Podcasts about Customer experience

Realities Remixed, formerly know as Cloud Realities, launches a new season exploring the intersection of people, culture, industry, and tech. Energy transportation is a deeply local business, safely delivering gas and electricity, more and more from renewable sources, directly to the communities it serves. Technology and AI help make that possible by strengthening safety, bringing companies closer to customers, and enabling teams to build the future together. This week, Dave, Esmee, and Rob are joined by John Koerwer, CIO of UGI Corporation, to explore explore why “the business” and tech still struggle to speak the same language, nd what helps close the gap.TLDR00:35 – Introduction01:17 – Hang out: new toys and coffee07:55 – Dig in: the business - tech divide21:07 – Conversation with John Koerwer59:40 – The amazing AI technology in The Sphere's version of The Wizard of OzGuestJohn Koerwer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-koerwer-46102127/HostsDave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/Esmee van de Giessen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmeevandegiessen/Rob Kernahan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kernahan/ProductionMarcel van der Burg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-vd-burg/Dave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/ SoundBen Corbett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-corbett-3b6a11135/Louis Corbett:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-corbett-087250264/ 'Realities Remixed' is an original podcast from Capgemini

The most practical CX breakthroughs are happening in day-to-day choices by leaders who meet their organizations where they are. From the Medallia Experience 2026 conference in Las Vegas, we pull together no-fluff lessons on turning insights into impact, leading with intent, and using AI to accelerate change—without overpromising. Jeannie talks with Experience Transformation Award winner Paloma Paraja, Customer Experience Manager at Santalucía Seguros, about breaking down silos in a 100-year-old insurer by unifying Voice of Customer, empowering internal champions, and turning feedback into stories teams can act on. She also reconnects with Camille Kremer, Senior Director of Customer Experience at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, for a masterclass in prioritization—using driver modeling and smart experiments to separate noise from real impact, and applying AI to speed service and personalization without eroding trust. Plus, we chat about an Experience Is Everything book club with Deborah Bearden, Enterprise Customer Experience Manager at Simmons Bank.The theme: progress over perfection. Choose high-impact actions. Test, measure, and scale what works. Let AI amplify a strategy you've already defined.Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a CX friend, and leave a quick review to help more leaders find it. Have a question or story to add? Leave me a voicemail at askjeannie.vip.Follow our guests on LinkedIn:Paloma Paraja -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/paloma-paraja/Camille Kremer -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillekremer/Deborah Bearden -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-bearden/Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact. Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

What makes a great store in 2026? Sometimes, it's not clarity — it's curiosity.Recorded live from the show floor at NRF 2026, this episode of Retail Remix features host Nicole Silberstein in conversation with Jack Stratten, Director at Insider Trends and one of the industry's most well-traveled retail observers. Jack spends his time visiting stores around the world, identifying what works, what doesn't, and, most importantly, why.From a wellness-meets-retail concept in Soho to immersive flagships in Paris, Jack breaks down the common thread between standout store experiences: a clear ambition, commitment and, sometimes, a willingness to prioritize discovery over efficiency. The conversation also explores why ecommerce's continued growth is forcing stores to raise their game — and why legacy department stores are having such a difficult time evolving.Key TakeawaysThe most interesting new stores you need to check out;Why the best stores succeed by meeting their ambition, not chasing trends;How discovery, trial and serendipity differentiate physical retail from ecommerce;Why Paris (not New York) is the most exciting city for retail experiences right now;How global markets and historic shopping experiences still influence modern store design;Why the growing ubiquity of ecommerce is having a positive effect on store experience;Why department stores are having such a difficult time tapping into their legacy of innovation today; andTravel hacks from someone who travels the world for a living.Related LinksExplore global retail insights and store safaris from Insider TrendsExplore more NRF26 coverage and retail insights from Retail TouchPointsSubscribe so you don't miss more episodes of Retail Remix from the show floor of NRF26

Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, talks with Tiffany Cooey, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at QSL Management, about the strong focus on the customer experience at their senior living communities. From the moment a prospect walks into one of their communities, the emphasis is on not only a luxury senior living experience, but also on creating a feeling of home. Listen to find out how, through training and reinforcement, the entire team at each QSLM community delivers on the resident experience.

Welcome back to Women Petprenuers presents Book Club! In this special book club episode, hosts Mary Oquendo,  Sacheen Mobley, and  Denise Heroux for a lively, pre-recorded conversation about books that have truly resonated with them and are well worth a second (or third!) read. Each participant brings their own unique favorite to the table: from stories of hospitality in the restaurant world, to eye-opening explorations of dinosaurs and scientific discovery, to a deep dive into how our relationship with food shapes our health and culture. Along the way, the trio shares personal anecdotes—from favorite restaurants and food philosophies to family tales of dinosaur obsessions. They also discuss continuous learning through tools like MasterClass and Great Courses, and reflect on the importance of customer experience, both in business and everyday life. Whether you're here for book recommendations, insight into small business mindsets, or just to enjoy some good conversation between friends, this episode will leave your TBR (to-be-read) list full and your mind inspired. Buckle up and get ready for a fun ride through books, business, and everything in between!

Neste episódio do Vamos de Vendas, Gustavo Pagotto recebe Daniela Fantinati, Diretora de CX, Parcerias e Soluções de Novos Negócios do Aeroporto Internacional Dr. António Agostinho Neto (Angola) e ex-líder de Experiência do Cliente no Aeroporto de Viracopos, para uma conversa profunda sobre CRM e Customer Experience como vantagens competitivas em setores complexos.Gravado durante o evento Suporte 360º by Zoho Desk, Daniela compartilha aprendizados práticos sobre como estruturar estratégias de experiência do cliente em ambientes altamente regulados, com múltiplos stakeholders e operações críticas — como aeroportos. A conversa mostra como transformar CX de “área do encantamento” em estratégia de negócio orientada a métricas, indicadores operacionais e retorno financeiro.

In this episode, Helen is joined by Natasha Crooks, Vulnerable Customer Manager at Northern Ireland Electricity Networks.Together we explore how the definition of vulnerability has evolved beyond traditional medical needs to include financial hardship, neurodivergence, language barriers and rural isolation.Natasha shares how NIE Networks has embedded inclusive service into everyday practice — from expanding their customer care register and launching a dedicated vulnerable customer team, to partnering with organisations like Jam Card, Disability Action and Advice NI.The conversation also reflects on supporting customers during major storm events, handling suicidal conversations with confidence, and the importance of looking after colleagues who manage emotionally demanding calls.This episode highlights a simple but powerful truth: sometimes customers don't just need their power restored — they need someone who will listen.Why not join our free monthly Q&As and keep the conversation going - https://www.helenpettifer.com/category/events/live-q-and-a/Follow me for more episodes, resources and vulnerability insights - Email: helen@helenpettifer.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-pettifer-unlocking-vulnerability/ Website: https://www.helenpettifer.com/ 

Gute Lehre braucht keinen perfekten Plan, sondern den Mut, einen schlechten loszulassen.  Chris spricht mit Prof. Dr. Anna Lea Dyckhoff, die an der FH Aachen Customer Experience lehrt und Lehre so gestaltet, wie wir Software gestalten: nutzerzentriert, iterativ, mit echtem Feedback. Wir sprechen darüber, warum Du statt Sie keine Frage der Höflichkeit ist, sondern der Lernkultur. Über interdisziplinäre Projekte, in denen Fehler nicht vermieden, sondern eingebaut werden. Über Design Sprints im ersten Semester, die größte Hürde im UX-Prozess – einfach mal jemand Fremdes um Feedback bitten – und warum Research in Unternehmen oft verbrannt ist, obwohl fünf Beobachtungen mehr verraten als tausend Datenpunkte. Und über das große Dilemma der Hochschullehre: Klausuren prüfen Wissen, aber nicht das, was wirklich zählt. Mehr Lernräume, in denen Scheitern dazugehört, wünschen … Anna & Chrishttps://www.fh-aachen.dehttps://wahnsinn.design Das ist Besser mit Design, ein Wahnsinn Design PodcastVielen Dank fürs Zuhören

Vance Morris - Deliver Service Now Institute On the Customer Experience: "Every detail in your business is either enhancing or detracting from the experience. There is no middle ground." Many businesses focus on customer acquisition, but not all businesses focus on customer retention.  Some businesses just have a hard time figuring out what to do beyond being nice to retain customers. Vance Morris has taken his Disney work experience, along with his other life experiences and created a coaching platform to teach business leaders how to retain customers.  He does this by teaching these entrepreneurs how to build their brand by expanding the positive perceptions their customers have of their business, by giving these customers wonderful experinces as they do business.  Helping their customers feel something almost magical. Vance reveals the power and profitability of focusing on the customer experience. You'll hear how small details can set your business miles ahead of the competition, why customer retention often beats new lead generation, and how “Disney-fying” your business can create raving, repeat customers. Plus, Vance Morris discusses creative, actionable low-cost ideas to wow your clients, and explains why any business, from the boring financial services to routine oil changes, can become a premium brand with the right approach. Listen as Vance explains how you can make doing business with you something clients actually look forward to. Enjoy! Visit Vance at: https://vancemorris.com/ Also at: https://wow52ways.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Customer Retention and Experience" 06:21 "Franchise Search After Corporate Exit" 09:15 "Flexible Franchise and Challenges" 11:13 "Contract Dispute Leads to Exit" 16:15 Grassroots Marketing Success Steps 18:55 "Recruiting College Students Effectively" 21:35 "Importance of Personal Thank You" 26:39 Mold Removal and Home Renewal 27:46 "Fogging Walls with Pencil Holes" 32:55 Networking Leads to Unexpected Opportunities 34:15 Disney's Lesson: Attention to Detail 37:22 Kwik Trip vs. BP Station 41:35 Chick-fil-A Ownership Model Explained 46:12 "Building Fanatical Brand Loyalty" 48:42 Differentiation Through Office Experience 51:36 "Transforming Financial Advisor Client Experience" 54:29 Professional Technician Standards Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Vance Morris [00:00:00]: So now she can charge whatever price she wants to charge, but she still was just a dentist. I said, we've gotta niche down. So I said, who do you like working with? She said, oh, I love working with the kids. I said, okay, great. Let's just have you be a pediatric dentist. So now you work with them from, you know, 2 to 18. And after that, they— you don't talk to them. And I said, okay, great. Vance Morris [00:00:20]: Now you specialize. So you're gonna get a little bit more, um, elasticity in your pricing. You'll be able to charge more cuz you're a specialist. I said, but you need, you need something from your personality to really make this work. I said, what's your favorite movie? And she says, Peter Pan. Great. So you're going to be the pirate dentist. So she dresses up like Captain Hook. James Kademan [00:00:40]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found on the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, Calls on Call Extraordinary Answering Service, The Bold Business Book, and LiveSwitch. Today we're welcoming slash preparing to learn from Vance Morris of Deliver Service Now Institute. So Vance, how is it going today? Vance Morris [00:01:09]: It is fantastic, James. Hopefully we'll drop a couple of golden nuggets today. James Kademan [00:01:14]: That's, uh, that's the goal here. So why don't we start with what is the— oh my gosh, what was it? Deliver Service Institute? Deliver Service Now Institute? Vance Morris [00:01:21]: Yep. James Kademan [00:01:22]: All right. What is that? What is that? Vance Morris [00:01:24]: That's a great question. It is a place where, um, I teach business owners, entrepreneurs, uh, really about customer retention. Cause there's a lot of gurus out there that are, you know, can give you, you know, 10,000 leads by Monday afternoon and, you know, you know, flakebook ads, Google, all that stuff. There's not a lot of folks focusing on retention. Um, and then of course, in order to have retention, you've gotta have great customer experiences. So those are the two areas that I really focus on. Um, you know, showing businesses how to— word I've been using a while is Disney-fy. So taking all of the boring mundane things that we have to do day in and day out in the business, uh, finding a way to create an experience out of them. Vance Morris [00:02:12]: So that we become memorable, uh, we're top of mind, um, and, uh, you know, people are doing that, uh, word-of-mouth marketing for us. James Kademan [00:02:22]: Nice. So tell me, how do you get involved in this? Vance Morris [00:02:26]: That's a great question. Um, well, here in Maryland, I have, uh, 3 home service businesses, so I'm, I'm not one of those consultants that have never done anything. James Kademan [00:02:36]: I read a few books, right? Vance Morris [00:02:38]: You know, yeah, you know, I went to consulting school, I got the little, you know, thing. No, it's not, not who I am. So I own 3 home service businesses here in Maryland, mold remediation company, Oriental rug washing facility, and a traditional carpet cleaning company. All very sexy businesses, I will tell you. James Kademan [00:02:56]: Yeah, super duper. Well, they're based on dirt and— Yeah, right. Vance Morris [00:03:00]: Dirt and all the good stuff. James Kademan [00:03:01]: Right. Vance Morris [00:03:03]: So, you know, I— when I started those businesses, I've had them now for 19 years. Um, I knew that I was going to be aiming for an affluent client. I didn't want to be, you know, scrubbing down and dirty rentals and things like that. I wanted to, you know, really have a premium service just like Disney, uh, for affluent clients. And so from day one, that is the direction that I went with my marketing, with the service, with the experiences. Um, after a few years, um, people started asking me, you know, Vance, you don't look like you're working too hard. Um, What's your secret? How do you do it? Um, so I said, well, it's really simple. This is actually the first thing I learned. Vance Morris [00:03:44]: I worked for Disney for 10 years. First thing I learned there was that Disney runs on systems. They got marketing systems, operation systems. You wanna learn— you wanna change a tire on a bus, they got a system for that. Carry a tray in a restaurant, they got a system for that. So all I really did was take all of that, put it into those businesses. Um,, and 7 years ago I actually was able to hire, uh, a GM and fast forward to today, I spend about 90 minutes a week on, on those 3 businesses. James Kademan [00:04:16]: Very cool. Very cool. And how do you— let's just take these one by one, cuz I imagine you didn't start all 3 of those businesses at the same time. Vance Morris [00:04:25]: Did not. James Kademan [00:04:26]: Nope. And I would imagine carpet cleaning came first. Vance Morris [00:04:29]: It did. All right. Yes. Um, and actually I, I, uh, started with a franchise. Um, you know, because I— it had a great proven concept. You know, I was new to business ownership. I'd been in, you know, corporate muckety-muck for 20-plus years. And so I needed something that had a system behind it. Vance Morris [00:04:51]: So I was with the franchise system for about 15 years and then jettisoned it and went out on my own. Along the way, you know, people— I hated walking into people's homes And stepping over things that I could be cleaning, but I didn't know how. When tile floors, wood floors, Oriental rugs. Uh, so I was like, well, might as well add Oriental rug washing. Nobody is doing it in our area. Um, and so we added that service. It was great. I already had a built-in customer base. Vance Morris [00:05:23]: All I had to do was go to them and market that service and boom, we were up and running. Um, and then about, uh, 6 years ago we added the mold company. Again, we had the existing customer base. I mean, I got 10,000 names in my database. Just had to market to them and say, hey, uh, we are now in the mold business. If you like this for cleaning, you'll love us for mold. Well, not love us, but you know what I mean? James Kademan [00:05:47]: Yeah, right. Nobody's in a good mood when they have mold. Vance Morris [00:05:50]: Nobody's in a good mood for that. James Kademan [00:05:52]: So tell me a story with, uh, franchise. Let's back up. I mean, we're talking a long time ago, so yeah, way back when machine here. How did you choose which carpet cleaning franchise to use or to join? Because there's hundreds, probably thousands of them. And that's a, that's a big, that's a big ask to figure out what you're gonna do. Cuz the equipment's expensive. The capital outlay's pretty intense. It is. James Kademan [00:06:16]: The theories and the marketing and all that kind of stuff. Some are well known, some are not. Tell me about that. Vance Morris [00:06:21]: So yeah, I worked with a, um, I didn't know these things existed, but I worked with a franchise headhunter, um, after I left corporate, uh, world. And, you know,

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In this episode of The Voice of Retail, Michael LeBlanc sits down with Tara Conway, retail strategist and co-founder of Commerce Rewired, for a wide-ranging discussion on AI in retail, digital transformation, customer experience innovation and leadership in an era of disruption. Tara's retail career spans decades — from growing up in a family general store to senior leadership roles at Blacks Photography, Toys “R” Us Canada and The Source. She shares behind-the-scenes insights from launching Toys “R” Us Canada's first e-commerce site — a testing ground for global digital strategy — and implementing early clienteling technology that connected store associates with online product data, fundamentally reshaping the omnichannel experience for new parents at Babies “R” Us. The conversation turns to artificial intelligence in retail. Tara identifies inventory optimization, assortment planning and data-driven merchandising as the most impactful AI use cases today. With thousands of SKUs across hundreds of stores, AI enables retailers to interpret complex patterns in seasonality, demand forecasting and aged inventory — decisions that humans alone struggle to process at scale. On the customer-facing side, Tara discusses the evolution of chatbots into intelligent AI assistants capable of handling low-touch service inquiries such as order tracking and product availability. Rather than replacing employees, she argues that AI should enhance workforce productivity by eliminating repetitive tasks and enabling leaders to focus on higher-value decision-making. The episode also explores the risks of retail media networks. Tara warns that retail media can quickly become a friction point if revenue generation outweighs customer experience. Success, she argues, depends on intent: using data and messaging to improve the shopper journey, not overwhelm it. Michael and Tara debate why smaller and mid-sized retailers often outpace large chains in digital agility. Without legacy systems and bureaucratic layers, emerging brands can implement rapid test-and-learn strategies that drive innovation visible to consumers. For larger retailers, shedding outdated processes and shortening decision cycles will be critical to remaining competitive. The episode closes with Tara introducing Commerce Rewired, a new media platform focused on bold debate, data-driven insights and candid conversations about the future of commerce. For retailers navigating AI adoption, workforce transformation, omnichannel strategy and digital innovation, this episode delivers both strategic clarity and practical perspective. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Is AI replacing network engineers? Liz Centoni (Cisco EVP) reveals how Agentic AI is transforming Cisco TAC and network automation. Discover why 77% of support cases are now handled by AI and what this means for your career in 2025. A big thank you to Cisco for sponsoring this video and for sponsoring my trip to Cisco Partner Summit San Diego 2025 // Liz Centoni SOCIAL// LinkedIn: / lizcentoni // David's SOCIAL // Discord: discord.com/invite/usKSyzb Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbombal Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidbombal LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davidbombal Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidbombal.co TikTok: tiktok.com/@davidbombal YouTube: / @davidbombal Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3f6k6gE... SoundCloud: / davidbombal Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... // MY STUFF // https://www.amazon.com/shop/davidbombal // SPONSORS // Interested in sponsoring my videos? Reach out to my team here: sponsors@davidbombal.com // MENU // 0:00 - Coming Up 01:08 - Intro 01:28 - Customer Experience 02:01 - Cisco TAC 02:42 - AI & Agentic AI 05:13 - Usage of Agents 07:15 - Will AI Take Jobs Away? 09:18 - Intelligent Call Routing 13:20 - Challenges with Agents 16:57 - Quantum Computing 18:03 - Liz's Advice for the Youth 19:32 - Conclusion Please note that links listed may be affiliate links and provide me with a small percentage/kickback should you use them to purchase any of the items listed or recommended. Thank you for supporting me and this channel! Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only. #ai #agenticai #quantumcomputing

Grocery stores have notoriously put customers to work: scanning items, bagging them (and for many people, adding extra un-scanned items to those bags -- wink, wink). Now, Jeremy Bradley says restaurants are determined to give customers less human interaction. Giant kiosks are in the middle of the area where people would once line up to place orders at fast-food counters. "How soon before we're dishing up and serving ourselves at the counter?" he asks. Plus, JB wonders why -- aside from a data grab -- do restaurants insist on downloading their app just to get discounts. If the price can be lowered for app users, why not just lower prices for everyone and make dining out affordable again?

Adam continues his conversation with Chris & Adam, digging into the heart of what makes a truly effective brand: human connection. Adam reflects on his college journey: from architecture to fine arts and how building a deep foundation in creative fundamentals gave him the tools to solve complex problems quickly and confidently. He talks about the importance of active listening, community engagement, and building real relationships: illustrated through powerful examples like a school literacy partnership that dramatically improved reading levels. He also breaks down the difference between marketing and creative, why both must collaborate, and how creatives can position themselves to have greater influence. He closes with practical advice for emerging professionals and the value of sharing your voice, even when it feels vulnerable. Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamswartout/ If you need branded solutions for your events, giveaways and employee engagement, check out Club Colors: https://www.clubcolors.com

Episode Summary What separates world-class customer experience companies from everyone else? It's not budget. It's not luck. It's a system. In Part 1 of this two-part series on the Customer Service Revolution podcast, John DiJulius — founder of The DiJulius Group and the CX architect behind Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Nestle, Ritz-Carlton, and top hospitals, financial institutions, and luxury resorts worldwide — begins breaking down the 10 Commandments of Customer Experience: the gold-standard methodology that has transformed how C-suite leaders design, implement, and sustain world-class customer and employee experiences. This episode covers the first half of the framework — from igniting your CX revolution to building your signature experience and creating a zero risk organization. Part 2 (next week) will cover the employee experience, training, and implementation commandments. This isn't theory. This is the actual operating system behind the most admired brands in the world — codified, structured, and sequenced so any organization can implement it. What You'll Learn in Part 1 •       Why John created the 10 Commandments: The frustration of watching great CX collapse as companies scale — and the realization that no one had ever codified how world-class companies actually do it •       Commandment 1 — Ignite the CX Revolution: How to draw a line in the sand as a CEO and make customer obsession a non-negotiable organizational commitment (includes the 'Day in the Life of a Customer' video tool used in new hire orientation) •       The Customer Experience Action Statement: Why mission statements don't drive behavior — and how one action statement built on 3 pillars aligns every employee in every interaction •       The Never & Always Tool (Customer Bill of Rights): The fastest and most immediately transformational CX tool in the framework — 8-10 non-negotiable standards that eliminate employee roulette, department roulette, and location roulette •       Commandment — Signature Experience Design: How journey mapping from the customer's vantage point creates a differentiated experience that makes your brand impossible to replicate •       Zero Risk Organization: What it truly means (hint: it's not about never dropping the ball) — and how empowering frontline employees to recover brilliantly creates loyalty no marketing budget can buy •       Above & Beyond Culture at Scale: Why telling employees to 'go above and beyond' doesn't work — and the top-of-mind awareness system that makes wow moments a daily norm •       The North Star Framework: Why 'flavor of the month' management destroys CX consistency — and how anchoring to one methodology creates shared language, accountability, and lasting culture change •       Tune in next week for Part 2: The employee experience, attraction and hiring, training and implementation, and leadership commandments Key Insights for C-Suite Leaders •       "Good isn't good enough. If you want to be the most customer-obsessed company in your industry, okay is the enemy." — John DiJulius •       "The number one CX problem is consistency — and the root cause is 100 different personal interpretations of what great service means." — John DiJulius •       "When you tell 100 employees to deliver genuine hospitality and don't define it, one person thinks a head nod counts. You need it trainable, observable, measurable, and actionable." — John DiJulius •       "Technology doesn't differentiate you. Technology keeps you at pace. Your signature experience is what makes price irrelevant." — John DiJulius •       "The 10 Commandments don't change. The internet came. Social media came. AI is coming. Those are tools within the commandments — not new commandments." — John DiJulius Who This Episode Is For •       CEOs and C-suite executives building or rebuilding their CX strategy •       Chief Experience Officers and CX Directors seeking a proven, scalable framework •       VP of Customer Success leaders struggling with inconsistency across teams or locations •       Operations leaders who want to eliminate service defects and reduce complaint volume •       HR and L&D leaders designing onboarding and training that actually changes behavior •       Entrepreneurs and founders who want to scale culture without losing quality •       Any leader who has tried to improve customer experience and hit a wall   Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

Realities Remixed, formerly know as Cloud Realities, launches a new season exploring the intersection of people, culture, technology, and society. Hosts Dave Chapman, Esmee van de Giessen, and Rob Kernahan unpack 2026's defining trends, from AI and sovereignty to adaptability and automation, offering fresh insight, candid reflections, and forward‑looking conversations shaping the year ahead. TLDR00:20 – Introduction of Realities Remixed02:30 – Why the show evolved?04:50 – Dig in with the team: Predictions for 202606:40 – Macro trends13:00 – Sovereignty 17:40 – Agentic AI22:17 – Human–AI interaction26:06 – Cloud trends30:42 – AI scaling, domain‑specific models35:03 – Adoption lag39:34 – Physical AI43:47 – Quantum computing48:21 – Hardware acceleration50:30 – Cybersecurity52:38 – Season outlook HostsDave Chapman:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/Esmee van de Giessen:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmeevandegiessen/Rob Kernahan:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kernahan/ProductionMarcel van der Burg:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-vd-burg/Dave Chapman:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/ SoundBen Corbett:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-corbett-3b6a11135/Louis Corbett:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-corbett-087250264/ 'Realities Remixed' is an original podcast from Capgemini

Send us a message!In this episode, Alex & Annie sit down with Krista Goodrich and Kymberlee Nguyen, the duo behind Salty Dog Vacations, to talk about what it really takes to build a vacation rental company that guests remember and a team that is proud to be part of it.They share how Salty Dog grew from early investing decisions in Daytona Beach into a full-scale operation, and how their approach to branding goes beyond design choices. It shows up in the details, the guest experience, and the way they protect their people.The conversation also expands into Krista's work in local advocacy and zoning, their broader mission to help more women build wealth through real estate, and how their community has grown through retreats and education.Episode Chapters:08:20 – How local rules, zoning, and community involvement shape what it takes to operate responsibly15:07 – Building a brand guests remember: personality, pet-friendly touches, and guest joy19:37 – Krista's “Boss Lady Investor” work, and why real estate education needs to feel accessible25:00 – How retreats and community experiences can become part of a bigger platform, not just a side project33:32 – What it looks like to build a company culture where your team feels protected and respected35:44 – The moment they fired an owner, and why that decision mattered for the business long term40:25 – Why consistency matters more than “cute ideas,” especially once you are scalingIf you're trying to build a stronger guest experience and a business that holds up as you grow, this one's worth a listen.Connect with Kym & Krista:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-goodrich-2823198/ Podcast: https://www.thebossladyinvestor.com/ Website: https://mysaltydogvacation.com/ ✨ Exclusive Offer to Alex & Annie Listeners:Streamline your short-term rental operations with Hostfully.Mention the Alex & Annie Podcast when you sign up and get free onboarding ($1000 value).

Hey CX Nation,In this CXWeekly Update episode #277 we walk through ideas, goals & CTAs the team at CXC has been focused on, not only internally but from the learnings we're being exposed to from clients & strategic partners on a regular basis. In this episode we walk through a few emerging trends around how AI is impacting the future of Sales, CX, Customer Success & Support + the future of work. Thanks to our friends at GoTo, Intercom & TriNet for supplying some amazing market reports that fuel this week's episodes. They collectively went out & interviewed & surveyed thousands of business leaders from across the world to see where they are in their AI foundation building efforts. Click here for GoTo Pulse of Work Report 2025Click here for Intercom Customer Service Transformation Report 2026Click here for Tri-Net State of Workplace Report 2025Don't worry we have a ton of amazing brand new guest interviews & episodes coming down the pipeline.We're also working on new forms & mediums of customer focused business content -- including my 2nd book "Make Happiness A Habit" that we are launching in the New Year. We've also been building a few new podcasts behind the scenes to take all that we've learned with CXCP & start finding other podcast areas ripe for more content. A big part of CXC's mission is to continue creating valuable customer & employee focused business leader content, including CXWeekly updates like this that are digestible, actionable & most importantly entertaining. The CXChronicles Podcast is approaching a huge milestone in the upcoming months that most podcasts will never achieve. We closing in on 300+ episodes of customer focused business content from incredible Founders & Executives from all over the world. CXC is partnered with several leading software & technology providers including Hubspot, Intercom, Freshworks, & several others who might be the difference in your CX/EX performance moving forward. We provide our clients with audits, assessments & scorecards and we provide custom CTAs centered around your content engine to drive CX/EX health, utilization & health performance for our partner solutions (Hubspot, Intercom, Freshworks), & on-demand managed services (partner led implementation, utilization performance & training for several of our partner solutions).If you enjoy The CXChronicles Podcast, stop by your favorite podcast player and leave us a review today.You know what would be even better?Go tell one of your friends or teammates about CXC's content, CX/CS/RevOps services, our customer & employee focused community & invite them to join the CX Nation!For you non-readers, go check out the CXChronicles Youtube channel to see our customer & employee focused video content & short-reel CTAs to improve your CX/CS/RevOps performance today (politely go smash that subscribe button).Contact us anytime to learn more about CXC at INFO@cxchronicles.com and ask us about how we can help your business & team make customer happiness a habit now!Reach Out To CXC Today!Support the showContact CXChronicles Today Tweet us @cxchronicles Check out our Instagram @cxchronicles Click here to checkout the CXC website Email us at info@cxchronicles.com Remember To Make Happiness A Habit!!

WEBINAR LINK:https://shawnmoore.clickfunnels.com/optiniyvvg89sWant to learn more about Vodyssey or start your STR journey. Book a call here:https://meetings.hubspot.com/vodysseystrategysession/booknow?utm_source=vodysseycom&uuid=80fb7859-b8f4-40d1-a31d-15a5caa687b7FOLLOW US:https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16XJMvMbVo/https://www.instagram.com/vodysseyshawnmoorehttps://www.facebook.com/vodysseyshawnmoore/https://www.linkedin.com/company/str-financial-freedomhttps://www.tiktok.com/@vodysseyshawnmooreCONTACT US:support@vodyssey.comSOURCES:1) https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/13/airbnb-plans-to-bake-in-ai-features-for-search-discovery-and-support/2) https://mashable.com/article/airbnb-testing-ai-powered-search-feature3) https://nationaltoday.com/us/ma/boston/news/2026/02/14/airbnb-plans-to-integrate-ai-across-search-discovery-and-support/Chapters:00:00:00 Intro00:02:54 The Impact of AI on Property Management00:05:48 Curating Unique Experiences for Guests00:09:01 The Role of Property Managers in an AI World00:11:50 Strategies for Property Managers00:15:11 Pricing Strategies and AI Integration00:18:06 The Future of Customer Experience with AI00:21:08 Hypothetical Scenarios: Self-Management and Personal Touch

What if everything you thought you knew about customer experience was backwards? In this episode, JC Quintana—author, educator, and psychologist—reveals why most companies are approaching CX completely wrong. Instead of obsessing over touchpoints and metrics, JC argues we need to start with something much more fundamental: expectations. JC walks us through his Dialogue 7 framework, which identifies the seven critical conversations that must happen before you can even think about designing an experience. From defining value and understanding cultural influences to managing engagement levels and transparency expectations, these conversations form the foundation of every successful business relationship. We explore why employees are anxious about AI adoption (hint: it's not about the technology), why ChatGPT accidentally became the world's best communication teacher, and why saying your company is "like a family" might be doing more harm than good. If you're tired of CX strategies that look great on paper but fail in practice, this conversation will fundamentally shift how you think about customer relationships in 2026 and beyond. Chapters 00:00:00 Why Technology Vendors Broke Customer Experience 03:14 What's Really Broken: We've Lost the Human Component 10:00 Business Model First, Experience Second 16:35 Introducing the Dialogue 7 Framework 24:01 The Most Commonly Missed Expectations: Knowledge & Engagement 34:48 How to Actually Use the 7 Conversations in Practice 41:00 Why Employees Are Anxious About AI (And What to Do About It) 50:03 ChatGPT: The World's Best Communication Teacher 58:21 Lightning Round: Books, Trends, and What's Next 01:09:00 Connect with JC: Books, Resources, and Next Steps Experts of Experience is a Mission.org production. To discover more shows designed to educate, inspire, and entertain, go to mission.org.

Blending AI Efficiency with Human Insight  Shep interviews Vinod Muthukrishnan, Vice President & General Manager of Webex Customer Experience at Cisco. He talks about how AI is moving from a technology tool to a collaborative coworker that helps businesses personalize service, automate routine tasks, and close the customer experience gap.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How can AI create a human-centered customer experience?  How is artificial intelligence transforming customer service interactions?  What are the most effective ways to use analytics to improve customer support and reduce unnecessary contact center calls?  How can automation help resolve frequent customer complaints, such as long wait times or repetitive interactions?  Why should companies rethink traditional metrics, such as average handle time, when evaluating customer service performance?  Top Takeaways:    AI has evolved from being just a tool to becoming an actual coworker. It can handle routine tasks and take on responsibilities like note-taking during meetings, freeing up a lot of employees' time. This shift is radically transforming how we engage, connect, collaborate, and communicate with customers.  Brand interactions should aim to feel like engaging with a favorite human. The best experiences remember customers' history, never making them repeat themselves, and understanding their unique preferences. They also minimize wait times and meet customers on their channel of choice.  Customers are understanding when they know you genuinely care about their issues and are actively working to resolve them. But if they have to call three times for the same issue, it becomes another problem.   If you use AI to solve problems the right way, you bring customers to your side of the equation. Instead of asking the generic ‘How can I help you?' when they've already called multiple times, AI can help you acknowledge their frustration by providing customer history and knowledge base in real time, and guide you on the next best step to fixing the issue.  Using AI and analytics to predict, prevent, and preempt issues by proactively giving customers the information they need before they even ask creates a seamless experience where people rarely need to call for help.   Call containment and call deflection with AI do not mean companies stop talking to customers. It means letting AI handle routine tasks like password resets or payment verifications, so that when customers reach a human agent, the conversation can focus on more important tasks, like resolving complex issues or exploring new products.  Plus, Shep and Vinod discuss why brands that go “all-in” on AI for customer support often end up reversing their decisions. Tune in!  Quote:   "We have to start looking at AI not as a tool or a product, but as a teammate."    About:    Vinod Muthukrishnan is the VP & GM of Webex Customer Experience at Cisco. He is an expert in AI and innovative technology to transform how brands engage with customers, ensuring experiences are more human and personalized.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send a textIn this episode of Navigating the Customer Experience, Gal Borenstein, Founder and CEO of The Borenstein Group, joins us for a powerful conversation on trust, branding, and customer experience in the digital and AI era. With nearly 30 years of experience advising growth-oriented organizations in complex and regulated industries, Gal shares how leaders can protect credibility and build sustainable brands when trust is on the line.Gal's journey is a true immigration success story. Born and raised in Israel, he served as a military journalist before moving to the United States at 21 to pursue his education. After completing his undergraduate degree at Temple University in just two and a half years and earning a master's degree from George Mason University, he quickly recognized a major gap in the marketplace: highly technical companies struggled to communicate their value clearly.Armed with a $2,000 loan and a vision, he launched The Borenstein Group in the Washington, DC area, focusing on helping B2B technology firms connect complex solutions to clear messaging. Over the past three decades, he has worked closely with CEOs and executive teams navigating cybersecurity, AI, advanced analytics, and government contracting—industries where trust, precision, and differentiation are critical.In this episode, Gal discusses his latest book, Don't Believe the Hype: When Trust Is On The Line in the Age of Digital and AI, and explores what's driving the breakdown of trust between brands and customers today.From his perspective, the erosion of trust accelerated with digital transformation and automation. As companies adopted CRM systems, AI tools, and scripted customer service processes, they unintentionally removed the human element that once anchored relationships. What used to be human-to-human trust has often become process-driven interaction—efficient, but emotionally disconnected. AI can execute tasks faster, but it cannot replace empathy, judgment, or values.Gal emphasizes that customer experience failures are rarely external problems alone. They usually reflect internal disconnects. Leadership may believe they are communicating clearly, while employees feel unheard or misaligned. Without internal trust, external trust collapses. He challenges organizations to develop a measurable “trust index” that identifies strengths, weaknesses, and perception gaps across departments.We also explore one of today's biggest CX threats: fake reviews and AI-generated misinformation. In the past, companies largely controlled their narrative. Today, anonymous posts on review platforms and social media can shape perception overnight. Gal explains that reacting defensively is not enough. Brands must actively monitor conversations, engage in social listening, and integrate feedback into internal systems. Trust must become an ecosystem—shared by executives, middle management, and frontline employees alike.When asked about tools he relies on, Gal highlights LinkedIn as an essential knowledge hub, connecting professionals across industries and geographies. He also leverages AI platforms like OpenAI, while cautioning leaders to “trust but verify” due to AI hallucinations and inaccuracies.What excites him most right now is helping companies operationalize trust—turning it from an abstract value into a measurable, monetizable strategy that aligns culture, communication, and customer experience.His guiding mindset, inspired by Seinfeld, is both humorous and profound: “It's not a lie if you believe it.” For Gal, this reflects the power of vision. When leaders truly believe in their narrative—and back it with integrity and proof points—they inspire teams, partners, and customers alike.This episode challenges CX leaders and business professionals to see trust as a cr

Stressed arrivals, missed promises, and long check-in lines aren't surprises. They're predictable flashpoints in hospitality. In this episode, we answer a listener's question about training frontline teams for high-emotion moments and share a practical framework for turning tension into trust without burning out your people.We start by redefining success. Instead of aiming to “make every guest happy,” we focus on a sustainable goal: guide the guest to a better moment than the one they're in. From there, we identify the biggest hot spots in the journey and outline how proactive planning, clear recovery thresholds, and consistent standards across properties create a reliable brand experience.Then we get tactical with language that defuses tension, micro-habits for staying calm under pressure, and playbooks that remove hesitation when speed matters. We also explore empowerment tools like room moves, credits, and late checkout, plus the well-being practices that keep teams strong through demanding shifts.If you lead a hotel, resort, or any high-contact service, this episode delivers actionable steps to strengthen service recovery, customer experience, and employee resilience.Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything --experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators Website -- experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact. Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Every leadership team craves alignment; no one wants the meetings. When executives hear "RevOps for Clients," they may picture more red tape and overhead. Courtney Baker, David DeWolf, and Mohan Rao argue that the right rigor doesn't slow business down—it slows bad decisions down. They unpack the "Minimum Viable Cadence," swapping hours of reactive fire drills for a single 30-minute triage, and discuss why exposing "dirty data" is the only path to shared accountability. Courtney also sits down with Alyssa Nolte of Ology to discuss AI in Customer Experience. Alyssa shares why the data you need is already there—just trapped in silos—and offers a "Kobe Bryant" approach to mastering the unsexy fundamentals of change management. All that, plus Pete Buer analyzes IBM's move to package its internal AI efficiency tool, IBM Consulting Advantage, as a client-facing product. Is it the ultimate example of productizing services? Get the resources to build your own RevOps for Clients discipline at our 2/25 webinar: www.knownwell.com/revops Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwdcu54dfR4 

In this episode of Product & Packaging Powerhouse, Megan Young Gamble talks with fulfillment expert Maïré BAVARDAY-ROSA from ECOMSPACES all things fulfillment, operations, and growth for indie and product-based brands. Maïré details her inspiring journey from a small Caribbean island to launching a logistics business in Atlanta, sharing lessons on resilience and innovation. The conversation covers when to consider a 3PL, the importance of organization (like using SKUs and barcodes from the start!), strategies for inventory management, and why branded packaging and customer service are key growth levers. They also discuss the impact of technology like Shopify, dynamic pricing due to tariffs, retail readiness, and the ever-changing landscape of ecommerce logistics, including AI's growing role. Maïré offers super practical tips: focus on numbers, outsource shipping when it makes sense, and never underestimate operations' impact on customer experience. The episode wraps with a fun “power round” where Maïré shares personal tidbits and her passion for helping purpose-driven brands. Affiliate & Other Links: [Megan Young Gamble Links][AFFILIATE] Ready to crank out your content in as little as 5 minutes? Use Castmagic, AI powered tool to take your content creation from overwhelmed to overjoyed by saving hours of developing content. Save 20 hours by Signing up today! https://get.castmagic.io/Megan [FREEBIE] Learn about “day in the life” of a Packaging Project Manager → Get our “Starter Packaging PM Freebie” [link] https://glc.ck.page/thestarterpackagingprojectmanager [FREEBIE] Access commonly referenced organizations and tools in ONE PLACE with our handy guide HERE [link] https://bit.ly/OSTPlay Subscribe & Access our Video Vault YouTube Channel [ link] https://bit.ly/GLConYouTubeJoin our Email List [link] https://glc.ck.page/55128ae04b Follow and Connect with Megan on LinkedIn [link] https://linkedin.com/in/megangambleLearn about GLC, Packaging & Project execution firm for CPG brands http://www.getlevelconsulting.comWork with Me @ GLC, Schedule Discovery Call https://calendly.com/getlevelconsulting/15-minute-insight-sessionGot a topic you'd love us to cover? Share your ideas here [link] https://bit.ly/ppptopicform[Powerhouse Guest Maïré s LINKS]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mairehina/Company Website : https://www.ecomspaces.com/Email Address: maire@ecomspaces.comQUOTES:Shipping is the most hated industry, I think, in the entire world. Shipping is hard.If you start spending more than two hours a day shipping, it's time to look at outsourcing your shipping.I would rather pay someone $100 to ship stuff for me in two hours than spend these two hours and lose the opportunity to make $500.Be organized. People overlook how important that is.Packaging is a very underutilized marketing tool.The best marketing is organic marketing.If you treat your customer extremely well and they have the best customer experience possible, you're going to grow organically.

⭐⭐⭐⭐Please take 12 seconds to rate and review the podcast because it helps us find new listeners⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Learn More About Sponsoring the Podcast Here: https://choicehacking.link/sponsor-the-podFREE RESOURCES✅ Get a free digital copy of my bestselling book for a limited time, Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings. Get it here: https://www.choicehacking.com/free-book/ ✅ Get FREE weekly buyer psychology insights when you join my newsletter, Choice Hacking Ideas: Join the 10k+ people getting daily insights on how to 2x their marketing effectiveness (so sales and profit 2x, too) using buyer psychology. Join here: https://www.choicehacking.com/read/✅ Connect with host Jennifer Clinehens on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok @ChoiceHacking and @BuildwithChoiceHackingWORK WITH ME✅ Corporate Training: Get your team up-skilled marketing psychology and behavioral science with a workshop or training session. Choice Hacking has worked with brands like Microsoft, T-Mobile, and McDonalds to help their teams apply behavioral science and marketing psychology.Learn more here, and get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of the page: https://www.choicehacking.com/training/✅ Get your own Chief Business Copilot for your business by working with me one-on-one or in a group program. Get weekly live Skill Sessions, Implementation Sessions, and one-on-one time with me.Learn more about my group program here: https://choicehacking.academy/cbc/Learn more about one-on-one coaching here: https://www.choicehacking.com/coaching/✅ Buy my book in Kindle, paperback, or audiobook form: "Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings": https://choicehacking.com/PodBook/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Summary In this episode of the AI for Sales podcast, host Chad Burmeister speaks with Justin Trombold, an expert in generative AI and sales strategy. They discuss the importance of AI readiness, the transformation of customer experience through AI, and the balance between automation and personalization in sales. Justin emphasizes the need for organizations to align their AI strategies with their overall business objectives and to overcome misconceptions about AI's capabilities. The conversation highlights the potential of AI to enhance sales processes and improve customer engagement while addressing the challenges that come with implementing AI solutions. Takeaways Generative AI readiness is crucial for organizations. Data quality is just one aspect of AI readiness. AI can significantly enhance customer experience. Sales teams should focus on higher order tasks. Misconceptions about AI can hinder its adoption. Automation should augment human capabilities, not replace them. Collaboration across departments is essential for success. Understanding AI's limitations is key to effective use. Sales strategies must align with AI capabilities. AI can help sales reps focus on relationship building. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI in Sales 02:50 Understanding Generative AI Readiness 05:54 Transforming Customer Experience with AI 08:26 The Role of AI in Sales Strategy 11:30 Overcoming Misconceptions about AI 14:12 Balancing Automation and Personalization 17:09 Future of AI in Sales and Customer Engagement The AI for Sales Podcast is brought to you by BDR.ai, Nooks.ai, and ZoomInfo—the go-to-market intelligence platform that accelerates revenue growth. Skip the forms and website hunting—Chad will connect you directly with the right person at any of these companies.

This episode of Ask The Expert features five home service leaders discussing how cross‑industry collaboration improves communication, consistency, and customer experience.

On Cloud Realities, the real insight rarely came from technology alone, it emerged at the intersection of People, Culture, Industry, and Technology. In the remix we bring back familiar voices and topics while going deeper into the wider impacts, influence, and potential of today's tech across society. The 2026 season trailer, arriving a little later than planned, opens with this renewed focus and sets the stage for Episode 1, launching on February 19. Here's a quick trailer to get you ready!TLDR00:11 The emergence of insight from Cloud Realities01:00  Where the magic happens 01:42 The real impact on People, Culture, Industry and Tech HostsDave Chapman:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/Esmee van de Giessen:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmeevandegiessen/Rob Kernahan:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kernahan/ProductionMarcel van der Burg:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-vd-burg/Dave Chapman:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/ SoundBen Corbett:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-corbett-3b6a11135/Louis Corbett:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-corbett-087250264/ 'Realities Remixed' is an original podcast from Capgemini

Uncertainty is worse than a bad experience. It's true. Connect with Sam on LinkedIn - I share customer experience content multiple times a week, and love hearing from listeners with questions or ideas for topics.Subscribe to my newsletter, Customer Experience Patterns - I publish a new edition with each episode of the podcast.My LinkedIn Learning courses: Customer Experience: 6 Essential Foundations For Lasting Loyalty, How To Create Great Customer Experiences & Build A Customer-Centric Culture. In-depth video series that teach you how to create great experiences, and build customer-centric cultuers.Thanks to my talented colleague Emily Tolmer for the cover art. Thanks to my friends at Moon Island for the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What could your business unlock if you stopped seeing AI as just a way to cut costs, and started seeing it as a pathway to deeper customer connection and organic growth? Are you truly listening and responding to what your online reviews are revealing about your service, or are you letting authenticity slip away with canned, generic replies?As the market pushes for automation and efficiency, it's easy to miss that real transformation—and pipeline growth—often start with authentic engagement. On this episode, Bob Azman is joined by George Swetlitz, co-founder and CEO of Right Response AI. They dive deep into the modern role of AI in experience management, especially for local businesses aiming to stand out. Share this episode with a fellow advisor or broker who's ready to replace “AI slop” with authentic persuasion—and subscribe for more actionable ideas on scaling meaningful client relationships.

What could your business unlock if you stopped seeing AI as just a way to cut costs, and started seeing it as a pathway to deeper customer connection and organic growth? Are you truly listening and responding to what your online reviews are revealing about your service, or are you letting authenticity slip away with canned, generic replies?As the market pushes for automation and efficiency, it's easy to miss that real transformation—and pipeline growth—often start with authentic engagement. On this episode, Bob Azman is joined by George Swetlitz, co-founder and CEO of Right Response AI. They dive deep into the modern role of AI in experience management, especially for local businesses aiming to stand out. Share this episode with a fellow advisor or broker who's ready to replace “AI slop” with authentic persuasion—and subscribe for more actionable ideas on scaling meaningful client relationships.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton speaks with Rachael Zaluzec, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Experience and Brand Marketing at Volkswagen of America. Rachael explains how the Volkswagen ‘Drivers Wanted' campaign returns as a cultural statement about independence and identity. The conversation explores 2026 Automotive marketing trends, the role of AI in automotive customer experience, and how Volkswagen is blending heritage with modern technology while preparing for the future of autonomous driving Volkswagen strategy.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Rachael Zaluzec on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at suzy@suzy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How CX Leaders Can Navigate the Turbulence of an AI-Transformed World  Shep interviews Scott McKain, award-winning speaker and best-selling author. He talks about his latest book, Beyond Distinction: How Leaders Transcend the Turbulence of an AI-Transformed World, and  how leaders and organizations can create meaningful, distinctive customer experiences in an AI-transformed world.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    Why is consistency important in providing an excellent customer experience?  What role does emotional connection play in building customer loyalty?  How should companies leverage technology to improve customer service without losing the human touch?  What are some effective ways to deliver a proactive customer experience?  Why is standing out from competitors not enough to build lasting customer relationships?  Top Takeaways:    Standing out from competitors is important. However, simply being different is not always good. Distinction is when what we do is unique, compelling, and memorable in a way that is impactful and meaningful to the customers we seek to serve.  Consistency wows customers. Amazing customer experiences are built on doing small things right, every time. When every interaction is handled with care and attention, customers learn to trust the brand.   Technology, like AI, can make your business faster and more efficient, but loyalty comes from how you make customers feel. Even with simple gestures like remembering someone's name or checking whether the customer got everything they need, it's the human touch that keeps people coming back.   Use AI to save money and handle repetitive tasks efficiently, giving your team more time to focus on resolving customer issues and building stronger relationships.  Every organization should be very precise about what they aren't, just as clear as they are about what they are.   Real competitive advantage does not come from reacting to trends or to what your competitors are doing. If you are constantly in reaction mode, you are already behind. Staying ahead means anticipating your customers' needs before they realize what they want.   Artificial Intelligence amplifies the values and habits a business already has, good or bad. If a business is committed to consistently providing excellent service, AI will help them do so even better. If a business is running on broken systems or is only focused on cutting costs, AI could make those problems worse.   Plus, Scott shares more insights from his latest book, Beyond Distinction: How Leaders Transcend the Turbulence of an AI-Transformed World. Tune in! Quote:   "Tasks go to technology, but emotion and customers go to human beings."  About:    Scott McKain is a Hall of Fame speaker, business advisor, and the founder/CEO of the Distinction Institute. He is the best-selling author of ALL Business is STILL Show Business, Iconic, Create Distinction, and his latest,  Beyond Distinction.  Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, Martha Dorris sat down with Dr. Paul Lawrence, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Lawrence previously served as the Under Secretary for Benefits during his first term at VA and was named the 2019 Service to the Citizen Government Executive of the Year.As Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Lawrence oversees VA operations and supports the Secretary in delivering on the Department's priorities. Throughout the conversation, he reiterated his commitment to veterans and to ensuring they have a positive experience when accessing VA health care and benefits.Dr. Lawrence highlighted several key achievements, including progress in housing homeless veterans, expanding access through the opening of new clinics, and improving the speed and accuracy of benefits processing — all while working with fewer resources. He emphasized the importance of engaging directly with veterans, listening to their feedback, and using metrics to identify the areas that matter most.Additional topics discussed included:VA's ongoing rollout of the Electronic Health Record, a major transformation effort aimed at improving both the health care experience and operational efficiency, for which Dr. Lawrence serves as executive champion.Enhancements to the overall veteran experience beyond medical care, including small but meaningful changes that demonstrate respect and compassion.The value of hearing veterans' concerns firsthand through in-person visits, and how even minor adjustments can make a significant difference.The importance of aligning technology investments with clear outcomes and managing change carefully to ensure successful adoption.VA's responsibility to serve veterans across generations, from their late teens to over 100 years old, requiring excellence across all service delivery channels.The conversation concluded with a focus on VA's plans to continue improving benefits processing, simplifying forms, streamlining processes, and enhancing the end-to-end health care experience. Dr. Lawrence noted that veteran trust in VA has increased significantly over the past nine years, underscoring the impact of these efforts.Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners! Stay Connected: Follow us on social media: LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational Twitter: @DorrisConsultng Facebook: @DCInternational Resources Mentioned: Citizen Services Newsletter 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

In this latest episode of Cloud Wars Live, Bob Evans is joined by Colleen Kapase, Vice President of Channels and Partner Programs at Google Cloud, and Rakesh Sancheti, Chief Growth Officer at Tredence. Together, they explore how agentic AI is transforming enterprises from insight-driven organizations into adaptive, reflexive businesses. The conversation highlights how AI agents, data foundations, and partner ecosystems are reshaping productivity, decision-making, and real-time execution across industries.The Responsive EnterpriseThe Big Themes:AI Moves From Insight to Action: Enterprises are transitioning from AI that merely advises to AI systems that actively execute decisions. Agentic AI workflows enable systems to sense changes, analyze signals, and take action without waiting for human intervention. This marks a fundamental shift from dashboards and reports to operational intelligence embedded directly into business processes. The result is faster adaptation, reduced latency in decision-making, and organizations that can respond to market changes in near real time rather than after-the-fact analysis cycles.Partners Are the Critical Bridge: Technology platforms alone cannot deliver transformation. Partners play a crucial role in translating AI capabilities into real-world outcomes by combining industry expertise, customer context, and accelerators. They bridge the gap between powerful AI platforms and the specific operational realities of each enterprise. This partnership model accelerates deployment, reduces experimentation cycles, and ensures AI agents are connected to real data and real processes.Retail Emerges as a Leading Use Case: Retail provides a vivid example of agentic AI in action. Multi-agent systems personalize experiences, optimize merchandising, adjust media spend, and guide customers in real time. These systems act continuously, responding to shopper behavior, inventory signals, and market conditions instantly. The result is improved customer experience, higher returns, and operations that function more like living systems than static processes.The Big Quote: “We're really going to move past the era where data is just sitting in warehouses and being collected and really looking at it independently, and instead take advanced AI and put it in the hands of every single individual.”More from Tredence and Google Cloud:Dive into Tredence's exploration of AI agents and Google Cloud's guide for putting AI agents on the marketplace.  Visit Cloud Wars for more.

In this episode, we talk to Ian Reeves. Ian is the Managing Director of Flourish CRM, an independent, specialist CRM agency with offices in both Bristol in the UK and Dubai, where they create award-winning campaigns for clients like Nissan and Samsung.We talk about how an agency like his is, if you'll pardon the obvious pun, flourishing in the febrile world of huge holding companies like Omnicom and WPP and a martech sector that is undergoing extraordinary change. External resources:Flourish website - CLICK HEREAudio-Visual assets:Imagery: Photo by Matthew Brodeur on UnsplashMusic: Hot Thang by Daniel Fridell. CLICK HEREMusic: Don't Lie by Will Harrison. CLICK HERE

What if the fastest answer isn't the right one? We unpack the tension between speed and resolution in customer experience, exploring why AI bots can erode trust when they chase efficiency instead of fixing the real problem. With guest co-host Jennie Lewis of Airship, we dig into pragmatic ways to use AI as an amplifier for empathy.We also step into hospitality, where automation has raced ahead with mobile keys, kiosks, and virtual front desks. Convenience is great—until an empty lobby at midnight changes how safe a guest feels. From solo travel realities to on-the-ground service design, we discuss how to widen the journey map beyond “check-in to room” and include the edge cases that define trust.Then we tackle dynamic pricing. There's a world of difference between rewarding loyalty and playing whack-a-mole with rates. We call out practices that feel predatory, highlight proactive offers that build goodwill, and suggest clear guardrails that prevent sticker shock.If you care about CX that feels human and scales gracefully, this conversation will sharpen your playbook. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review.About Jennie Lewis:Sr Manager, Customer Insights at AirshipJennie Lewis is a value-focused researcher who transforms complex data into revenue-driving narratives. An expert in quantifying CX ROI, she began as a self-taught coder automating emails for GM before leading agency teams that supported iconic brands like Marriott, Chase, and Marvel. She bridges the gap between technical data and business strategy, managing a portfolio of research results that achieve increased influenced revenue. Certified by Northwestern, eCornell, and Google, Jennie is a recognized thought leader and mentor dedicated to proving that great customer experience is a measurable driver of growth.Follow Jennie on...LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennie-lewis/Articles Mentioned:- Customer service AI bots not ready for prime time, survey suggests (Consumer Affairs)- Ireckonu- 2025 year in review: What had happenend in the hospitality technology industry? (Breaking Travel News)- Asda's unhappy shoppers give boss food for thought (The Times)Resources Mentioned:Women In CX CommunityOrder your copy of Experience Is EverythingExperience Investigators WebsiteWant to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Rediscover the power of authentic connection in this episode of Zero to CEO with Tim Townsend. With 30+ years in leadership and wealth management, Tim shares how putting people first isn't just the right thing — it's a winning business strategy. Learn how to balance tech with human service, build standout client experiences, and lead with empathy in a world full of automation. If you're tired of “your call is important to us,” this is your reset button.

"At the very core of everything we do is about meeting and exceeding expectations."Marc Haine shares how theatrical principles can transform your small business's customer experience. Drawing from his unique journey from hospitality consultant to stage actor, Marc reveals why most businesses fail to meet basic customer expectations and provides practical strategies to elevate every customer touchpoint.Marc Haine is the author of Lights, Camera, Action and a former hospitality industry fixer with 25 years of experience working with hotels, casinos, and restaurants.Resources MentionedMarc Haine's website: markhaine.com (free touchpoint assessment available). Book: Lights, Camera, Action by Marc Haine. Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business WorkshopFREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.But six weeks in, you're exhausted.Your best hours are going to fires. Decision fatigue is real. And your team senses it.Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assetsThanks to our sponsors...Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that's what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here's an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They'll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they'll waive all setup fees.About Above The Business:Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.

In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein chats with Meera Bhatia, President and COO of Fabletics, on the strategies powering the brand's impressive momentum.Fresh off hitting the $1 billion revenue milestone, Meera breaks down how Fabletics has driven sustained growth through category expansion, measured store growth and a flexible membership model that delivers both value for consumers and predictability for the business. She also shares how AI is being deployed across the organization — from smart fitting rooms and associate coaching to inventory optimization and loyalty-driving personalization.The conversation offers a candid look at how Fabletics is blending fashion, function, value, and technology to stand out in the crowded activewear market and why comfort-forward “lifewear” is shaping what comes next.Key TakeawaysHow Fabletics scaled past $1 billion in revenue through category, channel and geographic expansion;Why the brand's membership model drives loyalty, predictability and lower supply chain waste;How physical retail is fueling omnichannel growth, with 120+ stores and more on the way;Inside Fabletics' AI-powered flagship store, from smart fitting rooms to real-time associate coaching;Why AI is less about replacing fundamentals — and more about delivering them better; andWhat's next for Fabletics in 2026, including international growth and new category plays.Related LinksExplore Fabletics' latest collections and retail experienceRelated reading: New Fabletics Flagship Brings AI-Powered Operations to Westfield Century CityRelated reading: Fabletics Deploys RFID-Powered Inventory Management SolutionExplore more NRF26 coverage and retail insights from Retail TouchPointsSubscribe so you don't miss more episodes of Retail Remix from the show floor of NRF26

ABOUT JOE BAER:Joe's LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/joe-baer-4479385Websites:zengenius.com visual911.com Email: jbaer@zengenius.comBIO:Joe is the Co-Founder, Creative Director, and CEO of ZenGenius, Inc., an experiential design firm specializing in visual merchandising and event design. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Joe brings over three decades of mastery in innovative leadership and creative direction to the design, visual merchandising and special events industries. He has extensive knowledge of the customer journey from working in stores for decades and is a seasoned public speaker who has traveled the world to inspire and educate others through the art of visual merchandising, design and special events.Additionally, Joe has contributed his retail know-how to multiple publications, authored The Art of Visual Merchandising: Short North, and created one of my favorite events in the retail industry the Iron Merchant Challenge, a popular interactive visual merchandising competition held annually at the International Retail Design Conference. Joe's passion for the world of design is evident in his role as President of the PAVE Global leadership board - a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation with the mission to support, connect, and inspire the next generation of professionals in the retail design, visual merchandising, and consumer environments industry. He also holds Advisory Board roles at Columbus College of Art and Design and VMSD Magazine. SHOW INTROWelcome to Episode 85! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast…In every episode we follow our catch phrase of having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” And as we continue on this journey, we'll have guests that are thought provoking futurists, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.We'll talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections between our mind-body and the built world around us.If you like what you hear on the NXTLVL Experience Design show, make sure to subscribe, like, comment and share with colleagues, friends and family.The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is always grateful for the support of VMSD magazine.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. I think the IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org Today, EPISODE 85… I talk with Joe Baer of Zen Genius an experiential design firm specializing in visual merchandising and event design. Joe had spent more than 3 decades working the in the retail industry bringing visual merchandising know-how to the creation of emotionally resonant branded places. Visual merchandising is allot more than simply making things look good in a store. It's very much about 3D storytelling, sensory experiences, emotions and making places sing as Joe explains.We'll get there in a minute but... first a few thoughts…*                     *                          *                          *Monique worked in the visual merchandising departmentshe was the director there and I was the director in the interior design department our two programs ran concurrently we shared some students across our programs but we seldom actually shared lunchAnd so it was slightly strange but intriguing that she invited me to have lunch with her across the street from the college at a little Thai placeWe sat down, talked about students and then - more as a throw away - she said “they want me to go to Singapore…”And I waited for the next sentence.“But I don't really want to go to Singapore.” she said. “I'd have to leave here. I'd have to leave my son who's thinking about collage a few years and I'd really just prefer to stay in Montreal.”And then there was a silence.“Singapore?!” I said.“I don't even know where Singapore is. That's in Southeast Asia, right? ““yeah, it's like on the other side of the world.” she said.“Sounds exotic. I'd go for sure. Besides, I love Chinese food. I could eat it every day.”“Really?” she said .“Sure, why not? I'd love to go. I love the whole idea of adventure.” “Well anyway,” she said, “I don't know what they are going to do if I don't go. It's to be the Director of the visual merchandising program in an international fashion school and they've got no one else who could do it.” “No seriously, I'd go. I mean I have no idea about what you do and… I'm a guy and that means genetically I actually don't like shopping and I've only ever designed the escalator and fountain at the Eaton center. But let them know that I'd do it.”We finished lunch, climbed over the snowbank of freshly plowed snow, crossed the street to get back for afternoon classes and a few weeks later I was walking down the stairs of a plane in the stultifying humidity at Changi airport.Monday morning, I was the program Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School … in Singapore… and… I had no idea what I was doing but knew my career had taken a significant and abrupt turn.The world of retail design had found me, and I never looked back for the next 20 years.Over those 20 plus years I learned from some masters in retail design and visual merchandising. I arrived in New York after a year, spent an afternoon with Gene Moore, was introduced to Peter Glenn and ended up working with Joe Weishar New Vision Studios. I spent the next four years listening to and watching Joe talk about visual merchandising practice as both art and retail strategy.For Joe Weishar visual merchandising wasn't just a display tactic but was a creative discipline that blended art, design and retail psychology. He merged visual perception and design principles and he would layout a store or a wall with the same mechanics of laying out a composition of a painting – proportions, scale, focal points. He celebrated Visual merchandising as an art form that shaped memorable experiences rather than simply placing products on the shelvesAll of those basic art principles were things that I was deeply familiar with. I had been in private art studios that my parents put me in at the age of nine because they recognized my passion for painting.I had gone to architecture school and spent the first eight years of my career doing traditional architectural projects – museums, libraries, houses, schools… that sort of thing and I taught the design same principles of scale proportion, balance, color, harmony and how you could use those things ultimately to tell a story to students in a College's interior design program in Montreal.Even in those early years of my career in the late 90s, I was learning that retail stores needed to be engaging the senses, and we should be thinking about creatively implementing textures, variations in lighting as well as sound and scent and not just focusing on what customers would experience with their eyes.I was learning that the senses were conduits for emotion and memory - that if you implemented design principles and thoughtful sensory-based visual merchandising elements correctly, that they would help to fill shopping baskets and engage customers in long-term relationships with a brand. These sorts of environments that engaged the senses would increase loyalty and invite return visits because, in the end, the store was simply a backdrop, a theater set for the full-bodied experience of a brand where main feature was the merchandise.If you thought of merchandise as elements in a composition and wrapped them in memorable display moments, it could make stores sing.This sort of thinking positioned retail as experience design rather than a purely commercial layout. The goods were a necessary part of the equation to be sure, but as I working through the foundational years of a retail design career, I saw that great retail places were more than a depository for stuff to be consumed, they had a palpable emotional resonance, they had soul. It was remarkable to me then, as a young retail architect, that we were designing with the purpose of selling…but it was more than that. Great stores fulfilled basic needs, desires and dreams. They were places for relationship building, with people as well as brands.They were story telling places that helped to message group belonging, wellbeing, connection and status. They were places where displays weren't random; they were meant to guide customers through a narrative journey. Every element was intentional, geared towards telling a brand story that invited the customer to participate in the story's unfolding.All of the effort that the designers, merchants and visual teams put into making the store wasn't just about “making it look good,” but making it work well. The design and visual strategy had to be grounded in retail metrics and customer behavior. In the end, our job as co-authors of this retail experience script was to move product.We would calculate merchandising units per square foot. We thought about how product would flow through a department from delivery to markdown and how adjacencies were critical – why groups of products were located next to what other products. We knew how many units had to sell in a department to make the financials work. There was business behind the beauty. Visual merchandising was a silent seller as author Judy Bell would say.In my early years, we didn't think too much about what happened to all the stuff after the store had aged or the season had changed. Graphics, fixtures and display items shifted along with the seasonal changes, holidays or special promotions. And a lot of it just got trashed. We began to think more deeply about the sustainability factor of our work and the impact of retail place making on our environment. It was no longer acceptable that the disposable economy would direct the design of store without any consideration for how it was eventually ending up in landfill sites. Lighting, manufacturing processes, materials, and lifecycles came under more scrutiny. These days, thinking about the sustainable nature of how we design and build stores is very much at the forefront of our thinking from the get-go.  Design firms are becoming B-Corporations whose mission is to be better stewards of our little blue dot. Along the way, teaching - both our clients as well as students in design programs - was something that never left the radar. What had been the precipitating moment - going from teacher to running a visual merchandising program at an international school in Singapore - would remain key to my professional experience. And this is where we can bring in my guest Joe Baer   into the story. Joe's story is so familiar because it is so similar. While we came to the retail world from different angles, our paths have many parallels and similarity in purpose – despite being from different orientations in the retail place-making paradigm.Joe is the Co-Founder, Creative Director, and CEO of ZenGenius, Inc., an experiential design firm specializing in visual merchandising and event design. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Joe brings over three decades of mastery in innovative leadership and creative direction to the design, visual merchandising and special events industries. He has extensive knowledge of the customer journey from working in stores for decades and is a seasoned public speaker who has traveled the world to inspire and educate others through the art of visual merchandising, design and special events.Additionally, Joe has contributed his retail know-how to multiple publications, authored The Art of Visual Merchandising: Short North, and created one of my favorite events in the retail industry the Iron Merchant Challenge, a popular interactive visual merchandising competition held annually at the International Retail Design Conference. Joe's passion for the world of design is evident in his role as President of the PAVE Global leadership board - a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation with the mission to support, connect, and inspire the next generation of professionals in the retail design, visual merchandising, and consumer environments industry. He also holds Advisory Board roles at Columbus College of Art and Design and VMSD Magazine. Joe leads with passion, purpose, pure joy and believes in celebration so I see our conversation as a celebration of Joe Baer's commitment to his retail industry involvement.ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites: https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron the Retail Studio Principal for the architecture and design firm Little (https://www.littleonline.com). He is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. I caught up with Bryan at the SHOP Marketplace event in Charlotte and chatted about his focus on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design. The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

Utibe Bassey is a VP of Customer Experience at Dominion Energy and author of Love as a KPI.   5 years ago, Utibe and I worked together in her corporate career and fast forward, she has released her book - Love as a KPI, where she discusses love as the secret ingredient that unlocks unparalleled levels of value, customer confidence and ultimately profits.   Through this book, Utibe has modeled so well how to tune into your convictions, within your corporate career, and leverage them in creating a compelling personal brand that changes the game.   Here is a short clip.   https://youtu.be/RKoid1D4M44   Click to listen in full   FREE TRAINING Register for The Catapult Your Career Bootcamp (http://thecatapultbootcamp.com) WORK WITH US Join the Catapult Your Career Program (http://cycprogram.com) GET IN TOUCH Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stellaodogwu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_intelle/ Email: contact@intelle.us   Buy the Book Love as a KPI - https://a.co/d/0gn0fbj9   Connect with Utibe Bassey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/utbassey

In This Episode of Business Lunch: Roland Frasier and Ryan Deiss discuss the evolving landscape of business in the age of AI, emphasizing the shift from task-oriented work to purpose driven services. They explore the implications of AI on job markets, the importance of customer experience, and strategies for business owners to adapt and thrive. The conversation highlights the need for businesses to focus on delivering value beyond mere tasks, ensuring they remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to the Death of the Task Economy01:51 The Shift from Task to Purpose06:09 Understanding Jevons Paradox in AI12:42 Qualitative vs Quantitative Work20:47 Valuation and Purpose in Business25:10 Transforming Services with Purpose32:27 Customer Experience and the Future of ServicesConnect with me on social:TikTok: Check out my TikTok HereInstagram: Check out my Instagram HereFacebook: Check out my Facebook HereLinkedIn: Check out my LinkedIn HereSubscribe to my YouTube

Recorded live at SocialEast 2025 at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, this episode of the Marketing News Canada podcast features guest host Odum Idika, Host of Unconventional Mindset and Founder of Piixel Studio, in conversation with Corey Evans, Director of Brand and Advertising at ATCO and former marketing leader at WestJet.Corey shares a behind-the-scenes look at one of Canada's most iconic marketing moments, the WestJet Christmas Miracle, and what it took to execute a high-risk experiential campaign that generated over 35 million organic views. From stepping in as Santa to navigating real-time uncertainty during a live activation, he explains why putting the audience experience first, and the brand second, was key to its success.The conversation explores what experiential marketing really means today, why authentic human moments outperform polished ads, and how marketers of any size can create meaningful connections by deeply understanding their audience. Corey also reflects on the rise of creator-led marketing, real-time brand participation, and the importance of adaptability in an increasingly noisy content landscape.This episode was recorded live on-site at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel during SocialEast 2025, part of the SocialNext conference series, Canada's leading platform for marketing conferences, media, and community.

SummaryIn this conversation, Nathan Strum, founder of Abbey Connect, discusses the evolution of his company from a human receptionist service to integrating AI technology. He emphasizes the importance of company culture, effective communication, and the challenges of growth as a business. Strum shares insights on navigating gossip in the workplace, the significance of customer service, and the future of AI in enhancing customer experiences. He also highlights the value of hiring for personality and fostering entry-level talent to build a strong workforce.TakeawaysNathan Strum founded Abbey Connect 20 years ago, starting as a human receptionist service.The company has embraced AI technology to enhance its services.Customer service and company culture are core tenets of Abbey Connect's philosophy.Gossip can be detrimental to company culture and needs to be managed carefully.Growth phases require businesses to adapt their communication and HR strategies.AI is a powerful tool but has limitations that require human oversight.The phone remains a vital communication tool for businesses.Live chat widgets may not be as effective as expected for customer engagement.Hiring for personality over skills can lead to better employee retention and growth.Balancing innovation with operational stability is crucial for business success.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Nathan Strum and Abbey Connect04:43 The Journey of Entrepreneurship07:42 Core Philosophies and Company Culture10:52 Navigating Growth and Challenges13:54 Integrating Technology and AI16:44 Customer Communication Trends and Insights19:52 The Future of AI in Business25:01 The Evolution of Technology and AI26:34 Fostering Growth: The Importance of Entry-Level Employees30:17 Hiring for Personality: The Human Element in AI31:36 Melding Humanity and Technology: A New Relationship33:43 Learning from AI: The Balance of Innovation and Caution35:29 Leadership Challenges: Navigating Growth and Culture38:31 Balancing Innovation Speed with Operational Stability43:43 The Future of Customer Experience with AIConnect with Nathan: Website: ⁠https://www.abby.com/Credits:Hosted by Ryan RoghaarProduced by Ryan RoghaarTheme music: "Perfect Day" by OPM  The Eggs Podcast Spotify playlist:bit.ly/eggstunesThe Plugs:The Show: eggscast.com@eggshow on X and InstagramOn iTunes: itun.es/i6dX3pCOnStitcher: bit.ly/eggs_on_stitcherAlso available on Google Play Music!Mike "DJ Ontic": Shows and info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠djontic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@djontic on twitterRyan Roghaar:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rogha.ar

Fraud prevention is often framed as a battle against criminals, but what happens to the customer along the way?In this episode of Scam Rangers, host Ayelet Biger-Levin sits down with Marti DeLiema, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, to explore the human impact of scam prevention and fraud interventions and the unintended consequences that can emerge when protection efforts aren't designed with empathy and care.While fraud teams work tirelessly to stop money from flowing to criminals, this conversation shines a light on what happens after an intervention is triggered: how customers experience account restrictions, investigations, and confrontational moments and how those experiences shape trust, retention, and long-term relationships.This episode is a must-listen not only for fraud and frontline teams, but also for digital banking, customer experience, marketing, growth, and retention leaders who may not always see what happens on the fraud front lines, yet own the customer relationship that follows.What You'll Learn Why scam prevention is a cross-functional customer experience moment, not just a fraud decision How well-intended interventions can make victims feel blamed, criminalized, or pushed away The emotional impact of scam prevention on individuals and families How trust, dignity, and autonomy factor into fraud decisions Why the way institutions intervene can influence attrition and long-term loyalty What digital, CX, and marketing teams need to understand about fraud moments they don't always seeFeatured GuestMarti DeLiemaMarti DeLiema is an Assistant Professor and Gerontologist at the University of Minnesotawhose. Her work focuses on aging, financial exploitation, scams, and the human impact of fraud prevention efforts. Her research examines how individuals experience fraud interventions and what institutions can do to protect people while preserving trust and dignity.https://www.linkedin.com/in/marti-deliema-95323535/About the HostAyelet Biger-Levin is the Founder and CEO of RangersAI and the host of Scam Rangers, a podcast exploring the human side of scams and the people working to protect consumers from financial and emotional harm.Through her work at RangersAI and her leadership within the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Ayelet partners with financial institutions, policymakers, and advocates to elevate scam prevention beyond controls and technology toward trust-based, customer-centric protection.Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn and reach out to learn about her additional activities in this space:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-biger-levin/RangersAI: https://www.rangersai.com/

Summary Are your rising customer acquisition costs eating into profits while your NPS surveys gather dust? Discover Earned Sales Growth (ESG)—the game-changing customer experience metric that tracks how much revenue comes from customers you've earned through loyalty and referrals versus customers you've bought through advertising. In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution podcast, customer experience expert John DiJulius reveals why traditional surveys are broken (response rates now in single digits) and introduces the Return on Experience (ROX) Dashboard—a proven system that directly links CX investments to measurable revenue growth. What You'll Learn: Why NPS is failing: Survey fatigue has crashed response rates, and founder Fred Reichheld now advocates for Earned Growth Rate instead The ESG formula: How to calculate what percentage of your revenue comes from repeat customers and referrals vs. paid advertising Real results: How injury attorney firm Carter Mario increased earned growth from 30% to 68% in 5 years—slashing advertising costs by half Hot vs. cold leads: Why referred customers (hot leads) close faster, spend more, and have zero price sensitivity compared to ad-driven prospects Implementation guide: The CRM requirements and tracking systems needed to measure ESG by department, location, and individual employee The 3-lead framework: Understanding cold (outbound), warm (ad-driven), and hot (referral) customers and their dramatically different close rates Key Takeaways: "Discount is the tax you pay for having an average experience. Are you a coupon away from losing your customers?" - John DiJulius Companies spending 6-7% of revenue on advertising could cut that to 3.5% by focusing on earned growth Top customer experience companies consistently outperform the S&P 500 in stock performance Every employee should know their personal ESG score and be held accountable to it ESG works across industries—even businesses without repeat customers (injury attorneys, funeral homes, car dealers) can leverage referrals Perfect For: Customer Experience Directors and VPs Chief Customer Officers Marketing leaders tired of rising CAC CEOs and CFOs seeking measurable CX ROI B2B and B2C service businesses with CRM systems Featured Resources: Customer Experience Executive Academy (CXEA) 12-month certification program Return on Experience (ROX) Dashboard framework ROX Template Interview with Fred Reichheld on "Winning on Purpose" Carter Mario personal injury attorney case study Stop measuring intent. Start measuring impact. Learn how to build a business that compounds in equity, not effort, by tracking the one metric that proves your customer experience is actually working. Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com   Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

This week on the Oakley Podcast, host Jeremy Kellett welcomes Keith Wilson, Tasha Rinehart, and Joe Vulpone from Arrow Truck Sales to spotlight the successful partnership with Oakley and Arrow. The conversation delves into their 75-year history, the process of sourcing and inspecting quality used trucks, and Arrow's customer-first approach. Key discussions include the impact of technology in truck sales, the unique advantages of Arrow's in-house financing through Transport Funding, and the opening of their new Little Rock location. Listeners will learn about the importance of building lasting relationships, post-sale support for drivers, adapting to industry changes for long-term trucking success, and so much more. Key topics in today's conversation include:Welcome to Today's Episode with Arrow Truck Sales (0:42)Stories About Family and Balance for Trucking Professionals (5:18)The History and Philosophy at Arrow, 75 Years in Business (7:53)Insight Into Used Truck Sourcing, Inspections, and Quality Control (10:37)The Process and Challenges of Buying and Selling Used Trucks (13:42)Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Market Fluctuations (15:33)Technology's Role in Modern Truck Sales and Customer Experience (17:27)Competing in the Digital Age and How Customer Relationships Evolve (19:06)Creating a “Disney World” Customer Experience at Arrow (20:45)Service After the Sale and Standout Examples of Support (23:16)Handling Customer Issues and Going Above and Beyond Post-Sale (26:33)Arrow's In-house Financing and Benefits for Customers (29:27)The Critical Importance of Correct Truck Paperwork (32:04)The New Little Rock Store: Location, Strategy, and Benefits (35:21)Plans for Service Bays and Light Maintenance at Little Rock (38:19)Future Outlook: Sticking With Core Values While Embracing Change (39:42)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (41:06)Oakley Trucking is a family-owned and operated trucking company headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas. For more information, check out our show website: podcast.bruceoakley.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are your customers remembering you — or forgetting you? What does your customer journey actually feel like?In this episode of The Business Ownership Podcast I interviewed Vance Morris. Vance helps business owners get, serve and keep clients for life through creating experiences and response required marketing. He is a Former Birth Control Factory Security Guard turned Disney Leader, turned Bankrupt Out of Work Executive, turned Carpet Cleaner, turned Successful Entrepreneur. In this episode, Vance Morris shares how Disney-level customer experience can transform home service businesses — increasing loyalty, retention, and profits.If you're tired of competing on price, this conversation will change how you think about service.Check this out!Show Links:Vance Morris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorrisVance Morris Website: https://vancemorris.com/Deliver Service Now Website: https://deliverservicenow.com/Book a call with Michelle: https://go.appointmentcore.com/book/IcFD4cGJoin our Facebook group for business owners to get help or help other business owners!The Business Ownership Group - Secrets to Scaling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessownershipsecretstoscalingLooking to scale your business? Get free gifts here to help you on your way: https://www.awarenessstrategies.com/