The Self-Service Revolution: Why Customers Are Taking Control of Customer Service?

 

The Self-Service Revolution: Why Customers Are Taking Control

There's a quiet revolution happening in customer service, and it's being led by customers themselves. They're bypassing phone calls, skipping the "contact us" button, and solving their own problems at 2 AM in their pyjamas. Welcome to the age of self-service—and it's growing faster than anyone predicted.

Self-service isn't just a nice-to-have anymore; it's become the preferred method of support for most customers. Recent data shows that over 70% of customers expect a company's website to include a self-service option, and that number climbs even higher among younger demographics. More striking still, self-service interactions have grown by over 40% year-over-year across industries, with some tech-forward companies reporting that 85% of their support queries never reach a human agent.

This isn't about companies forcing automation on reluctant customers. It's about customers demanding it.

Why Self-Service Is Winning

Speed Trumps Everything

In an instant-gratification economy, waiting on hold for 15 minutes feels like digital torture. Self-service offers immediate answers. No queue. No elevator music. No repeating account numbers to three different people. Customers can find their answer in the time it would take just to reach a human agent.

The 24/7 Expectation

Modern customers don't operate on business hours, and they don't want their problems to either. Whether it's a shipping question at midnight or a password reset at dawn, self-service portals don't clock out. This around-the-clock availability has become table stakes in customer expectations.

Autonomy and Control

Many customers simply prefer to help themselves. There's something empowering about navigating a knowledge base, watching a tutorial video, and solving your own problem. It's faster, less socially awkward than explaining your issue to a stranger, and gives customers a sense of mastery over the products they use.

The Privacy Factor

Not everyone wants to discuss their account issues, billing questions, or product confusion with another person. Self-service offers a private, judgment-free zone where customers can learn at their own pace without feeling embarrassed about "basic" questions.

What's Fuelling the Exponential Growth?

Better Technology, Better Experience

Early self-service was often frustrating—clunky search functions, outdated FAQs, and no real answers. Today's self-service tools leverage AI-powered search, natural language processing, and intelligent routing to actually understand what customers are asking. The experience has dramatically improved, which drives adoption.

Mobile-First Design

With more than 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, self-service has adapted. Modern knowledge bases, video tutorials, and troubleshooting guides are designed for thumb-scrolling and quick scanning, making it easier than ever to get help on the go.

The YouTube Effect

An entire generation has learned to solve problems by watching videos. From fixing a leaky faucet to understanding cryptocurrency, video has become the universal instruction manual. Smart companies are meeting this expectation with comprehensive video libraries, screen recordings, and visual guides that feel native to how people already learn.

AI and Chatbots That Don't Suck

Let's be honest—early chatbots were terrible. They misunderstood questions, provided irrelevant answers, and sent customers into frustration spirals. But modern AI-powered assistants have crossed a threshold of usefulness. They understand context, provide relevant answers, and gracefully hand off to humans when needed. This improved performance has rehabilitated the reputation of automated support.

The Business Case Is Undeniable

For companies, the math is straightforward. A phone support interaction might cost $8-15 per contact, while a self-service interaction costs pennies. When thousands or millions of customers shift to self-service, the savings compound quickly—not just in direct support costs, but in reduced wait times, improved customer satisfaction, and freed-up human agents who can handle more complex, high-value interactions.

But the real magic happens when self-service becomes a competitive advantage. Companies with exceptional self-service experiences see higher customer retention, increased lifetime value, and better word-of-mouth marketing. Customers remember when finding an answer was easy, and they punish brands where it's difficult.

The Dark Side of Self-Service

Not everything is rosy in the self-service boom. Done poorly, it becomes a frustrating maze where customers feel abandoned and companies hide behind automation to cut costs rather than improve experience.

The common pitfalls:

• Search functions that don't work - Nothing is more frustrating than knowing the answer exists somewhere but being unable to find it
• Outdated information - A knowledge base that hasn't been updated in two years is worse than no knowledge base at all
• No escape hatch - When customers can't find what they need, they should be able to easily reach a human—not get trapped in an automated loop
• One-size-fits-all content - Different customers need different levels of detail and various content formats

Building Self-Service That Actually Works

The companies winning at self-service share several key practices:

Start with search. If customers can't find answers quickly, nothing else matters. Invest in powerful search functionality that understands synonyms, common misspellings, and natural language questions.

Create content in multiple formats. Some people want quick bullet points. Others need detailed step-by-step guides. Many prefer video. Offer all three.

Use real customer language. Your knowledge base should be written in the words customers actually use, not internal jargon or corporate speak. Mine your support tickets for the exact phrases customers search for.

Make it easy to escalate. Every self-service article should include a clear path to human help. Customers should never feel trapped or abandoned.

Measure and improve constantly. Track which articles get the most views but don't resolve issues (high views, high escalations). These are your improvement opportunities.

Leverage AI thoughtfully. Use AI to power search, suggest relevant articles, and provide instant answers—but always with a human safety net.

The Future: Self-Service Gets Smarter

We're only in the early innings of the self-service revolution. The next wave will bring even more sophisticated capabilities:

• Predictive support that anticipates problems before customers encounter them
• Personalized knowledge bases that adapt content based on your product, subscription level, and past behaviour
  
• Visual AI that can watch you use a product and provide real-time guidance
• Voice-activated support that lets you solve problems hands-free
• Community-powered solutions where customers help each other in real-time

The Bottom Line

Self-service isn't replacing human customer service—it's elevating it. By handling routine questions efficiently, self-service frees human agents to focus on complex problems, emotional situations, and relationship-building. It's not about eliminating the human touch; it's about deploying it where it matters most.

Companies that recognize this shift and invest in truly excellent self-service will build deeper customer relationships and more efficient operations. Those that view self-service as a cost-cutting measure or a way to avoid talking to customers will create frustration and drive churn.

The exponential growth of self-service isn't a trend—it's a fundamental shift in how customers want to interact with brands. The question isn't whether to embrace it, but how quickly you can make your self-service experience exceptional.

Because in the end, the best customer service is the service customers can deliver to themselves—quickly, easily, and on their own terms.

This post was prepared with the help of Claude and ChatGPT and prompted on 12th November 2025.

Top TikTok & YouTube Trends for Service-Oriented Brands

 

Top TikTok & YouTube Trends for Service-Oriented Brands

In the fast-paced world of digital content, TikTok and YouTube have emerged as dominant platforms for brands looking to connect with audiences. For service-oriented businesses, leveraging these platforms strategically can lead to higher engagement, brand loyalty, and customer trust. Let’s explore the top trends reshaping customer service in the digital landscape.

1. Short-Form Videos Rule

Both platforms prioritize quick, digestible content, making short-form videos a must for service brands. On TikTok, snappy tutorials, explainer videos, and "day-in-the-life" clips perform well. YouTube Shorts follows a similar formula, offering a space for bite-sized customer service hacks and brand storytelling.

💡 Tip: Showcase quick customer success stories, troubleshooting guides, or behind-the-scenes service excellence.

2. Interactive & Engaging Content

Customers love interactive experiences. Brands now leverage Q&A sessions, live streams, and polls to engage their audiences. TikTok's interactive stickers and YouTube’s Community Tab allow service-oriented brands to keep their followers involved.

💡 Tip: Host live Q&A sessions addressing customer concerns or feature a weekly service tip.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC)

Authenticity drives engagement. Encouraging customers to share their positive experiences through reviews, testimonials, or service reactions boosts credibility. TikTok challenges and YouTube reaction videos have become powerful organic marketing tools.

💡 Tip: Launch a UGC campaign where customers share their best service experiences with a branded hashtag.

4. AI-Powered Personalization

Brands now use AI to personalize content, offering customer-specific recommendations, responses, and interactions. TikTok’s algorithm-driven For You Page (FYP) and YouTube’s data-driven recommendations help service brands stay visible to their audience.

💡 Tip: Use AI-driven captions and targeted messaging to enhance engagement.

5. Trends-Based & Viral Content

Jumping on trending audio, memes, and challenges can significantly boost visibility. Service brands now use relatable humor, viral service moments, and trending sounds to connect with users.

💡 Tip: Monitor trending hashtags and create fun, relatable content tied to your service industry.

Final Thoughts

Service-oriented brands have an incredible opportunity to elevate customer engagement using TikTok and YouTube trends. By focusing on short-form content, interaction, personalization, UGC, and viral trends, businesses can build stronger connections with their audiences and enhance brand loyalty.

Are you ready to implement these trends into your service-oriented strategy? Let’s turn engagement into excellence!

Share your thoughts with us by connecting with @verygoodservice on your favorite platform and using  hashtag #verygoodservice to flag when you receive a very good service.

https://www.tiktok.com/@verygoodservice Very Good Service on TikTok

https://www.youtube.com/verygoodservice Very Good Service on YouTube

This post was prepared with the assistance of Copilot - prompted 18/6/2025

What Animals Teach Us About Great Customer Service

 

What Animals Teach Us About Great Customer Service

Over 10 years ago we published an original post about animals and customer service . Things have moved on clearly so we thought an update would be timely. Please do add more animals and attributes in the comments below.

Customer service is an art that requires patience, adaptability, speed, and problem-solving skills. Interestingly, the animal kingdom is full of creatures that embody these essential qualities. By drawing inspiration from them, we can become better at handling customers, solving problems, and creating meaningful connections.

Take the tortoise, for example. Known for its slow and steady pace, it teaches us the importance of patience. In customer service, some interactions take longer than others, and rushing through them can lead to mistakes or dissatisfaction. A patient approach ensures that customers feel heard and valued, ultimately leading to stronger relationships.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the cheetah—a master of speed. Some situations require fast action, whether it’s processing an order, troubleshooting a tech issue, or responding to urgent inquiries. Customers appreciate quick and efficient service, and those who can balance speed with accuracy stand out.

Friendliness is another key trait, and few animals embody this better than the golden retriever. These loyal, affectionate dogs naturally make people feel welcome and comfortable. In customer service, a warm and friendly attitude can instantly put customers at ease, creating a positive experience even in challenging situations.

But not every interaction is the same, and that’s where the octopus comes in. Highly intelligent and adaptable, it changes color and shape to blend into different environments. A great customer service professional does the same—adjusting their communication style based on the situation and the customer’s personality, whether they’re dealing with an angry caller, a confused shopper, or a long-time client.

Of course, attentiveness is just as important as adaptability. The owl, with its sharp vision and focus, reminds us of the power of active listening. Customers often drop subtle hints about their needs, and those who pay close attention can catch these details and offer more effective solutions. The best customer service professionals listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and respond with care.

Handling customers isn’t always smooth sailing, though. Some situations require resilience, just like the camel, which survives extreme conditions with remarkable endurance. Difficult customers, high-pressure environments, and long hours are part of the job, but staying professional and composed helps turn tough interactions into successful outcomes.

Then there’s the dolphin, a creature known for its intelligence and ability to solve complex problems. Customer service isn’t just about following a script—it’s about thinking on your feet, finding creative solutions, and making decisions that benefit both the customer and the business. The best professionals don’t just provide answers; they provide solutions.

In leadership roles, the lion stands as a symbol of strength, confidence, and decisiveness. Customer service managers and senior agents must lead by example, inspiring their teams and setting a high standard for service excellence. Great leadership fosters teamwork, encourages growth, and ensures that every customer interaction meets the highest standards.

Speaking of teamwork, the ant is a perfect representation of collaboration. Customer service teams thrive when they support each other, share knowledge, and work together to provide seamless service. No single agent can handle everything alone, but a well-coordinated team ensures that customers receive the best possible care.

Finally, the elephant reminds us of the power of loyalty. Elephants form deep bonds and never forget those who have helped them. In customer service, building long-term relationships with customers creates trust and brand loyalty. A customer who feels valued will return again and again, strengthening the company’s reputation and success.

The next time you find yourself helping a customer, take a moment to think—what animal do you feel like in that moment? Are you the patient tortoise, the adaptable octopus, or the problem-solving dolphin? Share your thoughts in the comments! We'd love to hear which animal best represents your customer service style.

This post was prepared with the help of Chat GPT. Prompted in February 2025.

Industries Excelling in Social Customer Service

 In today's digital age, social media has become a pivotal platform for customer engagement and support. Certain industries have harnessed the power of social customer service more effectively than others, leveraging it to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. This article delves into industries particularly well-suited for social customer service, exploring the reasons behind their success and highlighting best practices that set the standard.

Industries Excelling in Social Customer Service

1. Telecommunications

   Telecom companies manage a vast customer base, leading to frequent inquiries about service disruptions, billing, and technical support. Social media offers a real-time platform to address these concerns efficiently. By actively monitoring social channels, telecom providers can swiftly identify and resolve issues, thereby reducing customer frustration and enhancing satisfaction. This proactive approach not only addresses immediate concerns but also fosters customer loyalty in a highly competitive market.

2. Travel and Hospitality

   The travel and hospitality sector thrives on timely communication. Travelers often turn to social media for assistance with bookings, cancellations, and real-time updates. By providing prompt responses on these platforms, companies can improve the customer experience, leading to positive reviews and repeat business. This immediacy in communication is crucial in managing customer expectations and ensuring satisfaction.

3. Retail

   Retailers utilize social media to showcase products, announce promotions, and engage with customers. By addressing customer inquiries and complaints on these platforms, retailers can enhance the shopping experience and build brand loyalty. This direct line of communication allows for personalized interactions, making customers feel valued and heard. 

4. Financial Services

   Banks and financial institutions have embraced social media to provide support for account inquiries, fraud alerts, and service updates. Given the sensitive nature of financial information, these institutions must balance responsiveness with security, often directing customers to secure channels when necessary. This approach ensures that customer concerns are addressed promptly while maintaining confidentiality. 

5. Healthcare

   Healthcare providers are increasingly using social media to manage appointments, answer insurance queries, and offer patient education. By engaging with patients on these platforms, healthcare organizations can improve accessibility and patient satisfaction. However, it's essential to handle interactions with care, ensuring patient privacy and adhering to regulatory standards. 

Best Practices in Social Customer Service

To excel in social customer service, businesses across these industries implement several best practices:

• Responsiveness: Timely replies to customer inquiries demonstrate that the company values its customers and is committed to addressing their needs. 

• Dedicated Support Channels: Establishing specific social media handles for customer support helps streamline inquiries and ensures that support teams can focus on resolving issues efficiently. 

• Monitoring and Engagement: Regularly monitoring social media mentions allows companies to proactively address potential issues and engage with customers, turning negative experiences into positive ones. 

• Professional Tone: Maintaining a consistent and professional tone across all interactions helps build trust and reflects the company's brand values. 

• Data-Driven Improvements: Collecting and analysing customer feedback from social media interactions can provide valuable insights for service enhancements and product development. 

By adopting these best practices, companies can effectively leverage social media as a powerful tool for customer service, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

This blog post has been prepared with the help of Chat GPT - prompted on 8th February 2025.

Sentiment Analysis of Customer Reviews: A Powerful Tool for Improving Customer Service

 In today's hyper-connected world, customer feedback is more valuable than ever. Businesses that can effectively analyse and understand this feedback can gain a significant competitive advantage. One powerful tool for achieving this is sentiment analysis.

What is Sentiment Analysis?

Sentiment analysis, also known as opinion mining, is a natural language processing (NLP) technique that automatically extracts subjective information from text. It aims to understand the underlying emotional tone behind customer reviews, social media posts, and other forms of textual data.  

How Can Sentiment Analysis Improve Customer Service?

1. Proactive Issue Resolution:

   • Early Identification of Problems: By analysing customer reviews, businesses can quickly identify recurring issues and pain points. This allows them to proactively address these problems before they escalate and damage customer satisfaction.  
   • Targeted Support: Sentiment analysis can help identify customers who are experiencing negative emotions or have specific concerns. This allows customer service teams to reach out to these customers proactively and provide personalized support.  

2. Enhanced Customer Experience:

   • Personalized Interactions: By understanding customer sentiments, businesses can tailor their interactions to individual needs and preferences. This can lead to more personalized and satisfying customer experiences.  
   • Improved Product and Service Development: Customer feedback can be used to identify areas for improvement in products and services.
     Sentiment analysis can help pinpoint specific features or aspects that are causing dissatisfaction, allowing businesses to make targeted changes.  

3. Increased Customer Loyalty:

   • Demonstrating Empathy and Understanding: By responding to customer feedback with empathy and understanding, businesses can build stronger relationships with their customers. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat business.  
   • Building a Positive Brand Image: By proactively addressing customer concerns and improving the overall customer experience, businesses can build a positive brand image and reputation.  

4. Data-Driven Decision Making:

   • Measuring the Impact of Customer Service Initiatives: Sentiment analysis can be used to measure the effectiveness of customer service initiatives. By tracking changes in customer sentiment over time, businesses can determine which strategies are working and which need improvement.
   • Identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Sentiment analysis can help identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that are most relevant to customer satisfaction. This allows businesses to focus their efforts on the metrics that matter most.  

Conclusion

Sentiment analysis is a powerful tool that can help businesses gain valuable insights from customer feedback. By understanding the emotional tone behind customer reviews, businesses can improve their customer service, enhance the customer experience, and build stronger relationships with their customers. As the volume of customer data continues to grow, sentiment analysis will become an increasingly important tool for businesses of all sizes.

Prepared with the help of Gemini - prompted 9th January 2025

 Making Marketing and Customer Service Work Together

Image by DALL·E 3

Imagine this: your marketing team crafts a beautiful campaign, promising the world to potential customers. But when those excited prospects turn into actual customers, they hit a brick wall at customer service. Confused, frustrated, and frankly, disappointed, they walk away with a sour taste in their mouths.

That is the painful reality when marketing and customer service operate in silos. It is like pouring sugar in your coffee with one hand while adding vinegar with the other. The result? A bitter mess that nobody enjoys.

But it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, when marketing and customer service work together, it's a match made in brand heaven. They become two sides of the same coin, each amplifying the other's success. Here's how:

1. United Voice, Strong Brand: Marketing tells the story, and customer service makes it real. By sharing customer insights and feedback with marketing, you ensure your messaging resonates with real needs and pain points. This creates a consistent brand voice across all touchpoints, building trust and loyalty.

2. Targeted Content, Satisfied Customers: Customer service is a treasure trove of data on what customers love (and hate) about your product. Leverage this knowledge to create targeted content that addresses their concerns and highlights the value you offer. Think FAQs, tutorials, and educational blog posts – content that empowers customers and reduces support tickets.

3. Seamless Onboarding, Happy Advocates: Marketing gets customers through the door, but customer service ensures they stay. By collaborating on onboarding experiences, you can eliminate friction and confusion, turning first-time users into lifelong fans. Think personalized welcome emails, helpful product demos, and proactive outreach from the customer service team.

4. Real-Time Feedback Loop, Constant Improvement: Marketing campaigns live and die by data. But what if you could see how they actually impact the customer experience? By integrating customer support data into your marketing analytics, you get a real-time feedback loop. This allows you to refine your campaigns, optimize messaging, and ensure you're attracting the right audience.

5. Brand Ambassadors Arise: Happy customers don't just stay around, they sing your praises to the world. Customer service interactions are golden opportunities to turn customers into brand ambassadors. Empower your support team to go the extra mile, exceed expectations, and create stories that marketing can amplify.

Making marketing and customer service work together is not just about improving efficiency; it is about creating a seamless customer journey that fosters trust, loyalty, and advocacy. It is about breaking down the silos and fostering a culture of collaboration. And the rewards? Stronger brand identity, happier customers, and ultimately, a business that thrives on the synergy of its efforts.

So, what are you waiting for? Go forth, break down the walls, and unleash the power of your united marketing and customer service team. Your brand (and your customers) will thank you for it.

AI powered customer service

How AI can improve customer service

Customer service by Bing Image creator

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In today's digital age, customers expect fast, efficient, and personalized customer service. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help businesses meet these expectations by automating tasks, providing personalized recommendations, and resolving customer issues more quickly. Here are some of the ways that AI can improve customer service:

• Automate tasks: AI can be used to automate many of the tasks that are traditionally performed by human customer service agents, such as answering FAQs, providing order status updates, and troubleshooting common problems. This frees up human agents to focus on more complex issues, resulting in faster resolution times and improved customer satisfaction.
• Provide personalized recommendations: AI can be used to analyse customer data to identify their needs and preferences. This information can then be used to provide personalized recommendations for products, services, and content. For example, an AI-powered recommendation engine could suggest new products to customers based on their past purchases or browsing history.
• Resolve customer issues more quickly: AI can be used to quickly identify and resolve customer issues. For example, an AI-powered chatbot could be used to answer customer questions, troubleshoot problems, and escalate issues to human agents as needed. This can help to reduce customer wait times and improve overall satisfaction.

In addition to these specific benefits, AI can also help to improve customer service in a number of other ways. For example, AI can be used to:

• Improve the accuracy of customer data: AI can be used to analyse customer data to identify errors and inconsistencies. This information can then be used to improve the accuracy of customer records, which can lead to better customer service.
• Identify customer pain points: AI can be used to analyse customer data to identify areas where customers are having problems. This information can then be used to improve the customer experience by addressing these pain points.
• Personalize the customer journey: AI can be used to personalize the customer journey by providing customers with relevant information and offers at the right time. This can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Overall, AI has the potential to revolutionize customer service. By automating tasks, providing personalized recommendations, and resolving customer issues more quickly, AI can help businesses to deliver a better customer experience.

How to Get Started with AI for Customer Service

If you're interested in getting started with AI for customer service, there are a few things you need to do:

1. Identify your goals: What do you hope to achieve by using AI for customer service? Do you want to reduce wait times, improve accuracy, or personalize the customer experience? Once you know your goals, you can start to look for AI solutions that can help you achieve them.
2. Gather your data: AI solutions need data to work effectively. This data can include customer contact information, purchase history, and product usage data. The more data you have, the better the AI solution will be able to understand your customers and provide them with the best possible service.
3. Choose the right AI solution: There are a number of AI solutions available for customer service. Some of these solutions are more complex than others, so it's important to choose one that is right for your business. You'll also need to consider your budget and your technical capabilities.
4. Roll out the solution: Once you've chosen an AI solution, you need to roll it out to your customer service team. This may involve training your team on how to use the solution and how to interact with customers who are using it.
5. Measure the results: After you've rolled out the solution, you need to measure the results. This will help you to determine whether the solution is meeting your goals. You can measure things like wait times, customer satisfaction, and customer retention.

Conclusion

AI has the potential to revolutionize customer service. By automating tasks, providing personalized recommendations, and resolving customer issues more quickly, AI can help businesses to deliver a better customer experience. If you're interested in getting started with AI for customer service, there are a few things you need to do: identify your goals, gather your data, choose the right AI solution, roll out the solution, and measure the results.

Fishing for customers or delivering a great customer service?

Fishing for customers or delivering a good customer service?

Most of us already know the answer. Trying to catch new customers:

- is time consuming and sometimes requires extreme patience, 

- can be lonely and frustrating if you are on the road knocking on doors, 

- is not always rewarding as you often come home empty handed,

- does not necessarily bring success as you can catch the wrong type of customer,

- requires innovation as the competition comes trawling over your patch,

- often necessitate expensive baits such as promotion and discounts...

and the list goes on... So much that one wonders why there are still so many enthusiasts?

Most of us already know the alternative, provide an excellent customer service. Customers will come back, buy more, tell their friends, give you ideas for new products, do your marketing and negotiate your prices a little less. Maybe the time has come to do a little less fishing and a little more servicing.

Customer service: the great rotation

The customer service "great rotation" is inspired from the investment community's current hot topic whereby worldwide money managers may reallocate part of their assets towards more risky investments, for example switching from fixed income instruments to equities. This is done in order to benefit from higher equity yields especially given that interest rates will have to stay low for a while to fuel the economic recovery. This is compounded by the perception that interest rates can not really go lower and, as and when they start to increase, the fixed income instruments will suddenly lose a lot of value.

We could write ten blog posts about this topic alone but the interesting analogy is that we believe that a completely opposite movement could be emerging in customer service, whereby companies engage in a great rotation, reducing spend in marketing (risky) to invest more in customer service (safe). The economic benefits of such an approach could be very tangible, with a strong focus on customer retention rather than customer acquisition. If conducted effectively, the benefits of recommendations from satisfied customers would be enough to generate growth and attract new customers. So why not review the relative risk reward benefits of marketing and customer service and use the results to develop the case for the great rotation.

Picture credit: http://www.davidharber.co.uk/ with our thanks

Is your customer service at the heart of a virtuous circle?

Customer service virtuous circle

The growth of social media and viral propagation remind us everyday of the positives of a virtuous circle. Customer satisfaction is a natural source of endorsements, which in turn create further purchases, and increase customer loyalty whilst reducing the risk of post purchase dissonance. On the contrary below par customer service could be at the origin of a vicious circle where the company's reputation and future profits are at risk. So which curve is your customer service following? Beware, it might not be easy to determine at first sight...

Customer service balance

Customer service balance

A successful customer service delivery is made of many building blocks. A solid policy, firmly grounded, constitutes the cornerstone of the strategy. But it is not enough: adding more elements and finding the right balance is a necessity in the long run. Balancing the policy with innovation, initiative, the right level of human touch, a positive culture and some degree of creativity will make it all stick together. It should resist the test of time and be strong enough to sustain external challenges but when the time comes, one must be ready for the fact that it could crumble and one should be ready to rebuild it in a way which is appropriate for the current business environment.

Olympics: Does your customer service deserve the gold medal?

Olympic Motto and customer service:

If you wish to reach Customer Service Excellence why not simply adopt the Olympic Motto:

“Citius, Altius, Fortius” (1)

(1) Often translated as “Swifter, Higher, Stronger” 

Customer service: should you blow your own trumpet?

With the increasing emphasis on customer service, more and more companies claim that they offer a very good service, the very best service even. But is it wise to blow your own trumpet? Any service delivery hick-up could then lead to a severe back clash, with many customers using the high quality service expectations set by the company as an excuse for complaining, mocking the company and thereby damaging its reputation. An alternative course is to let the customers do the talking and use forums, social media platforms and the many other tools available to ensure that the positive feedback is noticed by many. So next time you are thinking about blowing your own trumpet, make sure you can last the distance.

Customer service: take the helicopter view

Your understanding of the environment where your company offers its business services will be crucial in determining the success of your operation. What are the constraints?

Chief Service Officer

Should your c-suite include a Chief Service Officer?

The ongoing financial crisis has put additional pressure on companies which have to work hard to attract new customers. But are you doing enough to retain your existing ones? Isn't it time for your customer service officer to have a sit at the top table  and claim a fair share of the company resources?

To complement this post, we thought it would be useful to include the top 10 items which should feature in the job description of a Chief Service Officer. We will build and refine the list over time but please do not hesitate to leave suggestions in the comment box below. Here are a few items to get us started:

1. Be responsible for the delivery of good customer service to all customers throughout the organisation

2. Define the customer service strategy  

3.Define customer service standards in adequation with the overall direction of the business

4. Establish a set of metrics allowing the company to measure its performance against customer expectations

5. Implement a philosophy of continuous improvement by collecting customer feedback and implementing changes required to improve their experience

6. Raise the role and importance of customer service in the organisation to exploit its potential to become a major revenue generator.

7. Coordinate all customer access channels such as telephone, website, social media, post, email, branches etc

8. Establish a clear value proposition for customers to understand what matters to them and what service can be scaled down

Will this encourage you to recruit a chief service officer?

As a further sign that the emergence of Chief Service Officers may materialise, we have even located a blog dedicated to it - chief service officer blog

Customer service success

Customer service success should be celebrated. Why not send away your customer service team to one of the 5 star best hotel getaways so that they can celebrate their success in style, maybe with a bottle of Champagne? Customer service success only comes after a lot of innovation, passion and hard work. If your organisation is successfully delivering its customer service strategy it is critical that the teams responsible are properly thanked and rewarded in the same way as sales and marketing teams are. The benefits of a successful customer relationship management strategy are well known but often under-stated. Isn't it time to adopt a new approach?

Customer service: learn to bend the rules

Learn to bend the rules

Customer service: learn to bend the rules

Customer service is often about excelling in the the delivery of rigid processes following a well defined set of rules and procedures. Developed over many years through the accumulated work of thousands of senior executives, this approach certainly appears rock solid and unbreakable. However, leaning on the experience and wisdom of the older generations, we are convinced that a little flexibility has some good. This is especially true given that the development of social media channels has dramatically raised the expectations of customers in terms of customer service. Indeed, many customers now expect a response within the hour, if not within 30 minutes. In order to ensure customer satisfaction and deliver against the very demanding expectations of your customers, should you not try to widen your employees' customer service skills by teaching them how to bend the rules?

Shadow customer service

So much effort is being deployed on customer service design that it becomes nearly impossible for individuals to be themselves. The rule books, the scripts, the do's and don'ts mean that at best the modern customer service company executive is a shadow of himself. Unsurprisingly this plethora of procedures can often be counter-productive as clients feel that their interlocutor is not acting in a natural or genuine way.  It can also provide plenty of ammunitions for the customer service officer to be obstructive rather than helpful - "computer says no!" or "this is against our policy" become frequently used sentences. More worrisomely this often leads to poor levels of job satisfaction which rapidly result in poor customer service. So, make sure your employees do not turn into customer service shadows.

Customer service poem

Customer Service Poem

Be Versed in Good Service

For really top service beyond all compare,

You have to let customers know that you care,

Right from first contact, the seeds will be sown,

So take time to smile when you pick up the phone,

 Be professional, courteous, clear and concise,

When talking of colour, delivery and price,

Don't rush through your work, or do jobs on the cheap,

And don't make a promise you know you can't keep,

If a customer phones, and is feeling uptight,

Do all that you can to make every thing right,

Sympathise, listen, and let them explain,

You can turn things around, so they'll come back again,

Customer service is just like a poem,

If it's good you will smile, if it's bad you'll just groan.

©Jan Jack’s Perfect Verse 2011 

http://www.perfectverse.co.uk/

In this new world, where AI is making its presence felt more and more, we asked Bard to have a go at writing a customer service poem. Here is one of the attempts made in June 2023. Please leave a comment stating which version you prefer, human or AI generated.

A Customer Service Poem

When I call for help, I want to hear a poem, Not just a list of things I'm not allowed to do. I want to feel like I'm talking to a poet, Not a robot that's programmed to say "no".

So please, when you answer my call, Be creative and be bold. Use your words to paint a picture, And make me feel like I'm not alone.

Tell me a story about your day, Or about the time you wrote a poem. Make me laugh, or make me cry, But whatever you do, don't make me feel like I'm just a number.

I'm a person, and I deserve to be treated with respect. So please, give me a customer service poem, And make my day.

I know that you're busy, And that you have a lot of calls to make. But please, take a moment to be poetic, And to give me a poem.

It doesn't have to be long, Or even very good. Just something that shows that you care, And that you're not just a machine.

So please, next time I call, Give me a customer service poem. It will make my day, And it might even make yours.

Top customer service

top customer service

There is simply no alternative. In terms of customer service, companies should always aim for the top. But, very importantly, always chose the easiest route and make sure that you do not take risks that could endanger the whole enterprise. Ultimately, a puff of smoke might even signal total customer satisfaction...