case study on excellent customer service

6 Interesting Customer Service Case Studies to Inspire You

July 18, 2023

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An 11-year-old boy’s experience with LEGO customer service changed the company’s brand perception. It’s not only brought in more customers but also justified their lead position in the market. Here, we will discuss a few more interesting customer service case studies.

One good service can not just help one customer but also influence future customers. Reading others’ stories will help you understand ways to overcome new challenges.

I will start with some popular ones.

Popular customer experience case studies

Customer service is not just limited to providing product-related support anymore. We have passed the line way back. As the market gets more critical, everyone is running a few extra miles. Even the top companies in the field are not compromising anything. 

Let’s start with JetBlue’s customer service case study.

JetBlue sets an example of how you can use social media to provide excellent customer service. They have multiple teams at different levels that are active on Twitter. And there are many examples of it.

Here is one: Paul once tweeted that he couldn’t find Starbucks at the gate while boarding the flight. JetBlue immediately responded with an alternative, which was free for him.

Another challenge that JetBlue faced was the winter storm in early January of 2017 . They had to cancel a lot of flights at that time. And because of this, thousands of people were impacted.

The challenge here is that JetBlue cannot change the weather or ensure a safe flight during a storm. But they can provide up-to-date information.

So, they started to tweet updates about the storm and the flight schedule the whole time. As a result, even though the passengers were frustrated, they were happy with JetBlue’s service.

Zappos has a good reputation for providing the best customer support. And it has a lot of interesting customer service case studies. One particular service case created a lot of buzz in the market.

Zappos’s service agent talked with a customer for 10 hours in one call. And, surprisingly, Zappos took it in a positive way. The call wasn’t even about any service. 

This long call started with where and how that customer lives. Then, eventually, it turns into clothing and fashion-related conversation. Finally, the customer ended the call with the purchase of a pair of UGG boots.

It breaks all the records and wins a long-running battle. Which one is better, automated calls or live agents? And without a doubt, it’s the personal touch that steals the crown every time.

This customer service case study is a bit more heartwarming. 11-year-old James Groccia has Asperger’s syndrome. He was looking at an expensive LEGO set for his birthday. It’s the exclusive Emerald Night Train set.

James saved money for two years. The money came from his birthday gifts and his participation in research. But he was heartbroken when he found out that it was unavailable.

His mother looked everywhere possible. On Amazon, eBay, or any other platform, it was either out of stock or too expensive. Eventually, with the help of a social worker, James wrote to LEGO.

It was a huge surprise to James that LEGO wrote back. And not just that, they surprised him with the exclusive Emerald Night Train set just before his 11th birthday.

It wasn’t easy for LEGO as well. It was a discontinued set and a collectible. They had to track it down for him. This extra mile not only made that customer happy but also established a brand perception that cares about its customers.

WPManageNinja’s customer service case study

While we were looking for customer experience stories, we talked with our Support team head, Mr. Kamrul Islam , here at the WPManageNinja office. He shared a few interesting case studies with us.

“I made a full website using your table builder plugin.”

Our support team faces and solves a lot of interesting cases every day. So, from a lot of stories, we have chosen three interesting stories to share with you in this blog. And, we are not going to be technical here at all.

So keep reading.

Story #1: Fluent Form

Let’s start with a simple one. One of our clients creates a ticket with an issue through our Fluent Support helpdesk system . 

Ticket created from customer’s end

I am a Fluent Form user. And I want to create a booking form using your form builder.

Thanks a lot for contacting us. Let us get into it and see what we can do for you. We will get back to you ASAP.

Booking system plugins are typically used for appointment booking. However, our support team needs to find a way to use our form builder plugin to accomplish this task.

But instead of saying, “This is not possible,” to our client, they get to work. Started figuring out a workaround for this. For obvious reasons, a form builder cannot provide a booking system facility, but the team finds a way to use it as a basic date booking system.

Our support team used two date-picker blocks from our Fluent Form builder and used different blocks to pick the starting and ending dates. Our team got in touch with the customer and gave him the solution.

But the customer knocked again.

Ticket continue

I am happy with the solution, but I’m facing an issue. I picked one date from the “Start from” calendar drop-down, but I can still see the previous dates are active in the “End at” drop-down. I want it disabled.

Here is a screenshot.

We can certainly help you out with this. We will get back to you shortly with a solution. We really appreciate your patience, and thanks a lot for being with us.

As our support specialist stated, they provided a solid solution. They had to write some custom code to implement a new feature in the client’s system.

That customer not only gave us a 5-star rating for our service but also became one of our loyal customers.

Story #2: Ninja Table and Fluent Form:

Speaking of adding custom features, it’s one of the regular jobs for our support team. Support agents, from time to time, write custom codes to fulfill customer requests.

Once, we got another ticket about a dynamic integration between two of our products. And the request came in multiple layers.

Hi, I am ruining a multi-user-based site, and recently I purchased the Ninja table for my site. I bought this to list my users information in a single table. But after a few tries, I failed to do it. Can you help me?

Thanks a lot for connecting us. We can help you with your issue. We will get back to you ASAP with a solution. Thanks a lot for being with us.

Our support agent needed to create a table from the site’s SQL data that contained user information.

It was an easy fix. Ninja Table has that feature built-in. Our expert agent wrote a few lines of script to pull users’ information. It created a table from SQL data.

The tickets continue.

Now I can see all the users’ information in a single table. But now I want to display only logged-in user information in the table. The rest of the user’s information should be hidden for that user.

Sure, we can do that for you.

So, the support agent created a custom shortcode to embed the table on the display page. That custom shortcode restricted other users’ information to the logged-in user.  

But the client came to our support team again.

Hi, I’m very happy with the output. But now I need one more thing from you. I need another column in the table with a form link in it. If a customer clicks on it, it will open a new page with the form on it. And I need it to be prefilled with the information from the table. I don’t want my customer to fill out the form again.

We can certainly help you with this. Our engineers will get into it and get back to you soon with a solution.

Our support team has two challenges in solving this ticket.

• A table created using SQL data has a limitation. You cannot add a new column to the table without touching the SQL data. Altering SQL data is not a good idea at all. So, adding a new column in the table with a form link is difficult.
• Pull the data from the table to prefill a form with logged-in users data. And then make the prefilled input box uneditable.

Our team starts with the first challenge. We cannot create a new column without altering the SQL data. But then they figured out a way to replace particular data with the desired data. And in this case, the desired data is the form page link.

So, they used a column from the SQL data set that did not have important information. Using the custom scripting, they replaced the SQL-pushed data with the form page link. Part one is solved.

For the second challenge, our team used Fluent Form. They integrate the Fluent form with the Ninja table. With the help of some custom scripting, they were able to pull the data from the table into the form’s input box.

The client was really happy with the outcome. Just because of this service, the client bought all of our products. And there is no need to mention that the client became one of our advocates.

Story #3: Ninja Table

Customers can show you totally different use cases for your product. This particular story is the best example of this statement.

Hi, I am using your Ninja Table plugin on my site. I need to link a Google Sheet with the plugin. Is it possible?

Thanks a lot for connecting us. We have a built-in integration facility for Google Sheets in the table settings.

At this point, the WP Manage Ninja team sent a step-by-step video tutorial to show how to do the integration. and the client was happy with this.

But shortly after that, clients connected with our support team again with multiple queries.

I need your help to customize the table. I want to make it look different from a regular table. Specifically, I want to hide the header and border and resize the columns and rows. I also want to know if I can apply custom styling to the data from the Google Sheet and if an image inserted in the Google Sheet will appear in the table. So somehow, I don’t want it to look like a table.

Thanks again for connecting with us. All of your requests are possible. However, it would be helpful if we could have access to the site table on your site. This would allow us to provide you with a better suggestion.

The client shared a link to the site with the support team. The whole team was a bit confused.

Hi again. Thanks a lot for sharing the site link with us. But we may need a little more information about the site. And please specify where you want to put the final table. Also, can you please give us a link to the actual table?

I gave you the link to the table.

We are very sorry; you just gave us a site link. We cannot see any tables here.

That is the table.

May you please elaborate? What do you mean by that?

I made a full website using your table builder plugin.

After some inspection of the site, our agent realized our client had made a fully functional website using our table builder plugin. We were just amazed by this type of use case.

The client also linked the table with a Google Sheet, which we helped them with previously. This means that they do not need to log in to the WordPress dashboard to change any data.

The client can simply make changes to the Google Sheet from their phone, and our table plugin will automatically update the data on the site.  

This is so far one of the most unique and clever use cases we have seen for any of our products.

Takeaways customer service case studies

Up until now, we have shared six different customer service case studies. But these are not just stories. These case studies tell us what excellent service is. It teaches us how we can go the extra mile and how it can impact our customers.

Essential qualities of the best customer service reps

So, here are a few takeaways from these case studies:

• Be responsive. Respond to the customer, even if it’s a tweet. Be quick and efficient.
• Be helpful. Go above and beyond to help customers. This could mean tracking down a discontinued product, giving a refund, or even just sending a handwritten note. Personalization matters in customer relations. A good gesture could be to send customers gratitude notes that have been carefully crafted to suit their tastes. You can design cards , for instance, which gives you ample room for creativity and personal touch. Even when they don’t know it’s not required. This could mean offering advice, making recommendations, or just listening.
• Be transparent. Be honest with customers, even when it’s not good news. Customers always appreciate a direct response, even when they are angry.
• Be personal. Take the time to get to know the customer’s individual needs. This will help you provide more personalized service. Which will make them feel special.
• Be human. Don’t hold your personality back; let your human side shine through. Show that you care about the customer and their experience. This could mean using humor, being empathetic, or just being yourself. The personal level of connection is effortless. This will make your service seamless.
• Go the extra mile. Go above and beyond to help customers. This could mean tracking down a discontinued product, giving a refund, or even just sending a handwritten note. Whether you need to write custom code, provide training, or even just be a sounding board, let it be.
• Be creative. If you can’t find a solution, that’s fine. Go out of the box and come up with a new one.
• Be patient. Sometimes, it takes time to find the right solution that works. Be patient with customers and stay with them until they’re happy with it.
• Be open-minded. Customers may use your product in ways that you never intended. Be open to new ideas.
• Be impressed. Be amazed by the imagination and creativity of your clients. When you see customers using your product in a unique way, make sure to let them know how impressed you are.

Final thoughts

Being a tech support specialist or service agent is a challenging job, no doubt. A customer can come up with any type of issue. Hance, the service providers have to be sound enough to deal with any surprises.

The service-dependent industries are constantly facing a variety of cases every day. That’s why customer service case studies are a must-read for support and service providers. And, on the other hand, these stories can bring in new customers.

Start off with a powerful ticketing system that delivers smooth collaboration right out of the box.

Md. Ariful Basher

Hi, this is Abir, a product marketing strategist, passionate product designer, and WordPress core contributor. Creating interesting content and products that ensure a 360-degree customer experience is my daily job.

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Customer Service Case Studies: Real-Life Examples Of Service Scenarios.

Are you looking for real-life examples of customer service scenarios that can help you improve your own customer service skills? Look no further!

In this article, we will explore a series of case studies that highlight different aspects of effective customer service. These case studies will provide you with valuable insights into how to handle challenging situations, resolve issues, and create positive experiences for your customers.

Customer service plays a crucial role in the success of any business. It is not just about answering phone calls or responding to emails; it is about building relationships and exceeding customer expectations. By studying real-life examples, you can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of effective customer service and learn strategies to enhance your own skills.

In each case study, we will delve into different scenarios and examine how businesses successfully handled them. From resolving product quality issues to dealing with difficult customers, these case studies will showcase various approaches and solutions that you can apply in your own work.

Get ready to dive into these insightful stories that demonstrate the power of exceptional customer service!

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Effective customer service is crucial for the success of a business.
• Empathy and proactive customer service are essential aspects of providing excellent customer service.
• Prompt resolution of product quality issues, with notification and compensation for affected customers, helps maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Handling difficult customers with a calm and empathetic approach, offering alternatives, and empowering them to make choices can build trust and loyalty.

The Importance of Effective Customer Service

You can’t underestimate the impact of great customer service – it’s like a warm cup of coffee on a chilly morning, instantly making you feel valued and appreciated.

In today’s competitive business landscape, providing effective customer service is more important than ever. Customers have numerous options at their fingertips, and one bad experience can send them running to your competitors. That’s why empathy plays a crucial role in customer service.

When customers feel understood and cared for, they’re more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In customer service, this means putting yourself in the shoes of your customers and genuinely listening to their concerns.

By showing empathy, you demonstrate that you value their emotions and are committed to finding a solution that meets their needs. This not only helps resolve issues effectively but also builds trust and strengthens the relationship with your customers.

Proactive customer service is another essential aspect of providing exceptional support. Instead of waiting for customers to come to you with problems or complaints, proactive customer service involves anticipating their needs and addressing any potential issues before they arise.

This approach shows that you’re dedicated to delivering an outstanding experience from start to finish. By taking the initiative, you can prevent problems from escalating and create positive interactions that leave a lasting impression on your customers.

The importance of effective customer service cannot be overstated. Empathy allows you to connect with your customers on a deeper level by understanding their emotions and concerns. Proactive customer service demonstrates your commitment to going above and beyond expectations by anticipating needs before they become problems.

By prioritizing these aspects in your approach to customer service, you can foster loyalty, build strong relationships with customers, and ultimately drive success for your business.

Case Study 1: Resolving a Product Quality Issue

Resolving a product quality issue can be challenging, but did you know that 86% of customers are more likely to repurchase from a company that resolves their complaint? When faced with a product quality issue, it’s important for companies to take immediate action and address the problem effectively.

One notable case study involves a product recall due to safety concerns. The company promptly notified customers about the recall through multiple channels such as email, social media, and website announcements. This proactive approach not only ensured customer safety but also demonstrated the company’s commitment to resolving the issue.

To further enhance customer satisfaction during this challenging time, the company offered compensation to affected customers. The compensation included a full refund for the recalled product as well as additional discounts on future purchases. By going above and beyond in compensating their customers, the company not only mitigated any potential negative feelings but also showed genuine concern for their customers’ wellbeing.

In addition to addressing individual complaints, the company took steps towards preventing similar issues in the future. They implemented stricter quality control measures throughout their production process and conducted thorough inspections before releasing any products into the market. This proactive approach reassured customers that their concerns were taken seriously and instilled confidence in the brand’s commitment to delivering high-quality products.

By resolving a product quality issue promptly and ensuring customer satisfaction through compensation and preventive measures, companies can not only retain existing customers but also build trust with new ones. It’s crucial for businesses to recognize that effective customer service goes beyond simply resolving complaints; it requires taking responsibility for failures, implementing meaningful solutions, and continuously improving processes to prevent similar issues from arising again in the future.

Case Study 2: Handling a Difficult Customer

Navigating through challenging interactions with clients can be a test of your company’s ability to handle difficult situations. Dealing with angry customers requires a delicate balance of empathy, patience, and problem-solving skills.

One real-life example of a company successfully managing a difficult situation involved an irate customer who had received a damaged product.

In this case, the customer contacted the company’s customer service department immediately after receiving the damaged product. The representative on the phone remained calm and empathetic throughout the conversation, acknowledging the customer’s frustration. They apologized sincerely for any inconvenience caused and assured the customer that they would resolve the issue promptly.

The representative then offered several options to address the problem, including sending a replacement or providing a refund. By presenting these alternatives, they empowered the customer to choose what solution best suited their needs. This approach helped defuse tension and created an atmosphere of collaboration rather than confrontation.

Ultimately, by effectively managing this difficult situation and prioritizing customer satisfaction, the company not only resolved the issue but also built trust and loyalty with their client base.

Case Study 3: Going Above and Beyond for a Customer

Exceeding expectations and leaving a lasting impression, one company went the extra mile to ensure a memorable experience for a dissatisfied client. The customer, let’s call her Sarah, had purchased a high-end laptop from this company but encountered numerous technical issues soon after receiving it. Frustrated with the product’s performance and the lack of support she received initially, Sarah reached out to the company’s customer service department for assistance.

To address Sarah’s concerns promptly, the customer service representative assigned to her case took immediate action. Recognizing that resolving her technical issues alone would not suffice in restoring Sarah’s trust and satisfaction, they decided to go above and beyond what was expected. The representative personally followed up with Sarah daily to provide updates on their progress in fixing her laptop. They also offered additional compensation for the inconvenience caused by sending her a complimentary accessory package.

In addition to their exceptional level of communication, this company created a personalized experience for Sarah through small gestures that left an indelible mark on her overall perception of their brand. One example was when they surprised her by upgrading her laptop’s warranty without any additional cost. This unexpected act not only demonstrated their commitment to providing quality products but also highlighted their dedication towards ensuring customer satisfaction.

By going above and beyond in addressing Sarah’s concerns and surpassing her expectations at every turn, this company exemplified outstanding customer service. Their proactive approach not only resolved technical issues efficiently but also left a lasting impression on Sarah concerning how much they valued her as a loyal customer. Through personalized attention, generous compensation, and unexpected upgrades, they not only ensured Sarah’s satisfaction but also fostered a long-term relationship based on trust and loyalty. This case study serves as a powerful reminder that going the extra mile can make all the difference in customer satisfaction and retention.

Case Study 4: Turning a Negative Review into a Positive Experience

If your business has ever received negative feedback, it’s important to know how to turn that experience into a positive one.

In this case study, we will explore how a business addressed a customer’s concerns and transformed their perception from negative to positive.

By taking the necessary steps and going above and beyond, the business not only resolved the issue but also improved their reputation in the process.

The negative feedback received by the business

Despite your best efforts, your business was bombarded with a barrage of scathing feedback that left you reeling. Customers expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality of your products and the poor customer service they received.

These negative reviews not only affected customer retention but also posed a threat to your brand reputation. The negative feedback highlighted areas where improvements were needed. It pointed out flaws in your product design, manufacturing processes, and communication channels.

While it may be disheartening to receive such criticism, it presents an opportunity for you to address these issues and enhance the overall customer experience. By acknowledging the shortcomings and taking immediate action to rectify them, you can regain customers’ trust and loyalty while rebuilding your brand’s reputation.

The steps taken to address the customer’s concerns

After receiving the negative feedback, we quickly took action to address the customer’s concerns and improve our products and services. We understand that addressing customer complaints is essential for maintaining a positive reputation and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Our first step was to reach out to the customer directly, expressing our apologies for any inconvenience caused and assuring them that their concerns were being taken seriously.

To resolve the customer’s issues, we implemented a thorough investigation into the matter. This involved examining the specific details of their complaint, evaluating our internal processes, and identifying any areas where improvements could be made. By conducting this analysis, we were able to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and develop an effective solution.

Once we identified areas for improvement, we promptly made necessary changes to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. This included updating our training programs for staff members involved in customer service interactions and enhancing quality control measures throughout our production process. We also communicated these updates transparently with all relevant stakeholders to ensure everyone understood our commitment to resolving customer issues.

Addressing customer complaints is not just about solving individual problems; it is about continuously improving our overall products and services. By taking immediate action upon receiving negative feedback, we demonstrate our dedication to providing exceptional experiences for every customer.

We remain committed to resolving any issues promptly while striving to exceed expectations in delivering high-quality products and top-notch service.

The transformation of the customer’s perception and improved reputation

Now that the steps have been taken to address the customer’s concerns, let’s discuss the transformation of their perception and the improved reputation of your business.

By promptly addressing the customer’s issues and providing a satisfactory resolution, you’ve demonstrated your commitment to customer satisfaction. This level of responsiveness not only resolves the immediate problem but also leaves a lasting impression on the customer.

As a result, their perception of your brand is likely to improve significantly. They’ll appreciate your willingness to listen, understand, and take action to rectify any issues they may have faced. This positive experience can lead to increased brand loyalty as customers recognize that you value their feedback and are committed to delivering exceptional service.

To further enhance customer satisfaction and foster brand loyalty, consider implementing these strategies:

• Personalized follow-up: Reach out to customers after resolving their concerns with personalized messages or phone calls. This gesture shows that you genuinely care about their experience and want to ensure their ongoing satisfaction.
• Proactive communication: Keep customers informed about any changes or improvements related to the issue they encountered. Sharing updates showcases transparency and builds trust in your ability to continuously improve.
• Loyalty rewards program: Offer incentives or exclusive benefits for loyal customers who continue choosing your brand despite any initial challenges they may have faced. Rewarding their loyalty encourages repeat business and strengthens long-term relationships.

By investing in improving customer satisfaction and building brand loyalty, you can create a positive reputation for your business while fostering long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements of effective customer service.

Effective customer service requires several key elements.

One interesting statistic is that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. This highlights the importance of providing exceptional service.

Effective communication plays a crucial role in customer service as it allows you to understand the needs and concerns of your customers, while also conveying information clearly and concisely.

Empathy and understanding are equally important, as they enable you to connect with customers on an emotional level, showing them that their satisfaction is your top priority.

By incorporating these elements into your customer service approach, you can create positive experiences that leave a lasting impression on your customers.

How can companies measure the success of their customer service efforts?

To measure the success of your customer service efforts, you can utilize various customer satisfaction metrics and conduct thorough customer feedback analysis.

Customer satisfaction metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Effort Score (CES), provide valuable insights into how satisfied your customers are with the service they received. These metrics allow you to quantify customer sentiment and identify areas for improvement.

Additionally, analyzing customer feedback through surveys or social media monitoring enables you to understand specific pain points and address them proactively.

By consistently measuring these indicators and taking action based on the results, you can continuously enhance your customer service performance and ensure a positive experience for your customers.

What are some common challenges faced by customer service representatives?

Handling difficult customers and managing high call volumes can be incredibly challenging for customer service representatives. Dealing with irate customers can feel like trying to calm a hurricane with a feather, as their frustrations can reach astronomical levels. It requires an extraordinary level of patience and empathy to navigate through their anger and find a resolution that satisfies both parties.

Additionally, managing high call volumes can feel like juggling flaming swords while walking on a tightrope. The constant influx of calls puts immense pressure on representatives to provide quick and efficient assistance without compromising the quality of service.

However, despite these Herculean tasks, customer service representatives rise above the challenges by employing exceptional communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.

How can companies improve their customer service skills and knowledge?

To improve their customer service skills and knowledge, companies should invest in comprehensive training programs that provide employees with the necessary tools and techniques to handle different scenarios. These programs can include modules on effective communication, problem-solving, and empathy to ensure that representatives are equipped to handle any customer interactions.

Additionally, implementing feedback systems that allow customers to provide their input and suggestions can also be beneficial. This feedback can help identify areas for improvement and enable companies to make necessary adjustments in their processes or training programs.

By prioritizing ongoing training initiatives and actively seeking customer feedback, companies can continually enhance their customer service skills and knowledge, leading to improved overall customer satisfaction levels.

What are some best practices for handling customer complaints and resolving issues?

When it comes to handling customer complaints and resolving issues, think of yourself as a skilled navigator guiding a ship through stormy waters. Customer feedback is like the wind, sometimes gentle and other times fierce, but always pushing you towards improvement.

Conflict resolution is your compass, helping you find the right path to address concerns and turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones. Actively listen to their grievances, empathize with their frustrations, and offer swift solutions that demonstrate your commitment to their satisfaction.

By taking ownership of the problem and going above and beyond to resolve it, you can transform a dissatisfied customer into a loyal advocate for your brand.

In conclusion, effective customer service is crucial for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive market. As demonstrated by the case studies discussed, handling product quality issues, difficult customers, and negative reviews with empathy and proactive solutions can turn potentially negative experiences into positive ones.

One interesting statistic that highlights the impact of great customer service is that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience (Source: PwC). This statistic evokes an emotional response as it emphasizes the value customers place on exceptional service. By investing in providing top-notch customer service, businesses not only create loyal customers but also have the potential to increase their revenue.

To ensure success in customer service scenarios, it is essential for businesses to empower their employees with proper training and resources. By equipping them with problem-solving skills, effective communication techniques, and a genuine desire to help customers, companies can build strong relationships and foster trust. Additionally, embracing technology solutions such as AI-powered chatbots or self-service options can streamline processes and provide faster resolutions.

In summary, delivering exceptional customer service requires a proactive approach that focuses on resolving issues promptly while exceeding expectations. By prioritizing the needs of customers and going above and beyond to provide personalized solutions, businesses can create memorable experiences that result in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Remember, investing in superior customer service is not just about satisfying your current customers; it’s about attracting new ones who’re willing to pay more for an outstanding experience.

The eSoft Editorial Team, a blend of experienced professionals, leaders, and academics, specializes in soft skills, leadership, management, and personal and professional development. Committed to delivering thoroughly researched, high-quality, and reliable content, they abide by strict editorial guidelines ensuring accuracy and currency. Each article crafted is not merely informative but serves as a catalyst for growth, empowering individuals and organizations. As enablers, their trusted insights shape the leaders and organizations of tomorrow.

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• Customer Interaction

4 Customer Service Case Studies to Inspire You

Customer service case studies help attract new customers to your business by showing them how your company can help them. Instead of simply telling customers what you can do for them, you demonstrate it with storytelling and draw them in.

Last updated: November 24, 2022

6 mins read

If you’ve researched any brand it’s more than likely you’ve come across a customer service case study. Real-life customer experiences are a powerful way to advertise a brand and showcase the real interactions customers have when approaching a company’s customer service department.

Instead of simply telling a customer what it’s like to benefit from a company’s customer service, they demonstrate genuine examples of customers who have submitted tickets to their customer service team. 

On the surface of it, one company can appear much like another without powerful customer service case studies to demonstrate its impact. Customers will be required to actually sign up to your service before they can experience your customer support for themselves. 

What is a customer service case study?

A customer service case study is a strategy to show the experiences of customers that have actually signed up to use your product or service and have actually witnessed your customer service for themselves. 

Potential customers who are researching what your company has to offer will benefit from the case studies of customers that have already passed through the buying decision. Instead of a company simply telling prospective customers what they have to offer, they will be able to demonstrate their service in reality. 

A customer service case study goes beyond being a simple testimonial, however. It’s factual evidence of customers who have implemented your company’s product or service and a demonstration of its ability to actually deliver results. 

Why are customer service case studies important? 

Without customer service case studies, your business will struggle to show how it is helping its customers. A case study shows your prospective customers how the business has performed in a real-life example of customer service, and helps them imagine what it would be like to do business with your company. 

Customer service case studies show potential customers how your business has helped customers to solve their problems and further their business goals. Although there are other ways to market your business, customer service case studies are a solid way to reach out to new prospects and convert them into customers. 

Successful customer case studies showcase successful examples of customer service that persuade your prospects to actually buy. They show prospects how well your customer service actually works and highlights your product’s value. 

How do you write a customer service case study?

There are a few strategies you need to follow when writing a customer service case study. Having a variety of different case studies will enable you to reach more potential customers which cover a range of situations and needs. 

1. Focus on your personas

You need to consider the type of the customer that you want to attract with your customer service case study. Mapping out your personas is an important part of your marketing strategy because it helps you identify prospects with unique wants and needs. Your customer service may appeal to different types of individuals and it’s crucial to target each one specifically. 

2. Tell a story

At their core, customer service case studies are stories about particular customers. Simply raving about how great your company is wil be boring for your readers, and you need to take them on a journey. Stories need to have obstacles to overcome, and your case study should show how your product or service is the hero of the narrative. 

3. Emphasize benefits

The benefits of your customer service will help to appeal to customers that have a specific pain point to solve. Instead of focusing on products or features it’s important to show how your service will help them. Your customer service case study is likely to be a representative example of a customer that has similar problems to other prospects, and it’s important to help prospective customers visualize using your service. 

4. Highlight the results 

Highlighting the results that your customer service will help your customers achieve means focusing on the before and after of using your service. Genuine improvements to your customer’s business will help to convince them that your product or service is the answer. Showing the results of your customer service helps customers see how they can save or make more money after choosing your business. 

4 interesting customer service case studies

Quick heal and kayako.

Here’s the first interesting customer service case study from Kayako. There was a company called Quick Heal Technologies which was a provider of internet security tools and anti-virus software. They had millions of global users, but they were struggling to deliver outstanding customer service due to a high volume of customer service requests. 

One of their main issues was the absence of a system to track requests from different sources. Agents were checking many different platforms for customer service requests, and lacked a vital overview of the customer experience. They were losing tickets and suffering from incomplete information. There were delays in the customer support experience and the existing system couldn’t manage its workflow. 

Enter Kayako, help desk software. Their Shared Inbox Solution brought together the different customer service platforms such as email, Facebook, Twitter, and live chat. Quick Heal agents were able to support customers seamlessly and minimize the number of tickets that were dropped. They could significantly reduce their ticket response times and accelerate the time to resolution. Agents were able to much more effectively collaborate and reduce duplication of effort. 

Springboard and Help Scout

The next customer service case study is about Springboard, a platform which provides online resources and personalized mentors to help students build their dream careers. Their aim is to make a great education accessible to anyone in the world. 

So far, they have worked with 250 mentors to train more than 5,000 students over 6 continents. Their success has depended on their ability to create an open environment where students feel comfortable requesting feedback and discovering course information on their own. 

Springboard needed a solution that could help them build relationships with their students, even if it’s over email, and they decided that Help Scout was the answer. They chose Help Scout because it means they can have human conversations rather than treating their students like a ticket number. 

They make use of Help Scout’s help desk features to find key insights into students’ conversations, as well as their Docs knowledge base which provides answers to common questions. As a result, students are able to more effectively learn and overcome problems when they arise. 

We’ve got another customer service case study from an airline – in this case, JetBlue. They really know how to make their customers smile with small gestures and ensure they can win customers for life. 

One customer called Paul Brown was flying with JetBlue from the smaller terminal at Boston’s Logan airport. He realized that he couldn’t grab his usual Starbucks coffee because there was no Starbucks at the terminal. On a whim, he sent a tweet to JetBlue asking them to deliver his venti mocha, and to his surprise they obliged! Within minutes JetBlue customer service representatives had delivered the coffee to Paul’s seat on the plane. 

This example of customer service shows that JetBlue is willing to go the extra mile for customers and will ensure that the company can continue to attract more customers.

Gympass and Slack

Gympass is an international platform that gives companies and their employees 50% to 70% off a global network of fitness studios, digital workouts, and mental health and nutrition services. It was founded in 2012 and has experienced steady growth, now worth more than USD $1 billion. Users of Gympass have access to 50,000 gyms and studios in more than 7,000 cities, so they can work out while they are on the move. 

The problem with this growing company was communication across the globe. The company was overly reliant on emails which led to silos and employees missing out on vital information. The solution to this problem was Slack, a communications platform which is made accessible to all new employees so they have everything they need right from the start. 

Now, teams at Gympass work across a range of 2,000 Slack channels which are open to 1,000 employees. They can share documents, messages and information, keeping connected across locations and facilitating new projects like event planning. It’s enabled Gympass to build a strong culture of collaboration and ensure that every employee can find the information they need. 

Wrapping up

Customer service case studies help attract new customers to your business by showing them how your company can help them. Instead of simply telling customers what you can do for them, you demonstrate it with storytelling and draw them in. Showing your customers benefits and outcomes support them to make the decision to purchase. 

Before they actually have a trial of using your product or service, it’s hard for customers to know what it would be like. Case studies can give a valuable preview into what it would be like to work with your company and highlight customers that have already achieved success. 

Catherine is a content writer and community builder for creative and ethical companies. She often writes case studies, help documentation and articles about customer support. Her writing has helped businesses to attract curious audiences and transform them into loyal advocates. You can find more of her work at https://awaywithwords.co.

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11 great customer service examples

Excellent customer service is essential for business. In fact, consumers are willing to spend 17 percent more with companies that deliver great customer service, according to American Express .

Unfortunately, it’s true that bad news travels faster than good news, especially in the age of social media. Most customer service stories online are about a bad customer service experience, and consequently, you don’t always hear about companies who are achieving customer satisfaction.

Keep scrolling to find customer service examples that will inspire, as well as tips for improving your customer experience.

What does excellent customer service look like?

The definition of “good” customer service is flexible, because it entirely depends on the level of expectation that customers have for your brand. This can be affected by variables such as your industry, product cost, brand reputation and more.

For example, if you’re flying in Economy, you don’t expect a 5* service with champagne and snacks - but if you were flying Business class, you’d be annoyed if those things weren’t provided for the higher cost of your seat.

What consumers expect from your customer service experience is the key factor in whether they perceive your brand to be great or terrible. Do they want to be able to resolve issues on multiple channels, or do they go to one channel for specific problems? Is your average response time more important to them, or is it how many self-service options you provide that matters? Is poor customer service the main reason why they might try a competitor?

Your support teams are your front line, shaping customer experience on a day-to-day basis. They can be proactively helpful in providing customer service that’s memorable, and turn a bad customer service experience around.

Investing in great service is worth your while. Don’t lose customers and brand loyalty by failing to meet and exceed expectations - grow your business’ revenue by ensuring that your excellent service keeps customers coming back.

Examples of good customer service experiences are more often than not the result of a kind, customer-centric service agents who are good at the following things:

Good customer service examples

• Responding quickly: A customer will appreciate fast response times when they want to ask a question or highlight a problem.
• Acting on customer feedback: When a customer support agent acts on the feedback they’ve received, it shows them that their opinion mattered.
• Showing empathy : Employees that try to understand a customer’s point of view make a customer feel valued, and can turn an angry customer into a happy one.
• Maintaining customer self-service options: Sometimes customers would prefer to find their own answer to problems rather than getting in touch with your customer service center. Having an up-to-date FAQ page or knowledge article base can be very helpful.
• Providing omnichannel support: Different communication channels can support customers that have busy schedules or want flexibility in how they connect with businesses. Your customer service teams need to be prepared to offer support through email, phone, live chat, and social media.
• Going the extra mile: When an employee is able to deliver excellent customer service beyond the customer’s expectations or adds a personal touch to the service experience, it can leave a positive impression and increase customer loyalty.

A less generalized amd more specific example of enhancing customer satisfaction and building loyalty is by offering discounts and coupons (depending on your industry and needs).

Why is delivering excellent customer service important?

There are several reasons why great customer service is important for your business. Below we list the most important ones.

Satisfied customers will spend more

According to Hubspot , 68 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from brands associated with excellent customer service. When you invest in delivering great customer service, you’re creating happy customers but also generating enough brand equity to charge a premium for your offering.

Your ROI will improve and profits will increase

Deloitte found that brands that were customer-centric were 60 percent more profitable when they were compared to companies that neglected to focus on customer experience. Your support team should be empowered to provide excellent customer service, not just for the customer’s benefit, but for your brand’s financial benefit as well.

Customers are more likely to forgive you

If you provide good customer service, you can convince customers to return, even if something didn’t go as they expected. Salesforce found that 78 percent of consumers will do business with a brand again after a mistake is made if the customer service is excellent.

Customer loyalty improves with great customer service

Microsoft says that a whopping 96 percent of customers believe customer service is vital when they’re choosing to be loyal to a brand. If you don’t provide customer service that meets expectations when dealing with an upset customer, you risk alienating them from returning to spend more. Quality service will help you to increase customer lifetime value.

A great customer experience means a higher chance of recommendations

Consumers who have a good customer service experience are more likely to recommend your brand to other people. Our own XM Institute found that consumers who rate a brand’s service as “good” are 38% more likely to recommend that company to others.

Real-life examples of great customer service

It's one thing to talk about what good customer service is in theory, and another to apply it to real-world companies. Below are eleven customer service examples from companies that go above and beyond, as well as the customer service tips we’ve taken from their stories.

• JetBlue - Thank frequent customers with small gestures
• Tesla - Meet your customers where they're at
• Adobe - Respond to customer service complaints before they happen
• Trader Joe's - Help those in time of need
• Coca-Cola - Get involved in social causes
• Zappos - Personally reply to every email
• Us! - Provide an exceptional event experience
• Sainsbury’s – Don't be afraid to change everything
• American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally
• Walmart - Invite customers into the company family
• The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities

1. JetBlue - Thank frequent customers with small gestures

Paul Brown was flying JetBlue airlines when he casually tweeted that he couldn’t grab his Starbucks coffee before boarding the plane because he was flying out of the smaller terminal at Boston’s Logan airport. Within seconds of seeing the tweet, JetBlue sprang to action and the airport customer service reps delivered a Starbucks venti mocha to his seat on the plane. Brown was elated and raved about JetBlue on Twitter.

Good customer service takeaway : This is definitely one of those great customer examples other companies can learn from. The main takeaway? Your customers don’t always need large gestures, but just want to know they’re appreciated. In fact, 68 percent of customers leave because they perceive you don’t appreciate them.  I’m sure after knowing his request was heard, Mr. Brown feels appreciated and he’ll be a loyal customer for a long time. Keep your company at the top of your customer’s mind, with good customer care by doing small acts for more people, instead of a few large things for a lot of people. Believe it or not, it's the simple things that count and produce loyal and happy customers.

2. Tesla - Meet your customers where they’re at

Tesla literally meets customers where they’re at by going to the customer’s home and fixing issues on their car. It’s convenient for the customer because they don’t have to sit around a repair shop and it can be scheduled on their own time. This is an example of excellent customer service.

Flat tire on Sunday. Called Tesla, git a loaner tire within 40 minutes. Today they came to my house to replace the tire in 10 minutes. scheduled to come back to fix a small issue next week. What other car company does this? @elonmusk @TeslaModel3 @Tesla #mobileservice pic.twitter.com/GiNwOM3RJZ — Chris Kern (@cjk7216) October 31, 2018

3. Adobe - Respond to customer service complaints before they happen

When Adobe had an outage due to an issue with Amazon Web Services, they posted a tweet about it before they started getting customer complaints. The tweet contained a video of a puppy stampede as a distraction and lightened the mood. While there were some comments asking when the program would be running again, many replies focused on the adorable puppies.

Hi all, some Adobe services are down due to the AWS outage: https://t.co/U2qtybaT8J Here's a puppy stampede to take your mind off of it. ? pic.twitter.com/Glv6Anavje — Adobe Customer Care (@AdobeCare) February 28, 2017

4. Trader Joe's - Help those in time of need

An 89-year-old man was stuck in his house during a snowstorm and his granddaughter was worried he wouldn’t have enough food. She called around to several grocery stores and asked if they would deliver, to no avail. Finally, Trader Joe’s said they normally don’t deliver, but they would help. She read off a big list to the store and they delivered the entire order and more within 30 minutes, free of charge.

5. Coca-Cola - Get involved in social causes

Since 1984, Coke has given back more than $1 billion through the Coca-Cola Foundation. What’s great is they give back at the local level and not just to large organizations. For instance, Coke in Ireland initiated the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund , which gives €100K annually to local charities that empower young people, foster sustainability, and encourage diversity and inclusion.

6. Zappos - Personally reply to every email

Zappos responds to every email it receives, even if it’s addressed to the CEO. In this case, a woman sent a request to Tony Hsieh and even though he was unavailable, his representative sent a humorous and engaging email back.

7. Us!  - Provide an exceptional event experience

During many conferences that we attend, we send our  “Qualtrics Dream Team” to fulfill customers' needs and wishes to make the event a truly exceptional experience. From food and drinks, to swag, to even vacations and massages, our team tries to fulfill as many requests as possible. They also collect customer feedback and make changes for a better event experience, such as room temperature and providing phone chargers.

Not a legal comment, but every other company listed here has some example of a customer thanking them for good customer service. I think our example would be stronger if we had something like that.

Curious to know how we run the Dream Team using our own software, or why we bring it to events like #CXOLeadersSummit ? Stop by our booth and we'll share all the secrets! Our team is here till 4pm AEST. pic.twitter.com/pEjfd2Jl8K — Qualtrics (@Qualtrics) August 8, 2018

8. Sainsbury’s – Don't be afraid to change everything

When Sainsbury’s, a UK supermarket chain, received a letter from three-and-a-half-year-old Lily Robinson, they ended up rebranding one of their products entirely. Lily thought their "tiger bread" didn’t resemble a tiger’s stripes at all – it looked more like the pattern on a giraffe. Sainsbury’s responded that the little girl was right and made new labels to share Lily's insight with other customers.

9. American Express – Give customers benefits that can be used globally

American Express maintains their position as a top-tier credit card company by offering its customers plenty of extra benefits: complimentary travel flight credit, insurance, and access to airline lounges to name a few. Combine these worldwide benefits with American Express's 24/7 support line and its global partners network and you have a company that truly connects with you wherever you are.

10. Walmart - Invite customers into the company family

Walmart has a reputation for being focused on providing value to everyday families. They live out their family focus through the way they treat their employees. When one of their associates turned 101 years old, they shared the news on Facebook and invited customers to participate in the celebration.

11. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company – Turn customer errors into service opportunities

Ritz-Carlton employees are allowed up to $2,000 to fix any guest problem, no questions asked. One example was told by customer John DiJulius, who left his charger behind at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota. He received a next-day air package with his charger and a note saying ‘Mr. DiJulius, I wanted to make sure we got this to you right away. I am sure you need it, and, just in case, I sent you an extra charger for your laptop.’

How to provide great customer service

The best way to provide a good customer service experience is to gather feedback, set metrics and take action on your overall customer experience (CX) .

Why not check out our free survey template to collect feedback for customer service and contact centers? You can download it here.

With Qualtrics, you can track key metrics with a customer service benchmark report to help you to understand how your service is improving over time. Track interactions and feedback across the customer journey and customer service experience, and set action into motion to gain customer trust and loyalty.

Best customer service practices: Improving agent effectiveness

Diana Kaemingk

Diana Kaemingk is a contributor to the Qualtrics blog.

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Customer Experience

5 Case Studies to Improve Your Customer Service

As more and more customer transactions occur virtually, the quality of online help desks and customer service support is becoming an essential differentiator for companies. An estimated  73% of consumers say a good experience is critical in influencing their brand loyalties.

Customer satisfaction directly impacts the bottom line, too, as 84% of companies that work to improve their customer experience report an increase in their revenue.

Apart from the stats, it is important to look for examples of company success stories improving customer service and productivity. Having high-performance customer service is essential for any company, regardless of industry. Check out these five case studies that will help you improve this process in your business.

How Quick Heal optimized their customer service, extending support hours and responding to inquiries faster

Quick Heal Technologies is a leading provider of internet security tools and anti-virus software, serving millions of users worldwide. Like many fast-growing companies, they experienced bottlenecks in their customer service process due to the high volume of requests.

• No system to track requests from different sources. 
• Agents could not maintain a global view of the customer request, negatively impacting customer service.  
• High incidence of lost tickets and incomplete information.
• Customers were not happy with the support delays.  
• The existing system did not manage its workflow.

Quick Heal researched several options yet didn’t find a solution with the right blend of factors. That’s when the team signed up for a free trial of Kayako. Before the free trial even ended, Quick Heal decided that Kayako was the right solution.

Kayako’s Shared Inbox Solution creates a frictionless experience by unifying interactions from different sources like email, Facebook, Twitter, and live chat. The Shared Inbox Solution means QuickHeal agents can serve customers more efficiently while preventing dropped tickets and lost conversations.

Kayako Benefits for Quick Heal:

• Reduced ticket response and resolution times
• Improved collaboration and reduced duplication of effort
• Extended support hours
• Consolidated conversations from multiple sources

“Without Kayako, we would not be able to manage all of the incoming ticket requests in an organized manner nor provide the quality of support we stand for. Kayako is far more efficient than our previous help desk system.” Sushant Dashputre, Assistant Manager of Technical Support at Quick Heal

Are you ready to deliver Friction-Free Customer Service? Capture your customer’s entire journey in a way a support ticket or traditional help desk never could. Discover Kayako Single View

Increasing NameCheap’s agent productivity through a self-service knowledge base

Namecheap is a leading domain registrar and technology company that offers domain registration, hosting packages, and related services. Customer support is vital to Namecheap, especially because they serve many repeat customers. Scaling personalization in support is imperative to avoid customer churn.

• No optimized workflow for the high volume of requests led to customer complaints.
• Due to a complicated and overwhelming process when responding to customer tickets, Agents became stressed. 
• Low productivity for service agents.

Namecheap began to look for a reliable, unified customer service software solution. They had difficulty finding an option that fit all their needs. The Namecheap team then learned about Kayako and decided to try it.

After Namecheap integrated Kayako into their website, they saw an immediate improvement in agent productivity. They implemented a Self-Service Portal with tools like macro-libraries of responses, automated replies, and a self-help knowledge base to help customers get helpful answers anytime they need help.

Kayako’s SingleView gives agents a complete visualization of the entire customer journey, from initial purchase to most recent customer service inquiry for individualized customer questions needing personalized support. Kayako enables Namecheap to scale personalized customer service, the holy grail for companies with a high volume of repeat customers.

Kayako Benefits for Namecheap:

• Improved self-service knowledge base.
• Streamlined ticket management.
• Boosted productivity.
• Increased customer satisfaction.

“One of the things we most value about Kayako is how carefully they have thought about real-life support processes. In all aspects, Kayako provides us with value in buckets.” Nata Trusova, Director of Customer Support at Namecheap

How Envato manages multiple customer bases in one place and resolves tickets faster

Envato is a world-leading online community for creatives. The company’s steady growth since 2006 outpaced its existing resources for support requests. Envato tried building their own help desk and quickly saw that a DIY solution would be prohibitively expensive in terms of time and money.

They began to search for an existing customer service software solution that could meet their needs and fit their budget.

• Existing support system not keeping up with the volume of requests. 
• Support requests were hard to track, sometimes going to individual emails. 
• Envato managed multiple customer databases and needed a way to coordinate them.

Using Kayako’s SingleView dashboard, Envato could access multiple customer databases in just one place. SingleView provides a complete view of the customer journey so that customer service agents can provide personalized support to every customer.

Using features like Kayako’s ticket parsing rules, Smart Routing and internal collaboration tools helps Envato efficiently give customers accurate answers every time. With Kayako, the Envato team handles more requests in less time while increasing the quality of customer service. Best of all, Kayako is a scalable solution that can grow with Envato.

Kayako Benefits for Envato:

• Resolved tickets faster.
• Managed all customer databases in a single system.

“Kayako has allowed us to extensively customize our help desk. This really meant that we can just make our help desk work in the way we want, rather than coming up with an elaborate system to fit into the technical requirements of other help desks. It has functionality that other support providers have not been able to match.” Jordan McNamara, Community Manager, Envato

Increasing Texas Tech´s customer satisfaction with a communication and collaboration platform

Texas Tech University is a top institution focused on advancing higher education, research, and health care. With more than 10,000 employees and over 36,000 students, their support team was overwhelmed with the volume of service requests.

• Support staff, students, faculty, and many other stakeholders were frustrated because the system couldn’t handle the high volume of support requests. 
• The situation reflected poorly on their brand as a top higher education institution. 
• Staff was trying to manage support requests using a shared Outlook account.
• They had no way to collaborate internally on support requests.

After comparing different options, Texas Tech chose Kayako because it offered  Kayako Collaborators Feature they needed to coordinate internal communications and to serve customers with faster responses.

Their team quickly implemented Kayako’s out-of-the-box features and immediately saw improvement.

“Once we implemented Kayako, we immediately noticed an increase in the quality of communication and collaboration, especially between our support and development team. Our customers also praised the improved communication.” Kevin Eyck, Enterprise Server Administrator, Texas Tech University

Kayako’s integrated self-service feature helped Texas Tech reduce the number of live-agent.

tickets by assisting customers in helping themselves. Texas Tech also leveraged Kayako’s customization options, using a custom LoginShare and integrating it with the intranet and applications used on their campus.

Kayako didn’t just help Texas Tech improve the support experience for the customer; it also enhanced their internal team’s productivity.

With Kayako, Texas Tech University handles all of its support requests quickly and easily resolves customer problems. Customers also benefit from the improved processes for ticket management and communication.

Kayako Benefits for Texas Tech University:

• Reduced the number of support tickets.
• Improved internal collaboration.
• Gained self-service capability.

How Kayako helped CoinStop reduce average response time and implement omnichannel customer support

Coinstop is a trusted provider of cold storage cryptocurrency hardware wallets. After launching in 2016, Coinstop experienced extremely rapid growth.

They soon struggled to manage and respond to all of the support inquiries and questions from potential customers. The Coinstop team began searching for a customer service software solution that was easy to use and implement.

• Rapid growth was putting a strain on the existing bare-bones support process.
• Coinstop must spend time educating customers as well as selling to them.
• Customer service practices did not scale with the company.
• Coinstop was providing customer support using a single email account. 
• Manually responding to hundreds of emails per day wasn’t a productive use of time. 
• There was no way to track the progress of support requests, they couldn’t standardize responses across the various agents, and they found themselves asking repetitive questions that frustrated their customers. 

Coinstop needed a help desk and live chat software to organize and optimize their support. They chose Kayako customer support software because it offers the best experience for both support agents and customers.

Using the Kayako dashboard, agents can interact with customers across multiple social platforms, email, and live chat. Agents can see the customer’s history from all channels, not just chat or email.

Everyone on the Coinstop team has immediate access to all the information they need to provide quick, personalized support to customers with Kayako’s SingleView.

Kayako Benefits for Coinstop:

• Reduced average response time.
• Managed a higher volume of tickets with the same number of agents.
• Improved collaboration between departments.
• Implemented omnichannel support.

“You need one place to browse every single conversation you have had with each customer. Kayako is very well organized. You can tie everything into it, including emails, social media, and team members.” Christopher Pavlesic, Co-Founder of Coinstop

Are you ready to increase your team’s efficiency? Provide a better employee experience and speed up internal support with Kayako HelpDesk. Discover Kayako Self Service

Common Challenges, Custom Solutions for Customer Service Help Desk

As you can see, companies across a spectrum of industries often share similar challenges with customer service. Do you have questions about improving your customer service process? Join world-class customer support teams like the companies in these case studies using Kayako to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Book a Demo today.

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Table of contents

5 real-life scenarios of legendary customer service [+ bonus examples].

Exceptional customer service is a hallmark of successful businesses, and it’s more than just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental aspect of building lasting relationships with customers. It involves fostering a  customer-above-everything  attitude among your employees at scale.

So, how do you take great customer service from being a  nice-to-have  to an  all-important-prime-focus  across your company?

Well, to truly understand the power of outstanding customer service and see how you can implement it in your own business, there’s no better way than diving into real-life customer service examples.

In this blog, we looked at five companies that live and breathe exceptional customer service on a daily basis. 

We’ll share their best strategies on hiring for great customer service , guiding employees the right way, and the role of leaders in fostering customer-centricity. 

Let’s dive in and check out some of the best real-life customer service examples. 

What Does Excellent Customer Service Look Like?

Excellent customer service involves providing assistance to customers in a way that meets or exceeds their expectations, fostering customer loyalty , and trust. It’s the combination of efficient processes and interpersonal interactions that result in positive customer experiences.

Here are some of the core elements of excellent customer service:

You Might Also Like:  The complete guide to customer service best practices

Why is it Important to Deliver Great Customer Service?

Delivering great customer service impacts both the immediate bottom line and the long-term growth of a business. Here are some key reasons why it’s crucial to offer top-notch customer service:

You Might Also Like:  How to create unforgettable customer service moments

Real-life Examples of Brands Excelling at Customer Support

Let’s take a look at some brands whose customer obsession has helped them stand out – 

Zapier’s obsession with customer support began when they had no customers or even a robust prototype. 

In those early days, CEO Wade Foster lurked in community forums and reached out to customers who needed a product like Zapier’s. Through Skype calls, he’d help customers work with his barely functioning MVP, and iterate on their feedback. 

Foster’s commitment to customer service was shaped by advice from Wufoo founder, Kevin Hale, who told him there were three types of companies: one with the highest quality product, one with the cheapest deals, and one with the best customer service. 

As a startup founder, Foster knew which type of company he would build. He says in an interview:

We can’t be the best and we can’t be the cheapest, but we can definitely care the most, and so from day one, we thought “let’s get on Skype calls, let’s do things that might not scale right now, just so that we can make people really happy and really want to work with us.”

Today, Zapier has over 200 employees and $50 million in annual recurring revenue. But their focus on customer service remains laser-sharp. Here’s how they do it: 

Customer support is everyone’s job

Every employee has to do customer support for four hours a week, whether they’re a marketer or an engineer. Their engineers work on customer support requests for a full week, on a rotating basis. 

Interacting with customers first-hand helps the team build customer-focused products and services. The product team can gauge the usefulness of features, engineers are apprised of recurring problems, and the marketing team uncovers insights for product positioning. 

Customer support skills is a hiring criteria

The focus on customer support also influences Zapier’s hiring process. This means if an engineer is great at their job, but it looks like they may come off as prickly to customers, they won’t make the cut at Zapier. They also vet if potential employees can write well; it’s important for them to be friendly and empathetic to their customers.

You might like: 17 must-have Customer Service Skills + How to develop them

Empathy is non-negotiable

Customer support team members often have to deliver bad news. A product unavailability, a feature that’s never going to be built, an expired trial. While bad news always upsets customers, the key for support reps is to do it in a way that reflects empathy and thoughtfulness.   

To gauge whether an employee can deliver bad news to customers, Zapier asks questions such as, “ say you and I are dating right now and you need to break up with me on this call… how would you do it?”

For companies still waiting for inspiration, Wade’s advice hits the mark:

Anybody can provide awesome customer service. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to just be nice and be helpful.

Recommended Read: 9 Must-Have Customer Service Skills + How to Develop Them

2. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines may be popular for being a low-cost carrier, but their customer service is equally legendary. 

Herb Kellehher, the founder of Southwest Airlines, famously said:

“I tell my employees that we’re in the service business, and it’s incidental that we fly airplanes.”

Airlines are notorious for sub-par experiences, but Southwest routinely ranks among the top three carriers in the US. What sets them apart? 

Here are a few ways Southwest nurtures a customer-first approach in its employees: 

Treating employees like customers

As it turns out, the secret to great customer service is to, firstly, treat your employees well. Said Kelleher, “ A motivated employee treats the customer well .” 

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly gives weekly shout-outs to employees who demonstrate good customer service and also includes examples of empathetic engagements in internal videos. Employees’ enthusiasm for their job is evident in these testimonial videos where they talk about their job with fervor . 

Placing employees above profit-making

A recent example of the airline’s commitment to their employees is their response to the Covid-19 crisis. At a time when most airlines are cutting costs and laying off employees, Southwest CEO told its employees:

“ I want you all to know we will not furlough or layoff any Southwest employees on October 1 (when bailout funds expire),unlike our major competitors. Further, we have no intentions of seeking furloughs, layoffs, pay rate cuts, or benefits cuts through at least the end of this year.” 

Further, he went on to explain how the company would use strong profits from 2019 to get the company through the tough period. 

Leading by example

Leaders can take a cue from the airline’s founder, who routinely walked the talk when it came to customer service. He would often arrive at three in the morning to clean planes, and also assist with baggage unloading, so the aircraft would depart on time. A perfect example of leadership not only sermonizing about customer service, but backing it up with action. 

In an industry where delays are the norm and customer experiences seldom accounted for, Southwest won customer loyalty simply by caring enough about them. 

Taking a proactive approach

Another area Southwest Airlines stands out is in their proactive approach to customer strategy. Reaching out to a customer before they even have a chance to lodge a complaint is how you ensure your customers remember you and come back to you. Take a look at this example:

Southwest Airlines customer Michael tweeted how he had paid for wifi on the first leg of his flight and barely got 5 minutes of consistent network connectivity. Once he got home, he was going to email them about this but he found an email from Southwest Air already sitting in his inbox. Check out the screenshot below.

When you reach out to your customers before they can even raise a complaint, it shows that you’re looking out for them. This is a great way to turn a negative situation into a memorable customer experience.

3. E ventbrite

Eventbrite is an online ticketing website for live events. It launched in 2016 to staunch competition from existing players such as StubHub and Ticketmaster. Still, they carved a niche in the small events organizer market. Their differentiating factor: excellent customer service. 

To ensure their partners and customers consistently receive the best quality services, they have a playbook for hiring and training employees . 

In an interview with First Round, Dana Kilian, VP of customer service at Eventbrite, shared some practical advice: 

Make a great first hire

Your first customer support hire must identify with the founder’s vision of what great customer service looks like. They should have a good balance of people and operation skills. Dana suggests asking questions like, “How will you inspire and motivate a team?” and “What service-level targets should we be tackling?” to get a sense of whether they’d be a good fit. 

Provide balance and flexibility

While everyone on the Eventbrite team does customer support, there are no fixed times or days. They don’t follow scripts, and employees have the freedom to take support decisions. 

Hire for success

A part of Eventbrite’s interview process for customer support employees is calling candidates and pretending to be a customer who needs step-by-step instruction to using the product. Even if the candidate does not have a ton of product knowledge, the hiring managers look for creativity and presence of mind.

In another version of this test, they present candidates with tricky customer situations to see if they’re able to pacify agitated customers , solve the problem, and take help from the company’s documentation, all the while maintaining a friendly front. 

Having time-tested processes in place help you deliver consistent service, no matter how big you grow. As Dana says:

You want them (customers) to always know that if they call, they will get help from people who care.

4. Nordstorm

You’ve probably heard the famous Nordstrom tire story. If not, here’s a quick gist: In 1975, a man drove up to a Nordstrom store asking for a refund for tires he’d bought weeks ago at a tire shop that the retailer replaced. Even though the company had no obligation to pay the man, they still did, much to his delight. Today, this story is the most known example of good customer service.

This wasn’t a one-off, isolated incident. It’s one of many tales testament to Nordstrom’s excellent customer service. 

To deliver delightful experiences on a regular basis, Nordstrom uses a combination of employee empowerment and an unwavering commitment to customers. Here are some lessons to glean from the much-loved retailer: 

Prioritize customers before company policy

Customer service reps often fall back on company policies when faced with tricky decisions. More often than not, it leads to bad experiences and disappointment for customers. At Nordstrom, employees follow one policy: making the customer happy. 

Famously, Nordstrom’s employee handbook read like this: 

“Welcome to Nordstrom. We’re glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them.

Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use your best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.”

To further encourage employees to prioritize customer experience and satisfaction above all else, the company’s leadership routinely endorsed these values. Said co-founder John Nordstrom, “ If I’m a salesperson on the floor and I know that the people who own this place are committed to customer service, then I am free to find new ways to give great customer service. I know that I won’t be criticized for taking care of a customer. I will only be criticized if I don’t take care of a customer. ’’

Go beyond your core service

Nordstrom may be a retailer for clothing and shoes, but it’s Local stores don’t just allow customers to return and pick up online purchases. While waiting for their purchases, shoppers can get a manicure/pedicure, tailor clothing with in-store seamstresses, and consult with in-house stylists. These services may be paid for, but they still help to enhance a customer’s overall experience with the retailer. 

Other than providing add-on services, Nordstrom employees routinely go above and beyond to delight customers. 

Here’s a sample of what employees routinely do: 

Use customer service stories for onboarding

Nordstrom’s customer service stories not only earn them media mentions, but are an important part of inducting new employees. 

Merely stating the importance of customer service is unhelpful, uninspiring, vague. Instead, hiring managers recount stories of employees who have exceeded customer expectations. For example, the story of an employee who gift-wrapped items purchased at Macy’s, or the employee who warmed up a customer’s car in the middle of a snowstorm . Such stories have a powerful way to make messages stick. New recruits use them as reference points to deliver new and unique services, and thus the cycle continues. 

Nordstrom serves as the perfect example for both online and offline companies to provide superlative customer experiences, no matter the platform. 

The words “cut-throat competition” hardly justify the eCommerce landscape. Still, Zappos , an online retailer company for clothing and shoes, has managed to rise above competitors and build a memorable brand. Their success can be pinned to what is often a nightmare for most online retailers: customer service. 

In their own words, Zappos’ commitment to customer service experience is, “obsessed, maniacal, radical, wow.” In a company blog post , they revealed some of their customer service strategy secrets: 

Unlimited customer call times

Call times indicate customer support reps’ efficiency for most companies. Not for Zappos. Their support representatives are not bound by specific times or metrics when it comes to assisting customers. It may take a while to digest this, but the longest customer service call a Zappos employee handled was 10 hours and 51 minutes.  The only aim is to solve their customers’ problems. No matter what!

Solutions + conversations

You know how most customer service representatives sound like they’d rather be doing something else? Zappos goes out of the way to ensure their reps are different. Says customer service trainer, Megan Petrini, “We want to distinguish the service experience for every customer, on each and every phone call.”

Zappos employees are free of scripts and textbook replies. Instead, they’re encouraged to develop personal connections by trying to understand how every customer feels. If they hear a dog in the background, they’ll chat about pets. If they can gauge a caller is stressed, they’ll ask if they can help.

Customer service conversations at Zappos often comprise a gamut of topics other than the usual exchange, order, and returns requests. Kids, sports, current events; employees discuss anything that helps them forge good customer relationships.

Their founder Tony Hsieh said in an interview:

24/7 availability

While most companies have timings for customer support, Zappos employees are available to take customer calls, no matter what time or day. Unsurprisingly, employees are not in a rush to get off the phone because their shift has ended. Where most call centers have 80% occupancy, Zappos prefers to keep their call centers overstuffed and run at 60-70% occupancy. More customer support reps also enable more personal conversations and less focus on call duration. 

Training and empowerment

The Zappos customer service team, called the Customer Loyalty Team, is trained for six weeks before they actually start handling customer issues. At the end of this training period, they offer employees a month’s salary to quit, if they feel they won’t be able to live up to Zappos’ values on customer service.

The lengthy training period does not equal excessive control over how employees deal with customers. In fact, employees have full freedom to accept special-case returns, offer refunds, and pay for damages.

Thanks to the lack of red tape around customer support, employees often deliver “Wow” moments to customers such as upgrading shipping to get shoes delivered for an occasion, sending a care package to a soldier in Afghanistan, and gifting Get Well Soon flowers to a customer’s ailing mother. 

While on the face of it, Zappos’ customer service policies seem to cost them dear, they also help Zappos earn a loyal customer base in return. For any business, happy customers can only be a good thing. 

Recommended Read: 12 Brilliant Customer Service Training Games

Bonus Tips To Inspire Lifelong Customer Loyalty

Check out these 4 bonus tips that you can implement when providing customer support, to inspire your customers to stick around for the long run. 

1. Empower your employees as much as your customers

A top-notch customer service environment is just as much about empowering your employees as your customers. Exceptional customer service on the front end of your business is only viable when there’s a great work environment backstage – happy employees create happy customers.

Treating employees exceptionally well can bring about a significant return on investment. A news report by Gallup shows that brands that promote employee empowerment are 21% more profitable than those that don’t. 

So, try to incentivize a customer-first mindset amongst your customer service reps and employees and empower them to practice it. 

The critical takeaway? Employee experience determines customer experience in many cases. Ensure to empower employees to go the extra mile.

2. Stand out from the crowd

If your business does something unique, it’s not too long before your competitors copy it.

Other businesses can replicate, lower your prices, or offer a discount, but providing excellent customer service is difficult to replicate.

Stand out from the crowd by caring about your customers. Empathize and be genuine in your concerns.

Look for ways to make customer interactions just a little bit better. Small gestures, such as walking customers to the door or finding a chair for someone in poor health, show that you care and goes a long way in improving their in-store experience.

It’s a beautiful act of kindness.

This wasn’t a ploy to garner attention on social media.

It was genuine. And it helped Royal Mail stand out!

4. Provide quick responses

Customer service response times are getting slower.

Almost 53% of customers want their queries resolved within a day. Yet 3 out of 4 customers get frustrated by long waiting times and having to repeat questions multiple times – as noted in our exclusive report, ‘The State of Customer Support.’

Make customer satisfaction a priority and improve customer engagement. The key to successful customer service is acting on customer feedback as swiftly as possible. Customers with poor customer service want issues resolved quickly, ideally in one swift transaction.

Speed is a competitive strategy that separates you from competitors when offering excellent customer service. 

6. Admit when you’ve made a mistake

We all make mistakes.

The good news is that 74% of people are willing to forgive a company for its mistake. Although admitting an error can affect your ego, it is an essential customer service skill that can help strengthen customer relationships.

Customers’ expectations are rising , and they prefer brand interactions to feel authentic and personal. Admitting that you have made a mistake and saying “sorry,” for example, can build trust.

They made a small mistake, fixed it, and sent a letter of apology. 

And in JR’s own words – he’s now a customer for life.

Encourage your customer service agents to recognize and respond to not just the good but also the bad experiences. Taking responsibility is the bottom line to driving loyalty.

Wrapping up: Great customer experiences are not a matter of chance

When customer service is baked into a company’s fundamental culture, great customer experience becomes the rule, not the exception. 

Just as honesty, accountability, and openness take time to foster, customer-centricity is nurtured over time too. As with any lasting transformation, small, incremental changes make all the difference. 

There are a few common themes running across companies with stellar customer service: hiring for great customer service, providing both flexibility and autonomy, and empowering teams to go the extra mile. 

To take these from theory to practice, company leadership must ask the right questions while hiring new employees, emphasize customer experience during training and onboarding, celebrate exceptional customer service, and most importantly, lead by example. 

Deliver stellar customer support right from Gmail

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Why consistent customer service matters and how to achieve it: Amazon and Comcast 2 case studies

Good service once earns one happy customer. Consistently good service builds a satisfied, loyal customer base.

Unfortunately, unless you’re a sole proprietor doing everything in your business, you can’t control how your customer service teams work at every moment. How do you make sure customers get a consistent, positive experience every time they interact with you?

Customer service needs to be at the heart of your business. It’s not something that’s limited only to the customer service team. Your company culture and the heart of everything you do need to revolve around serving your customers as well as possible.

This blog post explores 2 case studies - which highlight the dos and don'ts of customer service in 2020. But first, how can you lay the groundwork that makes it simple and rewarding for your employees to provide good service every time?

Building strong customer relationships

Before you can develop a framework for how you provide service, you need to understand what makes service good in the first place. What makes one customer walk away satisfied while another goes on to write a bad review about you?

The elements of good customer service are as follows:

• Focusing on customer value
• Making the experience hassle-free
• Meeting or exceeding customer expectations

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Customer value

At the heart of good customer service is a strong focus on the value you’re providing the person you’re serving. This is the first element you need to embed into your customer service team and other business teams. Your business exists to give your customers what they need and to help them gain value from it. If they’re not getting value from you, they won’t return to or recommend you.

Customer service revolves around value provision because this team has the unique responsibility of helping people make use of what they have. Often, customers initiate contact with your employees only when they have questions, concerns, or problems that they can’t sort out on their own. In order to foster a strong relationship with every customer, you need to build your team that always operates with customer value in mind.

From the first interaction to aftersales service, customers should always be receiving service that’s valuable in that time and that specific situation. If they’re asking about how a product you offer would fit into their need, value to them is giving them honest feedback from a place of product knowledge. If they have a problem, value to that customer is a knowledgeable employee walking them through the steps to solve their problem and continue using the product to the fullest.

Although the specific value you provide at a certain moment will vary, everyone interacting with customers should understand the basics of how to identify the value they need and provide it.

Hassle-free experience

Valuable service means little when the method of receiving service is inconvenient for the customer. If, for example, a customer must wait on hold for 30 minutes just to speak with a customer service agent on the phone, they’ll be far less satisfied with the experience even if they get the resolution they were seeking.

Customers that are passed around to multiple different people, who have to wait a long time for service, or who have to contact your company multiple times for an answer are less satisfied. Do whatever you can in your power to make it as simple as possible for customers to get in touch and reach a resolution.

Some of this is related to the knowledge and understanding of the employees providing service. If your company keeps information segregated by departments, it will naturally take longer for a customer to reach a resolution if they bring their issue to the wrong person. All employees should have a base level of product or service knowledge, with continuous learning.

Technology has made it simpler to reduce hassle today. For phone service, you can create a single queue system that updates people on their position in the queue. Or, even better is to give customers an option to hang up and get placed in a call-back queue, relieving them of the burden of sitting on the phone waiting. Properly utilized CRM systems also make it easier to access specific customer information to get up to speed when someone brings up an issue.

Meeting or exceeding expectations

Every time someone contacts you, your team needs to provide over and above what they expect. The bare minimum should be a satisfactory experience where all the customer’s needs are met. A gold standard for your team would be to exceed customer expectations by providing them better service than they expected to receive.

This means different things for different companies and industries. Your job is to identify the expectations of the customer and then do your best to fulfill them.

Case study: Amazon customer service

Amazon is one of the few companies in the world that’s known specifically for their excellent customer service. They’ve managed to achieve this by being what they refer to as “customer-obsessed”. From the top-down, the whole company operates with a customer-centric mentality.

If you contact Amazon customer service, you can expect to get excellent service. There are far more compliments than complaints. Many times, the company goes beyond expectations to replace, refund, or otherwise compensate customers when mistakes occur, even if it’s not the company’s fault.

Amazon has only managed to achieve this level of consistently excellent service because they place a high value on providing incredible service. Because of their core belief in customer value, they have built a whole company culture around the idea that their customers deserve the best in everything, including customer service. The result? An army of loyal Amazon customers who order again and again.

Case study: Comcast customer service

On the opposite end of the spectrum sits Comcast. This company regularly makes it into lists of the worst companies for customer service in the US , usually topping it . Year after year they’ve failed to improve their service, continually providing a dissatisfactory experience. There are a number of complaints made about Comcast customer service itself, rather than the telecom services provided.

After pledging $300million to improve its customer service, the company has seen some improvements . While it’s no longer featured on the lists of worst companies in the US, there’s a lot more room for improvement if they want long-term, loyal customers.

Building consistency

How do you build a system that makes sure your business is more like Amazon and less like Comcast? Good customer service and consistency are teachable. Develop a system that makes it simple for employees to provide good service and easy to monitor how well service is being done.

You will build consistency by developing a customer service system that makes it excessively simple for your employees to provide excellent service. This can be accomplished with a few essential steps.

1. Identifying central needs

How can your employees meet the needs of customers if they don’t know what your customers need? You can’t predict what every customer needs before they reach out, but you can understand generally what they expect and prepare your employees for all those situations ahead of time.

Surveys and rating systems are useful in tracking this or learning about customer expectations. By asking people who contact you online or over the phone what their purpose or general need is, you can get an idea over time about what people tend to contact you for.

It takes time to dig up customer needs. Sometimes the obvious answers are not the right answers. Even the customers themselves don’t always know the exact need they have when they make contact. But, when you take the time to study customer needs, you’ll be able to uncover the real motives that drove the person to reach out and seek help from your company.

This is a job that can be outsourced to a professional third-party consultancy if you’re looking for unbiased results or if you don’t have the resources to dedicate to it yourself.

2. Setting up a process

After you’ve determined the central needs of your customers, you need to create a customer service process that helps them sort out their needs as efficiently as possible. From the customer’s perspective, inefficient customer service is poor service, no matter how much money or time it saves your budget.

Your process should be multi-faceted, encompassing all the different methods of service , including:

• Phone service
• Email service
• Front-line service
• Point of sale service
• Personal contact service

However you interact with customers and provide service, the best practices for doing so should be included in your process. No one should fall through the gaps because of poor planning.

In your process, you should lay out the steps that an employee needs to follow to provide the customer service experience you’re trying to give. This will likely look different for each company, as your customer needs, company culture, and service vision will be unique.

Your process should be thorough, but teachable. You shouldn’t dictate everything your employees say or do with a script, but you need to establish guidelines that anyone can learn to follow. Whether that means a step by step method for addressing each customer or a loose guideline for interactions, the process should make it possible for customers to get a similar experience from any customer service agent.

3. Implementation

Once a process is established, it’s time to train your employees and get them up to speed on your new way of approaching customer service. Implementation should be a long, thoughtful process. No matter how good the process is, poor implementation can ruin your good intentions.

Each employee should be evaluated to uncover their strengths and weaknesses. Some employees may already be providing a high level of service while others may not be. You don’t want to accidentally reduce the quality of service from your strong employees; all you want is to re-direct them to make sure they’re following the expected guidelines.

Some employees are better at certain aspects of service than others. For example, while one may be very friendly and empathetic, another could be a great problem solver or salesperson. Nurture these strengths and help each employee apply them to your new process, sharing their skills with others whenever possible. Wherever they’re weaker at providing service, help to compensate with extra training and direction.

Training is surprisingly effective for customer service. The more your employees at all levels understand your company, your products/services, and the value they’re providing to a customer, the better they can serve that customer. By taking the time to train employees and give them the right tools to deliver quality service, you’re investing in better service standards and stronger long-term customer relationships.

4. Regular evaluation & re-training

Employees who are trained once are not done being trained forever. Re-training helps to keep employees in the loop as to what the priorities of the company are, any new updates to products/services offered, and how to properly approach customers in a service role. Simple refresher courses are useful for keeping every employee at a consistent level of service without overburdening them.

Additionally, studies show that within one hour, people tend to forget 50% of the information they were presented, and up to 90% within a week. Retraining is necessary to reinforce anything that may have been forgotten in previous training sessions.

The goal of re-training is to make it second-nature to provide great customer service. Each employee should be so familiar with the customer service process and the preferred experience that they do it naturally without having to reference the written guidelines.

To make sure your employees are reaching the standard you desire in the first place, you need to set up a system to help evaluate your staff. Evaluations can be done at regular intervals or consistently throughout the year. Evaluations should look at how an employee performs over a period of time to develop a realistic picture of their skill, rather than watching closely on a single day. Based on evaluations, re-training can be targeted to improve specific areas where an employee is lagging behind.

Consistent customer service

There is no cut-and-paste formula for developing consistency in your customer service. However, these strategies and pointers should help you to understand what you need to do and the path forward. The actual service you provide will be unique to you, but the steps to formulate and develop that service can be borrowed from other companies before you.

For consistency of service to last, you have to build up the right way. Whether you’re a small or large company, start at the beginning with understanding what good service looks like in your context and how your customers want to be served. As long as you’re addressing these core concerns in every interaction, you’ll be on the right track.

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What Good Customer Service Looks Like [+Examples]

Updated: February 09, 2024

Published: August 19, 2021

One bad customer service experience can indefinitely tarnish customers’ opinions of a product or brand. But consistently good customer service, on the other hand, can turn them into loyal brand advocates.

Customers will do a lot for brands they’re loyal to: Data shows that 72% of global customers feel loyalty toward at least one brand or company. Additionally, the average American consumer belongs to 16.7 customer loyalty programs. So, how can brands earn the loyalty of customers?

To answer this question, we’ve curated a list of B2B and B2C brands established as industry leaders that deliver exceptional customer service. But, before diving into those examples, we need to set a baseline for “good” customer service.

Table of Contents

What is good customer service?

Benefits of good customer service, how to provide great customer service, the principles of great customer service, good customer service examples.

Good customer service means building relationships with your customers. This can mean you have a rapid response time to service requests, respond to all customer feedback (positive or negative), have self-service help documents, and create a frictionless process for getting in touch with support.

“For complex problems, good customer service looks like active listening and even discovery questions like, ‘What troubleshooting have you already done for this?’ [It also looks like] repeating back the problem statement to the customer before offering a solution so that we are both on the same page,” says Caleb King , senior inbound consultant at HubSpot.

In addition to the ones listed above, let’s break down the six most common characteristics of good customer service teams.

6. Creative Problem Solving

At the end of the day, the best customer service teams solve their customers’ problems. They’re tenacious and determined to help their customers achieve their goals. This often requires agents to be creative and develop unique solutions to customer issues. As you’ll see in the examples below, sometimes excellent customer service means finding a solution that falls outside of normal company protocol.

Research from Zendesk found that 60% of business leaders say that high-quality customer service improves customer retention, and Salesforce reported that 94% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience.

Moreover, Outbound Engine found that acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer. Increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits from 25-95%. The success rate of selling to a customer you already have is 60-70%, while the success rate of selling to a new customer is 5-20%.

Happy customers are crucial to your business. They're on their way to brand loyalty if the positive customer service experiences continue.

On the flip side, a bad customer experience will tarnish any goodwill that your business and brand have built for those customers, and you run the risk that they might tell even more people about it than a good customer experience.

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1. Put customer needs first.

A customer-first strategy means your team is committed to finding solutions and providing high customer service. When a clear answer isn’t available, the customer service team will go beyond to help customers achieve goals. And, if there's no way to solve the customer’s problem, your team relays the feedback to work towards a long-term solution.

2. Understand the customer’s goals.

Start with relaying input to management. If the case needs escalation, follow procedures for escalation management. If the problem isn’t severe enough, record the issue and forward the information to whoever would benefit most. As you continue this process, you’ll see trends forming to help you adjust your support strategy positively.

3. Show genuine interest and enthusiasm.

A delightful customer experience usually starts with an enthusiastic greeting. Reps should outwardly show interest in each customer’s problem and express an optimistic attitude toward finding a solution. Keep a level head and pay attention to your tone and body language. If in person, look the customer in the eye and smile; smiling will help portray a cheerful demeanor. If you’re on the phone, focus on a cheerful tone of voice.

4. Prioritize quality over quantity.

During holidays or product launches, there might be a customer service surge of support cases. It can be tempting to solve many instances instead of thoroughly working through each issue. Reps should focus on customer delight rather than speed and efficiency. It’s necessary to create positive interactions; it’s management’s job to find solutions that improve productivity, whether adopting customer service technology or rethinking internal support strategies.

5. Provide omnichannel support options.

The use of smartphones in our lives means customers can interact with brands almost anywhere, anyhow. Customers expect an immediate response whenever they contact you. Whether this means providing support through various communication mediums or having self-service options, your business should make your customer service team accessible.

Your support channels must also be connected so customers can freely transition between mediums without restarting the service process. This omnichannel experience makes it easier to provide effective customer support and meet your customers where they are.

7. Solve for long-term solutions to continue long-term support.

Be sure to advocate for long-term solutions over short-term conveniences. Show your customers that you’re interested in solving the problem in front of you and concerned with their overall success. Some cases call for a short-term solution as it’s the best option.

However, it’s essential to ensure that short-term solutions don’t become long-term as your reps continue working on other cases. When a long-term solution becomes available, your team should return to those cases and notify customers about the update. This level of personalized support shows a genuine commitment to customer success.

8. Learn from feedback.

Some customer interactions will be filled with friction as customers openly provide feedback about your company. In these scenarios, it’s essential to maintain a professional demeanor and learn from your customers. Consider the feedback an opportunity to use to improve your customer service offer and your company.

1. Be responsive to customers.

When we ran a survey looking at what was most important for customers, being responsive to customers surfaced as the number one customer service standard that 61% of consumers value the most. Being responsive means more than just responding to every customer inquiry. After responding quickly to their initial contact, you also want to follow that up with a speedy and thorough resolution to their request.

Most consumers expect a response from customer service in 5 minutes or less. Ensure you have an excellent first-touch customer response strategy — whether through automation or live agents — to let your customers know you received their inquiry and are working on it.

2. Be accountable to customers.

Of consumers, 60% rank the standard of accountability as an essential standard for businesses to uphold. The first step toward fixing a mistake is acknowledging it exists. And taking responsibility shows the customer that you care more about the resolution than getting caught up in assigning blame.

Consider developing a set of canned responses your reps can use when things don’t go as planned. Something like “We recognize that we made a mistake and want to make it right” goes a long way.

3. Be outstanding to customers.

Of consumers, 59% say it’s essential for you to go above and beyond. When customers raise an issue, they want to feel like you’re doing everything possible to resolve it. And if you can’t fix it, you escalate it to someone who can help. This makes customers believe that you’re invested in their business.

The only thing better than meeting customer expectations is exceeding them. Each customer is different, so give your support reps the flexibility to determine what this means for each interaction.

4. Be available to customers.

Of consumers, 55% agree that being there when customers need your help is essential. Customers must know your hours of operation and when your customer service team is online. And it’s even more important to be as responsive as possible during that time window.

Use automation to ensure you’re giving your customers a response even if your reps are offline. Automated email replies, chat responses, and phone messages are great ways to remind people when they can expect to hear back from you.

5. Be positive to customers.

Of consumers, 54% expect positive customer service interactions with friendly agents. Kindness wins every time. And no matter how difficult the conversation may seem, try not to take it too personally if a customer is upset. Because behind the frustration, it’s usually just a customer trying to succeed with your product or service.

1. ClusterTruck

Santa Cruz Bicycles manufactures and sells high-quality off-road bicycles. Its bikes are known for their high performance, and its customers deeply care about the technology that they’re riding. But the bike’s performance isn’t the only feature that Santa Cruz customers love.

They’re loyal to the company because its service and support teams match the quality of its products. Customers can trust that any problem they have with a bike will be solved swiftly and with excellent service.

In an interview with HubSpot , Kyle Harder, Santa Cruz Rider support lead noted, “What sets us apart as a company is that we want to deal with anyone that owns our product, regardless of where you bought it. If you have an issue with a Santa Cruz Bike and come to us with your issue, we’ll help you resolve your issue.”

And, Harder wasn’t just talking about problems with the bike. The company is also focused on removing long-term roadblocks from the customer experience.

For example, when the business first started out, it experienced sudden growth. Customers loved the bicycles, and the demand for the product rose beyond what Santa Cruz’s service team could support. Agents were working tirelessly, and the team’s email inbox nearly reached capacity.

Recognizing this flaw in its service experience, Santa Cruz adopted customer service tools to aid its support team. Reps started recording data on customer issues and highlighted problems that were most common with their customer base.

They created a shared inbox with an email alias so customers could easily contact the support team. They also created a customer feedback loop to collect and share customer reviews with the entire organization.

When your company experiences growth, it can sometimes create unexpected problems that pop up down the road. If these issues are left unchecked, they can become a detriment to the customer experience and halt your business’s success.

Santa Cruz recognized a potential flaw and acted immediately. They adopted customer service tools to ease the pressure on their support team while improving the customer experience. That way, reps weren’t being overworked and had the time and energy to provide excellent customer service.

Additionally, Santa Cruz used its new tools to conduct reporting as well. This allowed the company to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction while its customer base continued to grow. Even though more customers interacted with the business, each interaction still felt genuine and personalized because of the customer data Santa Cruz had gathered.

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Going from good customer service to great customer service.

Can great customer service really impact your brand, or is good customer service good enough?

In today’s saturated marketplace, customer service matters more than ever. As the recent data highlights:

• 86% of customers would leave a brand they were previously loyal to after just a few bad experiences, with 62% saying just one bad experience is enough to dissuade their loyalty.
• 68% of customers will pay more for products or services from brands known for their excellent customer service.
• 89% of consumers are more likely to purchase again in the future after having a positive customer experience.

So, not only is great customer experience a key differentiator among brands, it’s also a key driver for brand loyalty and even sales and profitability. The data indicates that customer service and customer experiences are directly related to your bottom line—yet many companies overlook the value of improving customer service from good to great.

According to a 2022 study, 87% of companies believe they’re providing “excellent CX,” while a mere 11% of customers agreed that businesses delivered excellent service. So, not only does customer service matter more than ever, but delivering service that truly wows customers is more difficult than ever as well.

How can brands deliver great service in today’s world? In this article, our team of experts outlines the four key attributes of good—and great—customer service, and the key tactics and strategic insights to know as you implement them at your organization.

4 Key Attributes of Good Customer Service

Customer service has many components, but the most essential elements break down to just four key categories. In fact, according to a recent survey by PwC, nearly 80% of American consumers cite these four elements as the most important ones for great customer service.

These are speed , accessibility, connection (or friendly service), and helpfulness (or agent knowledge). Let’s break down each of these key attributes of good customer service.

Speed. Customers want help, and they want it quickly. As a customer yourself, you probably instinctively understand their desire. Whether or not the problem is truly urgent, you don’t want to be on hold for 25 minutes or have to wait several days for an email response whenever you need a problem resolved from a company. As such, providing speedy and efficient service demonstrates that your company values your customers by valuing their time.

Accessibility . Accessible service means meeting customers where they are, and making it effortless for them to get the help they need. We’ve all experienced the companies that seem to make it intentionally difficult to find their customer service phone number, or have a live chat option available, only for no agent to ever “pick up” your chat. While not every brand needs to be available on every possible channel, making it easy for customers to contact you and receive the help they need is a key component of good service.

Connection. Friendly service is still a key attribute of good service, and this shouldn’t be too surprising. In a depersonalized world, having a moment of genuine human connection is typically pleasant—and when customers connect that pleasant experience with your brand, they tend to remain more loyal and even spend more. Employing and empowering friendly agents to respond with empathy to your customers is essential for good service.

Helpfulness. Finally, knowledgeable help is an obvious must. When customers contact your support team, there’s generally a problem they need solved or an action they’re trying to complete that they need help with. If your support staff is fast, easy to contact and friendly, but they can’t solve the customer’s problem, that’s still a major problem. As such, good customer service requires agents who are seasoned problem-solvers, able to resolve customer concerns both efficiently and satisfactorily.

These four attributes are core components of any good customer service solution—but in a competitive market, good isn’t always enough. So how can companies go beyond good to deliver truly excellent customer service?

Going Beyond “Good” – How to Deliver Great Customer Service

Great customer service doesn’t have to be futuristic or show up at the airport with a fresh steak for a customer (although that certainly checks the box). Instead, great customer service goes above and beyond in those four categories that consumers cite as the most important: speed , convenience , knowledgeable help and friendly service .

So, how can you move beyond “good” to develop excellent customer service in these four key areas?

Improving Customer Service Speed

Speed matters to consumers—and it matters a lot. In fact, 53% of consumers cite speed as the most important aspect of great customer service.

However, speed can be difficult to define. For many customers today, speed doesn’t just mean fast—it means instant, and on-demand. Customers want 24/7 service that’s accessible anytime and can get them the answers they need immediately. Not sure how fast is fast enough? Here’s the recent data:

• 66% of customers expect a live chat response within five minutes.
• 35% of consumers expect a response on social media within 2 hours.
• Around one-third of customers expect a response via email within 1 hour or less.

Of course, improving speed is easier said than done. To improve your speed in a way that customers will actually notice and appreciate, implement one of these tactics:

AI/Chatbots. AI can help speed up many backend operations when it comes to call centers , ensuring that your agents reduce call handle time and thus speed up operations overall. In addition, chatbots or virtual assistants can not only reduce the amount of time an interaction takes, but it can also reduce the number of interactions that human agents need to take care of. Of course, a chatbot can also be available 24/7 to help as many customers at once as needed.

Live chat. Although customers expect a response most quickly via live chat or over the phone, live chat is a great way to supplement phone lines. As opposed to a voice call, most agents can handle a number of separate chats at the same time, allowing customers to get help more quickly. In addition, supplementing with chat bots or virtual chat agents can help keep your chat function live 24/7 and moving quickly.

Outsourcing. Sometimes you simply need more agents to achieve the speed needed at scale for your business. When this is the case, outsourcing some or all of your customer service to a trusted partner is the most efficient way to scale up your business and improve speed of service.

Improving Customer Service Accessibility

Of course, part of providing speedy service involves being accessible to customers. The easier it is for customers to find you and contact you, the faster they can get their questions answered. Two key ways to make yourself more accessible to consumers is through omnichannel support and self-service solutions. 

Omnichannel support. While many consumers today still prefer phone calls, the average consumer has contacted customer service through at least three different channels . As such, omnichannel support is a must. Importantly, though, omnichannel support is more than just being accessible on a variety of channels. It also means creating a seamless experience between those channels so that when customers contact you on a new channel, that agent has the background on their previous interactions.

Self-service solutions. Self-service options are a great way for customers to get answers quickly, but they’re also an important way to improve accessibility. Because self-service allows the customer to take the lead on getting answers, they’re available anytime—24/7/365. You can’t get much more accessible than that!

Improving Customer Service Connections

Unlike speed or accessibility, connection is difficult to automate. According to a recent survey of US consumers, 86% still preferred interacting with a human over an AI chatbot. As chatbots improve over the next few years, that number is likely to lower, but there are always instances where humans will prefer to interact with other humans—especially during stressful, complex or high-risk situations.

So how can brands improve connection and relationships through their customer service ?

One of the most effective ways to do so is to employ personalization throughout your entire customer journey. When customers feel that your brand knows them, understands their preferences and caters to their needs, they’ll naturally feel more connected to your brand. In addition, personalized solutions, interactions and recommendations during customer service touch points go a long way. This can be as simple as using a customer’s name, or more complex, such as making a personalized recommendation for a customer based on previous purchases.

At the end of the day, the key is in treating customers like people, not case numbers. While this may seem obvious, 61% of consumers still say they feel they’re treated more like a number than a person, highlighting that most brands still have a long way to go with personalization and connection.

Improving Customer Service Helpfulness

Helpfulness is an obvious core component of good customer service. After all, the primary reason customers contact a brand is to receive help with some problem or situation. However, just providing an accurate and helpful offer isn’t always enough for true excellence in customer service.

The best customer service is proactive as well, going above and beyond to “seal the deal” and make sure things are wrapped up and going well for your customers. This can take place during a customer-initiated interaction as well as when customers haven’t initiated.

One straightforward way to go above and beyond with your customer service is to simply ensure that the problem is resolved to the customer’s satisfaction before ending the call and closing the case. Far too often, cases are marked as resolved before they truly are, leaving customers dissatisfied and creating more customer service tickets in the long run.

For example, if a customer calls needing a password reset or help getting back into a locked account, rather than just having agents provide them with a temporary password or sending the reset email, have your agents wait on the phone with them to ensure they were able to successfully get back into their account or reset their password.

Customer Service Examples To Learn From

Sometimes the best way to learn what excellent customer service looks like is to see it in action. Here are four brands doing customer service well, and the takeaways you can learn from them to implement in your own organization.

Wistia is a video hosting and analytics platform that’s becoming well-known for their excellent customer service, and great content. How do they do it?

They take an approach to customer service that’s unique for many companies, yet true to their brand and product: implementing personalized videos into their customer service responses. After all, they’re a video hosting platform—why shouldn’t they also use video in their customer service?

From personalized how-to videos or videos answering customer questions or walking a customer through the product, video is a great way to educate and inspire Wistia customers. In addition, they’ve also been known to use video to send personalized messages, thank-you notes or check-ins as well, combining customer service with customer success .

The takeaway?

Don’t fit yourself into a box, or assume you have to use certain channels just because everyone else is doing it that way. Instead, be true to your brand—and your audience—and use the channels and service methods that make the most sense for you and your customers.

Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is famous for their excellent customer service—but you don’t have to employ Ritz-Carlton levels of luxury to develop good customer service. In fact, some of the principles behind their customer service are applicable no matter your brand. So, what does the Ritz get right in their service?

For one, they empower their employees to deliver exceptional experiences. Rigid customer service solutions don’t allow for personalization, nor do they create memorable experiences for the customer. Instead, the Ritz allows staff members a budget of up to $2,000 per situation to solve customer problems and create memorable, exceptional experiences.

With values such as “I am empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests,” and “I own and immediately resolve guest problems,” the Ritz provides employees with practical boundaries as well as flexibility and freedom to truly inhabit those values.

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In an interview with Forbes, Herve Humler, President of the Ritz-Carlton, said, “I believe in the power of recognition and empowerment leading to great employee engagement. And employee engagement is critical to guest engagement. Employee empowerment and recognition is the core of our culture and how we achieve outstanding service.”

Not only is employee engagement and empowerment implemented at all levels, it begins from the very top. When employee empowerment and customer experience remains a focus for even top-level executives, it becomes much easier to integrate this into all levels of the company.

The takeaway? 

Empower your employees to create exceptional customer experiences. In many cases, your customer service agents or other customer-facing employees have a good idea of what customers need and want—they speak with them all day, every day, after all. You don’t have to give each employee a $2,000 budget to do so, either. Instead, allow variation from your standard scripts, flexibility and creativity in solutions, and a reasonable budget based on your brand for creating memorable service.

Developing a sense of ownership, responsibility and trust among your employees—and empowering them to truly own and take action on customer problems—will help develop personalized, exceptional service for your customers.

Chewy, an online pet food and pet-related product retailer, is well-known now for going above and beyond to delight and care for customers. Most importantly, empathy is at the heart of their customer service.

For example, many customers have shared online about the care and support they received from Chewy when a pet died. Many Chewy customers are enrolled in automatic pet food shipments, so when a beloved pet passes, they have to cancel their subscription. Upon doing so, many customers have reported receiving handwritten notes, small pet-related gifts or refunds of already-shipped food from customer service agents at Chewy who helped them cancel their orders and learned of their pet’s passing.

Not only does the brand provide a solution for the customer—canceling their order or subscription—but they go out of their way to respond with empathy and create an emotional bond that makes the customer feel valued, especially during a difficult time.

Keep empathy at the forefront of your customer service interactions. Whether it’s showing concern for a customer going through a hard time, sympathizing with a difficult aspect of your product, apologizing for a service failure, or connecting with a customer over a shared situation or preference, making connections with customers and empathizing with their problems and excitement is at the heart of great service.

Stitch Fix is an online clothing brand that creates excellent customer experiences through personalization. For Stitch Fix, personalization isn’t just a customer experience tactic—it’s at the heart of their entire business model.

The Stitch Fix brand aims to resolve what many people experience as an awful in-store shopping experience, by allowing customers to work with personal stylists to receive a box of new clothing pieces each month. Once they receive their box, customers can try on items and either purchase them to keep or simply return them.

This personalization is delivered at every stage of the customer experience. From the beginning, customers start with a style quiz to understand their shopping and fashion preferences, then begin receiving personalized fashion recommendations and pieces from stylists who tackle user profiles one-by-one.

At every stage, Stitch Fix has asked, “How can we make the shopping experience better for the customer?” and then has created a personalized journey that is accessible and convenient for the modern shopper.

Know your audience, and personalize your products for them. Stitch Fix knew the traditional shopping experience wasn’t working for their audience—and they revamped the entire experience with their customer in mind, plus catered the experience to each individual shopper along the way. With your own brand, finding ways to incorporate personalization at every stage of the customer journey will take your customer service from good to great.

5 Steps To Implementing a Great Customer Service Strategy Within Your Organization

Implementing great customer service is easier said than done. These five strategic steps can help you create practical change and deliver exceptional experiences, every time.

Start with the customer

Of course, great customer service begins with the customer. You need to understand what the customer wants, and what customer preferences are at every stage of the customer journey, on both a high-level and an individual scale. That is, what do our customers (generally) want at this step of the customer journey, and also, what does this particular customer want?

Customer profiling and customer journey mapping can both be helpful tools to help understand your customers, both collectively and individually. Once you’ve gained a solid understanding of the customer, keep a customer-centric approach at every stage of the customer journey.

As you implement new customer service tactics, you should constantly ask yourself, “how does this benefit the customer?” By keeping a customer-focus , you can work to anticipate customer needs (through knowledge of the customer) and solve for them in advance (through a customer-oriented business strategy).

Doing so will not only amplify your customer service, but it will allow you to proactively engage and support your customers, delivering stronger customer experiences that will drive loyalty and revenue over time.

Get the right data….

As you develop a customer service strategy, having the right data in place is essential. Not only does the right data help you understand your customer and customer preferences, but it also enables you to understand the customer experience, your operational success, areas of improvement and more.

With so much data available, though, which is the right data to track?

As a baseline, companies who want to create exceptional customer experiences should be tracking and measuring both operational data as well as experiential data . Operational data reveals how well you’re delivering on service fundamentals, while experiential data reveals how customers are actually experiencing your brand.

As you implement a customer service strategy, you should aim to track metrics across the four key areas of service discussed above: speed, convenience, experience and resolution. For example, you might measure:

• Speed via time in queue, average call length, average handle time, or so on.
• Convenience via Customer Effort Score or abandonment rate
• Experience via CSAT or NPS scores
• Resolution (or Helpfulness) via FCR rates, open tickets vs. resolved tickets, time to resolution and so on.

Clear data allows you to understand your performance in each of these key areas, drawing out areas for improvement and highlighting important customer insights.

…so you can personalize your experience

Speaking of customer insights, another key area data can help with is personalization. The right data allows you to know and understand your customer so you can deliver personalized service, even at scale.

As you seek to implement more personalized experiences, identify key touchpoints along the customer journey, then ask your team:

• How can we make customers’ experiences more personalized at each of these steps?
• What would make this experience better for our customers, in general?
• What could we learn about individual customers to make this experience better for each customer, individually?

Once you have answers, collect the data you need to personalize effectively. Remember, personalization can be small—incorporating personalized touches like birthday surprises, personalized recommendations based on past purchases, reminders to refill a product they previously purchased and so on. These small touches add up and help customers feel that you are there to support them at every step.

Empower agents

Data isn’t the only answer—as discussed above, companies who want to offer truly great customer service need to empower their agents to provide it—even if that service goes “off the books” a bit. Rather than limit your agents to scripts or textbook solutions, agents need to be empowered to solve problems with customized solutions.

In addition, agents need ongoing training, resources and support to continue doing their jobs well, a step that many companies overlook. In a recent study, less than 30% of customer service agents said they felt empowered to do their jobs well, and 62% said they wanted more “skills-based training to improve their performance.” You can’t support great customer service without also supporting the agents who are powering that service!

Finally, empower your agents to collaborate together to solve problems and go above and beyond for customers. The majority of customers today expect teams to collaborate on their behalf to provide seamless experiences and solutions. As a result, customer experience leaders need to provide channels for collaborating both within and outside of the customer service team.

Partner with an expert

Finally, getting serious about delivering exceptional customer service may mean partnering with an expert to really develop and execute successfully on a customer service strategy. When you work with a customer experience expert, like our team at Global Response , you’re not just getting more resources—you’re getting a team of experts with 40+ years of experience in customer service that can develop and execute the strategy that makes the most sense for your brand, your audience and your goals.

Ready to take your customer experience from good to great? Connect with an expert from Global Response today, and get a partner that’s dedicated to creating loyal customers for your brand.

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More From Forbes

Your customer service is your branding: the ritz-carlton case study.

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When a company wants to update its branding, it usually looks to traditional branding considerations such as its logo, its use of typography, its color palette, and possibly even whether it needs a new brand mascot (a la KFC replacing Darrell Hammond with Norm MacDonald to play the latest incarnation of Colonel Sanders or Subway replacing Jared with anybody they can find who'll take the job).

But if you want to understand what actually makes up your brand, and therefore what a rebranding would entail, you have to go a lot deeper than looking at your logo and color choice. While I enjoy a good logo rework or spokesactor switcheroo as much as the next fella, the branding that matters to customers isn’t something that starts with a logo or a choice of typefaces.  Branding goes much deeper, and often evolves from places we don’t think of as branding at all.

As the case study for today’s article, let’s look at the The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. There's been buzz this month in the luxury press about The Ritz-Carlton’s new rebranding initiative, which, like most such initiatives, focuses on color choice (a new light blue) and logo (an improved redraw of its iconic lion and crown illustration that is more friendly to digital reproduction and resizing).  But to get at what makes up a brand like The Ritz-Carlton, which is perhaps the most frequently-cited exemplar of customer service in today's business world, we need to look elsewhere, including at how its style of customer service has evolved over the years, and, speaking more generally, how any company, by updating its customer service style, can keep its brand in touch with what customers–customers of all ages, including the important and very informal Millennial generation of customers–are looking for today.

Today's customers demand an authentic, unscripted customer service style

Even if the level of customer service your company provides is excellent, if the  style of your customer service delivery comes off as inauthentic–as scripted, stilted, or of the cookie-cutter variety–you’re not going to connect with today’s customers. Customers today, of all ages, including the important Millennial generation of customers. are looking for a genuine, authentic customer experience. And they’re quick to reject and rail against anything in the service experience that they perceive as insincere, stilted, or inauthentic.To illustrate this point, let me tell you a story that reaches back more than 30 years: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, as a global brand, was created in the early 1980s. Very quickly, Ritz-Carlton became a major force in revolutionizing the hospitality industry by standardizing employment-selection criteria, facilities, and more. Now, as a luxury traveler, you could roam the world and be able to experience a consistent standard of service akin to what you had experienced at the last Ritz-Carlton where you stayed, thousands of miles previous.

At the same time, the leadership of The Ritz-Carlton standardized one more aspect of its operation: the language to be used by its employees. In retrospect, this may have been an overreach, though at the time and for two decades running, it seemed to be working. Here’s what I wrote some years back about the origin of the famous Ritz-Carlton brand language:

To help launch their Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel brand [the founding leadership] decided on a set of ideal phrases for use in conversation with customers, then trained employees to use those phrases. The frequent use of certain phrases helped unify their employees around a shared identity and contributed to a distinctive ‘Ritz style’ that the public could easily recognize: phrases like ‘my pleasure,’ ‘right away,’ ‘certainly,’ and–a personal favorite–‘we’re fully committed tonight.’ (Translation: ‘We’re booked solid, bub!’) The list of words and phrases to be avoided included ‘folks,’ ‘hey,’ ‘you guys’ and ‘OK.’

Over time, and as customer tastes changed, these prescribed language choices started to sound insincere–especially when they were parroted by employees in situations where they didn’t fit. The Ritz-Carlton’s signature phrase, “my pleasure,” in particular became a prime candidate for overuse and misuse. While “It was really my pleasure to visit with you during your stay, Mr. Jamison” sounds genuine, “It will be my pleasure to unclog your sink” takes the conversation off the rails. To make it worse, other hospitality businesses began to mimic Ritz-Carlton, thinking that by saying “my pleasure” they were somehow providing Ritz-level service. Soon, even Chik-fil-A was saying "my pleasure" at the drive-through window.

The Ritz-Carlton responds to customer feedback, updates its customer service style

So in the mid-2000s, after 20-plus years of success, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company started to notice some disturbing feedback on its surveys. Recalls Diana Oreck, VP, Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: “We were beginning to get some alarming feedback from guests who felt we were coming off as too robotic” due to the rigidity of The Ritz-Carlton’s language choices, scripting and other carefully prescribed aspects of their service encounters.

New Ritz-Carlton collateral • Image Courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC

Ritz-Carlton’s VP for global brand marketing, Lisa Holladay, continues the thought: “The good thing about the scripting that we were doing was that it ensured consistency across the board. Unfortunately, what we were finding is that the very consistency itself was coming across as formal and excessively traditional. It was no longer tracking well with a majority of consumers, and especially with our younger guests, who perceived it as inauthentic.”

When Ritz-Carlton received this feedback, it acted on it, getting rid of the prescribed language choices and scripted phrases.  (More recently, Ritz-Carlton has relaxed its employee dress code and grooming standards as well –even allowing visible tattoos in some cases. These moves are part of the de-cookie-cuttering of the brand, as is Ritz-Carlton's newly-developed commitment to making every property notably different from every other, and consonant with its local community's architectural, furnishings and culinary style. )

As Herve Humler, who serves as Ritz-Carlton’s current president and COO and was a member of the founding Ritz-Carlton leadership team in 1983, told me in a recent interview, "We’ve become intentionally less formal over time. We focus now on authentic, unscripted conversation and interactions with the customer. In the early days when putting together this hotel company and growing it globally, we scripted almost everything. You’d hear ’my pleasure’ repeated everywhere you went in the hotel because that was part of the script. We have evolved from that today and now encourage our employees to be themselves. To conduct interactions with utmost respect and courtesy, but in a way that it natural to their personality and the warmth of their caring natures," says Humler.

As The Ritz-Carlton discovered, developing an authentic guest service style is a requirement for success with customers in the new economy. Customers today, and younger customers in particular, are turned off by anything stilted or overly formal when it comes to communication. Their gut reaction to such a service style, even when it’s made use of by the most caring providers in hospitality, is usually going to be negative.

This is why, in most settings (an important exception being interactions with privacy or security implications), I suggest doing away with prescribed language and word-for-word scripts but, as needed, retaining a “punch list” of points that need to be covered in the course of a particular conversational situation–for example, if the guest is booking a spa appointment. This approach to customer interactions avoids running into customers’ innate dislike of being read to from a script.

Instead of training to a script, the best thing an organization can do is teach its employees to deal with situations, both easy and difficult. Give them the tools to recognize guest behaviors and situations and to respond appropriately and effectively.

Language engineering: The difference between informal service style and slacker service style

However, even if you’re going to stop providing and enforcing a service script, your organization will still benefit if you lay down language and subject-matter guidelines to ensure that customers are properly cared for–to engage in what I call “language engineering.” The difference you can make by helping your employees learn to tell a guest “Our records indicate a balance of $50” rather than “You owe us fifty bucks”; to say “You’re welcome,” rather than “Yup” or “Uh huh” ; “How may I help you?” rather than “What do you want?” and so forth, is huge. “There’s a difference between requiring employees to recite a script on the one hand,” says Ritz-Carlton’s Oreck, and “asking them to use natural but refined language on the other. Phrases like ‘High five,’ ‘Hey, dude,’ ‘Wassup,’ ‘Huh,’ ‘Folks, calm down’ –we teach everyone here that these are still not acceptable, even though we’ve done away with scripting.”

Oreck offers a specific example: "Consider the case, which comes up every day, of a guest wanting to know about one of our on-property restaurants. A lot of training goes into being ready for these guest inquiries: We teach that you need to internalize your knowledge of the restaurant and be ready to give your own spin in how you share information with the guest who’s asking anything from hours of operation to what is good on the menu. You need to be prepared and to have briefed yourself on this and be ready to speak. But we’re not going to give you a script to memorize and recite. You can speak informally, as long as it’s not inelegant. Your take might even sound as informal as this: ‘Oh, my gosh, the best plate at the Café Bistro is the calamari. Our chef is from Italy and is really at the top of her game."

Now, this phrasing, even though not scripted, contains a Ritz-Carlton secret that I think is OK to share with you. Every employee is expected to have enough knowledge of every restaurant to be able to recommend a particular dish, side dish, dessert or drink as something that’s worth trying. At The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, I once had a doorman tell me, as I was setting off for Cayton's, the resort's onsite burger bar, “Mr. Solomon, when you get to Cayton’s, you really should try the mint milkshake."

You know what? He was right about that shake.

Micah Solomon is a customer service consultant, customer experience speaker and bestselling business author, most recently of High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service

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The CEO guide to customer experience

What do my customers want? The savviest executives are asking this question more frequently than ever, and rightly so. Leading companies understand that they are in the customer-experience business, and they understand that how an organization delivers for customers is beginning to be as important as what it delivers.

This CEO guide taps the expertise of McKinsey and other experts to explore the fundamentals of customer interaction, as well as the steps necessary to redesign the business in a more customer-centric fashion and to organize it for optimal business outcomes. For a quick look at how to improve the customer experience, see the summary infographic.

Armed with advanced analytics, customer-experience leaders gain rapid insights to build customer loyalty, make employees happier, achieve revenue gains of 5 to 10 percent, and reduce costs by 15 to 25 percent within two or three years. But it takes patience and guts to train an organization to see the world through the customer’s eyes and to redesign functions to create value in a customer-centric way. The management task begins with considering the customer—not the organization—at the center of the exercise.

Customer experience

More insight into creating competitive advantage by putting customers first and managing their journeys.

Observe: Understand the interaction through the customer’s eyes

Technology has handed customers unprecedented power to dictate the rules in purchasing goods and services. Three-quarters of them, research finds, expect “now” service within five minutes of making contact online. A similar share want a simple experience, use comparison apps when they shop, and put as much trust in online reviews as in personal recommendations. Increasingly, customers expect from all players the same kind of immediacy, personalization, and convenience that they receive from leading practitioners such as Google and Amazon.

Central to connecting better with customers is putting in place several building blocks of a comprehensive improvement in customer experience.

Identify and understand the customer’s journey.

It means paying attention to the complete, end-to-end experience customers have with a company from their perspective. Too many companies focus on individual interaction touchpoints devoted to billing, onboarding, service calls, and the like. In contrast, a customer journey spans a progression of touchpoints and has a clearly defined beginning and end.

The advantage of focusing on journeys is twofold.

First, even if employees execute well on individual touchpoint interactions, the overall experience can still disappoint (Exhibit 1). More important, McKinsey research finds that customer journeys are significantly more strongly correlated with business outcomes than are touchpoints. A recent McKinsey survey, 1 1. McKinsey US cross-industry customer-experience survey, June–October 2015 data. for example, indicates customer satisfaction with health insurance is 73 percent more likely when journeys work well than when only touchpoints do. Similarly, customers of hotels that get the journey right may be 61 percent more willing to recommend than customers of hotels that merely focus on touchpoints.

Quantify what matters to your customers.

Customers hold companies to high standards for product quality, service performance, and price. How can companies determine which of these factors are the most critical to the customer segments they serve? Which generate the highest economic value? In most companies, there are a handful of critical customer journeys. Understanding them, customer segment by customer segment, helps a business to maintain focus, have a positive impact on customer satisfaction, and begin the process of redesigning functions around customer needs. Analytical tools and big data sources from operations and finance can help organizations parse the factors driving what customers say satisfies them and also the actual customer behavior that creates economic value. Sometimes initial assumptions are overturned. In one airport case study, customer satisfaction had more to do with the behavior of security personnel than with time spent in line (Exhibit 2). For a full view of the airport’s insightful customer-satisfaction exercise, see “ Developing a customer-experience vision .”

Define a clear customer-experience aspiration and common purpose.

In large, distributed organizations, a distinctive customer experience depends on a collective sense of conviction and purpose to serve the customer’s true needs. This purpose must be made clear to every employee through a simple, crisp statement of intent: a shared vision and aspiration that’s authentic and consistent with a company’s brand-value proposition. The most recognizable example of such a shared vision might be the Common Purpose 2 2. The Common Purpose is the intellectual property of The Walt Disney Company. See Talking Points , “Be our guest. . .again,” blog post by Jeff James, December 22, 2011, on disneyinstitute.com/blog. of the Walt Disney Company: “We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere.” The statement of purpose should then be translated into a set of simple principles or standards to guide behavior all the way down to the front line.

Customer journeys are the framework that allows a company to organize itself and mobilize employees to deliver value to customers consistently, in line with its purpose. The journey construct can help align employees around customer needs, despite functional boundaries. As McKinsey’s Ron Ritter elaborated in a recent video, rallying around customers can bring the organization together.

Shape: Redesign the business from the customer back

Customer-experience leaders start with a differentiating purpose and focus on improving the most important customer journey first—whether it be opening a bank account, returning a pair of shoes, installing cable television, or even updating address and account information. Then they improve the steps that make up that journey. To manage expectations, they design supporting processes with customer psychology in mind. They transform their digital profile to remove pain points in interactions, and to set in motion the culture of continuous innovation needed to make more fundamental organizational transformations.

Apply behavioral psychology to interactions.

Deftly shaping customer perceptions can generate significant additional value. One tool leading customer-experience players deploy is behavioral psychology, used as a layer of the design process. Leading researchers have identified the major factors in customer-journey experiences that drive customer perceptions and satisfaction levels. 3 3. Richard Chase and Sriram Dasu, The Customer Service Solution: Managing Emotions, Trust, and Control to Win Your Customer’s Business , Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. For example, savvy companies can design the sequence of interactions with customers to end on a positive note. They can merge different stages of interactions to diminish their perceived duration and engender a feeling of progress. And they can provide simple options that give customers a feeling of control and choice. One pilot study at a consumer-services firm found that improvements in customer-satisfaction scores accrued from “soft” behavioral-psychology initiatives as well as from “hard” improvements in operations (Exhibit 3).

Reinvent customer journeys using digital technologies.

Customers accustomed to the personalization and ease of dealing with digital natives such as Google and Amazon now expect the same kind of service from established players. Research shows that 25 percent of customers will defect after just one bad experience.

Customer-experience leaders can become even better by digitizing the processes behind the most important customer journeys. In these quick efforts, multidisciplinary teams jointly design, test, and iterate high-impact processes and journeys in the field, continually refining and rereleasing them after input from customers. Such methods help high-performing incumbents to release and scale major, customer-vetted process improvements in less than 20 weeks. Agile digital companies significantly outperform their competitors, according to some studies. 4 4. See The 2015 Customer Experience ROI Study , Watermark Consulting, watermarkconsult.net. To achieve those results, established businesses must embrace new ways of working.

Perform: Align the organization to deliver against tangible outcomes

As the customer experience becomes a bigger focus of corporate strategy, more and more executives will face the decision to commit their organizations to a broad customer-experience transformation. The immediate challenge will be how to structure the organization and rollout, as well as figuring out where and how to get started. Applying sophisticated measurement to what your customers are saying, empowering frontline employees to deliver against your customer vision, and a customer-centric governance structure form the foundation. Securing early economic wins will deliver value and momentum for continuous innovation.

Use customer journeys to empower the front line.

Every leading customer-experience company has motivated employees who embody the customer and brand promise in their interactions with consumers, and are empowered to do the right thing. Executives at customer-centered companies engage these employees at every level of the organization, working directly with them in retail settings, taking calls, and getting out into the field. In the early years, for example, Amazon famously staged “all hands on deck” sessions during the year-end holidays, a tradition that lives on in the employee-onboarding experience. 5 5. Brad Stone, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon , New York, NY: Little, Brown, 2013. Some organizations create boards or panels of customers to provide a formal feedback mechanism .

Establish metrics that capture customer feedback.

The key to satisfying customers is not just to measure what happens but also to use the data to drive action throughout the organization. The type of metric used is less important than the way it is applied . The ideal customer-experience measurement system puts journeys at the center and connects them to other critical elements such as business outcomes and operational improvements. Leading practitioners start at the top, with a metric to measure the customer experience, and then cascade downward into key customer journeys and performance indicators, taking advantage of employee feedback to identify improvement opportunities (Exhibit 4).

Put cross-functional governance in place.

Even for companies that collaborate smoothly, shifting to a customer-centric model that cuts across functions is not an easy task. To move from knowledge to action, companies need proper governance and leadership . Best-in-class organizations have governance structures that include a sponsor—a chief customer officer—and an executive champion for each of their primary cross-functional customer journeys. They also have full-time teams carrying out their day-to-day work in the existing organization. To succeed, the transformation must take place within normal operations. To foster understanding and conviction, leaders at all levels must role-model the behavior they expect from these teams, constantly communicating the changes needed. Formal reinforcement mechanisms and skill-building activities at multiple levels of the organization support the transformation, as well. In a recent video, McKinsey’s Ewan Duncan describes how rewiring a company in this way is typically a two- to four-year journey.

Log early wins to demonstrate value creation.

Too many customer-experience transformations stall because leaders can’t show how these efforts create value. Executives, citing the benefits of improved customer relations, launch bold initiatives to delight customers that end up having clear costs and unclear near-term results. The better way is to build an explicit link to value creation by defining the outcomes that really matter, analyzing historical performance of satisfied and dissatisfied customers, and focusing on customer satisfaction issues with the highest payouts. This requires discipline and patience, but the result will be early wins that will build confidence within the organization and momentum to innovate further.

Delighting customers by mastering the concept and execution of an exceptionally good customer experience is a challenge. But it is an essential requirement for leading in an environment where customers wield growing power.

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15 Examples of Customer Centric Companies – Explained with Case Studies

Business experts often wonder why Customer Centric Companies do better than others. Their financial performance and customer loyalty is significantly higher than any others. In this detailed blog, we explore 15 such companies with case studies and examples and analyze what constitutes customer centricity

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape , placing the customer at the heart of your business strategy is more important than ever. The ability to deliver a high-quality customer experience can set a company apart and cultivate lasting loyalty. In this blog post, we’re shining the spotlight on 15 companies that have taken the customer-centric approach to new heights. From innovative start-ups to global giants, these organizations have embedded customer-centricity into their DNA, and their success stories provide valuable lessons for businesses of all sizes. So, let’s dive in and explore the strategies, vision, and real-life case studies of these 15 customer-centric companies.

Customer Centric Companies 1: Amazon

Strategy and Vision: Amazon’s “customer obsession” motto drives its business operations, constantly pushing it to improve and streamline the customer experience. Amazon aims to make the online shopping journey as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Case Study: Amazon Prime is the epitome of the company’s customer-centric approach. Amazon identified a key customer pain point—slow shipping—and introduced Amazon Prime. It was a subscription model that gave customers access to two-day shipping, and this service has since expanded to include video and music streaming, exclusive deals, and more. This has resulted in increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 2 : Apple

Strategy and Vision: Apple designs its products keeping the customer experience at the forefront, focusing on ease of use, high quality, and sophisticated design.

Case Study: Apple’s response to the “Antennagate” scandal surrounding the iPhone 4 demonstrated their customer-centricity. Users reported that the phone lost signal when held in a certain way. Despite initially downplaying the issue, Apple eventually offered free cases to mitigate the problem and ultimately incorporated the learning into their future product designs, showing a commitment to learning from and responding to customer needs .

Customer Centric Companies 3 : Zappos

Strategy and Vision: Zappos is renowned for its outstanding customer service, which includes 24/7 customer support, a 365-day return policy, and free shipping both ways.

Case Study: There are numerous stories of Zappos’ customer service going above and beyond, but one that stands out is when a customer service representative spent over 10 hours on a call with a customer. Rather than rushing the customer, the representative took the time to genuinely connect with them, illustrating Zappos’ extraordinary dedication to customer satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 4 : Nordstrom

Strategy and Vision: Nordstrom sets the standard for customer service in the retail industry with initiatives like personal shoppers and a generous return policy.

Case Study: One well-known story involves a customer returning car tires to Nordstrom—a product they don’t even sell—and the store accepting the return. While the story is from the early days of Nordstrom, it illustrates the lengths the company is willing to go to keep customers happy.

Customer Centric Companies 5 : Netflix

Strategy and Vision: Netflix prioritizes user experience, tailoring its services to the viewing preferences of each user, creating an enjoyable, ad-free watching experience.

Case Study: Netflix’s decision to invest in original content was based on extensive customer viewing data. They recognized a gap in the content they were providing and filled it by creating their own shows and movies, showing a commitment to using customer data to improve the user experience.

Customer Centric Companies 6 : Disney

Strategy and Vision: Disney focuses on creating memorable, magical experiences for customers. This is evident in their movies and theme parks, where every detail is designed to deliver joy and entertainment.

Case Study: Disney’s MagicBand, a wristband for park guests, serves as a hotel room key, park ticket, FastPass, and payment method. This investment in customer convenience greatly enhances the overall park experience.

Customer Centric Companies 7: Trader Joe’s

Strategy and Vision: Trader Joe’s emphasizes making grocery shopping enjoyable through friendly staff, unique product selection, and customer feedback.

Case Study: Trader Joe’s reversed its decision to discontinue a popular product after receiving a single complaint from an 82-year-old customer, demonstrating their dedication to customer satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 8 : Ritz-Carlton

Strategy and Vision: Ritz-Carlton sets the standard for luxury customer service in the hospitality industry, empowering employees to go above and beyond for guests.

Case Study: In one famous story, a Ritz-Carlton employee found a guest’s lost laptop charger and mailed it to them at their next destination, along with a note and some additional chargers for different devices. This is a perfect example of Ritz-Carlton’s commitment to exceeding guest expectations.

Customer Centric Companies 9 : Starbucks

Strategy and Vision: Starbucks focuses on consistent, high-quality customer experiences, with well-trained staff, a comfortable store ambiance, and customizable drinks.

Case Study: Starbucks’ mobile order and pay feature was developed in response to customer needs for a quicker, more convenient way to get their coffee. This feature has improved the customer experience and increased loyalty.

Customer Centric Companies 10 : Costco

Strategy and Vision: Costco emphasizes value, offering high-quality products at affordable prices, and additional services like optical and travel.

Case Study: Costco’s decision to keep their rotisserie chicken at $4.99, despite rising costs, demonstrates their commitment to providing value to customers and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Customer Centric Companies 11 : Southwest Airlines

Strategy and Vision: Southwest’s transparent pricing strategy, friendly service, and flexible policies all contribute to its reputation as a customer-friendly airline.

Case Study: When a passenger’s son was in a critical accident, Southwest held a plane at the gate and arranged for her to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. This is a testament to Southwest’s customer-centric culture .

Customer Centric Companies 12 : Salesforce

Strategy and Vision: Salesforce builds its services around customer needs, offering a variety of software solutions for different industries and constantly innovating based on customer feedback.

Case Study: Salesforce’s “Voice of the Customer” program involves extensive customer interviews and surveys to understand and address customer needs, illustrating their commitment to customer-centric innovation.

Customer Centric Companies 13 : Chick-fil-A

Strategy and Vision: Chick-fil-A focuses on high-quality food, exceptional customer service, and community involvement. Their employees are known for saying “my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome,” demonstrating their dedication to polite, friendly service.

Case Study: Chick-fil-A has consistently topped American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) rankings in the fast food category, illustrating the effectiveness of their customer-centric approach.

Customer Centric Companies 14 : IKEA

Strategy and Vision: IKEA focuses on providing well-designed, functional, and affordable home furnishings. They aim to create a unique and engaging shopping experience.

Case Study: IKEA’s decision to offer home assembly services was driven by customer feedback and is a clear example of their commitment to improving the customer experience.

Customer Centric Companies 15 : Patagonia

Strategy and Vision: Patagonia places its customers and their values at the heart of their business, focusing on sustainability, quality, and transparency.

Case Study: In 2011, Patagonia ran an ad during the Black Friday shopping frenzy telling customers “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” highlighting the environmental cost of consumerism. This risky move resonated with their customer base, reinforcing their brand ethos and strengthening customer loyalty.

10 Core Elements of Customer Centric Companies

Understanding Customer Needs : The first step is to deeply understand your customers: their needs, desires, pain points, and what they value most. This could be achieved through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or analysis of customer behavior data.

Segmentation : Customer segmentation involves dividing your customer base into distinct groups based on common characteristics such as demographics, buying habits, or interests. This allows you to tailor your products, services, and communications to meet the specific needs of each segment.

Personalization : Personalization is about tailoring experiences, communications, and offerings to individual customers based on their preferences and behavior. This can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and it can be facilitated through the use of data and technology.

Customer Journey Mapping : A customer journey map visualizes the entire process a customer goes through when interacting with your company, from initial contact to final purchase or interaction. This tool helps businesses identify customer touchpoints and find opportunities to enhance the customer experience.

Customer Feedback and Adaptation : Businesses should regularly seek feedback from their customers and use it to continuously improve their products, services, and overall customer experience. This may involve using various feedback channels such as surveys, social media, and customer service interactions.

Exceptional Customer Service : Customer-centric companies prioritize delivering excellent customer service. This might involve providing multiple channels for customer support (like phone, email, live chat), ensuring quick response times, or empowering customer service representatives to solve problems effectively .

Employee Engagement : Employees play a key role in delivering a customer-centric experience . Therefore, companies need to train and motivate their employees to put the customer first. This might involve employee incentives, training programs, or a company culture that values customer service.

Long-term Relationship Building : Customer-centric companies aim to build long-lasting relationships with their customers rather than focusing solely on individual transactions. This may involve maintaining regular communication, offering loyalty programs, or exceeding customer expectations to foster loyalty.

Leveraging Technology : Technology can enhance the customer experience through tools like CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, AI-powered chatbots for 24/7 customer service, personalized marketing , and data analytics tools to gain insights about customer behavior.

Value-Driven Approach : Above all, a customer-centric approach involves delivering value to the customer at every interaction. This means not just meeting their needs, but exceeding their expectations and providing a positive, memorable experience.

Samrat is a Delhi-based MBA from the Indian Institute of Management. He is a Strategy, AI, and Marketing Enthusiast and passionately writes about core and emerging topics in Management studies. Reach out to his LinkedIn for a discussion or follow his Quora Page

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10 B2B Case Study Examples to Inspire Your Next Customer Success Story

• October 24, 2023

Case studies, also known as customer stories, are valuable content assets for attracting new customers and showing your expertise in a competitive market.

The more case studies you have, the simpler it gets for your customers to make decisions.

Case studies provide a firsthand experience of what it’s like to use your product or service, and it can give an “Aha!” moment to potential customers.

While product demos and white papers are great for generating leads, their use is limited to highlighting product features. 

On the other hand, case studies showcase the transformation a business has undergone while using your product.

A case study offers potential customers a glimpse of the positive changes they can expect, which is more compelling than simply showcasing your product or service’s excellence.

• Customer mission should be given at the beginning
• Follow up about specifics and metrics
• Use quotes from their side to highlight
• Work out the biggest benefits of your offering and make reference to them
• Make sure your success story follows a brief and logical story structure

In this article, we’ll review 10 examples of outstanding case studies that have collectively helped secure millions in new client business. Let’s get started.

What Is A Case Study?

In simple terms, a case study highlights how a product or service has helped a business solve a problem, achieve a goal, or make its operations easier. 

In many ways, it’s a glorified and stretched-out client testimonial that introduces you to the problem that the customer is facing and the solution that the product has helped deliver. 

Case studies are invaluable assets for B2B SaaS, where sales cycles tend to get lengthy and costly. They’re a one-time investment that showcases your product’s features and benefits in rooms your sales team can’t be in. 

What Makes A Good Case Study? 

There is no one-size-fits approach to a good case study. 

Some case studies work better as long, prose-forward, and story-driven blog posts. Whereas some are better as quick and fast-fact content that doesn’t add to the chatter but gets straight to the point. 

Here are some of the tenets of good case studies:

• Product-Led : Focuses on showcasing the product as the solution to a specific problem or challenge.
• Timely : Addresses the current issues or trends relevant to the business’s ideal customer profile (ICP) . 
• Well-structured: Follows a clear, organized format with easily digestible writing style and synthesis. 
• Story-driven: Tells a compelling and relatable story that puts the reader in the customer’s shoes. 

Case studies must tell the customer’s story regardless of style or content density.

Other than that, visuals in case studies are powerful in increasing conversion rates, by providing real evidence and taking attention.

Companies can also use their website, social media, and newsletters to promote case studies and increase visibility.

Below, we have ten diverse case study examples that embody these principles. 

B2B Case Study Template from Our Team

We will share great and proven B2B case study examples that you can get inspired by in the following section, but before that, let’s take a look at an easy and effective template from our team.

10 Best B2B Case Study Examples To Take Inspiration From

Plaid is a fintech company specializing in equipping users with a secure platform to connect their bank details to online applications. Addressing the pressing concern of financial security, Plaid leverages compelling case studies to showcase the remarkable transformations their clients experience.

Take Plaid’s case study of Betterment, for example. 

The study begins by stating the goal that the customer is trying to achieve, which is to “onboard new users and drive engagement.” Right next to the goal is company details, and followed below is a singular problem and its solution.

The case study continues by keeping the business’ desired result front and center and offers a generous outlook on the SaaS business.

The core process of how Plaid helps Betterment is cleanly laid out, which is a brief version of a ten-page white paper. 

What follows are several benefits that Plaid offered to Betterment. 

Plaid’s subtle yet effective product integration and clear, well-organized process make it simple for customers facing similar challenges to envision the solution.

2. SalesHandy

SalesHandy is an email automation software that personalizes high-volume cold emails. The company heroes client success stories for its case studies and opens the heading with their wins. 

Check out this B2B case study example from Sedin’s case study published by SalesHandy.

Readers need context, and case studies should always begin by outlining the exact problems their product or platform aims to solve. 

Here, SalesHandy expertly introduces us to Sedin’s use case and the challenges that the business is facing.

After a lengthy context, the case study highlights Sedin’s core challenge in the words of its personnel. 

This personable approach ropes readers in and lets them empathize with Sedin’s challenges. 

With a single scroll in, SalesHandy lays out the solutions to Sedin’s core challenges and integrates its product. 

This highly detailed case study covers all corners and includes the exceptional results achieved in record time. SalesHandy closes the study with a word from the character already introduced to the readers. 

SalesHandy doesn’t shy away from giving a detailed account of its process, which is crucial for highly technical products and enterprise packages that involve multiple decision-makers. 

B2B Case studies, first and foremost, should be written in a language that your ICP understands. 

Playvox is a customer service platform that helps businesses streamline business operations. 

This industry-specific case study of Sweaty Betty by Playvox addresses unique challenges within a niche industry, such as account assessment times for retail and online shops. 

The case study starts with the results it achieved for Sweaty Betty. 

The case study follows a straightforward, albeit impactful, challenges-solution-results format as we scroll down. 

But instead of listing out solutions in bullet points, Playvox uses customer voice to present the transformation that Sweaty Betty went through. 

With this formatting, Playvox doesn’t have to tout the platform’s usefulness. Sweaty Betty is doing it for them. 

4. Base Search Marketing

We promised diverse case studies, and here is a stellar B2B case study example of a single deck case study of Shine Cosmetics by Base Search Marketing.  

Base Search Marketing is a boutique link-building and SEO agency that works with startups and mid-level businesses. 

This case study, which can be reviewed as a brochure, gives you an overview of the customer and lays out the challenges that the business is facing. 

You’ll notice how the study uses the CEO’s quote to mention a pretty universal problem that most startups face: “limited resources.”

By highlighting the results in the left tab and laying out the process on the right side, this case study does a masterful job of covering all corners and telling a desirable customer success story.

Another approachable form of case study is slide decks, which you can present in boardrooms and meetings and act as a sales pitch. 

Loganix nails it with its case study deck for rankings.io. 

If you have a complicated product or service requiring an in-depth explanation, then using this format would be a great option. 

The solution, stated in simple bullet points, drives the message home.

Fewer words. Cleaner decks.

Using this methodology lets the audience walk through the case study with visuals, bullet points, and concise text. 

6. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a SaaS leader in the social media space, and this Outcome-led Case Study proves just why it is so good at capturing the markets.

The study kicks off with a result-forward headline, piquing the interest of readers who are interested in getting similar outcomes. 

There’s much to appreciate in this succinctly written case study, but the headlines get our attention and hold it.

With every scroll, results are presented to you in the form of graphs, quotes, and visuals. 

The study ends with a quote from the customer, which repeats the outcome stated in the headline. 

Leading remote teams is a challenge that numerous teams will face moving forward. CoSchedule makes operations easy for these teams, and it doesn’t shy away from stating just how through its case study. 

7. Wizehire

Case studies have evolved from lengthy blocks of text confined to PDFs to a new digital era emphasizing impact over verbosity.

Wizehire’s succinct case study is a prime example of this shift. It uses fewer words to create a powerful impression.

From the very first page, the case study introduces us to Kris, the customer and central figure of the story. Without the need for extensive scrolling, we quickly grasp vital details about Kris: his role, employee turnover, location, and industry. 

In the second slide, we are immediately taken to the solution that Kris got by working with Wizehire. 

The case study ends with a passionate testimonial from Kris, who deeply believes in Wizehire. 

The case study has less than 300 words, enough for local entrepreneurs like Kris Morales, who want to hire talent but don’t have the resources for proper vetting and training. Until, of course, Wizehire comes along. 

8. FreshBooks

When a reader can see themselves in a case study, it takes them one step closer to wanting to try the product.

This case study by Freshbooks uses a beautiful personal story of an emerging entrepreneur. 

Using a deeply personal story, the study appeals to people who are just starting and aren’t accountants but suddenly have to deal with employee invoices and a dozen other bills. 

The text progresses in an interview-style study, with the customer taking the mic and illustrating the challenges that startups and small businesses face. 

This style works because readers crave insights directly from customers. Getting authentic testimonials is becoming increasingly challenging. Well-crafted case studies can be valuable substitutes, provided they seem realistic and from the heart. 

Featuring quotes or testimonials from satisfied customers throughout the case study adds to its credibility and authenticity. Just like this testimonial Case Study by Slack .

Slack is a giant in the realm of digital communication, with more than 20 million active users worldwide. However, it is tough to break into the market of group communications. After all, Slack competes with both WhatsApp and Microsoft Team regarding market share. 

To level the playing field, Slack features case studies from top entrepreneurs and market players who have been served well by it. 

Its case studies are laden with personal stories about how the platform boosts productivity. 

At the same time, the software also plugs in the “try for free” banner to make sure that customers are aware of the inexpensive nature of the software.

It’s not easy to get such detailed testimonies from the C-suite, but when you’re Slack, businesses tend to make an exception. 

Some case studies are based on highly niche subjects, where nothing is at the top of the funnel. Kosli nails it with this highly technical case study of Firi.

Technical case studies are designed for niche audiences who are already aware of the problems that the software can solve. Case studies like these are clean and smart and come with solutions that have a counterpart solution. 

There is absolutely no fluff and nothing that can be a reason for C-suite executives to bounce from. 

It’s full of information-packed pages designed to hook the reader in and present the tool as a formidable solution to their problem. 

You’ll notice how they weave Kosli through the entire case study, and the first-person report comes from the customer. 

B2B Case Study Examples In Short

In the B2B SaaS industry, converting new leads and securing new business has become increasingly challenging. In this landscape, impactful content assets such as case studies and customer stories are sometimes the only things moving the needle. 

Crafting a compelling customer story empowers brands to enable potential customers to engage directly .

🚀 Customer stories evoke empathy from buyers

🤝 Customer stories help build up your relationships with vocal brand advocates

⬇️ Customer stories lower your prospects’ information cost

Once you’ve determined the most effective way to convey information that resonates with your leads, you can collaborate with your content and design teams to create impactful case studies to generate new business and prove your expertise and experience in the market. 

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Enhancing the customer experience through customer service is among the most important disciplines for any organization for one simple reason: without customers, organizations would fail overnight. Customer service, sometimes called customer care or customer support, relates to the activities organizations take to ensure their customers’ needs are being met.

While every customer interaction is different, organizations that want to improve customer retention and grow their customer base must create an effective customer service strategy. Doing so requires combining customization with organization-wide rules for how to respond to customer issues, creating the best mix of personalization and scalability.

Why customer service is growing in importance

Customer service is more important than ever. Poor service is the top reason consumers stop purchasing from a company, according to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer Report. Organizations agree: the majority of service professionals say customer expectations have increased since before the pandemic.

Today, customers are more likely to switch to different products or cancel a membership than any other time in recent memory. As the pandemic created stock-outs, order cancellations and difficult in-person shopping conditions, it disrupted the normal customer experience and, as a result, customer loyalty slipped.

McKinsey found that 75% of consumers tried new shopping behaviors during the pandemic, and 39% chose new brands over their existing favorites. The trend was even more pronounced among Gen Z and millennials, evidence that addressing customer needs will only grow in importance.

While customers are still enticed by many factors, such as product pricing, availability and convenience, they also want organizations to understand their pain points and provide a simple way for them to directly communicate and receive answers about their goods and services. About 70% of customers report making purchase decisions based on the quality of their customer service experience,  according to Zendesk .

As such, leading organizations are obsessive about providing an excellent customer experience. They must cater to their customers’ needs, be ready to address any issues that arise instantaneously and do everything possible to meet customers’ expectations.

The difference between great customer service, good customer service and poor customer service can mean the difference between keeping customers and losing them to a competitor.

Six tips to ensure a successful customer service strategy

1. make customer-centricity a core component of your strategy.

Customers today are more conscious of the values of and delivered by the organizations from which they buy goods and services. They also know it has never been easier to switch solutions or products if they’re not getting what they want from those organizations. In short, organizations should do everything possible to attract and retain loyal customers. While estimates vary by industry, it is well documented that it costs significantly more to recruit a new customer than to retain existing ones.

An organization’s customer service vision can set the tone for the employees to understand how important their role is in the delivery of excellent customer service.

As such, organizations must be more mindful of every potential touch point on the customer journey as an opportunity to reinforce value and ensure customers are happy with the experience. Organizations should surprise and delight existing, high-value customers by asking how they can provide more value. Some examples of how they can do this include providing limited edition or exclusive offerings or otherwise surprising and delighting those customers when possible. Making customers happy upfront will lessen the impact should something go wrong in the future.

2. Embrace technology

While human representatives remain a critical component of any customer service strategy, technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) can help organizations serve more customers more effectively. AI can provide automated chat support, live script recommendations for representatives on phone calls with customers, predictive issue resolution, and other enhancements that help customer service reps do their jobs quicker and more effectively.

3. Ensure customer service is an omnichannel offering 

It is more complicated to manage customer support today than at any time in the past. Long gone are the days when customers would try to reach organizations individually through the two dominant channels of the time—a customer service phone line or by writing a letter. Organizations often deploy a customer support strategy where all customer service issues go to one help desk. There, those issues can be routed to available reps that can address the issue based on their expertise or availability.

Now, customers have a variety of channels to receive and send communications, such as text-based social media, online videos, chat rooms, help forums and chatbots .

As such, front-line customer service teams must be adept at addressing real-time customer issues wherever they are raised. These teams must understand that other customers can easily see whether an organization is responding to its customers’ questions and know exactly what those organizations are saying.

The modern customer service approach means many organizations must invest in talent development initiatives to prepare customer service reps for the future.

For example, customer service now takes place in an omnichannel environment where they may need to triage conversations occurring on multiple channels. Organizations can improve the time-to-response by deploying chatbots to understand a customer’s general requests.

While this automation strategy saves costs, an organization must be quick to switch to a human operator in the customer support team if the chatbot cannot successfully solve that customer’s issue. Maintaining a high level of customer service standards is incredibly important.

Complicating these requests is that they’re being seen by thousands if not millions of people, further creating additional customer service issues through word-of-mouth conversations. For example, a customer complaining about a product immediately failing to work just days after purchase will discourage some potential customers who read that message from buying the same product. Of course, this can cut both ways. Customers who discuss a positive experience they had with a brand could help that organization recruit new customers.

4. Create a comprehensive self-service knowledge base

While many customers may prefer speaking directly with a representative, others are more than happy to research a solution to their issue and solve it themselves. Organizations therefore should invest in educational resources like frequently asked questions (FAQs) and larger informational databases to provide a wealth of information to those who prefer finding the answer on their own. This approach increases the utility of solutions for a percentage of customers and alleviates some bottom-line costs because it does not require customer support reps to hold costly one-to-one conversations. It also frees up the other support agents to deal directly with more customers who prefer having a representative walk them through solutions.

5. Track customer information

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems are a great way to know more about existing and new customers. CRMs are incredibly important for customer service operations to know if and when a customer had an issue, whether it was resolved and any necessary follow-up steps that may arise. It can also determine if certain types of customers are buying more of or less of the products than in the past, allowing the organization to effectively deploy the right resources to maximize value. However, organizations must protect this customer data at all costs, as there are legal and reputational obligations for safeguarding customer information.

6. Identify and track SMART Goals

No customer service strategy is complete without metrics, KPIs and continuous measurement. Organizations must have the right key performance indicators (KPIs) for customer satisfaction and must track them regularly. 

Organizations must ensure they have well-defined and achievable customer service goals. A great way to do so is to use the SMART (specific, measurable and achievable in a reasonable time frame) framework that ensures goals have concrete targets and the organization can easily assess whether they succeeded or not.

For instance, it is nearly impossible to ensure 100% perfect customer happiness. And it is also unlikely that every customer who raises an issue with a customer service agent will go away from the encounter completely satisfied. They must first benchmark how the organization is doing in these key areas, set specific targets for improvement and track progress.

While every organization will have different benchmarks and therefore, unique goals, here are some metrics they can measure to determine those SMART goals.

• Improve first response time:  Organizations must track how quickly their customer service team members can identify and respond to a customer service issue.
• Resolution time:  Unfortunately, only a few customer service issues can be resolved immediately, and some take days,weeks or even longer to resolve. A recent study found almost 60% of executives felt their first contact with customers was poor or less than adequate. As such, organizations should track how long it takes to ensure the customer’s issue has been fixed and that the customer is now satisfied.
• Customer satisfaction score (CSAT):  To understand the success of any customer service strategy, organizations can create and track customer satisfaction surveys that can help organizations better understand what their customers are thinking and feeling. Doing so ensures an organization knows whether they are excelling at providing customers value or are falling short. Organizations often identify these scores through surveys.
• Net promoter score (NPS) : This score asks customers how likely they are to recommend a product or service to their network. It is a powerful data point to demonstrate whether the organization is providing so much value that individual customers would go out of their way to tell their friends, family or colleagues how much they enjoy the organization’s solutions.
• Customer retention rate:  Understanding whether customers continue to buy an organization’s solutions is critical to gauge the overall health of the organization. A high retention rate is a positive indicator of customer satisfaction and loyalty, demonstrating the organization is meeting or exceeding its customers’ expectations.

Take the next step

Organizations must continue to invest in customer service to ensure they retain their existing customers and gain new ones either through referrals or positive word-of-mouth. Providing better customer service than the competition is one way to grow a business and maintain a strong reputation. By following the above guidelines, organizations will thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

It’s no surprise customer service has become the CEO’s number one priority for generative AI investment, according to the IBV CEO Guide to Generative AI for Customer Service . The goal of helping organizations meet the dual challenges of rising customer demands and operational costs is perfectly suited for AI.

IBM has been helping enterprises apply trusted AI in this space for more than a decade, and generative AI has further potential to significantly transform customer and field service with the ability to understand complex inquiries and generate more human-like, conversational responses. IBM Consulting offers end-to-end consulting capabilities in experience design and service, data and AI transformation. Using IBM watsonx™ , IBM’s enterprise-ready AI and data platform, and watsonx™ Assistant , IBM’s market-leading conversational AI solution, we partner with you through the AI value creation process to enhance conversational AI, improve the agent experience and optimize call center operations and data.

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Home > Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies > Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies > 13830

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Strategies for achieving sustainability of small business restaurants.

Tanisha Thomas-Beard , Walden University

Date of Conferral

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

Business Administration

Warren Lesser

Many small business restaurant owners perform unprofitably and fail within 5 years of opening. Small business restaurant owners are concerned about sustainability as approximately 50% of small businesses that start up do not last beyond the fifth year. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business restaurant owners use to grow and maintain profitability to sustain business beyond 5 years. The participants were five small business restaurant owners in the Southeastern region of the United States who sustained their business beyond 5 years. The data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step process. Three major themes emerged: providing an excellent and non-substitutable customer service experience, capitalizing on using social media effectively, and accentuating the competitive advantages of the restaurant location. A recommendation for restaurant owners is to infuse effective social media tools into all digital marketing efforts to drive customer engagement, build relationships, and maximize sales. The implications for positive social change include the potential to aid in reducing the unemployment rate, increasing tax revenues, and fostering positive relationships between restaurant owners and the community.

Recommended Citation

Thomas-Beard, Tanisha, "Strategies for Achieving Sustainability of Small Business Restaurants" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies . 13830. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13830

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