Podcasts about CX

As a marketing 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. While agility requires a flexible technology stack, it also requires a leadership mindset that can distinguish market noise from genuine strategic opportunity, and filter out the hype to understand the shifts that can impact customers and the bottom line. The ability to pivot your people, processes, and platforms in response to major market shifts is no longer a nice to have, but rather a competitive advantage. Today, I'm excited to talk with our 2026 Resident Expert on the CX and MarTech platform landscape. We're going to focus on the business and business opportunities that mergers, acquisitions, and big moves in the market provide to these platforms' customers. Our focus today is going to be a recap of market activity in 2025 with an eye towards what to expect in 2026. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Bill Staikos, Founder at Be Customer Led.About Bill Staikos Bill Staikos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billstaikos/ Resources Be Customer Led: https://becustomerled.com/ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/agile The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/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://www.thecrmc.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://advertalize.com/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://www.theagilebrand.showCheck 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

How do you keep growing fast without breaking your business?In this Owned and Operated supercut, John Wilson pulls together his favorite moments from recent conversations on what actually snaps when you scale: cash, leadership bandwidth, and the frontline experience that drives revenue.You'll hear why growth is expensive (in trucks, infrastructure, and overhead), how disciplined operators reinvest instead of upgrading their lifestyle too early, and why “the war is won inside the home” no matter how good your dashboards look.If you're running HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or roofing and feeling the strain of growth, this episode gives you the frameworks—and the hard truths—to keep momentum without chaos.In this episode, you'll learn:Why growth consumes cash (and how to plan for it)The “overhead body” you must build early: leadership, CX, SG&A, marketing, purchasingHow owners stall out by pulling cash too early (the lifestyle trap)Why playbooks beat ego: don't reinvent the wheel (Nexstar and more)Why frontline obsession matters more than dashboardsHow onboarding + clear pay plans create a culture that performsConnect: John Wilson: https://x.com/WilsonCompanies

Recorded live at Pocket Gamer London, Greg sits down with Hill from Checkstep for a wide ranging conversation on trust and safety, AI powered content detection, parenting in a gaming household, and why moderation is no longer just about removing harm.Hill shares her journey from data analyst to GTM leader in trust and safety, how Checkstep is building on top of the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem rather than competing with it, and why “build vs buy” decisions are becoming existential for modern studios.They explore:• What trust and safety really means for multiplayer games and UGC platforms• Why content detection is replacing traditional moderation language• How large language models are changing speed to value for studios• Where humans still matter in AI driven workflows• Detecting grooming and harmful behavior without exposing moderators to trauma• Why keystroke detection and behavioral patterns are becoming new signals• The real ROI conversation studios want proof on• Promoting positive player behavior instead of only policing bad actors• Parenting in a gaming household and how Greg thinks about kid safe play• Why balance beats bans when raising young players• Continuous learning, newsletters, and staying sharp in fast moving industries• What success looks like for startups scaling with investors• Hill's 2026 goals and growing meaningful industry partnershipsThe conversation blends operator level insight with personal stories, from renovating bathrooms at night to Wordle streaks and Goat Simulator family sessions.If you care about LiveOps, community health, AI in CX, or building safer game ecosystems at scale, this episode is for you.

Great customer experience doesn't lose customers to competitors—it loses them to apathy. And it creates superfans when ownership of the experience is clear. In this episode of The Modern Customer, customer experience speaker and author Brittany Hodak explains what actually turns customers into superfans—and why tools, automation, and AI alone aren't enough. Drawing on her work with organizations like American Express, Benihana, and Keller Williams, she shows why ownership, accountability, and human judgment drive lasting loyalty.

Hey CX Nation,In this week's episode of The CXChronicles Podcast #276, we welcomed Todd Breton from Hippo Insurance & Eileen Potter from Smart Communications to talk through CX's role in the insurance industry. Smart Communications is the trusted choice for regulated enterprises looking to modernize complex processes and connect with customers in the moments that matter most. More than 650 enterprises worldwide—including Zurich Insurance, Priority Health, The Pacific Financial Group, and The Bancorp—rely on Smart Communications to reduce compliance risk, boost operational efficiency, lower costs, and fast-track digital transformation that fuels business growth and elevates the customer experience.500,000+ homeowners are insured today by Hippo with 70+ insurance carrier partners to boot. In this episode, Todd, Eileen and Adrian chat through the Four CX Pillars: Team, Tools, Process & Feedback. Plus share some of the ideas that their teams think through on a daily basis to build world class customer experiences.**Episode #276 Highlight Reel:**1. Technology's role in the insurance industry2. How AI is changing the insurance space 3. Why most insurance companies are doubling down on CX4. Relationships still matter for most insurance customers5. The future of insuranceClick here to learn more about Todd BretonClick here to learn more about Eileen PotterClick here to learn more about Smart CommunicationsClick here to learn more about Hippo InsuranceHuge thanks to Todd & Eileen for coming on The CXChronicles Podcast and featuring their work and efforts in pushing the way that customer experience fits inside of the insurance industry in 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!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 Today Tweet us @cxchronicles Check out our Instagram @cxchronicles Click here to checkout the CXC website Email us at info@cxchronicles.com Remember To Make Happiness A Habit!!

HBX Group sits in the middle of one of the most complex customer service chains in travel. A single issue can span a traveller, a travel agent, a global booking platform and a hotel on the other side of the world.In this episode, we explore how HBX Group is leveraging artificial intelligence to transform its global customer service operations with Xavier Godoy Moya, Customer Experience & Automation Director, and Adam Tinsley, Global Customer Service Director.We break down how HBX uses AI-driven classification to triage hundreds of thousands of monthly cases across voice, chat, email and ticketing systems. The team explains how generative models replaced traditional intent-matching systems, enabling accurate routing across more than 70 case types while supporting deterministic safeguards required at operational scale.Adam and Xavier share results across several key use cases, including an AI classification system that accurately categorises customer inquiries into 70 different intents, automated handling of common requests such as booking confirmations and cancellations, and an innovative workflow that can automatically communicate with hotels on behalf of agents. Their real-time translation solution has enabled 24/7 service across 13 languages, dramatically expanding their global support capabilities.We also discuss their approach to agent training, which includes an AI simulation system that lets new staff practice handling customer conversations at varying levels of difficulty before taking real calls.The episode closes with measured business outcomes, including faster case resolution, growing automation rates, operational insights unlocked through AI-native reporting and the next wave of experimentation around sentiment-aware routing and more adaptive voice experiences.Show notesFind out more about HBX Group: https://www.hbxgroup.comFollow Kane Simms on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanesimmsDownload our exclusive report on how AI agents keep CX stable when volume explodes: https://vux.world/how-ai-agents-keep-cx-stable-when-volume-explodes/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=SurgeHappensTake our updated AI Maturity Assessment: https://vuxworld.typeform.com/to/a26bf9Rr?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=vuxconsulting25Subscribe to VUX World: https://vuxworld.typeform.com/to/Qlo5aaeWSubscribe to The AI Ultimatum Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/kanesimms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1255: Waymo gains ground on rideshare rivals as Tesla undercuts them all. A global study shows bad CX drives customers away faster than high prices. And automakers pull back from Super Bowl ads, choosing more flexible, efficient buys.Only two automakers — Toyota and Cadillac — are confirmed for Super Bowl 2026, as most brands step away from the pricey event. Facing budget pressure and chasing efficiency, car companies are shifting spend to longer campaigns across other live events.Brands like Ford, BMW, Kia, Honda, Nissan, and Stellantis are sitting it out, citing affordability and better ROI elsewhere.With a $9 million price tag per 30 seconds plus production, the Super Bowl is losing appeal amid industry cost pressures.Automakers are turning to the Olympics, World Cup, and NBA All-Star Game for more cost-effective, multi-week campaigns.“There's no secret that the premium of being in the Super Bowl certainly would come at the expense of having some additional investment,” said Sean Gilpin, Hyundai CMO.Waymo is becoming a real contender in ride-hailing while Tesla goes for a classic price war play. A new Obi study compares autonomous and traditional services, showing a market reshaping rapidly — especially in San Francisco.Waymo's robotaxi pricing has dropped and is now only 12.7% more than Uber and 27.3% more than Lyft, compared to 30–40% higher in mid-2025.Tesla Robotaxi leads on price at just $8.17 per ride, but lags with 15.32-minute average wait times.Obi CEO Ashwini Anburajan: “They're using the playbook that Uber and Lyft used... and we know that playbook works."Consumers now prioritize customer experience over price with 59% abandoning a brand after one bad experience versus 55% fleeing due to price hikes, according to a global Havas CX study. Consistency and emotional connection are key drivers of loyalty.A global survey of 59,000+ shoppers shows experience matters more than cost — more consumers ditch brands after poor service than high prices.Consistent, seamless experiences across digital and physical channels top what customers value most.Emotional connection and personalization now weigh as heavily as functional efficiency in shaping CX.“Loyalty can only be earned by delivering unwavering consistency, authentic personal connection, and experiences that create lasting emotional memories,” says David Shulman.This episode of the Automotive State of the Union is brought to you by Amazon Autos: MeetJoin Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

In this thoughtful episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal chats with fellow SEO expert Crystal Ortiz, founder of Socialhart. With over a decade of experience in digital marketing and a background in education, Crystal O. shares her journey from retail to SEO consulting and why connecting with customers is more powerful than any ranking algorithm. They explore the intersection of SEO, AI, customer experience, and basic business fundamentals, revealing why treating SEO like a tool—not a strategy—is key to sustainable online success.

Hey CX Nation,In this week's episode of The CXChronicles Podcast #275, we welcomed Sagi Reuven, Chief Revenue Officer at Deepdub based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Deepdub is the enterprise voice infrastructure powering AI in production. Deepdub built their credibility in the most demanding voice environments in the world: Hollywood studios, global broadcasters, and premium content pipelines where voice quality, emotional accuracy, and reliability are non-negotiable.Deepdub enables zero-shot voice cloning, voice-to-voice, ADR, accent control, and ultra-low latency delivery designed for systems that operate live, at scale, and in front of real customers.Get started here> https://deepdub.ai/ FYI even better if you let them know that CXC sent you their way!In this episode, Sagi 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 #275 Highlight Reel:**1. Personalize for problems, not people.2. Keeping top talent by building smarter teams3. AI's impact on leadership & strategy4. The Partnership Economy is here5. Changes to prepare for in the work placeClick here to learn more about Sagi ReuvenClick here to learn more about DeepdubHuge thanks to Sagi 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? Check out the CXC Healthzone, an intelligence platform that shares benchmarks & insights for how companies across the world are tackling The Four CX Pillars: Team, Tools, Process & Feedback & how they are building an AI-powered foundation for the future. 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 Today Tweet us @cxchronicles Check out our Instagram @cxchronicles Click here to checkout the CXC website Email us at info@cxchronicles.com Remember To Make Happiness A Habit!!

Send us a textIn this episode of Navigating the Customer Experience, we sit down with Mark Fithian and Jeff Rosenberg, cofounders of WideOpen, a strategic customer experience (CX) consulting firm, and authors of the book The CX Imperatives: Five Strategic Practices for Renewal of the Customer-Centered Enterprise. With more than 30 years of experience each, Mark and Jeff bring deep insight from working across industries including healthcare, technology, automotive, consumer goods, and professional services.Mark and Jeff share their professional journeys and the “red thread” that has guided their careers: a commitment to understanding customers as humans, not just data points. From early roles in marketing, operations, and consulting, both authors describe moments when they realized organizations often make decisions without considering how customers truly experience them. That realization ultimately led to the founding of WideOpen and the development of the frameworks outlined in their book.The conversation centers on The CX Imperatives and its purpose as a practitioner's guide for CX leaders and professionals who already care about customer experience and want to embed customer centricity across the enterprise. Rather than focusing on one-off “wow moments,” the book emphasizes creating consistent, meaningful experiences across the entire customer journey that align with business strategy and drive growth and innovation. Importantly, the authors stress that the principles are industry-agnostic, applicable to both B2B and B2C organizations of all sizes.Mark outlines the book's five strategic CX practices:Insights – deeply understanding customers as emotional, human beings, not just metrics;CX Strategy – aligning customer insights with business objectives to focus effort where it matters most;Blueprinting – translating strategy into operationally actionable designs;Operating Model – enabling cross-functional collaboration through roles, processes, and shared accountability; andCulture – ensuring employees understand, believe in, and are equipped to deliver the intended experience.Through real-world examples, including healthcare, Mark and Jeff demonstrate how engaging frontline employees and embedding CX into culture can generate both tangible outcomes (cost savings, growth initiatives) and intangible benefits (employee ownership, sustainability, and trust).The discussion also explores the connection between internal culture and external customer experience, with both guests agreeing that consistently poor CX is often a symptom of internal organizational challenges. They share practical advice for CX leaders navigating varying levels of leadership support, emphasizing the importance of meeting stakeholders where they are and addressing resistance with empathy and clarity.To bring CX to life, Mark and Jeff each share standout customer experiences—from thoughtful airline journey improvements to an unexpectedly empowering healthcare onboarding experience—illustrating how intentional design can transform how customers feel.The episode wraps with personal insights into the tools, books, and mindsets that inspire them today, reflections on why this is an exciting time for the CX discipline, and where listeners can connect with them and learn more about their work, workshops, and book.This episode is a must-listen for leaders and practitioners looking to move beyond surface-level CX and build customer-centered enterprises that deliver sustainable value for both customers and the business.

Customer experience leaders face a familiar tension: do we put employees first or customers first? As organizations scale and adopt AI, that question becomes operational. In this special takeover episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Jacob Morgan shares insights from The 8 Laws of Employee Experience, based on research with more than 100 CHROs. He explains why CX and EX operate as one system—and how leadership decisions behind the scenes shape customer outcomes. This conversation gives CX leaders a practical, systems-level lens to strengthen trust, consistency, and performance as AI raises the stakes. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of three books on customer experience. Her new book is called The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building A Business Around Today's Customer. Follow Blake Morgan on LinkedIn For regular updates on customer experience, sign up for her weekly newsletter here. 

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...B2B customer experience is often treated like B2C with bigger contracts and longer sales cycles. That shortcut causes real problems. In this episode, Rick talks with Kári Thor Runarsson about why B2B CX needs its own thinking, its own metrics, and far more attention to relationships that quietly drift long before renewal.Kári has spent his career in B2B, including startups and non-tech industries, questioning borrowed frameworks and shallow measurements. The result is a grounded conversation about silence, contracts, commoditization, and why experience is often the only real differentiator left.Key TakeawaysB2B decisions involve multiple stakeholders with competing success metricsSilence is one of the strongest churn signals in B2B relationshipsNet Promoter Score breaks down quickly in complex B2B environmentsCustomer experience becomes decisive as industries commoditizeStartups often overestimate how well they understand customer dissatisfactionCHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and first Iceland-based CX Passport guest 02:00 Marketing and CX are more fluid than organizations admit 04:50 What B2B leaders misunderstand about customer experience 07:45 Silence, contracts, and how churn really starts 10:40 Stakeholders, misaligned objectives, and missed signals 14:20 CX maturity across regions and markets 16:00 First Class Lounge 20:30 Why CX matters most outside of tech and SaaS 24:20 Where B2C thinking hurts B2B CX efforts 27:00 CX advice for B2B startups 28:50 Where to find Kári and closing thoughtsGuest LinksKári Thor Runarsson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karithor/Cliezen: https://www.cliezen.comListen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: 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).

In 2023, Ed Napleton Automotive Group's national CX director Eduardo Rodriguez launched a new customer experience program based around tools and technology from Reputation that quickly produced eye-opening results, a success story that can be found in the January issue of Auto Remarketing and on the Auto Remarketing website. In this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, Rodriguez and Reputation head of automotive John Gottschalk join Cherokee Media Group associate editor Andrew Friedlander to offer more insight into the Napleton program, discussing what it does, how it works and why it's important.

Marbue Brown defines customer obsession versus customer focus. He explains you start with the customer and work backwards. He contrasts companies that work backwards from product or profits. He draws on Amazon practices where the question, "what is the competition doing?" rarely comes up. He outlines five levels on the customer obsession continuum: customer indifferent, aware, focused, centric, and obsessed.  He gives cultural examples like hashtag thank you Thursday used by leaders to recognize employees and reinforce customer priorities across the organization. Marbue explains tools to measure and act on customer obsession. He describes the customer obsession barometer built with Dr. John Hughes. It scores nine practices from his book Blueprint for Customer Obsession. The barometer separates top tier companies and identifies "obsessed customers" who recommend and repurchase. He gives Chase as a success story. Chase links employee obsession with customer results through listening, rapid actioning of feedback, branch visits, and recognition.  About Marbue Brown Marbue Brown is founder of The Customer Obsession Advantage, a firm dedicated to helping companies achieve transcendent business results through Customer Obsession. He is an accomplished customer experience (CX) executive with a track record of thought leadership and signature business results at some of the most iconic companies on the planet, including JP Morgan Chase, Amazon.com, Microsoft Corporation, and Cisco Systems. As a CX leader, he guided the Chase Consumer Bank to record performance in the JD Power Retail Banking Study, NPS and branch satisfaction. He transformed the Andon Cord mechanism at Amazon.com from a primarily manually triggered to system to a primarily automated system triggered by machine learning and statistical models. The Andon Cord is one of Amazon.com's most significant mechanisms it uses to personify its Customer Obsession culture. Marbue devised and codified the NSAT Improvement Approach at Microsoft, which was widely used by business units to dramatically improve CX as well as international subsidiaries who won nationwide awards in the process. He co-authored seminal articles about customer experience measurements that are widely cited in industry. He is a sought after speaker and published author on customer experience, business strategy and economic policy. Relevant links:  www.customerobsession.net Chapters:  0:00 - Intro 0:35 - Career Highlights and Key Achievements 4:13 - Winning in Customer-Centric Roles 9:13 - Understanding Customer Obsession 11:42 - Customer Obsession Continuum Explained 16:45 - Measuring Customer Obsession with Barometer 22:11 - Success Story: Chase's Customer and Employee Focus 32:53 - Key Takeaways on Customer Policies 35:12 - Conclusion and Farewell   Please, hit the follow button and leave your feedback: Apple Podcast: https://www.cxgoalkeeper.com/apple Spotify: https://www.cxgoalkeeper.com/spotify About the host: Gregorio Uglioni is a seasoned transformation leader with over 15 years of experience shaping business and digital change, consistently delivering service excellence and measurable impact. As an Associate Partner at Forward, he is recognized for his strategic vision, operational expertise, and ability to drive sustainable growth. A respected keynote speaker and host of the well-known global podcast Business Transformation Pitch with the CX Goalkeeper, Gregorio energizes and inspires organizations worldwide with his customer-centric approach to innovation. Follow Gregorio Uglioni on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorio-uglioni/    

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

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

On this episode, we explore the hidden cost of overlooking agent experience — and how it impacts your customers.Your contact center agents handle hundreds of customer interactions every week, from routine questions to complex issues. When your agents feel empowered, they resolve problems with creativity and empathy, turning satisfied customers into loyal advocates and ultimately helping you win the moments that matter. When they don't feel empowered, they deliver transactional service, avoid taking initiative and may even start looking for the exit — sabotaging your CX in the process.Join Ken Hughes, keynote speaker, consumer behavioralist and author, and Estuardo "Ligo" Ligorría, regional vice president of operations for the Americas at TELUS Digital, as they reveal what the best CX leaders get right, what it means for them to truly “show up” for their frontline teams, and how to navigate the tension between efficiency and the human connection.Visit our website to learn more about TELUS Digital.

Agentic AI is emerging as the next evolution of artificial intelligence in customer experience (CX), moving beyond chatbots to systems that can take real action on behalf of customers. In this episode of AI with Maribel Lopez, Maribel Lopez speaks with Jarrod Johnson, Chief Customer Officer at TaskUs, about how enterprises are actually deploying AI in customer experience today. The conversation covers real-world CX use cases, where AI delivers measurable ROI, why data and process design remain the biggest bottlenecks, and how organizations should manage risk, governance, and human handoffs as agentic AI scales. This episode is designed for enterprise leaders evaluating AI strategies for customer experience transformation.Bio: Jarrod Johnson, Chief Customer Officer, TaskUsJarrod Johnson is the Chief Customer Officer of TaskUs. He is responsible for TaskUs' go-to-market strategy and execution across all client-facing and market-facing functions. Jarrod leads the "Client Organization" at TaskUs, including client success, sales, product and service management, and TaskUs' consulting function, which includes the Agentic AI Consulting Practice. Jarrod is responsible for all aspects of revenue management and growth for TaskUs. He brings over 20 years of experience in enterprise technology-enabled services and business management.Show notes00:00 – AI in Customer Experience (CX): What This Episode Covers01:31 – What a Chief Customer Officer Does in AI-Driven Customer Experience03:46 – Top Customer Experience (CX) Bottlenecks Blocking AI Adoption05:56 – Chatbots vs. Agentic AI: What's the Difference in Customer Experience?09:31 – How to Start with Agentic AI in Customer Experience (Real ROI Use Cases)12:46 – When AI Should Hand Off to Humans in Customer Experience15:41 – AI in Customer Experience: Cost Reduction vs. Revenue Growth18:21 – Voice AI in Customer Service: Why It Finally Works22:01 – AI Guardrails, Safety, and Brand Risk in Customer Experience26:31 – Measuring AI-Driven Customer Experience (CX Metrics That Matter)29:46 – AI for Customer Experience: Market Fragmentation and Vendor Landscape33:46 – Agentic AI Pitfalls to Avoid in Customer Experience Transformation

In this inaugural episode of Leapfrog CX Strategies longform interviews, host Dave Michaels discusses with Vasili Triant, CEO of UJET, the evolving landscape of customer experience (CX) technology. Vasily shares insights from his extensive career, spanning companies like Shoretel, Serenova, and Cisco, before taking the helm at UJET.**Key Discussion Points:**- **Industry Background:** Vasily's journey through various tech companies, highlighting the transition from on-premise solutions to cloud-based services. He reflects on his time at Shoretel as a formative experience, noting the company's significant growth and eventual impact of the cloud transition. Serenova is recalled as a company with potential that faced a challenging path.- **UJET's Evolution:** Vasily discusses his role in UJET's growth, including navigating fundraising rounds and his recent promotion to CEO. He touches upon the company's strategic pivot towards AI-driven CX transformation, emphasizing the integration of conversational analytics and virtual agent capabilities.- **AI in CX:** The conversation delves into the impact of AI on the contact center industry. While acknowledging the excitement around virtual agents, Vasily expresses a nuanced view, suggesting that while AI enhances efficiency, the human element and personalized customer experience remain crucial. He cautions against an overreliance on automation as a sole cost-saving measure, advocating for a balanced approach that leverages AI for proactive and efficient customer engagement.- **The Google Partnership:** Vasily elaborates on UJET's strategic partnership with Google, discussing how it has influenced the company's go-to-market strategy and product development roadmap. He highlights the symbiotic nature of the relationship and the potential for future collaboration, particularly in leveraging Google's reach to drive AI adoption in CX.- **Workforce Management (WFM) and Quality Management (QM):** The discussion addresses the acquisition of Authority, a WFM/QM solutions provider. Vasily explains the rationale behind the acquisition, emphasizing the strategic importance of integrating these capabilities to offer a more comprehensive CX solution. He differentiates between the evolving QM space, which he believes is ripe for AI disruption, and the more established WFM market.- **Future Outlook:** Vasily shares his vision for UJET, focusing on continued innovation in AI-powered CX solutions, strategic partnerships, and expanding into new markets, including a growing presence in Portugal. He expresses a passion for genuinely transforming customer experiences by leveraging technology to create more proactive, efficient, and personalized interactions.This episode provides a deep dive into the strategies and vision driving a key player in the CX technology sector.

In this episode of CX Decoded, Dom Nicastro distills a CMSWire TV conversation with AT&T's John Miller into five essential takeaways on customer obsession. From employee enablement to AI restraint, the discussion breaks down how AT&T turns CX intent into everyday practice at enterprise scale.

Most customer experience goals are meaningless. In this episode, Bob Furniss and Amas Tenumah dismantle the way contact centers set annual CX metrics and explain why leaders keep optimizing numbers that customers neither notice nor value. Using insights from a John Goodman article on CX goal-setting, the conversation exposes the disconnect between executives, customers, and frontline teams—and why automation, deflection, and "respectable" percentage improvements often make service worse, not better. This episode is about shifting from internally convenient metrics to customer-impactful outcomes. What You'll Hear Why CX goals are often chosen because they sound reasonable, not because they solve customer problems How executives chase a single "magic number" instead of understanding service complexity The fundamental incentive gap between customers and senior leadership Why customers and frontline agents are aligned—but executives aren't How automation and bots optimize company metrics while frustrating customers Where AI actually helps: analyzing volume, root causes, and systemic friction Why average metrics (ASA, AHT) distort reality and reward the wrong behavior How poor goal-setting punishes leaders who successfully automate the "easy" work The risk of letting someone else define your goals if you don't take control A real-world example of automation done right—and how bad metrics mislabel it as failure Key Takeaways Vanity metrics don't fix customer experience Deflection and containment may look good internally while actively harming trust CX leaders must own the narrative or be trapped chasing numbers they don't believe in AI should surface customer pain, not just reduce contact volume Goals should reflect customer outcomes, not executive convenience Resources Mentioned John Goodman's article on CX goal-setting (referenced in discussion) HOLD: The Suffering Economy of Customer Service by Amas Tenumah Available on Amazon Signed copies at waitingforservice.com Who This Episode Is For Contact center and CX leaders setting 2026 goals Executives relying on NPS, ASA, AHT, or deflection as proxies for success Practitioners tired of fixing the wrong problems Anyone responsible for explaining service performance to leadership  

Hoy abordamos un tema que va contra la corriente del mercado actual: la supuesta muerte de las berlinas. Nos han dicho que los SUV son el futuro, que son más cómodos y seguros. Pero hoy vamos a demostrar, con la calculadora en la mano y la física de nuestro lado, que la silueta de tres volúmenes no solo no está muerta, sino que es la respuesta técnica necesaria a los problemas de eficiencia actuales. Si le pides a un niño que dibuje un coche, dibuja una berlina: motor, habitáculo y maletero. Es "El Coche" por definición. Durante décadas fue el estándar, desde los taxis de Nueva York hasta el coche familiar de los 90. Sin embargo, en los últimos 15 años hemos visto una "limpieza étnica" automotriz a favor del SUV. Pero te propongo dejar de mirar los anuncios y mirar los datos de los túneles de viento. Berlina vs. SUV: La dictadura de la física Vivimos en la era de la eficiencia obligatoria. En un eléctrico, la mala aerodinámica significa no llegar a destino; en uno de combustión, significa gastar más. La berlina es imbatible aquí. Muchas marcas presumen de que sus SUV tienen un Coeficiente Aerodinámico (Cx) similar al de una berlina (0.29, por ejemplo). ¡Es una trampa! Lo que realmente frena al vehículo es el SCx: el coeficiente multiplicado por la Superficie Frontal. Los datos reales son demoledores. Comparando un Tesla Model 3 contra un Model Y (misma batería y motor) a 120 km/h, la berlina consume entre un 15% y un 18% menos. Eso se traduce en 50 o 60 km de autonomía extra "gratis". En combustión ocurre lo mismo: un BMW Serie 3 gasta casi un litro menos a los cien que un X3 en autopista, con mejores prestaciones. La física no perdona. El salvavidas chino y la rentabilidad industrial Quizás te preguntes por qué marcas como BMW, Audi o Mercedes siguen invirtiendo millones en desarrollar nuevas berlinas si en Europa todos compran SUV. La respuesta está en China. Allí, la berlina es sagrada y símbolo de estatus. Tanto es así que se fabrican versiones de batalla larga (Long Wheelbase) específicas para ese mercado. Gracias a que China compra millones de estos coches, las marcas europeas pueden seguir ofreciéndolos aquí. Además, industrialmente la berlina es más rentable: requiere menos acero y cristal, usa neumáticos más pequeños y baratos, y necesita suspensiones menos complejas al no tener que controlar las inercias de un vehículo alto de dos toneladas. Estatus, imagen y el problema del "Sándwich" Hay un reducto donde el SUV no ha logrado penetrar: el coche de representación. Los líderes mundiales no viajan en todoterrenos, viajan en berlinas de lujo. La berlina sigue siendo el equivalente al traje con corbata: transmite seriedad y elegancia. El SUV, aunque sea de lujo, es como un chándal caro. También analizamos los retos técnicos. El principal es el "efecto sándwich" en los eléctricos: la batería en el suelo eleva el piso del coche, obligando a subir el techo para que los ocupantes quepan, lo que tiende a "gordificar" la silueta. Sin embargo, la ingeniería está respondiendo con soluciones como los "garajes para pies" (huecos en la batería para las plazas traseras) que permiten mantener diseños bajos y afilados, como vemos en el Porsche Taycan o el Audi e-tron GT. La resistencia: ¿Quién mantiene la llama? Hacemos un repaso a los "héroes" que mantienen vivo el segmento, mezclando la tradición europea con la nueva ola tecnológica china: -Tesla y BYD: El Model 3 y el BYD Seal demuestran que, si el producto es eficiente y tecnológico, la gente compra berlinas masivamente. -Alemania: BMW con su i4 y Serie 3, Mercedes con su gama EQ centrada en la aerodinámica extrema, y Audi refinando la fórmula con el A5 Sportback. -La nueva ola china: Marcas como Xiaomi con su SU7 o Xpeng están apostando fuerte por berlinas muy bajas y afiladas, declarando la guerra a la resistencia al aire. -Japón: Lexus y Toyota siguen ofreciendo la opción racional y fiable con el ES y el Corolla Sedan. Conclusión: El regreso de la razón Las modas son cíclicas. Ya empezamos a ver fatiga visual con los SUV; todos parecen iguales, bloques altos y agresivos. La diferenciación y el verdadero lujo volverán a estar en lo bajo, afilado y elegante. Las berlinas han perdido la batalla del volumen masivo, pero han ganado la batalla de la razón y la física. Mientras la autonomía y la eficiencia sean claves, la silueta de tres volúmenes sobrevivirá, evolucionando hacia vehículos más especializados y tecnológicamente superiores. ¿Estamos ante el fin de la era del "tanque urbano"? Tal vez no mañana, pero la eficiencia es la única ley que importa a largo plazo, y ahí, la berlina reclama su trono.

Customer satisfaction has barely moved in over 30 years — despite enormous investment in Customer Experience. In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Professor Ryan Hamilton and Morgan Ward speak with Forrest Morgeson from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). ACSI has tracked customer satisfaction continuously since 1994 using the same questions and methodology across the entire US economy. And the long-term data tells a story that challenges many comfortable CX assumptions. Rather than steadily improving as CX practices mature, customer satisfaction rises and falls in cycles — heavily influenced by pricing, profitability, cost-cutting, and broader economic forces. This episode explores why satisfaction scores stagnate, why record profits often coincide with declining customer satisfaction, and why CX leaders need to think beyond journey maps and empathy training. Best Quote from the Episode "Customer satisfaction isn't a straight line. It moves in cycles — and when companies start squeezing for profit, customers feel it." Forrest Morgeson, American Custoimer Satisfaction Index Why You Should Listen? If you work in customer experience, marketing, or leadership, this episode will challenge some of the most widely held beliefs in CX. You'll gain: A data-led perspective grounded in 30 years of evidence A clearer understanding of why satisfaction scores fall despite CX investment Practical insight into the economic forces shaping customer experience A more realistic way to think about CX performance and ROI   Resources Mentioned  American Customer Satisfaction Index: https://theacsi.org/the-acsi-difference/us-overall-customer-satisfaction/  Forrest Morgeson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/forrestmorgeson/   About the Hosts: Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World's Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called "The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things" Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.  Morgan Ward is an adjunct marketing professor, weekly expert guest on The Take—11Alive's in-depth news program that explores timely stories through expert insight—With over 20 years of experience advising clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s and publishing in top academic journals, she's passionate about decoding the symbolic and cultural forces that shape consumer behavior. Her work focuses on status, identity, and decision-making across sectors like luxury, retail, and tech. Beyond consulting, Morgan serves as an expert witness in branding and advertising litigation, bringing academic rigor to questions of perception, distinctiveness, and influence. Follow Morgan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgankward-phd/)   Subscribe & Follow  Apple Podcasts Spotify  

ABOUT JENNIFER:LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejenniferwalsh/ Websites:https://www.walkwithwalsh.comBio:For nearly 30 years, Jennifer has been at the forefront of transformative movements in beauty, retail, & biophilic design. As a consummate innovator, she has been dedicated to reimagining the human experience, whether through pioneering retail concepts, creating immersive outdoor experiences, or driving biophilic design solutions across industries.In the 1990s, Jennifer founded Beauty Bar, the first experiential omni-channel beauty brand in the U.S., introducing open-sell environments, curbside service, and men's skincare departments, concepts that reshaped how people shop for beauty. This trailblazing work integrated biophilic principles long before they became mainstream, earning recognition as an industry innovator. After selling Beauty Bar ultimately purchased by Amazon in 2011, she continued to build groundbreaking businesses and brands, always staying ahead of the curve. Another first was created in 2014 with Pride & Glory, a collegiate beauty brand. Today, she guides large and small scale biophilic design projects to create spaces that promote human flourishing. From Recharge Rooms to retail spaces, homes, schools, and urban landscapes, her work transforms environments into ecosystems of opportunity. All inspired from lived experiences. Jennifer helps organizations leverage the neuroscience of nature to enhance experiences, foster resilience, and build deeper connections within their organizations.SHOW INTRO:Welcome to Episode 84! of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast…In every episode we follow our catch phrase of having “Dynamic Dialogues About DATA: Design, Architecture, Technology and the Arts.” And as we continue on this journey, we'll have guests that are thought provoking futurists, AI technology mavens, retailers, international hotel design executives as well as designers and architects of brand experience places.We'll talk with authors and people focused on wellness and sustainable design practices as well as neuroscientists who will continue to help us look at the built environment and the connections betw een our mind-body and the built world around us.We'll also have guests who are creative marketing masters from international brands and people who have started and grown some of the companies that are striking a new path for us follow.If you like what you hear on the NXTLVL Experience Design show, make sure to subscribe, like, comment and share with colleagues, friends and family.The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is always grateful for the support of VMSD magazine.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. I think the IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing us to keep on talking about what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.org Today, EPISODE 84… I talk with Jennifer Walsh who for nearly 30 years, has been at the forefront of transformative movements in beauty, retail, & biophilic design. Jennifer is an innovator, and has been dedicated to reimagining the human experience, whether through pioneering retail concepts, creating immersive outdoor experiences, or driving biophilic design solutions across industries.Talking about biophilic design isn't new on the podcast, this time though we bolt on retailing, neuroscience and experience. This conversation is more introspective and looks at one's motivation to change to considering our environments and biophilic design from the point of view of sense of well-being and personal growth.We'll get there in a minute but... first a few thoughts…*                     *                          *                          *If you go back to the early episodes of the podcast, you'll come across Bill Browning. Bill and I connected while I was working the hospitality industry and focusing my efforts on the redesign of the Westin guestroom and lobby design strategy.Bill's world is Biophilic – both literally and philosophically, may be even existentially. He literally wrote the book on Biophilic Design's 14 principles, which now includes a 15th with the addition of ‘Awe,' and he has written a more recent publication with Katie Ryan called “Nature Inside,” it is a terrific handbook to implementing Biophilic design principles in built environments.I think a lot about the design of places where nature has been completely eliminated - think major downtown cities in any corner of the world.It is also not lost on me that when I sit working in my Home Office I have the extraordinarily good fortune to lookout on 2 1/2 acres of green space with a rolling hill down towards a creek that when it rains particularly hard overflows and becomes a small river in my backyard. But this point of view to my backyard and the way I feel sitting on my deck having a morning coffee is not just about the warm feeling of my cup in my hands but that there are key principles of biophilic design at play - namely refuge and prospect. Being exposed daily to these perspectives towards a forest at the back of my property I have an immediate body sense of calm, wonder and awe.I see sun rises to the left of my property and sun sets to the right. The re are Canada geese that, like clockwork, fly over my backyard every fall as they migrate South. I'm attuned to the textures and colors of the sky and the varying degrees of light intensity - bright and brilliant and dreary and diffused.All of these features of a natural world have the effect of putting me at ease.In the past few years, I've begun to connect that mind body experience, the somatic experience of natural places, with what I understand about neuroscience and our long evolutionary history of living the largest proportion of our human development among trees - in a real jungle versus the concrete ones that we have now built all around us.It's no surprise that the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku – forest bathing – is actually therapeutic. When we immerse ourselves in a forest atmosphere, using all five senses to connect with nature, we are promoting stress reduction and well-being. Slowing down, and taking mindful walks, appreciating sights, sounds, and smells is so good for us and yet many of us, especially those who are city dwellers, rush from place to place making sure to stay on the clock moving from one appointment to the next and filling our schedules every day with a mind-numbing number of things to check off on our To Do List Taking a moment to disconnect from technology calms the mind and body and has proven benefits like lower stress hormones and boosting immunity.The multi layered, highly textured and colored natural environments that we have evolved from, are often being replaced by environments of banality that actually have deep psychological effects when we are continually exposed to boring buildings.Bringing this intuitive sense, that natural environments support well-being, into the design of built environments, and intentionally creating places that reference biophilic principles, often proves very hard to do in a world where efficiency and productivity leading to increased profitability are what we are taught to drive towards as a reflection of success.Many times, adding plants to a space is an afterthought, like decoration, to make things look better - but they are not really being incorporated as a strategy for building environments to enhance well-being. Interestingly though, when people learn more about how to apply biophilic principles, beyond simply introducing plants as a nod to creating more nature-based experiences, they begin to also understand that their assumptions about adding additional cost may not be well founded. If you consider designing with nature in mind from the get-go, incorporating principles of biophilic design in the places we build as part of the strategy, then managing the costs is totally achievable.Anthropologie stores are a great example of introducing living green walls to their stores. Too be sure, these are not without expense both in their implementation and maintenance but the effect of walking up the grand staircase with this green wall rising from floor to ceiling across multiple levels feels wonderful. I still remember one of my first experiences in the Anthropologie store on Regent Street in London and have since sought to find similar experiences in other retail stores around the world. Design ideas like the green walls in Anthropologie stores is a conscious, intentional, move that enhances experience as well as environmental air quality. We simply feel better when we were places like this and if that turns into reduced absenteeism of associates or increased customer visits then… all the better. There's no question that being under a wash of fluorescent light standing on hard surfaces or sitting in cubicles is perhaps one of the worst ways to be productive and happy in our workplaces. I would imagine that sales associates in Anthropologie stores generally feel better than in big boxes with uniform high intensity lighting, relentless aisles of merchandise, hard surfaces and stale air with no natural sunlight.Full disclosure, when I look back over my career of designing retail places, very infrequently has the design team spent time considering what it would be like to be a sales associate in one of these places. Standing for hours on end in environments that are depleting leads to poor interactions between sales teams and customers. Seems kind of obvious but when people feel better in their workplaces, they're more likely to translate that to positive interactions with guests. More positive interactions with guests could naturally lead to larger basket size and increased number of return visits. All good if you're a retailerAnd yet, we seldom see retail places that fully embrace ideas that support well-being through the strategic introduction of biophilic design principles.New disciplines in the world of neuroscience like neuroaesthetics are beginning to be more widely accepted in the design community and there is a broader recognition about the positive effects of creating environments that apply principles of biophilia that enhance a sense of well-being. And while there is a growing trend of wider adoption of neuroaesthetics we need to keep on beating the drum about environments that are actually good for us.This is where the story leads to my guest Jennifer Walsh.In the 1990s, Jennifer founded Beauty Bar, the first experiential omni-channel beauty brand in the U.S., introducing open-sell environments, curbside service, and men's skincare departments - concepts that reshaped how people shop for beauty. Jennifer says that she just wanted people to feel good when they came into her store and she somehow intuitively knew that introducing elements of biophilia, though I'm not sure that we actually even had a name for it back then, into her store, would attract people, have them stay longer and return more often.Jennifer's integration of biophilic principles, long before they became mainstream, earned her recognition as an industry innovator. After Beauty Bar was ultimately purchased by Amazon in 2011, she continued to build groundbreaking businesses and brands, always staying ahead of the curve.Today, she guides large and small scale biophilic design projects to create spaces that promote human flourishing. In retail spaces, homes, schools, and urban landscapes, her work transforms environments into ecosystems of opportunity. All inspired from lived experiences. Jennifer helps organizations leverage the neuroscience of nature to enhance experiences, foster resilience, and build deeper connections within their organizations.ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites: https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comTwitter: DavidKepronPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron the Retail Studio Principal for the architecture and design firm Little (https://www.littleonline.com). He is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. I caught up with Bryan at the SHOP Marketplace event in Charlotte and chatted about his focus on shaping what comes next in digital signage and experiential design. The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production is by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

This week on America on the Road, host Jack Nerad flies solo as co-host Chris Teague tends to a sick dog. Jack brings you road tests of two standout vehicles–North American Truck of the Year Ford Maverick Lobo and Mazda CX-30–and the latest automotive news. Among the stories we cover California Governor Gavin Newsom is making a new EV push; Volvo is targeting range anxiety, and Lucid is unveiling a new robotaxi. Our special guest interview looks behind the scenes at the all-new 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan.

Are your marketing efforts creating a real pipeline or just impressive-looking metrics that don't translate to revenue? Too many marketing teams celebrate vanity metrics while sales teams struggle to hit their numbers. There's a disconnect that's costing companies serious money. In this conversation with Scott Logan, Chief Marketing Officer at AmplifAI, we explore a radical approach to marketing that puts sales success at the center of everything. Scott brings a unique perspective, having started as a sales rep before moving into marketing operations, giving him firsthand experience on both sides of the revenue equation. The Revenue-First Marketing Philosophy Scott challenges the traditional marketing mindset with a bold statement: marketing's only purpose is to help sales sell more. This isn't about diminishing marketing's value—it's about aligning every marketing activity with measurable business outcomes that matter. We discuss why marketing teams should share the same dashboards, filters, and success metrics as sales teams. When marketing and sales are looking at different definitions of success, you create organizational friction that slows down deals and confuses buyers. Breaking Through the Noise with Strategic Creativity Forget cookie-cutter marketing playbooks. Scott shares compelling examples of how creative thinking beats big budgets every time. From a $500 billboard strategy that outperformed million-dollar campaigns to trade show tactics that generated equal engagement with a fraction of the staff, these stories prove that strategic thinking trumps traditional approaches. The key insight? Your competitors are following the same best practices you are. To stand out, you need to think differently about how you create awareness and engage prospects. AI-Powered Marketing That Actually Works We explore practical applications of AI in marketing that go beyond content generation. Scott explains how his team uses AI to analyze competitor landscapes, extract insights from sales calls, and turn complex survey data into actionable intelligence - all in minutes rather than weeks. One particularly interesting case study involves a summer intern who completed what should have been a three-week manual project in just one day using AI, demonstrating the productivity gains available to teams willing to embrace these tools strategically. The Compensation Alignment Game-Changer Here's where Scott gets controversial: every marketing role should have compensation tied directly to sales quota achievement. Not just at the leadership level, but down to individual contributors working on specific campaigns or content pieces. This alignment creates a fundamental shift in how marketing teams think about their work. When your bonus depends on the sales team hitting their numbers, every campaign decision gets filtered through a different lens. Here's what you'll gain from this conversation: 1.    A framework for aligning marketing metrics with actual revenue outcomes 2.    Creative strategies for maximizing brand impact without massive budgets 3.    Practical AI applications that save time and improve marketing effectiveness 4.    The case for tying marketing compensation directly to sales success 5.    Methods for building genuine partnership between marketing and sales teams Scott's approach challenges conventional wisdom about marketing's role in B2B organizations. His emphasis on sales enablement, creative problem-solving, and revenue accountability offers a roadmap for marketing teams ready to prove their impact on the bottom line. Key Moments of This Episode 00:00:00 - Marketing and Sales Alignment: The Foundation for Revenue Success Scott Logan introduces the critical concept that marketing, sales, and channel teams must align to one unified revenue number, with compensation tied to actual sales quota achievement rather than vanity metrics. 00:01:37 - Meet Scott Logan: From Sales Rep to CMO at AmplifAI Scott shares his journey from 2007 sales rep to CMO, including early marketing operations experience when SDRs didn't exist, and introduces AmplifAI's AI-powered CX performance management platform. 00:04:08 - Bowling Championships and Pet Lions: Getting Personal with Scott Scott reveals his unexpected talent as a two-time state bowling champion and shares his grandfather's fascinating story of owning exotic pets including a lion in the 1930s. 00:06:00 - Marketing's True Purpose: Helping Sales Sell More Scott explains why marketing's sole purpose should be enabling sales success, emphasizing the need for sales team involvement in every step from content planning to campaign execution and feedback loops. 00:11:12 - Revenue Accountability: Why Marketing Must Own Sales Targets Scott advocates for marketing teams having joint ownership of revenue targets with bonuses tied to closed deals, introducing AmplifAI's "money team" approach where all go-to-market leaders share unified success metrics. 00:13:25 - Brand vs Demand: Strategic Messaging That Drives Pipeline Exploration of how brand influences demand generation through proper messaging alignment, buyer priority matching, and strategic presence expansion rather than scattered marketing efforts across all channels. 00:18:47 - Breaking Marketing Best Practices: Innovation Over Convention Scott challenges marketers to move beyond 2017 tactics, using examples like strategic billboard placement and creative conference marketing to demonstrate how breaking conventional wisdom creates better results. 00:20:23 - Marketing Enablement: Spending 50% of Time with Sales Teams Discussion of practical strategies for marketing-sales collaboration, including the "did you help a sales rep today" mentality and building trust through direct engagement with sales professionals. 00:23:52 - AI-Powered Marketing: Scaling Pipeline Generation Intelligently Scott outlines how marketers should use AI for competitor analysis, sales call evaluation, content creation, and data segmentation while maintaining focus on sales team needs and buyer conversations. 00:28:55 - The Intern AI Success Story: Three Weeks to Ten Minutes Real example of how a summer intern used AI to complete a complex data analysis project in one day that would have traditionally taken three weeks of manual work. 00:35:12 - AI Agents in Marketing: Experimenting with Transparent Automation Scott discusses AmplifAI's experiments with AI SDRs, emphasizing transparency about AI usage while ensuring seamless handoffs to human representatives when complexity increases beyond automation capabilities. 00:40:31 - Social Selling Success: Eight Reps to President's Club Scott shares his early social selling program success story from 2011, where he helped eight of twelve sales reps achieve President's Club status through strategic LinkedIn coaching and training. About Scott Logan Scott Logan is a seasoned revenue and marketing leader known for building pipeline-driven growth engines that align sales, marketing, and operations. Currently the Chief Marketing Officer at AmplifA, Scott specializes in creating predictable demand, accelerating revenue, and operationalizing go-to-market strategies powered by automation and AI. With a career spanning both sales and marketing leadership, he brings a rare, practitioner-level perspective on what actually drives pipeline and performance. Scott is also the host of the Making Fun of Marketing podcast, where he challenges conventional B2B thinking and brings candid, real-world conversations to the forefront of modern revenue leadership. What differentiates Scott is his relentless focus on outcomes over activity—breaking down silos, simplifying complexity, and building systems that make revenue teams more effective and human at the same time. He's deeply passionate about helping organizations eliminate friction, rethink how buyers engage, and design revenue motions that scale with clarity and purpose. Follow Us On: ·         LinkedIn ·         Twitter ·         YouTube Channel ·         Instagram ·         Facebook Learn More About FlyMSG Features Like: ·         LinkedIn Auto Comment Generator ·         AI Social Media Post Generator ·         Auto Text Expander ·         AI Grammar Checker ·         AI Sales Roleplay and Coaching ·         Paragraph Rewrite with AI ·         Sales Prospecting Training for Individuals ·         FlyMSG Enterprise Sales Prospecting Training Program Install FlyMSG for Free: ·         As a Chrome Extension ·         As an Edge Extension  

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Rich Tehrani, Chairman of ITEXPO, about why the longtime South Florida event continues to serve as a critical kickoff for the communications, AI, and business technology industries. Now more than 20 years old, ITEXPO brings together enterprises, MSPs, resellers, vendors, and innovators at a time when budgets are forming and technology decisions can shape organizations for years. Tehrani described ITEXPO, organized by TMCnet, as less about gadgets and more about outcomes—career growth, profitability, and informed decision-making. “We're neutral. We don't favor the large companies or the small ones—we do right by the attendee,” he said, emphasizing that the show's open, vendor-agnostic format allows attendees to compare solutions side by side and get direct, human answers that are increasingly hard to find online. A centerpiece of the event is the Tech Super Show model, which co-locates multiple conferences so entire buying teams—AI, communications, cybersecurity, CX, and operations—can attend together. This creates what Tehrani calls a “business technology mall,” where discovery, peer conversations, and partner connections happen organically and quickly, often in minutes rather than weeks. AI is a major focus for 2026, including new programming around AI agents, the Generative AI Expo, and the evolution from IoT to AIoT, alongside expanded tracks on enterprise communications and cybersecurity. For the channel, MSP Expo remains a standout, with increased emphasis on valuation, margins, and building durable businesses, while the new ITAD Connect brings lifecycle and circular economy considerations into the conversation. As the event approaches, Tehrani noted strong momentum from exhibitors and attendees alike and highlighted the appeal of Fort Lauderdale as an accessible, cost-effective destination. “This is where the industry comes together to make better decisions—for your company and your career,” he said. Learn more about ITEXPO at https://www.itexpo.com/east/ and about TMCnet at https://www.tmcnet.com/.

Imagine a world where you can simply look at your journey model and ask it why... Why, for example, is our customer churn spiking this quarter? How close are we to that reality?I invited my good friend ​Jochem van der Veer​, CEO of TheyDo, back onto the show to find out. It's become a bit of a tradition to start the year with Jochem, looking back at our past predictions and setting the stage for what's next in the world of Journey Management.Not so long ago, "Journey Management" was really just an emerging term. Fast forward to today, and I think it's fair to say that the conversation has shifted entirely. We're seeing organizations big and small adopt this practice as a framework that drives real business decisions. In last year's episode, Jochem predicted that by now we'd be able to ask our journeys "Why?" and get instant (and meaningful) answers. In this conversation, we discuss how the technology has arrived and why "Journey Anarchy" is the new hurdle we have to clear.Next, we play a round of "Objection Bingo" where we address the most common roadblocks we hear every day that stand in the way of wider adoption of journey management. From "we don't have the data" to the classic "It's too expensive". And of course, Jochem shares some practical strategies to help you overcome these roadblocks when you encounter them.Finally, Jochem makes some spicy predictions for 2026. Like the emergence of a completely new role in the CX space. So, if you want to stay one step ahead and hear where our field is heading, this is the conversation for you.I would love to know: how do you feel about the state of journey management heading into 2026? A) Mostly "meh" B) Excited! C) Something else...Leave a comment (if you're on Spotify).Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 24505:30 Revisiting 2025 Predictions10:00 The One Question Most Marketers Forget to Ask12:45 Role of Human Judgment vs. AI Clues14:30 4-Step Journey Framework for 202617:00 Why Journey Mapping is "Dead"21:15 #1 Reason Companies Fail at Implementation24:45 The "Journey Anarchy" Crisis28:00 improving decision making31:00 How Siloed Teams Kill Revenue38:30:00 Another Objection: "It's Too Expensive"42:30 Objection Bingo: Flipping the Script on Stakeholder Pushback46:15 Wildcard: AI Agents vs. Simple Chatbowildcard: AI48:45 Credit Card/Budget Reality Check53:00 Predictions for 202654:15 Shift from Efficiency Cuts to Innovation Growth57:00 Why "Operationalizing Empathy" is the New Competitive Edge58:00 Other Challenges to Watch for in 202659:30 Near Real-Time Journey Monitoring1:03:00 The 10 Million Dollar Problem1:05:00 Connect with Jochem --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveerThe Experience Edge Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/4M2BsaT4jC5Oz54eyek0SZhttps://www.theydo.com/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle[4. FIND THE SHOW ON]Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/245-snipd

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

Buying a car isn't exciting at first. It's stressful, confusing, and full of uncertainty.   In this episode of AutoKnerd, “See It From Their Side,” we dig into what actually changes when a sales consultant stops selling at customers and starts seeing the process through the customer's eyes.   This isn't empathy as a buzzword. It's empathy as a practical, operational skill.   You'll learn: Why customers walk into dealerships guarded, not excited How pressure, jargon, and speed quietly kill trust The difference between empathy and sympathy in real sales conversations Why creating safety actually speeds up decisions Simple language shifts that lower anxiety and build confidence How managers either protect empathy or accidentally crush it   If you work in automotive sales, management, or dealership leadership, this episode will challenge how you think about trust, pace, and what customers are really reacting to.   Empathy isn't soft. It's how deals survive long enough to close.  

Mazda May Have Nailed It: Is the 2026 CX-50 Its Best Yet? What if a compact SUV could feel like a luxury vehicle—without the luxury price tag?

Mark Fithian is the cofounder of WideOpen, a consultancy that helps organizations achieve sustainable growth through strategic customer experience. Mark's expertise in CX is informed by more than thirty years of work across industries, partnering with leading brands such as Providence, SAP, PayPal, Optum, IBM, BMW, the American Cancer Society, and Microsoft. Before founding WideOpen, he held leadership roles on both the client and agency sides, as well as in strategic consultancies.Mentioned on the ShowRead Mark's profile on the WideOpen website: https://www.thisiswideopen.com/our-teamConnect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfithian/Get Mark's book, The CX Imperative: https://a.co/d/316xGzXO'Brien and Mark discussed the book Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt: https://a.co/d/9GSTIfN Timestamps(00:00:00) Welcome to People Business with O'Brien McMahon(00:01:45) What is the difference between customer experience and user experience?(00:02:22) And how did you get into this work in the first place? (00:07:24) What is the purpose of business? (00:08:35) Why do businesses struggle with customer experience? (00:11:24) "The Great Distancing": what it is and why it hurts customer experience(00:13:44) What makes good incentives in customer experience? (00:15:15) How does a business know when they are doing CX well?(00:20:08) How does executive leadership get involved in good CX?(00:32:49) Who should be responsible for customer experience?(00:40:41) Mark's 5 Pillars of Customer Experience(00:44:19) What does strategy mean to you? (00:55:21) How to get started with customer experience and how to contact Mark Fithian.

Host Sima Vasa welcomes Carol Sue Haney, Head of Research and Data Science, Engineering at Qualtrics, to discuss the transformative role of AI and data science in the market research industry.  Carol Sue explains Qualtrics’ early bet on generative AI and the development of proprietary LLMs, moving into agentic work and synthetic sampling, which she predicts will rival non-probability human sampling for quick-turn research. She emphasizes the challenges CMOs face with data overload and the fundamental importance of using regression analysis to link customer experience (CX) data, including the surprising weight of marketing messages, to crucial business outcomes like renewal and revenue growth.  Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction.03:12 Data research careers spanned decades before computers existed.06:35 Early generative AI investment provides significant competitive advantages.09:20 Synthetic research boosts accuracy using rich, proven seed data.13:02 AI models instantly incorporate new information for continuous improvement.17:09 Regression remains essential for identifying true business drivers.20:42 Curated data and guided AI make regression faster and reliable.24:18 Financial independence through careers empowers women in critical ways.25:42 Mentorship and knowledge sharing strengthen the entire research industry. Resources Mentioned: Qualtrics | Website #Analytics #MA #Data #Strategy #Innovation #Acquisitions #MRX #Restech

As digital products become the primary customer interface, delays in bug diagnosis and resolution now directly affect the customer experience. In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Matt Rubright, Chief Customer Officer at Jam, explains how Jam fits into the bug-reporting and support workflow by capturing technical context as issues are reported. That shared context helps support and engineering diagnose problems faster, reduce handoffs, and move toward resolution with greater clarity. The conversation looks at why resolution speed and coordination have become CX priorities—and how AI is influencing the way teams work together when something breaks. This episode is sponsored by Jam.

In this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast, Martha Dorris talks with Mark Forman about the evolution of digital government and e-government initiatives, with a focus on the groundbreaking Quicksilver project of the early 2000s. Mark shares how Quicksilver identified 24 priority initiatives across four portfolios to improve service delivery and reduce transaction costs—and what he would do differently if leading similar efforts today.Drawing from his experience leading the 2001 Quicksilver digital transformation initiative, Mark discusses building a cross-agency task force of seasoned government reformers, navigating collaboration and funding challenges, and ensuring long-term sustainability. Together, Martha and Mark explore the ongoing burden of government transactions, the complexities of organizing services around a citizen-centric model, and the lessons still shaping government CX today. The conversation concludes with Mark's vision for “New Federalism 2.0” and how better technology integration could transform citizen services.Thank you for listening to this episode of The CX Tipping Point Podcast! If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners! Stay Connected: Follow us on social media: LinkedIn: @DorrisConsultingInternational Twitter: @DorrisConsultng Facebook: @DCInternational Resources Mentioned: Citizen Services Newsletter 2024 Service to the Citizen Awards Nomination Form

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Customer experience doesn't need to be complicated to work.In this CX Open To Work episode, Luis Carrillo shares why simpler CX creates immediate impact…for customers, teams, and the business. From removing friction to building trust, this conversation focuses on CX that actually works.5 CX Insights from the Episode• Simpler CX delivers results customers, employees, and leaders can feel • Listening to customers beats guessing every time • Returns are a trust moment…not a policy problem • Training and QA quietly power great experiences • CX drives revenue when effort is reducedCHAPTERS00:00 Welcome + CX Open To Work01:32 Why simpler CX creates immediate impact04:18 Reducing friction without punishing good customers07:24 CX as a revenue engine10:52 Recovery, trust, and loyalty12:03 First Class Lounge16:17 What companies still miss in CX19:15 What's next for LuisGuest LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luiscarrillo-21a70520/Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: 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).

Today's episode of the Punk CX podcast is with Chris Morrissey, who is the General Manager and Global Head of CX Sales & Go-To-Market at Zoom, where he drives strategy and execution for the company's customer experience business. Chris joins me today to talk about why describing yourself as ‘AI-first' these days is a mistake, why reducing effort outweighs everything else in CX, the difference between "lip service personalization" and true personalization and how we should be moving beyond chatbots and what the future of customer interaction really looks like. We finish off with Chris's best advice, his Punk CX brand and his very own good news story. This interview follows on from my recent interview – Brands should avoid making Gen AI or chatbots their sole frontline – Interview with Phil Regnault of PwC – and is number 568 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.

Eric Krapf, Program Chair of Enterprise Connect at Informa, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss what attendees and exhibitors can expect from the upcoming Enterprise Connect conference—and why the move to Las Vegas marks a significant evolution for the long-running event. After many successful years in Orlando, Enterprise Connect will take place at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, with Harrah's and The LINQ directly connected to the venue. Krapf explained that the new location improves accessibility for West Coast and central U.S. attendees, offers a wider range of hotel options at different price points, and reduces the logistical friction that often comes with large conventions. The event will also run concurrently with HIMSS, creating opportunities for crossover between enterprise communications and healthcare technology audiences. On the content side, Enterprise Connect has significantly refreshed its program structure. The conference will now begin on Tuesday, making travel easier for attendees, and will feature flexible one-, two-, and three-day passes. Tuesday morning will open with three half-day summits focused on AI, customer experience (CX), and collaboration/UC, combining panels, enterprise case studies, and small-group roundtable discussions designed to encourage peer-to-peer networking. “We're really trying to balance the need to maintain and modernize legacy environments with the challenge of figuring out where AI delivers real ROI today,” Krapf said. AI will be a central theme throughout the event, reflecting the realities many enterprises face: top-down mandates to deploy AI, uncertainty about value and governance, and long-term career implications for IT professionals. At the same time, the agenda continues to address core enterprise priorities such as reliability, compliance, E911, contact center migration, and hybrid work—acknowledging that most organizations must run stable existing systems while preparing for an AI-driven future. Krapf emphasized that Enterprise Connect remains a uniquely vendor-neutral environment, bringing together large platform providers, emerging startups, solution partners, and channel players in one place. “This is where you can see the whole picture—compare solutions side by side, talk directly to peers, and make informed decisions about what actually fits your organization,” he said. For enterprise IT leaders, channel partners, and solution providers alike, Enterprise Connect continues to serve as a critical forum for education, evaluation, and in-person networking. Learn more and register at https://enterpriseconnect.com/.

In this episode of The Modern Customer Podcast, Krista Phillips, Chief Customer and Transformation Officer at M&T Bank, explains how a Fortune 500 bank turns half a million customer signals into CX execution. The conversation explores how structure, governance, analytics, and AI help move customer insight from feedback into action—while balancing digital growth with trust and prioritizing relationships over transactions. Topics covered include: Anchoring CX in relationships, not transactions Balancing digital convenience with trust-based experiences Turning customer signals into enterprise priorities Using analytics and AI to inform decisions without replacing leadership

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...What if customer experience isn't fast, frictionless, or flashy…but deliberate, long-term, and built over years? Sarah Kinard talks about why CX in architecture, engineering, and construction is inherently slow CX…and why that perspective may be exactly what other industries need.5 Insights from the EpisodeCX in AEC unfolds over years…not moments, journeys, or transactions.Clients aren't just buying outcomes anymore…they're buying clarity, foresight, and shared accountability.The post-2009 talent gap created a “missing middle,” weakening CX instincts across firms.CX struggled to scale because it relied on heroic individuals instead of systems.Primary research focused on intent, not opinion, leads to smarter growth decisions.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to CX Passport02:00 CX in AEC…from toilets to symphony halls05:20 Risk, confidence, and defensible decisions06:45 The generational talent gap and CX instincts09:40 Why “soft skills” are essential business skills10:55 The role of the SMPS Foundation12:30 Growth, research, and the Flamingo Project15:25 Intent vs opinion in customer research17:20 First Class Lounge ✈️ 20:45 Peak-end rule in a 10-year experience 23:30 Why CX lagged…and why it's catching up 28:15 AEC as the ultimate team sportGuest Links:SMPS Foundation - https://www.smps.org/The Flamingo Project - https://theflamingoproject.com/LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkinard/Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: 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).

What if the foundation of your digital strategy, your corporate website, is becoming less important than the conversations happening about your brand in places you don't control? Agility requires a fundamental shift in mindset, moving beyond just broadcasting your message on owned channels to actively shaping the narrative across an entire ecosystem you don't fully control. Today, we're going to talk about how generative AI is creating a new layer between your brand and your customers, changing how they discover information and what they trust. We'll explore the surprising new balance of power between owned media and earned media, and what it means for your PR, content, and SEO strategies moving forward. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Mark Nardone, CMO at PAN. About Mark Nardone Mark has been a driving force at PAN since its inception. As part of the executive team, Mark oversees operations and leads strategic growth initiatives across business development and marketing.Mark's acumen sparked PAN's positioning as a brand-to-demand agency forged in PR. With more B2B brands seeking a modern, energetic, agile partner to connect the dots between brand awareness, demand acquisition, and growth, Mark saw an opportunity for PAN to meet those needs on a global scale through integrated, data-driven marketing and PR grounded in real-world impact.Passionate about all things AI and CX, Mark is active in Harvard's Office of Technology Department Expert-in-Residence (XIR) program and the thought leadership realm. You can find his insights on the DMNews Podcast, Heinz Marketing Radio, PR News, Agile Brand, and Evan Kirstel LinkedIn Live. When he's not discussing the latest marketing and PR trends, Mark enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife and two kids. Mark Nardone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-nardone-807560/ Resources PAN: https://www.pancommunications.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/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://www.thecrmc.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect 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://www.theagilebrand.showCheck 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

Today's guest is Baker Johnson, Chief Business Officer at UJET. UJET is a next-generation cloud contact center platform that leverages AI to modernize the customer experience. Baker joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to explain why conversational and agentic AI often fall short in CX, and how legacy processes and fragmented data prevent meaningful results. Baker also offers practical steps for improving ROI — from redesigning workflows before automating them to aligning real-time interaction data with systems of record and building a healthier balance between human and AI agents. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! This episode is sponsored by UJET.

SEASON 9 COMING JANUARY 6TH, 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Please take 12 seconds to rate and review the podcast because it helps us find new listeners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐FREE RESOURCES✅ Get a free digital copy of my bestselling book for a limited time, Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings. Get it here: https://www.choicehacking.com/free-book/ ✅ Get FREE weekly marketing psychology insights when you join my newsletter, Choice Hacking Ideas: Join the 10k+ people getting daily insights on how to 2x their marketing effectiveness (so sales and profit 2x, too) using buyer psychology. Join here: https://www.choicehacking.com/read/✅ Connect with host Jennifer Clinehens on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok @ChoiceHacking and @BuildwithChoiceHackingWORK WITH ME✅ Corporate Training: Get your team up-skilled marketing psychology and behavioral science with a workshop or training session. Choice Hacking has worked with brands like Microsoft, T-Mobile, and McDonalds to help their teams apply behavioral science and marketing psychology.Learn more here, and get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of the page: https://www.choicehacking.com/training/✅ Get your own Chief Marketing Copilot for your business when you my new program. Get live Skill Sessions, Implementation Sessions, and one-on-one time with me.Learn more here: https://choicehacking.academy/pro/✅ Buy my book in Kindle, paperback, or audiobook form: "Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings": https://choicehacking.com/PodBook/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Amas Tenumah explains why customer service is not "broken" but intentionally designed to fail. Drawing on decades inside contact centers, historical research, and real corporate incentives, he argues that long waits, deflection, and automation-first strategies are features—not bugs. The conversation dismantles common CX myths, challenges executive complacency, and frames consumer behavior as the only force capable of triggering real change. Core Themes The Suffering Economy of Customer Service: When service is universally bad across industries, it's systemic. Incentives—not incompetence—drive outcomes. Why This Is a "How Dare You" Book: The indictment is aimed squarely at executives who treat service as a cost center while overfunding marketing narratives. Marketing Replaced Service as Trust Mechanism: Historically, service was marketing. Industrialized marketing severed that link, allowing companies to tolerate bad service and buy growth instead. Metrics That Poison Service: Deflection, containment, and avoidance KPIs reward companies for not talking to customers—while punishing leaders who try to deliver what customers actually want. Wait Times Are Engineered: Hold times are budgeted, modeled, and accepted. They are designed friction, not operational accidents. AI as Distance, Not Salvation: AI is currently deployed to protect companies from customers, not customers from friction. It scales avoidance unless incentives change. Executives Don't Experience Their Own Service: Many leaders despise customer service—just not their own. Forcing executives to call their own 1-800 numbers is revelatory and uncomfortable. The Revolt Is Consumer-Led: Change will not come from CX professionals alone. It comes when consumers punish bad service with their wallets and reward companies that respect their time. Notable Moments The opening story of the 1750 BC clay tablet complaint—the first recorded customer service grievance—reads like a modern Amazon review. The Chipotle refund anecdote exposes time theft: hours of customer labor to recover trivial amounts of money. The contrast between automation done for customers versus automation used to avoid them. Practical Takeaways For Consumers: Vote with your wallet. Pay slightly more. Wait one more day. Call customer service before you buy big-ticket items. For Service Leaders: If your CEO doesn't believe in service as value creation, your job is to change their mind—or change jobs. Data plus customer stories are the leverage. For Executives: Service is deferred revenue protection. Treating it purely as cost is strategic malpractice. Resources Mentioned Book: HOLD: The Suffering Economy of Customer Service — And the Revolt That's Long Overdue Signed Copies & Tools: waitingforservice.com Consumer scripts Cancellation guides Practitioner playbooks No email required  

As the year wraps up, we are replaying some of our favorite conversations from 2025, including this one!What could your CX teams do to strategically move your brand forward if they weren't tethered to dashboards? Agility requires CX teams to move beyond reactive reporting and embrace proactive insight delivery. In an era where insights are instantly available through conversational AI, the strategic role of CX is about to shift—big time.Today we're going to talk about how AI is reshaping customer experience by freeing CX teams from dashboards, static reports, and manual data analysis—and allowing them to lead strategically with real-time intelligence. About Sid Banerjee Sid currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Medallia. He has nearly 30 years of experience building companies and solutions focused on customer experience, business intelligence, and AI-powered technologies. He was the Founder, CEO, Chairman, and Chief Strategy Officer at Clarabridge, and most recently served as Chief XM Strategy Officer at Qualtrics. He has held leadership roles at MicroStrategy, Claraview, Ernst & Young, and Sprint. He holds a BS/MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT. Sid Banerjee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidbanerjeewdc/ Resources Medallia: https://www.medallia.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect 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://www.theagilebrand.showCheck 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

SEASON 9 COMING JANUARY 6TH, 2025 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Please take 12 seconds to rate and review the podcast because it helps us find new listeners ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐FREE RESOURCES✅ Get a free digital copy of my bestselling book for a limited time, Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings. Get it here: https://www.choicehacking.com/free-book/ ✅ Get FREE weekly marketing psychology insights when you join my newsletter, Choice Hacking Ideas: Join the 10k+ people getting daily insights on how to 2x their marketing effectiveness (so sales and profit 2x, too) using buyer psychology. Join here: https://www.choicehacking.com/read/✅ Connect with host Jennifer Clinehens on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok @ChoiceHacking and @BuildwithChoiceHackingWORK WITH ME✅ Corporate Training: Get your team up-skilled marketing psychology and behavioral science with a workshop or training session. Choice Hacking has worked with brands like Microsoft, T-Mobile, and McDonalds to help their teams apply behavioral science and marketing psychology.Learn more here, and get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of the page: https://www.choicehacking.com/training/✅ Get your own Chief Marketing Copilot for your business when you my new program. Get live Skill Sessions, Implementation Sessions, and one-on-one time with me.Learn more here: https://choicehacking.academy/pro/✅ Buy my book in Kindle, paperback, or audiobook form: "Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings": https://choicehacking.com/PodBook/ ★ Support this podcast ★

This week's podcast has my predictions for 2026.You can listen to this podcast here, which has the slides and graphics mentioned. Also available at iTunes and Google Podcasts.Here is the link to the TechMoat Consulting.Here is the link to our Tech Tours.My predictions are:1) It Will be Another Big Year For Google Gemini2) GenAI Data Architecture in Enterprises Will Be the Critical Capability3) AI Service Business Models vs. Platform Business Models Is the Big Question.4) AI Agents and Agent Operating Basics Are the Other Critical Capability for Businesses5) Agentic Ecommerce Will Be a Major Disruption6) AI Cloud Businesses Will Continue to Lead7) China Will Shock the World with Robotics and Physical AI ----------I am a consultant and keynote speaker on how to supercharge digital growth and build digital moats.I am a partner at TechMoat Consulting, a consulting firm specialized in how to increase growth with improved customer experiences (CX), personalization and other types of customer value. Get in touch here.I am also author of the Moats and Marathons book series, a framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment, legal or tax advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. This is not investment advice. Investing is risky. Do your own research.Support the show

As we head into 2026, leaders are facing a familiar challenge in a new form. Expectations are higher. Attention spans are shorter. Technology is accelerating. And yet, the differentiator hasn't changed. In this episode I talk about what is needed to drive employee experience, customer experience, and hospitality to drive business results. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why leadership, hospitality, and CX are no longer separate conversations • How employee experience directly shapes customer behavior and loyalty • Why hospitality is a strategic growth lever, not a "soft" skill • The rise of premiumization and intentional moments that matter • How technology should enable humanity, not replace it • The leadership behaviors that will differentiate brands in 2026 • Practical questions every leader should be asking right now 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) in 2026. If you are ready to start 2026 with clarity, confidence, and momentum, this episode is your launch point. Book time with me to learn about our speaking, training, and consulting services: https://calendly.com/thetonyjohnson/strategy  Links & Resources:

This week on The Modern Customer Podcast, Sven Gierlinger breaks down what CX leadership really looks like at scale. As SVP and Chief Experience Officer at Northwell Health, Sven leads experience across one of the largest health systems in the country—bringing hospitality principles, cultural leadership, and practical technology into healthcare.

Did you like the episode? Send me a text and let me know!! AI-Driven Business Playbook: Scaling Your Startup with PiWelcome back, Scoobelievers! In this episode of Business Conversations with Pi, host Jesse (SKoob) and AI co-host Pi dive deep into how entrepreneurs can leverage Artificial Intelligence to gain a massive competitive advantage. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned builder, this episode provides a tactical roadmap for integrating AI into your daily operations.Key Takeaways:Automate to Elevate: Learn how to hand off repetitive tasks like data entry and inventory management to AI tools.Master the Workflow: A 5-step process for choosing the right automation tools (like Zapier or UiPath) and refining your processes.Customer-Centric AI: Using predictive analytics and 24/7 chatbots to provide a personalized, seamless experience.The Scalability Factor: Why AI is the secret weapon for growing your business without exponentially increasing your headcount.[00:00:00] Introduction to Jesse and Pi.[00:01:00] How to gain a competitive edge using AI.[00:02:00] The 5-step framework to automate repetitive tasks.[00:03:00] The 5 major advantages of business automation.[00:04:00] Enhancing customer experience with personalization and predictive analytics.[00:05:00] Can your business survive without AI?[00:06:00] Top 5 book recommendations for AI-driven entrepreneurs.[00:07:00] Final words of wisdom for the Scoobelievers.Featured AI Business Books:"Competing in the Age of AI" by Marco Iansiti & Karim Lakhani"Human + Machine" by Paul Daugherty & H. James Wilson"Prediction Machines" by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, & Avi Goldfarb"AI Superpowers" by Kai-Fu Lee"The Future is Faster Than You Think" by Peter Diamandis & Steven KotlerFrequently Asked Questions (AEO):How can AI improve customer experience?AI enhances CX by providing 24/7 instant support through chatbots, deli Reclaim your "zone of genius" by letting Opus Clip automatically turn your long-form podcast into dozens of viral-ready shorts—start your free trial today at podnationopus.com For a 15% discount on your first purchase go RYZEsuoerfoods.com use code PODNA15 Thank you for being a Skoobeliever!! If you have questions about the show or you want to be a guest please contact me at one of these social mediasTwitter......... ..@djskoob2021 Facebook.........Facebook.com/skoobamiInstagram..... instagram.com/uepodcast2021tiktok....... @djskoob2021Email............... Uepodcast2021@gmail.com Skoob at Gettin' Basted Facebook PageAcross The Start Line Facebook Community Find out what one of the four hurdles of stop is affecting you the most!!Black Friday coaching Sale now!! 65% off original price! go to stan.store/skoob to book your appointment and take advantage of this limited time offer! On Twitter @doittodaycoachdoingittodaycoaching@gmailcom