement. Just like in sports, where great athletes consistently work on the basics, we should do the same. Our fundamentals include understanding our customers, communicating with our customers, and serving our customers.      It's essential to be where the customers are and experiment with different channels to understand their preferences and effectively engage with them. Using multiple channels, such as email, SMS, push notifications, and other emerging platforms, can improve customer relationships and increase retention and conversion rates.     One of the top trends that The 2024 Global Customer Engagement has discovered is that creativity and strategy work together with AI. Artificial Intelligence and technology can help automate processes, allowing marketers and customer support agents more time to focus on creativity and strategy. This can include automating repetitive tasks, enhancing analysis, and predicting customer segments. You can access The 2024 Global Customer Engagement for free.    Companies should aim to find the right balance between personalization and avoiding the "creepiness factor" by understanding and meeting customer expectations. Customers expect brands to provide value by understanding their preferences and needs. Companies need to use data to create personalized experiences while respecting customer privacy.    Plus, Shep and Spencer discuss what successful brands are doing to engage with their customers. Tune in!  Quote:   "Marketing is about connecting brands and consumers. There are a lot of touch points in the customer journey that involve customer care and customer support that are done through traditional marketing channels."  About:   Spencer Burke is the Senior Vice President of Growth at Braze, a customer engagement platform that offers messaging solutions spanning push notifications, email, in-app messaging, and other channels.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Leverage AI and Personalization to Anticipate and Exceed Customer Needs  Shep Hyken interviews Joe Tyrrell, CEO of Medallia, a global leader in customer and employee experience technology. He talks about the significant role of AI and technology in creating personalized and seamless customer experiences.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How can technology aid in creating personalized customer experiences for businesses?  How does personalization impact purchasing decisions?  What role does data play in predicting and understanding customer preferences?  What are some ethical considerations when using AI and technology for customer interactions?  How can companies utilize technology and automation to assist and support their customer service representatives instead of replacing them?  Top Takeaways:   Personalized experiences are essential for businesses to attract and retain customers. By understanding customer behavior and preferences and using technology to track interactions, companies can anticipate their needs and provide a seamless and tailored experience.     Businesses can harness various data sources, including feedback from surveys, social media, and customer history, to better understand and anticipate consumer needs. By aggregating and interpreting this data, companies can gain valuable insights to personalize the customer experience and improve service.    The goal of technology in customer service is not to replace human interaction but to assist and empower employees. Businesses can offer more personalized, timely, and effective service by supporting employees with technologies that help prioritize essential tasks and understand customer needs.    To deliver personalized experiences, companies should focus on using technological capabilities while maintaining empathy and a human touch. It’s a “balancing act.”     Personalized experiences can significantly impact customer purchasing decisions. Companies can influence consumer buying decisions by offering tailored experiences based on the customer's preferences and history with the brand.    Plus, Shep and Joe answer the question: Is it possible to completely eliminate average hold times and average wait times? Tune in!  Quote:   "We have to think about how we  will use AI responsibly and ethically and not introduce unintended consequences or bias."  About:   Joe Tyrrell is the CEO of Medallia. Before Medallia, he served as president of ICE Mortgage Technology.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How can businesses create experiences that get repeat business and nurture brand loyalty?  How can businesses think outside the box to create fan-like loyalty among their customer base?  What lessons can companies learn from the legendary rock band, Van Halen, in creating loyal customer followings?  What can traditional businesses learn from innovative customer-centric strategies employed by the entertainment industry?  Why should organizations prioritize creating special and unforgettable experiences for their customers?  Top Takeaways:   Developing an authentic and meaningful bond with customers can lead to repeat customers and long-lasting brand loyalty. Brands must create memorable and emotionally resonant experiences for their customers. Capturing the essence of live and interactive rock star performances like Van Halen and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, who embody the art of connecting with their audience, can inspire businesses to cultivate the same kind of loyalty and enthusiasm from their own customers.     Addressing issues promptly and effectively before they escalate is crucial to maintaining a positive customer experience. Whether it's dealing with flight issues or helping customers directly, it’s important to find and fix problems quickly.  By doing so, businesses can prevent potential dissatisfaction and reinforce their commitment to providing exceptional service.    Building and maintaining brand loyalty requires businesses to go beyond providing products and services. By emulating the strategies of successful performers who have cultivated a close relationship with their wide fanbase, businesses can cultivate devoted fans who are deeply connected to their brand.     Making customers feel special and valued is a fundamental aspect of amazing customer service. Customers want to feel that you are watching out for them. Recognition and personalized attention can leave a lasting emotional impact and a strong sense of connection. Businesses that prioritize personalized attention to their customers can establish a bond that goes beyond simple transactions, creating a loyal and committed customer base.    Plus, Shep and Jim share the customer experience moments that changed their lives. Tune in!  Quote:   "When you are in the service business, whether on the front lines or in the back office, you have to think like a rock band. You are trying to create loyal fans."   About:   Jim Serger served four years in the U.S. Navy and is a full-time author who has written seven books, including 9:11 A Time To Always Remember and Jump: 40th Anniversary of Attending the "1984" Van Halen Concert.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Company Culture of Good Happy Employees, Satisfied Customers, and Supportive Communities   Shep Hyken interviews Chad Jensen, president of TCC and Wireless Zone, subsidiaries of Round Room. He talks about creating a culture of good within the company and how it impacts the employees, customers, and the community. This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How can a company create a positive employee experience during challenging times?  What strategies can a company use to give back to its local communities?  How can businesses foster strong connections between their employees and the communities they serve?  What is the significance of receiving high customer satisfaction ratings for a business, and how can this impact long-term success?  How can a company create a culture that values giving back and community involvement?   Top Takeaways:   Creating a good corporate culture includes “having your employees’ backs.” During challenging periods, companies must prioritize the safety and well-being of their employees. Financial support, flexibility, and emotional assistance can result in high employee satisfaction and retention, ultimately benefiting the company's performance.    The right culture inside the organization has a direct impact on the customer experience. Creating an exceptional customer experience is essential for businesses. When employees are treated well, it often translates into happy customers, leading to positive ratings and customer satisfaction that rival even the most renowned brands.    Giving back (charity, community involvement, causes, etc.) positively impacts the culture. Active participation in local events and donations to local organizations can foster strong connections between companies and their communities. Giving back and engaging directly with local areas can create a positive impact.    The impact of philanthropy and community involvement goes beyond writing a check. By empowering employees to support local causes and giving back to the community through various initiatives, a company can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those it serves and differentiate itself from competitors. It fosters a good brand image and resonates well with customers, influencing their decision to support the business.    Integrating good deeds into daily business practices can inspire a sense of purpose and fulfillment for employees and customers. By creating a positive impact on individuals and communities through support and involvement, the company establishes itself as a force for good and a trusted partner in the community.    Plus, Chad shares the causes and initiatives that his company and employees participate in, such as addressing domestic violence and helping school children in their community. Tune in!  Quote:   "Take care of your employees first, and then take care of your customers. Every decision should  be made through the lens of showing them that we have their back."  About:   Chad Jensen is the president of Round Room, TCC, and Wireless Zone. Before his current position, Chad held roles of increasing accountability, including running finance, supply chain, IT, and HR. He is a dedicated leader who prioritized the well-being of his employees and customers during the global pandemic.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transforming Your Business and Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews John Rossman, executive coach, advisor, and keynote speaker on leadership, innovation, and transformation. He talks about leading big bets and driving successful organizational transformations – which is especially important when leading a customer service or CX initiative.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   What is a “big bet” in business?  How does the future press release technique communicate the vision of a transformation to employees and stakeholders?  What is the chief repeating officer, and how do they contribute to improving customer experience?  What causes organizational transformations to fail?  What role does gaining true senior executive alignment play in the success of transformative initiatives?  Top Takeaways:   A big bet is any concept, approach, project, or strategy with a high potential for impacting our customers and business.    Effective leaders communicate their vision clearly. They use techniques including  writing memos, defining the desired outcome, and creating future press releases to make the vision concrete and understandable. This approach rallies everyone in the organization around a common goal and gives them a clear understanding of their roles in achieving it.    Smart communication methods can inspire and mobilize employees. Mission and vision statements should be clear, simple, and focused on the desired outcomes. By consistently repeating the organization's mission and vision, leaders create a unified and empowered workforce.    Obtaining genuine alignment among senior leaders is critical to the success of transformative initiatives. Ensuring that leaders truly understand the mission, outcomes, and implications of the transformation helps to overcome organizational silos and fosters collaboration.    Leading organizational transformations demands an understanding of potential resistance points. Acknowledging challenges and being empathetic towards potential pushback from teams can help in creating a smoother transition.     Plus, John shares transformation strategies that successful leaders and organizations implement from his new book, Big Bet Leadership. Tune in!  Quote:   "The best transformations you can undertake are those that impact your customers directly. It’s all about understanding the problem and outcomes your customers are trying to achieve."  About:   John Rossman is the author of four books on leadership, business, and customer experience, including the bestseller The Amazon Way. His latest book, Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era, is available today.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Identifying and Eliminating Friction for Your Customers and Employees  Shep Hyken interviews John Boccuzzi Jr., president of ISG Research and author of The Art of Seducing Your Customers. He talks about how companies can ensure satisfaction and long-term growth by removing friction and continuously improving the customer and employee experience.  Top Takeaways:   If friction in business processes cannot immediately be fully eliminated, the goal is to minimize it over time. Companies should continually seek to identify and eliminate friction points within their operations to improve employee and customer experiences.    A positive employee experience contributes to positive customer experiences. If the employees are not having a great experience at work, it will reflect in the level of service they provide to customers. Investing in creating positive employee experiences directly influences the quality of service provided to the customers. A happy and satisfied workforce leads to a better customer service experience.    Businesses must design customer experiences that not only retain existing clients but also attract new customers. Creating a balance between customer retention and acquisition is essential for sustained growth and success.    Executives and company leaders should immerse themselves in their company's customer and employee experiences to gain valuable insights. Be a customer of your own business. Take time to experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities your customers and employees face daily within the business.    Companies must consider the balance between cost optimization and delivering exceptional experiences. Prioritizing customer and employee experiences over cost savings can lead to long-term success and sustainable growth.    Plus, Shep and John discuss the S.E.D.U.C.E. framework and how it can be applied to businesses of all sizes. Tune in!  Quote:   "Connect intentions with expectations. Businesses need to ensure that what they aim to deliver matches what the customers and employees experience to ensure consistency in the service."  About:   John Boccuzzi, Jr. is President of ISG Research. Before ISG, John was at Edible Arrangements and, before that, CEO of Kenosia, a data and analytics software company that was ranked #1 for customer experience four years in a row by Consumer Goods Magazine. His TEDx talk “I was Seduced by Exceptional Customer Service” was ranked the most popular video to learn Customer Experience lessons from by Omoto in 2018.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Balancing Technology and Human Support in CX Shep Hyken interviews Venk Korla, President and CEO of HGS Digital. He talks about the integration of AI technology in customer support to create personalized, empathetic experiences.   This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   How is artificial intelligence used to improve customer interactions in contact centers? What are the challenges in finding the right balance between technology and human support in customer experiences? What frustrations do customers face when dealing with customer service, and how can AI address them? How can AI be used to personalize and contextualize customer experiences in contact centers? What tools can be provided to improve employee satisfaction and performance in customer service?  Top Takeaways:    ·Balancing technology and human support is essential, as both play a role in customer satisfaction. When creating a positive customer experience, understanding the value of personalization and empathy is crucial. Companies can build strong connections and foster loyalty by tailoring interactions to individual customers and showing genuine care and understanding. ·Companies can now use  AI to transcribe and analyze customer service calls to gain valuable insights into customer interactions and enhance the quality of support that they provide. AI technology has the potential to make customer interactions more transparent and inclusive for both customers and support agents.  ·Investing in employee satisfaction and providing the right tools for job performance is essential for creating a positive customer experience. Employees who feel supported and equipped to handle their roles effectively are better positioned to deliver exceptional service. ·When offering self-service options, provide clear, frustration-free instructions to empower customers to resolve their own issues. Venk brought up a concept known as the Ikea Effect. Similar to the enjoyment and fulfilling experience Ikea customers have assembling furniture on their own, customers become fulfilled and even elated when they solve problems without having to call customer support.  ·While AI and technology can streamline interactions and provide insights, the human touch, empathy, and personalized support remain essential in creating meaningful customer connections. Integrating technology with human support can enhance the overall customer experience. ·Plus, Shep and Venk discuss findings from the CX Buyers' Insights Report, revealing what CX decision-makers will invest in and focus on for 2024 and beyond. Tune in! Quote:  "Omnichannel traditionally means that a brand can serve its customers in different channels. Today, the goal is to have continuity of service because customers go from channel to channel interacting with the brand." About: Venk Korla is the President and CEO of HGS Digital. He has helped Global 1000 companies, healthcare institutions, universities, and non-profit organizations create digital strategies and solutions. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Latest Trends in Customer Loyalty Programs  Shep Hyken interviews Zsuzsa Kecsmar, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Antavo. She talks about how brands can reimagine their loyalty programs beyond points and monetary rewards to make them more engaging and designed to fit the needs of their customers.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   What are the latest trends in loyalty programs?  How has the traditional concept of loyalty program evolved?  How do loyalty programs impact a customer's purchasing decision?  How can companies effectively track and utilize customer data to drive loyalty?  What role do customer experiences and rewards play in loyalty programs?  Top Takeaways:   Loyalty programs are much more than earning points and rewards. True loyalty involves providing unique experiences and benefits to customers. A successful loyalty program aims to delight customers by offering special privileges, exclusive access, and personalized rewards that go beyond mere financial incentives.    Companies can use technology to identify and track customer behaviors, preferences, and interactions. This data can help them create personalized experiences and tailor loyalty programs to suit the needs of their customers, enhancing satisfaction and retention.    Customers are more likely to return to a brand that offers a loyalty program. In a competitive market, a well-designed loyalty program can play a significant role in influencing purchase decisions, as it adds value to the overall customer experience. Incentives such as points, perks, and exclusive rewards not only create a sense of belonging but also inspire customers to make more purchases and choose a brand over others, even if it means paying a slightly higher price.    Sustainability can be integrated into loyalty programs, offering customers an additional reason to engage with a brand. For example, athletic brands can reward customers for moving more and working out, or fashion companies can accept used clothing donations for store discounts    Loyalty programs are expanding to include a broader range of benefits beyond financial rewards. This includes offering experiential rewards, early access to sales, and other creative incentives that enrich the customer experience and deepen customer loyalty.    Plus, Shep and Zsuzsa share how companies like Peloton, Ripcurl, and Duolingo provide perks beyond the traditional monetary rewards. Tune in!  Quote:   "Loyalty programs used to be ‘earn and burn’ in the past 100 years. You spend a dollar and earn a point. But today's loyalty programs can do much more with experiential rewards, early access, and rewarding other activities outside of purchasing."  About:   Zsuzsa Kecsmar is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Antavo, a no-code, fully customizable enterprise loyalty platform. They have worked with brands like KFC, BMW, and Kathmandu to create gamified, experience-based rewards.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Committing to Customer Centricity  Shep Hyken interviews Michael Hinshaw, founder and president of McorpCX and author of Smart Customers, Stupid Companies about his new book, Experience Rules! He talks about the importance of giving employees the tools, confidence, and commitment to shift to a customer-centric culture.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   What are the challenges in creating a more customer-centric culture?  How can leaders support employees in executing customer-centric initiatives?  What is the key to successfully transforming work culture to better serve customers?  Why must employees in all roles understand how their actions impact the customer experience, regardless of direct customer contact?  Why must organizations facilitate conversations geared towards improving the customer experience across various departments?  Top Takeaways:   Customer satisfaction should be a company-wide goal, not just the responsibility of one department. All employees, from the warehouse staff to the legal department to leadership, have a role in delivering a positive customer experience. Everyone must understand their impact on the customer journey and be aligned with the company's mission and values to ensure consistent results.  Break down silos and encourage collaboration to deliver amazing customer experiences. By allowing different departments to work together, companies can address issues and improve processes more effectively, ultimately improving customer experience.    Every job is connected to the customer experience, and employees should be aware of how their performance affects the customer's perception of the company.    Customer-centricity should not be just a poster on the wall but integrated into every aspect of the company's operations. It requires alignment with the company's values, lived out by every employee, and endorsed by strong leadership that ensures a commitment to customer service excellence.    Providing employees with the knowledge, training, and understanding of their role in delivering great customer experiences is critical. It's not enough to expect employees to prioritize the customer without equipping them with the necessary tools and support to execute effectively.    Plus, Michael Hinshaw shares insights for his latest book, Experience Rules! Tune in!  Quote:   "Organizations need to have a discipline and a rigorous system to help them deliver better experiences consistently and systematically. This change needs to be top down, bottom up, and side to side to allow companies to make this part of their DNA."    About:   Michael Hinshaw is the founder and president of customer experience consultancy McorpCX. He's also co-author of the best-selling book, Smart Customers, Stupid Companies, and his latest, Experience Rules!, which he wrote with Diane Magers.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Generative AI's Impact on Customer Service and Employee Empowerment  Shep Hyken interviews Anuj Bhalla, Founder & CEO of serviceMob, an AI-powered analytics platform that helps businesses measure and monitor their customer service performance. He talks about creating exceptional customer experiences while adapting to the changing landscape of the service industry.  Top Takeaways:   Staying ahead of industry trends involves embracing technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a critical role in analyzing and improving customer service. AI can offer companies access to valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences, adding value to the customer journey.    Organizations need to know what data and information they should be measuring and tailor it to the processes that make sense to their business.  AI can help us know what data we have and what data we need.    Despite AI's advancements, it's important to recognize that there are situations where human intervention is irreplaceable. In some instances, customer service problems may require personalized attention and empathy, which AI might struggle to provide. Balancing technological innovation with the human touch ensures that customer needs are effectively met across various scenarios.    As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the workforce, the creation of new job roles specifically meant to complement AI's capabilities increases. Instead of eliminating jobs, embracing AI could open new career paths and opportunities for employees.    With user-friendly technologies, the process of reskilling the workforce becomes more accessible, creating a workforce that is adept at leveraging AI tools to enhance productivity and deliver great customer experience.    Plus, Shep and Anuj share their predictions on the future of customer service and experience. Tune in!    Quote:   "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it."    About:   Anuj Bhalla is the Founder & CEO of serviceMob, an award-winning software company that helps improve agent performance and enhance customer experience.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating a Culture of Extreme Accountability and Elite Performance  Shep Hyken interviews Art Turock, keynote speaker and author of Competent is Not an Option. He talks about the difference between the victim mindset and the accountability mindset and how they influence individual performance and shape the trajectory of one's career.    Top Takeaways:    Shep’s Comment: Some may not see this as a customer service or CX interview. I beg to differ. This is about the performance of your people. If they are on the frontline, dealing with customers, you want an elite performer, not just a competent performer. I know you will enjoy this episode!    Elite performance in business and sports involves an emphasis on mindset mastery and deliberate practice. Elite performers in both fields recognize that mindset is the trigger that determines choices and results. Extreme accountability is seeing beyond the current circumstances and committing no matter what.     Accountability isn't about assigning blame. It is assuming responsibility for one's decisions and actions. Instead of holding others accountable with blaming questions, invite accountability by asking employees questions to reveal the choices that were made and their consequences. Inviting accountability opens the door to conscious decision-making, enabling individuals to confront their current behaviors, and get better long-term results.    A victim mindset can hinder personal and professional growth. The victim mindset is characterized by minimizing responsibility and blaming external factors.     Elite performance is achieved through an accountability mindset. This means consistently choosing actions and behaviors that align with your goals and long-term success. Recognize the temptations of short-term payoffs and their negative impact on your long-term achievements. An accountability mindset in customer service empowers employees to actively choose behaviors that improve customer experience and ensure success.    Shifting from a victim mindset to an accountability mindset is critical to elite performance. It's a matter of choosing the dominant mindset that determines the course of one's performance and career over time. By adopting a mindset emphasizing accountability, employees, managers, and decision-makers go beyond competence and into elite performance for their customers.    Art Turock has a gift for Amazing Business Radio listeners that will help them demolish excuses and invite accountability. Download 6 Self-Coaching Questions to Transform Your Life for free.    Plus, Shep and Art discuss why leaders need to "stop holding employees accountable" and what they recommend to do instead. Tune in!  Quote:   "If you decide to be competent, you will do the standard, tried and true methods. When you commit to being elite, you're in a different career pattern. All of a sudden, you start taking risks, experimenting, innovating, and looking for best practices."    About:   Art Turock is an elite performer in both business and sports. He is a keynote speaker specializing in "sustaining exceptional performance." His books, Getting Physical: How to Stick With Your Exercise Program, Invent Business Opportunities No One Else Can Imagine, and Competent is Not an Option: Build an Elite Leadership Team Following the Talent Development Game Plan of Sports Champions, are available on Amazon.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using AI and Automation to Create an Amazing Customer Service Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Boaz Hecht, co-founder and CEO of 8Flow.ai. He talks about the role of AI in streamlining processes and how it is changing the customer support landscape.  Top Takeaways:   AI technology is transforming customer service by streamlining repetitive tasks, saving time, and enhancing efficiency.     By learning customers’ and agents’ patterns of behavior, AI automates processes, enabling agents to focus on high-value tasks. As technology advances, companies should recognize the potential of integrating AI into their customer service platforms to improve the overall customer experience and optimize operational productivity.    The successful implementation of AI simplifies operations and empowers agents to handle more complex tasks, ultimately leading to heightened productivity and elevated customer satisfaction.    AI is driving the customer support industry towards a more efficient and higher-quality standard of service. Companies have the opportunity to upskill their agents, providing them with the tools and training to resolve complex issues effectively, further enhancing the customer experience.    Employees trained at a higher level appreciate the company they're working for. They feel they're growing, and that's part of the fulfillment of working with the company, hence lower churn of employees, which saves the company.     Plus, Shep and Boaz answer the question, "Will AI make us dumber?" Tune in!   Quote:   "AI can help agents by reducing the amount of menial tasks so they can focus on the more complex work that they need to do."  About:   Boaz Hecht is the co-founder and CEO of 8Flow.ai, a company that uses AI and machine learning to reduce costs by eliminating repetitive processes in customer support workflows.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trends, Do's, and Don’ts of Customer Service and Experience (CX) for 2024  In this week's special episode, Shep Hyken, customer service and experience expert and host of Amazing Business Radio shares his predictions for 2024 in customer service and experience, plus 10 things to start doing and 10 things to stop doing, with practical tips and actionable insights.  Top Takeaways:   Customers are smarter than ever before. They are judging your business based on the best experiences they've had from any industry, and it doesn't matter if it's B2B or B2C. This means they no longer compare you to your direct competitors but to their best experiences with their favorite companies.     Employee experience is as important as customer experience. How employees feel in your company directly affects the experience they provide your customers.  Companies that align themselves with social causes are more appealing to customers—especially the younger demographics, Gen Z and Millennials. Forty-three percent of customers believe a company that supports a social cause contributes to their customer experience.     Customers today are less patient and expect quick responses and fast service. Shep refers to this as "Amazonation," which has set a high standard for companies in any industry, worldwide. Companies must focus on increasing their speed in all aspects of their business, from delivery times to response times to emails and calls.    Plus, Shep shares ten tactics that you must start doing, and ten things you must stop doing if you want to create a customer experience that gets customers to say, “I’ll be back.”     And finally, Shep introduces The Super Amazing Show! Each week in 2024, Shep and Brittany Hodak, his friend and fellow customer experience expert, create short videos that include tips and strategies for becoming a more customer-centric company. Tune in!  Quote:   "What's happening inside an organization is felt on the outside by its customers."  About:   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding Customer Behavior   Shep Hyken interviews Akin Arikan, an evangelist at Contentsquare and the author of Customer Experience Analytics. He talks about the importance of using customer experience analytics to better understand and meet the needs of customers.  Top Takeaways:   The customer's perception matters most. Never assume you know what your customer wants without looking at data. Even the most passionate organizations can misinterpret customer behavior, so always rely on data to make decisions.     Embrace continuous improvement. Once you find success, it doesn't mean you should stop. Keep learning and looking for changes to enhance the customer experience. Continuous improvement is essential for businesses to stay ahead of the competition and adapt to changing customer needs and preferences.     Experience what it is like to be a customer in your business to identify areas for improvement and ensure a seamless, engaging experience for your customers.    Use data to understand customers' digital behavior. By analyzing data, organizations can learn valuable insights into what their customer needs and wants. This enables them to have the customer in mind when designing and improving  digital experiences.    Making small, thoughtful adjustments based on customer behavior data can lead to substantial improvements in customer engagement and conversions. These adjustments can make a big difference in how customers interact with your brand online.    When customers interact with your digital channels, their behaviors can provide valuable feedback. Embrace this feedback and be willing to adjust and refine the digital experiences in response to customer preferences and interactions.    Plus, Akin shares what changes brands like L'Occitane and GoPro made to increase sales based on customer behavior and preferences. Tune in!  Quotes:   "Customers can behave differently from what we expect. Customer experience analytics can tell us what didn’t work, what didn’t resonate, and what we should change to really hit home with our customers."  "Customer experience analytics are too important to be the job of just analysts. It is for everyone on the team that needs to make decisions to improve the customer experience."  "It may feel risky to try something new for your customers. Use data to quickly understand what the customer thinks about it. Then, correct and refine, and you will be rewarded."  About:   Akin Arikan has 20 years of experience in analytics. He is the author of two books, Multichannel Marketing: Metrics and Methods for On and Offline Success and Customer Experience Analytics.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enabling, Recognizing, and Celebrating Great Customer Service  Shep Hyken interviews David Diestel, chief executive officer of FirstService Residential. He talks about delivering exceptional service consistently, creating moments that matter, and empowering the team to provide amazing customer experiences.  Top Takeaways:   A brand is not just about a name. It’s about being united and joining together under a common set of values. It starts with leadership defining who you are as an organization and what you stand for. Then, it is reinforced daily throughout the organization through empowerment and recognition.    Creating an organization's positive and supportive culture is key to delivering extraordinary experiences. Daily meetings involving all team members, regardless of their position, help to unify the company's culture and values. This consistency in communication and empowerment fosters a workplace that is service-aware and dedicated to delivering outstanding customer experiences.    In most organizations, there is a gap between CEOs' perceptions of being customer-centric and customers' actual experiences. This is why feedback is important. Using tools like Net Promoter Scores (NPS) to measure customer and employee experiences provides valuable insights. By understanding the depth of customer relationships, companies can align their culture and optimize their customer experience, ultimately leading to improved service, retention, and growth.    Maintaining a customer-focused culture across multiple regions requires alignment and consistency. Celebrating customer service wins and establishing consistent communication helps maintain a customer-centric focus across various locations.    Plus, Shep and David share examples of Moments of Magic®  and "Moments that Matter." Tune in!  Quote:   "Every interaction with the customer matters. It is important that everyone in the organization learns this and that it is constantly reinforced."    About:   David Diestel is the Chief Executive Officer of FirstService Residential, one of North America's largest property management groups. They serve 9,000 communities and 18,000 employees.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Small Improvements Create Lasting Change in Customer Experience   Steven Van Belleghem, customer experience expert and author of A Diamond in the Rough: Over a 100 Specific Tips to Build a Strong Customer Culture. He talks about how embracing effective empathy, empowering employees to make meaningful decisions, and building emotional customer relationships can transform companies into customer-centric organizations.  Top Takeaways:   The key to transforming companies into customer-centric organizations lies in adopting a customer experience mindset. When leaders prioritize the customer experience, it influences the entire company culture.     Empowering employees to take positive actions that benefit customers can significantly impact team morale and reinforce the company's customer-centric goals. Leaders need to continuously communicate and appreciate the impact of customer-centric behaviors.    True customer loyalty extends beyond transactional interactions and loyalty programs. Building authentic, emotional customer relationships can lead to loyalty and increased revenue. For example, offering knowledge and content for free or demonstrating appreciation for customers at all stages of their journey creates loyalty and long-term relationships.    95% of your customers will be friendly, regular people. But 5% of your customers can be complete nightmares, and nothing you do will be good enough for them. Companies often lean towards focusing on the negative 5% of customer interactions, which can result in the creation of rules and procedures based on outliers. Don't punish your good customers for the sins of the few bad ones.    Embracing a philosophy of making small, incremental improvements can lead to significant overall change in the customer experience. When companies focus on constant improvement, even if it's just 1% at a time, it can create a wave of positive impact on customer satisfaction.    Empowering employees to make small decisions and take immediate action to address customer needs can improve customer experience and loyalty. Training employees to effectively handle customer issues without having to always ask for permission enhances their ability to make decisions that benefit customers. Encouraging and reinforcing customer-centric behavior and sharing success stories during team meetings can motivate and guide employees toward delivering outstanding customer service.    Plus, Shep and Steven discuss why some companies remain "diamonds in the rough" and never successfully cultivate a customer-centric culture. Tune in!  Quote:   "It all starts with leadership. The biggest barrier for companies to succeed in their goal of becoming customer-centric is when teams don't believe their leaders."  About:   Steven Van Belleghem is a customer experience thought leader and keynote speaker. He is the author of six bestselling books. His latest book, A Diamond in the Rough: Over 100 Specific Tips to Build a Strong Customer Culture, is available now!   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Create Customer Loyalty With a Personalized Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Josh Liebman, a guest experience expert and the author of The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience. He talks about how organizations, whether in B2B or B2C, can adopt the hospitality mindset to create exceptional guest experiences and drive loyalty.  Top Takeaways:   The hospitality mentality is a mindset that focuses on treating every customer as a valued guest, going beyond their expectations, and providing exceptional service. This mindset can be applied to every organization in any industry.    A hyper-personalized experience is making the customer or guest feel like they are the only one that matters, even if it is only for a brief period of time. It's about delivering an experience that exceeds their expectations and is tailored to their unique preferences and needs.    A “wow moment” is a surprise and delight moment. It goes beyond what an employee, a team member, or the organization typically needs to do, but it shouldn't negatively impact any other guest's experience.     “Wow moments” don’t have to be complicated or costly. There are many ways to create memorable and personalized experiences for guests that have high value but little to no cost to your organization. It's about going the extra mile, finding moments to surprise and delight your guests, and creating a lasting impression that sets your business apart.    Consistency and predictability are crucial in delivering amazing customer service. While “wow moments” are memorable and can create a lasting impact, the foundation of great service lies in consistently delivering positive experiences (that are expected). The word "always" followed by something positive is how every customer should describe your business. Customers value businesses that are always friendly, always helpful, and always reliable.     Plus, Josh shares what it means to “get rid of your customers” and more nuggets from his latest book, The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience. Tune in!  Quote:   "The idea behind having a hospitality mindset is to look beyond the dollar amount customers bring into the business. Provide an experience that extends beyond the transaction and allows you to build a framework for a service culture that treats everyone like a guest."  About:   Josh Liebman specializes in guest experience within attractions, hospitality, and tourism. He is the co-host of the AttractionPros Podcast and the author of The Hospitality Mentality: Create Raving Fans Through Your Guest Experience.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Power of Google Comes to Your Website   Shep Hyken interviews Chris Blaisure, senior director of innovation and engineering at Elastic. He talks about using a Google type of search engine on your company’s website to help deliver a better customer experience and help customer support agents get the best answers for their customers.  Top Takeaways:   Businesses use advanced technology like search and generative AI to create better customer experiences. When customers visit a company's website and use the search bar to find information, the technology behind it can provide relevant and helpful results, making it easier to get the answers they need.    Searching on the internet used to be about using keywords, but now it's smarter! It understands what you really want and gives you better answers. This shift allows customers to ask broader questions and receive accurate responses, improving the effectiveness of search platforms and thereby improving customer service.    Customers can now use everyday language to get better results that accurately match what they are looking for. For example, instead of searching "discount iPhone," customers can ask, "I want the best family plan for an iPhone in California." The answer or response suits what the customer needs better.    While digital self-service solutions continue to evolve and enhance the customer experience, phone support remains essential for customers to interact with companies. The goal is not to eliminate phone support but to augment agents with AI-driven tools. This allows support agents to focus on more personalized and complex issues.    Generative AI and advanced search technologies can help build unique customer experiences. Creating meaningful and personalized customer interactions with the help of AI-powered technology can help brands set themselves apart from the competition.    Plus, Chris shares how Elastic started and evolved from searching kitchen recipes to delivering AI-powered CX. Tune in!  Quote:   "Self-service unblocks customer support… and enables a better customer experience.”    About:   Chris Blaisure is the senior director of innovation and engineering at Elastic. He is a technology leader focused on customer satisfaction and driving exceptional user experiences in software and processes.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Benefits of Self-Directed Customer Experiences (CX) for Customers and Agents  Shep Hyken interviews Nicole Kyle, Managing Director and co-founder of CMP Research. She discusses the evolution of self-service and digital customer service and the importance of personalization and customer control in self-service interactions.  Top Takeaways:   Self-service is becoming more than just enabling customers to attempt to resolve their own issues. Customers want a self-directed experience where they have control over how they are served and can resolve their issues in the way they want.   The pandemic has accelerated the normalization of digital experiences and digital tools. The lockdown has changed our customers' perspective on how they want to spend their time. Customers want to be more self-sufficient and spend less time interacting with customer support if they can get answers faster on their own.    Generative AI, like ChatGPT, is expected to grow in customer contact organizations to support agents. AI will remove low-value, repeatable tasks and help with employee burnout.     Generative AI will improve agent experience by making them more self-sufficient. For example, for whatever reason, they can't reach their manager or peers, they can interact with the AI-enabled knowledge base and get the answers they need.     Organizations need to focus on personalization and customer control in self-service experiences. Customers want a personalized experience that makes them feel valued and have the ability to resolve their issues in a way that suits them.   Plus, Nicole share stats from Self-Service CX: Executive Priorities & Technology Adoptions. Tune in!  Quote:   "Generative AI might reduce frontline workers in the future, but the good news is it will create jobs internally for people to monitor those tools and extract and analyze data."    About:   Nicole Kyle is the Managing Director and co-founder of CMP Research. Nicole joined CMP in November 2021 from Gartner, where she spent eight years leading research and advisory.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using Generative AI to Provide a Personalized Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Richard Smullen, CEO of Pypestream, an AI-powered self-service automation platform. He talks about how automation and generative AI can enhance the customer experience and the potential for self-service interactions.  Top Takeaways:   The future of customer service is being transformed by AI-powered technologies that can automate and enhance customer interactions. Technologies, such as ChatGPT and generative AI, are revolutionizing how businesses interact with their customers.    AI is redefining customer support. While there will still be a need for human agents in certain high-touch situations, the majority of customer interactions will be handled by AI-powered systems.    The future of customer service is heading toward self-service and personalized experiences. By providing intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces, businesses can guide customers toward the desired outcome without human intervention.    Companies that embrace AI in their customer service operations are not necessarily reducing their workforce. Instead, they are using AI to augment human agents and improve customer service experiences.     According to Martec's Law, technology changes exponentially, but organizations change logarithmically. The longer organizations delay their adoption and experimentation with technology, the greater the gap will be, and ultimately, they'll never catch up.    Plus, Shep and Richard share their predictions on how generative AI will transform customer service and what happens to businesses that fail to adapt. Tune in!  Quote:   "The customer is not going to believe that they are building a relationship with the AI. They are going to believe that they are building a relationship with the business that happens to be using AI. That level of connectivity and personalization that AI can help a business provide is what is going to drive loyalty."    About:   Richard Smullen is the founder and CEO of Pypestream, an AI-powered automation platform. Pypestream connects businesses to customers through self-service automation and smart messaging.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Use Positive and Negative Feedback as Opportunities to Improve the Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Miika Mäkitalo, CEO of HappyOrNot, a simple, non-intrusive customer feedback platform. He talks about the value of customer feedback and how businesses can benefit from actionable insights.  Top Takeaways:   Customer feedback is crucial for businesses of all industries. By actively seeking and analyzing feedback, businesses can identify areas of improvement, make informed decisions, and ultimately enhance their overall customer experience.    Technology, such as feedback kiosks and tablets, provides a simple and non-intrusive way for customers to provide feedback. These devices allow businesses to gather real-time insights and track customer satisfaction on a regular basis. Customers appreciate the convenience of these devices, as it takes just a few seconds to indicate their level of satisfaction. This encourages more customers to participate, providing a representative sample of feedback.    The value of customer feedback lies not just in data collection but in taking action. By identifying trends and patterns in feedback, businesses can make the necessary adjustments to enhance their operations, increase revenue, and improve customer loyalty.    Feedback devices with open-ended feedback options can provide even more valuable information for businesses. By allowing customers to provide specific comments or suggestions, businesses gain deeper insights into the reasons behind their satisfaction or dissatisfaction, enabling them to address specific issues and make targeted improvements.    Feedback devices can be especially beneficial for retail, healthcare, and industries where customer experience directly impacts revenue. Implementing customer feedback strategies can increase sales and profits as businesses make data-driven decisions to optimize operations and meet customer expectations.    Real-time feedback enables businesses to address issues immediately, whether a dirty restroom in an airport or a staffing gap in a retail store. Monitoring feedback in real-time allows businesses to promptly rectify any problems, ensuring a positive customer experience.    Businesses can benefit from comparing feedback across different locations or time periods. By identifying differences in customer satisfaction levels, businesses can assess the impact of various factors, such as staffing or operational changes, and make effective adjustments accordingly.    Plus, Mikka shares how much revenue a business can gain from investing in easy-to-use, real-time feedback devices. Tune in!  Quote:   "In today's world, the customer is king, and retaining them is so important. It is vital for every organization, whether it is a business or a nonprofit, to  measure their customer experience and think about what they could do better."    About:   Miika Mäkitalo is the CEO of HappyOrNot. He is an entrepreneurial business strategist who has a deep understanding of data analytics and its application in various industries, especially customer service and CX.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Apply the Hospitality Mentality to All Industries  Shep Hyken interviews Paul Rutter, global cruise director, speaker, trainer, and the author of You Can't Make This Ship Up: Business Strategies, Life Lessons, and True Stories from Forty Years at Sea. He talks about the hospitality mentality in the cruise industry and how it can be applied to other businesses.  Top Takeaways:   The hospitality mentality is key to creating a great customer experience in any type of business. Industries like hotels, restaurants, and cruise lines excel in this area because they live with their customers 24/7, which creates a unique dynamic for delivering outstanding service. We can all learn from their methods.    Living with customers means managing their experience from the moment they start considering a purchase to the time they return for another one. It involves addressing any issues they may encounter, no matter how small, and ensuring their overall satisfaction throughout the entire journey.    Employee engagement is crucial for maintaining a high level of service for any company or brand. In industries like cruising, where employees live and work together, fostering a positive work environment is essential to ensuring that employees wake up each day ready to deliver exceptional customer service.    “More than Perfect Service” is all about where you are, where you would like to be, how you will get there, and making sure that your customers and employees sing your praises.    You're not just competing with other businesses in the same industry. You're competing against every business in the world. Take other companies that deliver great service and design your training and education to emulate them.    Plus, Paul shares how he managed a recent moment of misery of a cruise getting canceled and turned it into an opportunity to keep and impress customers. Tune in!  Quote:   "Forming relationships with people is what business is all about. It's the little things that make you stand out, like learning somebody's name or writing a thank you note. It's what makes them want to come back."  About:   Paul Rutter is a seasoned professional in the cruise industry who understands the unique challenges and dynamics of living and working with customers 24/7. He is the author of Repeat Business Inc.: The Business of Staying in Business and his latest book, You Can't Make This Ship Up: Business Strategies, Life Lessons, and True Stories from Forty Years at Sea.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Meaningful Motivation through Understanding Customer Needs  Shep Hyken interviews Aransas Savas, the experience designer at Stone Mantel, and the co-host of the Experience Strategy Podcast. She talks about the transformational experience and creating a more meaningful and valuable relationship between customers and companies.  Top Takeaways:   Transformational experiences involve understanding what truly motivates and inspires customers. This goes beyond mere metrics and focuses on the holistic changes people experience.    Meaningful motivation is key to creating a valuable relationship between a company and its customers. It involves understanding customers' needs and building experiences that cater to those needs, leading to a more lasting and meaningful connection.    Manipulative motivation, where companies use data to manipulate customers for their own needs, is not the ideal approach. Meaningful motivation focuses on creating experiences that genuinely respond to customers' needs and desires.    The power of transformation lies in unlocking and understanding the transformational aspects of a program or service. By shifting focus from just one metric (e.g., weight loss) to a holistic approach, companies can create more meaningful and impactful experiences.    The power of transformation lies in unlocking and understanding the transformational aspects of a program or service. By shifting focus from just one metric to a holistic approach, companies can create more meaningful and impactful experiences.    Understanding what matters to customers and aligning business strategies and experiences to those needs is crucial. Companies can build strong, lasting relationships with their target audience by putting customers at the center and designing experiences around their motivations.    Plus, Shep and Aransas discuss which industries transformational experiences apply to. Tune in!  Quote:   "The transformation economy is about understanding what truly motivates and inspires customers to create lasting change in their lives."    About:   Shep Hyken interviews Aransas Savas, the experience designer at Stone Mantel and the co-host of the Experience Strategy Podcast. She has worked with leading brands such as Weight Watchers, Best Buy, Truist Bank, and Clayton Homes.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Get Your CX House in Order  Shep Hyken interviews Andrew Carothers, CCXP, Digital Customer Experience Leader at Cisco. He talks about delivering seamless experiences that lead to customer satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue growth.  Top Takeaways:   Building a solid customer experience foundation is essential for all businesses, regardless of their industry or target audience.     Andrew shares the four key steps to deliver experiences that lead to customer satisfaction, repeat business, and retention.    Get your CX house in order. Break down internal barriers, whether they are human or digital, that hinder the success of customer experience initiatives.  Embrace AI. To handle customer experience (CX) on a large scale, go beyond manual, human-driven processes. Instead, focus on meeting customer expectations for instant responses, relevant content, and smart, seamless experiences across multiple channels.  Scale digitally in lockstep with selling partners. Create a comprehensive digital experience encompassing partners, customers, and internal teams. This enables everyone to access a unified, real-time view of the entire customer journey.  Measure what matters. The metric that matters the most is the success and thriving of the customer's business.    To create a successful digital customer experience, businesses must focus on reaching customers directly and through different channels, tailoring their approach based on customer preferences and needs. Utilizing digital tools and technology allows companies to effectively reach millions of customers in different countries and engage with them in a personalized manner.    Plus, Shep and Andrew share more customer experience tips applicable to businesses, whether in B2B, B2C, or in government. Tune in!  Quote:   "We are now in the age of the customer where customers can quickly and easily switch vendors if they want to. Every company must develop a customer experience that brings customers to the value they're looking for quickly, without a lot of hurdles."    About:   Andrew Carothers, CCXP, is a senior customer experience leader, author and speaker. He was a founding member of Cisco's CX function, contributing to the development of the company's digital customer experience strategy.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enhancing Customer Support Efficiency with AI and Human Collaboration  Shep Hyken interviews Peter Mullen, Chief Marketing Officer of Interactions. He talks about the power of AI in customer service and the benefits of integrating human support when necessary.  Top Takeaways:   Conversational AI technology, powered by artificial intelligence, has revolutionized customer support by providing efficient and personalized assistance to customers. This technology can understand customers' queries, provide relevant answers, and guide them toward a resolution.    Combining AI and human agents can create a seamless and effective customer experience. When AI detects that a customer is not getting the desired answer or experiencing difficulties, it can seamlessly transfer the conversation to a human agent who can provide further assistance. This collaboration between AI and humans can reduce customer frustration and lead to quicker problem resolution.    Conversational AI solutions can be beneficial in voice-led customer interactions. By recognizing ambient noise, heavy accents, or other challenges, AI can identify when a customer's intentions may not be fully understood. In such cases, the conversation can be seamlessly transferred to a human agent, minimizing any disruption in the customer experience.    By automating routine inquiries and tasks, AI allows human agents to focus on more complex or specialized customer needs. This allows contact centers to handle more inquiries while maintaining service quality.    Conversational AI technology has the potential to improve customer satisfaction by reducing the number of interactions required to solve a problem. Studies show that customers often become frustrated after a few unsuccessful attempts to resolve an issue. Therefore, companies that can address customer concerns with fewer engagements will likely see higher customer satisfaction rates.    Plus, Shep and Peter answer the question: Will AI take away jobs? Tune in!  Quote:   “Generative AI has brought about a mix of excitement, fear, and confusion since the beginning. When we emphasize the importance of involving humans, it helps us anchor ourselves as we move forward.”    About:   Peter Mullen is the Chief Marketing Officer of Interactions, a company specializing intelligent virtual assistants and conversational AI. He is a seasoned marketing executive with 20 years of experience. Before his role at Interactions, he also held prominent marketing and communications roles at VXI Global Solutions, Comcast, and Netflix.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Importance of Employee Experience to Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Alex Ross, co-founder and chief operating officer of Hire Horatio. He talks about leveraging customer experience as a competitive advantage and creating a work environment that employees love (beyond the paycheck).  Top Takeaways:   Outsourcing customer service and support functions can be an effective strategy for businesses, especially startups, to offload non-core tasks and focus on their core competencies. It can be beneficial as it allows companies to provide 24/7 support and access to properly trained professionals, even if they are not direct employees of the company.    Customer service should not be viewed solely as a cost center but as an opportunity to enhance customer experience, generate revenue, and improve customer retention.    Customer service can contribute to revenue growth by resolving customer issues and upselling, cross-selling, and retaining customers who may have been on the verge of leaving.    In today's competitive landscape, smart companies focus on designing differentiated customer experiences and leveraging customer support and CX as a competitive advantage.    Creating a positive and supportive work environment for customer service employees is crucial for employee retention in an industry known for high turnover rates.    Plus, Alex shares what they are doing at Hire Horatio to attract, nurture, and keep the best people and create the best customer service and experience. Tune in!  Quote:   "Around 2019 and 2020, everybody just wanted to see top-line growth. It was all about numbers and revenue. Now, investors are looking at retention and customer lifetime value, which all start with customer experience."    About:   Alex Ross is the co-founder and chief operating officer of Hire Horatio. He works with startups, providing them with invaluable customer support and back-office functions.     Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Increased Tipping Influences Value Perception and Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Forrest Morgeson, Director of Research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index and Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University. He talks about how tipping and "tipflation" impacts customer satisfaction scores and the need for businesses to improve customer service and experience.  Top Takeaways:   The frequency of tipping, or "tipflation," has increased across industries. Businesses should consider tipping practices' impact on customer satisfaction and carefully evaluate when and how tipping should be implemented.    Rising prices and increased pressure to tip can create a sense of guilt for consumers. This may lead some individuals to avoid experiences where they feel obligated to over-tip. Businesses should be mindful of these factors and strive to find a balance that doesn't cause customer discomfort.    High customer satisfaction ratings contribute to the success of brands and can be indicators of financial performance. Companies that excel in simplicity, convenience, and NPS scores tend to outperform the market collectively.    Positive experiences in one industry can shape customer expectations in others. For example, exceptional customer service at an Apple store can set the bar for expectations in restaurants and other industries. Brands should aim to provide consistent and engaging experiences across all touchpoints to meet customer expectations.    While technology can enhance service delivery, it should be working well and dependable before implementation. Reliability is crucial to maintaining positive customer experiences and satisfaction.    Plus, Shep and Forrest discuss ways to increase your customer satisfaction scores. Tune in!  Quote:   "When tipping becomes a common expectation in service interactions, consumers will mentally factor it into the price and value perceptions."    About:   Forrest Morgeson is the Director of Research at the American Customer Satisfaction Index. He is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University, where he teaches marketing management, marketing strategy, and marketing research courses to EMBA and MSMR students.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Impact of Speed in Winning and Retaining Clients    Shep Hyken interviews Howard Moodycliffe, Chief Executive Officer of Timetoreply. He talks about how prompt communication can help companies build trust, enhance credibility, and increase customer satisfaction.  Top Takeaways:  In today's fast-paced world, customers expect timely responses across various communication channels. Whether it's email, phone calls, or social media, consistent and efficient interaction is essential to meet customer expectations.    Speaking of customers expecting quick and timely responses, if they wanted to wait, they would have waited to make ask their question or make their request in the first place. Businesses should value their customers' time and demonstrate respect by delivering quick and consistent responses. This not only helps in acquiring new clients but also strengthens customer loyalty and fosters long-term relationships.    Email remains a dominant channel for B2B communication. Companies across different industries should customize their response speed based on the preferences of their customers. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and understanding industry-specific expectations is essential to succeed.    Consistency is crucial in providing an outstanding customer experience. It is not enough to respond quickly at the beginning of the customer relationship. You must always respond quickly. Maintaining consistent response times builds trust and sets proper expectations.     Finding the right balance between speed and quality is essential. While quick response times are important, businesses should also ensure that their responses are accurate, helpful, and provide value to the customer.  Timetoreply has a special offer for Amazing Business Radio listeners! Get one month of their email analytics and performance optimization software for free.   Plus, Shep and Howard discuss how to create a positive experience even when delivering less-than-ideal news to your customers. Tune in!  Quote:  "Speed makes one of the highest impacts in increasing customer satisfaction whether you're looking to win clients or retain the ones you already have."    About:  Howard Moodycliffe is the CEO of Timetoreply, an email response management and analytics software that helps companies empower teams, delight customers, and boost revenue.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leveraging Data to Improve Your Customer Experience Strategy  Shep Hyken interviews Jason Barro, Partner at Bain & Co. and Founder of NPS Prism®. He talks about the importance of measuring and understanding Net Promoter Score (NPS) in improving customer experiences (CX) and driving business growth.  Top Takeaways:  Net Promoter Score (NPS) evaluates customer sentiment and allows companies to compare their data with competitors. It helps identify areas where organizations may be falling short and prompts them to revise their current strategies for improvement.    To improve customer experience, companies need to break down the customer journey into smaller episodes or touchpoints. By identifying which episodes create promoters (satisfied customers) or detractors (unsatisfied customers), companies can focus on improving specific aspects of the customer experience.    Customers don't just compare you to other companies within your industry. They compare you to the best experience they have ever had. It is crucial to examine why certain companies perform better than others. By analyzing what makes them successful, businesses can identify areas where they can improve and work towards closing the gap.    Having a great product is important, but it can be overshadowed and rejected if accompanied by poor customer service. Likewise, even the best service may only temporarily excite a customer if the product fails to meet their expectations. Companies need to achieve a balance between product quality and customer experience.    Plus, Shep and Jason talk about the NPS leaders in various industries, including automotive, groceries, airlines, and more. Tune in!  Quote:  "Happier customers are more valuable to the business. They buy more, stay longer, and bring their friends into your business."    About:  Jason Barro is a leader in Bain's Customer Strategy and Marketing practice. He is the lead partner and founder of NPS Prism ®, a customer experience and benchmarking service that provides businesses with actionable insights to build loyalty and grow sales.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Leadership is Overrated and The Power of an Ego-Free Workplace  Shep Hyken interviews Chris Mefford, CEO of Culture Force and co-author of Leadership Is Overrated: How the Navy SEALs (and Successful Businesses) Create Self-Leading Teams That Win. He discusses creating a safe space for teams to feel engaged and empowered to work at their best.  Top Takeaways:   There is a gap between how leaders perceive employee engagement and how employees actually feel. According to Gallup research, 70% of employees are disengaged at work. However, only 30% of leaders feel that way. In the same way, a significant gap often exists between what executives believe about their customer service and what customers actually experience.    Despite the high investment of $300 billion annually worldwide on leadership development, surveys consistently show that employees still feel disengaged. Most of the time, people don't leave because of the company. They leave their managers.    Leaders should give authority to their teams, not just responsibility. Often, leaders think they are empowering their team by giving them more work. Empower teams by listening to their ideas and enabling them to make decisions based on what they believe is best.     In special forces like the Navy SEALs, the leader of a mission is not necessarily the highest-ranking officer but someone with the most relevant experience. The Navy SEALs practice "killing the leader," where they train by removing a leader or two to help the team understand that they are empowered to make decisions.     Acknowledgment is the top motivator for workers, even more than pay. Giving credit and acknowledging the team's efforts along the way, not just when a project is completed, boosts engagement. Boston Consulting surveyed 200,000 workers across the globe to find what motivates them the most. An attractive fixed salary is number eight, while the number one factor is "Appreciation for your work."    When leaders let their egos get in the way, it hinders collaboration and prevents teams from coming together to create amazing results. Great leadership requires humility and putting the team's needs above personal ego.    Plus, Shep and Chris discuss what happens when egos are removed from the leadership with examples from Aretha Franklin to book retailers. Tune in!  Quote:   "Empathy is a billion-dollar industry. When companies are not intentional about making their employees feel engaged and empowered, the financial cost is tremendous."    About:   Chris Mefford is the CEO of Culture Force and co-author of Leadership Is Overrated: How the Navy SEALs (and Successful Businesses) Create Self-Leading Teams That Win. He helped the Dave Ramsey Organization win the “Best Place to Work” award for eight straight years.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building Authenticity and Trust in Business through Impactful Communication  Shep Hyken interviews Patrick McCullough, president of Hallmark Business Connections. He talks about how businesses can use the power of personalization at scale to strengthen relationships, create emotional connections, and enhance the customer experience.  Top Takeaways:  Authenticity and personalization can strengthen business relationships, build trust, and create emotional connections that lead to repeat business and loyalty.    Personalized notes are a powerful tool in business. They break through the clutter of digital communication and create a meaningful connection with customers and clients. Greeting cards can be used strategically to strengthen business relationships. Sending cards for special occasions, milestones, or even reminders for appointments can show thoughtfulness and attention to detail.    A well-thought-out client journey map can ensure that personalized notes are sent at the right moments. By mapping out the timeline of each client's relationship, businesses can create a systematic approach to sending cards and notes.    Building trust and authenticity is crucial in business. Sending personalized notes creates emotional connections and reinforces the credibility and reliability of the brand or company.    The physical and digital worlds can work together to enhance customer experience. By combining the magic of the "old school touch" with digital tools, businesses can create a seamless and impactful communication strategy.    Businesses can use life touch points such as birthdays, holidays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day to connect with customers. But, what customers find surprising are business touch points that also create connections. For example, a customer signing up for a new health insurance plan may be expecting onboarding materials and contracts. So, sending a personalized note that says, "Thank you so much for choosing us, and we're going to do everything we can to stand by you." makes for a more wonderful start to the experience.    The impact of personalized gifts goes beyond the moment it is received. It leaves a lasting impression and can be a catalyst for repeat business, increased customer loyalty, and referrals.    Plus, Shep and Patrick talk about companies that have mastered personalization at scale. Tune in!  Quote:  "Greeting cards provide a tangible and unique way to break through the digital noise and make a lasting impression on customers and clients."  About:  Patrick McCullough is the president of Hallmark Business Connections, which helps businesses strengthen customer and employee relationships by deepening emotional connections with them through life event marketing.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meeting Consumer Demand through Amazing Customer Support and Innovation Shep Hyken interviews Mark Ang, CEO and Co-Founder of GoBolt. He talks about taking a proactive approach to customer service and embracing technology to enhance the customer experience. Top Takeaways:    ·      Customer obsession is a crucial aspect of every business, regardless of its size or industry. It should be embraced by everyone in the organization, from senior leaders to frontline employees.   ·      To provide exceptional customer service, it is essential to have a dedicated customer support team that is well-trained and equipped with the right tools and technology. Utilizing cutting-edge solutions like chatbots and AI can improve efficiency and reduce ticket volume, allowing the team to focus on handling complex support issues.   ·      Respond quickly and be available through your customers' preferred channels, such as phone, email, text, and social media. Customers have high expectations when it comes to responsiveness, and meeting those expectations can significantly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty.   ·      Being proactive and using data to anticipate customer needs is a game-changer. By analyzing customer behavior and trends, companies can address potential issues before they arise, providing a personalized and proactive approach to customer support.   ·      While technology plays a significant role in improving customer service, human interaction remains essential. It's about finding the right balance between AI-powered solutions and human touch to provide a seamless and personalized customer experience.   ·      Plus, Mark shares how he founded GoBolt in college and how being customer-obsessed built it to become the award-winning company it is today. Tune in! Quote: "The goal is not to eliminate humans. The goal is to create more time for our people to deal with higher-level support requirements, manage more complex processes, and oversee different areas of the business."   About:   Mark Ang serves as the CEO and Co-Founder at GoBolt, an organization offering simple, customer-centric, and sustainable logistics solutions. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Marketing and Training Go Hand in Hand in Shaping Customer Perceptions Shep Hyken interviews Barry LaBov, the founder of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training and author of The Power of Differentiation. He discusses the importance of aligning marketing messages with employee training to create a unique and consistent customer experience. Top Takeaways:  Giving employees a sense of meaning and purpose creates excitement and engagement. When employees feel connected to the brand and enjoy the experience they deliver, it translates into a better connection with customers. Training is crucial in aligning employees with the brand's unique experience. If new hires don't receive the same training as the rest of the team, the result is inconsistency, which can create a disconnect with customers. Onboarding processes that quickly integrate new employees into the company culture are essential. Brands should aim to bridge the gap between their brand image and customer experience. If customers become excited about the product or brand, their expectations should be met or exceeded from the moment they interact with the business. Aligning the messaging and experience is crucial in maintaining customers' enthusiasm. Differentiating a product or brand starts from within. Before promoting to the world, it's important to share and celebrate what makes the product unique with employees. Ensuring employees are knowledgeable promotes consistency and helps avoid miscommunication or confusion. The right customer experience creates brand loyalty. Your brand's reputation is created by every individual representing the brand. It's important for employees throughout the organization to understand their role in shaping how customers perceive the brand. Regardless of location or demographic, customers expect a consistent and predictable experience.  Plus, Shep and Barry discuss how engaging one employee at a time can be more effective than mass engagement. Tune in! Quote: "Marry the message to the experience. The marketing and promotion should be congruent with the actual experience the customer receives."  About:  Barry LaBov is the founder of LABOV Marketing and Training in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He empowers brands to impress their customers and capture the hearts of their employees. He is the author of The Power of Differentiation, a book that helps leaders discover and share what makes their brands unique. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investing in Customer Experience and Employee Engagement Shep Hyken interviews Alan Masarek, CEO and Board Director of Avaya. He discusses prioritizing customer satisfaction and creating a positive workplace culture. Top Takeaways:  Being a destination workplace requires deliberately building a culture that attracts talented individuals. Organizations should strive to create an environment where employees are proud to work, find meaning in their careers, and have growth opportunities.  In today's job market, loyalty to a single company is less common. Employees often see their first job as a stepping stone to their next employment opportunity. Companies need to create a work environment that employees never want to leave and would want to recommend to others. Providing innovation without disrupting existing systems is a strategic approach for companies with large installations. The gradual integration of new channels and capabilities can help customers evolve and expand in the journey they have chosen. Creating a clear and transparent roadmap is key to building trust with customers and employees. Companies can foster stronger relationships and restore confidence in their offerings by demonstrating reliability and actively involving customers in the decision-making process. This can be achieved through open communication, sharing long-term plans, and consistently delivering on commitments. Balancing financial results with customer and employee objectives is essential for long-term success. Companies should prioritize customer delight and creating value for shareholders. Organizations can create a clear roadmap for success by aligning these objectives and holding themselves accountable for achieving results. Plus, Shep and Alan talk about Avaya's North Star and how it can be applied to businesses of any size, in any industry. Tune in! Quote: "The megatrend in business today is towards CX. Brands have to differentiate themselves based on customer experience.” About:  Alan Masarek, CEO and Board Director of Avaya. He is the former CEO of Vonage. and brings over 30 years of software and cloud-based business experience. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Balancing Technology, the Human Touch, and Customer Experience (CX) Shep Hyken interviews Tom Martin, CEO at Glance, a software company focused on helping businesses connect with their customers. He discusses combining technology with human-to-human interactions to create a seamless and personalized customer experience. Top Takeaways:  In the age of advanced technology, it's crucial for businesses to prioritize the overall customer experience. While chatbots and digital solutions are valuable, human-to-human interactions still plays a vital role, especially when technology falls short.  Understanding and predicting customer needs are key to effective customer engagement. By analyzing their data and journey, businesses can provide tailored assistance "in the moment". This not only solves customers' problems efficiently but also strengthens the relationship. Provide seamless connections between various communication channels, including chatbots, apps, phone calls, and emails. The goal is to create an effortless customer experience, removing friction and allowing them to interact with the company through their preferred channels.  Customer interaction often spans multiple departments or silos within a company. It is important for leadership and management to know that the customer doesn't care about silos and what is happening in the background. The only thing that they care about is that they have a great experience with you – and when they do, they reward you with more business. Repetition is unnecessary friction in delivering a seamless customer support. Customers dislike having to repeat themselves or go through verification processes multiple times. Companies should strive to streamline their support systems so that customers can connect easily and quickly without unnecessary steps or frustrations. When offering digital support systems, enable customers to reach a real person whenever needed. Use AI to provide contextual information to the agent as the conversation is happening. When AI pulls information from the customer's history or a knowledge base, support agents are empowered to have better interactions and efficiently provide the best solution. Plus, Shep and Tom talk about "wallet share" and how providing an amazing experience can help companies gain trust and become the go-to provider for all of their customers' needs. Tune in! Quote: "Different channels allow you to communicate with a business, and each one can serve a very specific purpose. All of these need to work together so that the customer experience isn't disrupted and there is no unnecessary friction to get from one channel to the next." About:  Tom Martin is CEO at Glance, a software company focused on the enterprise space, helping businesses connect with their customers inside of a digital journey to bring in the human connection in moments of need. He is a CX contact center strategist, product lifecycle expert, and partnership builder. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How AI is Transforming Customer Communication Shep Hyken interviews Anand Janefalkar, CEO and founder of UJET. He talks about the power of AI enhancing CX and how businesses can leverage it to improve customer support and avoid churn. Top Takeaways:  Customers have so many options and want to get the best out of the money they spend. Since there are many options for companies offering more or less the same services, customer support becomes the differentiator. It comes down to how easy it is to communicate with a business and how delightful the experience is. In the 80s, the White House commissioned the Technical Assistant Research Program to conduct a study on customer experience. They found out that the number one reason customers leave is rudeness or apathy. Almost 40 years later, our customer service and experience research has the same findings - the number one reason customers leave to do business elsewhere is rudeness or apathy.  The evolution of customer communication has expanded beyond traditional phone and mail. Companies must embrace diverse channels like chatbots, social media, and visual communication to meet customer expectations and deliver a seamless experience. Customer service professionals and support agents now mostly consist of young professionals who are digitally acquainted. They are "obsessed" with their phones, and the internet has become a seamless extension of their day-to-day lives. Training them on a stack designed 20-30 years ago, which they have never used in their lives, then asking them to solve a problem for the customer without using their senses of visual and contextual information gathering is a recipe for disaster. The result can be rudeness that comes from frustration from the inability to solve that issue. Technology must feel intuitive. Just like smartphones became popular because they are easy to use, customer service platforms must prioritize user-friendly interfaces that make interactions effortless. They should have a human-first mindset when designing communication between customers, support agents, and AI. Organizations need to be responsible for using AI for customer interactions. Proper training, data, and empathy are crucial to ensure AI understands and responds appropriately to customers, providing a human-like experience while maintaining efficiency and accuracy. Plus, Shep and Anand discuss how AI can empower agents and increase their efficiency. Tune in! Quote: "Natural language processing and AI play a crucial role in customer communication. When communicating with customers, it needs to feel like you're explaining something just like you would explain it to a family or a friend."  About:  Anand Janefalkar is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of UJET. Anand founded UJET to modernize the contact center by addressing long-standing design flaws and conventional thinking that have failed to evolve in parallel with changing human interaction landscape. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Workplace That Drives a Better Employee Experience Shep Hyken interviews Philip Mandelbaum, founder, and CEO of Mandelbaum Marketing and Head of Content of Customer Management Practice. He talks about how prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion creates a supportive work environment that drives revenue growth and customer loyalty. Top Takeaways:  Employee experience is the new customer experience. It goes beyond a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce. It is also about company culture, training, work environment, and how an organization supports growth that plays into how people think about a brand.  Many people in diverse workforces report being discriminated against. According to Deloitte's State of Inclusion survey, nearly 2/3 of workers have experienced bias in the workplace, and 40% experience bias at least once a month. Studies have shown that companies devoted to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) earn 140% more revenue. They are 70% more likely to capture a new market and 35% more likely to outperform their competitors.  There is a difference between equality and equity. Equality is about treating each person with respect regardless of their background. Equity is acknowledging that people show up to work under their own unique circumstances. It considers historical and present-day disadvantages and makes sure that each individual has the appropriate resources to succeed.  Customers buy and support companies that care about the same things that they do. According to our 2023 Achieving Customer Amazement Study, sponsored by Five9, 43% of consumers believe it's important that a company has a social cause that's important to them. 41% are willing to pay more if the cause is important to them, making the price less relevant. 60% of Gen Z said they are willing to tolerate a poor service experience from a company that cares about the same things they do. Plus, Shep and Philip discuss who they think is the most important person in an organization - the CEO, the customers, the employees, or the shareholders. Tune in! Quote: "Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to a business's internal success with the employees, which translates to customer success." About:  Philip Mandelbaum is a 20-year industry veteran and thought leader in digital marketing, customer experience, and employee experience. He is the founder and CEO of Mandelbaum Marketing and Head of Content of Customer Management Practice. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Benefits of the As-A-Service Model Shep Hyken interviews Yann Toutant, founder of Black Winch and author of AS A SERVICE: Turn Your Product Based Business Into a Subscription Model. He talks about what an As-A-Service model is and how it impacts the customers, the business, and the environment. Top Takeaways:  Usership means using – not buying – what you need for the experience you want at a specific moment and location. For example, customers who enjoy windsurfing do not need to purchase, store, and maintain a windsurfing board. They can go to a good windsurfing shop and rent, lease, or subscribe to the “use” of the equipment for as long as they want.  Customers often have many possessions that require their time and money to manage. In an As-A-Service model, customers become users instead of owners. Through usership, products will fulfill a need without the burden of maintenance, storage, and the added cost of owning.  The benefit of usership in the As-A-Service model is that when the product or solution a customer subscribes to is no longer needed, they can easily opt out of it without being left with something they can't use. The As-A-Service model creates a circular relationship with customers. The interaction does not end when the sale is closed. Instead, companies provide an experience where customers have a much stronger connection to the brand through regular (daily, weekly, monthly) contact.  There is a positive environmental impact with the As-A-Service model for physical products. When a user no longer needs a product, another user can use it, or the manufacturer can refurbish or remanufacture it into new equipment.  Plus, Shep challenges Yann to think of a product that cannot be transformed into an As-A-Service or subscription model. Tune in! Quote: "Do you own your belongings, or do your belongings own you? I decided to rid myself of many belongings anchoring me down and go for usage instead of ownership. You don’t need to own something to get the best experience.”  About:  Yann Toutant is the founder of Black Winch, where he helps organizations focus on the customer experience by implementing a successful and scalable As-A-Service Model. His book, AS A SERVICE: Turn Your Product Based Business Into a Subscription Model, is now available on Amazon. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Simple and Convenient Customer Experiences Shep Hyken interviews Ricardo Saltz Gulko, Managing Director of Eglobalis and Co-Founder of the European Customer Experience Organization (ECXO). He shares how brands prioritizing simple and convenient experiences can gain a competitive advantage. Top Takeaways:  A simple and convenient customer experience can be a competitive advantage for brands and companies, whether it’s B2B or B2C. It starts with leadership, where decisions are made and trickle down to every department in the company. Being nice and respectful is one thing, but there is more. There must also be a process behind delivering an amazing customer experience. Adoption means loyalty. Make it easy for your customers to adopt your products and services. This will make the difference between them continuing to do business with you instead of going to your competitors. There is a place for simplicity and complexity. Behind-the-scenes, your operation can be complex, allowing you to deliver everything your customers need and expect. However, on the surface, it needs to be simple. Most people have a limit on the number of decisions that they want to make in a day. A confused buyer will likely move on and find a place that’s easier to do business with. Make it simple for your customers without sacrificing quality. Measure and get feedback on the different points of the interaction throughout the customer’s journey. Use the data and feedback to improve the experience. Ricardo wrote a must-read article on why brands should simplify customer and employee experiences. Plus, Shep and Ricardo share how much money companies leave on the table by making experiences too complicated for their customers. Tune in! Quote: "If you don't design customer experiences around simplicity, you are leaving money on the table. The easier you make the experience for your customers, the sooner they will adopt your products and services." About:  Ricardo Samuel Saltz Gulko is a global strategist focused on customer experience, operations simplification, technology design, and culture transformation. He is the Managing Director of Eglobalis and the co-founder & initiator of the European Customer Experience Organization. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empowering Employees From the First 100 Days and Beyond Shep Hyken interviews Joey Coleman, an award-winning speaker and author of Never Lose an Employee Again: The Simple Path to Remarkable Retention. He shares why employees leave and how organizations can create a meaningful work culture that supports longevity. Top Takeaways:   ·      You can only expect to deliver a remarkable customer experience if you have remarkable employees. People think that customer experience and employee experience are two different silos. The better way to look at it is that they are two sides of the same coin because we need to work on both.   ·      The first 100 days are the most important time in the entire relationship with an employee because this is where the foundation is laid. How we onboard employees and make them feel part of our organization’s community can differentiate whether they will be long-time employees or leave as fast as they came.   ·      When onboarding and acclimating your employees, the number of days you're willing to spend teaching them, showing them the ropes, and “holding their hand” is directly proportional to the number of months they will stay as an employee.   ·      Work Institute did a massive survey of exit interview investigations, and here's what they found - Top 5 reasons why employees leave:   ·      Reason #1 Career - 24% of the employees leave because they couldn't see a clear career path.   ·      Reason #2 Job - Stress, lack of resources, training, and empowerment.   ·      Reason #3 Health and Family - Their personal health or a responsibility to care for kids or aging parents.   ·      Reason #4 Work-Life Balance - Travel, commute, or scheduling.   ·      Reason #5 Rewards - Only 9% of employees leave for a bigger paycheck.   ·      Employers may care about their employees, but the employees themselves may not know it. Your employees probably have no idea of all the time and effort you're spending thinking about making payroll, advancing their careers, and making sure people don't suffer burnout. Share it with them, but when you do, spend a little less time telling and a little more time showing.   ·      Plus, Joey shares the two of the eight phases of the employee journey that every organization needs to ace. Tune in! Quotes: “If you're not painting a clear path for your people and expecting them to manage and figure out their careers on their own, then you deserve to lose them.”   About:   Joey Coleman is the creator of the First 100 Days® methodology for improving customer and employee retention. He is the author of Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days and Never Lose an Employee Again: The Simple Path to Remarkable Retention. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leveraging Content and Social Media to Provide Customer Care Shep Hyken interviews Mich Hancock, CEO of 100th Monkey and the host of MichMash Podcast. She talks about how brands can use digital content and social media to communicate with customers, showcase their values, and enhance customer experience. Top Takeaways:  Social media is called "social" for a reason. It's more than posting branded content. It is about communicating with your customers, getting feedback, responding to comments, and taking action based on what your customers tell you. Respond thoughtfully to every comment, positive or negative. Instead of replying with a generic "thank you" each time someone leaves a comment, respond in a way that makes the customer feel heard as an individual.  Customers are watching you on social media. They are especially watching how you handle negative comments or complaints. When you handle negative comments effectively, it gives customers tremendous confidence to want to do business with you. Remember, you are not trying to win an argument, you are trying to win the customer – and in the world of social media, everyone can watch Social media is a way for businesses to bring people into their community. It is a way for brands to tell a story about their business so customers can get to know them better and understand how they work.  When you offer customer care through social media, educate your customers to go to that channel, and make sure you are monitoring those channels and engaging with your customers promptly.  Plus, Mich shares how companies can share their values, message, and authenticity with their customers. Tune in! Quotes: "Customers like to do business with companies that care about the same things that they do. If you support an amazing cause, you should talk about it because it says a lot about you." About:  Mich Hancock is the CEO of 100th Monkey. She is the Co-Founder and License Holder of TEDxStLouis and the host of Michmash Podcast, where she helps individuals and organizations raise their voices and be heard. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delighting Customers Through Effective Communication Shep Hyken interviews Justine Tavares, Director of Customer Success at TextExpander, a productivity tool that automates repetitive tasks and improves communication efficiency. She talks about improving customer relationships through customer-centric, up-to-date, and consistent messaging. Top Takeaways:  TextExpander allows you to access all of the things your team needs at their fingertips. It empowers teams to access the information they need to do their day-to-day, such as support responses, e-mail replies, sales pitches, and many more. It also enhances communication internally and externally, making it easy for your team to delight your customers with less effort in less time. Up-to-date and consistent messaging ensures customer delight. Whenever an update is implemented within your organization, ensure it is communicated from the frontline to the back office so that everyone can access the same information.  You don't always make decisions that are going to make the customers happy, but always keep them in mind when making them.  Proactively communicate changes that could impact customer experience. Provide transparent and open communication with your customers. When there's a change that a customer may not be excited about or happy about, it is received better.  Over-communication is better than no communication. Having information gives customers a sense of control and confidence even when they are facing problems or delays.  When you want to create loyalty and an amazing experience, the word you want to hear the customer use is "always" in front of something good. For example, "They always take care of me even when there's a problem."  Plus, Justine shares how TextExpander uses "white glove onboarding" to meet customers where they are. Quotes: "The customer should be at the core of everything that we do. We think about the customer first in every decision we make and every product we release." About:  Justine Tavares is the Director of Customer Success at TextExpander. She empowers her team to create customer-centric strategies to help individuals and teams achieve productivity goals. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Employees, Happy Customers Shep Hyken interviews Tiffani Bova, bestselling author and global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce. She discusses the link between employee experience, customer experience, and company growth. Top Takeaways:  Spending time with your customers is a great opportunity to understand their challenges, share best practices, and learn from them.  Employee experience (EX) has a significant impact not only on customer experience but on overall business growth. In a blind study conducted on a US retailer with more than 1,000 storefronts, Salesforce research found that if the company got the EX right, there was a 50% increase in revenue per hour per store associate. If you are going to do something for your customers to enhance their experience, make sure you recognize its intended or unintended impact on your employees. When you implement changes to improve CX, make sure you are not increasing the difficulty for your employees to do their jobs.  Companies have over-pivoted the customer experience at the expense of all else. You need to be flexible because when you pivot, you turn your back on something. 54% of the C-Suite believe that the technology their employees use is effective for them to do their job. Only 32% of employees agree with that statement, and only 20-ish% of customer-facing employees agree. To bridge the disconnect between the C-suite and the frontlines, executives need to spend more time understanding the experiences of both their customers and their employees. Do an inventory of the top five KPIs you are currently tracking for customer experience and see if you have a correlating one for employee experience. For example, if you are measuring Net Promoter Score (NPS), pay attention to Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS). Tiffani shares highlights from her latest book, The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth, including an intentional approach to happy employees for every team in your organization. Plus, Shep and Tiffani share what happens when executives actually spend time with customers (with examples from Starbucks and Microsoft). Tune in! Quote: "Many executives don't use the tech their employees use. They do not experience inefficiency, yet they are very focused on productivity. They focus on the customers, but they are not aware of what systems, tools, and training are in place that allow or inhibit their employees to be the best that they could be."  About:  Tiffani Bova is the global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce. She is the Wall Street Journal, bestselling author of Growth IQ. Her latest book, The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth, is now available on Amazon. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Brands Can Find a Balance Between Incentives and Emotional Connection Shep Hyken interviews Mark Ross-Smith a.k.a Mr. Loyalty and the CEO and Co-Founder of Loyalty Data Co, the parent company of StatusMatch.com. He talks about the roles of transactional and emotional incentives and how brands must learn to balance the two to build long-term customer loyalty. Top Takeaways:  Loyalty programs are used in different industries to attract new customers and retain existing ones. They typically involve incentives for spending money on a brand through points, perks, upgrades, or free products. Loyalty programs have now evolved to include enhancing the customer experience. In the recent Achieving Customer Amazement study, 69% of customers say loyalty programs are important to them. That’s almost seven out of ten customers who appreciate a good loyalty program. True loyalty programs are not just about points and perks; that is more about marketing. True loyalty is when a customer chooses to do business with you even when they have other options, regardless of the rewards. A successful loyalty program is not designed for everyone. It should work really well for a certain group of customers and reasonably well for a slightly larger one. There are two ways to get people more invested in a brand. First is the transactional way, such as getting customers to subscribe to a product. Then there is the emotional way which is getting people to connect with your brand through personalized engagement and positive experiences. Transactional incentives and emotional engagement have their roles in creating loyalty. Brands must learn to find a balance between the two to build long-term customer loyalty. Some brands use the five love languages to tap into the emotional side of their customers - Words of affirmation ("You're one of our most important customers."), Quality time (Spending time to ask them about their day or their experience), gifts, acts of service, and physical touch (a handshake or a gentle tap on the shoulder when appropriate). Plus, Mark shares the interesting ways airlines and customers benefit from loyalty programs. Tune in! Quote: "Be a customer of your own product. Learn the challenging situations that your customers face throughout their experience. Being a customer of your business is fantastic training for learning how to improve the customer experience and the loyalty experience." About:  Mark Ross-Smith, a.k.a Mr. Loyalty and the CEO and Co-Founder of Loyalty Data Co, the parent company of StatusMatch.com, a loyalty platform that helps individual consumers and corporate clients get equivalent value status with a competing airline and hotel. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Leveraging Artificial Intelligence Can Be a Win-Win Contact Center Agents and Customers   Shep Hyken interviews Mario Matulich, President and Managing Director of Customer Management Practice. He talks about how organizations can use artificial intelligence and self-service options to empower support agents and elevate the customer experience. Top Takeaways:  There has been significant progress in artificial intelligence (AI), like chatbots and ChatGPT capabilities. This has always been seen as high-potential technology, but in the last few months, it has been used in a more demonstrative way to address challenges faced by contact centers, especially in the post-pandemic environment. Generative AI and other forms of self-service provide a win-win solution for organizations and customers. It gives companies solution to create a better agent experience, and it allows the customers to resolve issues quickly without having to put up with long wait times. To address the challenges of hiring and retaining the best people, organizations need to focus on operationalizing flexibility in remote and hybrid setups and personalizing career development. Artificial Intelligence will not eliminate the need for customer support professionals. Instead, it will assist agents with knowledge management, eliminate mundane work, and allow agents to focus on what they do best: serve customers.  Predictive analytics powered by AI can accurately assess Net Promoter Score and other measurements of customer satisfaction.  The employees in the frontline do more than answer phones. They retain customers, generate revenue, and serve as an extension of the research and development department. They have information and insights from interacting with customers that managers and C-suite may not have access to. Plus, Shep and Mario discuss what to expect in Customer Contact Week Las Vegas on June 19-20, 2023, featuring a keynote speech from Grammy® Award-winning Musician & Entrepreneur, Pitbull. Tune in! Quote: "Customer preferences have shifted dramatically in the last couple of years. Many customers want to self-serve. They want to effectively find a quick resolution to their challenges without the assistance of another human being, and AI can make that possible." About:  Mario Matulich is the President and Managing Director of Customer Management Practice, a leader in market research, events, and customer-centricity. He played professional baseball for the Cleveland Guardians. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How The Savannah Bananas is Changing Baseball through Fan Focus, Creativity, and CX Shep Hyken interviews Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the Savannah Bananas. He talks about how he redefined baseball and customer and employee experience by creating a culture that puts them first. Top Takeaways:  The Savannah Bananas sells out every game, with a waitlist of 550,000 for tickets. There are 3,000 people joining the waitlist every day. They have 4,000,000 more followers on social media than any Major League Baseball team. The best inspiration happens from what people are doing wrong. Ask what the biggest friction points in your customers’ experiences are. Then, do the opposite. The Savannah Bananas took the biggest friction points in a baseball game and changed the rules. For example, a typical baseball game can run for over 3 hours. In Banana Ball, each game lasts no more than 2 hours. Learn from outside your industry and bring that into your organization. Look at the companies you love and why you love them. Identify what you love about those companies that you can start doing with your team. If everyone in your business makes the customers the stars and gives them the red carpet treatment, you make those customers feel like a million bucks. It changes everything for the customer, and your employees will have more purpose and pride in their work. Ideas are the future. Work your idea muscle like you work out your regular muscles. Write down a few ideas every day, get together with your team, and share them. You'll get more energy, inspiration, and purpose out of ideas. Jesse Cole’s latest book, Bannana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bannanas, just came out May 18, 2005. Get it at Amazon.  Plus, Jesse shares some incredible fan-first moments from their tour. Tune in! Quote: "Imagine what the best possible customer experience is and do that. Don't settle for the way things have been done before." About:  Jesse Cole is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Savannah Bananas. He is the author of Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience, Find Your Yellow Tux: How to Be Successful by Standing Out, and Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Leverage Customer Feedback to Enhance Every Stage of the Customer Journey Shep Hyken interviews Evan Klein, Founder and President of Satrix Solutions, a customer experience and employee engagement consulting firm. He talks about how businesses can encourage customer feedback and how to leverage that to improve the overall experience. Top Takeaways:   ·      The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is the question that lets your customer rate the likelihood of them recommending your business on a scale of 0 to 10. A rating of 9 or 10 is a promoter. Customers are more likely to recommend you after a great experience.   ·      A successful NPS program in your business ensures that all of your employees are aligned and understand their role in delivering an exceptional service experience.   ·      The frontline is important, but we need all employees to act based on the feedback of the customers. Every employee should leverage customer feedback to think about their role in enhancing the customer experience.   ·      Be open to really listening to the customer. NPS is a good way to start understanding your customer’s experience with your brand. Adding open-ended questions like “What can make your experience even better?” can give you so much more context and rich feedback.   ·      Survey and ask for feedback from different audiences. Decision makers, influencers, subject matter experts, and users experience your brand in different ways. Tailor your surveys with each customer's experience in mind.   ·      Leverage your promoters. Use their feedback for marketing purposes, testimonials, and case studies. Find feedback patterns that will influence your product roadmap, service delivery model, support channels, and future investments.   ·      Plus, Shep and Evan discuss how to maximize customer participation in the age of survey fatigue. Tune in!  Quote: "Be open for context and find patterns across all the feedback you receive from your customers. Probe and understand customer frustrations. Mobilize your promoters and leverage their feedback to operationalize creating excellent customer service."   About:   Evan Klein is the Founder and President of Satrix Solutions. He helps companies increase revenue growth by enhancing customer experience and improving employee engagement. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Keep Employees and Customers Loyal to Your Brand Shep Hyken interviews Bob Phibbs, widely known as The Retail Doctor, host of the Tell Me Something Good About Retail podcast, and founder of SalesRX. He talks about how retail stores (and all types of organizations) can transform their business from a place where people merely buy products to a destination brand known for amazing customer experiences.  Top Takeaways:   ·      Brands sometimes invest more in products and in how their retail stores look without focusing on the experience. No matter how nice the brick-and-mortar store is, if your employees are not trained to properly welcome and pay attention to your customers, they will leave and buy from your competitors, go or online, where it is faster and more accessible. ·      What's happening on the inside is felt on the outside by the customers. Be mindful of the environment that your employees are going to work in. Empower them with the right tools and training to do their job well. If you fix the people side of your business first, you will create a better customer service experience. ·      Create awareness of what great customer service looks like in your company. Ensure that your employees align with how you want them to treat customers. Teach them to recognize when they are providing a good customer experience and continuously train them to be better and better.  ·      Employees are looking for more than just a paycheck when taking on or staying at a job. They are putting employers to the task of providing a work environment that provides growth and satisfaction. ·      Training is not something you did. It's something you do over and over again. Invest in your employees' training and onboarding. Then, constantly reinforce it throughout the time that they are with you, whether in weekly meetings, daily huddles, or sharing customer feedback and make sure what they have learned translates into their day-to-day engagement with your customers. ·      Plus, learn how not to (in Bob's words) piss off your employees. Tune in!  Quote: "Focus on the people, not the products. You will get higher conversion rates when employees are happy, stay longer, and know how to engage with customers in a way that builds trust."   About:    Bob Phibbs is a customer service expert, author, sales coach, and founder of SalesRX. He works with retailers and brands to increase conversion rates by providing amazing experiences. He shares his expertise on The Retail Doctor. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Use Scarcity to Influence Customer Decisions Shep Hyken interviews Mindy Weinstein, author of The Power of Scarcity: Leveraging Urgency and Demand to Influence Customer Decisions. She talks about the four types of scarcity and how businesses can use them to create community, loyalty, and excitement around their brand. Top Takeaways:    ·      When an organization makes customers feel special by getting something that appears to be hard to get, they endear customers to the company and make them feel connected to the brand.   ·      Our brains are wired in a certain way to react to scarcity. Businesses can use this in a positive way to emphasize value and communicate how working with them through their products or services is in their customers' best interest.   ·      Most people think of scarcity as FOMO(fear of missing out), but it is so much more than that. There are four types of scarcity:   1.    Time-related scarcity - when products or services are available for only a set amount of time. 2.    Supply-related scarcity - when a limited number of products are available or when companies want to create a feeling of exclusivity or uniqueness. 3.    Demand-related scarcity - when customers are excited and want to make sure they can purchase a product before it is gone. 4.    Limited edition – when there is a special or rare version of a product that customers love to collect.   ·      When companies create a scarcity mindset and communicate it well to their customers, it creates a sense of control where the customer feels they have the power to decide when and why they want to buy.   ·      When companies create a mindset of scarcity with products that customers enjoy (for example, limited edition sports or movie memorabilia), they show that they truly know their customers and how to engage with them.   ·      Plus, Shep and Mindy talk about how successful companies use the scarcity mindset to create amazing customer experiences. Tune in! Quote: "Scarcity creates community. When done right, incorporating scarcity can help brands create loyalty, excitement, and bond with their customers."   About:   Mindy Weinstein is the author of The Power of Scarcity: Leveraging Urgency and Demand to Influence Customer Decisions. She is a marketing instructor at Grand Canyon University and a program leader for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia Business School. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patient Experience Best Practices That Every Business Must Do Shep Hyken interviews Jennifer FitzPatrick, founder of Jenerations Health Education and author of Reimagining Customer Service in Healthcare: Boost Loyalty, Profits, and Outcomes. She talks about how organizations can de-escalate complaints, reduce malpractice claims, and promote better healthcare outcomes by improving patient experience. Top Takeaways:  We go to healthcare providers to address a big problem; our health. Some healthcare practitioners know how to treat symptoms and illnesses; however, they are falling short of making the patients feel like they are human beings with respect and dignity. When patients receive great customer service from their healthcare providers, not only do they provide better reviews, fewer complaints, and malpractice claims, but they also have better clinical outcomes. Patients are not just comparing their healthcare providers with other healthcare providers. They compare their experiences in the healthcare world with the best customer service they received from anyone in other industries. Healthcare must recognize younger generations of employees (GenZ and Millennials) are expressing themselves differently than GenX or Boomers. Instead of focusing on external factors like the color of someone's hair or whether they have tattoos or piercings, identify the top qualities that truly matter to your patient's care. Are they compassionate, intelligent, kind, and reliable? Nobody wants to engage with the healthcare system. On a pain scale of zero to 10, most patients come in because they are at a seven or higher. Find ways to make the experience less painful for them, like setting the right expectations, providing updates, and not making them repeat the same information over and over again when it is not necessary. Plus, Shep and Jennifer discuss what is more important in choosing a healthcare provider, expertise or bedside manner. Tune in! Quote: "Train your people to do the right thing for your patients or customers, don't assume they know. Make sure that anybody who comes into contact with the patient and the patient's family members, from doctors to billing and housekeeping, are properly trained on customer service." About:  Jennifer L. FitzPatrick is the author of Reimagining Customer Service in Healthcare. As the founder of Jenerations Health Education, Jennifer helps organizations develop happier healthcare customers. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Organizations Can Reconnect with the Human Side of Their Business Shep Hyken interviews John Sills, Managing Partner at The Foundation, a customer-led growth consultancy. He is the author of The Human Experience: How to Make Life Better for Your Customers and Create a More Successful Organization. He talks about the three myths hindering organizations from connecting with their customers and providing an emotional, human experience. Top Takeaways:  Over the last 20 years, organizations have been busy improving the functional experience (doing more things, faster, and cheaper than ever before) at the expense of the emotional, human experience. In his book, The Human Experience, John Sills shares the three myths that create poor customer service. Myth #1. The Myth of Customer Feedback. There's never been more data coming into organizations through surveys. The danger of this myth is that the amount of feedback convinces leaders that they are doing what matters to customers, but what they actually have is their customers' opinions about their business. Leaders need reconnect with customers and learn about what matters in their lives. This is how businesses can truly be useful to customers. Myth #2. The Myth of Customer Loyalty. Customers are only loyal to companies as long as they stay useful. If a more useful alternative comes along, customers are going to leave. This myth is a problem because once organizations believe that customers are loyal, they stop trying. They start taking their customers for granted. Myth #3. The Myth of Return on Investment. You have to change the mindset that good customer service is going to make you money. The mindset should be that a good customer experience is more efficient and cheaper to execute while a bad customer experience is really expensive to provide. There are two types of efficiency in customer support/contact center. The first one is about taking the maximum number of calls per hour. The second one is getting it right the first time, regardless of how long it takes. Plus, John shares how a Swiss Rail train breaking down has led to one of the best customer experiences he has ever received. Tune in! Quote: "The world is a better place when organizations are making things better for customers." About:  John Sills is Managing Partner at the customer-led growth company, The Foundation, where he works with organizations across the world. His first book, The Human Experience: How to make life better for your customers and create a more successful organization, is now available. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delivering an Amazing Customer Experience through Seamless Self-Service and Human Interactions Shep Hyken interviews Eric Melchor, Partnerships & Personalization Ambassador at OptiMonk, a company that helps brands improve their customers' shopping experience through personalization. He talks about how personalization can help businesses increase sales and nurture loyal customers. Top Takeaways:  Personalization is the new CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization). When done right, it is a game changer for businesses to get customers to perform a desired action, whether it is clicking a link, filling out a form, or buying a product. A study by Epsilon indicates that 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences. How does personalization impact the bottom line? Better return on ad spend. Personalization can help you get a better return on investment if you are doing paid ads. Personalization can decrease cart abandonment. Personalization helps you grow your email list faster. A personalized experience increases your average order value. When a customer adds something to their cart but doesn't make a purchase, provide a quick survey to find out what prevented them from buying. You will get so many insights about the obstacles your customers face in their journey that will help you create a personalized experience for them.  Plus, Eric shares his easiest, simplest, and most cost-effective suggestion for getting a website to become more personalized. Tune in! Quote: "Personalization used to cost a lot. But now, businesses have access to tools and applications to create personalized messages for each customer segment that does not require coding or a big IT team." About:  Eric Melchor is the Partnerships & Personalization Ambassador at OptiMonk. He is the host of Innovators Can Laugh, a podcast where he interviews European startups. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delivering Amazing Customer Experiences through Seamless Self-Service and Human Interactions Shep Hyken interviews Declan Ivory, Vice President of Customer Support at Intercom, dedicated to applying digital technologies to empower customer support teams. He discusses the technology available to drive meaningful change and innovation for customer experience. Top Takeaways:  Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) bring significant innovations that can truly transform customer service and experience. We now have technology that companies can apply quickly and cost-effectively to deliver the transformational experience customers have expected from the support industry for a long time. Technology can now deliver a conversational feel to the customer’s interaction with a chatbot. Customer information is now integrated, so chatbots have the same access as human support agents. And often, they can better understand the context of what the customer is contacting them about.  Transitioning from automated to human support needs to be seamless. The customer should have to repeat everything they just said. This personalization and convenience make the customer feel valued throughout the interaction. Most customer support experiences are reactive. Support agents usually respond to the customer’s issues or questions. However, customer expectations have evolved so that a compelling experience is one where customer support doesn't wait for something to go wrong; they can predict an issue before it happens and proactively start the conversation with the customer to solve the problem before the customer ever knows about it.  An omnichannel experience is about enabling the customer to engage with you on any channel that makes sense to them. The important thing about this experience is meeting them where they are and demonstrating that you value and understand the customer in every channel they use. Plus, Shep and Declan discuss how technology has evolved in the customer support world- from clumsy and clunky to a seamless experience. Tune in! Quote: "The future is automation and human support. You need the knowledge and understanding that a human support agent brings to handle complex issues. And, you want self-service to be available to quickly handle the more simple transactions.” About:  Declan Ivory is Intercom’s Vice President of Customer Support. He is an experienced senior leader with a passion for building and developing high-performing teams and applying digital technologies to support organizations. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cultivating Customer Relationships through the Art of Active Listening Shep Hyken interviews Heather Younger, Founder & CEO of Employee Fanatix and author of The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood. She talks about creating a culture of listening to ensure customers feel heard, valued, and understood. Top Takeaways:   ·      Failing to listen to the customer communicates apathy and rudeness. It tells the customer that you do not care enough to engage.   ·      Heather Younger shares her 5-step framework on how to listen better:   1. Recognize the unsaid. Look at the nonverbal cues. Listen for pauses and voice inflections. Sense what is happening in the environment. If you don't recognize what your customers are not telling you, you leave blind spots that hinder you from fruitful listening.   2. Seek to understand. The main focus should be service. Give your customers the undivided attention required to be on the same page. Use techniques like paraphrasing so that the customers know that their verbal and nonverbal message is received properly.   3. Decode. Pause and reflect. If we respond too quickly, we often don't solve the problem that needs solving. Responding too quickly often creates a bigger issue than before because we didn't take the time to investigate, research, or involve a bigger team.   4. Act. Figure out what solutions the customer is looking for, act quickly, and keep your promises if you cannot deliver the solution right away.   5. Close the loop. Thank the customer for their feedback, then let them know what actions you took or are going to take. This lets the customer know that they are more than just a number. It also builds trust.   ·      Plus, Heather shares the biggest barriers to listening that customer service employees are experiencing. Tune in! Quote: "When you keep your promises to your customers, they feel valued, heard, and understood."   About:   Heather Younger is a keynote speaker, a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist, Founder & CEO of Employee Fanatix, and a bestselling author. Learn more about her new book, The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five Steps to Delivering an Exceptional Customer Service Shep Hyken interviews Katie Mares, a brand experience expert and the author of CustomHer Experience: The Importance of Tailoring Your Brand Experience to the Female Consumer. She talks about how each touchpoint in a customer's journey impacts their perception of your business and how you can create moments that elevate their experience. Top Takeaways:   ·      In this episode of Amazing Business Radio, Katie Mares shares the five steps to executing a 5-star experience. 1. Understand that what you say and how you say it matters. Choose words that elevate the experience. Speak to your customers in a way that is engaging and sincere. 2. Use your customer's name. Dale Carnegie said, “A person's name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Saying their name is a simple first step in connecting with your customers.  3. Show your genuine interest. The customer keeps your business going and helps you live the life that you have by paying for your goods and services. Show up and show genuine interest to every customer. 4. Be anticipatory and deliver the “plus one.” Use the nuggets of information that you have about your customers to elevate their experience. It does not have to be something big or expensive. It can be a little extra effort that levels up the experience.  5. Be a hero. Service recovery should be part of the experience. We're human, and we’re going to drop the ball. Consider a complaint or problem an opportunity to create an even better experience. ·      Plus, Katie combines science and her business knowledge to explain how men and women differ when it comes to how they perceive their experiences as well as how they communicate and want to be communicated with. Tune in! Quote: “A transactional experience is very utilitarian. It is focused on the facts and the practical aspects of the customer relationship. An interactional experience goes beyond that. It is focused on emotional shift that creates trust that leads to the purchase and the loyalty after that.”     About:   Katie Mares is a brand experience expert and the author of CustomHer Experience: The Importance of Tailoring Your Brand Experience to the Female Consumer. She is the Chief Inspiration Officer at Katie Mares, where she helps brands design experiences for their customers. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Including the Customer in Design, Decision Making, and Expansion Shep Hyken interviews Michelle MacCarthy, Global Head of Customer Success at Unit4. She talks about utilizing feedback to improve customer satisfaction and lead company success. Top Takeaways:   ·      Human-centric CX design is all about communicating with customers, and this goes beyond a one-off survey. It is about regularly speaking with customers directly to deeply understand the customer. It is uncovering where they're benefiting from your product and identifying barriers or pain points that they are experiencing.  ·      Bringing engaged customers who are utilizing your products and services into the design process can help shape great outcomes for your company.   ·      New technology will not replace the human-to-human relationship. Companies must shift the contact center agents’ responsibilities to allow them to be more productive and continue to elevate CX.   ·      Anytime you digitize an experience or introduce new technology, ensure you have the basic tools your customers need to easily find what they need, like a good knowledge base on your website, FAQs, or video tutorials.   ·      Customer-led growth is about inspiring loyalty, building trust, and raising the game around customer satisfaction.   ·      Plus, Michelle weighs in on ChatGPT and how it will impact customer experience. Tune in! Quote: "Customer experience is something that's owned by everyone in the organization. Regardless of role, having a truly customer-centric culture will help fuel better employee retention." About:   Michelle MacCarthy is the Global Head of Customer Success at Unit4. She leads the company's customer experience strategy transformation and customer success evolution. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Intersection Between Marketing and CX Shep Hyken interviews Christoph Trappe, a digital and content marketer and the author of Is Marketing A Good Career? He talks about how marketing can support customer experience and success teams to ensure the brand story resonates with customers throughout their journey. Top Takeaways:   ·      Customer experience, including customer service, is marketing. Create an experience that gests people to say, "I’ll be back," and makes them want to share it with others.   ·      Understand what your customers want and deliver consistently. Customers usually have many options. When your product is available in other places, customer experience becomes the differentiator that determines if your customers continue to do business with you or move on to your competitors.   ·      Every company has a story - what they are about, how they work, and what kind of experience their customers can expect of them. Marketing must tell that story to the customer support team so everybody in the company can embody that story.   ·      The frontline customer service and sales reps dealing directly with your customers are part of your marketing department.   ·      Your best marketing campaign comes from customers who have had an experience with your business and tell people about it.   ·      Social media managers are more involved in customer service now than they used to be in years past. Make sure your brand's story is shared with your social media team – and everyone else in the company.   ·       Plus, Christophe (content marketer) and Shep (customer service and experience expert) each share their definition of what a brand is. Tune in!  Quote: "Marketing is not just about getting people in the door. Marketing is about supporting customer experience and success."     About:   Christoph Trappe is the Director of Content Strategy at Voxpopme. He is a digital and content marketer and author. His latest book, Is Marketing A Good Career?, is now available on Amazon. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Striking the Balance Between Personalization and Privacy to Best Serve Your Customers Shep Hyken interviews Bill Bruno, CEO of D4t4 Solutions, a company that helps brands provide the most value for their customers using their data. He talks about responsibly utilizing customer data to provide a personalized customer experience without compromising trust. Top Takeaways:   ·      Customers have different levels of tolerance when sharing their information with brands. Some customers are willing to share everything with a brand, some refuse to share anything at all, and there are those that fall in between. This range makes up the different data personas.   ·      Using customer data is an opportunity for brands to create an excellent customer experience, whether it is for preventing fraud, marketing, or enhancing personalization.   ·      Because customers have different levels of willingness to share their data, there is no all-in-one solution when it comes to marketing or providing personalized service. It is up to the brands to invest in and design experiences based on what they know about each segment of their customers.   ·      Customer trust is important. Customers need to know that when they share their data, it will be kept safe and used to create a better experience for them.   ·      The challenge for companies, in B2B or B2C, is to use data in such a way that endears the brand to the customers. You must create trust and let your customers understand the value of sharing their data with you.   ·      Some customers are unwilling to share their personal data with brands, but there is still an opportunity to create a personalized experience. You can personalize the journey based on context. Pay attention to what the customer is viewing, downloading, or purchasing at the moment.   ·      Plus, Bill discusses the technologies used to capture data and what it means to brands and customers. Tune in!  Quote: "If brands use data to protect their customers and give them value, they will be more willing to share their data because they can see how it helps them."     About:   Bill Bruno is the CEO of D4t4 Solutions. He has over 19 years of experience in the media, data, and analytics sectors and has a passion for fostering a culture of innovation while working with brands to drive transformational change. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Know What Your Customers Feel and What to Do With It Shep Hyken interviews Anita Toth, Chief Churn Crusher at Anita Toth Inc, a Voice of the Customer Strategy, Education, and Research firm. She talks about creating an amazing experience at every stage of the customer's journey.  Top Takeaways:   ·      The customer journey is like a romantic relationship. The marketing and sales phase is like dating. It is tactical and fun. When your prospect becomes a customer, you move them into the "marriage" stage, which is non-tactical and requires a different set of skills to maintain.   ·      Customer service must be built into every aspect of the journey. The customer relationship is not a "one-and-done" thing. It continues even after the sale is made. The relationship needs to be maintained to keep the trust going.   ·      After the sale, the customer goes into a "honeymoon" period with your business. This is where the customer finds out if their expectations meet reality or exceed them, or the stage where they find out that they are not getting what they thought they paid for. This is why a great onboarding experience is critical to customer retention.   ·      Customers know the difference. They can feel that they are just a number to a company. They can also feel when a company truly values their business and is committed to ensuring their success.   ·      When you want to learn more about your customers, start with, "Tell me more..." It is a non-threatening way to start a conversation, and it pushes them to give a clearer, more definitive response.   ·      Plus, Anita shares how she helps businesses crush their churn (in three sentences!). Tune in! Quote:  "When customers start to feel like they made the wrong decision to do business with you, changing their mind is like turning a massive ship in the ocean. It takes a lot of effort to make it happen." About:     Anita Toth is the Chief Churn Crusher at Anita Toth Inc. She helps companies increase customer retention by helping them better understand what their customers think, need, and feel. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Utilizing Consumer Feedback to Eliminate Friction and Improve Service Shep Hyken interviews Scot Pickerill, Vice President for Inside Sales, Service, and Sales Operations in the Americas at Fender. He discusses using customer and employee feedback to evaluate and improve customer experience. Top Takeaways:   ·      Continuous improvement means identifying friction points and reaching out to every department involved in the process to develop a plan to correct the issue and keep it from happening in the future.   ·      Look at the entire customer journey to determine the possible friction points and proactively make it better behind the scenes to create a seamless customer experience.   ·      Make a note of the issues that happen often. Document them, and determine if they are an anomaly or brewing bigger issues. Proactively share what you have learned with everyone in the company.   ·      Treat your customers as partners. If you partner with them by helping them, you are not just selling them a product. You are helping them succeed.   ·      Reach out to customers who leave a negative comment, ask them about what happened, and let them know what you can do for them. You will often end up with a happy customer that will potentially come back and do more business with you.   ·      Plus, Scot shares how buying behaviors have changed in the last couple of years and how businesses can design their strategy to meet customer expectations. Tune in! Quote: "It's one thing to listen to customers. It's another thing to take action. We're all about doing both."   About:   Scot Pickerill is the Vice President of Americas Inside Sales, Service, and Sales Operations for Fender. He previously worked with Fortune 500 companies, including Allstate Insurance Co., Bank of America, and American Express. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Investment in CX is Even More Important This Year Shep Hyken interviews Josh Wheeler, Strategic Director for Reuters Events Customer Service & Experience. He shares findings from the 2023 State of Experience & Service Report and what businesses should prioritize in CX and EX to remain competitive. Top Takeaways:  ·      Learn from outside of your industry. You will commoditize what you offer if you only learn the best practices and strategies within your industry. If you learn from the best across all industries, you can go from being the best in the industry to becoming world-class.   ·      Your customers don't compare you to your direct competitors. They are comparing you to the best experience they receive from anywhere, from any type of company, and bringing those insights back to what's happening with their relationship with your business. For example, they compare the convenience of online e-commerce companies with their healthcare provider and expect the same quality of experience.   ·      According to the State of Experience & Service Report, here are the most important customer-centric objectives for 2023:   1.    Analyzing and using customer feedback. 42% of respondents see “translating insights into action” as their biggest concern when it comes to data management.   2.    Improving the quality of customer support experiences.   3.    Creating frictionless experiences, especially across different channels. Take every opportunity to remove friction. The easier company to do business with is going to win.   ·      Meet your customers where they are. Communicate with them using the channels that they prefer. For example, if your customers are from older generations who prefer to use the phone over other channels, going fully digital will have a negative impact on customer experience and loyalty. Companies need to teach their customers the easiest and most frictionless way to get the answers they're looking for.   ·      Plus, Josh shares more stats and insights from the 2023 State of Experience & Service Report, including how perks and compensation ranked in what makes employees happy. Tune in!  Quote: "Your customers aren't confined to one industry. They interact with dozens of organizations and will compare their best experiences in any industry to their experiences with you."   About:   Josh Wheeler is the Strategic Director for Reuters Events Customer Service & Experience portfolio. He leads the end-to-end development and production of in-person conferences, virtual events, and thought leadership content for customer service & experience professionals across North America.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delivering Personalized Support with Technology  Shep Hyken interviews Paulo Almeida, CEO & Co-Founder of Clientscape, a company that helps support agents seamlessly manage customer interactions across multiple channels. He talks about how companies can adapt to changing customer expectations by leveraging data and analytics.  Top Takeaways:   ·      The optimal response time to a customer asking for support has more to do with the problem they are trying to solve than the channel they are using to reach out with.   ·      Some industries require a faster response time than others. For example, in the transportation industry, there is more urgency because the issues customers are trying to solve (such as changing a flight) may need to be resolved in minutes, not hours.  These industries require larger, highly scalable teams to meet the customer's needs.   ·      Text-based communication is an efficient way to manage a large influx of customer support requests. An agent on the phone can only handle one customer at a time, while a text messaging operator can multitask between multiple customer requests. Messaging capabilities alongside a phone option are a cost-effective and convenient way to manage customer issues.   ·      When you have efficient digital channels such as text messaging, chatbots, and social media, you can teach customers to use these options whenever they need to get in touch with your company. When they realize they won’t have to wait through hold times or repeat their story every time they talk to a new agent, they will see these channels as value-added options, not as a deflection method.   ·      An excellent customer experience contributes to having the best product experience, which gives a company pricing power. When you take away from the quality of customer experience, you may no longer be perceived as having the best product. The result could mean lost customers.   ·      Personalized customer support is a mix of doing and listening. Empower support agents by giving them access to data and analytics that can help them better understand customer needs and deliver a personalized experience. Then, collect feedback to ensure that the information you hold is relevant and identify areas where you can do better.   ·      Plus, Paulo shares what cutting costs without affecting customer satisfaction or service delivery should look like. Tune in! Quote: “Don't cut down on the investments that give your customers the care they deserve."     About:   Paulo Almeida is the CEO & Co-Founder of Clientscape. He has an extensive background in IT, Marketing, and Advertising. He previously worked with multinational companies such as Vodafone, Siemens, and Google. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Customer Experience Drives Business Growth  Shep Hyken interviews Keith Meier, Chief Operating Officer at Assurant, Inc., an organization that works with companies that manufacture, sell, or finance their customers' major purchases. He shares how providing customers with a great experience in every support channel they use is crucial to business growth. Top Takeaways:  ·      Customers want digital self-service options for transactional or routine issues and services. But for more challenging concerns, most customers still prefer to contact somebody through the phone.   ·      Some companies force customers to use digital options by creating a difficult and unpleasant experience on the phone, such as extremely long hold times. Instead of creating friction and forcing customers, teach them how to use the digital experience and prove it is a quicker, faster, and more efficient option.   ·      Create a good digital experience that customers love using. Make sure it is intuitive, easy to understand, and able to deliver solutions faster and easier than making a call, waiting on hold, going through the “authentication” process, and more.   ·      Most customers start with a digital experience. When they decide to call customer support, they often go to the website to get the company's phone number. That is a digital experience. That is also an opportunity to suggest an easy self-service option. If you lead the customer down the path of self-service and there are problems, make it easy for them to find a number and transition from the digital channel to the human channel.   ·      Get to know your company's customer experience through a journey mapping exercise. Fix friction points, understand what your customers want, and do it repeatedly.   ·      Plus, Keith shares the challenges companies are facing that prevent them from delivering an amazing experience. Tune in! Quote: "Digital experiences will not replace all customer service channels, but it will become a bigger percentage of how consumers get service."   About:  Keith Meier is the Chief Operating Officer at Assurant Inc. As COO, he leads Assurant's global operations focusing on digital technology and operations that deliver exceptional customer experience. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Putting the Human Experience First as a Business Strategy Shep Hyken interviews Carla Guzzetti, Senior Vice President for Experience and Product Messaging at Extreme Networks. She shares how companies can design a better experience, in B2B and B2C industries, by focusing on the individual needs of their customers and employees.  Top Takeaways:    ·      Diversity is key to delivering a quality customer experience. Your customers come from various backgrounds, cultures, and pain points. The companies' responsibility is to match the differences by building localization (understanding what their customers need) into their strategy, communication, and overall experience.   ·      Whether you are in the B2B or B2C space, think of the end consumer. The customers using the products must have an experience that feels customized, localized, and meaningful.   ·      When investing in new technology, the top consideration for businesses must be to make customers feel like they are being cared for. Innovation doesn't need to be sexy. It needs to address a need. Often, simple innovations such as making billing more scalable or the capability to understand your customers' needs based on their previous purchases and interactions can be more impactful to their overall experience.   ·      Employees and customers are the same people. A business can only be successful if their needs are addressed appropriately. Employees must be empowered, and customers should feel like they are being cared for.   ·      The product that you have should make your customers' lives better. But the experience you deliver should make doing business with you better than your competition.   ·      There is no B2B in CX. No matter what industry your company is in, in the end, you are still dealing with human beings and should have the human experience in mind. Your B2B clients will still compare you to the best experience they have had with their favorite brands from any industry.   ·      Plus, Shep and Carla talk about how innovation can sometimes cause difficulties for employees and how businesses can support them when taking on new technology. Tune in! Quote: "Are we innovating technology just for the sake of innovation? Or are we innovating technology to create a better human condition? Brands should focus on innovation that improves customer experience and enhances their ability to connect."   About:    Carla Guzzetti leads the in-product design, user research, user enablement, and product marketing for Extreme Networks as the Senior Vice President, Experience and Product Messaging. She believes in creating meaningful experiences for Extreme Networks' buyers and end users.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moving Customer Complaints from Frustration to Satisfaction Shep Hyken interviews Janelle Barlow, award-winning customer service and experience speaker, consultant, and author of A Complaint Is a Gift: How to Learn from Critical Feedback and Recover Customer Loyalty. She shares how to empathetically transform a customer's complaint into a positive and memorable experience.  Top Takeaways:    · Janelle shares these findings from the 2020 National Customer Rage Study (followed by our commentary): 2/3 of people have a product or a service failure across their lifetime. Most customers who have had a negative experience do not tell the company directly. They either internalize it, affecting their decision to do more business with the brand, or they broadcast it to their friends across social media channels. You don't just want to resolve a complaint. You want to find out the reasons behind the complaint and operationalize around it, so it does not happen again. 58% of customers feel they were dissatisfied with how their complaint was handled. It's not just about fixing the problem. It is how you fixed the problem. You have to create that feeling of engagement and connection that nurtures customer loyalty.   65% of customers who are complaining left filled with rage. When customers have feelings of rage, they often express it by yelling, swearing, or saying, "I'm never going to come back to you again." 47% of customers with a negative experience with a company post reviews online. Negative reviews, posted out of anger, is a customer seeking revenge. They don't always post it on review sites. Most of the time, they post it on social media sites.   · Handling complaints is a mindset. Leaders and managers must understand that people do not naturally know how to handle complaints. Most of us learn how to handle complaints from our families (for example, fighting with our siblings or complaining to our parents) and develop "go-to responses" or defense mechanisms that we then use when dealing with customers.   · If you have the mindset that a complaint is a gift, you begin with a statement of gratitude. One of the most common communication chains is the "thank you - you're welcome" exchange. When you thank the customer for letting you know there is a problem, you can mitigate the anger and start the resolution from a better place.   · When employees feel supported by companies in terms of complaint resolution, they are happier and more effective. They don't have to feel defensive or argue with customers. They know that all they have to do is ensure that customers walk away feeling happy and satisfied.   · Plus, Janelle shares some guidelines to follow when responding to online feedback, both positive and negative. Tune in!  Quote: "Handling a customer's emotional satisfaction is as important as resolving the complaint. You can handle the customer’s problem, but if they feel that they were treated poorly in the process, they still walk away feeling dissatisfied."    About: Janelle Barlow is a customer service and experience expert, trainer, consultant, and best-selling author. The latest edition of her book, A Complaint Is a Gift: How to Learn from Critical Feedback and Recover Customer Loyalty, is available now. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using Conversational Data to Enhance the Customer Experience   Shep Hyken interviews Amy Brown, founder and CEO of Authenticx, a software that listens, analyzes, and activates customer voices at scale. She shares findings from Authenticx's Customer Voices Report and how organizations can use data to drive customer experience strategies. Top Takeaways:   ·      Customers want to be empathized with and understood by the brands they interact and do business with.   ·      Customer centricity means taking intentional steps to listen to what your customer needs and having everyone, at all levels in the organization, committed to delivering on them.   ·      Typically, the customers who answer surveys are either very angry or very happy with your organization. However, this leaves out customers who are in the middle or think their experience is only satisfactory. When companies don't learn from this segment of their customers, they often lose them once a competitor that does it better comes along.   ·      The value of listening to customers is that it teaches organizations the points of friction in their processes and identifies their competitive differentiators. It shows them the problem spots they need to pay attention and what drives negative sentiment. And it helps brands determine their value propositions using the words of their customers.   ·      When you hear good feedback and read positive testimonials, put that data into your process so that all your customers can have the same amazing experience.   ·      Frontline workers are a great resource when it comes to what customers are saying about your company and their experience. Train them to listen for customer insights, take notes, and share with everyone in the organization.   ·      Listen to your employees, too, not just your customers. Leaders must be listening for employee engagement and burnout. Turn positive and negative conversational data into actionable strategies that support your employees.   ·      Plus, Amy shares what The Eddy Effect™ is and what it means to customer experience. Tune in!  Quote: "Customer-centric organizations believe that listening to and understanding what their customers want is vital to their ability to thrive as a business."   About:   Amy Brown is the founder and CEO of Authenticx. As an executive with 20 years of experience in healthcare, she founded Authenticx to bring the authentic voice of the patient into the boardroom and increase positive healthcare outcomes.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Customer Experience, Speed Equals Caring Shep Hyken interviews Jay Baer, customer experience and marketing expert. He shares his findings from his new study, The Time to Win, and insights on how speed impacts customer experience and revenue.  Top Takeaways:    ·      Time is the only inelastic resource. Time is the only thing everyone shares equally, regardless of who they are. We all have 1440 minutes a day, and there's nothing we can do to get more.   ·      If you are slower than your customers expect and anticipate, they will feel like you are stealing time from them. And if you are faster than your customers expect and anticipate, they feel like you have given them the gift of time.   ·      The concept of “The Right Now” means the optimal amount of elapsed time in every customer interaction throughout the entire journey. "The Right Now" is slightly faster than customers expect.   ·      Jay Baer shares some important customer experience findings from his research, The Time to Win:   o  There is a correlation between responsiveness and revenue. Two-thirds of customers say that speed is as important as the price. Customers are willing to pay more if it's faster.   o  Customers would pay up to 50% more if they never had to wait. For example, customers pay more for Disney’s Fast Pass/ Lightning Lane to skip the line at Disneyland.   o  53% of American consumers have chosen a business that responded to them first, even if they were not the least expensive.   o  Gen Z is the most patient generation. Baby Boomers are the least patient generation.   ·      Plus, Jay shares strategies to create better speed for our customers. Tune in! Quotes:   “Speed is the most important component of customer experience and the only one that never pauses or goes backward. Customers' expectations for speed and responsiveness escalate every year without fail.” About:   Jay Baer is a customer experience and marketing expert.  He is the author of six best-selling books, including, Youtility, Hug Your Haters, and Talk Triggers. His new study, The Time to Win, measures the impact of speed and responsiveness to customer experience and loyalty. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding Your Customers Using Quantitative and Qualitative Data Shep Hyken interviews Lesley Mottla, Chief Product & Experience Officer at ButcherBox, a subscription business that delivers meat and seafood to its members. She shares how to get teams across your organization to buy into a culture of member and customer obsession. Top Takeaways:   ·      Customer experience is crucial in a membership business model. The focus is on renewal. You want to maintain the relationship to keep your customers.   ·      To be member (customer) obsessed, you have to have a deep understanding of the customer and their experience.   ·       Invest in listening to your customers. Collect feedback at each point of their journey. Ask them how they perceive your products and services.   ·      Use good data and feedback to create a more positive experience. You can rely on more than one source of information to get the right feedback. Learn about your customers' experiences through feedback, Net Promoter Score, member satisfaction score, diary study, and more.   ·      Understand the different segments of customers that are doing business with you. Know what they want and what they are expecting from you. Use this information to create personalized experiences that will help them get the best outcomes when using your products.   ·      Tell your customers' stories. Paint a picture of what your customers experience and regularly share it with everyone in the company. It is important that everyone in the company, from the CEO to the frontline, buy in to a culture of customer obsession.   ·      Plus, Lesley shares how you can get the CFO to invest in customer obsession. Tune in! Quote: "The way we show how member obsessed we are is by using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data to figure out where the opportunities are to improve our customers' overall experience."     About:   Lesley Mottla is the Chief Product & Experience Officer at ButcherBox. She is a speaker, coach, and board advisor who is passionate about understanding consumer behavior using data and technology. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building a Customer-centric Culture From the Frontlines to the C-suite   Shep Hyken interviews Diane Hopkins, Certified Experience Economy Expert, CEO of ExPeers Consulting, and author of Unleashing the Chief Moment Officers and It's Hard to be Easy. She shares how to leverage the insights of your frontline staff to design customer experiences and create a customer-centric culture.     Top Takeaways:   When employees interact with customers, they have the great responsibility to represent the entire organization. They should be empowered to answer questions and help customers in a way that motivates the customers to come back. In that interaction, they become the Chief Moment Officer.    When we hire good people and train them to do what they are supposed to, they become empowered to make good decisions for the customers, fellow employees, and the company.    Employees in the frontline have unique knowledge about their customers that comes from constant first-hand interactions. Companies should have systems in place to leverage that knowledge so that everyone, from the frontlines to the boardroom, is headed in the same direction in terms of their customer experience culture.    The company's leadership needs to be aligned with its customer experience goals. Once leaders have figured out the desired success, it is time to invest in training tools like storytelling to facilitate real change in behavior toward customer-centricity.    Create a one-sentence motto that expresses your vision for customer experience. Make it short and simple so that everybody can remember it and it is easy to train for it. It needs to be intuitive to eventually become "just the way we do business." For example, Ritz-Carlton's motto is "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen."    To build a customer-centric culture, look at what is, what if, what wows, and what works.     What is - What is the current state of our company's culture?   What if - What could we fix that is out of line?   What wows - How can we use innovative techniques and tools to push our goals?   What works - What can we afford? What is legal?    Customers pay the bills. Without customers, there is no company. However, companies still neglect to remove friction points that make it difficult for customers to stay as customers. Most of the time, these friction points, such as making it hard for customers to find a phone number on the website or making customers re-do things unnecessarily, have simple solutions.    Plus, Shep and Diane share exercises you can do with your team to figure out what you are doing that prevents your customers from having a frictionless experience. Tune in!  Quote:   "If your frontline staff doesn't see the company's vision, doesn't feel like their insights matter, or know that their leadership values them, aligned behaviors towards customer-centricity won't happen."  About:   Diane S. Hopkins is a Certified Experience Economy Expert, healthcare strategy consultant, and author of Unleashing the Chief Moment Officers and It's Hard to be Easy. She co-authored Advice from a Patient and Wake Up and Smell the Innovation.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Amazing Experiences that Make Customers Come Back (Again and Again)  Shep Hyken interviews Dominic Constandi, client services and customer success leader and Chief Customer Officer at ZoomInfo. He shares what customer service professionals can learn from their own experiences and use to create lasting value at every point of their customer's journey.  Top Takeaways:  The first impression is not necessarily the first time you meet somebody or do business with a company. It's what sets the tone for what's to follow. The last impression is what you remember that hopefully brings you back.    The Moments of Truth concept goes all the way back to the 1980’s when Jan Carlzon, former president of Scandinavian Airlines, came up with the idea to help his employees create a better customer experience. He defined it as whenever a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, they have an opportunity to form an impression. That impression can make or break the experience.    First impressions are Moments of Truth that set the tone for the customer's journey. For example:    Hotels spend a lot of money on their lobbies to create a great first impression. They spend resources to train staff on how to make customers feel welcome the moment they walk in.    How a salesperson answers the first few questions a customer has often determines if they would do business with that company or not.    There is a window of opportunity when customers are ready to purchase a product or invest in a service. It is up to the companies to use data to know the who, what, and when. Who are we talking to? With what message? When is the best time to deliver that message?    Customer experience is more important than ever. Customers are more critical, in this economy, in evaluating what's giving them the most value when making purchases and investments.     You have heard of FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. In this episode, Shep and Dominic discuss FUMU, or Fear of Messing Up, and how it affects customer success. Tune in!  Quote:  "Good decisions made from bad data are just bad decisions you don't know about yet."    About:  Dominic Constandi is the Chief Customer Officer at ZoomInfo, overseeing client service that ensures a seamless experience for his customers.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Loyalty through Customer-Obsession Shep Hyken interviews Marbue Brown, an accomplished customer experience executive who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including JP Morgan Chase, Amazon.com, Microsoft Corporation, and Cisco Systems. He is the author of Blueprint for Customer Obsession. He shares what differentiates customer-obsessed companies from the rest and the amazing business results that come with it. Top Takeaways:   ·      There is a distinction between customer-obsessed companies and others. Customer-obsessed companies go to extremes and may do counterintuitive things from the perspective of their customer-focused peers. For example:   o  Costco is known for its extreme return policy that exceeds what other companies in the industry are willing to do. As a result, customers have total confidence that if they buy something from Costco and encounter an issue with the product, they can return it. Costco has over 100 million paid memberships, and its renewal rates are over 90%.   o  Amazon does not take negative reviews down. They leave it up so the customer can make the decision that is right for them.   o  Zappos has the largest selection of shoes, but if they don't have the pair you are looking for, they will direct you to competitor websites to help you find them. As a result, 75% of Zappos sales come from existing customers, and 40% of their new customers come from recommendations.   ·      Customer-obsession creates customer preference. Customer-obsessed companies’ customers are not just casual customers. They think of these companies and brands first.   ·      Customer-obsessed companies have deeply ingrained, pervasive cultures. Their customer service principles are non-negotiable and lived throughout the entire organization.   ·      And does every employee that works at Amazon know the 16 Amazon Leadership Principles? Tune in to find out! Quote: "Customer-obsessed companies know how to give customers what they want before they know they need it. They understand what the inherent needs of the customers are even when they don't articulate it."     About:   Marbue Brown is a customer experience executive, sought-after keynote speaker, and author on CX, business strategy, and economic policy. His latest book, Blueprint for Customer Obsession, is available now on Amazon. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Companies Can Provide Outstanding CX From Sign-Up to Cancellation  Shep Hyken interviews Tony Sternberg, CEO and co-founder at ProsperStack, a platform that helps companies reduce customer churn and increase their lifetime value. He shares how companies can differentiate themselves by providing an excellent customer experience from the beginning to the end of their journey.  Top Takeaways:   Companies put a lot of focus into their onboarding process, but the end of the customer's lifecycle tends to get ignored. What looks like the end is actually a point where you can provide a great experience that retains the customers.    We are in a digital world, and there are plenty of automated opportunities to make customers feel they are personally taken care of. Differentiate yourself from others by utilizing your data to create automated yet scalable experiences for your customers that still have a personalized touch.    Big companies like Netflix and Amazon have the resources to provide a world-class automated experience for their customers. The challenge of small to midsize companies is that they do not have the resources to create that same level of automated process on their own.     Data points, such as how long customers have been doing business with you or how frequently they use your services, determine whether customers will be long-term subscribers/customers or are ready to unsubscribe or churn. These data points can be leveraged to escalate offers or provide incentives to keep them as paying customers.    Customers disproportionately judge their experiences based on how they felt at the peak (whether this is the most positive or negative experience) and at the end of their experience.     The best companies can track their customers' cadence to determine whether they're making the most use of your products and services. Using this information correctly can help keep the customer coming back again and again.      No matter what, end strong and positive. The customer doesn't have to be right but let them be wrong with dignity and respect.  Quotes:   "Customers remember the end of their experience with a company to a higher degree. If you leave a bad taste in their mouth, you not only negatively impact the customer's experience, but also impact what that customer tells their friends and their network."  About:   Tony Sternberg is the CEO and co-founder at ProsperStack, a platform that helps subscription businesses optimize their customer cancellation experience through automation. Prior to ProsperStack, Tony was President at CATS Software, playing key customer-facing, product, and operations roles.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Businesses Should Invest in EX (Employee Experience) as Much as CX Shep Hyken interviews Liza Smyth, senior vice president of customer experience at Formstack, a company that helps organizations create workflows that enhance productivity. She shares how to make your internal and external customers feel seen and heard throughout their entire journey with your brand. Top Takeaways:   ·      A defining moment for the employee or the customer is an event that truly matters to them. Even if they started with a bad experience, at the point you turn it around (the defining moment) is what shapes their perception of you.   ·      Every employee in your organization impacts a customer's overall experience. Employees need to understand how they fit into the customer experience, even if they don't directly interact with them.   ·      When you hire brilliant people but ask them to do menial tasks, they will feel like they are not bringing their best selves to work. They become process-driven instead of utilizing their talents effectively.   ·      When an employee interacts with a customer, the employee doesn’t represent themselves or their department. They represent your entire organization. You have to decide what your company's voice is and what you want your customers to experience when they engage with you. This experience needs to be consistent across the board.   ·      Employees are your biggest assets at the company. Create an environment where there is a sense of belonging, their perspective is valued, and they can be their authentic selves.   ·      Determine your company's "true north metric" (your mission, vision, mantra, etc.) and be sure that every employee understands how they influence it. Allow employees to feel like the job they do matters and that they impact the customers, their colleagues, and the organization.   ·      Formstack's State of Digital Maturity report identified that 51% of surveyed workers report spending at least two hours per day on repetitive tasks, and 72% of employees felt that inefficient processes impacted their job.   ·      Plus, Shep and Liza share how to create an environment of belongingness with employees and colleagues who are outliers of the group. Quote: "A great employee experience delivers a great customer experience."   About:   Liza Smyth is the senior vice president of customer experience at Formstack. She leads customer care for the company's more than 25,000 customers. Before joining Formstack, Smyth worked for top tech companies, including Apple and LinkedIn. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating the Digital Experience That Builds Trust with Your Customers Shep Hyken interviews Tim Hughes, co-Founder and CEO of DLA Ignite, and co-author of Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers. He shares how organizations can establish a strong digital brand identity, share knowledge, and create lasting relationships with their customers through social media platforms. Top Takeaways:   ·      The modern customer is empowered. They now have access to an infinite amount of content at their fingertips. They can look up products and services online before making a purchase. They can look people up on social media before doing business with them.   ·      Like the modern customer, job hunters have changed within the last few years. They are now empowered to evaluate the companies that they want to work for based on what is valuable to them. Through social media, they can see if an organization has the same values as them, whether it is on diversity, inclusion, sustainability, etc.   ·      Social media has become a form of digital theatre for people to see how companies respond to their customers' positive or negative comments.   ·      The three things that brands need to do to excel at social selling and digital CX:   1.    Create a buyer-centric profile that looks good to your customers and positions your organization as the expert that can help them.   2.    Have a wide and varied network that allows you to influence as many people as you can.   3.    Create content that provides your customers with help and advice. Customers respect brands that share knowledge and are helpful to people. Providing informative and easy-to-digest content will get your customers to know, like, and trust you.   ·      Plus, Tim Hughes shares how companies can completely own their brand's narrative through digital dominance. Tune in! Quote: "Your customers are searching for information and assistance online. Your employees need to be empowered on social because that is where your buyers are"   About:   Tim Hughes is the Co-Founder and CEO of DLA Ignite and co-author of the bestselling books, Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers and Smarketing: How to Achieve Competitive Advantage through Blended Sales and Marketing. He is currently ranked Number 1 by Onalytica as the “Most Influential Social Selling Person in the World.”   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Leverage AI to Reduce Customer Experience Gaps Shep Hyken interviews Gadi Shamia, CEO and co-founder of Replicant, a leader in Contact Center Automation. He shares how contact centers can automate the most common customer service calls and empower human agents to focus on empathy and more complex customer issues. Top Takeaways:   ·      When you design your product, you plan for it to work perfectly. Customer service comes when there is a gap between how your product works and the way it was designed. Effective customer service closes the gap quickly and efficiently.   ·      Not every call can be automated. You don't want to automate calls that are highly emotional and complex. An example of this type of call is when a customer is planning their travels with an agent. The agent is involved in an advisory type of discussion, and the flexibility of the human brain is needed when the customer needs to move around different topics.   ·      The calls that can be easily automated are transactional calls where the goal is clear, like rescheduling appointments or requesting roadside assistance. In these types of calls, we can leverage technology to get to a resolution faster.   ·      Wasting time creates friction for the customer. If we can cut down the time it takes from when a customer calls to having their issues resolved successfully, it would significantly improve their experience.   ·      A company must understand the balance between digital experience and human experience. It's fair to push customers to a digital option first as long as a human agent is ready to take on the call as a backup when needed.   ·      Plus, Gadi shares some highlights from Replicant's first Contact Center Automation Benchmark Report and answers the question, Will AI eventually eliminate contact center calls?  Quote: "Often leaders in customer service or CMOs think that when a customer calls, they really want the human touch. But most often what people want is for their issue to go away."   About:   Gadi Shamia is the CEO & Co-Founder at Replicant, a leader in AI-powered contact center automation. They offer a platform that automates issue resolution through phone, text, and chat.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Memories, Experiences, and Patterns Impact Leadership Style Shep Hyken interviews Susan Drumm, CEO & Chief Empowerment Officer of Meritage Leadership Development and the author of The Leader's Playlist: Unleash the Power of Music and Neuroscience to Transform Your Leadership and Your Life. She shares how to use music to improve your leadership style and make the changes that no longer serve you. Top Takeaways:   ·      Our childhood “wounds” show up in the way we lead others. Leaders don't just react based on what is happening at the moment. Some reactions are triggered by old patterns and experiences.   ·      Old memories and experiences are deep-seated patterns that trigger different reactions in different leaders, even when they face a similar situation. These patterns become the leader's "internal playlist."   ·      A leader's internal playlist is the “music” playing in the background. It sets up how leaders see themselves and the world. It shows up in their leadership styles and how they work with their employees.   ·      The leader's playlist affects the employee experience. This playlist, based on past experiences, impacts the way a leader acts toward people (employees), which eventually trickles down to the customer experience.   ·      How you retain and engage your employees, how your company is doing, how you show up for your family, and how you feel about yourself are all symptoms of an underlying playlist of how you view the world.   ·      Plus, Susan Drumm reveals the top song on her internal playlist. Tune in! Quotes: "How music impacts a person is very personal. It is not about the genre of music that you listen to or include in your internal playlist. It is about what emotional state that music puts you in."   About:    Susan Drumm is a keynote speaker, CEO, and Leadership Coach. She is the host of The Enlightened Executive, Chief Empowerment Office of Meritage Leadership Development, and the author of The Leader's Playlist: Unleash the Power of Music and Neuroscience to Transform Your Leadership and Your Life.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Happy Employees Translate Into Happier Customers Shep Hyken interviews Temy Mancusi-Ungaro, Chief Executive Officer of Reachdesk, a global data-driven gifting platform that helps teams send gifts at a large scale and measure their impact. He shares how companies can use gifts to create morale, nurture team connections, and ensure employee retention.   Top Takeaways:   ·      From an employee's onboarding to celebrating work anniversaries, birthdays, and promotions, a meaningful gift is a great way to create morale.   ·      Now that the workplace has undergone a migration where employees have gone partially or fully remote, it has become harder to forge relationships. Personalized and timely gifts are an excellent way for employers to show they care for their employees as humans and that they want to invest in their work experience.   ·      If you are dealing with a hybrid or fully remote workforce, people become disconnected from your company. However, just because they aren't there doesn't mean they want to be disconnected. Something as simple as an inexpensive gift and some company swag can make them feel excited and connected to something bigger.   ·      Personalize gifts… When you receive gifts, the ones you will keep are those that resonate with you. It is all about the meaning behind it that creates a personal connection.   ·      Employees need to feel connected and supported. Gifting is a great way to deliver moments that matter, build a connection, and support your employees.   ·      Plus, Shep shares some of the best corporate gifts that he has received. Tune in! Quote: "In the same way that we use gifts to build relationships for sales, you can use gifts to build relationships within your employees."   About:    Temy Mancusi-Ungaro is the Chief Executive Officer of Reachdesk, the leading global data-driven gifting platform. He has over 20 years of experience scaling SaaS companies and leading customer and employee success.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Link Between Soccer (Football) and Customer Service Shep Hyken interviews Gregorio Uglioni, a customer experience specialist, host of CX Goalkeeper, and author of Customer Experience 4 (CX4). He shares how customer service teams can implement lessons and best practices that organizations can learn from soccer teams and their fans.  Top Takeaways:   ·      Customer service is a team sport where different experts and teams empower and learn from each other to provide an amazing customer experience.   ·      What can customer service teams learn from soccer teams?   o  Turn customers into fans. Fans are emotionally invested and will defend their teams no matter the game's result. When companies provide great experiences, they will earn "fans" who will continuously choose them over their competitors and become brand ambassadors who recommend them to everyone they know.   o  Customer service teams should have one common goal. Each team member has their own role, but they work towards a common goal - winning the match. In customer service, different teams, such as the customer support team, the social media department, and the sales team, have their individual roles. Still, the goal must be unified to win the customer over with an amazing experience.   o  Players must be trained to improvise. During a soccer game, players don't ask permission from their coach before making a move. They are already empowered by their training, strategy, and team support even before stepping into the field. Customer service representatives must have the tools they need, from knowledge bases, coaching, and training to make empowered decisions on how to best serve the customer.   ·      Plus, Gregorio talks about how organizations can create a customer service architecture that can help teams provide a winning experience. Tune in! Quote: "The company, like a team, has two additional sources of feedback. The employees who give positive or negative feedback will help the team grow. Then, fans or customers will give feedback through comments, surveys, and brand loyalty."   About:    Gregorio Uglioni is a Business Transformation, Innovation, and Customer Experience specialist. He shares his expertise on his podcast, CX Goalkeeper, and books, including his latest, Customer Experience 4 (CX4). Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Customer Experience Can Save Businesses in the Current Economy Shep Hyken interviews Mita Bedi, CEO and Co-founder of Resonate Solutions, a customer experience management platform. She shares how customers are rethinking every relationship and how leaders can make a business valuable enough to remain profitable. Top Takeaways:   ·      Delighting your customers adds value to your business because it is hard to replicate.   ·      Customer delight is systematic. It is not just driven by one aspect like fast delivery or a good product. It means that a customer can interact in many ways with any employee or branch of the company and walk out with the intangible feeling that they got more than expected.   ·      90% of customer service people want to do a good job and delight their customers. However, most leaders are not providing them with the right tools to make it happen.   ·      Good leaders will shine in an economy that is short on skill and capital. They know how to manage people and create a better employee experience, which in turn creates a better customer experience.   ·      Customers are rethinking every relationship. Businesses can no longer take a customer for granted because customers are evaluating their discretionary spending and deciding what is important to them.   ·      Plus Mita Bedi shares what customers are talking about during "BBQ conversations." Tune in! Quotes: "Businesses are won and lost at the front line. The customer service person is the one that delights the customer."     About:   Mita Bedi is a customer experience specialist, thought leader, CEO, and Co-founder of Resonate Solutions. With more than 20 years of international experience in business consulting, Mita has been part of leading programs that help drive revenue and competitive advantage using customer strategy. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Use Proactive Communication to Manage Increasing Customer Expectations Shep Hyken interviews Laura Bassett, Vice President of Product Marketing at NICE, a complete platform for delivering an end-to-end customer experience. Bassett shares how customer expectations have changed over the years and how companies can provide amazing customer experiences through proactive communication.  Top Takeaways:   ·      Customers are more demanding than ever because they're learning what excellent service looks like from the best experiences they've had from other companies (not just in your industry). ·      Proactive communication helps both businesses and customers. It will not only help the customers before they ask for help, but it also helps them get more value from the products. It will also help companies retain customers.   ·      How to convert an un-amazing situation into an amazing experience:   o  Walk in your customer's shoes and compare that to what you might expect for your own experience.   o  Make your customer support agents (more) knowledgeable. Help them understand that they don't have to go through a script when it is unnecessary.   o  Empower your agents. Give them the tools, the options, and the information to actually solve the problem.   o  Turn customer support agents into customer service executives who own the experience. Give them their own bot assistants and real-time knowledge bases that they can leverage to solve their customer’s problems.   ·      A NICE survey found that 80% of consumers will start with digital (website, app, Google search, YouTube, etc.) when they have a question, a need, or want to buy something. Quote: "Companies should understand and predict when they can answer a question before customers even realize they have it."   About:   Laura Bassett is the Vice President of Product Marketing at NICE. She has 20+ years of experience in consulting, development, and delivery. Bassett is an outstanding product marketer, gifted speaker, product ambassador, and strategic thinker.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating a Culture that Gets and Retains the Best Employees Shep Hyken interviews Jon Shanahan, co-founder of Businessolver Inc., a benefits administration solution that combines technology and service to help employees get the most value out of their benefits. He discusses creating a culture that delights and retains loyal customers and the best employees. Top Takeaways:  ·      We need to create a culture that people want to work in. Happy employees will focus on engaging more with customers. ·      Employee retention and client retention can drive business growth. You can't get to client delight unless your employees are delighted. If you want to provide a great customer experience, it starts with a great employee experience.   ·      If employees feel like what they contribute to the organization is not recognized in terms of compensation and benefits, they feel like the organization is not empathetic. They think that their leaders are not listening to them.   ·      How the workforce views the value surrounding benefits is evolving. Five years ago, employees considered a good medical program the most important benefit ("I have a good medical program that meets my needs. I have a good dental program"). Employees may now put more value on flexibility ("I have flexibility around my work hours and where I work").   ·      Jon Shanahan also shares the top "always" factors that ensure employee retention.   o  Employees always need to know that they will receive their paycheck. Compensation and benefits always have to happen because if they don't, that is a significant disruption for employees.   o  Employees must know they will always have leaders they can turn to and have honest conversations with.  o  Employees must always have peers that support the same culture. o  The culture of opportunity. If employees don't believe they always have opportunities within the company, they will stay with you for a while, but when a new opportunity comes along, they will leave.   ·      57% of CEOs believe the most significant benefit of an empathetic workplace is faster business growth. Jon shares more stats from the 2022 State of Workplace Empathy Study. Tune in! Quote: "Empathy is your ability to place yourself in someone else's shoes, understand where they're coming from, and create a space to listen to understand."   About:  Jon Shanahan co-founded Businessolver, Inc. in 1998. He wanted to create a benefits administration solution that combined the best in technology and service with a fierce focus on the end-user. Before founding Businessolver, Jon was vice president of consulting services at Holmes Murphy & Associates, a leading national insurance agency. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Engage the “Whole of Business” to Solve Customer Issues Shep Hyken interviews Bill Price, Amazon’s first global vice president of customer service, founder and president of Driva Solutions, and co-author of The Frictionless Organization: Deliver Great Customer Experiences with Less Effort. He shares how organizations can engage the “whole of business” to create a frictionless experience. Top Takeaways:   ·      There are now more channels for customers to contact companies, making it easier than ever for them to do so. But, what most companies aren’t asking is: Why do they need to contact us? Who can address these issues in the organization?   ·      Frictionless is something that often goes unnoticed. It means that everything is going so well that customers don’t need to contact the companies they are doing business with. For the business, it means the contact rate goes down, and the Net Promoter Score and customer loyalty go up.   ·      When customers experience a frictionless experience with another company, they may say something to you, like, “Why aren’t you as easy as Amazon?” or, ‘When I had to return something to Nordstrom, that was really easy, and it’s really hard when I try to return something to you.” Recognize these comments as opportunities to improve and meet your customer’s expectations.   ·      Identifying why customers are contacting you makes it easy for anybody on the receiving end to pick it up, whether in sales, customer service, or an AI bot.   ·      By looking at the frequency and reasons customers contact you, you can figure out the issues that frustrate them the most.   ·      If an issue is frustrating for your customers and solving it is time-consuming and expensive, businesses need to do a root cause analysis and eliminate it from happening. Companies need to figure out how to engage all areas and departments of the business to find the solution. By engaging the “whole of business,” an organization can eliminate the most frustrating and frequent issues its customers face. Quote: “The best service is no service. The best thing to do for our customers is to set up everything so well that they don’t need to contact us for help and support.”   About:   Bill Price was Amazon’s first global vice president of customer service and is the founder and president of Driva Solutions, a consultancy dedicated to creating highly effective customer contact strategies and operations. He is the co-author of The Best Service Is No Service, Your Customer Rules! and The Frictionless Organization: Deliver Great Customer Experiences with Less Effort.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where Sales and Customer Service Meet Shep Hyken interviews Frank Cespedes, a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of six books, including his latest, Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World that Never Stops Changing. He talks about how sales and customer service is changing and how organizations, from the frontlines to the C-suite, can adapt. Top Takeaways:    ·      Service for the majority of companies has been focused on the output of selling. However, those selling efforts are changing; one of the changes is that sales and customer service are increasingly intertwined.   ·      Sales and customer service are very closely combined. Selling with service is all about what we can do to enhance the sales experience and make people say, “I like doing business with this company.”   ·      Customer service people are increasingly involved in selling. Buyers in most industries are now online and offline multiple times throughout the buying journey. They are in contact with the company in numerous ways, not just with the sales team.   ·      The days of the salesperson being an organic, walking, talking version of product and price information are gone. Customers now have access to product information, price, and price comparison in just one or two clicks.   ·      People don’t want to be sold. They want to buy. Once they have decided to buy, they want to make sure they made the right decision. Everything that happens after the sale, which is customer service, is validation that they purchased from the right company, and they have a reason to come back again and again.  Quotes: “You can’t manage a business from a spreadsheet. While you must consider the data, there is no substitute for the experience of  direct customer contact.”   About:   Frank Cespedes teaches at Harvard Business School. He is also the author of six books, including Aligning Strategy and Sales, which was cited as” “the best sales book of the year” by Strategy & Business, “a must-read” by Gartner, and “perhaps the best sales book ever” by Forbes. His newest book is Sales Management That Works: How to Sell in a World That Never Stops Changing. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t Overlook the Value of Emotions Shep Hyken interviews Zhecho Dobrev, leading principal consultant at Beyond Philosophy and author of The Big Miss: How Organizations Overlook the Value of Emotions. He shares how emotions and customer relationships affect buying decisions. Top Takeaways:   ·      Customer loyalty is based on the customer's emotional connection with the company. ·      When you look at typical journey maps, they follow the Customer Infinity Loop. They start with branding, advertising, learning about the organization, getting on board the buying experience, payment, and all the other interactions the customer has with the organization. Nowhere is there a focus on customer relationships.   ·      How much value do relationships have in business? Think about the people you have relationships with in your personal life (your spouse, your kids, your relatives, your close friends). Then, think about what makes those relationships - it's that emotional bond.   ·      How do you get an emotional connection with an eCommerce company or a typical business where you have very little, if any, connection? o  Personalization. Showing that you know customers or personalize things based on the data that you have on them. o  Branding. For example, “Joy” is the core of the BMW branding. They communicate the joy of design, life, progress, and more in their marketing and communications. o  Shared values. Patagonia is all about sustainability in the world, and our customer experience research has shown that consumers are drawn to companies with a cause they're interested in.   ·      Zhecho also shared their findings on the value relationships have in driving business. Tune in!   Quotes: "When deciding whether to continue doing business with a company, you don't base your decision on that moment. You base your decision on your memory with that organization throughout all the time you’ve done business with them."   About:   Zhecho Dobrev is a customer experience and behavior science consultant & trainer at Beyond Philosophy and the author of The Big Miss: How Organizations Overlook the Value of Emotions. For more than 13 years, he has been helping many of the world's most renowned organizations improve their customer experience, including American Express, FedEx, and Caterpillar. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building Human-Centered AI in Customer Service and Experience Shep Hyken interviews Seth Dobrin, IBM's first Global Chief AI Officer, leading the company's corporate AI strategy. He shares how businesses can take a human-centered approach when utilizing AI to help their customers.  Top Takeaways:    ·      What do we mean when we talk about AI for business? It is a technology that understands the language of your business and automates workflows and processes in a trustworthy manner that complies with regulations.   ·      When organizations build AI, they make it to solve a problem, but they don't often think of the humans that are involved until the end. When building AI solutions, we must start with who will use the AI and why. Then, recognize that the person using the AI technology and the person impacted by it may not be the same person.   ·      AI technology can help us eliminate or reduce the human tendency to have biases when we're driving decisions.   ·      Seth also shares how we can understand the problems that our customers, employees, and contractors face and the value AI create for them. Plus, we take a peek at the AI trends that we can expect in the very near future. Tune in! Quote: "During the pandemic, we saw a huge acceleration of organizations, companies, governments, and healthcare entities using AI for customer care. Leveraging AI was able to deflect 90% of the conversation so that the 10% who really needed to speak to a human could."   About:   Dr. Seth Dobrin is IBM's first Global Chief AI Officer. He is recognized as AI Innovator of the Year 2021 at the AIconics Awards and named one of Corinium's Top 100 Leaders in Data & Analytics 2022. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building Customer Relationships After the Deal is Closed Shep Hyken interviews Sam Cummings, award-winning Customer Success Manager, Data Scientist, and co-founder of Data Plant. He shares how companies can empower their teams to provide value, create great experiences, and build customer relationships. Top Takeaways:   ·      What is the difference between customer support and customer success? Customer support is transactional. If a customer is having an issue with a product, the customer support department helps them fix it, and that's it. Customer success is relational. It enables the customer to get the most value from the product over a period of time.   ·      The subscription model has been around for a long time. In the last two decades, it has evolved into a mechanism that is a part of every industry. In a subscription business, companies need to have someone in the organization to maintain the relationship after the deal is closed.   ·      The customer success department ensures that customers get the most value out of a product by teaching them to use the product in a way that they are getting the most benefit. The goal is they keep using the product, they buy more, or they renew their subscription.   ·      It is said that the most abused customer is the "sold customer." Customer success ensures that companies don't just close a deal. They start a relationship with their customers that provides value and great experiences.   ·      The ability for customer success teams to have all of the customer's data (marketing data, product usage, support tickets, etc.) in one place can help them understand the customer's experience and uniqueness, empowering them to have more empathy.   ·      Sam Cummings also answers the question - Can customer success be automated? Tune in. Quote: "Customer success, in a vacuum, is about customer retention. It is about how organizations can motivate customers to keep using their products or services." About:   Samuel Cummings. Co-Founder, Head of Data Science at Data Plant. He has travelled the world, presenting to executives and directors the success stories of applying data science in the customer success domain.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Relationship Between Value, Customer Experience, and Price Shep Hyken interviews Per Sjöfors, aka "The Price Whisperer," Co-founder of Sjöfors & Partners and author of The Price Whisperer - A Holist Approach to Pricing Power. He shares how companies can use pricing to drive higher growth, sales volume, and profits by providing a great customer experience. Top Takeaways:   ·      There is a direct correlation between how much a company can charge a customer and the level of customer experience. ·      How you present your product or service, and your value messages drive customer satisfaction, customer experience, and how much customers are willing to pay.   ·      Any company has profitability based on three variables: total cost, sales volume, and price. Out of the three, price has the highest leverage on profitability.   ·      Pricing drives satisfaction. Often higher prices lead to more satisfied customers than lower prices. Many companies compare themselves to others in their industry and start doing the same. But, if you give a compelling reason why your price is more than theirs, you're going to win customers over.   ·      And Pers talks about the mistakes companies make when pricing affects the customer experience. Check it out! Quote: "A satisfied customer with good experiences is more likely to be willing to pay higher prices than somebody who is dissatisfied (if that customer ever comes back)."   About:   Per Sjöfors, aka "The Price Whisperer," is the Co-founder of Sjöfors & Partners and author of The Price Whisperer. He is a thought leader and author on everything pricing and how companies can use pricing to drive higher growth, sales volume, and profits. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using AI to Enable and Empower Customer Service Agents Shep Hyken interviews Deon Nicholas, CEO and Co-Founder of Forethought, a company that builds human-centered AI to transform the customer service experience. He shares how companies can use AI and technology to help customer support agents and customers find the best resolution.  Top Takeaways:    ·      A lot of people think that AI is all about deflecting customers away from support agents. However, AI is about solving the customer's problem by providing a self-service option, interacting with a bot, or getting that customer to a human.   ·      Human-centered AI is not just about resolving the issue. It is also about being able to recognize when the best thing to do is to get out of the way. Certain problems require human judgment and empathy. Human-centered AI is all about connecting and getting the customer to an agent in the right channel at the right time. ·      If you can take historical data, such as questions customers have asked in the past and issues they have called about, then you can build a knowledge base around this data that agents can use to help customers.   ·      Customers want speed and an easy experience, but that doesn’t matter if they don’t get the answer to their question or their problem resolved.     ·      Deon Nicholas also talks about the three elements that organizations must have to deliver the ultimate customer experience. Tune in! Quote: "In amazing businesses, the most important thing to think about is our people. Everything that we have ever done in humanity has been about building technology by people, for people. Double down on your people, and you will see the dividends and the returns."   About:    Deon Nicholas is the CEO and Co-Founder of Forethought, the AI company whose mission is to transform customer experiences with human-centered AI. Before starting Forethought, Deon built products and infrastructure at Facebook, Palantir, Dropbox, and Pure Storage. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Employing Brand Advocates to Improve Customer Experience  Shep Hyken interviews Megan Neale, Co-founder and COO of Limitless, a Gig CX platform that empowers people to earn money by providing brilliant customer service. She shares how brands can leverage brand advocacy and the knowledge of actual product users (customers) to improve customer experience.  Top Takeaways:    ·      Customers who love using your products can be great resources to answer questions, resolve issues, and share experiences. They have the knowledge and passion for the brand that can be turned into a skill to help other customers.   ·       Some customers answer questions on forums for free just because they enjoy doing it. However, relying solely on forums is not scalable or reliable for delivering consistent customer service.   ·      Almost every company could benefit from tapping into their passionate customers and bringing them into the heart of their business by helping other customers.   ·      How does the GigCX work? Megan Neale outlines how her platform, Limitless, works with companies to use a strong community to help brands meet rising customer expectations and demands.   1. Companies identify customers who demonstrate brand loyalty, knowledge, and skills to help other customers. They are invited to join the platform and be a part of the GigCX program.   2. Once in the program, they must prove their skills, knowledge, and brand passion. They are chosen because of their experience using the products and then, they are provided with the proper training around the processes a brand will need them to follow.   3. When they are ready, they receive inquiries and can choose the questions that are right for them. They get paid for every ticket that they are able to resolve successfully.  Quote:   "The volume of customer support requests coming to organizations is increasing. Utilizing customers to help other customers does not displace traditional contact center workers. It is a way to support the volume of engagement in a cost-effective way."   About:    Megan Neale is Co-founder and COO of Limitless, an AI-powered Gig CX platform. Her passion for "customer & client first" and her constant drive for innovation led her to co-found Limitless in 2016.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empowering Your Team to Deliver a Great Customer Experience Shep Hyken interviews Julius Robinson, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Marriott International. He shares what organizations can learn about customer service from the hospitality industry and how to equip employees to meet and exceed customer expectations. Top Takeaways:    ·      The fundamentals of customer service start with individual customer interactions. First, we must learn how to deal with all the different inquiries at the start of the customer's journey. Then, try to meet them where they are so we can anticipate their needs and find opportunities to enrich their experience.   ·      Technology has allowed customers to take control of their experience. If done right, technology can help provide the great experience they expect from your brand.   ·      Julius Robinson also shares two things organizations can do to create a great customer experience.   1.    Ask the right questions. Customers don't always verbalize what their needs and wants are. Make time to find out what they expect from you.  2.    Empower your employees to deliver a great experience. Find out what the customers’ end goals are. An example from the hospitality industry is if it is a family that hasn't travelled since the pandemic started and is concerned about health, employees need to have the information and tools to give the customers confidence in a safe travel experience.   ·      Marriott International believes that if you take care of your associates, they will take care of the customer. They call it the TakeCare culture. It is a culture that is all about listening, having empathy, responding with clarity, and delivering on the customer's expectations. Quote: "Enable your teams to overcome problems authentically. Empower them with broad guidelines and proper training, and they will do great things for the customers."   About:   Julius Robinson is the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Marriott International. He leads the disciplines of Sales, Distribution, Field Marketing, Franchise Sales, Marketing & Revenue Management Support, and Public Relations and Crisis Communications for Marriott International. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Prevent Your Customers from Shopping Your Competition Shep Hyken interviews Matthew Holman, head of growth at QPilot, an eCommerce software company that makes subscriptions more flexible for brands and customers. He shares how subscription models can shape the customer experience to meet the changing needs of their customers. Top Takeaways:    ·      People consume differently and customers’ needs change. Brands should offer flexibility with the frequency of their subscriptions and product options. ·       In the typical subscription experience, customers cancel their subscriptions once their need for the product no longer exists. But what happens when they want to renew their subscription? That can create a huge friction point. ·      Companies that want to offer a subscription service get caught up in how amazing or complex they could make something. Always think of what is available, what you can do now, and scale from there.   ·      Businesses always worry about how to make revenue. If they look at things through the lens of a subscription model, create additional engagement, and nurture relationships, they can earn customers – and revenue – for life.   ·      With subscriptions, around 80% of your customer base will be fairly standard on how they shop. But the difference between a business staying alive and a losing business is that extra 20% of people that are on the margins. Those are the people that need flexibility.   ·      Many people resist the idea of companies having their data, but the goal of any good brand is to create trust, communication, and engagement. Customers will share data with the companies they trust. When the data is used properly, it creates a better experience for the customer.   ·      You need to find out what your customers need and want. Talk to your end-users. Test and survey your customers to understand their actual pain points. If you can develop something within your business model that can service that need, you'll be able to become more profitable and grow revenue. Quote: "The best model for a subscription service is one that has a product that can be consumed regularly and content that provides value to the customers." About:   Matthew Holman is head of growth at QPilot. He works with brands to scale their subscription programs using data, best practices, and experimentation. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Use Customer Feedback to Improve Performance Shep Hyken interviews Adam Alfia, co-founder of Feedback. He has a firmly entrenched background in high-end hospitality and entertainment. He shares how companies can utilize customer feedback to create a great experience.  Top Takeaways:    ·      There is a slow death of customer service. Many younger employees don't come out of high school or college knowing what they want to do for the rest of their lives, so many don't have a vested interest in their jobs. As a result, they don't go above and beyond to build a strong relationship with the customer base in the industry that they work in.   ·      Many companies think that since their employees will leave after a short time, they don't invest in training. This is flawed thinking because anytime you put somebody that's not prepared on the frontline, they become the face of your brand at the moment. You want all employees on the frontline to be properly trained.   ·      A good training program becomes even more important in an economy where it is difficult to hire and keep good employees.   ·      The generation that grew up behind cell phones may be very vocal on social media, but most of them are unwilling to provide face-to-face feedback. Train your employees to be observant of body language and to respond to your customers' non-verbal cues.   ·      There's an antagonistic relationship that Yelp has created between businesses and customers. Sometimes, customers go to Yelp as a form of revenge when they have had a bad experience, attempting to make the company look bad in front of everyone.   ·      Make it easy for customers to give feedback, especially negative feedback. If you make it hard for them to leave a comment, they could go to the next option, which is to broadcast it to everybody and hope to get a response from the business.   ·      Customer service is a team sport. Technology, like Realtime Feedback, can help you work with your customers to create the best experience for them.  Quote:   "When customers go on social media to share their negative experiences, it is because you didn't give them what they wanted when they asked for it the first time, whether in person, by email, or via a phone call to customer support."   About:   Adam Alfia is the co-founder of Feedback, a digital solution for getting real-time feedback from customers. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Impact of Bad Customer Service on Your Customers, Employees, and ROI Shep Hyken interviews Christine Churchill, Founder and CEO of the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA). She shares how organizations can identify, measure, and address issues to improve customer experience. Top Takeaways:   ·      Customers are smarter than ever before. They don't benchmark you against a direct competitor. They're comparing you to the best service they've had from any company out there.   ·      When customers were asked to define great service, they described a company with people who can resolve problems, know their products, are easy to reach, and don't waste their time.   ·      Investing in your employees' training makes them feel good about themselves. Give them the tools so that when a customer is upset, angry, or yelling, they know exactly how to handle the situation.   ·      Your team members feel the pain points in your business process as much as your customers. Customer surveys are helpful, but asking your team members where these glitches are in the process is the first thing you should do.   ·      Christine also shares these stats and facts about the cost of bad customer service for an organization:   o  89% of consumers have said that they will spend 17% more on a service if they feel that they will receive a better service experience. o  If you can increase your customer retention just by 5%, you can improve your bottom line revenue by 25% to 95%. o  A 1% increase in CSAT results in a 4.6% increase in overall market value. ·      And Christine shares the formula businesses can use to calculate the cost of bad customer service. Tune in!  Quote: "Everything is digital. Anybody can look up and see the service experiences other people, who are their peers, have had with your company before they buy."   About:     Christine Churchill is a customer experience expert and the Founder and CEO of the Customer Service Institute of America. She has worked with organizations around the globe from a variety of industries, management styles, training approaches, systems, and technologies. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trends That Will Affect Customer Service and Customer Experience Shep Hyken interviews Jonathan Shroyer, Chief Customer Experience Innovation Officer of Arise Virtual Solutions, a customer service outsourcing and consulting firm. He shares insights about the future of customer service and the power of customer experience in driving tremendous value for your business.  Top Takeaways:   ·      To get the C-suite to invest in customer experience, demonstrate ROI. You must understand what indicators drive business growth and compare it to the data that the customers provide based on their experience. Find a correlation between these sets of data and how it affects your revenue.   ·      When you lose a customer because of a negative experience, the new customers you gain will only make up for those who have left. It does nothing to increase your revenue. In comparison, if you take care of those customers the right way, they will stay, creating decade-long customers that will continuously bring in more business. And along the way, new customers will help continue to grow the business, as well.   ·      Shroyer shares the top 3 customer service and experience trends that he can see happening in the next decade.   o  Trend #1 People are changing the way they work. In the old days, companies were at the wheel when it came to work-life harmony. Today, workers are moving towards a more flexible framework because they now have a choice of how they want to work. Employees are now empowered to choose where they want to work and where they want to live. We will be seeing a mega trend where companies will become more competitive with compensation, benefits packages, and remote work options to retain their customer service employees.   o  Trend #2 Hybrid AI. When it comes to solving customer service problems in the future, it’s not a choice between bots or humans that will solve the customer's problems. It will take both. A hybrid approach is where a skilled human being can come in, modify or improve upon what a bot has already done.   o  Trend #3 AI One-on-One Companions. In the next five years, multiple companies will launch products where AI can solve 99% of known issues for a customer and only 1% where the customer needs to call a human customer service agent. This takes the concept of products like Alexa and Siri to a different level where AI one-on-one companions are fully customized and integrated with the customer's passions and interests.  Quote: "Always be learning. Nobody has a silver bullet, but we all have amazing experiences. We can learn, listen, support, and collaborate with each other."   About:   Jonathan Shroyer is the Chief Customer Experience Innovation Officer of Arise Virtual Solutions, a customer service outsourcing and offshoring consulting firm. Recognized as a renowned thought leader in the industry through multiple mentions, Jonathan is a sought-after speaker and writer.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Design Experiences that Exceed Your Customer's Expectations Shep Hyken interviews Ian Johnston, Founder of Quinine, a leading strategic retail design consultancy devoted to the power of design that drives innovation and growth. He talks about building trust and loyalty by designing meaningful customer engagement.  Top Takeaways:    ·      A smart shopper is more than a way to describe a segment of your customers. Every customer seeks value whether they are buying luxury goods or everyday items. Smart shoppers take their past experiences and compare them to the experiences they have with you. ·      The Value Gap is when a customer feels that they are getting more than they paid for. When they get more benefits than the price, this is when customer satisfaction is highest. ·      Value is constantly changing. Each customer segment looks at different aspects of value differently. They may value price, quantity, brand virtues, sustainability, or the look and feel of a store. You have to move with your customers as their expectations of value change. To exceed their expectations, you have to meet them first. ·      Customer service, virtues, and values will differentiate your brand. In retail, you can use your store to bring your company's virtues and values to life by promoting and reinforcing the value proposition in your marketing campaigns. ·      The customer's baseline expectations are shaped by society. If you don't meet the expectations of the customer and that of the community, you will get left behind. Quote: "Our expectations aren't necessarily set by our competitors. They are set by everything that happens in the world." About:   Ian Johnston is the Founder of Quinine, a leading strategic retail design consultancy devoted to the power of design to drive innovation and growth. The consultancy helps brands create world-class social, cultural, and commercial experiences that enrich and delight their customers’ everyday lives. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There Is No Such Thing as Over-communicating With Your Customers Shep Hyken interviews Jeffrey T. Mezger, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at KB Home, one of the most recognized brands in homebuilding. They discuss the goal of being customer-obsessed, how your organization can provide an excellent experience in spite of supply chain issues and other problems, and more.  Top Takeaways:    ·      Jeffrey Mezger’s mantra is to be the most customer-obsessed builder in the world. A lofty goal, but it is their “north star” and keeps everyone in alignment with its vision. If ever in doubt, he wants every employee to ask, “What would the most customer obsessed company in the world do?”   ·      How do you deal with bad news? You have to over-communicate in every step. You can't possibly communicate enough, especially if it involves a life-changing purchase.   ·      Economic conditions and supply chain issues disrupted customer service. When delays due to the supply disruption happen, take it up another level and make sure to communicate even more.   ·      The more you communicate with your customer, even if it's about delays or bad news, they feel like they have control because they have a piece of knowledge.   ·      How do you ensure that you stay on top? You can never stop raising the bar, always aiming for a higher target by listening to what your customers want along the way.   ·      A customer-obsessed organization starts with knowing what the customer wants and then partnering with them to achieve it. That’s a  winning combination.   Quote: "Giving customers information is much more impactful and beneficial than saying nothing. Even if it's something that is unpleasant, you have to talk to your customers." About:   Jeffrey T. Mezger is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer at KB Home, one of the most recognized brands in homebuilding. Under his leadership, KB Home established itself as one of the most recognized brands in homebuilding.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices