That’s Customer Focus © 2008 - 2011
Free Customer Focus and Customer Service Articles
From the Authors and other Customer Focus Experts
For your reading pleasure we have provided below free articles about customer service, customer focus, customer satisfaction and related topics. You will find additional articles in our new blog.
On this page you will see the titles of each article as well as a brief introduction to each article. To read the article click where indicated. (read more ) contained in each introduction.
If you would like to print the articles please use the link provided to send us an email request for the article in a pdf format.
For a short cut to all the articles click on the articles link in the site menu at the top of this page.
Check out our new Blog where we have other new articles not posted here. (Click Here)
Article Title
Brief Description and Link
Silent But Deadly
This article explores the issue that most customer do not tell you when they encounter a poor service experience.
When your customers encounter a mediocre or poor service experience the vast majority will not complain but rather, they will simply take their business elsewhere. Here is what research from several reliable sources tells us: ...read more
Do Companies Really Care About and Value Their Customers?
This article discusses recent research into what customers value in the current economy.
Apparently not enough! Last week American Express released the findings of its Global Customer Service Barometer, a survey conducted in the U.S. and eleven other countries exploring attitudes and preferences toward customer service. Following the release of this survey...read more
Is the Customer Always Right?
This article discusses recent research into what customers value in the current economy.
You have no doubt heard the expression “The customer is always right!” and I suspect many of you have contemplated this when dealing with an uncooperative service provider. But, is this really true? The answer to this question is absolutely critical! Critical, that is, if you are interested in customer retention and building long-term customer loyalty. Understanding the answer to this question starts by...read more
Why Customer Focus Training is a Strategic Investment and NOT an Expense
This article offers a business case for why Customer Focus training is a strategic investment.
Let me prove to you that using training to create a customer-focused organization is one of the best strategic investments you will ever make! ...read more
Top Ten Customer Service Books
Ten short reviews of great customer service resources
This is the first in a regular series of Top 10 lists. Every month I’ll present my top 10 list of resources that can help you improve customer service and increase customer loyalty. ...read more
Five Steps to Turn Customer Complaints into Loyal Customers
This article offers a five simple steps that every organization can follow, if they choose to..
Angry customers can seem like our worst nightmare. But, if you handle them right, they can be your company’s best friend. Because when you do listen to angry customers, you get a lot in return. Complaining customers often have valuable information about ...read more
How Can You Drive A Customer Crazy?
We were recently interviewed by Canadian Retailer Magazine and the resulting article is a great read. We have published it here, with the author's permission.
If you're in the retail business, you know customer service is one of the biggest targets of consumer complaints. What you probably didn't know is that a recent survey found ...read more
Customer Focus in a Slow Economy
This article discusses why Customer Focus and Service Excellence are more important in the current economic climate.
So here we are again. The economy is getting tough and for many, life is stressful and difficult. For business, this is not new. We’ve all been here before. Hopefully we’ve learned from the last time the economy slowed … But then again, have we? ...read more
Research Findings on the Importance of Creating a Customer-Focused Culture - It will shock you!
This article a short summary of some extremely relevant research findings from several reliable sources.
Every month we scan as much of the Customer Focus, Service Excellence and Customer Experience Research as we can to make sure we have our fingers on the pulse of what customers and business leaders are saying and thinking. Here is a short summary of what current research is revealing. It's not listed in any order as it is all important! ...read more
What is Customer-Focused Leadership?
Updated Aug 17, 2011
This article discusses why Customer Focus is a Leadership issue.
While Customer Focus and service excellence is everyone’s responsibility, this is particularly true for anyone who manages and supervises others. That’s why we believe that...Customer Focus is a Leadership issue. To become a customer-focused leader, it is helpful to look at the best practices of other organizations
...read more
To be (Customer Focused) or not to be... What a Question
They say that Shakespeare’s stories represent the basis of all movie plots these days. Here’s a look at what he says about customer focus.–we have used a little artistic license.
Most of you will probably recognize this soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
To be, or not to be: that is the question: ...read more
Why Customer Focus Differentiates
This article discusses why Customer Focus is an organizations only differentiating factor.
Has this ever happened to you? You're in a hurry. You want to complete your business and the person serving you is preoccupied with something other than serving you. Then when you are served, you might get an insincere apology for the delay followed by the completion of your transaction. If asked to describe this experience you would likely respond "That's typical" or "It's nothing more and probably a little less than I expected." ...read more
Customer Expectations vs. Customer Needs
This article discusses customer expectations, how these are formed and the impact these have on their behaviour.
The first rule of stellar service delivery is: Service is all about expectations. You buy a product; you expect it to work the first time. You go to a discount supplier, you expect the quality to be less than the high end dealer, but you still expect what you buy to work, first time every time. When it comes to products, expectations are pretty clear. People expect a good quality product based on the price they are willing to pay for it. When it comes to service, expectations can get a little fuzzy. When a customer begins ...read more
FAST GUIDE: 10 Success Factors of Customer Focus
This article provides a brief outline of the critical steps which lead to customer focus transformation.
Customer Focus is more than Customer Service. It is an aligned whole-organization approach to customer satisfaction and service, leading to customer loyalty and advocacy. The result is sustainable profitability
...read more
Shocking Recovery!
This article discusses the importance of pro-active service recovery.
"Submitted for your judgment, a business plan. This plan is mapped out to the nth degree. It describes the particulars of how to do business. But what can't be anticipated is the tension that washes over a customer like a dense fog. ...read more
Improving the Customer Experience through Customer Journey Mapping
This article discusses what is involved in Customer Journey Mapping
Today’s customers are becoming more demanding and often drive a hard bargain. They utilize multiple channels and touch points to interact with your organization during their life cycle (Customer Journey). If you are serious about differentiating your organization, you cannot ignore the negative impact that inconsistent and piecemeal customer experiences will have on your business. ...read more
Using Information to Create Value for Your Customers
The title says it all.
Ask most any employee at work today in American business the same question: "What's our biggest problem?" and you're likely to get the same answer: "Communication!" How can that be? Look at the proliferation of technology that has vastly improved the way in which information is sent and received in corporations ...read more
No Theory. . .No Learning: A Requisite for Real Change!
This article discusses the concept of No Theory...No Learning.
To quote an unheralded Deming phrase... "No Theory, No Learning." Explained, it warns us that unless we fully understand the theory, set of assumptions or thinking that we held true when we created practices and procedures that we use presently, we will be forever condemned to create different versions of what we have always done in the future. The result...no real change, just different manifestations of what we always used to do. ...read more
Would You Do Business With You?
This article asks a critical question.
If more company presidents and their senior managers asked themselves this question with the customers’ view in mind, many would answer “probably not.” The reason? Customer service. Much has been said, done and written about customer service during the last decade. Millions of dollars have been spent on programs, training and systems. However, the results have been disproportionate and often ...read more
Six Steps to More Loyal Customers
This brief article offer 6 easy to follow steps.
AWe all know it’s important to have loyal customers. But do you know how important it is? A study by Bain & Company suggests that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can improve profitability by anywhere from 25% to 95%. It shows us there are...read more
The Customer Focus Training Top Forty
This article answers the question: What Should Customer Focus Training accomplish?.
Since this training is a significant investment, it is essential that you maximize your return on investment from this training. In response to these inquiries we have put together a list of the essential learning objectives your training should achieve. The list ...read more
Audio Article - The Value of a Customer Focus Strategy
This free MP3 audio article discusses the financial value of a customer focus strategy from a time management and operational effectiveness perspective. ..listen
Three Proven Pro-Active Service Recovery Strategies
In this article we provide three proven service recovery strategies, which when used consistently, are guaranteed to turn customer problems into opportunities for building customer loyalty ...read more
How to Turn an Economic Downturn into an Opportunity For Profit and Sustainable Growth
This article examines current customer opinion and behaviour and presents three key actions you can take leverage the current economy into an opportunity for profit and sustained growth. ..read more
American Express 2011 Global Service Barometer Survey Results
Published May 5, 2011
Poor customer service is leaving Consumers hot under the collar and threatening to switch brands, even as consumers say they’d spend more with companies that provide excellent service in 2011 vs. 2010. Consumers will spend 13% more with companies that provide great service – up from 9% last year according to the new American Express Global Customer Service Barometer. ..read more
Customer Service Training versus Customer Focus Training
Published May 19, 2011
This article explains the difference between Customer Service and Customer Focus training and shows you which of these two will have the greatest impact on sustainable service performance and profitability. ..read more
I Got an Email: Getting Service Training to Stick
Published May 19, 2011
This article discusses how you can improve your return on investment for service training by describing what you can do to ensure that the training gets embedded into daily life. ..read more