Ask anyone who's ever served some time in customer service and it's a safe bet they'll have a horror story or...several...about the customers they served. Loudmouthed, abusive, lecherous...these stories run the gamut of cringe. Yet we all know that our customers are the lifeblood of any business: since the ultimate goal is to make money, we need customers to meet that goal. So how do we get our contact centers to focus on the customer? The process might be simpler than you think.

Empathy. It's more than just a plot device on television or a throwaway term in business. Empathy is the foundation of customer service, and from there, the best in customer experience. Cultivating empathy will take a little effort, but will ultimately deliver substantial payoffs.

Customer service is vital to a company's future. A study from Forrester found that 72 percent of companies consider improving the customer experience to be their “top priority.” If that's the case, then businesses need to know what to watch out for in the customer service field ahead so they can respond accordingly. Based on the outlook of the next five years in customer service, businesses will have a lot of changes to make to get on top.

A quick look at the customer service landscape shows us just how much customers would rather solve their own problems than try to run the gauntlet of customer service. How-to videos and workshops dominate many customer service strongholds. We have call centers offering up automated help menus to help customers get their own problems solved, faster. So what can the call center do to expedite the process? 

A 2013 study from Barclays found that nearly half of Brits considered being on hold the single most hated waste of time in their day. The numbers may fluctuate depending on who you talk to, but it's generally accepted that people don't like being on hold. Message on hold systems, meanwhile, can potentially turn that hate around and turn disgruntled customers into lifelong patrons of your business.

Everything from business school studies to shampoo commercials has relentlessly pounded the value of a first impression into our collective heads. Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman related how Americans elected Warren Harding as President on the strength of his square jaw and height, proving the value of a first impression.

While it's easy to hear about how valuable customer experience is, sometimes it just seems like random business-blog talk. Looking at the numbers, though, makes the idea of putting out the best business experience take on new life. One way to ensure the optimal experience is to personalize it to each customer.