Top 5 Unmissable Customer Experience Books for your summer read

Digital Customer Service: Transforming Customer Experience for an On-Screen World

It’s no secret the pandemic has upended our interactions with the tools and services we need. While it was already an ongoing process, much has moved from the physical and into the digital. Now more than ever, people expect to reach out to companies using online channels either on their computer or mobile device. Rick DeLisi does a great job at discussing the history of customer service, and why many companies are still stuck forcing customers to contact a call center. DeLisi doesn’t leave the reader hanging, however. He discusses the key components of creating a digital customer experience, how to calculate ROI, and lays out a step-by-step plan any organization can follow to reach customers right where they hang out. Get the book here.

The Journey Mapping Playbook: A Practical Guide to Preparing, Facilitating and Unlocking the Value of Customer Journey Mapping

A key component of maximizing customer and employee experience is to understand exactly how they interact with your company – How do they first know your company? Who do they talk to? What communication channels do they use? Understanding this process is called Journey Mapping. In this book, Jerry Angrave discusses the do’s and don’ts of journey mapping, condensing more than fifteen years of experience into a single source. The book also contains templates the reader can use right after finishing the book, as well as industry-specific case studies to maximize success. Get the book here.

The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences: The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences

With so much CX content out there, it’s hard to lose track of the fundamentals. This is why we at Ombea find ourselves going back to Matt Watkinson’s book from time to time. This book covers the theoretical aspects of customer experience using simple, easily accessible language. It avoids the common pitfalls of today’s literature, where authors spend more time discussing personal anecdotes than the actual subject matter. The book also avoids the cliches that make most books sound like self-help rather than intellectual pieces. What Matt discusses in this book is also industry-agnostic, meaning that any company of any size and in any industry can start implementing the ten principles today. With a simple discussion-example format, the book will leave you with a clear roadmap of what to do to start with CX. Get the book here.

The Nordstrom Way to Customer Experience Excellence: Creating a Values-Driven Service Culture

One might think that the CX lessons learned from this book apply only to retail, but that isn’t necessarily true. Combining in-depth interviews with historical research, the book reads like an account of Nordstrom’s development from the beginning of the 1900’s to today. The magic happens after each story, where the underlying CX lesson is discussed. The book also talks about practical ways each lesson can be applied today, not just in retail but in any industry. While the most seasoned CX veterans might find the book brings nothing new to the discussion, it is still valuable as a way to see the fundamentals of CX applied in a real-world context. The book also avoids most of the jargon and theory associated with CX, meaning anyone can read it and start applying the lessons quickly. Get the book here.

The Great Lockdown: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic from Organizations Around the World

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, much of the discussion around customer experience revolved around the use of technology – digital transformation, social media, automation, among others. This book chooses not to focus exclusively on tech. Instead, it drills down on exactly how the pandemic has reshaped the fundamentals of customer experience, providing a more nuanced discussion beyond just “digitalization of CX.” The authors discuss specific cases from different countries and industries, avoiding the insertion of personal opinions and instead presenting the facts as they are. The experienced reader will find a refreshing set of strategies that are based on good fundamentals. The more novice reader will appreciate the simple language and hands-down approach to every story, ensuring everyone gets value out of this book. Get the book here.