shep hyken
A Small but Powerful Surprise
Shep Hyken | January 19, 2022
By Shep Hyken I love a surprise. Think about the last time you received a surprise from a friend or loved one. It doesn’t even have to be a big surprise. It could be something small – just something that proves the other person was thinking about you. Has this ever happened to you in business? I receive surprise appreciation gifts from clients. I’m enjoying a box of chocolates a client sent as I create this post. And of course, I love surprising others. But what I want to share now is the example of a surprise that came from a most unlikely source, the TSA, as in Transportation Security Administration. My friend...
The Omnichannel Experience – What the Heck Does That Mean?
Shep Hyken | January 12, 2022
By Shep Hyken There is a term in the customer service world that is often misused or misunderstood. That term is omnichannel. I have had many conversations with clients about the omnichannel experience, and I’ve even shared content about it with our subscribers in the Shepard Letter and my videos. It’s time to bring it back with what may be the perfect example. First, let’s talk about the basic definition. It all started with a concept known as multi-channel. This was about different ways customers could communicate with you. For example, they could use phone or email. That’s two channels. Today there are many ot...
Five Lessons on How to Personalize the Customer Experience
Shep Hyken | January 6, 2022
By Shep Hyken I love to receive great examples of outstanding customer service. I’m always on the lookout for great stories, whether I personally experience them, or they are sent in by our followers. What I share with you today is a great example of personalized and proactive communication. While I provide the lessons, the example comes from one of our subscribers, Dawn Mushill, who shared a letter that BarkBox wrote to one of its customers. BarkBox caters to dog owners and lovers and is a subscription business that sends a box of dog toys and treats to dogs – actually to the dog owners – every month. Recently, some severe torna...
How Much Do You Trust Your Customers?
Shep Hyken | January 3, 2022
By Shep Hyken One of our loyal subscribers, Darrell Grant, The CXO at Hightower Wealth Advisors, shared a great story that provides an excellent customer experience learning opportunity. Darrell stopped by a local bakery to pick up some treats for a client. There was a longer than usual line, and some of the customers were becoming frustrated. Apparently, the internet was down so they couldn’t ring up sales. The staff was struggling. The customers were frustrated. That’s when a staff member asked the customers to please be patient, and they excused themselves for about two minutes, stepping away to discuss the problem....
One Simple Idea That Can Help You Retain Your Best Employees
Shep Hyken | December 22, 2021
By Shep Hyken We had some great feedback on The Three N’s of Employee Fulfillment article and video. Plenty of great comments. Here’s a very short refresher in case you missed it. Leadership expert Tim Durkin shared with us that our employees want to be needed, noticed, and known. We welcome him back this week with a simple feedback technique connected to his Three N strategy that will help you motivate and keep your best employees. The short version of this is to not just praise the performer, but also the performance. It’s very simple. You not only praise your employee, but you tell them why you appreciate what t...
Don’t Cut What Is Obvious to the Customer
Shep Hyken | December 15, 2021
By Shep Hyken Last week I covered the concept of skimpflation. In case you missed it, the short definition is that skimpflation is the result of a labor shortage, some say due to The Great Resignation, and higher business costs that come from inflation and supply and demand issues. This translates to the customer experiencing a lower level of service, and in some cases, quality. Our colleague at Shepard Presentations refers to it as customer service on a diet. Unfortunately, customers in both the B2C and B2B worlds are not having the experiences they’ve come to expect from some of the companies they enjoy doing business with...
Here’s a New Word: Skimpflation
Shep Hyken | December 9, 2021
By Shep Hyken The other day my friend asked me, “Is mediocrity the new customer experience?” He mentioned how he’s had to wait longer when he called customer support and that there weren’t enough cashiers at the grocery store. I said, “You are a victim of skimpflation.” The word skimpflation was introduced recently on NPR’s Planet Money podcast. I’ve already written several articles about this ugly word, and I thought it was time to introduce it here. Skimpflation is a result of rising business costs and the labor shortage caused by what we’ve been calling The Great Resignation, in which employ...
The Three N’s of Employee Fulfillment
Shep Hyken | December 2, 2021
In the best of times, it’s important to keep your best employees. In tough times, it’s even more important. Customers are beginning to feel the results of The Great Resignation, which quite honestly, is not so great. It has resulted in longer lines, longer hold times, and slower service – basically a lower level of customer service. So, how can you keep good employees, and keep them not only engaged with their jobs but also engaged with their customers? The best employees don’t just work for a paycheck. They also work for the company and the customer. Is there a way to keep good people? Meet my friend, leadership e...
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