Every week, I read dozens of articles on customer service and customer experience from a wide range of sources. Below are my top five picks from last week, along with my takeaways. I’d love to hear your thoughts as well.
How to get into customer experience – without starting from scratch by RMIT University
(RMIT University) If you’re tossing up a career pivot into customer experience design (CX), you’re not alone – and you’re probably not starting from zero.

My Comment: We kick off this week’s Top Five with an article I’ll put in the category of “Back to Basics.” This How-To article is perfect for the company that has just made the decision to make CX a priority. The article covers everything from journey mapping, the CX metrics to consider, the skills to train for, and much more.
High-Value Customers: How To Retain Your Ideal Customers by Shopify Staff
(Shopify) High-value customers are loyal to your brand, make consistent purchases over a long period of time, and refer others to you.

My Comment: Wouldn’t it be nice if all our customers were high-value customers? This article goes into the tactics and strategies to do exactly that. It covers loyalty programs, personalization, delivering excellent customer service, surveys, and more. In short, a high-value customer has the highest lifetime value, spending more over time than a typical customer. Our goal should be to move the average customer closer to the high-value customer and move high-value customers into higher-value customers.
Stop Choosing Between Speed and Empathy in Customer Service by Rhys Fisher
(CX Today) AI-powered orchestration frees agents from routine tasks, letting them deliver faster solutions without sacrificing human connection

My Comment: As the title of the article implies, speed and empathy shouldn’t be a choice. Today’s customer wants both. The key is for the company or brand to find the balance between the two. AI-fueled self-service support is efficient, but there will be a time when efficiency isn’t enough. That’s when the human-to-human connection takes over. The point at the end of the article sums it up: AI and any other technology you use to create an efficient experience should amplify empathy, not erase it.
Consumers will pay more for empathy by Bryan Wassel
(CX Dive) Many consumers feel companies are failing at empathy, and the growing use of AI in customer service likely isn’t helping, a Zurich survey found.

My Comment: And as long as we’re talking about empathy, this short, yet important article shares some interesting ideas, including the findings from a survey that three in five consumers are willing to pay more for a brand that demonstrates care and empathy. (My CX research confirms the importance of personalization, finding 84% of consumers prefer companies that offer a personalized experience.)
Contextual Intelligence becomes the new standard for exceptional Customer Experience in 2026 by HR News
(HR News) Zendesk releases today its 2026 Customer Experience (CX) Trends report, revealing that Contextual Intelligence* – the ability to combine AI, data, and human understanding in real time – is redefining what great service means.

My comment: This article states that “contextual intelligence” is the new standard for an exceptional experience. I’m not sure it is “the new standard,” but it is definitely worthy of your consideration. Contextual intelligence is the ability to combine AI with human understanding. This doesn’t mean that AI has feelings, but the information and data about a customer allow for more contextual experiences. And while you’re reading the article, don’t forget to download the full CX Trends report that’s offered.

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.