Podcasts about CX

Hey CX Nation,In this week's episode of The CXChronicles Podcast #282, we welcomed Bryan McAnulty Founder of Heights Platform and LatchLoop based in Austin, TX.Bryan has helped thousands of creators across 100+ countries transform their knowledge into thriving businesses. As a creator himself, he has been committed to empowering those with a passion for creation to learn and grow online.In this episode, Bryan and Adrian chat through the Four CX Pillars: Team, Tools, Process & Feedback. Plus share some of the ideas that his team think through on a daily basis to build world class customer experiences.**Episode #282 Highlight Reel:**1.  Focusing on being proactive with all of your customers, regardless of LTV2. Pro's & Con's of AI-driven customer support3. Why customers value speed to solution more than anything Click here to learn more about Bryan McAnultyClick here to learn more about Heights PlatformClick here to learn more about LatchLoopHuge thanks to Bryan for coming on The CXChronicles Podcast and featuring his work and efforts in pushing the customer experience & contact center space into the future. For all of our Apple & Spotify podcast listener friends, make sure you are following CXC & please leave a 5 star review so we can find new members of the "CX Nation". You know what would be even better?Go tell your friends or teammates about CXC's custom content, strategic partner solutions (Hubspot, Intercom, & Freshworks) & On-Demand services & invite them to join the CX Nation, a community of 15K+ customer focused business leaders!Want to see how your customer experience compares to the world's top-performing customer focused companies? Thanks to all of you for being apart of the "CX Nation" and helping customer focused business leaders across the world make happiness a habit!Reach Out To CXC Today!Support the showContact CXChronicles TodayTweet us @cxchroniclesCheck out our Instagram @cxchroniclesClick here to checkout the CXC websiteEmail us at info@cxchronicles.com Remember To Make Happiness A Habit!!

Significant enterprise investment in AI-driven customer service is producing inconsistent outcomes — and the gap between deployment ambition and measurable business value remains striking. In this episode, Shri Nandan, VP of AI Products and Experiences at Comcast, examines why organizational culture and readiness are the primary determinant of whether AI in CX delivers results that move the needle. The conversation covers how to define resolution in an agentic AI environment, how context transforms the role of human agents, and why a conservative, staged rollout reduces the risk of large-scale failure. This episode is sponsored by Dialpad. In this episode, we cover how to move from AI proof-of-concepts in customer service to deployments that consistently improve business outcomes. To go deeper on this topic and learn how consultants are winning business with evidence-based AI ROI and building long-term capabilities instead of chasing short-term gains, download our free PDF report, "3 Keys to Thriving in the Coming Era of Automation" at emerj.com/cok1

This episode is sponsored by Salesforce. One of the most interesting conversations I had at Salesforce Connections was about digital workers. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Lauren Esposito, CMO of Asymbl, shares how organizations are beginning to approach AI agents as digital workers—with defined roles, KPIs, managers, and accountability to drive meaningful business outcomes. We explore agent-to-agent orchestration, where leaders should start with AI, the importance of trust and governance, and how Salesforce provides the foundation for secure and scalable AI adoption. If digital workers are becoming part of the workforce, organizations will need new ways to manage, measure, and support them.

¡Vamos con otra “lista negra”! ¿Por qué seguimos cayendo en la trampa? Seguro que a ti también te han saltado anuncios de dispositivos que se enchufan al mechero, imanes para los manguitos o pastillas "mágicas" que prometen reducir el consumo hasta un 25 por ciento. En el video de hoy, separamos la ficción de la realidad y denunciamos con nombres y apellidos los productos que considero un timo absoluto. La psicología del engaño El ser humano ama los atajos. Al igual que buscamos dietas milagro para no ir al gimnasio, queremos tecnología barata para no gastar gasolina. Estos productos no venden ingeniería, venden esperanza. Juegan con el "sesgo de confirmación": si gastas dinero en un imán, inconscientemente conduces de forma más suave para autoconvencerte de que funciona. El milagro no es el aparato, es tu pie derecho. El catálogo de los horrores: Analizamos los productos -Eco-OBD2 y similares: Los reyes de las tiendas online. Prometen reprogramar la ECU, pero al abrirlos solo encontramos un temporizador y luces LED. Es pura decoración que no interactúa con el cerebro del coche. -Imanes de combustible (Super Fuel Max): Prometen alinear moléculas de hidrocarburos. La realidad física es que la gasolina no es magnética y estos imanes no tienen efecto alguno en la combustión. Si funcionaran, todos los fabricantes los instalarían de serie para evitar multas de CO2. -Fuel Shark y NeoSocket: Dispositivos para el mechero que supuestamente estabilizan el sistema eléctrico. Contienen un condensador tan pequeño que es técnicamente incapaz de filtrar la carga del alternador. Un insulto a la inteligencia. -Pastillas de nanotecnología (MPG-Caps): Básicamente naftalina. Aunque pueden subir el octanaje de forma marginal, ensucian el sistema de inyección y pueden destruir la sonda lambda, provocando averías de cientos de euros. -El Turbonator: Una hélice metálica para la admisión. En lugar de ayudar, actúa como una restricción al paso del aire, reduciendo la eficiencia del motor y arriesgándose a una rotura catastrófica si una aspa se desprende. -Kits de HHO (Coche de Agua): Prometen quemar hidrógeno mediante electrólisis. Sin embargo, la Primera Ley de la Termodinámica es clara: gastas más energía generando ese hidrógeno a través del alternador de la que luego recuperas al quemarlo. ¿Hay algo que sí funcione? No todo es blanco o negro. Los limpiadores de inyectores de marcas reconocidas pueden ayudar si el motor tiene suciedad real o carbonilla, pero no hacen milagros en motores sanos. Por otro lado, los aditivos de teflón (como el antiguo Slick 50) son terreno pantanoso: aunque reducen la fricción en motores muy viejos, el teflón sólido puede obstruir conductos críticos en motores modernos y turbos. La teoría de la conspiración Muchos creen que las petroleras prohíben estos inventos. La lógica dice lo contrario: si alguien inventara un líquido de 20 euros que ahorrara un 10% real, los fabricantes de coches se pelearían por comprar la patente para cumplir las normativas de emisiones actuales. Consejos reales para ahorrar de verdad Si buscas eficiencia, olvida la magia y aplica la física: -Aerodinámica: Desmonta las barras de techo o portaequipajes que no uses. A 120 km/h, pueden subir el consumo casi un litro. -Neumáticos: Mantener la presión correcta reduce la resistencia a la rodadura y es totalmente gratis. -Mantenimiento: Un filtro de aire limpio es la mejor inversión de ahorro que puedes hacer. Anticipación: Mirar 200 metros por delante, dejar de acelerar ante un semáforo y evitar pisotones innecesarios ahorra más que cualquier coche híbrido mal conducido. El coche del día Volkswagen XL1 Para ahorrar de verdad, hace falta ingeniería extrema, no imanes. El XL1 demostró que se pueden homologar 0,9 l/100 km mediante fibra de carbono, una aerodinámica de récord (Cx 0,19) y tecnología puntera. Eso sí, costaba más de 111.000 euros. Ahorrar, a veces, sale muy caro. En conclusión: No busques soluciones de 20 euros para problemas que requieren tecnología de verdad. En el mundo del motor, los milagros no existen; existe la física. Y la física no se vende en AliExpress.

This week on Tapod, we catch up with Sarah Prince, Managing Director at the Migration Agency. With the recent budget and the ongoing discussions around underemployment in the immigrant population, it's a fantastic time to check in with an industry expert. We cover the disconnect between budget and government announcements in terms of the need for the skilled migrant population to deliver essential services like Aged Care and Health Care and the reduction in net immigration. We talk about qualifications and the challenges around many skilled migrants sourcing opportunities at the level they are trained at. It's a really interesting discussion. Thanks to Greenhouse for partnering with us this month. 

About Thomas: Thomas' LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/thomas-dijkman Website: qanda.nl (Company), https://www.ebeltoftgroup.com  Phone: +31652656347 (Work) Email: tdijkman@qanda.nl Thomas' Bio: Thomas Dijkman is a Senior Retail Consultant at Q&A Retail, a Netherlands-based retail consultancy. He is Co-chair of the “Young Ebeltoft” initiative, a global collective of next-generation retail thinkers within the Ebeltoft Group.  Thomas specializes in translating insights, market expertise, and creativity into practical solutions that help leading retailers adapt and thrive in a fast-changing retail environment. He has worked with retailers such as SPAR, Action, Nexeye, and A.S. Watson, advising on strategy, positioning, consumer engagement, and store and format optimization.  With a no-nonsense, data-driven approach, he supports retailers in strengthening their concepts and improving performance across channels. Through his focus on generational insights, Thomas helps retailers better understand what young consumers want and how to turn those insights into action. SHOW INTRO: Today, EPISODE 89… I talk with Thomas Dijkman a Gen Z researcher, which is to say that he is part of Gen Z at 28 years old, who was a speaker at Euroshop 2026. Thomas and the company he work with called Q&A Retail, had just published research on Gen Alpha, which was chock full of insights on this emerging generation of global consumers. We'll get into all of that in a minute but first a few thoughts… *                     *                          *                          * ABOUT DAVID KEPRON: LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b Websites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website) vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog) Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.com Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/ NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/ Bio: David Kepron 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.

There is how we want it to be, and how it is, but is it actually oversubscribed?Website: https://petercoath.comPodcast: https://redcircle.com/shows/pete-the-courier-drivers-sunday-q-and-a-the-story-so-farE-Mail: petethehxtrucker@gmail.comBuy the Book https://amzn.eu/d/05AfKX2wJoin the CX: https://teg-influencer-referrals.referral-factory.com/uyjbvRtJGet Insurance: https://tinyurl.com/pthxtFuel card people: https://www.xpressfuel.co.uk/applydtAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Cześć, dzień dobry,Czy sektor nowoczesnych usług dla biznesu w Polsce przestał rosnąć? W tym odcinku podcastu „BSS bez tajemnic” analizuję przyczyny stagnacji zatrudnienia w branży GBS, SSC, BPO i centrów usług wspólnych. Choć Polska pozostaje jedną z najważniejszych lokalizacji dla usług biznesowych w Europie, liczba etatów w sektorze od kilku lat utrzymuje się na podobnym poziomie. Skąd bierze się ten trend?W odcinku omawiam trzy główne przyczyny:✅ automatyzację procesów biznesowych i rosnącą rolę technologii,✅ przenoszenie procesów do tańszych lokalizacji, takich jak Indie, Filipiny czy wybrane kraje Afryki,✅ zamykanie lub konsolidację części centrów operacyjnych.Jednocześnie pokazuję, dlaczego mimo tych zmian zatrudnienie nie spada gwałtownie. Na rynku nadal pojawiają się nowe inwestycje, a istniejące centra przejmują bardziej zaawansowane procesy wymagające nowych kompetencji i specjalistycznych ról. Poruszam również temat rzeczywistej wielkości sektora nowoczesnych usług dla biznesu w Polsce. Czy branża zatrudnia około 500 tysięcy osób? A może znacznie więcej? Dlaczego tak trudno jednoznacznie policzyć pracowników GBS, SSC, BPO, CX, R&D oraz IT?Zapraszam  ****************************  Nazywam się Wiktor Doktór i na co dzień prowadzę Klub Pro Progressio https://proprogressio.com/pl/dzialalnosc/klub-pro-progressio/1 – to społeczność wielu firm prywatnych i organizacji sektora publicznego, którym zależy na rozwoju relacji biznesowych w modelu B2B. W podcaście BSS bez tajemnic poza odcinkami solowymi, zamieszczam rozmowy z ekspertami i specjalistami z różnych dziedzin przedsiębiorczości.Zapraszam do odwiedzin moich kanałów na:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wiktordoktor Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wiktor.doktor LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktordoktor/ Moja strona internetowa - https://wiktordoktor.pl/ Możesz też do mnie napisać. Mój adres email to - kontakt(@)wiktordoktor.pl   ****************************  Patronami Podcastu “BSS bez tajemnic” są: Marzena Sawicka https://www.linkedin.com/in/marzena-sawicka-hillway-training/Przemysław Sławiński https://www.linkedin.com/in/przemys%C5%82aw-s%C5%82awi%C5%84ski-155a4426/ Damian Ruciński - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damian-rucinski/ Szymon Kryczka https://www.linkedin.com/in/szymonkryczka/Grzegorz Ludwin https://www.linkedin.com/in/gludwin/ Adam Furmańczuk https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-agilino/ Igor Tkach - https://www.linkedin.com/in/igortkach/ Damian Wróblewski - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianwroblewski/ Paweł Łopatka - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawellopatka/ Wiktor Doktór Jr. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktor-dokt%C3%B3r-jr-916297188/Agata Stolarz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/agata-stolarz/Hubert Antczak - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hubert-antczak/  Wspaniali ludzie, dzięki którym pojawiają się kolejne odcinki tego podcastu.  Ty też możesz wesprzeć rozwój podcastu na: Patronite - https://patronite.pl/wiktordoktor Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiktordoktor Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiktordoktor Buycoffee.to - https://buycoffee.to/wiktordoktor Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bss-bez-tajemnic--4069078/support.

Episode 263: What does it feel like to go into space? To rocket past the Kármán line, float in perfect silence, and return to Earth—all in 11 minutes? Blue Origin's astronauts experience an expensive thrill ride: part theme park roller coaster, part life-altering pilgrimage. In this episode, Allie Kuehner, a Blue Origin astronaut from the New Shepard flight NS-33, relives the intense pause before liftoff, the three-G climb that somehow feels slow, and the instant gravity disappears. Joining her is Sarah Phelps, Blue Origin's former managing director of astronaut and customer experience, who reveals how her team turns that fleeting flight into a story people cherish for life. We take a behind-the-scenes look at Blue Origin's astronaut training program. It's curated, detail-oriented, and built to guide participants through an emotionally charged moment of awe. We unpack how a month-long window after Allie first decided to go into space narrows down to an intentionally designed two-day training sprint—one that forges six strangers into a crew that is forever changed upon their return to Earth. We explore, through Sarah's lens, what makes the experience meaningful via her design choices, such as why hearing that audible launch countdown is a moment you never forget. And how the first flight-suit try-on became an unexpected, emotionally charged moment of emphasis for astronauts and their loved ones. Sarah made many experience tweaks, as she explains: "We were going into the debrief, and I said, 'But I didn't hear the "go" poll.' … The answer was, 'Well, the astronauts don't need to hear that; that's not part of it. They can just hear the countdown.' I said, 'But I want to hear, "INCO go. Capsule go. Booster go. CAPCOM go. Crewmen go." I want to hear the flight director, "New Shepard is go for launch." … And just because that's never been done before and astronauts on previous vehicles didn't need to hear it, my astronauts … need to feel that reverberation in their whole being that we are go for launch." Allie and Sarah also share lessons any brand can use to choreograph peak emotion without sacrificing operational precision. And they cover what the future of space tourism looks like, such as why going to the space station just for a weekend may become a reality within our lifetimes. Guest: Allie Kuehner, Blue Origin Astronaut, New Shepard flight NS-33, conservationist, and board member of Nature is Nonpartisan Guest: Sarah Phelps, VP, Games Hospitality, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, formerly Blue Origin's Managing Director of Customer Experience Host: Rob Markey, Partner, Bain & Company Give us feedback: Customer Confidential Podcast Feedback Send us a note: Contact Rob Timestamped Topics [00:06] Seven-second rumble before motion and the surprise of a slow ascent [00:09] Capsule-booster separation and sudden silence [00:12] First look at Earth from above [00:14] The astronaut experience inspiration and reimagining astronaut training for modern civilians [00:16] Design brief and making 11 minutes meaningful without formal astronaut prep [00:18] Managing human variables like pausing the launch for final phone calls to family [00:19] Adding the audible "go" poll for emotional impact [00:22] Flight-suit reveals and custom bomber jackets as milestone markers [00:23] Humanizing an engineering culture and lessons CX leaders can mirror [00:25] Looking ahead to Sarah's vision of weekend trips to orbit Notable Quotes [00:00:02] "You're going faster than a speeding bullet. You go through three Gs, but you don't even feel the three Gs, because there's so much else going on. You're looking out the window, it's so loud, and then all of a sudden the rocket and the capsule dislodge from one another. And it goes to perfect silence." [00:00:48] "We're giving people an opportunity to go 62 miles above the earth, and you know that somehow, some way, that experience is going to change you, and it's going to change how you see the world moving forward. For me, it's how do we build an experience around that?" [00:05:34] "One of the most surprising things to me was the ascent—how beautifully slow it felt." [00:06:57] "The first time you get to look out these windows down at Earth, you just see this delicate, finite, beautiful planet. And in that moment, you just realize how connected we all are." [00:09:41] "This thing is an 11-minute flight. It's basically a half-million-dollar roller coaster ride." Additional Resources Watch a full replay of Allie's Blue Origin New Shepherd Mission NS-33 flight here: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-33-mission

Every process problem is a customer problem in disguise. CI teams are good at finding waste, reducing variation, and improving flow. Customers experience those same breakdowns as uncertainty, frustration, effort, and broken trust.Slides, the resource list, and the full recording are on the episode page: https://www.kainexus.com/customer-signals-continuous-improvement-webinarThis episode is the audio from a recent session of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Webinar Series. Annette Behrensmeyer and Volker Probst of Resonance Growth Partners make the case for a second lens on improvement work: the customer signals already hiding inside your operational data. Repeat contacts, transfers, escalations, and frontline observations almost always show up before a survey score moves or a complaint lands. This isn't about replacing voice of the customer or launching another program. It's about enriching the signals you already use to decide what to work on next.In this conversation:Why solicited feedback (surveys, interviews) arrives late and carries an effort tax, and where unsolicited signals fill the gapA three-step approach to connect customer signals to your improvement system, plus a simple way to weigh customer value against business valueHow a 32-bed med-surg unit turned its daily huddle into a 15-minute patient signal huddle and compressed a 60-to-90-day feedback loop into daysHow a med tech company cut call volume by 30%+, saved over $10M in shipping cost, and recovered $20M+ in annual recurring revenue by making an opaque process visibleFour things any CI leader can start on this weekAbout the guestsAnnette Behrensmeyer and Volker Probst are managing partners at Resonance Growth Partners, where they help organizations connect customer understanding, employee insight, and business performance. Annette is a Forrester-certified CX professional with more than a decade designing enterprise CX strategies and feedback-to-action operating models. Volker brings more than 25 years turning customer insight into action at enterprise scale across CX and operational excellence leadership. Hosted by Mark Graban, senior advisor at KaiNexus.

By Doug Green “The best learning is actually to learn by doing.” In this episode of the Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Carlos Pereira, Cisco Fellow and Chief Architect, Customer Experience, about Cisco IQ and how Cisco is using AI, lifecycle intelligence and customer experience to help enterprises better understand, secure and future-proof their environments. Pereira says Cisco IQ reflects a broader shift in how customer experience is being delivered. At Cisco, CX is not treated as something that begins after a product is deployed. It spans the full lifecycle: land, adopt, expand and renew, with support embedded throughout. That lifecycle view is especially important because more than 95% of Cisco's business is indirect through partners, and more than half of Cisco's revenue is recurring. Cisco IQ, which became generally available in April, is designed to give customers visibility across the Cisco assets they own, including devices that may be approaching or past end of sale or end of support. Pereira notes that many Cisco products remain in production for years because they are reliable, but long-running environments can create risk if older software, unsupported assets or unpatched vulnerabilities remain in place. With Cisco IQ, customers can see more of their environment, understand lifecycle status, assess security exposure and receive AI-driven insights tied to their own deployments. Pereira says that visibility becomes more important as AI accelerates the speed of both operations and threats. “The speed has changed because the adversary is now faster than what you think your ability to move,” Pereira says. The podcast also looks at how Cisco IQ fits with Cisco Cloud Control, announced at Cisco Live. Pereira explains that Cisco Cloud Control brings product operations together through an agentic interface, while Cisco IQ focuses on lifecycle visibility, entitlement, assets, security assessments, performance and operational insight. Together, the two offerings reflect Cisco's effort to combine AI-driven operations with full lifecycle intelligence. A major theme of the conversation is future-proofing the enterprise. Pereira says Cisco IQ can help customers identify assets that may pose security or operational risks, including devices past last day of support or software exposed to newly discovered vulnerabilities. Cisco IQ can also support assessments around emerging concerns such as quantum readiness, including hardware, software and cryptographic materials. Pereira also discusses why Cisco designed Cisco IQ to support multiple deployment models from the beginning. Cisco IQ can run as SaaS, on-premises tethered, or on-premises air-gapped. That matters for customers with government, sovereignty, security or isolation requirements who still need AI-driven insight without compromising deployment constraints. For partners, Cisco IQ creates a new way to engage customers around lifecycle management, security posture, renewals and modernization. Instead of waiting for problems to emerge, partners can use Cisco IQ to help customers understand what they have, where risks exist and how to prioritize action. Looking ahead, Pereira says the second half of 2026 will be less about AI hype and more about applying AI to business workflows with measurable ROI. In areas such as security and identity operations, the need for speed, visibility and lifecycle intelligence will only increase. Pereira encourages Cisco customers with support entitlements to begin using Cisco IQ directly at iq.cisco.com. Because Cisco IQ includes personalized, AI-driven documentation and insights, he says the best way to understand the platform is to self-onboard and begin using it. Learn more at cisco.com Cisco IQ: iq.cisco.com  

By Doug Green “It's the first time we've had a really global effort around bringing our partnerships together.” Dorothy Copeland, Chief Channel Partner Officer at NiCE, joined the Technology Reseller News Podcast at NiCE World to discuss her vision for the company's partner strategy following her appointment earlier this year. Copeland joined NiCE in January as the company's first partner officer, a role created to bring together the company's global partner efforts and strengthen its channel organization. NiCE is leaning more deeply into its partner ecosystem as both a source of growth and a source of scale. Copeland's work includes building a global partner organization, growing partner revenue, strengthening enablement, and ensuring partners have the capabilities needed to support customer implementations. The conversation also explored the changing role of agents, trusted advisors, and MSPs as customer needs evolve. Copeland noted that AI is creating greater demand for managed services and end-to-end customer support. “One of the changes with AI is that customers need more of a managed services approach,” Copeland said. For channel partners, that shift creates an opportunity to move beyond initial customer relationships and participate more fully across the customer's CX journey, from strategy and deployment to ongoing support and optimization. Copeland also discussed the development of NiCE's first formal channel program, the importance of partner enablement, and the company's broader commitment to building an ecosystem that supports long-term partner success. Learn more at NiCE.

Host: Paul McIntyre, Editor-At-Large Not all retailers are victims of scale. North America is pouring billions of dollars into retail media, largely sponsored search and digital screens, making giants like Amazon, Kroger and Walmart richer and other retailers chasing scraps. But luxury department store chain Holt Renfrew has carved out a higher-end niche in Canada, and its physical-plus-digital approach is pulling in new advertisers like Mercedes, as well as taking a larger share of endemic advertiser budgets as they bid to build brand and drive performance in a single hit. Demand for both physical and digital inventory is running hot, helped partly by Holt Renfrew’s retail media operation three years ago moving to its own P&L under trade marketing boss, Ashlee Nickel – whose 16 years at the firm also span merchandise, buying and vendor marketing. It means she speaks the merchandise team’s language as well as that of brands selling through the store. That’s critical to avoid “conflict”, says Sonder’s Jonathan Hopkins. “Media has been used as merch’s sweetie jar for decades, and that entrenched behaviour doesn't change overnight.” He argues retailers will increasingly struggle with their retail media ambitions unless they “create a cross-functional team with people from merch, marketing, finance, media,” all pulling in the same direction. Even then, he says, “give and take” is a pre-requisite. “Pick your battles would be my recommendation.” Since the shift from top line co-op to standalone, Holt Renfrew’s profitable media revenue has changed how every program is priced, packaged, and pitched to vendors. In all, it’s packing 245 distinct media formats, all evaluated by Sonder. It will soon have another – but given Holt Renfrew’s store environment makes even Apple’s look cluttered, a design challenge looms as the retailer mulls how to roll out a screen network that doesn’t damage that aesthetic. Sonder’s Angus Frazer isn’t worried – subtlety is key, he says. “Retail media is not an excuse to ignore CX. Done well, it's an opportunity to improve CX and deliver on broader business objectives.” I.e. “highly profitable commercialisation”. Trade marketing boss Nickel is now hunting more of them – in places where few retailers have thought to monetise. She’s already added in-store beauty carts and cafe menu takeovers to the inventory stack, and has brands queuing up for its in-store Montreal F1 Grand Prix weekend experience – and Holt Renfrew doesn’t even have an official partnership. “One of the biggest opportunities in the space right now is looking beyond the obvious,” says Nickel. “When you start thinking differently about the retail environment, there are often opportunities that don't fit within a traditional media place.” Outside of physical environments – and despite huge digital retail media spend, many are overlooking powerful channels – particularly email, say Sonder’s Frazer and Hopkins, leaving easy money on the table.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Dave shares his journey of recovery from selling only on Amazon and reducing his dependency on the platform. Dave explores how he's growing sales for his brand after recognizing industry changes. He discusses what he learned from the content marketing industry, the cyclical nature of e-commerce, and the importance of building sustainable systems outside of Amazon's immediate reach. Thinking about taking some risk off the table? Or are you looking at taking an extended break from e-commerce in general? Know what your e-commerce business is worth with Quiet Light Brokerage. More Staffing connects ecommerce founders to top Filipino talent across supply chain, operations, CX, marketing, finance, and creative. More Staffing helps you build a team with real depth, at a cost structure that makes it viable for a brand at any stage. Check out MORE. Staffing today to get all of your open positions filled for Q3. Timestamps 00:00 - From dependency to strategic recovery 02:22 - The "seven-year itch" in business 03:22 - Impact of AI on content marketing 05:47 - Shifting focus from Google rankings 07:13 - Rebuilding with different channels 09:38 - The typical lifecycle of a product on Amazon 11:03 - Short-term success versus long-term defensibility 13:28 - Beating the ripoff and duplicate culture on Amazon 14:26 - Building off-Amazon sales channels 15:54 - Indirect advertising strategies & lead funnels 17:46 - Differentiating products for Shopify vs Amazon 20:42 - Long-term growth mindset: demand, sales, and scaling 22:38 - Building the team: sourcing Filipino talent via morstaffing.co 25:04 - Manufacturing lessons  28:00 - Industry complexity as an opportunity, not just a hurdle As always, if you have any questions or anything that you need help with, leave a comment down below if you're interested. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!

As enterprises move agentic AI from controlled pilots into production customer-facing workflows, the gaps in data continuity, governance, and human-agent coordination become the deciding factors in whether AI scales or stalls. In this episode, Shri Nandan, VP of AI Experiences at Comcast, examines why customer experience has become the real stress-test for enterprise AI — and what it takes to scale with customer trust intact. The conversation covers the three data foundations required for context continuity in production, practical principles for human-AI orchestration, and why cross-team governance — a single North Star across CX, IT, and operations — is what separates the organizations that scale from those that fragment. This episode is sponsored by NiCE. Learn how to structure landing pages for higher conversion and how to use self-qualification systems to prioritize high-intent leads. Download our free PDF report, "B2B AI Lead Generation Guide," at emerj.com/aig1

Brian Mekka spent 15 years managing CX for 60 million Kohl's shoppers. Now he's doing it for 300 steel buyers — and the stakes are completely different. Charter Steel's director of customer experience joins CX Decoded to break down the Compass program, a multi-phase initiative five years in the making, built on VOC data, a McKinsey methodology and a simple premise: B2B customers expect the same experience they get everywhere else.

This video is sponsored by Salesforce. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast: Amber Armstrong, CMO of Agentforce Applications at Salesforce, joins me for a conversation recorded live at Salesforce Connections. Everyone is talking about AI agents. But according to Amber, the biggest question customers are asking is surprisingly simple: "Where do I start?" We discuss what's separating companies seeing real results from those still stuck in experimentation, why data readiness matters more than most people realize, and how AI agents are helping marketers engage customers, generate pipeline, and focus more on strategic work. As Amber explains, the future isn't about replacing marketers. It's about giving them the tools to do more of what humans do best. #SalesforcePartner Blake Morgan was called "The Queen of CX" by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here. Learn more at www.blakemichellemorgan.com 

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Five years. 262 episodes. Guests from over 50 countries. The last episode of CX Passport...Maybe?This is not a typical episode. There is no guest. There is no CX framework or customer journey deep dive. What there is ... is Rick Denton sitting down to tell you what comes next for CX Passport, and how much he appreciates the listeners and guests for making it all possible.What's happening with CX Passport?Three paths are on the table. -A hiatus ... because sometimes even Ross and Rachel needed a break. -A full shutdown ... because every season has an end. -Or a sale ... to the right buyer who wants to carry this global conversation forward. Rick lays out all three, including a fourth wildcard he calls the Janice Clause.But before the announcement, there is genuine gratitude. For the guests from over 50 countries who took a chance on an unproven host with a microphone sitting on a stack of borrowed books. For the listeners tuning in from over 90 countries. For every conversation that never should have happened ... and did anyway.A special mention to Santhakumaran Atmalingam, the very first CX Passport guest, episode one, who took that chance before any of this existed. https://www.linkedin.com/in/santhakumaran/And a credit long overdue ... the voice behind "This is your Captain speaking" belongs to Nicholas Zeisler. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeislerconsulting/This time around, Rick heads into the First Class Lounge himself ... and answers the questions he's been asking guests for five years.CX Passport may be at a crossroads. Rick is not. He's already over at The Loud Quiet, the podcast and community he co-hosts with his wife Clancy. If you've followed Rick here, that's where he's headed next. Come along. https://www.theloudquiet.comCHAPTERS00:00 This is not just a thank you episode02:15 How CX Passport started in 202105:30 First guest Santhakumaran Atmalingam and the origin of the show's name08:45 What CX Passport became ... 50+ countries, 90+ listener nations12:00 What CX Passport made possible15:00 First Class Lounge ... Rick answers his own questions19:30 The three paths for CX Passport23:00 The Janice Clause24:15 Where to find Rick nextSanthakumaran Atmalingam, Episode 1 guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santhakumaran/Nicholas Zeisler, Voice of "This is your Captain speaking": https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeislerconsulting/The Loud Quiet: https://www.theloudquiet.comListen: https://www.cxpassport.comWatch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassportNewsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

AI agents are already shopping, comparing, booking, and contacting support for the customers we've spent decades trying to understand. That means customer experience is no longer judged only by what a person feels in the moment, it's also scored by what an AI can find about your brand across policies, pricing, FAQs, reviews, and the broader web. If that idea makes you a little uneasy, good. It's the wake-up call CX leaders need right now. I break down what “agentic AI” changes in the customer journey and why it creates a world with no fine print. When an agent can surface your warranty terms, return rules, delivery performance, and reputation signals in seconds, the gaps between your brand promise and real experience become impossible to hide. We talk about the trust signals AI is likely to reward, including transparent pricing, clear and consistent policies, accurate product information, reliable delivery, and responsive customer service. Consistency stops being a nice-to-have and becomes the proof your brand can be trusted. And we don't lose the human part. Emotions still drive loyalty because people still make the final decision about who they trust. I share why a clear customer experience mission statement matters more than ever, especially if you're training internal teams and tools around a defined promise of how you want customers to feel. You'll leave with practical next steps: experiment with AI like a customer, audit your digital experience, remove hidden friction, and tighten the public signals that shape recommendations. If an AI agent evaluated your brand today, what would it say about your customer experience? Listen now, then subscribe, share with a CX leader, and leave a review.Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- 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!)

 It's your weekly TA & Recruitment news blast with the Scoop from TaPod. This week we have a guest host and cover all kinds of angles, including fake applicant beats 261 rivals, Deloitte disruption forecast, doom jobbing, token maxxing or lily padding, IKEA replaces 8,500 roles, but it's not what you think, World Cup productivity sinkhole, the back door reference and much more.Thanks to Indeed for partnering with us to bring you the Scoop.

Nearly every marketing leader has been told to "do more with AI" — and many of them are now sitting on a pile of pilots, a growing bill, and not much to show their CFO. So why is it that adoption of AI in marketing is so high, while the number of organizations actually getting predictable returns from it is so low?Agility requires the discipline to reimagine how work gets done before automating it — because pointing AI at a broken process just produces a faster broken process.Today, we're going to talk about:- Why so many enterprise AI initiatives stall between ambition and production, and what separates the organizations that succeed from the ones that quietly cancel their projects- How marketing and CX teams can move from disconnected experiments to a governed, agent-powered operating model that turns a brief into live 1:1 engagement- How to make the economics of AI predictable — so the people approving these investments can actually forecast both outcomes and costTo help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Don Schuerman, CTO & Head of Marketing at Pega. About Don Schuerman As CTO and Vice President of Marketing & Technology Strategy at Pegasystems, I see my role as being a "Chief Translation Officer" – bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world business value. With 25 years of experience in orchestration and AI technology, I'm passionate about translating complex technical concepts into meaningful solutions that drive digital transformation for global organizations. My approach to technology leadership has been shaped by an unexpected source: 20 years of improv comedy at ImprovBoston's Mainstage. The skills I honed there – active listening, storytelling, and thinking on my feet – now help me connect with both technical teams and business leaders. It's where I also met my wife, proving that sometimes the best partnerships form when you say "yes, and..." At Pega, I lead the intersection of technology and go-to-market strategy across our enterprise AI decisioning and workflow automation platform. My focus is two-fold: translating the power of technology into tangible value for our Fortune 500 clients, while ensuring our technology roadmap reflects the evolving needs of these organizations. Don Schuerman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donschuerman/ ---------- Resources ---------- : https://www.pega.com Pega provides the leading AI-powered platform for enterprise transformation. The world's most influential organizations trust Pega's technology to reimagine how work gets done by automating workflows, personalizing customer experiences, and modernizing legacy systems. Since 1983, Pega's scalable, flexible architecture has fueled continuous innovation, helping clients accelerate their path to the autonomous enterprise. Learn more at Pega.com We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan MailWant to see our faces? Watch on YouTube.AI is rapidly reshaping customer experience, contact centers, and the way businesses engage with customers. In this episode of Cavell Cloud Conversations, we sit down with experts from Five9 to explore how organisations are moving beyond AI pilots and towards measurable business outcomes.Featuring:- Ty Stephens, Director, Channel Sales, Five9- Steve Blood, VP for Market Intelligence & Evangelism, Five9- Finbarr Begley, Senior CX Analyst, Cavell- Patrick Watson, Director of Research, CavellFrom AI-powered customer insights and automation to trust, data quality, and the evolving role of channel partners, we discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry as AI adoption accelerates.Whether you're a service provider, channel partner, contact center leader, or simply interested in the future of customer experience, this conversation provides practical insights into how AI is transforming both customer and employee experiences.

This week on Tapod, we catch up with Denise Pereira – Senior Global Talent Sourcing Partner @Zendesk, Founder @KaleidoSource, Podcaster @CraftySourcer and bloody Industry Legend! Denise has some very strong views on how AI has changed the role and will continue to change the role of the Sourcer. There are 2 overarching themes in this episode – 1: if you don't change and evolve to include AI in your day-to-day, you will not survive… And 2, there always needs to be a person in the loop. Grab a listen; there are nuggets aplenty!Thanks to Greenhouse for partnering with us this month. 

Get Out of Wrap | Episode #263 – Danny Wardell, VP EMEA GTM at Alvaria CXFrom filing in a damp cellar at a solicitor's office to VP at one of the contact center industry's most recognised brands, Danny Wardell's journey is anything but ordinary.In this episode, Martin sits down with Danny to explore the grit, setbacks, and hard-won lessons behind a career built from a working-class background in West Yorkshire. They cover early jobs that shaped his relentless work ethic, the rejection that lit a fire under him, what it really costs to succeed in sales, and why returning to carry a bag after a decade of leadership was the best move he ever made.They also get into the AI hype problem facing the contact center industry, why proactive outbound is the most underused superpower in CX, and the human moments where no technology should ever replace a person.Honest, grounded, and genuinely entertaining and this is part one of two.

The Value Paradox: Why Guests Are Spending More and Forgiving Less Consumer sentiment is at an all-time low, yet people are still spending. The World Cup just kicked off on American soil. And right here in Polk County, Florida, a landmark healthcare partnership just opened its doors with a vision that every hospitality leader should study. In this episode, I unpacks the paradox reshaping restaurants, hotels, and every guest-facing business right now: guests are opening their wallets and they are less forgiving than ever when the experience falls short. The brands winning aren't the cheapest or the fanciest - they're the ones whose people make guests feel like the money was worth it. We talk about lessons from the Watson Clinic and Orlando Health ribbon cutting in Lakeland - a masterclass in designing for the future. We also talk about the FIFA World Cup as the ultimate high-stakes CX case study, with a practical playbook for host cities, hotels, restaurants, and stadium concessions operators facing surge volume, international guests, and a global spotlight. In this episode: Why value has less to do with price than you think - and the three layers that actually drive loyalty The K-shaped consumer market and what it means for your frontline team The World Cup CX playbook: cultural fluency, surge staffing, recovery, and finishing strong Three leadership moves to make this week -not next quarter Perfect for: hospitality leaders, business owners, CEOS, COOs, CX/EX professionals, operational managers, retail and service teams, training and development leaders, and anyone responsible for people and performance (and sales growth).   Book time with me to learn about our speaking, training, and consulting services: https://calendly.com/thetonyjohnson/strategy  Links & Resources:

Want to secure executive buy-in? Stop waiting for a strategic brief from leadership, learn how to pitch solutions that solve your VP's biggest headache.Tired of doing incredible journey mapping work only to realize you still aren't invited to the room where important business decisions are made? In this episode of the Journey Management Playbook, Martin and I break down a highly specific, 5-slide pitch designed to get you a seat at the executive table. Learn how to stop being viewed as just the "journey maps person" and start navigating boardroom politics like a pro.in this episode Why asking your VP what could get them fired is the ultimate shortcut to tapping into executive urgency. A tactical, step-by-step breakdown of how to write your own strategic brief and present a high-value proposition.How to handle heavy pushback from stakeholders and turn a painful "no" into meaningful progress.How to reposition customer experience (CX) from a minor workshop activity into a core business solution.We've put together an Objection Response Cheat Sheet with the most common pushbacks and ways you can navigate them. You can download it for free using the link in the show notes.Enjoy and keep making a positive impact.~ Marc[1. LINKS

The BPO Industry Isn't Dying. But It May Need to Reinvent Itself Faster Than Anyone Expected. Yuma AI CEO Guillaume Luccisano argues that customer experience providers must evolve from labor arbitrage specialists into AI orchestrators and systems integrators—or risk becoming irrelevant. For years, critics of the business process outsourcing industry have predicted its demise. First it was robotic process automation. Then conversational AI. Then Generative AI. Yet the industry survived every previous wave of disruption because technology changed the way work was delivered rather than eliminating the need for the service itself. In episode 420 of the CX Files, Guillaume talks to Mark Hillary about these changes and how BPOs may need to adapt. https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaumeluccisano/ https://yuma.ai/ -------------- Summary: Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan discuss the impact of AI on the BPO industry, featuring Guillaume Luccisano, CEO of Yuma AI. Luccisano argues that traditional BPO models are outdated, emphasizing AI's potential to automate 100% of customer service within 2-3 years. He highlights Yuma AI's success in deploying AI agents since 2023, achieving automation rates up to 89%. Luccisano predicts a significant shift in the job market due to AI, suggesting BPOs must evolve into systems integrators to survive. He also notes the cost efficiency of AI, with interactions costing under $1 compared to $4-$8 for human agents. ---- The BPO Industry Isn't Dying. But It May Need to Reinvent Itself Faster Than Anyone Expected. Yuma AI CEO Guillaume Luccisano argues that customer experience providers must evolve from labor arbitrage specialists into AI orchestrators and systems integrators—or risk becoming irrelevant. For years, critics of the business process outsourcing industry have predicted its demise. First it was robotic process automation. Then conversational AI. Then Generative AI. Yet the industry survived every previous wave of disruption because technology changed the way work was delivered rather than eliminating the need for the service itself. But according to Guillaume Luccisano, founder and CEO of Yuma AI, this time may be different. Speaking on Episode 420 of the CX Files podcast, Luccisano argued that the traditional BPO model—selling customer service through large pools of human agents—is facing a challenge unlike anything it has encountered before. His view is stark: AI is no longer just helping agents do their jobs better. It is increasingly capable of doing the job itself. And if that trend continues, the industry will need to redefine its purpose. The End of the "Cost Per Interaction" Era Luccisano's company specializes in AI-powered customer service automation for retail and e-commerce brands. He claims some clients are already automating the vast majority of customer interactions. What has changed, he argues, is that AI is no longer limited to answering questions from a knowledge base. Modern AI agents can access customer records, understand context, follow workflows, execute transactions, and complete tasks. In other words, they are moving beyond information retrieval and into operational execution. This matters because the traditional BPO business model has largely been built around charging for human effort—whether measured in agents, hours, seats, or interactions. If AI can handle increasing volumes of customer contacts at a fraction of the cost, then the economics begin to shift dramatically. A contact that once required several dollars of human labor may eventually be resolved for a few cents in computing costs. Even if those figures are debated, the direction of travel is becoming difficult to ignore. The Problem Isn't Technology. It's Incentives. One of Luccisano's most interesting observations is that many outsourcing providers are already talking extensively about AI. The question is whether they are deploying AI to genuinely transform operations or merely adding enough AI to satisfy customer demand while protecting existing revenue streams. That creates an uncomfortable tension. A provider whose business depends on thousands of agents has little incentive to aggressively deploy technology that could reduce the number of agents required. As Luccisano noted, many providers find themselves caught between serving today's business model and preparing for tomorrow's. The challenge is not technical. It is organizational. And perhaps even existential. Why Investors Are Nervous The sharp decline in the share prices of several publicly traded CX providers has fuelled speculation about the sector's future. Luccisano believes investors are not simply reacting to hype. They are attempting to price in a future where customer service becomes significantly more automated, more efficient, and therefore less dependent on large labor-intensive operations. Whether investors have overreacted remains open to debate. But the market is clearly asking a difficult question: What happens to a company built around managing tens of thousands of customer service agents when customers increasingly expect AI-driven efficiency? The answer remains uncertain. But it is a question every provider now has to confront. The Hidden Complexity Most Critics Ignore To his credit, Luccisano does not dismiss the value that BPOs create today. Customer interactions are only one piece of a much larger operational puzzle. Large CX providers manage compliance requirements, regulatory obligations, security controls, multilingual operations, workforce management, governance frameworks, quality assurance, and complex integrations across dozens of markets. Replacing an individual customer service interaction with AI is one thing. Replacing the entire operational framework surrounding customer service is something else entirely. This is where many simplistic predictions about the "death of BPO" fall apart. The institutional knowledge accumulated by major outsourcing firms still has value. The question is whether that value can be repackaged. From Outsourcer to Systems Integrator Perhaps the most important idea from the conversation was Luccisano's belief that the future role of the BPO may look less like a labor provider and more like a systems integrator. Rather than selling headcount, providers could sell expertise. Rather than managing agents, they could manage AI agents. Rather than staffing operations, they could design, orchestrate, govern, optimize, and continuously improve AI-enabled customer experience ecosystems. This is a subtle but profound shift. It moves the provider higher up the value chain. The emphasis shifts from execution to orchestration. From labor to outcomes. From workforce management to intelligent systems management. Ironically, this would bring some BPOs closer to the role that companies like IBM, Accenture, and other major technology integrators evolved into years ago. A Difficult Transition The challenge, of course, is that transformation is easier to describe than to execute. Reinventing a startup is one thing. Reinventing a global organization employing hundreds of thousands of people is another. Many of today's largest CX providers are highly successful businesses with established customer relationships and predictable revenue streams. That success can become a barrier to change. The dilemma is obvious. How aggressively should a company invest in technologies that could cannibalize its own business? History suggests that incumbents often struggle with precisely this problem. The Bigger Question Perhaps the most controversial part of Luccisano's argument extends beyond outsourcing entirely. He believes AI is creating a broader economic transformation that will affect many knowledge-based professions, not just customer service. Software engineering, consulting, administration, legal services, and customer experience are all beginning to feel the effects. If he is right, then the debate is no longer about whether AI will change customer service. The debate is about how quickly institutions can adapt to a world where intelligence itself becomes abundant and inexpensive. The Future May Belong to the Adaptable The most important takeaway from this discussion is not that BPOs are doomed. In fact, Luccisano repeatedly acknowledged that some providers will survive and potentially thrive. But survival may depend on abandoning the assumption that customer service is primarily a labor business. The providers that succeed could be those that become trusted advisors, AI operators, governance experts, and systems integrators. The providers that fail may be those that continue selling people when customers increasingly want outcomes. The outsourcing industry has reinvented itself before. The question now is whether it can do so again—at the speed AI demands.

Most leaders think they are delivering a great customer experience. Pierre Charchaflian of IBM says they are delivering yesterday's version. The new standard is not fixing problems when customers report them. It is knowing about the problem before the customer does, and solving it before they have to ask. That shift, from reactive to anticipatory, is what separates the brands that customers stay loyal to from those they leave without explanation. The technology to do it exists right now. Most companies are not using it. Pierre has spent 25 years at the intersection of data, technology, and customer experience, and he says this transformation is unlike anything he has seen before. The window to act is open. It will not stay that way. What You Will Learn About Anticipating Customer Needs With AI: What agentic AI actually is in plain language, why it is fundamentally different from prior AI capabilities, and what it means for your CX strategy starting now Why IBM's research found that technology stack limitations, not budget or talent, are the number one barrier preventing CMOs from delivering the customer experience they already know they need to deliver How agentic search engines are becoming a direct threat to brand digital presence, and what leaders need to do before their customers' AI agents start bypassing them entirely Why anticipating a customer's need before they express it is now a measurable competitive advantage, and what separates the companies building that capability from the ones still reacting How AI can read sentiment, detect frustration signals across structured and unstructured data, and trigger a response before a customer decides to leave Why conversion is the metric that tells the truth about whether your customer experience is actually working, and what NPS and CSAT consistently miss Download IBM's Win the Moment report now: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/customer-intent?utm_id=Stacy-Sherman-AdobeSummit-LinkedIn-IBVCMOStudy-04-16-26 #IBMPartner Have a question or thoughts to share? Leave a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/StacySherman Learn more at DoingCXRight.com and subscribe to the newsletter for more actionable strategies.

If you've ever shouted “just let me talk to a person” at a chatbot, this one's for you. Jeannie Walters is joined by special cohost Brandon McGovern, Senior Director of Customer Experience at HP, to pressure-test the biggest question in AI customer service right now: how do we automate without breaking trust?We start with a headline that feels like a warning label. Norse Atlantic Airways offers dirt-cheap tickets, but customers say there's a catch: customer support is so locked behind tech that getting help can become impossible. We unpack why this isn't simply a “tech problem,” but a governance and leadership problem. When companies remove phone numbers, skip the escape hatch, and ignore high-emotion journeys like refunds and disruptions, they don't just frustrate people, they create financial harm and open the door to fraud.Then we zoom out to the enterprise reality. Cisco's line that adopting AI is “like surgery without the drugs” is painfully honest, and it frames the messy middle many CX teams are living through. We talk about why rushing to automate tasks can amplify mistakes, how to redesign workflows around outcomes, and why “faster” is the wrong North Star compared to what's now possible. Along the way, we dig into authenticity, rising customer expectations, and why AI is killing the illusion of fine print as customers use their own tools to read policies and push back.If you're leading CX, contact centers, or digital support, you'll leave with practical guardrails for pilots, measurement, and intent selection. Subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review with the biggest AI question you're wrestling with right now.About Brandon McGovernSenior Director of Customer Experience at HPUnderstanding your customers isn't enough. I build the systems that turn that understanding into outcomes.I'm a Senior Director of Customer Experience at HP, leading enterprise-wide measurement, analytics, and operations that enable the company to understand and act on customer sentiment in real time. I oversee a global Voice of the Customer ecosystem capturing tens of millions of signals annually, translating them into product, service, digital, and brand strategy decisions across the business.My work has delivered double-digit NPS improvements and material revenue impact by shifting CX from a reporting function to an operational and strategic capability - powered by data, automation, and applied AI.Beyond enterprise implementation, I build with AI hands-on - personal projects in game design, product prototyping, and workflow automation using Claude, Lovable, and other tools. Building outside my domain teaches me where AI actually breaks down, which makes me a better architect of AI-powered operating models at work.I bring engineering depth coupled with business leadership (MBA, MS in Electrical Engineering, Stanford executive education), and I specialize in building scalable CX platforms, driving cultural change, and aligning executives around customer-led transformation. Follow Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonmcgovern/Articles Mentioned:- Norse Atlantic Airways Offers Dirt-Cheap Tickets. There's a Catch (Wired) -- https://www.wired.com/story/norse-airlines-ftc-complaints-ai-scams/- Cisco exec says adopting AI is like 'surgery without the drugs' (Business Insider) -- https://www.businessinsider.com/cisco-ai-adoption-customer-service-2026-5- Dissatisfied: Three-fourths of AI customer service rollouts are a letdown (The Register) -- https://www.theregister.com/ai-ml/2026/05/13/ai-customer-service-bots-get-rolled-back-at-74-of-firms/5239800Enjoyed 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!)

It's your weekly TA & Recruitment news blast with the Scoop from TaPod. This week we cover all kinds of angles, including Uber brutalising their HR Team; 12.5% tariffs imposed by the USA for allowing imports of goods created by modern slavery; Atlassian says AI is making teams slower; the daily commute is dead; businesses spending pay rises on AI; the top 10 in-demand jobs and much more.Thanks to Indeed for partnering with us to bring you the Scoop.

This week on Tapod, we catch up with Jamie Leonard – Founder of Recfest – The LARGEST Talent Acquisition event in the world! Imagine over 4000 recruiters in the field at Knebworth, UK – in the biggest and baddest conference/festival on the planet. This year's theme revolves very heavily around human intervention in a world transfixed on AI. With a focus on practitioner delivery and case studies  Thanks to Greenhouse for partnering with us this month. 

Salesforce Connections 2026 had an ambitious narrative: apply agentic AI to turn marketers from bogged-down admins to "makers." But how did that narrative go over with attendees? And how do Salesforce customers achieve these changes and reduce marketing/sales pain points - even on older "heritage" releases? Does the fragmentation of enterprise data remain an obstacle? Jon Reed hashes out these questions and more with Rebecca Wettemann, who has done notable research through Valoir on CX data fragmentation. Can the two get to the bottom of the show on the clock, before their conference room time expires? We're about to find out...

Salesforce Connections 2026 had an ambitious narrative: apply agentic AI to turn marketers from bogged-down admins to "makers." But how did that narrative go over with attendees? And how do Salesforce customers achieve these changes and reduce marketing/sales pain points - even on older "heritage" releases? Does the fragmentation of enterprise data remain an obstacle? Jon Reed hashes out these questions and more with Rebecca Wettemann, who has done notable research through Valoir on CX data fragmentation. Can the two get to the bottom of the show on the clock, before their conference room time expires? We're about to find out...

How the 90s favorite $4 billion bookstore chain sleepwalked into bankruptcy...

David Rickard is a partner at Everest Group. He is based in the UK. David recently visited Ethiopia for the Elevate Africa event. In this conversation with Peter Ryan David gives his take on Ethiopia and Africa more generally for CX and BPO.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwrickard/ https://www.everestgrp.com/ https://www.weelevateafrica.org/ --- Africa has been talked about as "the next big thing" in outsourcing for at least two decades. South Africa became a serious global CX delivery location. Egypt built a powerful multilingual BPO proposition. Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, and several other markets are now attracting attention as buyers look beyond the traditional offshore giants. But Ethiopia is starting to enter the conversation in a more serious way. In Episode 419 of CX Files, Peter Ryan interviewed David Rickard, a partner at Everest Group, shortly after David returned from the Elevate Africa conference in Ethiopia. The conversation was valuable because David was not offering a promotional pitch. As an analyst, his job is to look at both sides of the equation: the opportunity and the obstacles.

Are basic chatbots hurting your customer experience? In this episode of the RETHINK Retail Podcast, guest host Christine Russo sits down with Antanas Bakšys, CEO and Co-Founder of Ace Waves, to discuss the massive transformation happening in retail CX. Antanas shares insights from his 15 years in ecommerce, explaining how retail customer support is shifting from rigid software into an elite autonomous workforce. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Beyond Chatbots: Why legacy retail automation fails and how to transition to true AI teammates. - Customer Service Debt: How to identify this hidden burden in your organization and clear it out. - Risk Management: How autonomous AI agents safely handle sensitive tasks like refunds and cancellations. - Future of Retail CX: A contrarian 12-month prediction on where retail automation is heading. Meet Ace Waves at Shoptalk Europe! > Heading to Barcelona this June 9th through 11th? Meet Antanas and the team in person at the Ace Waves booth.

“Customer experience is not about selling a product anymore. It's about selling trust.” Cisco Webex: Turning Agentic AI Into Trusted Customer Engagement, As Cisco Live spotlights agentic AI, security and observability, Vinod Muthukrishnan explains why Webex Customer Experience sits at the front line of AI adoption By Doug Green “Customer experience is not about selling a product anymore. It's about selling trust.” That was the larger message from Vinod Muthukrishnan, Vice President and General Manager of Webex Customer Experience at Cisco, in this Technology Reseller News podcast recorded at Cisco Live. Muthukrishnan connects several of the biggest themes at Cisco Live — agentic AI, observability, security and the network — to the place where they ultimately become real: the customer experience. As AI moves into customer-facing environments, the stakes change. An autonomous agent may access corporate data, customer information, PII and confidential systems. It may then act autonomously and communicate directly with customers, partners and outside entities. Put those steps together, Muthukrishnan says, and the threat surface becomes potentially “infinite.” That is why he argues that AI-powered customer experience cannot be treated simply as a front-end application opportunity. “For me, it's an infrastructure game,” says Muthukrishnan. The ability to observe, secure, manage and respond to AI-driven systems at machine scale becomes essential. The conversation reflects a larger shift in the contact center and customer experience market. AI is no longer just a tool for routing calls, answering routine questions or assisting agents. It is becoming a new operating layer for customer engagement. That creates major opportunities for better service, faster resolution and more personalized interactions. But it also raises new questions about trust, governance, data access and operational control. For Cisco Partners, MSPs and enterprise teams, that changes the conversation. The question is not simply how to add AI to the contact center. The question is how to build a secure, observable and trusted CX environment where AI can operate safely and effectively. Muthukrishnan's message is that Webex Customer Experience is positioned at that intersection. CX is where the promise of AI meets the expectations of real customers. It is also where enterprises will need to prove that autonomous systems can be useful, secure and trusted. In this podcast, Muthukrishnan outlines how Cisco Webex is approaching that challenge and why trusted customer engagement may become one of the defining measures of success in the AI era. Learn more at: https://www.webex.com/contact-center.html

Dave shares 5 unique ways his team leverages AI across 3 brands to make products more personal, streamline operations and optimize marketing efforts — without the usual image editing tips that everyone talks about. Thinking about taking some risk off the table? Or are you looking at taking an extended break from e-commerce in general? Know what your e-commerce business is worth with Quiet Light Brokerage. More Staffing connects ecommerce founders to top Filipino talent across supply chain, operations, CX, marketing, finance, and creative. More Staffing helps you build a team with real depth, at a cost structure that makes it viable for a brand at any stage. Check out MORE. Staffing today to get all of your open positions filled for Q3. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 02:30 - Creating a custom Shopify app  04:00 - Challenges from developing custom apps 05:30 - Using Cursor for app development 07:00 - Using Cloudflare for hosting apps 09:00 - Designing custom inventory management tools 17:00 - Using AI for video creation and how Dobby Ads produces quality content 21:00 - Efficient PPC management with manual oversight and AI automation 25:00 - Hiring professionals in the Philippines with MORE. Staffing 30:00 - Experimenting with OpenClaw and its potential  Resources & Links: Dobby Ads MORE Staffing Cursor IDE Railway Laravel Framework Cloudflare DigitalOcean

Your contact center agents are not the only people responsible for your customer experience. Every person in your company who touches a product, a process, or a decision is shaping how your customer feels about your brand, whether they realize it or not. Chris Morrissey, General Manager of Customer Experience at Zoom, calls this horizontal CX, and it starts with one question every leader should be asking every employee, every quarter: how did you use what you learned from customers to make a better decision? When that question becomes routine, "not my job" stops being an option. This episode covers what it takes to build that accountability across every role, every channel, and every technology decision your company is making right now. What You Will Learn Why measuring individual interactions instead of full customer journeys causes teams to celebrate outcomes that are actually failures Which voices of the customer most companies are collecting but never routing to the teams making product, marketing, and service decisions Why keeping customers is a bigger revenue lever than acquiring them at scale, and why most recognition and compensation structures have not caught up to that reality What it takes to make store staff, product owners, and agents show up as one brand to a customer who does not care about your org chart Why the pressure to adopt AI fast may be creating a problem worse than the one companies are trying to solve Have a question or thoughts to share? Leave a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/StacySherman Learn more at DoingCXRight.com and subscribe to the newsletter for more actionable strategies.

Airline customer satisfaction increased 3% year over year. That's one of the strongest gains across the travel sector, according to new research from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Forrest Morgeson, Director of Research Emeritus at ACSI, shares what's driving those gains and how airlines are improving across multiple customer touchpoints—from mobile apps and reservations to in-flight internet and access to information throughout the travel journey.

Momentum is the thing every CX leader wants and almost nobody hands you. When you're staring at a 12-month roadmap but drowning in daily requests, it's easy to feel like you're working nonstop while nothing actually changes. We built this conversation for that exact moment, and we keep it practical: seven days, one intentional move, and a clear path to visible customer experience impact.We walk through a simple three-step framework we use with leaders who are trying to turn CX strategy into action. First, we orient before we act by choosing where our energy belongs instead of reacting to whatever is loudest. We talk through a clear set of focus areas and how a quick assessment can highlight the biggest gap between the experience you want to deliver and what's getting done right now. Then we get real about focus: protecting time, avoiding data rabbit holes, and picking an outcome you can actually ship in a week.Finally, we make one intentional leadership decision that isn't driven by urgency or the inbox. That decision might be defining what success looks like, revisiting a customer experience mission statement, or having the buy-in conversation you've been avoiding. The goal is not perfection. The goal is momentum you can feel and results you can point to.If you're ready to try the seven-day challenge, listen now, share this with a CX peer who feels stuck, and subscribe so you don't miss what comes next. After you listen, what's the one move you'll commit to this week?Exclusive for podcast listeners: Get your 7-Day Free Trial of CXI MembershipOther Resources Mentioned:Learn more about the CXI Navigator™ framework -- https://experienceinvestigators.com/our-framework/Take the CXI Compass™ assessment -- http://CXICompass.comOrder your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comExperience Investigators -- 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!)

On this episode, we explore what rigorous AI safety testing looks like for customer-facing AI — and why most deployments carry more risk than the teams running them expect.Testing AI before launch is standard practice. But one-time manual testing treats AI like a deterministic system. Model behavior is probabilistic, and the consequences of inadequate testing fall into four categories: people data harm, other types of data harm, reputational harm and commercial harm. Each represents a distinct exposure with real consequences for your organization and your customers.Meaningful AI safety testing requires something different: continuous, automated adversarial testing at scale, designed to find what a bad actor would find before they find it. TELUS Digital's benchmark research, running 34 models through more than 620,000 simulated attacks, found attack success rates ranging from 1% to 90%, and identified five gaps in how most organizations approach testing: scale, scope, variety, repetition and simulation realism.Bret Kinsella, senior vice president and general manager of Fuel iX at TELUS Digital, draws on the GenAI safety model benchmark report to explain where CX AI tends to fail adversarial testing methods, how the exposure management framework reframes risk as an ongoing operational discipline and the question every CX leader should be asking about the AI their customers are currently interacting with.Show notesWatch Uncharted, TELUS Digital's AI safety and security summit, on demand: https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/fuel-ix/resource/uncharted-ai-security-safety-summit-videosDownload the full GenAI safety model benchmark report: https://www.telusdigital.com/insights/fuel-ix/resource/genai-safety-benchmark-2026Learn more about Fuel iX Fortify, TELUS Digital's continuous adversarial testing and validation platform for enterprise AI, and request a free AI safety & security analysis: https://www.telusdigital.com/solutions/fuel-ix/fortifyConnect with Bret Kinsella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretkinsella/

John DiJulius explains why so many leaders believe their customer experience is improving while customers feel something very different. Summary: In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius unpack one of the most dangerous gaps in business today: the difference between what leaders think customers are experiencing and what customers are actually feeling. A 2026 customer experience report referenced in the episode found that 66% of CX practitioners believe customer experience improved last year, while only 17% of consumers agree. That gap is not just a measurement issue. It is a leadership issue. John explains why survey scores, dashboards, and internal reports can create false confidence. He also discusses why customer feedback often fails to become customer intelligence, how silos distort the experience, and why frontline employees are often closest to the truth but least empowered to fix recurring friction points. The episode challenges leaders to stop judging customer experience from the conference room and start getting closer to the real customer journey. Companies that want to build loyalty, reduce friction, and create a true competitive advantage must measure what matters, listen to what customers are actually saying, and follow through with systems, standards, and accountability. Takeaways There is often a major gap between what companies think they are delivering and what customers actually experience. Leaders may be investing in CX, tracking scores, and launching initiatives, but customers may still not feel meaningful improvement. Survey scores alone are no longer enough. John argues that survey fatigue has made traditional feedback less reliable. Many customers do not complain; they simply leave. Customer feedback and customer intelligence are not the same. Feedback tells you how someone feels about an interaction. Customer intelligence helps you understand who the customer is, what they need, what they value, and where friction exists. Frontline employees often know the problems before leadership does. Contact center teams, sales teams, and customer-facing employees hear recurring complaints daily. The problem is that many companies lack a system to capture and act on that intelligence. Silos create customer experience breakdowns. Departments often optimize for their own numbers, but customers experience the company as one organization. Implementation is where most CX initiatives fail. Launching the idea is easy. Measuring, training, coaching, reinforcing, and holding people accountable is the hard part. Leaders need to become their own customers. Ordering your own product, calling your own contact center, testing your own digital journey, and experiencing your own process can expose friction dashboards miss. Customer experience is not a short-term ROI play. Cost-cutting, discounting, layoffs, and acquisitions may improve short-term numbers, but they can damage the long-term experience. AI can help leaders hear the real customer voice. Customer sentiment analysis can reveal recurring issues across calls, chats, emails, and support interactions without relying only on low-response surveys. The ultimate question is not, "Are we working on CX?" It is, "Would our customers say it is actually better?" Quotes "Customer experience can't be judged from the conference room alone." "If customers are not feeling the improvement, then the work isn't finished." "Survey scores can create false confidence if they are not connected to the real customer journey." "Feedback is one thing. Customer intelligence is another." "The frontline often knows where the friction is. The question is whether leadership has a system to hear it and fix it." "EX equals CX. What employees experience, customers will experience." "Don't just ask, 'Are we working on customer experience?' Ask, 'Would our customers say it is actually better?'" "Implementation is the hard part. Launching the idea is easy." "Some customers do not complain. They just quietly leave." "Leaders need to roll up their sleeves and get closer to the customer." Chapters List 00:00 – Introduction: The Gap Between CX Perception and Reality Denise introduces a major disconnect between what CX professionals believe and what consumers report feeling. 01:58 – Why Companies Think Experience Is Improving John explains why there may be a lag between CX initiatives and customer perception, but also why leaders may be missing the real experience. 03:43 – Why CX Initiatives Fail After Launch John discusses flavor-of-the-month initiatives, poor execution, and the importance of measurement, training, coaching, and accountability. 04:52 – How Leaders Become Disconnected from Customers John explains how growth, P&L pressure, and short-term decision-making can distance leaders from the actual customer experience. 06:54 – The Role of Silos in Customer Experience Gaps Denise and John discuss how departments can unintentionally create friction when they do not understand one another's impact on the customer. 08:48 – Signs of a Customer Experience Delusion John challenges companies that rely too heavily on surveys and NPS without understanding what those metrics may be missing. 10:26 – AI, Customer Sentiment, and Real-Time Intelligence John explains how AI can help companies identify recurring customer issues through calls, emails, chats, and sentiment analysis. 11:45 – Customer Feedback vs. Customer Intelligence John defines customer intelligence and explains why different customer avatars have different needs, expectations, and pain points. 14:14 – Why Companies Collect Feedback but Fail to Act Denise and John discuss why employees and customers stop giving feedback when nothing changes. 16:51 – How Leaders Can Stay Close Without More Surveys John recommends AI sentiment analysis, contact center focus groups, and direct conversations with frontline employees. 18:41 – Becoming Your Own Customer Denise shares an example of executives testing their own product experience and finding major improvements before launch. 20:04 – How to Know CX Strategy Is Working John explains the importance of a return-on-experience dashboard, employee energy, task forces, and internal alignment. 21:54 – Consulting CTA Denise explains how The DiJulius Group helps organizations uncover friction, build systems, and create consistency at scale. 22:43 – The Danger of Relying Only on Survey Scores John explains why low response rates and incomplete survey answers can distort the truth. 23:27 – What Companies Should Do This Quarter John recommends speaking directly with VIP customers, creating a CX champion, forming a task force, and following a proven methodology. 24:44 – Closing Challenge Denise challenges leaders to ask whether customers would say the experience is actually better. 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 If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ 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.  

Today's episode of the Punk CX podcast features a series of interviews that I conducted with Zendesk executives while at Relate, their annual customer event in Denver last week. I talked to Tom Eggemeier, CEO, Zendesk, Shana Simmons, CLO, Zendesk, and Cristina Fonseca, VP Product, Zendesk. Some of the things we cover include the big themes and takeaways from the event, including some background on the big product announcements, AI trust and why trust is a core differentiator, how Zendesk are working with clients to help them build trust with their customers, the future of work and how we can prepare ourselves and our teams for that. This interview follows on from my recent interview – Trust and transparency will be the CX differentiators of the future – Interview with Chris Angus of 8×8 – and is number 588 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees.

The annual CXOutsourcers Mindshare event took place in Ottawa, Canada, earlier in May 2026 (May 18-20). Peter Ryan took a microphone onto the conference floor to capture ideas and comments from the delegates in Canada for this CX-focused event. https://cxoutsourcers.com/ In this episode of CX Files you will hear comments from: Sean Duncombe - COO, Neuroframe (USA) https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanduncombe/ Nathalie Siphengphet - CMO and VP Strategy, NQX (Canada) https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaliesiphengphet/ Yanique Grant - Chief CX Specialist, ElevateCX (USA) https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaniquewagrantcx/ Seandette Wiltshire - Founder, The Contact Hub (Barbados) https://www.linkedin.com/in/seandette/ Dave Rumble - various roles including Director and Chair Maistro Group and board advisor to NDH Group (UK) https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rumble-4a4a09b/ Krzysztof Herdzik - Co-founder and Chief Expert, Nalu Experts (Poland) https://www.linkedin.com/in/krzysztofherdzik/ Fauad Nasir - CEO and Founder, EmpireOne BPO (Canada) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fauad-nasir/ Anna Yotova - Head of Innovation and co-founder, CALLBOXS (Bulgaria) https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-yotova-2471aa17b/ Veronica Richards - VP at WW Calls Canada (Canada) https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-richards-9b26969/ Faye Joubert - CRO, iTalk International (South Africa) https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayevaldajoubert/ Terez Rijkenberg - Executive Coach (UK) https://www.linkedin.com/in/terezrijkenberg/ Vinay Parmar - MD, Customer Whisperers (UK) https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinayparmar/   Note: the order listed here is the order the voices feature in the podcast - there is no secret formula about the order. It's the order in which Peter sent the audio files to Mark Hillary to be included in this episode.

In this episode of the Finovate Podcast, host Greg Palmer sits down with Craig McLaughlin (CEO) and Baron Conway (Chief Strategy Officer) of Finalytics.AI to discuss their impressive achievement of winning Best of Show at FinovateSpring for two consecutive years (2025 and 2026).The conversation explores how Finalytics.AI is revolutionizing digital banking by solving a critical challenge faced by community financial institutions: delivering personalized, high-touch experiences through digital channels while leveraging the wealth of customer data these institutions possess. Craig shares the company's origin story, explaining how they recognized that existing third-party platforms weren't adequately addressing the unique needs of financial institutions, leading them to build a specialized solution from the ground up.The discussion delves into Finalytics.AI's recent innovations over the past 12 months, including advanced personalization through learner algorithms, dynamic rates engines, intelligent calculators that indicate high customer intent, and comprehensive full-funnel reporting capabilities. Baron emphasizes how their platform transforms digital and marketing teams from cost centers into profit drivers by providing insights that extend beyond application submissions to actual funding amounts and outcomes. The intelligence layer that Finnalytics.AI provides sits between various point solutions, integrating data from disparate systems to deliver truly personalized experiences across the customer journey—from initial search ad engagement through to product recommendations and conversions.Both executives share valuable insights for fintech founders on approaching different types of financial institutions, emphasizing the importance of patience, relationship-building, and understanding that each organization has unique needs regardless of whether they're credit unions, community banks, or larger institutions.They stress that success in this space requires playing the long game, responding quickly to customer needs, and truly understanding each institution's specific market challenges and business objectives. Looking ahead, Finalytics.AI is focusing on exposing their intelligence layer via APIs to enhance CRM, contact center, and marketing automation tools, while also exploring opportunities in agentic banking to automate processes and enable financial institutions to focus on what they do best: human engagement powered by intelligent data insights.More info:Finalytics: https://finalytics.ai/; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finalyticsai/Craig McLoughlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mclaughlincraig/Baron Conway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baronconway/Greg Palmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbpalmer/Finovate: https://www.finovate.com; https://www.linkedin.com/company/finovate-conference-series/FinovateSpring: https://informaconnect.com/finovatespring/#Finovate #FinovateSpring #Banking #banks #creditunions #personalization #data #communitybanks #CX #marketing #digitaladoption #podcast #fintechpodcast #financialservices #innovation #digitraltransformation #fintech #finserv #modernization

Companies are embracing AI faster than ever before, and many leaders are realizing that successful transformation depends just as much on people and culture as it does on technology. This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Dr. Michael Housman, AI builder, founder of AI-ccelerator, and author of Future-Proof: Transform Your Business with AI or Get Left Behind, shares practical ways companies can use AI to accelerate innovation, improve customer experience, and prepare for the future of work. We also discuss why successful AI adoption depends as much on leadership, employee buy-in, and culture as it does on the technology itself.

As a leader, you often spend so much time on the strategies and tactics that keep your brand growing that it's difficult to keep up with what's going on in the background with the platforms and the companies behind them.That's why I'm always glad to talk with our guest today, who is both focused on the business of CX as well as the business behind CX and the SaaS platforms driving so many customer experiences. I'm excited to talk again with our Resident Expert on the CX and MarTech platform landscape. We talked right at the beginning of 2026 as a look back at last year. Now that we've had a quarter behind us in 2026, it's time to talk about how this year is shaping up and what we can expect in the months ahead.To help me discuss these topics, I'd like to welcome, Bill Staikos, Founder at Be Customer Led. About Bill Staikos Bill Staikos is a senior customer experience executive with over 20 years of leadership across financial services, consulting, and technology. He has held senior roles at American Express, Freddie Mac, JP Morgan, and BNY Mellon, where he led global initiatives to transform client and employee experiences. A former SVP at Medallia, Bill helped organizations turn insights into measurable outcomes.Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice and one of the Top 50 Global CX Influencers, Bill is also the founder of the Be Customer-Led podcast and is now preparing to launch The Multimodal Experience. Known for his pragmatic, impact-driven approach, Bill advises leading brands, including Apple, Bank of America, Marriott, and T-Mobile, on connecting customer experience to business growth. Bill Staikos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billstaikos/ Resources Be Customer Led: https://becustomerled.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fDon't miss We Make Future - the International Festival of Innovation in AI, Tech, and Digital Marketing, June 24-26 in Bologna. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/c80991afff416bb2The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the bigger blind spot for most brands' digital experience: knowing that a customer is struggling, or understanding why and being able to help them in that exact moment? Agility requires not just identifying customer friction quickly, but having the tools to resolve it in the moment. It's about shortening the gap between insight and action to create better experiences, faster.Today, we're going to talk about a strategic evolution in digital experience management: moving beyond passively observing user behavior to actively intervening and guiding users toward success, directly within the product. We'll explore how this shift is being accelerated by strategic acquisitions and how it empowers product, marketing, and CX teams to solve problems in real time.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jason Wolf, President at Fullstory. About Jason Wolf Jason Wolf is an accomplished technology executive with over two decades of experience driving strategic growth and operational excellence across the technology sector. As President of Fullstory, Jason leads sales, customer success, support, professional services, partnerships, and revenue operations.Before joining Fullstory, Wolf served as Ping Identity's Chief Revenue Officer, leading an international team that cemented the company's position in intelligent identity solutions that make digital experiences secure and seamless. Preceding his time at Ping Identity, Wolf spent over 15 years at SAP, where he held several executive positions, ultimately culminating in his role as CRO, overseeing the business's spending management and network line. His career also includes valuable experiences at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and as a consultant for Ernst and Young. Jason Wolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-wolf-ismatsap/ Resources Fullstory: https://www.fullstory.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the bigger blind spot for most brands' digital experience: knowing that a customer is struggling, or understanding why and being able to help them in that exact moment? Agility requires not just identifying customer friction quickly, but having the tools to resolve it in the moment. It's about shortening the gap between insight and action to create better experiences, faster.Today, we're going to talk about a strategic evolution in digital experience management: moving beyond passively observing user behavior to actively intervening and guiding users toward success, directly within the product. We'll explore how this shift is being accelerated by strategic acquisitions and how it empowers product, marketing, and CX teams to solve problems in real time.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Jason Wolf, President at Fullstory. About Jason Wolf Jason Wolf is an accomplished technology executive with over two decades of experience driving strategic growth and operational excellence across the technology sector. As President of Fullstory, Jason leads sales, customer success, support, professional services, partnerships, and revenue operations.Before joining Fullstory, Wolf served as Ping Identity's Chief Revenue Officer, leading an international team that cemented the company's position in intelligent identity solutions that make digital experiences secure and seamless. Preceding his time at Ping Identity, Wolf spent over 15 years at SAP, where he held several executive positions, ultimately culminating in his role as CRO, overseeing the business's spending management and network line. His career also includes valuable experiences at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and as a consultant for Ernst and Young. Jason Wolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-wolf-ismatsap/ Resources Fullstory: https://www.fullstory.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company