Author Archives: Shep Hyken

About Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times, bestselling business author. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

Eliminating 100% of Live Customer Service is a Mistake!

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Eliminating 100% of Live Customer Service is a Mistake!

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

You need help. You call customer support. Nobody’s home!

Actually, somebody is there. They just aren’t taking support calls. Someone at home—as in a corporate office—has decided to eliminate live, human-to-human customer support, pushing the customer to a digital option such as a chatbot, frequently asked questions page, etc.

My opinion is that this could happen in the distant future, but I can’t imagine that in the next few years there will be 100% digital and AI automated customer support. And here’s why. If all you are is an automated company, you have no way to emotionally connect with your customers. That means your customers have only one way to compare you to direct competition that sells exactly what you do, and that is price.

At that point, the only way to keep your customer is to always have the lowest price, and that is typically not a viable long-term strategy.

Recently I wrote about Frontier Airlines’ decision to drop traditional live phone support, and the reviews have not been good. That said, I give them credit for a bold move that may be just a little ahead of its time—and time will tell. Maybe the reactions are from initial shock. Perhaps there have been glitches that can be fixed for a smoother experience in the near future. We’ll know in six months. If the current reactions continue, at best, some changes will be made, provided the airline wants to stay in business.

I had a chance to interview Paulo Almeida, the CEO of Clientscape, on Amazing Business Radio. We talked about the possibility of AI and automation taking over the contact center. We briefly discussed Frontier Airlines, but more importantly, Almeida articulated the perfect answer to my question:

How do you feel about complete elimination of a human-to-human customer support department?

Almeida responded, “If you’re working in an industry that chooses to automate everything, you can potentially become a commodity. If that is what a company wants to do, the only difference from one company to the next will be what they charge. If that’s the only way a customer makes a decision, the company will go bankrupt!”

“It is not a sustainable financial model. It’s the human factor that makes the difference. It’s about giving the customer the care they deserve. That’s a way to differentiate. For example, Apple may make some of the best products, but they also have some of the best support. If their reputation for support goes away, they will no longer be perceived as having the best product. They will also lose pricing power. When that disappears, they could be on the path to failure. They will lose customers, and the cost to get them back will be extravagant.”

Almeida used a powerful word to summarize a decision to eliminate a human connection, and that word is bankrupt. I can buy into this for some companies, but there will always be exceptions.

People have said, “What about Amazon?!” Yes, Amazon is a digital company, and it has great digital customer support. However, if you need to talk to someone, you can. It’s a last resort, but when you do so, it’s typically a very pleasant experience. Amazon knows how far it can go with automation before it has to say, “It’s time to talk to one of our reps.”

Many products and services are becoming automated. To Almeida’s point, 100% automation is a mistake. Without a human-to-human relationship, how can you create an emotional connection? How can you differentiate yourself from other automated companies? You can’t. You’re a commodity.

More automation and AI technology are in our future. It shouldn’t surprise you that at some point in time planes will be flown by computers, not pilots. We’re already seeing self-driving trucks moving across the country. Companies like Tesla, Google and others are investing tens of billions into autonomous self-driving vehicles (even if they are still a long way from success). Amazon and Walmart are betting on alternative delivery methods that include drones and robots. And yes, some customer service functions are being handled by automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

We can’t fight progress. I love seeing products and services get better through automation. But I’m concerned about the companies and brands that are distancing themselves from their customers by not letting them connect with customer support people, who are also brand ambassadors for the company.

If the leadership of a company thinks the customer support agents’ only role is to fix a problem, then shame on them. Your agents can do much more. If they handle a call well, they can confirm that the customer made the right decision to do business with you and give them the confidence to do even more business. So, at least for now, don’t miss that opportunity. Don’t make the mistake of 100% elimination of live customer support.

Image Credit: Pixabay

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

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Act Like an Owner – Revisited!

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Act Like an Owner – Revisited!

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

One of my favorite concepts to cover in my customer service keynote speeches is to act like an owner. I originally wrote about this in 2011 and shared the story of an 18-year-old server at a pizza restaurant who took so much pride in his work that the guests thought he owned the restaurant.

In preparing for an upcoming speech, I worked with Anthony Demangone, CMO of the National Association of Federally Insured Credit Unions. We discussed the ownership concept and how everyone can act like an owner or leader. Anyone can be “that person” everyone admires and wants to emulate. He shared the remarkable story of Richard Montañez, a janitor at a Frito-Lay plant in California. Here’s the short version:

One day Montañez heard Roger Enrico, the CEO of Frito-Lay, share an inspiring message: to “act like an owner.” Montañez took this message to heart, and for almost 10 years, while still working at the plant, tried to learn everything he could about Frito-Lay. One day he asked a Frito-Lay salesperson if he could spend a day and learn about the sales process.

The salesperson took Montañez to a Latino neighborhood where he noticed something that would eventually change his life. As he helped restock the shelves, he noticed that the Lay’s, Fritos and Ruffles were all plain – in other words, no spicy products. And right next to their display was a shelf of Mexican spices. Montañez wondered what Cheetos would taste like if dipped into chili powder and other spices, so he went home and made his own version of spicy Cheetos. He liked what he tasted and reached out to the Frito-Lay CEO to set up a meeting.

Somehow Montañez landed an appointment to meet with the CEO and other company executives. During the meeting, an executive asked, “How much market share do you think you can get?” Montañez nervously opened his arms wide and said, “This much!”

The CEO smiled at Montañez and said, “Put the mop away. You’re coming with us.” The rest is a corporate fairytale come true. Montanez became an executive and worked his way up to VP of multicultural sales for PepsiCo America, the holding company for Frito-Lay.

I love this story for two reasons. First, it’s about an employee who took initiative and thought beyond the role he was hired to do, which was to be a janitor. He took such pride in his work and loved his job so much that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone and reach out to the CEO of a major company with his idea. And second, just as impressive is that Roger Enrico, then-CEO of Frito-Lay, imparted the inspiring “act like an owner” message and was willing to meet with Montañez!

So, are you an employee who’s willing to share your ideas with leadership? Or are you an executive who’s willing to listen? Not every idea will have a Richard Montañez fairy-tale ending, but every idea has potential. So, I encourage you to adopt and embrace the “act like an owner” mindset inside your organization.

Image Credit: Shep Hyken

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CEOs Should Get Out of the C Suite

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Starbucks Shows the Way

CEOs Should Get Out of the C Suite

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

There is a gap between the C-Suite and reality. Many leaders make decisions from their office, mistakenly believing that they understand what their company’s customers want and expect. One way to close that gap is to leave the C-Suite and take a trip to the front line. And not just once, but on a regular basis.

More than 30 years ago, I wrote my first book, Moments of Magic: Be a Star With Your Customers and Keep Them Forever. There is a chapter in the book titled Understand Your Customer. In this chapter, I shared an example from Anheuser-Busch. Back then, the world’s largest brewer had a program called “All Aboard,” in which executives went out with delivery drivers and salespeople to restaurants, taverns, liquor stores, grocery stores and anywhere else that sold beer. The goal was to hear firsthand from their customers. This put the executives in touch with reality and helped them make better customer-focused decisions.

In my most recent book, I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again, I included a similar story. It was back in November 1989 when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, already a billionaire, was touring the product support department’s new building. Gates asked a manager, “Do you mind if I take a customer call?” According to the story, he took the phone and answered, “Hello, this is Microsoft Product Support, William speaking. How may I help you?” Of course, the call went well. So well, in fact, that the customer called back and specifically asked for “the nice man named William who straightened it (her problem) all out.”

When was the last time you heard of a billionaire CEO taking customer support calls? When have you heard of the CEO of any large company spending time on the phones in a contact center or venturing out of the office to work on the front line? That’s the reason I love the concept behind the reality TV show Undercover Boss. The CEO or president of a company does exactly what the executives at Anheuser-Busch and Bill Gates did. They just do it covertly, and it’s amazing what they learn.

Recently, I read an article in RetailWire about the new Starbucks CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, who plans to work a half shift once a month as a barista at a Starbucks café. His goal is to “promote a better connection and engagement between leadership and workers.” He wrote a letter to employees that characterized the “health” of the company as needing to be stronger despite the brand’s already strong performance.

That’s a wonderful example of a modern leader taking the time to understand what’s happening on the front line, not just with customers, but also with employees. My only suggestion is that he require his fellow C-suite leaders and VPs to do the same. Imagine how powerful a monthly meeting to compare notes from fellow executives spending time on the front lines could be!

Mark Ryski, founder and CEO of HeadCount Corporation, commented on the RetailWire article. He said, “This must be more than for ‘show’—Mr. Narasimhan sends a strong message that frontline workers and their work are important, but now he needs to live up to that commitment. Having executives get first-hand experience by working a shift is not new, but it never goes out of style. All executives should commit to spending some time working the front lines so that they can truly understand the employees’ and customers’ experience.”

So, when I’m suggesting the C-suite get out of the C-suite, it’s not to fire or replace them. It’s to get them out of their offices to move around and get to know what’s really going on with the company. If you care about your customers and employees—and I know you do—then get out of the C-suite!

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

Image Credit: Shep Hyken

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Customer Service is a Team Sport

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Customer Service is a Team Sport

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

The other day I was having breakfast with 11 of my friends. The server came over, introduced herself, and said, “I’ll be taking care of you.” She took our orders, and a few minutes later, a different server dropped off three of our meals. Then, two more servers brought a few more meals a moment later, and another server showed up just after that with the rest of our meals. It wasn’t until after all the meals were served that our original server came over to ask if everything tasted great.

Was it this server’s job to simply take our orders and let others do the work? No!

I observed all of the people who brought us our meals. They also had other tables to attend to. And, I noticed that our server was dropping food off at different tables.

Different restaurants may have different processes, but in this one, the food is prepared, plated and set on a counter with heat lamps. Once the food is ready, it doesn’t matter whose table the food is for, whoever is available to take the hot food out immediately becomes responsible for the meal.

I liked what I was seeing. The employees recognized that customer service is a team sport. It’s everyone’s job to make sure the customers leave happy.

Shep Hyken Waiter Cartoon

Unfortunately, I’ve also witnessed the opposite at a restaurant. The food is set out on the counter, but the server responsible for it is busy taking care of another table. So, the food just sits there while other employees ignore it – because it’s not for one of “their guests.” Talk about a lack of team spirit!

Another example of this lack of team spirit is something I once saw at an airport. A baggage handler was driving a load of bags out to an airplane, and one of them fell off. I watched as numerous other baggage handlers drove by it. They would slow down, look at the bag sitting there by itself on the tarmac and then drive away. At least a half-dozen employees drove by the bag and did nothing. I’m pretty sure that the passenger arrived at their destination and was disappointed when their luggage didn’t show up at the baggage carousel.

The point of these examples is that everyone must take care of the customer, regardless of who the customer “belongs” to. If they see that something isn’t right, they shouldn’t just ignore it like the baggage handlers did.

Lately, I’ve resurrected a concept I used to cover in keynote speeches: every employee has at least two jobs. The first is to do the job they were hired to do. The second is to take care of the customer. When all employees understand that, the customer will most certainly have a better experience.

Image Credit: Shep Hyken, Pixabay

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Customers Care About the Destination Not the Journey

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Customers Care About the Destination Not the Journey

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

On a recent flight, the captain of the airplane announced over the PA system what time we would arrive at our destination. That would have been enough to make most people happy. However, he continued his announcement with a three-minute-plus speech. We learned that we would take off to the west, make a U-turn a few minutes later to head east, how high we would go, the various cities we would be flying over, that we would take a right turn as we approached the runway to land, and more. I looked around and noticed many people were annoyed or had stopped paying attention to the long-winded announcement.

The point is most customers don’t care as much about the details of the journey as they care about the destination.

Here’s another example, which has nothing to do with a journey but does have to do with an overload of details that can hurt a sale or erode the customer experience. Some people love a fancy, expensive sports car, while others just want reliable transportation. Even though these customers essentially want the same thing – a car to get them from one place to another – they are very different customers.

Shep Hyken Lobster Cartoon

A few years ago, my wife and I were looking for a new car. We narrowed it down to the make and model – even the color – we thought we wanted. We walked into the dealership and were approached by a salesperson who was very friendly and engaging. Then, we told him what we were looking for. So, he took us over to the exact car we wanted. He was very excited. He started to share details about the size of the engine, how many cylinders, how quickly the car could accelerate from zero to 60, the RPMs, and other details that mattered nothing to us.

Had he asked why we were interested in this model car, he would have realized we had no real interest in such details. Our version of the destination was that we wanted a nice-looking car (and it was) that was comfortable, safe, and easy to drive. Maybe we wanted to know a few other details about the car, but nothing to the extent he was sharing. Had he paid attention, he would have noticed he had us when he said, “I have the exact car you’re looking for.”

My point is that most customers don’t care about the details behind the experience or product they are buying. It’s up to us to recognize this and respond accordingly. All they want to know is what awaits them at their metaphorical destination.


Image Credit: Shep Hyken, Pixabay

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Five Ways Fender Guitar Rocks Customer Service

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Five Ways Fender Guitar Rocks Customer Service

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

In 1946, Leo Fender, founder of Fender’s Radio Service, renamed his company Fender Electric Instrument Company—better known as Fender—and it became an iconic music company that manufactures some of the greatest guitars and amplifiers on the planet. Leo Fender had a saying back then: “Artists are angels. It’s our job to give them wings to fly.”

You could call that saying a mission, vision or values statement. In just 12 words it sums up Fender’s desire to create the best musical instruments for his customers. Even though the company was sold to CBS in 1965 and then purchased by its employees in 1985, the words are still a part of Fender’s culture 77 years later.

I had a chance to interview Scot Pickerill, Fender’s vice president of Americas Inside Sales, Service and Sales Operations, for Amazing Business Radio, and he repeated Leo Fender’s vision. He referred to it as Fender’s “call to action.” He also shared several other ideas that I want to examine here. Before we get into that, you should know that Fender recognizes and supports two types of customers. There is a dealer network that sells the products. These range from independent “mom-and-pop” stores to large chains like Guitar Center. They also support the consumers who own and play their instruments.

So, with that in mind, here are five ways Fender rocks customer service. I’ll share Pickerill’s strategies, followed by my comments.

1. Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is about identifying friction points with every department involved and analyzing the process to correct problems and prevent issues from happening in the future.

Continuous improvement goes beyond improving the customer experience. It’s looking at every part of the process, including what’s happening behind the scenes. Even if the customers don’t feel any friction in their experience, it’s essential to eliminate or mitigate any internal friction caused by outdated or cumbersome practices and processes.

2. Treat Your Customers Like Partners

Fender doesn’t want to just sell a customer a guitar. They want to partner with customers in their musical journeys, and they want their partners to be successful. When they take care of their customers, the customers want to give back, and they do so in the form of repeat business.

3. Embrace Feedback from Both Customers and Employees

Fender goes beyond asking for feedback from its customers. It also asks for feedback from employees, especially those on the front line. And getting that feedback is just the start. As Pickerill said, “Feedback is one of the few things in life that is free. Take that feedback and do something with it.” I’ll add that once you do something with the feedback, let everyone know what you did. If you want more feedback, prove that you’re listening and taking action on the feedback you receive.

4. Get uncomfortable

Taking a business to the next level isn’t easy. There could be a little pain and fear involved. Innovation is about moving forward, and that requires change. Many people are happy to settle for the status quo because they are uncomfortable with anything new or different. But not Fender. Pickerill said, “The world is evolving daily. Customer expectations are increasing, and buying behaviors are shifting. Don’t be afraid to lean into discomfort, test new things and then measure to ensure that it’s working the way you designed it.”

5. It’s All About Culture

Pickerill is proud to acknowledge that Fender employees live, breathe and speak the brand. He sees the passion in employees, including executives. They have the desire to leave a mark and constantly improve to help artists and potential artists and make them as great as they can be. This way of thinking comes from the top down and is a perfect reminder of Leo Fender’s words, which Pickerill refers to as Fender’s call to action: “Artists are angels. It’s our job to give them wings to fly.”

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

Image Credit: Pexels

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Don’t Confuse Culture with Strategy

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Culture is the Who and How We Work; Strategy is What We Do

Don't Confuse Culture with Strategy

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

Culture is quite different from strategy. It’s what a company is and stands for. Peter Drucker, the legendary management guru, once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It’s not that strategy isn’t important. It absolutely is. However, culture must come first. Then strategy must align with the culture.

One of several definitions of culture by Merriam-Webster is:

“The set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.”

That is exactly what culture should be. However, there can be problems.

Some companies state their culture in mission, vision and/or values statements. However, those are just words—they are meaningless if not lived. And they can’t be aspirational. They must be true in the moment. A culture that is not actively practiced by leadership and employees is just a dream—just words on paper that are somewhat meaningless, regardless of how well-written and aspirational they are.

For a culture to be successful, leadership must live it and be the role model for others to emulate. And while most people think of leadership as the executives who sit in the C-suite, it is really anyone of authority. It could be anyone in management, in a supervisory position, or anyone who has direct reports. And while leaders must be role models, everyone must know and understand the culture. In the “perfect” organization, everyone is in alignment.

That is why Target is a great case study for how the right culture works. The title of this article is a quote from Christina Hennington, chief growth officer of Target, who sat on a panel at the recent 2023 National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show. Hennington says, “We use culture as a guidepost, as a set of filters for the decisions we make in the business, both big and small. That’s all in the pursuit of our purpose, which is to help all families discover the joy of everyday life.”

Just last year, Target was No. 2 in Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Retail. It was also No. 1 in People’s Companies that Care, and No. 12 in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. Those are some fine accolades, and with good reason. A RetailWire article noted that in 2021, when most companies were struggling to hire and keep employees, Target had its lowest turnover rate in five years. A good paycheck is a start. Good benefits are also important, and they go beyond medical benefits. For example, Target has a debt-free college program in which all full-time and part-time employees can participate. Another benefit is that Target likes to promote from within. Employees starting on hourly wages can become leaders. They take care of their people, and in turn their people take care of their customers.

Mark Ryski, founder and CEO of HeadCount Corporation, says, “Target continues to set the standard for driving up worker pay. I can only believe there is one key reason why—because a well-compensated, appreciated, happy workforce delivers better results. Imagine how it must feel to work for a company like Target that continues to look for ways to enrich employees.”

Melissa Kremer, EVP and chief human resources officer at Target, said, “Our team is at the heart of our strategy and success, and their energy and resilience keep us at the forefront of meeting the changing needs of our guests year after year.”

So, Target has nailed a big part of the culture, in that it has taken the words on paper to the people who work there. The message from Target’s leadership is clear. Build a culture that starts with a focus on your own people. Take care of them, and they will in turn, take care of the company, which includes the company’s customers.

Does that sound familiar? If you’ve been following my work for any length of time, it probably reminds you of my Employee Golden Rule: Do unto employees as you want done unto your customers. And it looks like it’s working.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

Image Credit: Pexels

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The Loyalty Gap

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The Difference Between Repeat Customers and Loyal Customers

The Loyalty Gap

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

In a recent Shepard Letter, I discussed the Trust Gap, which is the difference between an organization’s belief that their customers trust them and the percentage of customers who actually do. I’ve covered different gap concepts in the past, and it’s time to add yet another to the list, and that is the Loyalty Gap.

By the way, this is a perfect time to mention International Customer Loyalty Month, which happens every year in April. It is a time to focus some extra care and attention on your loyal customers. You can learn more at www.CustomerLoyaltyMonth.com.

So, back to the Loyalty Gap. This is the gap between the percentage of customers you think are loyal and customers who actually are loyal. If you’ve been following my work, you may remember that I preach there is a big difference between a repeat customer and a loyal customer. A customer that comes back again and again could be mistakenly labeled as a loyal customer. Before we can call someone a loyal customer, we must find out why they keep coming back and buying from us. And there are many reasons why customers might return that have nothing to do with being loyal. For example:

1. The Price Is Lowest: Customers who buy based on low price aren’t loyal to you. They are loyal to the price. The moment a competitor has a lower price, the customer disappears. And you thought they were loyal!

2. The Location Is More Convenient: Does the customer buy from you because you are closer than your competition? You don’t know if you don’t ask. As soon as a competitor moves into the area, if their location happens to be more convenient, the customer moves on. Again, you thought they were loyal!

3. The Customer Is Satisfied: This one is super important. There’s a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer. Satisfied customers are just … satisfied. The experience is good, but not great. It’s enough to get them to come back until they find another brand or organization that satisfies them just a bit more.

A loyal customer not only comes back but also spends more than a typical customer and evangelizes your brand by sharing word-of-mouth referrals. This is because there is an emotional connection. Maybe it’s the way the customer is treated. Or maybe there is an employee the customer loves to work with. Maybe it’s the confidence that’s created when a customer interacts with the brand. There are many reasons, but they all evoke an emotional connection.

So, what’s the Loyalty Gap in your business?

Do you understand your customers’ buying patterns?

Do you know why they come back?

In a perfect world, there shouldn’t be a gap. But that’s not reality. There will always be customers who don’t have the emotional connection needed to drive loyalty. There’s nothing you can do but keep trying. For the rest of your repeat customers, understand why they return, then keep delivering the experience that makes them want to return.

Image Credit: Pexels

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At the Intersection of Innovation Way and Extraordinary Drive

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At the Intersection of Innovation Way and Extraordinary Drive

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

No matter what business we’re in, our storefront better be located at the intersection of Extraordinary Drive and Innovation Way.

Of course, I am speaking figuratively. But, I’ve literally taken a photo at this real intersection that exists in the middle of High Point University. I am a fan of the university and its leadership. I’ve attended special programs there on several occasions, and every time I go back I’m reminded of its focus on being extraordinary and its innovative approach to education.

We can all learn from HPU. Higher education is a sector that is facing major disruptions from every direction. (Did you think it was just your industry having to find new ways to compete?)

Consider the looming demographic shifts impacting higher ed. According to a CNBC story, undergraduate enrollment is down 9.4% compared to two years ago. Fewer kids going to college in the next few years means a leaner market for universities to fight over. Then there’s all the chatter about whether college is really worth it. Just go to a trade school, a coding boot camp, etc. The headwinds that higher education is facing are stronger than ever.

Yet, HPU has created a distinctive niche in the higher education industry by becoming the Premier Life Skills University. How much of what a student learns in school can really be called life skills? Of course, students must embrace the liberal arts and explore subjects like literature, math, art, history, science and so on. These make us smarter and provide us with more knowledge, but are they translated into life skills? Shouldn’t education go beyond information and theory, and instead prepare us to implement those lessons in real-world scenarios?

What happens when we’re asked to describe ourselves in a job interview? How do we handle ourselves in client meetings and boardrooms? Are we ready for conflict, constant change and complex problem solving? These skills are not typically taught in school, but it’s exactly those abilities in which HPU excels, differentiating it from other colleges and universities.

So, let’s take a lesson from HPU and discover how it has created value for its students (and their parents) and how we can do the same in our businesses and organizations. In short, they’ve done it by living at the intersection of Extraordinary Drive and Innovation Way. Here are a few examples:

When critics of higher education suggest that college isn’t worth it, HPU decides to create extra value by providing every freshman with a professional success coach, equipping its Career Office to deliver an impressive 99% placement rate for recent graduates. It even offers a tuition-free Master’s Degree in Communication and Business Leadership. How are you adding additional value for your clients and customers?

When critics of higher education suggest young people should just learn a trade, HPU’s answer is weaving the “trade” of leadership and life skills into every major. It even has an “In Residence Program” that puts industry leaders in the classroom. Imagine being mentored by founders of companies such as Apple Computer or Netflix. Imagine being coached by the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks or Domino’s Pizza. They, along with dozens of other accomplished executives and leaders, all work with HPU students. So, beyond the fully accredited classroom experience that HPU offers (like every other accredited college in the nation), it has added real-world mentorship to the value equation. What is the lesson for you and me? We better be sure we deliver extraordinary and relevant benefits that add value to our customers’ and clients’ experience.

When critics of higher education suggest just going to a coder boot camp instead of college, HPU reminds families that technical skills aren’t enough when it comes to building a sustainable career. HPU has studied and surveyed employers and proven through its data that life skills are the unshakable foundation for earning and sustaining success no matter our occupation or our age. So, how are you interpreting your value to your clients? Because if you don’t, you are leaving it up to someone else. And that someone else may be your competition!

And beyond the critics who question the value of a college education, there are others who specifically criticize HPU. Success is sweet, but it also comes with competitors and critics putting a target on your back. One of the often-mentioned criticisms is the look of its campus. Really? HPU is proud that almost everyone who sees the campus for the first time says, “Wow!” It’s hard not to be impressed with the manicured campus, the beautiful buildings and the engaging, positive environment that students enjoy. But there’s far more to this university than its good looks. Look beyond the surface and you’ll find some of the most extraordinary and innovative classrooms and programs, such as the $500 million Innovation Corridor filled with cutting-edge labs where research funded by NASA and the National Institutes of Health takes place.

While higher education is in the midst of disruption like most industries, HPU has transformed what a college can do and be, and that by nature draws criticism. But here’s the lesson we can all learn: When your business or organization creates transformational change, it will surely attract criticism. As long as you are rendering value for your clients, then you know you’re doing something right.

We all have critics of our business or industry. And we all have challenges we must overcome. How we succeed or fail is directly related to how we respond to criticism and how we deliver on behalf of our customers. When we make the decision to live at the intersection of Extraordinary Drive and Innovation Way, we have no choice but to keep up our neighborhood and deliver value.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com

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Ten Reasons You Must Deliver Amazing Customer Experiences

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Ten Reasons You Must Deliver Amazing Customer Experiences

GUEST POST from Shep Hyken

Ten years ago, I wrote an article about why delivering an amazing customer service experience is important. While many of those concepts are still valid today, it’s time to modify the list and give a few of the original reasons a facelift to bring them into current times.

First, a reminder that an amazing customer experience isn’t about being over the top. It’s simply consistently meeting or (ever so slightly) exceeding expectations. It’s the consistent and predictable experience that makes customers trust you and come back.

So, here are today’s ten (10) reasons why you should deliver an amazing customer service experience:

  1. Creating customer service builds trust, credibility and confidence. Our customer experience research found that 83% of people trust a company or brand more if it delivers good customer service. The benefit of building trust is potential customer loyalty.

  2. Your happy customers become the best members of your marketing department. The right customer experience gets customers to talk about you, refer you and evangelize your brand.

  3. Delivering an amazing customer experience makes price less relevant. Fifty-eight percent of customers we surveyed said excellent customer service is more important than price.

  4. A great customer experience goes hand-in-hand with a great employee experience. It’s no surprise that the best customer-focused companies are also some of the best places to work. Just compare a list of companies that provide the highest levels of customer satisfaction with the list of the best places to work on www.GlassDoor.com. It’s no coincidence that many of the same companies appear at the top of both lists.

  5. Customers who typically receive excellent customer service from you will be more willing to provide honest feedback when there is a problem or complaint because they trust that you will fix the problem. And when you do, they come back.

    6. Shep Hyken Amazing Cartoon

  6. Seventy-eight percent of the customers we surveyed said they would go out of their way to do business with a company that delivers a better customer service experience.

  7. You can’t afford not to deliver a strong customer service experience. Seventy-four percent of customers would switch to a business that provides better customer service.

  8. A good customer service experience leads to higher customer retention and customer lifetime value (CLV).

  9. An amazing customer service experience begets positive comments and reviews.

  10. Finally, do it because it’s the right thing to do!

If you want customers to do business with you, you must treat them in a way that makes them want to do so. Don’t expect them to be loyal to you until you show loyalty to them. That comes in the form of delivering an amazing customer experience.

This article originally appeared on Hyken.com

Image Credit: Pixabay, Shep Hyken

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