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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
