Shep Hyken's Blog

Do happy employees make happy customers, or is it the other way around? Do happy customers make employees happy? 

I’ve written in many articles and books that a focus on the employee experience will improve the customer experience. The logic makes sense. If you treat employees well, they will be more engaged with their customers and fellow employees. My mantra has been: 

What happens on the inside of an organization is felt on the outside by customers. 

I had the chance to interview Sean Crichton-Browne, co-author of  The Human Culture Imperative , for an episode of Amazing Business Radio. He challenges the concept, and in his book, he discusses how happy customers actually create happier and more engaged employees. 

Crichton-Browne’s insights stem from his years of sales experience. He said, “I was happy when my customers were happy. Because at the end of the day, when I received that phone call from a disgruntled customer, I became exceptionally unhappy.” In other words, the emotional climate of a customer’s happiness (or unhappiness) had a direct impact on employee satisfaction. 

Crichton-Browne’s “outside-in” approach flips the traditional “happy employees equals happy customers” approach and asks us to start with the end in mind. He argues that when customers are happy, employees will take greater pride in their work, stay longer and be more engaged.  

While this idea makes sense, I’m still of the “happy employees first” mentality. No matter how great your product is, if you don’t support it with great service, the customer eventually moves on to the competition. That great service is the result of great employees positively engaging with their customers. You don’t want to make employees who control the customer experience unhappy. Again, what’s happening on the inside of the organization is felt on the outside by customers.  

We did find some middle ground. There is no doubt that happy customers elevate employee morale. It’s like a continuous loop. Employees feel good when customers are happy, and customers feel good when employees are happy. Crichton-Browne says, “One cannot exist successfully without the other.”  

So, what’s the takeaway from our conversation? First, don’t get caught up in the chicken-or-the-egg debate. The truth is that employee happiness and customer happiness feed off each other. Customers feel good when employees are engaged, and employees feel good when customers are happy. One can’t exist without the other, and together they create the kind of momentum that makes both employees and customers say, “I’ll be back!”

Shep Hyken  is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s  customer service and customer experience keynote speeches  and his  customer service training workshops  at  www.Hyken.com . Connect with Shep on  LinkedIn .

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

How can leaders create more engaging experiences for their customers and employees? 
How can emotional and intellectual connections drive stronger customer loyalty? 
Why is it important for businesses to treat engagement as an experiment rather than a fixed process? 
How can leaders and managers inspire employees to deliver exceptional customer service? 
How can companies operationalize the “best day ever” experience for both customers and team members? 

Top Takeaways

Engagement is about creating experiences, not transactions. Create an experience that connects emotionally and intellectually with your customers by making them feel involved and valued.  


Treat engagement as an experiment. Try new things, see what works, and don’t be afraid to fail or make changes. When leaders create a culture where it’s okay to try and sometimes fail, employees feel more comfortable contributing and taking risks.  


The way you treat your employees and customers shapes their experiences and loyalty. Positive experiences lead to better engagement, while negative ones can create lasting disengagement. 


It’s not enough to have a great product. What elevates your brand is how you present it. What creates a loyal following is getting people excited, curious, and the desire to be involved. 


Allow your customers to help craft their experience. Sometimes, your customers will create powerful moments themselves, and your job is to set the stage and then step back. Invite feedback and participation. Pay attention to what they find most meaningful and operationalize it so that it becomes a part of the typical experience. 


Approach leadership with a teacher’s mindset. The best leaders don’t just tell people what to do. They inspire, guide, and help others discover answers for themselves. 


Plus, hear how Steve’s viral Mentos-and-Diet-Coke experiments, Chewy.com’s famous pet owner story, and more real-world examples bring the engagement effect to life. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The engagement effect is when you emotionally and intellectually connect to an experience, and it makes the customer move forward with an action.” 

“Whether they like it or not, leaders are in the experience business. They’re either creating positive experiences for their employees, which then affects customers, or they’re creating disengagement that transfers through the organization.” 

“Experiences are transformational. It changes the way you see, feel, think, and react.” 

“Engagement is an experiment. There are no hard, fast rules. It is about creating an experience where people want to connect with you.” 

About:

Steve Spangler is an Emmy award-winning TV host, STEM educator, and bestselling author. He is known for making science unforgettable through TV, social media, and live demonstrations. With over 4.3 billion video views and years on DIY Sci and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he has inspired millions worldwide. His latest book, The Engagement Effect: Cultivating Experiences that Ignite Connection, Build Trust, and Inspire Action, is out now. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .

Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

Qualtrics Finds Cynicism Around AI Threatens Customer Loyalty by Nicole Willing
(CX Today) Many businesses are enthusiastically deploying AI-powered chatbots and agents as the front line of their customer engagement, but a growing number of consumers are hitting the brakes.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five roundup with an article featuring findings from Qualtrics’ research on customer experience and AI. The message to companies and brands is to tread carefully. Customers aren’t trusting AI and chatbots, which can lead to lost revenue due to bad experiences. According to Qualtrics’ Isabelle Zdatny, “Increasingly, customers don’t tell companies about bad experiences – they just act, with roughly half reducing their spending. Companies can be left guessing where they went wrong.”
Why Aren’t Chatbots Delivering? by Xander Freeman
(Call Centre Helper) With a near-half adoption rate in our readers’ contact centres, why are chatbots still ranking so low for ROI when it comes to improving customer experience?

My Comment: Speaking of Chatbots and AI, Call Centre has just released its research on how companies are investing in AI for CX. They asked two experts (myself included) for their opinions. And they provide a link to the research. If you run a contact center, small or large, this is important/must-have information.
CX Day 2025: The State of Customer Experience and Why It’s at a Tipping Point by Nicole Willing
(CX Today) Each year, World CX Day is an opportunity to tip the hat to the brands, teams, and innovations that put customers first. But this year, the celebration comes as customer experience is at a crossroads. While new technologies, especially AI, are unlocking powerful opportunities, the reality on the ground is more complex. According to Forrester, CX quality is declining year after year, and the reasons are both technical and human.

My Comment: Last week was Customer Service Week and Customer Experience Day, two of my favorite “holidays.” This article focuses on CX Day, including commentary on the importance of CX. One section that stood out was about trust. More and more, I believe CX is not only a driver of happy experiences but also of trust. While the trust comments in this article focused on how companies use and protect their customers’ data, good service is a trust driver. Trust is key to creating customer loyalty.
93% of Executives Admit Their Customer Experience Is ‘Broken’ by PRNewswire
(MarTech) New WSJ Intelligence and Code and Theory research report shows that businesses are failing to harness AI’s potential to fundamentally reshape customer relationships.

My Comment: The title of this article intrigued me. Nine out of ten executives admit their CX is broken, yet everyone (for years) has expressed the importance of CX and how it contributes to the bottom line. And as usual, AI is dominating the conversation. Dan Gardner, co-founder of Code and Theory, shared a savvy comment: “The companies winning with AI aren’t following best practices; they’re inventing new categories of customer value…”
Famous Customer Service Quotes from Famous Business Leaders in History by Daniel Pereira
(The Business Model Analyst) Great service outlives trends because it’s rooted in human needs: feeling heard, respected, and helped. The best operators knew this decades ago—and their lessons still guide world-class CX today.

My Comment: Let’s wrap up this week’s Top Five with a little motivation and inspiration that doesn’t mention AI! Here are 75 quotes from famous business leaders to get you motivated and thinking.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

Recently, I wrote about a customer trust survey. The feedback was amazing, which compelled me to take this a step further. After more writing and additional research, I recognized the need for more attention to a metric that measures a customer’s trust, which will directly correlate with customer satisfaction levels, loyalty, and any metric that measures what keeps customers or drives them away. 

Merriam-Webster defines trust as an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. One in which confidence is placed. 

One can’t ignore that the word confidence is part of the definition! They are very closely linked. We might ask something similar to, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” The question would be, “Which comes first, confidence or trust?”  

Or, put another way: Does more trust lead to higher confidence, or does a higher level of confidence lead to more trust?  

Or does it really matter? If you have both, you win. My take is that trust leads to confidence. Customers show confidence in your company through repeat business and referrals. That’s how they express their trust.  

And that is why I’m officially announcing to you, our subscribers, readers, and viewers, a name to describe the trust questions I recently covered. I call it the  Customer Confidence Score™  (CCS), another question to add to the survey questions you use to measure customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). Here’s an anchor question from my recent article on trust surveys: 

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust that we will always do what’s right for you as our customer?  

If your customer doesn’t give you a perfect 10 on this question, there are trust issues. Customers either fully trust you, or they don’t. And obviously, the lower the score, the less likely you’ll see them return. But a score alone is just a number. The real insight comes when you ask your customers why they gave you that score. The answer is your opportunity to resolve trust issues and improve the likelihood they will return.   

The Customer Confidence Score™ is the result of surveying for trust, but it’s more than just another metric. It doesn’t replace CSAT or NPS. It completes them by measuring the foundation they are built on: trust. Without trust, a high CSAT or NPS score may be temporary at best. Measure CCS consistently, act on the insights, and you’ll build the kind of confidence and loyalty that get customers to say, “I’ll be back!”

Shep Hyken  is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s  customer service and customer experience keynote speeches  and his  customer service training workshops  at  www.Hyken.com . Connect with Shep on  LinkedIn .

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What are the common misconceptions about delivering a luxury customer experience? 
How can businesses provide a luxury-level service even if they are not selling expensive products? 
How does high-quality service contribute to a feeling of luxury for customers? 
What are the five luxury levers that businesses can use to elevate their customer experience? 
What are the four experience mindsets that influence how customers perceive and value luxury? 

Top Takeaways

Luxury is not just about the price tag. It’s about the experience you create for people, whether you’re selling a high-end product or something affordable.  


Every brand can deliver a luxury-level experience by paying attention to details and adopting a mindset that every customer deserves to feel valued and appreciated, regardless of what they buy or where they shop. 


Luxury can sometimes be a divisive term because of the misconception that it is only for the select few. Just as every customer deserves a luxurious experience, every employee is capable of creating it. Whether you’re a cashier, a manager, or someone at a front desk, you can deliver luxury through quality service and attention to detail.  


A luxury experience often involves engaging all five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. For example, some stores let you touch the products, smell good food, or hear pleasant music, making the visit more enjoyable and memorable. This creates a lasting emotional connection that makes people want to come back.  


The heart of a luxury experience is making every customer feel important. Listen carefully, pay attention to their needs, and show appreciation for their choices. When you build an emotional connection, it creates loyalty and sets your business apart from the competition.  


Not every customer defines luxury the same way. Neen shares the four luxury mindsets; 1. Reluctant and Removed, 2. Pro Prioritizer, 3. Confident and Content, and 4. Luxury Lover. To discover your luxury mindset, take this self-assessment. 


Plus, Neen talks about the five actionable “luxury levers” that she writes about in her book,  Exceptional Experiences . Tune in! 

Quotes:

“Luxury is defined with five words: high quality, long-lasting, authentic, unique, and indulgent.” 

“You don’t have to have a luxury product to provide a luxury level of experience.” 

“It’s not about the price of the product. It is about being seen, heard, and valued. Make your customer feel that way, and they will have a luxury experience.” 

“Some people think luxury is expensive or elitist. It’s not. Luxury is for everybody.” 

“Customers, clients, patients, guests, members, students, whatever community you serve, look at luxury differently. For some, it’s the luxury of time. For others, the luxury of convenience. For some, it is about the marble or the thread count. Luxury means such different things to different people.” 

About:

Neen James is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of several books, including Folding Time: How to Achieve Twice As Much In Half The Time and her latest, Exceptional Experiences: Five Luxury Levers to Elevate Every Aspect of Your Business. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .

Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

To Set Your Brand Apart, Create Moments of Shareable Joy by Brent Ridge, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Larissa Jensen
(Harvard Business Review) Business leaders are always searching for ways to create impact—studying consumer sentiment data, monitoring economic indicators, running predictive models. But amid all this effort, the real challenge is cutting through the noise to create something that actually resonates.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five with a “Moment of Joy” with an interesting article about joy and the customer experience. And, you know, if it’s coming from Harvard Business Review, it’s worth the read. Enhancing CX with “joy” is, as the article states, “… a powerful catalyst for brand engagement and competitive advantage in an era where emotional resonance increasingly drives consumer behavior.”
Why Leaders and Consumers Have Different Ideas about Loyalty by Bryan Wassel
(Industry Dive) Leaders are reporting problems with loyalty programs as well. Nearly 3 in 5 executives say their loyalty programs aren’t delivering the outcomes they need, according to the PwC survey.

My Comment: In the past, I’ve written about the gap between leaders of companies thinking they create a better customer experience is better than it is. This concept now extends to loyalty. The article starts with some interesting (and disturbing if you’re a leader) findings from a recent PwC study. 89% of executives say customer loyalty has increased, while only 39% of consumers agree. Executives look at metrics/numbers and don’t always take the emotional connection into consideration.
Why the ‘Fewer Calls’ Myth Is Crushing Customer Loyalty by John Leonard
(CMSWire) Companies spend millions of dollars to win new customers, only to ghost them post-purchase. The obsession with deflection, shrinking support teams and automating human connection is a costly contradiction that undermines the very loyalty brands need to grow.

My Comment: Customer support should not be seen as a cost center. When done well, customer support retains existing customers, increases sales, and can produce loyalty. This article is filled with compelling reasons why human-to-human interactions are a driver of repeat business and customer loyalty.
How to Collect, Analyze, and Act on Customer Feedback: A Comprehensive Guide by Dan Gingiss
(Dan Gingiss) Customer feedback has three phases – Collect, Analyze, and Take Action – and yet many companies only focus on the first two. Following up on customer feedback to enhance customer experience is a matter of deciphering the data – and using it to your advantage.

My Comment: It’s one thing to get customer feedback. It’s another to take action on the feedback. This comprehensive article, written by my friend and fellow CX expert Dan Gingiss, has many excellent ideas on getting the right feedback, how to go about it, and taking appropriate action, and finally, taking action on it.
10 Common Customer Service Problems and How to Resolve Them by ProProfs Editorial Team
(ProProfs) You can have a great product and a very talented staff. But the one thing that the majority of customers will remember in all likelihood is the direct interaction they had with your business. And who is at the forefront of this experience? Your customer service team, of course!

My Comment: This excellent article lists 10 of the most common customer service issues and complaints and how to deal with them. There are solutions for issues such as long response times, hold times, too many transfers, and more (seven more, to be specific). Let’s hope you’re not guilty of any of these. But if you are, this article will help you fix what needs to be fixed.
BONUS
Make Fridays More Fun in Your Contact Centre by Megan Jones
(Call Centre Helper) Is your team fizzling out on a Friday or starting the weekend with a bang? It really should be the latter, but how do you keep things fresh and interesting?

My Comment: This week is Customer Service Week (my favorite holiday). While most people think the week is focused on acknowledging customers, and that’s not a bad idea, the week is intended to recognize the people (our employees) who make our customers love us. That’s why this article by Call Centre Helper is appropriate. Even though the focus is on Fridays, the ideas included are a perfect way to engage your customer-facing employees and have some fun as you celebrate Customer Service Week.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

If you go to the horse race, you can place a bet known as the trifecta. This is where you correctly predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, and in the specific order. The payout is typically big because, while it’s simple in theory and easy to explain, it is a hard bet to win.  

Here’s a bet you can always win: taking care of your customers. And when you do it right, you hit the trifecta:  

First, they come back.  


Second, customers who come back will typically spend more every time.  


Third, customers who come back also recommend you. We love it when customers do our advertising and marketing for us. 

So, how can we define taking care of your customers? Here’s a simple definition: 

Taking care of your customers means you consistently deliver on what they expect, and do it in a way that’s easy, respectful, and reliable every time. 

So, let’s break down the important words within this definition: 

Consistently: The experience must be predictable and consistent. Consistency creates confidence. Confidence creates trust, and that leads to repeat business, and ideally and ultimately, customer loyalty.  


Expect: Customers want you to meet their expectations. If you consistently – there’s that word again – meet those expectations, you don’t leave your customers hoping for more. And once in a while, you can go “above and beyond” or “over the top” when the opportunity presents itself.  


Easy: This is about convenience. Customers love doing business with a company or brand that is easy and convenient. I wrote an entire book on this one,  The Amazement Revolution .  


Respectful: In addition to treating customers with respect, also respect their time. Wasting someone’s time is a sign of disrespect. 


Reliable: This goes along with consistency and expectations. The product must do what the customer paid for it to do. No matter how good the service is, if the product doesn’t work, even the friendliest customer service won’t get customers to come back.  

When a customer chooses to do business with you, there’s an implied agreement. They give you money in exchange for a product or service, and they expect you to take care of them as I’ve defined it. It may seem like common sense, and it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to implement. You need all employees on board with this simple concept. Everyone must understand how they contribute to the concept of taking care of the customer. Do that, and you’re not gambling. You’re betting on a sure thing. You’ll hit the trifecta!

Shep Hyken  is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s  customer service and customer experience keynote speeches  and his  customer service training workshops  at  www.Hyken.com . Connect with Shep on  LinkedIn .

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What impact does internal workplace culture have on the external customer experience? 
How can leaders set healthier communication boundaries with their employees? 
How can companies create an inclusive culture that values both employees and customers equally? 
What are some negative leadership behaviors that can affect employee engagement and customer service? 
Why is it important for leaders to address problematic employee behavior immediately? 

Top Takeaways

Employees are sometimes the ‘forgotten customers’ in a business. Just as companies focus on serving their external customers, it is important to also care for internal customers, your team members.  
When employees feel valued and respected, they are more likely to treat customers in the same way. The quality of service on the outside is often a reflection of how employees are treated within the organization. 
The worst behaviors in any workplace become part of its culture if they are allowed to continue. Whether it’s disrespect or disengagement, what leaders and team members let slide becomes the norm.  


Leaders should consider whether their personal habits force their team members to sacrifice their personal time. Work doesn’t need to spill into all hours of the day and night. For example, when employees feel pressured to respond to emails outside of their work hours, it can cause burnout and stress. Even a simple message like “no need to respond right away” can help set healthy boundaries. 


When things change, you have to be willing to revise your goals. Have an honest conversation with your team to find out if they have all the tools and resources that they need to achieve a goal. If not, find out if you can help them or if it is time to set more realistic goals.  


Admitting when you are struggling shows strength, not weakness. If someone is dealing with personal struggles, being open about it helps others understand and can make the workplace more supportive. 


Bad bosses can teach as much, if not more, than great bosses. Watching what doesn’t work and feeling the impact of negative behaviors can inspire people to do the opposite.  


Great leaders regularly examine their own behavior. It’s easy to spot toxic bosses in others, but it is harder to recognize those traits in yourself. Leaders should take the time to ask themselves, “Am I making it harder for someone to succeed here?”  


Plus, Mita shares memorable stories of bad bosses she’s encountered (including herself) and the lessons from those experiences. Tune in! 

Quotes:

“The biggest complaint in any relationship, whether at home or work, is a lack of time for each other. If you’re not making time for your team, you really need to ask yourself why you’re leading them.” 

“If you treat every single thing as urgent, then nothing truly becomes urgent.”  

“We spend too much time at work not to care about what’s happening to each other.” “Your workplace culture is defined by the worst behavior you tolerate.” 

“Disengagement is contagious. It affects your employee base and it shows up when they are dealing with customers.” 

About:

Mita Mallick is an inclusive marketing expert and cultural change agent known for transforming organizations. She’s the bestselling author of Reimagine Inclusion and , The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio .

Each week, I read many customer service and customer experience articles from various resources. Here are my top five picks from last week. I have added my comments about each article and would like to hear what you think too.

How to Leverage Authenticity to Build Unshakeable Customer Loyalty by Jackie Cullen
(Entrepreneur) Build trust through authenticity. That’s not a slogan or a strategy. It’s something I practice every day in my company. Why is authenticity important? Consumers today are more informed and have the means to compare brands at their fingertips, anywhere, at any time, making them less loyal than ever.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five Roundup with an article focused on one of my favorite topics, customer loyalty. This article emphasizes the importance of “authenticity.” The author mentions that her team discussed the book, “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara, and how his ideas on going beyond what is expected in caring and listening experience create the interactions that are personal, real, and ultimately build a loyal relationship.
Why Automated Customer Service Is Bad for Customer Loyalty by Victor Cho
(Retail Customer Experience) Customer loyalty lives in the gray area: in how a customer feels after a return, during a service hiccup, or when reaching out for help. These are moments where trust is earned or lost, and they still depend on human connection. An algorithm can track your behavior. A chatbot can answer your question. But only a person can make you feel heard.

My Comment: While the focus is on the retail industry, all industries are impacted both positively and negatively with AI, especially when it comes to the customer experience. With the exception of a companies that are supposed to be digital, (like Amazon, Netflix, etc.), loyalty is built through connection. You can’t automate everything. As the article points out, “Customers feel the gap.” AI and automation are important, but this article emphasizes the importance of the human-to-human experience.
4 Ways to Revive a Stale Loyalty Program by Larissa McCarty
(Phocuswire) If you’re running a loyalty program today, chances are you’re feeling it: Engagement is slipping. What was once the industry’s secret weapon has turned into a constant uphill battle.

My Comment: Another article on loyalty, but this one is about loyalty programs – specifically, how to breathe more life into your loyalty program. There are some excellent findings from studies that prove that your loyalty program, if not properly managed, is at risk of being a distant memory for your customers. The author provides actionable ideas to keep your customers engaged with your program and enjoy its benefits.
Stop Ignoring Social Media Comments — It’s Ruining Your Customer Experience by Brooke Sellas
(CMSWire) Consumers spend more than two hours a day on social platforms, and they expect brands to meet them there with timely, human responses. When brands stay silent, they don’t just miss likes or engagement—they miss sales, customer loyalty and customer trust.

My Comment: Your customers are sharing plenty of feedback, comments, and requests for support on social channels. This article makes the point that if you’re not paying attention to the customer who chooses to have a conversation on social media, you’re ruining their customer experience. A conversation requires at least two people to “talk” to each other. Pay attention and respond to customers who choose to engage on social media rather than other communication channels.
Customers Are More Likely to Subscribe when It’s Easy to Cancel by Kristen Doerer
(CX Dive) More than three-quarters of consumers say the ability to pause, swap or meter subscriptions is very or extremely important.

My Comment: There has been a lot of press related to companies that make it difficult to cancel subscriptions. I’m not referring to emailed newsletters or text messages. This refers to paying for a subscription associated with a service or product you regularly purchase. Well, just like an easy return policy makes it an easier buying decision for a customer, so does a promise that it’s easy to cancel a subscription.
BONUS
The Rise of the Exponential Consumer and the Future of Customer Experience by NiCE
(NiCE) The exponential consumer sets the new standard: always connected, highly informed, and demanding seamless experiences across every channel. They measure you against the best experience they’ve ever had, anywhere.

My Comment: My friends at NiCE invited me to talk about the future of customer experience and “exponential consumers,” who are always connected, want experiences, not just products, and are the ones setting higher expectations for the companies they do business with. I mention in the article, “It’s not just about exponential consumers anymore. We need to be exponential customers as well.”

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

Recently, a client reached out to me, concerned that their customer service was slipping. Due to supply issues, they weren’t fulfilling orders on time, and customers were complaining. Some had even started to source their products from other vendors. 

The company began surveying customers using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, which measures the likelihood that customers would recommend them. Obviously, with missed shipping deadlines, customers were unlikely to give a high score.  

As we continued our discussion, I concluded that the problem wasn’t customer service. The problem was becoming a lack of trust. If a customer receives something late once, maybe it was a mistake. If it happens more than once, that’s a pattern of inconsistency that will erode trust. So, my recommendation was to do a trust survey. 

I’ve written about how to create trust with customers in the past. I’ve quoted my friend and trust guru David Horsager, who says, “A lack of trust is your biggest expense in business.” 

So, with that in mind, I’ve come up with several questions to use on a trust survey. I suggest using just one or two plus an open-ended question. You can use a numerical scale, such as zero to 10 (like NPS), one to 10, or one to five. For the purpose of this survey, we’ll use one to 10, where one means “I don’t trust you at all” and 10 means “I completely trust you.”  

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust that we will always do what’s right for you as our customer? 


On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that we will deliver on what we promise? (What you promise can include product quality, on-time delivery, or any other commitment you’ve made to your customer.) 


On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust us to consistently deliver the same level of quality and service every time? 


On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that if something goes wrong, we will make it right? 

And as mentioned, consider including an open-ended question, such as: 

Why did you give us that score? 


What’s one suggestion you have that would create a higher level of trust? 


What’s the biggest reason you trust (or don’t trust) us?  

Trust is the foundation of every great relationship. A trust survey doesn’t just tell you how your customers feel about you today. It gives you the insights you need to protect loyalty tomorrow. If your customers believe you’ll do what you say, admit mistakes, fix mistakes, and always act in their best interest, you’ve earned something more powerful than a sale. You’ve earned their confidence.

Shep Hyken  is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s  customer service and customer experience keynote speeches  and his  customer service training workshops  at  www.Hyken.com . Connect with Shep on  LinkedIn .