The CX Superstar Reading List

While we may not be busy shopping for spiral notebooks and sharpening our pencils (wait, do kids even use pencils anymore?), autumn is always a great time to start something new.

There’s something extra compelling about the crisp air and deep blue skies that motivates us to change — to challenge ourselves and grow. And what better way to do this than through reading? After all, this is the perfect season to deep dive into some new books.

Below, you can find my recommended “back-to-school” reading list. It’s chock-full of fascinating books — all of which will help you level up your customer experience strategy. Better still, there’s not a dry, jargon-heavy research journal in sight — just guaranteed entertainment as the days turn towards the wet and windy side.

Win-win!

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Want to know what it really takes to succeed?

Then you need a copy of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, where leading psychologist Angela Duckworth reveals the qualities required to achieve our goals and dreams.

In this inspiring read, Angela explains that grit is a combination of passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement.

Basically, it’s all about how we talk to ourselves when we fail — which makes all the difference. So, why did I love it so much?

  • It explains that grit can be learned. Success isn’t about IQ or just being a plain genius — it’s more about the effort we put in and how we talk to ourselves when we fail.
  • It’s full of real people and real stories. Sometimes we need to hear how other people (like us) achieved their goals, in order to visualize success for ourselves.
  • It’s fresh and original. It gave me a new perspective on the best ways to tackle my long-term goals.

Who should read this book?

Honestly, this is a worthwhile read for anyone — but especially if you’re working towards making your customer experience the best it can possibly be. With Angela’s help, you can achieve long-term goals for your own company. 

You can purchase Angela Duckworth’s Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverancehere.

Ignore Your Customers (and They’ll Go Away): The Simple Playbook for Delivering the Ultimate Customer Service Experience by Micah Solomon

If you’re looking for advice from CX practitioners at some of the world’s best known brands, Ignore Your Customers (And They’ll Go Away) is the book for you this autumn.

Over ten chapters, Micah Solomon touches upon automatic positivity, how to build the world’s best customer service culture, talent management, the power of wow, why experience means everything, going social, and avoiding “the cliff of dissatisfaction”.

This, combined with quotes from real-life CX experts, makes this an insightful and incredibly helpful book.

If you’re a brand that really cares about your customers and the experience you give them (and I’m willing to bet you are), then this book is a must-read. 

Why?

  • It’s full of hands-on examples, giving you tactics to implement right away.
  • It’s super up-to-date. Published just this year, Micah’s advice couldn’t be more relevant to today’s customers. Think social media and artificial intelligence!
  • Its focus is on the customer — something that even CX professionals with the best of intentions can sometimes overlook.

Who should read this book?

This is a great read for anyone developing, improving, or just working alongside customer service. If you’re hoping to build your organization around fantastic customer service at all times, Micah can help.

You can purchase Micah Solomon’s Ignore Your Customers (and They’ll Go Away): The Simple Playbook for Delivering the Ultimate Customer Service Experiencehere.

The Cult of the Customer: Create an Amazing Customer Experience that Turns Satisfied Customers into Customer Evangelists by Shep Hyken

Feel like you’ve heard this title before? Maybe you have. This copy is an Updated New Edition of the 2009 CX classic.

In this must-read, Shep gives us an important and timely message: the happier your customers and employees are, the more successful your company will be.

He also shows that, in a competitive business climate, we can’t just satisfy our customers. We need to be memorable. We need to give them experiences that they can’t possibly forget.

Of course, he’s right — and that’s why I’m recommending this book.

Shep suggests that turning customers into evangelists is what anyone working in (or around) customer service should be striving for.

So, how do we do that? This book explains it all — showing businesses how to design a strategy that leads both customers and employees through five distinct cultural phases, from “uncertainty” to “amazement”.

Here’s what to expect:

  • The techniques are practical and easy to follow — great customer service made simple!
  • It draws on case studies from leading companies who’ve already made this journey. It’s great to see how other businesses have succeeded using Shep’s method.
  • It communicates a powerful message not just for business, but for life too: be amazing. (No pressure!)

Who should read this book?

Read this book if you’re looking to rise above the competition and turn your happy customers into loyal fans.

What’s more, you’ll create happy and motivated employees along the way — and what more could you want?

You can purchase Shep Hyken’s The Cult of the Customerhere.

Customer Experience 2 by Naeem Arif

From cover to cover, Customer Experience 2 features twenty-four CX leaders, sharing their best practices, insights, and strategies.

They cover several essential topics, including Customer Centric Culture, Organization Adoption & Accountability, VoC, Insights & Understanding, CX Design & Improvement, Metrics, Measurement & ROI, and CX Strategy.

If you want real-world advice from experienced and qualified CX experts, this book is the best place to get it. Here’s why:

  • It’s packed with frontline experience.
  • This new edition was published just 3 months ago, so it offers some of the most relevant and timely insights possible.
  • Despite being so detailed, it’s totally accessible no matter where you are in your CX career — whether you are new to customer service or you’re an expert in the field!

Who should read this book?

This book is perfect for anyone looking to dramatically enhance the customer service experience their company is currently providing.

And if you’re looking for a book that combines high-level insight with tangible advice and examples, then look no further. 

You can purchase Naeem Arif’s Customer Experience 2here.

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About The World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling

Few books have the power to genuinely change how you think about the world. This book is one of them.

Hans Rosling uses scientific theory (and fact) to show how wrong we really are about life, work, and just about everything else. But before you get your back up (after all, no-one likes being told they’re wrong) things are often much better than we assume.

Rosling defines the titular word — ‘factfulness’ — as “The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts”. Essentially: don’t sweat about the stuff you can’t prove.

Hans, along with his long-time collaborators Anna Rosling Rönnlund and Ola Rosling, explains that worrying about everything all the time — instead of embracing a worldview based on facts — often causes us to lose perspective about the things we really need to be worrying about.

Sure, this one isn’t explicitly customer service focused, but it teaches lessons that we, as CX professionals, can apply to both our work and our personal lives.

I’m a big fan because:

  • It has the power to change the way you see the world — and, in turn, the way you see customer service and business strategy as a whole.
  • It’s filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories.
  • It’s positive, uplifting, and puts you in a better mindset to tackle your work efficiently.

Who should read this book?

Everyone.

And Bill Gates agrees. He reviewed Rosling’s work as “One of the most important books I’ve ever read — an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world”.

You can purchase Hans Rosling’s Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About The World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Thinkhere.

So, there you have it — book bags at the ready?

I hope my reading list has helped you to find something to get stuck into this autumn. 

With the help of these books, your business will be unstoppable. And for even more CX insights, don’t forget to check in regularly with the Dixa blog and subscribe below.

Author

Tue Søttrup

Tue Søttrup

Tue brings over 20 years of experience in customer service to his role as VP CX Excellence at Dixa.

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