This week we’ve seen some pretty fantastic customer service articles. In fact, there were so many I had to include more articles than usual in my weekly roundup! From utilizing the customer feedback system to its maximum potential and making it worth it for customers to provide their honest feedback, to improving your online customer service, it’s all here. Give this week’s top customer service articles a read, I’m sure you’ll learn as much as I did!

1. 4 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Online

Every company receives complaints from their customers, the key to turning those complaints around is how and when the company responds. In her article, Lexa Gundelach discusses how to implement a successful social support strategy in order for companies to respond correctly to complaints. From personalizing a message, to acting immediately, responding the right way can make or break your relationship with your customer. Gundelach brings in some helpful points in order to respond efficiently to complaints, and end up with very satisfied customers.

2. How to Use Social Media to Win at Customer Service

How do you utilize your company’s social media platforms to their maximum potential? What’s the point of creating social media accounts if the customers still aren’t satisfied with the wait time of a response? Natalie Peterson is here to explain how to succeed at social media. Based on a recent study of the average response times from different platforms, and the customers’ wait time expectation, the actual response time is still too high. In her article, Peterson goes in depth about how to best succeed with each individual platform, and gives us some great tips on how to provide efficient and helpful responses.

3. Remembering Who The Customer Is

There are many companies who have implemented a new way of treating their customers, where they create programs that cater to what the customers want. Although, as Rob Jolles proves in his article, this isn’t always the case. Jolles brings in a great example from restaurants about the unfortunate reality of today where companies would rather put their own convenience before the customers’. He discusses the importance of implementing strategies that cater to the most important unit of a company’s business-the customers.

4. How to Improve Customer Service by Reducing Employee Stress

Many companies often wonder why their customer service is lacking. Many times, as Larry Alton points out in his article, it isn’t the customers, or the strategies, it’s simply the lack of motivation among the employees. Alton delves into the effects of stress, and how much of a toll it can take on the working environment. He suggests employers should provide their employees with things like healthy snacks and flexible hours in order to make sure they are working in the best possible atmosphere.

5. Customers Want Something in Return for Their Feedback

Feedback is a very important tool for companies who are looking to improve and expand their services. Receiving the feedback isn’t always easy, as customers want to know that their opinions and feedback will be honored and taken into consideration, or else why would they waste their time? Lynn Daniel discusses how important it is that companies follow up when asking for feedback. Loyal customers want to see improvements implemented in their favorite companies, or just know that their opinion was taken into consideration. According to Daniel’s article, acknowledging and thanking the customers for their feedback goes a long way.

6. Call Center Gamification- No More a Fad but an Elemental Prerequisite

In her fascinating article, Hemani Sehgal argues that call center gamification is causing a huge change in the contact center industry in order to boost productivity. It has allowed for the hiring of virtual agents, which lowers the turnover costs drastically. In addition, gamification allows for the opportunity for the customer to connect with your brand on a more intimate level by enhancing customer participation. Sehgal points out various other benefits gamification has had on call centers, which has led to many improvements within customer service.

7. Quickly Accept Accountability When Things Go Wrong

Accepting responsibility on a company’s behalf is one of the most beneficial things a customer representative can do. In her article, Jeanne Bliss provides us with detailed steps you can take to rectify a situation, and retain your valuable customers.  Bliss stresses the difference between a company whose customer service agents care about the outcome of the relationship with the customer, and those who couldn’t care less. The difference matters, and is the factor that bonds people to certain companies and not others.

8. 5 Ways to Turn Facebook Messenger Into Your Best Customer Service Tool

What if your company could utilize some of the best parts of successful social platforms such as Facebook? Blake Morgan tells us all about how you can! Recently, the Facebook Messaging App, which was the fastest growing app of 2015, has been rolled out to a few brands such as Hyatt Hotels. When your customers are on Facebook consistently throughout the day, what better way to connect with them? Morgan goes on to outline just how useful utilizing already popular apps can be for the advancement of your company.

9. Customer Care Is Your Best Marketing Strategy

Jason Wesbecher writes about a simple but interesting outlook on customer service. According to Wesbecher, customers simply want to be appreciated and smiled at, just like anyone else, and the more the customer feels welcome, the more they’ll want to return. He brings in various examples of companies who implement this idea by creating an atmosphere where the customer feels comfortable and appreciated. He says that is one of the best marketing techniques out there, and easiest, so why not give it a try?

10. 3 Things Your Competitors Can Teach You About Customer Service Skills

Although it’s tough to admit, at one time or another most of us have taken a look at someone else’s strategy and wished it was our own. Well, in our newest blog post we’re here to tell you that it’s okay to learn from other companies techniques! Learning from your competitors can help your company advance further then you may think. Where your company’s weaknesses lie could be the exact field in which your competitor thrives in. So, give this article a read and see what you can learn in order to advance your company’s success.

11. 16 Customer Service Skills That Drive Every Business

A great customer service reputation is a powerful differentiator in a competitive market where consumers have a lot of product/service options. This JitBit blog post lists 16 ways in which your company can gain this advantage. This is done with the use of fascinating statistics, such as “82% felt their customer service provider could have done something to prevent them switching “. Worth a read.