Pat Perdue's Customer Experience Podcast

In this episode we sit down with two of Canada's leading entrepreneurs in the spa industry and take a close look a how each of them responded to the COVID-19 lockdowns, discovered new ways to innovate, and emerge from the worst of the pandemic lockdowns ultimately stronger than they were pre-lockdown. Today's Guests: Celine Tadrissi,...

Few would argue that the luxury spa industry requires among the highest standards of guest experience in the world, in which every detail is (or should be) designed not just to please you, or relax you, but to transform you into your better self.  Our guest today, Jean-Guy de Gabriac, is one of the world's...

Super glad to be back with you!  I took some time away from the podcast during this pandemic. And now that I'm back and this is going to be a GREAT show for you! Now that COVID is becoming part of our history, things are OPENING UP!  We have the pandemic on the run!  People...

SHOW NOTES Traditional retail has been on a slow, but steady decline for probably the last decade.  So much so that retailers were getting super creative to find a way to bring you into the store.  In-store mini concerts, dining options like great coffee shops or pop-up kitchens, were becoming a trend in some of...

SHOW NOTES Traditional retail has been on a slow, but steady decline for probably the last decade.  So much so that retailers were getting super creative to find a way to bring you into the store.  In-store mini concerts, dining options like great coffee shops or pop-up kitchens, were becoming a trend in some of the higher-end stores.  And then – you guessed it – COVID-19 hit and the way we used to shop is pretty much history.So, since you probably can’t go to that favourite store of yours, or maybe these days you’re less inclined to, what if there was a way to somehow bring that in-store magic to you, in the comfort of your home?Today's guest, Oscar Sachs, is the CEO and co-founder of Salesfloor.  Salesfloor empowers store associates to provide the personalized service customers love by connecting store associates to shoppers both in-store, and online.  Think Facetiming with your favourite sales associate right there in the store.  Salesfloor has over 45,000 associates from leading retailers in apparel, beauty, jewelry and baby items and toys.   Salesfloor is redefining the role of store associates in N. America, and globally.  And with retail trending how it’s been trending, simply put, they’re the future of retail. About Our Guest Oscar Sachs Oscar Sachs is the CEO and co-founder of Salesfloor.  Formerly a retail executive responsible for store operations at the Aldo Group and Best Buy, Oscar led some of retail's earliest omnichannel initiatives to create a bridge between the online and bricks and mortar retail worlds. Oscar Sachs is the founder of several successful start-ups in the retail digital space, such as Ad Splash Media, the first company to develop a digital media program for the top online ecommerce sites. Oscar earned his MBA degree from McGill University.For the Salesfloor website, click here. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES Let's say you ran a business.  I'm not going to tell you what kind of business.  I'm going to let you guess.In this business, your customers spend a lot of time, and consideration choosing which of your products they're going to buy from you.  Often they select only the components, and leave you...

Starbright Floral Designs is one of New York City's most beloved, and most successful, florists. I sit down with founder and Senior Partner Nic Faitos to learn how they do it.

SHOW NOTES About Today's Episode What would it take for you to go to a brick and mortar, say clothing store.  Would you browse through the clothes on the hangars?  Would you try stuff on?  Stuff that other people might have tried on?  And what would THAT be like?  In a small change room that...

SHOW NOTES About Today's Episode What would it take for you to go to a brick and mortar, say clothing store.  Would you browse through the clothes on the hangars?  Would you try stuff on?  Stuff that other people might have tried on?  And what would THAT be like?  In a small change room that someone else had just left?  Being all breath-y and everything?   While a year ago you may not have given it a thought, today, it might set off all kinds of alarm bells for you.  What we look for in a retail experience is fully, and perhaps forever, transformed.  These are historic times. In Today's Episode We Discuss: What brands need to do TODAY to stay competitive in the new post COVID-19 economy. What does the future of retailing look like? The key approach that's allowing retailers to deepen their relationship with their customers. Today's Guest Ann-Marie Clendenin is a top leader of some of N. America’s most iconic brands, with a solid track record for driving massive retail growth globally through traditional expansion, as well as Omni channel (which basically means connecting meaningfully with your customers on every channel possible – brick and mortar, online, social, heck – graffiti on the side of a wall if that’s how your customers want to communicate).  Ann-Marie’s career spans 30 years, and if anyone is poised to think retail, outside of the box, it’s our guest today. Ann-Marie's leadership extends to The Limited, Ann Taylor, Aeropostale and most recently, holding executive roles as Global Head of Retail and eCommerce Operations for Kate Spade and President US Retail for Aritzia. At Kate Spade, Ann-Marie drove physical store expansion, tripling the business from 68 stores to 225 stores in North America and from 445 to 680 stores internationally, while scaling volume from $300M  to $2.1B. With responsibility for 3 brands and 6 channels in Kate Spade, Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday, she Architected and drove a 13 pronged Omni Channel Solution with more than $350M in sales. Ann-Marie is also an expert on "clientelling" – which is kind of like how it sounds.  Rather than subjecting your “customer” to individual transactions, clientelling is about creating retail clients, which means a much more profound relationship than the individual, and often forgettable, transaction at the cash register, and the result is lifelong brand relationships and phenomenal, individualized customer experiences.  You can just imagine that this is a disruptive force in traditional retail.  So who better to re-envision and disrupt retail today than someone who’s been doing it for 30 years. For Further Listening on the Importance of Brand Reputation Click here to listen to my interview with Stephen Hahn-Griffiths from The Reputation Institute on the importance of safeguarding the Brand Reputation. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES Today we have two guests: Henry Iversen, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of Boost.ai (one of Norway's leading Natural Language Processing AI companies, and Ramtin Matin, Lead Technological Strategist at SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, one of Norway's oldest, and most respected, financial institutions. Specifically in today's episode we cover: The crucial role Boost.ai has...

SHOW NOTES Today we have two guests: Henry Iversen, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of Boost.ai (one of Norway's leading Natural Language Processing AI companies, and Ramtin Matin, Lead Technological Strategist at SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, one of Norway's oldest, and most respected, financial institutions. Specifically in today's episode we cover: The crucial role Boost.ai has had in helping SR Bank stay in contact with their customers, with zero wait time, even during the COVID-19 pandemic (when other companies force their customers to wait hours to speak with a customer service representative The difference stages of Artificial Intelligence, and how understanding this can guide your organization today, and in the future.The pretty surprising ease with which the Boost.AI solution can be deployed (Hint: It's way easier, and way less expensive, than you might think)We also get to learn how nice Norwegians are! (in case you didn't already know that) About Our Guests Henry Vaage Iversen Henry Vaage Iversen is a Co-Founder and the Chief Commercial Officer at boost.ai, a Norwegian-based software company specializing in AI-powered customer interactions. Boost.ai is the inventor of the world’s most complete software for building, implementing and operating virtual agents powered by conversational AI technology. Henry was instrumental in establishing key relationships with the company’s early clients, helping to cement boost.ai as a major player in the Nordics. Today, Henry continues to flex his business acumen, fostering existing relationships while expanding boost.ai’s vision for conversational AI into new markets. When not at home in COVID-19 isolation, Henry is based in the company’s US office in Los Angeles where he leads boost.ai’s global sales team. Henry holds a Master’s Degree in strategy and management from the University of Stavanger. Ramtin Matin Ramtin is Lead Technological Strategist at SR Bank, and is an authority on implementing technology that helps drive efficiency while maintaining the company vision. With more than 13 years of professional experience Ramtin’s main area of expertise is within the intersection of technology, strategy and business development. He has a broad industry background from more than 10 years of consulting ranging from industries such as banking, insurance, telco, public, utility and transportation. He is a seasoned professional and thought leader on topics such as digital transformation, technology, strategy and in general how to use technology as an enabler for driving change, both internally and externally. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES Today's guest is Raymond Reddy, co-founder and CEO of the highly successful Ritual – which enables social ordering from restaurants in major cities across North America, The UK, and Australia. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about: a) How digital in traditionally non-digital industries, like food pick-up and delivery, can have a transformative...

SHOW NOTES Today's guest is Raymond Reddy, co-founder and CEO of the highly successful Ritual - which enables social ordering from restaurants in major cities across North America, The UK, and Australia. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about: a) How digital in traditionally non-digital industries, like food pick-up and delivery, can have a transformative effect on the overall customer experience. b) How digital ordering is transforming the fundamental design of the restaurant, and how Ritual helps their restaurant partners create space that maximizes flow, prevents line-ups, and improves the in-store customer experience. c) How specific, customer-by-customer, and order-by-order data, can help restaurants survive in hyper-competitive markets, and how working with Ritual can help them. d) Much, much more... About Our Guest, Raymond Reddy Raymond Reddy is the co-founder and CEO of Ritual.  Prior to Ritual, Ray co-founded the mobile commerce company PushLife. In 2011, Google purchased PushLife and Ray joined the Google team, leading mobile product management for shopping and commerce. Ray soon recognized the potential of better leveraging a social application to unlock mobile commerce and thus, Ritual was born. Click here to visit Ritual Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES Today's guest, Ash Anil, is Business Leader at Technical Safety BC.. Why is a government organization on a podcast talking about Customer Experience? Turns out focusing on Customer Experience is also good government. Specifically we learn: a) How focusing on Customer Experience can literally save lives. b) How Technical Safety B.C. dramatically increased...

SHOW NOTES Today's guest, Ash Anil, is Business Leader at Technical Safety BC.. Why is a government organization on a podcast talking about Customer Experience? Turns out focusing on Customer Experience is also good government. Specifically we learn: a) How focusing on Customer Experience can literally save lives. b) How Technical Safety B.C. dramatically increased customer satisfaction scores through digitization of common forms and documentation required for compliance. c) How Technical Safety B.C. continues to innovate for all of its customers in spite of the wide range of technical adoption (some don't have email, for example). d) How Technical Safety BC maintains a spirit of innovation that is radically focused on adding customer value. e) Much, much more.... About our Guest, Ash Anil Ashutosh Anil has been an innovation leader in the customer experience, product & service industry for almost 2 decades, supporting global organizations such as Best Buy, ADP Canada, Rogers Communications, 3 Telecom UK, Fido Solutions, as well as Canadian SaaS startups like Money On the Go (AKA MOGO) and Rise People.  As a precise and creative strategic planner, Ash connects culture, people, and customer centricity to build diverse teams who passionately and aggressively pursue best-in-class CX. In his current role as Business Leader at Technical Safety BC, Ash religiously applies customer centricity to the cause of public participation in safety, inspiring employees to put CX first in an industry where the concept of “Outside In” value creation can sometime gets lost. New Theme Music! Ooo Yeah! I have a fancy new intro! Thank you to Justin Dove at Core Image Studio for making the podcast sound grown up! To reach Justin for your own fancy intro, check out Core Image Studio. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES One of the big challenges in Customer Experience is managing all of the changing initiatives that are simply a way of life among competitive companies today.  There is huge pressure at all levels of just about every organization to innovate.  Do something new. The pressure to constantly innovate has become business as usual. ...

SHOW NOTES One of the big challenges in Customer Experience is managing all of the changing initiatives that are simply a way of life among competitive companies today.  There is huge pressure at all levels of just about every organization to innovate.  Do something new. The pressure to constantly innovate has become business as usual.  With every department on the hook to be innovative, they end up tripping over each other and negatively impact the customer experience in unforeseen ways.   Our Guest, Bruce Simpson Our guest today, Bruce Simpson, knows a lot about helping companies manage the change that comes from a culture of constant innovation.  As partner and co-founder of SwitchGear Consulting, Bruce has spent the past 15 years as a trusted co-pilot for BIG change, helping leaders who are not only trying to change culture and elevate performance but have realized they need a make-over on how they work and even how their people think. In This Episode We Discuss: a) How to recognize when our organizations focus too heavily on innovation at the expense of creating lasting change. b) How leaders at every level of the organization can get their teams "unstuck," and begin to actually move the company forward and help it to genuinely evolve. c)  What are the crucial tasks senior leaders must do to reduce "adoption paralysis" and ensure their company truly remains innovating and customer-focused d)  Lots lots more.... About our Guest - Bruce Simpson Since helping build his first Call Centre in 1989, Bruce Simpson has been living inside Sales + Service Teams for 30 years. Bruce’s first 10,000 hours came as an in-house Operator in Healthcare and Telcom (during the big disruption of long-distance competition). His second 10,000 hours came as the COO and Co-Founder of a 3rdParty Outsourcer (NDR / ClientLogic / Sitel) executing the Customer Experience on behalf of other companies. For the last past 15 years Bruce has become a trusted co-pilot for BIG change, helping leaders who are not only trying to change culture and elevate performance but have realized they need a make-over on how they work and even how their people think. Contact Information for Bruce Simpson and SwitchGear Click here for SwitchGear Click here to reach Bruce on LinkedIn Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Click here to reach Pat Perdue at on Twitter: @Patperdue

SHOW NOTES What happens when a data whiz teams up with a policy and communications guru?  Turns out it's a very happy marriage – both literally and figuratively in a customer experience and business sense.  My guest today, Gary Edwards, is ½ of Golfdale Consulting.  Here's why I wanted you to meet Golfdale, and Gary....

SHOW NOTES What happens when a data whiz teams up with a policy and communications guru?  Turns out it’s a very happy marriage – both literally and figuratively in a customer experience and business sense.  My guest today, Gary Edwards, is ½ of Golfdale Consulting.  Here’s why I wanted you to meet Golfdale, and Gary. In This Episode We Discuss: a) How you may be doing too much customer service b) How being inspired by a high profile keynote speaker talking about over-the-top customer service might be the worst thing to happen to your Customer Experience initiative c)  How public policy can have unintended consequences, negatively impacting your ability to deliver great CX to all of your customers, and what you can do about it. d) How understanding the distinction between "service" and "hospitality" can mean the difference between getting customer experience right, and driving your customers to the competition. e)  Lots lots more.... About our Guest - Gary Edwards of Golfdale Consulting Gary Edwards has over two decades of experience in executive leadership roles. Gary currently is a Principal with Golfdale Consulting which he founded with his partner Hande Bilhan, on a mission to help companies improve their analytics strategy, positioning and advocacy. Previously Gary was instrumental in the 10 year growth and sale of Empathica, a pioneering Customer Experience Management software company serving global Fortune 1000 companies.  Prior to Empathica, Gary served as the Country Manager and SVP of Gallup Canada. Also…Gary is ½ of the consulting firm, Golfdale Consulting.  The other half is his partner, both in business and in life, Hande Bilhan.  Golfdale combines Customer Experience, data, and very savvy messaging and public policy influence.  So when organizations want to get a sense of the impact government regulations can have on customer experience, they call Golfdale. Contact Information for Golfdale Consulting Click here for Golfdale Consulting Contact Information for Gary Edwards Click here to reach Gary on LinkedIn Click here to reach Gary on Twitter Contact Information for Hande Bilhan Click here to reach Hande Bilhan on LinkedIn Click here to reach Hande Bilhan on Twitter Pat on Twitter here: @Patperdue  

SHOW NOTES Can we draw a line between Customer Experience, a company's overall reputation, and an organization's overall business performance?  While the answer is "yes," just how specifically we can do that might surprise you. We all know that providing incredible Customer Experience is the right thing to do.  This episode's guest, Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, from The Reputation Institute, has the business case to back it up. In this episode we discuss: The incredible value providing a consistent customer experience adds to your organization's overall bottom line. The importance of "predictive service" and how organizations that are mastering that are adding tremendous value by creating an experience that anticipates what their customers want. Stephen announces the surprising, and not-so-surprising, leader in customer experience (a scoop for this podcast!  Thank you Stephen!).  It may surprise you at first, and then you'll say, "Oh!  Of course!" In this world of tech-driven innovations, how can companies without the budget to invest in big data not be left behind in the world of incredible customer experience. About our Guest:  Stephen Hahn-Griffiths Stephen Hahn-Griffiths is the Chief Reputation Officer for the Reputation Institute, and plays an active role in spearheading the Reputation Consulting and Custom Measurement needs of their major clients.  Stephen was previously a partner and co-owner at Protobrand, a boutique insights and strategy consultancy in Boston. Prior to that, he was the Chief Strategy Officer at leading multi-national ad agencies, including Leo Burnett, Mullen, and Saatchi & Saatchi. He is often cited as a reputation expert and has been featured in leading business media such as Forbes WSJ, CNBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and this very podcast. Contact Information You can reach Stephen on Twitter here:  @shahngriff You can find Stephen LinkedIn by clicking here  About The Reputation Institute The Reputation Institute is the global leader in reputation intelligence.  Plain and simple, they're the world's leading reputation research-based consulting and advisory firm, looking at data from more than 7000 companies per year, across 55 countries, in 20 different industries.  They help organizations answer key questions:  What is my reputation and how does it compare? How can I improve and protect my reputation? What is the business impact of better managing my reputation? Click here for their website. Pat Perdue Contact Information You can always reach me on Twitter @patperdue  or find me on Linkedin here.  Feel free to reach out.  I love to hear from you.

SHOW NOTES This Week's Guest, Jeanne Bliss This week I sat down with Jeanne Bliss, best selling author of I Love You More Than My Dog, Chief Customer Officer, Chief Customer Officer 2.0, and her latest book, Would You Do That to Your Mother, the Make-Mom-Proud Standard for How to Treat Your Customers. Warning - listening to this episode could seriously improve how your organization treats its customers! [bctt tweet="Would how you treat your customers make your mother proud? Warning: Listening to this episode of Pat Perdue's Customer Experience Podcast, featuring @JeanneBliss, may dramatically improve the way you treat your customers. #MakeMomProud!" username="@patperdue"] Jeanne asks the question that gets to the heart of it: [bctt tweet="Would you turn down your mom's warranty claim 2 days after it expired?  Probably not, but that's how many companies treat their customers.  Treating your customers like you would treat your mom provides a fabulous shorthand to get to the heart of the right thing to do for the customer. Listen to @JeanneBliss on Pat Perdue's Customer Experience Podcast " username="@patperdue"] This will be your go to book to give to your clients and best customers.   It's a great, fun read that's also includes 32 case studies and countless anecdotes. [bctt tweet="Would You Do That to Your Mother: The #MakeMomProud Standard for How to Treat Your Customers by @JeanneBliss is a must-read for anyone who has customers (= everyone).   This is already my favourite book to give away, and will be yours too! " username="@patperdue"] Written in the voice of an archetypal, occasionally (lovingly) chastising mom, chapter titles are often hilarious, including, "Don't Make Me Feed You Soap!" Throughout our conversation, Jeanne brings her trademark real-world vision of what great experience looks like, combined with the rare operational expertise to help big companies see through the bureaucracy and get to the heart of what's right. Click here to order yours Join the Make Mom Proud Movement here! This Episode Brought to you by YCASTR Emails suck.  Podcasts rock.  Why bore your employees with endless emails they don't even read, when you can create internal communications and training in a format your team will love.  That means higher employee engagement, better CSAT scores, and higher sales.  Contact us at www.YCASTR.com

SHOW NOTES Fair warning:  You're going to want to quit your job and go work at Saje Wellness once you listen to this episode.Loved This Interview!I was thrilled to be able to speak to two powerhouses in retail and digital customer experience.  Kate Ross LeBlanc is the co-founder and CEO of Saje Natural Wellness, and Katie Drechsel is VP of Marketing at Saje.  Both are deeply passionate about delivering outrageous customer service.  Connecting that to the online experience creates a truly seamless and absolutely enlightened overall customer experience.  It's worth visiting a Saje store just to experience the enthusiasm of the team as they show you how your life can be better through the healing power of natural oils.  Visiting them online (Instragram, Twitter, or their stunning website), is to witness that passion translated into a digital experience.What's Unique about this EpisodeAs you'll discover, both Kate and Katie find it nearly impossible to speak about the customer experience before the conversation soon shifts to the employee experience.  At Saje, separating one from the other is like separating the roots of a plant from the stem, and thinking the plant will still survive.  For the stem of Customer Experience to be strong, the roots of Employee Experience need to be healthy.  This episode is worth a listen just for their passion alone.More in this EpisodeHow the careful use of language can create a unique company cultureHow recruiting for what "lights you up," beats recruiting for skill set every timeHow genuinely listening to customers ensures a transformative digital customer experienceHow a genuinely enlightened employee experience translates into an enlightened customer experienceMuch moreMore About Kate Ross LeBlanc, co-founder and CEO, Saje Natural WellnessKate leads the Saje Natural Wellness executive team to inspire global wellness. She is a passionate speaker about retail, company culture, leadership and holistic happiness. She pioneered Saje's product line and is the champion of Saje's Positively Outrageous Customer Service. In 2016, Kate was winner of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Retail and Hospitality, alongside her husband and Co-founder Jean-Pierre LeBlanc. She was also awarded the Momentum Award by Women of Influence RBC Entrepreneur of the Year, an award that celebrates entrepreneurs who have demonstrated success in team development and empowerment.Katie DrechselWith a career spanning over 13 years, Katie Drechsel is nothing less than a brilliant digital marketer and community builder.  Katie combines her instincts and knowledge of social engagement with a true passion for listening to the customer.  The result is an engaging digital customer experience that is a true reflection of the ongoing dialog between Saje's beloved customers, and what is a very distinctive brand.About Saje WellnessFrom their Media Kit (it was so awesome I wanted to share it with you)  WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAJEIt means living and breathing our values every day: wellness, celebration, awesomeness and growth.We want to support you in becoming the healthiest version of yourself so you can spend your time connecting to the people and experiences that you love.Sounds pretty good, right?We believe when you live with these values in mind, you introduce your best self to the world and big things happen.OUR VISIONGlobal wellnessOUR MISSIONConnecting people with the healing power of plantsOUR APPROACHLiving, sharing and inspiring wholistic wellness dailyHOW WE LIVE OUR VALUES/ wellness /We live our wellness goals and aim to inspire others to do the same. Our lifestyle choices support wellness./ celebration /We use every occasion to celebrate each other, our work, our customers and everyone we meet. Through the act of celebration we attract amazing things into our midst and have maximum fun!/ awesomeness /We make awesome choices and are living harm- oniously.

SHOW NOTES Casper.  The Sleep CompanyI'm really excited to share this conversation with Michael Kim, the Sr. Director of Customer Strategy and Planning for...Casper!  The Sleep Company!  I'm a huge fan of Casper, ever since they supported some of my favorite podcasts, including Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids (if you're not familiar with that podcast, click on the link at the bottom of this note and take a listen, then subscribe.  It's hilarious, and totally addictive).  So yeah I'm a customer, but I never accept any gifts from my clients.  So if I tell you I think they're awesome, it's because I genuinely do think they're awesome.My Guest Michael Kim, Senior Director of Customer Strategy and Planning at Casper[bctt tweet="The same reason a customer buys from Casper,is the same reason an employee will want to work for Casper - Casper's Michael Kim" username="@CustExpPodcast"]As Casper's Senior Director of Customer Strategy & Planning, Michael leads Casper's customer experience and customer-facing channel strategies. What that means is that he's accountable for a lot of the magic that happens between when you click "buy" and when you get your bed-in-a-box.Michael joined Casper before they even got started, as in, before they launched, before his current role he was in charge of Casper's Customer Experience team, which has earned many accolades, including a 2017 Stevie award for Customer Service Department of the Year.Our Conversation[bctt tweet="Learn the CX secrets behind one of Fast Company's 50 most innovative companies of 2017." username="@CustExpPodcast"]Michael and I talk about how the culture of Casper is what creates that great customer experience.  We explore how recruiting makes a difference, and we talk about the struggles of keeping that defining culture in the face of expansion.   Casper is a culture-from-the-ground up kind of company, so it's difficult to parse out the specific tactics they use to keep the magic happening.  That said, there's a lot we can learn from Casper and apply it to our own companies.About CasperCasper is a global sleep company that launched in 2014 with an obsessively engineered, outrageously comfortable mattress sold directly to consumers. Its critically acclaimed sleep surface was developed in-house, has a sleek design, and is delivered in a small, "how did they do that?"-sized box. The company is one of the fastest-growing consumer brands of all time, and its product line has expanded to include sheets, pillows, a matching foundation, and a dog mattress. Casper was named one of Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2017, and its eponymous mattress was crowned one of TIME Magazine's Best Inventions.Contact InformationTo reach Michael or anyone at Casper, their social media team is amazing.  Just tweet them @Casper and they'll totally respond.  Or hit their website here.The Podcast I Mentioned:Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids PodcastAnd to Find Me:I love hearing from all my listeners and I appreciate your comments!  You can always email me at pat@patperdue.com, or hit me up on Twitter.  My handle is @patperdue.  Or you can also message the podcast directly on Twitter.  Here's the handle.  @CustExpPodcastThank you!  And...How You Can HelpIf you like this show, please send it to your friends so they can subscribe and download.  Here's the link on itunes.  (comments are always welcome too!)Until next time, make every customer experience, a GREAT customer experience.Pat  

SHOW NOTES What's Unique About This Episode...Our guest, Peter Aceto, is the President and CEO of Tangerine Bank.  He was incredibly open about what it takes to foster genuine customer (or in their language, client) centricity in an organization.  Not to give away the ending, but it's not an easy thing to do (as you always hear me say, "If it was easy, more companies would be doing it.").  Peter shares insights into what it takes to actually walk the talk of customer experience, from design thinking, to his own level of accessibility within his organization, to how to create a culture that genuinely puts the client first.   You'll be glad you listened.More in this episode:How Middle Managers Can Be HeardThe Business Case of Customer ExperienceThe Importance of Courageous LeadershipHow Customer Experience isn't just one initiativeLots more!More About our Guest, Peter AcetoPeter Aceto is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tangerine Bank. His career with Tangerine (formerly ING DIRECT) began in Canada close to 20 years ago as a founding member of its senior leadership team. Prior to his appointment as CEO in 2008, Peter held the posts of Chief Risk Officer, Chief of Staff and Chief Lending Officer at what was then ING DIRECT.Peter is a sought out public speaker, a social media leader and a frequent blogger. He is regularly profiled in The Globe and Mail, Harvard Business Review, Forbes and The Huffington Post among others. Peter is the author of the best selling leadership business book Weology.Peter's Book, Weology, How Everybody Wins When We Comes Before MeSince our show is on Customer Experience, we didn't touch on Peter's book Weology, How Everybody Wins When We Comes Before Me, so I want to talk about it here.  It's a fantastic, plain language book that's a must read for anyone interested in learning how genuinely innovative leadership can drive organizational results.  Peter candidly shares his journey and lessons as helm of one of the world's most innovative banks.  Buy it here.How to Connect With PeterThe best way to reach Peter is to follow him on Twitter:  @PeterAceto (let him know you heard him here!)Contacting me:Hey!  Let me know you heard the show!  You can reach the podcast on Twitter at @CustExpPodcast, or hit me up directly at @PatPerdue.Make someone's customer experience, a  GREAT customer experience.

SHOW NOTES As this episode is published close to Thanksgiving, It's only appropriate that I express my gratitude to my wonderful guests, as well as my listeners.  Podcasting is a journey of sharing, and bringing together.  I feel humbled at the support I've received. Thank you to all.These first 6 podcast episodes have been packed with information and insights, and I'd be remiss if I didn't sum up what we've learned so far.Thank you to my guests for your insights.  In addition, this episode has 5 key take-aways and action items you can use today to improve your customer experienceIn this EpisodeAfshan Kinder shares her vision of the role of the C-Suite in driving good customer experience within a company.  She also shares her technique to allow executives to walk in the shoes of both the customers, and the front line agents.Shep Hyken shares examples of how senior management spending time with the "front line," isn't a new concept, and how being great doesn't necessarily mean heroically saving the relationship, but rather finding one or two small things our teams or businesses can do a little better than the rest, and then doing that consistently.Mike Aoki shares the importance of connecting with other departments, especially if you manage a team or a department that's customer facing.  Mike also shares networking techniques for non-networkers.Jeanne Bliss shares insights from her fabulous book, "Chief Customer Officer 2.0," and also talks about the specific things that senior leaders need to do to foster a healthy customer centric environment, and bash down those silos.Arleen King shares what it's really like to lead the customer experience charge within the multinational telecommunications, TELUS.  Arleen also demonstrates how, when you put great people in an environment that empowers and prepares them with a vision of greatness, customer magic can happen.  Arleen's story of Allen touched many of our listeners' hearts.Finally Doug Sandler shares his insight into selecting the right people.  All too often, we hire great people and we force processes that don't allow them to truly shine.   Doug shares insights into recruiting the right folks, and then getting out of the way.Contact info for all these guests can be shared in the show notes of their specific episodes.Your 5 Key Challenges:Begin a plan to implement your challenges today.  I'd love to hear how you're doing.  Drop me an email, or reach out on Twitter.  Hearing from listeners makes my day.Thank you to GTACC, and Contact Atlantic, for some wonderful contact centre events.  Both conferences are worth going to, and are chalk full of opportunities to learn from contact centre professionals.  Here are the links for more information:You can reach GTACC at www.GTACC.ca.You can reach contact Atlantic at www.ContactAtlantic.comTo Contact Pat Perdue...I'm easy to find.  Hit me up on Twitter @patperdue, and follow the show @CustExpPodcast.By email:  Pat@Patperdue.comAs always, thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES You may know Doug as the author of the best selling book, “Nice Guys Finish First,”(click here to get your copy from Amazon.com).  Doug is also host of the wonderfully successful podcast, “Nice Guys on Business Podcast.”  Doug is a specialist on helping companies build great business relationships based on the foundation of being nice by specializing in making connections, building relationships and strengthening bonds both inside and outside organizations. Don’t let the “Mr. Nice Guy” tag fool you, Doug has entered into many high level negotiations and is anything but a pushover. His speaking and consulting business is geared towards improving relationships and winning business through his time tested sales, service and relationship building system.Doug is a nationally recognized speaker, and writer for Huffington Post. His weekly posts reach over hundreds of thousands of readers. Doug has been titled by a leading social media marketing company in the top 100 of Social Media Thought Influencers to follow.In This EpisodeIn this episode we unpack the complexity of what it takes to for organizations to focus on doing the right thing for their customers all the time.   Doug shares tons of insights that make him so in demand as a business consultant, trainer, and speaker.[bctt tweet="Problems are bound to happen. It's what happens next that really counts. #quote @djsandler" username="custexppodcast"]How to Contact Doug:For lots of free content, click onto Doug's website. www.DougSandler.comYou can contact him through the "Contact" page on his website.Doug is very active on Twitter.  Click here to say hello and to follow him.If you want to contact me, there are lots of ways to reach me.  You can always get in touch with us through the "Contact Us" part of our website.  Or, if you're on Twitter, so are we!  Hit us up!To find our show on Twitter, click here.And if you want to reach me (Pat) directly on Twitter, I'm @patperdue.  I'd love to hear from you!Thanks as always for listening.

SHOW NOTES About Our Guest:  Arleen King Arleen King is Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at TELUS, and is the real deal when it comes to creating a customer centric culture.Arleen supports more than 6,000 team members in Canada, and 2,800 team members internationally. Her teams go on to provide exceptional customer experience to TELUS’ 13.9 million customer connections – and along with their other brands Koodo, and Public Mobile, that adds up to making life better for 8.3 million wireless subscribers, and over 900,000 TELUS TV customers.If you’re outside of Canada you might not be familiar with TELUS. You know how folks anywhere love to hate their phone company? TELUS customers totally don’t get that. Year after year, Telus ranks as Canada’s most loved telecommunications company, and once you meet Arleen, you’ll know why.Thanks as always for listening to my conversation with the incredible, and incredibly nice, Arleen King.More about Arleen KingArleen has more than 25 years of experience managing customer service in many areas including the public sector, private sector, outsourcing and the entertainment industry. Since joining TELUS in 1999, Arleen has taken on roles as the Director of Client Care, Vice-president of Client Care and Vice-president of Mobility – but regardless of the team she is supporting, serving customers remains her number one passion.Throughout her career, Arleen has been recognized for her devoted leadership and ability to empower her own team, receiving the Association of Relationship Marketing Leadership Award, CHLOE (Connections Honours Leaders of Excellence) Champion of Women award, Best Own-it Sponsor award, and has led her team to win numerous industry awards and achievements.Arleen is currently based in Vancouver with her husband, Steve, and wheaten terrier, Caleigh. She is a member of the TELUS Community Investment Board in Montreal, a yearly participant in TELUS Days of Giving and the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, and proudly supports the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the West Island organization.How to Find Arleen KingArleen isn't on Twitter, but you can check out her LinkedIn profile here.How to Contact UsWant to send a message to the show?  You can Tweet us @CustExpPodcast.Want to get in touch with Pat Perdue, send him a tweet @patperdue.We'd Love it if you could leave a review on iTunesIf you like what you heard, please tell someone.  And if you're inclined, positive reviews on iTunes helps people find us.  Here's a link to iTunes to leave a review.Thank you again for listening.

SHOW NOTES Today's Guest, Mike Aoki is the President of Reflective Keynotes Inc., a Toronto-based customer service and sales training company that helps organizations improve both sales, as well as the experience of their customers. Mike does this by working with the people who’s job it is to work directly with customers. In other words, the actual folks we talk to on the phone. Mike is a renowned expert on contact centre sales and customer service, and is regularly in the top 50 most influential customer service experts in North America.  Mike is often in national media such as The Globe and Mail speaking on exactly what we’ll be talking about today. Past clients for his training sessions include Just Energy, SYSCO and the Royal Canadian Mint. This Episode's Conversation Can you both sell, and improve customer experience, at the same time? In all of our shows we talk about what organizations can do to improve their customer experience. One of the common challenges companies face is that if you want to provide a good customer experience on the phone, you’re not allowed to sell. Either you sell, or you provide great customer service. It’s somehow an either / or situation. I was able to catch up with Mike at the start of the summer, and we talked about how he works with companies who need to do both. His clients need to drive sales, as well as make sure their customers love them. The Surprising Value of Networking Across Departments One of the very surprising techniques we talk about in achieving this goal is the value of networking across departments so that you can make sure your department, your team, or…you, have all the best information to keep your customers engaged. What’s cool about that is on this show we often talk about the importance of getting rid of a silo mentality. We’ve all seen it: Each department is basically running on their own agendas and not speaking meaningfully to other departments, And sure that falls to the very senior leadership to create an environment that discourages silos, but also everyone in the company can help with that, simply by walking over to another department and saying hello. Easier said than done, right? Mike spends some time talking about ways to make that happen. For more information on Mike and how he helps his client drive results, you can reach him in the following ways: Website: Reflective Keynotes Mike is also very active on Twitter.  Follow and tweet him at @MikeAoki. Also connect with Mike on LinedIn at his LinkedIn profile here. As always, thank you for listening.  If you like what you heard, please let us know by tweeting us @CustExpPodcast, or tweet me directly @patperdue, and tell your friend! Subscribe and Leave a Review in iTunes If you haven't already done so, feel from to subscribe in iTunes by clicking here.  And while you're at it, we'd be humbled if you could leave a review.  That helps other Customer Experience professionals find us. Thank you as always for listening.

SHOW NOTES About Today's Guest:  Jeanne BlissJeanne Bliss is the President of CustomerBliss, where she guides the C-Suite and Chief Customer Officers around the world on earning business growth by improving customers’ lives. Her clients include: AAA, Johnson & Johnson, Brooks Brothers, Bombardier Aerospace, and Kaiser Permanente.Jeanne pioneered the role of the Chief Customer Officer, holding the first ever CCO role for over 20 years at Lands’ End, Microsoft, Coldwell Banker and Allstate Corporations. Reporting to each company’s CEO, she moved the customer to the strategic agenda, creating transformational changes to each brands’ customer experience.She is a sought after speaker and thought-leader, the author of three best-selling books:  I Love You More Than My Dog, Chief Customer Officer, and the newly released Chief Customer Officer 2.0. Jeanne is co-founder of the Customer Experience Professionals Association, and is also host of her own Customer Experience podcast The Human Duct Tape Show.In this episode, we talked about...In our interview we talk about what Jeanne calls The 5 Competencies to build a customer driven growth engine.  For a more detailed overview, go to Jeanne's website, Customerbliss.com.  Meantime here they are:Competency 1:  Customers as Assets:  Moves you to a simple, non-refutable measure of if you did, or did not, earn the right to growth.Competency 2:  Align around the experience:  Changes the accountability and the story of the business from silo performance to customer life improvement.Competency 3:  Build a Customer Listening Path:  Unites multiple sources of customer feedback to tell the story of customers' lives by stage, as they experience you.Competency 4:  Proactive experience, reliability and innovation:  Let's you know, before the customer tells you, if the experience was reliable and valuable to them.Competency 5:  One-company accountability, leadership, and culture:  Unites leaders to guide and enable the company to improve customers' and employees' lives.You can also hit Jeanne up on Twitter @JeanneBliss, and check out her own excellent podcast on customer experience, called the Human Duct Tape Show (you need to read Chief Customer Officer 2.0 to understand that reference).  :)Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES About Today's Guest:  Shep HykenShep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. His articles have been read in hundreds of publications, and he is the author of Amaze Every Customer Every Time, Moments of Magic®, The Loyal Customer, The Cult of the Customer and The Amazement Revolution. He is also the creator of The Customer Focus™, a customer service training program which helps clients develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset.In 1983 Shep founded Shepard Presentations and since then has worked with hundreds of clients ranging from Fortune 100 size organizations to companies with less than 50 employees. Some of his clients include American Airlines, AAA, Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, AETNA, Abbott Laboratories, American Express - and that’s just a few of the A’s!Shep Hyken’s most requested programs focus on customer service, customer loyalty, internal service, customer relations and the customer experience. He is known for his high-energy presentations, which combine important information with entertainment (humor and magic) to create exciting programs for his audiences.To get in touch with Shep, click on any of the following links:E Mail: shep@hyken.com -- Web: http://www.hyken.comFollow on Twitter: @hyken (https://twitter.com/#!/hyken)Follow on Facebook: ShepHykenSpeakerFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ShepHykenFollow on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/ShepHykenFollow on GooglePlus: www.gplus.to/ShepHyken

SHOW NOTES About Our Guest:  Afshan KinderAfshan Kinder is a partner at Switchgear Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping organizations lead transformational change  driven by a need to enhance the customer experience.  Afshan has spent her career working with organizations that have set a high standard for customer excellence, and is in demand globally from leading brands that are committed to delighting their customers.Our conversation focused on the contact centre aspect of the customer experience, something I think we can all relate to.Afshan share’s her vision about what senior executives can do to help transform their companies into being genuinely customer centric.  Afshan also shares specific ways senior leaders can help bust silos and get their organization working as as team.  Afshan provides some great advice that will not only help your customers, but will also help your organization discover it's true version of the optimum customer experience.Links:You can find Switchgear Consulting at the following link:  www.Switchgear.caYou can email Afshan at:  Afshan@switchgear.caAfshan isn't on Twitter (!!!).   But if you tweet me @patperdue I'll definitely put you in touch with her.

Delivering great customer experience, every time, is really hard to do.   Whether it’s over the phone, over social media, or apps on your smartphone, or in person, there are some companies who are just really good at this.   This show looks at what they’re doing differently to make their customers love them, and introduces us to the people who’s job it is to make great customer experience happen. Hit subscribe and download a couple episodes.