customer experience
This Halloween, 10 Ways to Scare Your Competition and Steal Their Customers
Shep Hyken | October 31, 2024
Halloween brings up images of spooky costumes and haunted houses. So, here’s a question for you: Are you confident your customer service and CX won’t scare your customers away? That’s a rhetorical question. If you’ve been reading my weekly newsletters or watching my videos, it means you’ve been investing in yourselves and your company by creating an experience that doesn’t scare customers away … but it may scare your competition. I’ve created a list. If you do any of these, your customers will love you – nothing scary about that – but your competition will be scared their customers might find out and switch to ...
US Fines American Airlines Record $50 Million Over Treatment of Disabled Passengers
Reuters | October 23, 2024
By David Shepardson (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday said it was fining American Airlines a record $50 million for its treatment of disabled passengers, including failing to provide some with adequate assistance and mishandling wheelchairs. The fine is 25 times larger than the previous highest airline penalty for disability protection violations, setting a "new precedent" for future enforcement, the department said. "The era of tolerating poor treatment of airline passengers with disabilities is over," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "By setting penalties at levels beyond a mere cost of doing b...
Separate Checks: A Metaphor for Good and Bad Customer-Focused Policies
Shep Hyken | October 10, 2024
It often amazes me how difficult some companies make it to do business with them. I could share so many examples, but let’s use the restaurant industry to illustrate my point. Recently, I attended a conference. I met three colleagues for breakfast. When the server approached our table, the first thing she said was, “No separate checks.” Really, that was the first thing she said. I could think of better opening lines. Regardless, it was clear that the restaurant had a policy. We were informed. Compare that to the experience I had the other day when my hockey team – yes, I still play hockey – went to a restaurant for break...
Customer Service Week 2024
Shep Hyken | October 3, 2024
If you’re reading this article the day it comes out, then next week – the first full week of October – is Customer Service Week. This special week was created in the 1980s when the International Customer Service Association suggested that organizations should recognize the employees who create the experience that gets customers to say, “I’ll be back.” Here are five ideas to celebrate. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging customers during this week. I encourage it. But who makes those customers want to do business with you? Your employees! So, with that in mind, here are five ideas, one for each day of the week, to insp...
How’s the Weather and Other Stock Lines that Prove the Rep Is Uninterested
Shep Hyken | September 26, 2024
Recently, Toyin McArthur, a trainer and facilitator for Storage Vault in Canada, asked me if I had any thoughts or suggestions related to customer service reps using questions like “How’s the weather?” to establish rapport with a customer. The concern was that using the “weather” is a sure way to leave the customer feeling like the agent or salesperson is disinterested and unauthentic, resulting in an overall “blah” experience. “How’s the weather?” works if it’s a topic for the day. For example, a question about the weather may be appropriate if there’s a snowstorm. But if it’s just a generic icebreaker, there...
Potential Profit Killer: Making Assumptions About Customers
Shep Hyken | September 19, 2024
By Shep Hyken My friend Norman Beck sends me interesting articles and stories on a regular basis. Recently, he shared the story of a wealthy customer who entered a luxury store and asked to see a $25,000 chess set. The customer wasn’t dressed well, and the salesperson made the assumption that she couldn’t afford to buy it. The customer walked away, but before leaving the store, she visited the owner’s office, who also happened to be a close friend. She bought the chess set – but only after the owner promised not to give the salesperson a commission. Eight years ago, I wrote an article titled Big Mistake … Don’t Judge a ...
Mapping the Guest Journey to Technology to Enhance the Guest Experience: Is Your Tech Stack Up to Par?
Gregg Hopkins | September 10, 2024
by Gregg Hopkins, Founder & Principal Consultant of Get Hoppy Consulting Hospitality is about people helping people, a process that technology can enhance and support through robust infrastructure and tools the workforce can learn and enjoy using while delivering the experience guests have grown accustomed to when on vacation or a business trip. It is essential for every hospitality organization to prioritize the evaluation of its current technology stack, process workflows, data infrastructure, and security. This is to ensure that they effectively support internal distribution, sales, operational controls, and the desired customer...
Hotel Employee Training Impacts Customer Experience and Happiness
EHL | September 6, 2024
The hospitality industry thrives on delivering exceptional customer experiences, and hotel employee training plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal. Well-trained staff not only provide better service but also contribute to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. In today's competitive market, hotels that invest in comprehensive learning and development programs for their employees often see improvements in employee retention, motivation, and overall performance. The Importance of Employee Training in Hospitality Employee training equips staff members with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles, ultimately le...
