Podcasts about dijulius group

Why AI, automation, and self-service only improve customer experience when they reduce effort without removing humanity. Summary n this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius challenge one of the biggest assumptions in business today: that modernizing service delivery automatically improves the customer experience. Companies are investing heavily in AI, automation, chatbots, self-service tools, and digital-first platforms. But customers are still frustrated, stuck in loops, repeating themselves, and fighting to reach a real person. The problem is not service innovation itself. The problem is bad customer service disguised as innovation. John explains how leaders should evaluate whether a new service model is actually better for the customer, not just faster or cheaper for the company. He discusses why high-stakes moments, complaint situations, financial concerns, health issues, and grudge-buy experiences still require human judgment, empathy, and service recovery skills. This conversation also explores why weak culture shows up through strong technology, why employees need transparency during AI transformation, and why companies must beta test new service tools before rolling them out broadly. The real future of customer experience will not belong to the companies that automate the most. It will belong to the companies that use innovation to make customers feel known, valued, heard, and helped. Takeaways Service innovation does not automatically create better service. A process can become faster and still feel worse to the customer. Customers are not rejecting technology. They are rejecting automation that feels like deflection, abandonment, or extra work. Efficiency and experience are not the same thing. A service model is only better if it is easier and more reassuring from the customer's point of view. High-stakes moments still require human judgment. Health, finance, complaints, service recovery, and emotionally charged situations should not be fully automated. Every company has a grudge-buy moment. Even pleasure-based businesses become grudge-buy businesses when something goes wrong. Technology exposes culture. If employees are fearful, undertrained, or disconnected, new tools will amplify those issues. AI transformation requires transparency. Employees need to know whether technology is designed to help them, replace them, or reshape their roles. Soft launches matter. Companies should crawl, walk, and run before rolling out new technology to the full customer base. The best service innovation helps both customers and employees. It removes friction, reduces repetitive work, and preserves the human option when it matters. The winner is not the fastest company. The winner is the company that gets the experience right. Quotes "Customers are not rejecting innovation. They are rejecting bad customer service disguised as innovation." "A faster service process can still create a terrible customer experience." "We can't only look at ease of business from our side." "The human option cannot go away when the issue is stressful, complicated, or emotional." "Every company has a grudge-buy component when a customer has a complaint." "The unknown is worse than the known. Employees need transparency around AI." "No employee likes to be caught off guard and become the punching bag for customer frustration." "The quickest company is not the winner. The company that gets there correctly is." Chapters List 00:00 — Introduction: Service Innovation vs. Customer Frustration 01:51 — Good News and Cleveland Summer 03:09 — Efficiency vs. Better Customer Experience 05:13 — What Customers Feel When Service Improves 06:24 — Warning Signs the Relationship Is Getting Weaker 07:55 — AI Support Failures and High-Stakes Service Moments 10:53 — Trust, AI, and Accuracy 13:10 — When Automation Is Too Risky 15:00 — Why Every Business Has a Grudge-Buy Moment 17:51 — What Must Be in Place Before New Service Technology Works 18:55 — How Weak Culture Shows Up Through Strong Technology 21:14 — AI Anxiety, Employee Fear, and Leadership Transparency 24:20 — Human Touch vs. Efficiency 26:33 — Where Leaders Should Start When Transformation Is Not Working 27:44 — The Future of Digital-First Service 28:24 — Final Advice: Crawl, Walk, Run 29:24 — CTA and Closing Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.  

The real link between employee experience and customer experience is not happiness alone. It is readiness, training, empowerment, accountability, and leadership. Summary The phrase happy employees create happy customers is popular in customer experience, but it is incomplete. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius challenge the oversimplified belief that employee happiness alone leads to a world-class customer experience. Employee happiness matters. If employees are miserable, unsupported, burned out, or treated like a cost center, customers will feel it. But a happy employee who is poorly trained can still create a poor customer experience. A happy employee without standards can still be inconsistent. A happy employee without autonomy can still feel helpless when something goes wrong. John explains that the real connection between employee experience and customer experience comes from hiring people with the right service aptitude, then giving them the training, systems, coaching, empowerment, recognition, and accountability they need to succeed. Denise and John also discuss how toxic employees, rushed onboarding, broken policies, lack of recognition, and poor leadership can turn even naturally happy employees into frustrated or burned-out ones. The goal is not just happy employees. The goal is happy employees who feel valued, prepared, trusted, empowered, and responsible for the experience they create. Key Takeaways: 1. Happy Employees Matter, But Happiness Alone Is Not a Strategy Employee happiness is a critical part of customer experience, but it does not automatically create happy customers. Employees also need preparation, standards, tools, and leadership. 2. Employee Readiness Is Different From Employee Happiness A naturally positive employee can still fail the customer if they are rushed into the role without proper onboarding, technical training, or service aptitude training. 3. Poor Systems Can Destroy Employee Happiness When employees are forced to defend broken policies, cover for understaffing, or absorb customer frustration without support, happiness disappears quickly. 4. Technical Training Is Not Enough Companies often train employees on processes, tasks, and systems, but neglect the human skills required to deliver great service: empathy, energy, listening, curiosity, problem-solving, and service recovery. 5. Autonomy Requires Clarity Empowering employees to make decisions only works when they understand the standards, expectations, and boundaries behind the customer experience. 6. Toxic High Performers Are Still Toxic Keeping a negative employee because they bring in revenue can damage morale, increase turnover, and weaken the customer experience. 7. Recognition Cannot Only Go to Problem Employees Leaders often spend most of their time managing high-maintenance employees while overlooking the reliable employees who quietly keep the business running. 8. The Real Goal Is Prepared, Valued, Trusted Employees The connection between employee experience and customer experience is strongest when employees feel valued, prepared, trusted, empowered, and accountable. Standout Quotes "Happy employees are a critical part of the equation, but just hiring happy employees does not by itself produce happy customers." — John DiJulius "A happy employee who is poorly trained can still create a terrible customer experience." — Denise Thompson "The best time to hire a new employee is two months ago." — John DiJulius "Over 90% of the things that go wrong in a customer-facing situation are not the customer-facing employee's fault." — John DiJulius "You never trade your reputation for sales." — John DiJulius "Burnout is real, but I think it is misdiagnosed." — John DiJulius "The goal is not just happy employees. The goal is happy employees who feel valued, prepared, trusted, and responsible for the experience they create." — Denise Thompson Chapters List After 20 Years John shares that he is most proud of the community built around The DiJulius Group's customer experience philosophies. 03:00 – Why In-Person CX Communities Matter Denise and John reflect on the Customer Service Revolution Conference and why live learning creates stronger relationships, deeper community, and better transformation. 06:06 – Challenging "Happy Employees Create Happy Customers" Denise introduces the episode's central idea: the phrase is true in spirit, but too simplistic if taken literally. 07:31 – Why Happiness Alone Is Not Enough John explains that happy employees are essential, but without training, systems, standards, and leadership, they cannot consistently create happy customers. 09:19 – Employee Happiness vs. Employee Readiness Denise asks about the difference between employees who feel good at work and employees who are truly prepared to deliver a world-class customer experience. 10:13 – Why the Best Time to Hire Was Two Months Ago John explains why reactive hiring and rushed onboarding set employees and customers up for failure. 12:25 – When Broken Systems Frustrate Happy Employees Denise and John discuss how poor policies, lack of training, and customer frustration can quickly drain employee happiness. 14:24 – The Service Aptitude Skills Companies Forget to Train John explains why organizations must train human skills like empathy, energy, curiosity, listening, problem-solving, and service recovery. 16:10 – Turnover as a Warning Sign John shares how employee turnover often reveals deeper issues in hiring, leadership, compensation, or culture. 18:23 – How Long Should Leaders Try to Fix a Toxic Employee? Denise asks how much time companies should spend coaching someone who performs well in some areas but hurts the culture. 21:41 – When Happy Employees Become Unhappy Denise explains how employees can start out happy but lose energy or engagement as conditions change. 22:14 – Burnout, Boredom, and Broken Systems John and Denise discuss why burnout is often caused by lack of support, poor systems, understaffing, and inability to get results. 25:03 – Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose John connects employee happiness to growth, empowerment, purpose, and the ability to keep building value for employees. 27:28 – Autonomy Without Standards Denise and John discuss what happens when employees are empowered but not fully trained to make the right decisions. 31:10 – Teaching Service Recovery John shares how organizations can teach employees to handle service failures with clarity, judgment, and escalation when needed. 32:13 – A Real Service Recovery Story from John Roberts Spa John tells a memorable story about a serious customer service failure and how immediate ownership and overcorrection matter. 38:01 – Why Employees Need to Feel Valued Denise and John discuss how leaders often overlook reliable employees while focusing attention on higher-maintenance team members. 39:54 – The Danger of Overloading Rock Stars Denise and John explore how high performers can unintentionally be punished with extra work and higher expectations. 43:10 – The Real Link Between EX and CX Denise summarizes the core message: the goal is not just happy employees, but employees who are valued, prepared, trusted, and accountable. 44:02 – Closing and 20th Anniversary Reflection Denise thanks John and again recognizes The DiJulius Group's 20th anniversary. Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.  

Why taste, touch, composition, and wisdom may become the most valuable leadership skills in the age of AI. Summary  In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, John DiJulius interviews bestselling author Daniel Pink about the human skills that artificial intelligence cannot replace. Pink explains why AI may be powerful at generating options, but humans still need taste to know what is good, touch to create real connection, composition to allocate people and technology wisely, and wisdom to ask better questions, show humility, and lead with integrity. John and Daniel also discuss the danger of relying on AI to do the hard thinking for us, the future of soft skills, whether empathy and curiosity can be trained, why leaders need to stop managing time and start allocating talent, and how younger professionals can think about AI without fear. This conversation is a practical guide for leaders who want to use AI without losing the human edge that drives trust, service, creativity, and customer loyalty. Takeaways AI can generate options, but humans need taste. AI can produce ideas quickly, but leaders still need discernment to know what is good, relevant, beautiful, useful, and aligned with the audience. Taste is built by creating, not consuming. Daniel Pink argues that people build judgment by making things, testing ideas, receiving feedback, and learning what works. "Good enough" is a dangerous standard. AI can make average work easier. The competitive advantage belongs to people and companies who keep refining beyond good enough. Touch matters more in a digital world. Physical presence, empathy, listening, comfort, and connection become more valuable as technology handles more transactional tasks. Leaders must become composers. Future leaders will need to combine human talent, machine intelligence, and resources into something greater than the pieces alone. Wisdom is different from intelligence. Wisdom includes humility, integrity, compassion, curiosity, and the ability to ask better questions. Great questions create credibility. John and Daniel agree that credibility does not come only from having answers. It often comes from asking questions no one else has asked. AI should not replace the learning process. When people use AI to skip the first draft, the hard thinking disappears. That creates what Daniel calls the risk of "intellectual obesity." Service aptitude skills are still critical. Empathy, curiosity, connection, listening, problem-solving, and energy remain essential for customer-facing teams. AI will reconfigure jobs, not simply erase them overnight. Daniel pushes back on doom-and-gloom thinking and encourages leaders to help people identify what they can do with machines that neither humans nor machines can do alone. Quotes "AI is incredibly good at generating options. What it is less good at is figuring out what's good and what's not." — Daniel Pink "The best way to build taste is by creating stuff, not by consuming stuff." — Daniel Pink "The barrier isn't execution. The barrier is discernment." — Daniel Pink "Taste requires the courage to say no." — Daniel Pink "Good enough is the enemy." — John DiJulius "I fear AI could create a kind of intellectual obesity problem, where no one is exerting intellectual effort." — Daniel Pink "Wisdom is more valuable when intelligence is abundant." — Daniel Pink "Right answers still matter, but smart questions now matter a hell of a lot more." — Daniel Pink "It's not in the answers you give. It's in the questions you ask." — John DiJulius "Strong points of view, loosely held." — Daniel Pink "You shouldn't be booing AI. That's like booing electricity." — Daniel Pink "When something becomes plentiful, it becomes cheap." — Daniel Pink Chapters List 00:00 – Introduction to Daniel Pink John introduces Daniel Pink, bestselling author of Drive, To Sell Is Human, When, The Power of Regret, and more. 02:00 – The Human Skills AI Can't Replace John opens the conversation around AI, service aptitude, and the relationship skills younger generations need to develop. 03:19 – Skill #1: Taste Daniel explains why AI can generate ideas, but humans need judgment to know what is actually good. 04:40 – Why Taste Is Built by Creating Daniel shares why passive consumption does not build discernment and why creating work matters. 06:27 – Taste, Courage, and Saying No John and Daniel discuss Steve Jobs, leadership standards, and the courage to reject ideas that are not good enough. 07:35 – The Danger of "Good Enough" AI Work John reflects on how AI can make people lazy, and Daniel explains why no company wants people who settle for average. 08:30 – AI and Intellectual Obesity Daniel shares the risk of letting AI do the first draft and removing the learning process. 10:03 – Skill #2: Touch Daniel explains why physical presence, empathy, healthcare, trades, and human comfort still matter. 11:37 – Skill #3: Composition Daniel describes composition as the ability to combine people, machines, ideas, and resources into something better. 13:09 – The Allocation Economy John and Daniel discuss the shift from managing knowledge to allocating intelligence. 14:14 – Audit Your Calendar Daniel explains why leaders should review where human talent is being wasted on work AI could handle. 15:41 – Skill #4: Wisdom Daniel defines wisdom through humility, integrity, curiosity, compassion, and better questions. 18:02 – Why Questions Matter More Now John and Daniel discuss answer engines, credibility, and the leadership power of asking questions no one else asks. 19:26 – The Five Whys and Better Listening Daniel references the importance of questioning techniques and how questions work with taste, composition, and wisdom. 20:55 – Iteration, Speeches, and Creative Work John talks about how books and keynotes are never truly finished until the deadline arrives. 21:49 – Listen Like You're Wrong John and Daniel discuss humility, intellectual flexibility, and exploring ideas instead of defending them. 23:53 – John's 10 Service Aptitude Skills John shares TDG's core service aptitude skills and asks Daniel which ones are trainable. 27:06 – Can Empathy, Curiosity, and Energy Be Trained? Daniel explains that many human traits live on a spectrum between innate and learnable. 29:12 – Why Young People Are Booing AI John asks how leaders can help younger professionals approach AI with less fear. 29:51 – The Realistic Promise of AI Daniel explains why AI will disrupt work, but likely reconfigure jobs rather than eliminate them instantly. 32:35 – What Daniel Pink Is Working On Daniel shares his interest in YouTube and how new tools are turning more people into creators. 34:46 – Will AI Water Down the Value of Books? John and Daniel discuss AI-generated books, quality decline, and whether books still carry the same authority. 37:11 – Can You Be an Expert Without Writing a Book? Daniel explains how influence now comes through many formats, including podcasts, video, and online platforms. 39:14 – Closing John thanks Daniel Pink and closes the episode. Links: DanielPinkTV :  https://www.youtube.com/@danielpinktv The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

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

Are Your Incentives Creating the Customer Experience You Actually Want? Summary: John DiJulius explains how the behaviors your company rewards, measures, and recognizes become the customer experience your customers actually receive. Every company has incentives. Some are obvious: bonuses, commissions, contests, scorecards, performance reviews, and promotions. Others are quieter: praise, attention, flexibility, and who gets celebrated in meetings. But here is the real question: are your incentives creating the customer experience you actually want? In this episode, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius unpack how incentives drive service behaviors, why companies often reward the wrong things, and how customers ultimately feel whatever the organization values internally. John shares examples from Starbucks, Spirit Airlines, Blockbuster, Charles Schwab, Amazon, John Roberts Spa, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, and The DiJulius Group's own methodology. You will learn why speed, efficiency, sales, and profit are not bad metrics, but they become dangerous when they are the only metrics that matter. John also explains how leaders can recognize and reward the right behaviors, including ownership, personalization, follow-through, referrals, retention, service recovery, and Above and Beyond moments. Key Takeaways Your incentives reveal what your company truly values. Leaders may say customer experience is a priority, but employees follow what gets measured, rewarded, promoted, and recognized. Customers feel your internal reward system. They may never see your incentive plan, but they feel it when employees rush, enforce policy over empathy, or focus on transactions over relationships. Efficiency metrics can create unintended consequences. Metrics like average call time, speed, and volume are not bad, but they become dangerous when they are the only things that matter. Not all profits are good profits. Hidden fees, late fees, rigid policies, and short-term revenue plays can damage trust and exhaust frontline employees. Recognition is a powerful teaching tool. Culture is shaped by what leaders notice, celebrate, repeat, and turn into stories. Great service must be behaviorally defined. "Deliver great service" is too vague. Leaders need to define and reward specific behaviors such as ownership, empathy, personalization, follow-through, teamwork, problem prevention, and service recovery. The best service incentives align with retention and referrals. Repeat business, referrals, renewals, and earned sales growth are strong indicators that the experience is working. Stories make culture scalable. Recognition systems like the Milkshake Award and Bear Claw Award help employees understand what Above and Beyond service looks like in real life. Quotes "Customers do not experience your mission statement. They experience what your company rewards." "What gets recognized gets repeated." "If you reward speed, you get speed. If you reward shortcuts, you get shortcuts." "Not all profits are good profits." "Recognition does not always have to be financial. Sometimes culture is built by what gets noticed." "Great service is too vague unless leaders define the behaviors behind it." "The customer is the benefactor of what the company rewards internally." "Your incentives should be aligned with the experience you want delivered." "Profit is the byproduct of the experience you deliver." "Employees will do what you tell them is important." Chapters List 00:00 — Introduction Denise and John open the conversation and preview the topic of incentives that drive service behaviors. 02:51 — Why Incentives Matter to Customer and Employee Experience Denise frames the episode around formal and informal incentives and asks whether companies are rewarding the experience they actually want. 04:52 — What Gets Recognized Gets Repeated John explains why incentives shape employee behavior and how policies communicate what a company values. 07:59 — Incentives Reveal What Companies Truly Believe Denise and John discuss how incentive systems expose a company's real priorities. 09:13 — Starbucks and Customer Service Targets The conversation explores what it signals when a company connects employee rewards to customer service, operations, and performance. 12:24 — The Risk of Unintended Consequences John explains how incentives can unintentionally create the wrong behaviors, using average call time and rigid policy enforcement as examples. 14:01 — Not All Profits Are Good Profits John shares examples from The Employee Experience Revolution, including Blockbuster and Charles Schwab, to show how bad profit policies damage customer trust. 18:01 — How Incentives Show Up in the Customer Experience John explains how retention, referrals, and repeat business reveal whether the experience is actually working. 20:12 — Where Companies Accidentally Reward the Wrong Behaviors John shares the example of gift cards, expiration dates, and the difference between short-term profit and lifetime customer value. 23:42 — Lessons from Low-Cost Business Models Denise and John discuss Spirit Airlines, price competition, and what happens when low cost becomes high friction. 26:31 — Warning Signs Your Incentives Are Creating Bad Behaviors John explains how complaints, employee frustrations, contact centers, and customer sentiment can reveal service breakdowns. 31:45 — What Leaders Should Recognize and Reward John discusses service behaviors, FORD, earned sales growth, referrals, retention, and recognition systems. 38:39 — Mid-Episode CTA Denise explains how The DiJulius Group helps organizations define, teach, measure, and reinforce world-class service. 39:59 — Recognition Without Big Incentive Budgets John shares the Milkshake Award from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and explains how symbols and storytelling reinforce culture. 43:45 — How to Collect and Share Service Stories John explains how companies can build databases of Above and Beyond stories and use them in meetings, training, and onboarding. 49:40 — Avoiding Forced or Manipulated Recognition Denise and John discuss how to seek customer feedback without creating survey-chasing behavior. 53:23 — Peer-to-Peer Recognition John shares the importance of employees recognizing other employees, including the "caught you doing something right" example. 55:53 — The Simplest Truth About Incentives and Service Culture John closes with the core message: incentives and recognition should be based on the experience you want employees to deliver. 57:26 — Denise's Closing Challenge Denise challenges leaders to examine what their company rewards, praises, promotes, tolerates, and repeats. Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

What Companies Should Know about a Customer Experience Keynote Speaker Summary: In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson sits down with John DiJulius for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really means to be a conference speaker. While many organizations think of a keynote as a high-energy moment in an agenda, John explains that the best keynotes do more than motivate. They help leaders see what needs to change, give teams a common language, and create a spark that can become real transformation if the company knows what to do next. John shares how he prepares for events, customizes messages for different industries, reads a room in real time, and balances the glamour of speaking with the grind of travel, preparation, and always being "on stage." He also explains why companies should choose speakers based not only on energy and entertainment, but on whether they can deliver actionable, take-backable content that helps the organization change long after the applause ends. The big lesson: a keynote can be a turning point, but only if leaders treat it as the beginning of the work, not the end of the event.   Key Takeaways 1. A keynote should create transformation, not just applause. John explains that his goal is not simply to entertain an audience. His goal is to help people think differently, act differently, and take something back that they can still use six, twelve, or eighteen months later. 2. Motivation is not enough. The best speakers combine three things: they entertain, educate, and evoke action. A motivational message may feel good in the moment, but without a practical method, nothing changes. 3. Companies need a post-keynote action plan. A keynote wears off if leaders do not create a structure for implementation. John recommends immediate follow-up, stakeholder conversations, and clear ownership of next steps. 4. The best speakers customize deeply. John shares how he studies the company, industry, event theme, KPIs, CEO messaging, and audience mindset so the keynote lands in the client's actual world. 5. Customer experience problems are universal. Across industries, companies struggle with employee roulette, personal interpretation, inconsistent service, and the mistaken belief that customer service is common sense. 6. Leaders must tee up the message properly. If a CEO spends the morning saying the company is crushing it, the audience may resist the need for change. Great leaders create urgency by explaining why the organization must keep evolving. 7. The conference should not end when people leave the room. John and Denise discuss the value of reviewing notes immediately, creating accountability, and having attendees share what they learned with the broader team within seven to ten days.   Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.  

Why Human Leadership Is the New Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI Summary: AI is changing how companies operate, scale, and compete. But according to Dr. Brynn Scarborough, the future will not belong to the companies that automate the most. It will belong to the companies that intentionally develop the human leadership skills AI cannot replace. In this episode, John DiJulius sits down with Dr. Scarborough, Founder and CEO of Alchemy Leadership Lab, to discuss the leadership infrastructure companies need in an era of rapid transformation. Brynn shares lessons from scaling a North American business unit from $20 million to $65 million in revenue, doubling the workforce, tripling profitability, and leading the organization through a private equity buyout. John and Brynn explore why learning and development can no longer be treated as a compliance exercise, why resilience must be intentionally built, and why the skills once labeled "soft" are becoming the most valuable capabilities in business. They also discuss AI's impact on workforce optimization, leadership development, experience engineering, succession planning, and the growing need for leaders who can create trust, connection, and momentum under pressure. This conversation is for CEOs, founders, CX leaders, HR executives, and anyone responsible for building a leadership bench strong enough for what is coming next. Guest Bio Dr. Brynn Scarborough is the Founder and CEO of Alchemy Leadership Lab. She spent more than 13 years scaling a North American business unit from $20 million to $65 million in revenue inside a $110 million global structure, doubling the workforce, tripling profitability, and leading the organization through a private equity buyout. She holds a Doctorate of Business Administration and an MBA from the University of Tampa's Sykes College of Business. Her doctoral research focused on leadership resilience and how organizations can engineer sustained high performance without burnout, founder dependency, and key person risk. Through Alchemy Leadership Lab, she works with founders, CEOs, PE operating partners, and C-suite leaders at key growth inflection points, including succession, scale, acquisition, and AI-driven transformation.   Key Takeaways AI may optimize processes, but it cannot replace the human leadership required to guide people through change. Companies that reduce headcount or flatten organizations without developing remaining leaders risk creating future capability gaps. Leadership development must be continuous, not episodic. Resilience, emotional intelligence, and executive agility are becoming essential leadership traits. Gen Z is asking for career development, and companies that invest in it have a stronger chance of retaining emerging talent. The next generation of leaders may not gain experience the same way previous generations did, so organizations must intentionally design growth paths. Transformation fails when companies focus only on systems and processes but neglect behavioral change. Human connection will become a premium differentiator as more business interactions become automated.   Resources Mentioned:   brynn@alchemyleadershiplab.comWebsite: www.alchemyleadershiplab.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brynnscarboroughInstagram: www.instagram.com/alchemyleadershiplabBook a Discovery Call: calendly.com/brynn-alchemyleadershiplab/20min-discovery-call  Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

Learn how to prove customer experience ROI by measuring Return on Experience, customer retention, referrals, earned sales growth, complaints, and loyalty. Summary: Customer experience leaders are facing a new reality: it is no longer enough to say customer experience matters. Executives want proof. In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius discuss why CX leaders are being asked to connect experience initiatives directly to business outcomes like retention, referrals, loyalty, complaints, customer effort, close ratios, and revenue growth. John explains why customer satisfaction is too low of a bar, why NPS and surveys alone do not tell the full story, and why organizations need a clear Return on Experience dashboard to prove the financial impact of customer experience. He also breaks down why journey mapping often fails, how inconsistency damages brand trust, and why broken handoffs quietly cost companies revenue. The episode gives customer experience leaders a practical way to move from "warm and fuzzy" to measurable, executive-level business impact.   Key Takeaways 1. Customer satisfaction is too low of a bar Satisfied customers are not necessarily loyal. They may simply be customers who were not frustrated enough to complain. Leaders need to measure whether customers are staying, buying again, referring others, and spending more. 2. CX leaders need to prove financial impact Customer experience competes for budget against sales, marketing, IT, AI, and other departments. If CX leaders cannot show measurable business outcomes, they risk being viewed as optional. 3. Return on Experience should be measured clearly A strong ROX dashboard should connect CX efforts to business metrics such as retention, referrals, complaints, close ratios, first-contact resolution, customer effort score, reviews, and average annual spend. 4. Journey mapping fails when it only captures operations Most journey maps focus on standard operating procedures. The real opportunity is adding experiential standards, identifying service defects, improving handoffs, and creating above-and-beyond moments. 5. Inconsistency quietly destroys trust When the customer experience depends on which employee, department, or location a customer reaches, the brand becomes unpredictable. John calls this "employee roulette." 6. Handoffs are where CX is won or lost Customers and employees should not have to restart the relationship every time they move from one person or department to another. Warm handoffs create continuity and trust. 7. Earned sales growth may be one of the best CX metrics Tracking how much revenue comes from repeat customers and referrals gives companies a clearer view of whether the experience is actually driving loyalty and growth. Resources Mentioned Return on Experience dashboard Earned Sales Growth podcast Earned Sales Growth blog Customer Experience Executive Academy The DiJulius Group consulting services Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Learn More If your organization is working to improve customer experience but struggling to connect it to measurable business outcomes, The DiJulius Group can help. Visit: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Listen to more episodes: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.  

How Invest West Took What They Learned at The Customer Experience Executive Academy and Built a Customer Experience Culture That Sticks Summary: In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution Podcast, Dave Murray talks with CXEA graduates Rebecca Blaisdell and Megan Francis of Invest West about what it really looks like to bring customer experience from theory into daily operations. They share how their property management company used The DiJulius Group methodology to break down silos, create signature experiences, build internal ambassadors, and turn customer experience into part of the culture—not just another training initiative. The result: stronger team buy-in, improved morale, a more consistent experience, and an 87% increase in positive reviews What You'll Learn: Customer experience cannot stay vague. It has to be defined, taught, and reinforced. Buy-in grows when employees help create the experience, not just receive instructions about it. Breaking down silos improves consistency across departments and locations. Tools like ambassador groups, huddles, playbooks, and scorecards help sustain momentum. Small above-and-beyond behaviors can create immediate and measurable customer impact. Invest West reported an 86–87% increase in positive reviews and improved its Google rating from 4.2 to 4.4. Key Quotes: "We didn't want to just check a box. We wanted to live and breathe it." "It didn't feel like a top-down program. It felt organic and intentional." "We were very heavily focused on the operational end, and we needed a greater emphasis on the experience end." "How can we be the best part of that customer's day?" "This is not a program we're doing. It has become part of our culture." "You're going to get more out of it than you think you are." Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com If you want to learn how world-class organizations build cultures customers cannot live without, explore The Experience Revolution Membership. Inside the membership you'll gain access to livestream workshops, practical frameworks, and proven strategies used by organizations around the world. Learn more at https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

The 10 Commandments Part 2: Why Your Customer Experience Can't Exceed Your Employee Experience What separates world-class customer experience companies from everyone else? It's not budget. It's not luck. It's a system. In Part 2 of our deep dive into The DiJulius Group's 10 Commandments, John DiJulius and Denise Thompson reveal why exceptional customer experience is impossible without an exceptional employee experience. This episode unpacks Commandments 6-10, covering everything from hiring for character over competence, to building leaders on purpose instead of by accident, to why training must be treated as a product. You'll learn why world-class onboarding has nothing to do with HR paperwork marathons, what's really fueling the retention crisis, and why companies rise to the level of their systems—not their goals. If you're ready to eliminate silos, build leaders who actually lead, and create a workplace people never want to leave, this is your playbook. What You'll Learn: Why hiring for character instead of just technical skills changes everything How to make your interview process 'un-gameable' (even when candidates use AI to prep) The four phases of world-class onboarding—and why most companies only do one The danger of 'accidental managers' and how to build leaders on purpose Why training must be designed, delivered, and certified like a product you'd sell How to eliminate organizational silos that kill customer experience Which commandment creates the fastest impact (and when to start somewhere else) What the customer service revolution will look like in the next 5-10 years Key Insights for C-Suite Leaders "Hire for the heart, train for the part. Technical skills can be taught. Behavior is a lot harder." — John DiJulius "The best companies scare more people out of wanting to work there than they attract—by design." — John DiJulius "Companies don't rise to the level of their goals. They rise to the level of their systems." — Denise Thompson "Your customer experience is your offense. It makes customers come back more often, pay higher prices, and send more people." — John DiJulius "Customers aren't more demanding than ever. They're less tolerant of bad experiences." — John DiJulius Who This Episode Is For CEOs and business owners committed to building world-class cultures VP/Head of HR and People Operations Chief Customer Experience Officers (CXO) Operations leaders struggling with retention and engagement Learning & Development / Training Directors   Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

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

Summary: Want your frontline employees to consistently deliver wow moments—not just when they feel like it? Discover the proven DiJulius Group methodology that transforms random acts of kindness into designed, trained, and repeatable customer experiences that build emotional connection and loyalty at scale. In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution podcast, customer experience expert John DiJulius breaks down the four-pillar system world-class organizations use to eliminate "employee roulette" and create signature experiences customers can't stop talking about. What You'll Learn: Service Aptitude: How to train teams to read customer cues and recognize wow opportunities—even when customers don't explicitly ask for help (why "fine" is the F-bomb of customer service) Secret Service Systems: Hidden intelligence tools that make every customer feel like a VIP, from color-coded appointment books to the "white cape vs. black cape" technique used in John Robert's Spa for 30+ years Zero Risk Service Recovery: The fastest way to earn loyalty isn't delight—it's removing uncertainty through communication, clarity, and ownership (includes the Service Recovery Paradox research) Non-Negotiable Standards: How to turn wow behaviors into journey-mapped touch points that don't depend on superstar employees Real-World Examples Featured: The $15,000 Painter Story: How one contractor earned a lifetime referral by taking down a Christmas tree, switching out a damaged bedpost, and cleaning up so well "you couldn't tell he was there" at 5pm each day—proof that wow moments don't have to be expensive The Concierge Doctor Paradox: Why a 4-month wait for primary care appointments is driving patients back to premium concierge services (and what that teaches about making price irrelevant) The $4 Airline Snack Fail: When a flight attendant argued with a frequent flyer over a declined card instead of just giving him the item—a masterclass in missing the wow moment Key Frameworks & Systems: The LEAST Service Recovery Method: Listen Empathize Apologize Solve Thank The 80-20 Rule for Service Defects: 80% of problems happen in 20% of areas—train intensely on those bottlenecks first FORD Intelligence System: Track Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams to personalize every interaction The Three-Stage Journey Map Structure: Service Defects: What frustrates customers (don't do this) Non-Negotiable Standards: Operational + experiential musts (do this every time) Above & Beyond Opportunities: Pattern recognition moments (do this when it presents itself) Critical Insights: "The customer may complain about what went wrong, they're gonna rave about how well we handled it." - John DiJulius The Service Recovery Paradox: Companies that drop the ball and pick it up create MORE loyalty than never dropping it at all Employee roulette is the #1 killer of customer experience—your experience shouldn't depend on which employee someone gets Policy-driven cultures create employee paranoia and customer frustration—empowerment drives both morale and revenue Wow moments work in ANY industry, even ones without repeat customers (injury attorneys, funeral homes, basement waterproofing) Discount is the tax you pay for an average experience—make the experience so good that price becomes irrelevant Perfect For: Customer Experience Directors training frontline teams Contact center managers reducing complaint volume Retail and hospitality leaders eliminating employee roulette Service business owners wanting more referrals Anyone trying to scale personalization without adding headcount Tactical Implementation Guide: Start Tomorrow: Pick ONE stage of your customer journey and improve it this week. Focus on: The greeting (eye contact, enthusiastic greeting, ear-to-ear smile, engage, educate) Using customer names twice per interaction Asking "Is there anything else I can do for you today, Ms. [Name]?" Weekly Cadence: Send 2-5 minute micro-learning videos every Wednesday covering service aptitude, secret service, zero risk, or celebrating employee above-and-beyond stories (creates positive FOMO) Celebrate Above & Beyond: When employees deliver wow moments, share stories company-wide to reinforce behavior AND inspire others Featured Resources: Experience Revolution Membership (March 9th workshop: Breaking Down Silos) Customer Experience Executive Academy (CXEA) 12-month certification The Five E's: Eye contact, Enthusiastic greet, Ear-to-ear smile, Engage, Educate Stop hoping your people deliver great experiences. Start building systems that make it normal. Learn how to coach service aptitude, implement secret service, deliver zero risk, and turn wow behaviors into non-negotiable standards that create raving fans. Schedule your free strategy call here Links: The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Company Service Aptitude Test:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/c-sat-forms/individual-c-sat/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Ask John!  Submit your questions for John, to be aired on future episode:  tdg.click/ask Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com   Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

In this episode of Inside The Wolf's Den, hosts Shawn and Joni Wolfswinkel sit down with John DiJulius, the President and Chief Revolution Officer of The DiJulius Group, a renowned authority on customer experience. A celebrated author, podcaster, and entrepreneur, John shares his relentless pursuit of hospitality excellence and how his proprietary X-Commandment methodology can systematize service across any industry. His ideas are known for being brilliantly simple, instantly actionable, and world-class in their impact. Shawn and Joni guide a candid conversation that unpacks John's origin story and relentless vision: a culture-first approach where “Great customer experiences start with a great internal culture.” They explore how a strong internal culture becomes the operating system for extraordinary customer experiences, and they unpack what constitutes a genuine “wow” moment. The discussion then pivots to The Customer Experience Playbook, emphasizing the powerful link between employee experience and customer outcomes: “Treat your people well and your customers will feel it.” Listeners will hear concrete examples of how investing in people yields measurable results in hospitality, as well as practical diagnostics for identifying the most important customer experience levers in today's landscape. Whether you're leading a team, launching a customer-centric business, or simply obsessed with elevating everyday service, this episode delivers clear, repeatable insights designed to disrupt complacency and spark innovative thinking about what's possible in customer experience. The DiJulius Group Website Link: https://thedijuliusgroup.com Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/JohnDiJulius Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/johnrobertdijulius/?hl=en Email Link: info@thedijuliusgroup.com YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/lu3vY_fLbAE

Summary   In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution podcast, Denise Thompson interviews Dave Murray, VP of consulting for the DiJulius Group. They discuss the critical connection between employee experience and customer experience, the challenges of accidental management, and the importance of a strong recruiting and onboarding process. Dave shares insights from his book, 'The Employee Experience Revolution,' emphasizing the need for organizations to focus on internal culture to drive external success. The conversation also touches on the evolving expectations of employees, particularly regarding work-life balance, and previews upcoming workshops aimed at improving recruitment and onboarding practices.   Takeaways Employee experience directly impacts customer experience. 82% of managers are accidental managers, lacking training. Transforming internal culture can lead to better customer service. Companies must focus on consistent management practices. Recruiting processes should reflect company culture and values. Onboarding is a critical opportunity for engagement. Work-life balance is increasingly important for employees. Organizations need to proactively manage their culture. Effective training for managers is essential for retention. Creating a memorable experience starts from the first contact. Sound Bites "82% of managers are accidental managers." "Two minutes to 12 seconds is a big difference." "We want to be selective in our hiring." Chapters 00:00Introduction to Customer Experience and Employee Engagement 01:58The Need for Employee Experience Revolution 05:01Transforming Customer Experience through Employee Engagement 09:36Attracting and Retaining Top Talent 13:58The Importance of a Positive Recruiting Experience 17:39Creating Growth Opportunities for Employees 22:26The Importance of Structured Training 24:17Creating a Memorable Recruiting Experience 27:06Attracting Candidates: Company Culture and Reputation 31:04Work-Life Balance and Generational Expectations 34:18Enhancing the Onboarding Process 37:35Applying Recruitment Strategies to Educational Institutions   Links Customer Experience Executive Academy: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Interview Questions: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/resources/ The DiJulius Group Methdology: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/x-commandment-methodology/ Experience Revolution Membership:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/membership/ Schedule a Complimentary Call with one of our advisors:  tdg.click/claudia Books:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Zappos call:  https://thedijuliusgroup.com/is-zappos-really-that-good-at-customer-service-manager-fired-for-responses-to-online-reviewers/ Blogs on Above and Beyond Culture: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/category/above-beyond-culture/ Contacts:  Lindsey@thedijuliusgroup.com , Claudia@thedijuliusgroup.com Subscribe We talk about topics like this each week; be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode.

summary In this episode, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius discuss the importance of creating a zero-risk environment in customer service. They share personal experiences and examples from companies like Warby Parker and Amazon, emphasizing the need for businesses to anticipate service failures and empower employees to resolve issues effectively. The conversation also covers strategies for training staff, handling customer complaints, and the significance of service recovery in building customer loyalty.   takeaways Zero risk means making it easy for customers to do business. Companies can screw up but must make it right. Anticipating where service failures occur is crucial. Empowering employees leads to better customer satisfaction. Training should focus on common service failure points. Listening to customers is key to resolving complaints. Service recovery can enhance customer loyalty. Celebrating employee successes in customer service is important. Feedback from customers should be documented and analyzed. Understanding customer needs goes beyond their literal questions. Chapters 00:00Introduction to Customer Service Excellence 02:15Understanding Zero Risk Companies 05:51Identifying Common Service Failures 12:21Empowering Employees for Customer Satisfaction 16:03Implementing Effective Recovery Strategies 21:44Learning from Customer Feedback and Complaints Links:  2025 Livestream Workshops, Zero Risk Register now! https://thedijuliusgroup.com/livestream-2025/ Presentation Skills Workshop https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/presentation-skills/ Sign up for our Weekly E-Service Newsletter: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/event-form/newsletter/  The DiJulius Group https://thedijuliusgroup.com  Customer Experience Executive Academy https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Employee Experience Executive Academy https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/exea/ Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution https://thedijuliusgroup.com/product/the-employee-experience-revolution-pre-sale/  Schedule a call to learn more about The DiJulius Group Consulting and Training    tdg.click/claudia Follow and Review: We'd love for you to subscribe and follow us if you haven't yet! John DiJulius is considered "The Authority" on customer experience.  His keynote presentations have motivated and inspired audiences from Entrepreneurs Organization, YPO, Nestle and Marriott to Chick-Fil-A and many more.  His real life stories are lessons long remembered by attendees.  Learn more about John and how to book him for your next event at:  https://johndijulius.com/ The DiJulius Group provides Customer Service content, education, consulting, and training, to ensure our clients become the brand their customers and employees cannot live without.   If you want happy employees, happy customers and happy shareholders, connect with us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedijuliusgroup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dijulius-group/

In this episode of the Customer Service Revolution podcast, John DiJulius and Denise Thompson explore the critical aspects of customer experience, emphasizing the importance of value over price, the role of personalization, and the need for businesses to create a culture of service excellence. They discuss various case studies, including airlines and Starbucks, to illustrate how customer service can make or break a brand. The conversation highlights the significance of making customers feel important and the impact of training and culture on employee performance. Takeaways Elective medical services prioritize patient experience due to competition on value. Competing on price can lead to poor customer outcomes, especially in critical services. Spirit Airlines poor customer service practices. Southwest Airlines maintains a strong service culture despite industry challenges. Starbucks has faced challenges in maintaining its customer experience focus post-pandemic. Speed of service should not compromise the quality of customer interactions. Creating a culture of service excellence can dramatically improve customer experience. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to seize the moment and enhance experience. Personalization in communication is key to customer satisfaction. Listening with your eyes and making customers feel important is essential for service excellence.   Follow John on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thedijuliusgroup/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dijulius-group/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@dijuliusgroup Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/johnrobertdijulius/ Subscribe to The DiJulius Group blog:  tdg.click/eservice

Podcast Summary: In this episode, Denise Thompson and John DiJulius discuss the evolution of customer service and leadership. They explore the importance of developing future leaders, the challenges of maintaining a consistent customer experience, and the need for empathy and people skills in today's workforce. John shares insights from his journey in building The DiJulius Group and emphasizes the significance of investing in employee development to foster a strong community and culture. The conversation also touches on the emotional resilience required for entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by younger generations in the workforce.   Takeaways: The DiJulius Group was founded on the principles of customer service. Leadership development is crucial for maintaining a strong team. Empathy is a learned skill that can be taught. Investing in employee development leads to better retention and satisfaction. Community building is essential for a successful business. The challenges of entrepreneurship require emotional resilience. Younger generations face unique challenges in developing people skills. Training and development should extend beyond the first six months of employment. Creating a culture of recognition enhances employee engagement. The future of work will require adaptability and continuous learning.     Chapters:   00:00The Evolution of the DiJulius Group 01:21Systemizing Customer Service 06:03Building a Consistent Customer Experience 09:34Leadership Development in the Salon Industry 15:11Creating Opportunities and Community 17:15Investing in Employee Well-being 22:24Navigating Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship 26:44Developing Emotional Resilience in the Workforce 33:33Empathy and Communication Skills for Gen Z 35:35The Evolution of Leadership and Business Strategy     Links: 2025 Livestream Workshops, Register now! The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The DiJulius Group Customer Experience Executive Academy Employee Experience Executive Academy Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution The Soul of a Startup   Schedule a call to learn more about The DiJulius Group Consulting and Training   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Summary: In this episode, Denise and John discuss John's journey from being an employee at UPS to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the beauty industry. They explore the challenges faced in starting a salon, the importance of customer service, and how John's experiences led him to become a sought-after speaker and consultant. The conversation highlights the evolution of The DiJulius Group and the lessons learned along the way.   Takeaways: John always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Their salon was created to improve the industry. Customer service was the key differentiator. Hiring inexperienced staff was a bold strategy. Transitioning to speaking was unexpected but rewarding. The importance of mentorship and learning from others. Building a strong company culture is essential. How The DiJulius Group evolved from speaking to consulting. Lessons learned shaped future business strategies.     Chapters:   00:00Welcome and Listener Appreciation 01:49John's Entrepreneurial Spirit and Early Career 05:35The Journey to Opening a Salon 11:09Customer and Employee Experience Focus 15:34Hiring and Training Strategies 21:22Transitioning from Salon Owner to Speaker 29:24The Evolution of the DeJulius Group   Links: 2025 Livestream Workshops, Register now! The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The DiJulius Group Customer Experience Executive Academy Employee Experience Executive Academy Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution The Soul of a Startup   Schedule a call to learn more about The DiJulius Group Consulting and Training   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

This week, John sits down with his managing partner, Denise Thompson, to discuss her evolution at The DiJulius Group, and what advice she has those who work alongside entrepreneurs.

In this episode, we focus on rolling new content out to staff, and our guest is Brenda Larson is the Manager of Learning and Organizational Development for The Community Blood Center. The Community Blood Center is a blood donation center based in Appleton, WI, serving over 40 hospitals and holding over 100 blood drives monthly. With over 200 employees working across multiple locations and shifts, rolling out new content to the entire team was a challenge! Brenda discusses how she created a 90-minute training/overview that she conducted over 39 sessions to ensure all team members learned and understood the new content. She also discusses the pros and cons of holding multiple sessions, with an emphasis on the many pros she realized from this effort. Links: The Customer Service Revolution Podcast https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ The DiJulius Group https://thedijuliusgroup.com/ Leading the Revolution Livestream Workshops https://thedijuliusgroup.com/livestream-2025/ Customer Experience Executive Academy https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/cx-executive-academy/ Employee Experience Executive Academy https://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/exea/ Order our best-selling books on the customer & employee experience https://thedijuliusgroup.com/shop/ Register for our 2025 Livestream Workshops! https://thedijuliusgroup.com/livestream-2025/  

This week's guest host is Dave Murray. The DiJulius Group's Vice President of Consulting and co-author of The Employee Experience Revolution,  Dave is a master at helping companies create real change that sticks.  He excels at communication and easily bridges the gap between your corporate leaders and front-line team members.  His passion for building ideal environments can lead your team -as it has his previous clients- toward attaining award-winning customer satisfaction, best place to work achievements and record-breaking profits. He has over 30 years of experience in customer service.   His background in the sports and entertainment industry gives him an uncommon understanding of marketplace competition and high expectations.  Unflappable and highly respected, Dave Murray is one of today's leading customer experience strategists. This episode was recorded from a webinar. Learn: Identify and eliminate the biggest risk factors in your service. Negative Cues: Spot and remove cues that create negative perceptions of your brand. Service Defects: Fix the most common places where your company drops the ball. Recovery Systems: Develop recovery processes to handle inevitable service breakdowns, ensuring your customers leave satisfied even when things go wrong. Consistent Complaints Handling: Equip your team with the tools to manage difficult customer interactions smoothly and confidently. Never & Always: Define your non-negotiable service standards. This leads to eliminating service defects, ensuring your customers know what to expect every time, and building trust with consistent delivery.   Links: The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The DiJulius Group Customer Experience Executive Academy Employee Experience Executive Academy Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution   Schedule a call to learn more about The DiJulius Group Consulting and Training   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Are you ready to achieve the unimaginable this year? Then register now for the 2025 Make BIG Happen Summit, April 24-27 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel. This year, in addition to our usual lineup of world-class speakers and social events, we're excited to unveil our exclusive “MBH” program—a full MBA experience distilled into one intensive day. You'll gain strategies and insights directly from renowned experts like Good To Great author Jim Collins, and Harvard Business School professors Deepak Malhotra and Boris Groysberg.  For a preview of the kind of inspiring, motivating, and actionable presentations you can expect at the Make BIG Happen Summit, listen to 2019 speaker John DiJulius deliver a masterclass on exceptional customer service.  Guest: John DiJulius, Chief Revolution Officer and President of the DiJulius Group. Quick Background: Most companies get customer service all wrong. They make a big show of designing shiny apps, building amazing showrooms, and rolling out cutting-edge products. But they forget to put laser focus on who actually pays for all that—the customer! When you deepen your customer relationships and focus on creating a memorable experience, you can charge a premium price and retain clients for life. “Technology is only 10% of the experience,” says customer service expert John DiJulius, while your person who delivers the service is the other 90%. “Technology can never build a rapport, show empathy, or make a brilliant comeback when we drop the ball, but you can,” John says. Many businesses are trying to de-emphasize the importance of the employee and replace them with chatbots and AI. But that technology will never outperform a well-trained human who steps in when your customer needs personalized help. In this presentation, recorded live at the 2019 CEO Coaching International Summit, John DiJulius explains how you can train your team to own every problem, make meaningful connections with every customer, and create a world-class customer experience that will drive BIG business.

In this episode of HR Like a Boss, John DiJulius delves into the pivotal role of HR in shaping a positive and meaningful employee experience. He discusses how HR professionals can act as brand ambassadors, bridging the gap between leadership and employees and embodying the organization's soul. DiJulius underscores the importance of connecting employees' work to a larger purpose, creating a recruitment process that attracts top talent, and holding leadership accountable to core values. Tune in to learn how HR can be a powerful force for purpose, satisfaction, and integrity within an organization. ABOUT JOHN John DiJulius III is known as the authority on helping organizations build a world-class customer and employee experience. He is the best-selling author of six books. John is the founder and chief revolution officer of The DiJulius Group, who has worked with companies such as The Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Starbucks, KeyBank, Nestlé, Chick-fil-A, Celebrity Cruises, Bristol-Myers, Marriott, and many more, helping them make the experience they deliver their single biggest competitive advantage. John helps companies become the brand customers can't live without and makes price irrelevant. John is also the founder of John Robert's Spas, one of the Top 20 Salons in America, and the founder of a nonprofit, Believe in Dreams.

Dave Murray, VP of Consulting at The DiJulius Group, discusses three ways to turn your current contact center into a center focused on building and maintaining customer relationships. Here are the three things we need to focus on: Finding Negative Cues—Negative cues exist everywhere when it comes to customer experience, but especially in contact centers. We will discuss where they hide, how to identify them, and how to eliminate them. Gathering Customer Intelligence – ensuring your team is actively listening and engaging with your customers is vital. We will discuss best practices and systems you can implement so your team is actively engaged in each call. Creating Experiential Standards – in the final step of this session, we will discuss the importance of creating standards that your team members follow to ensure you are delivering a consistent experience to all of your customers. These three steps will help you create a relationship center in your organization.   Links The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The DiJulius Group Customer Experience Executive Academy Employee Experience Executive Academy Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

In this episode, John talks with Debi Bush, Customer Experience Officer (CXO) at Technology Marketing Toolkit (TMT). Debi has revolutionized the experience TMT delivers to their members. Debi is a distinguished graduate of the Customer Experience Executive Academy (class 2022). She has not only helped take TMT to a world-class level of client experience, but she has also championed World-Class Customer eXperience Trained (WCCXT) certification for an elite group of 280 companies and created the first-ever CX peer and accountability group that is complemented by continuing education sessions with The DiJulius Group. Learn: How Debi prepared to become a CXO How she gets executive buy-in around CX How she gets department buy-in around CX What Debi has accomplished as the CXO How Debi & TMT built a CX certification program for their clients to go through What advice Debi would give to an emerging CXO   Links: www.wccxtcertified.com The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The DiJulius Group Livestream event Leading the Experience Revolution: Building Exceptional Journeys for Customers and Employees Customer Experience Executive Academy Employee Experience Executive Academy Our new best-selling book, The Employee Experience Revolution   Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

John R. DiJulius III and David D. Murray, President and Vice President of Consulting, respectively, The DiJulius Group, recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week, we're diving into the push for debt-free degrees for employees, Uber's latest commitment to accessibility, and retailers' commitment to Diwali!Here are this week's good vibes:Inclusivity Strikes Back: Star Wars Edition!Uber Says: Accessibility, Full Speed Ahead!Representation Index: Time for Inclusivity Check!Degrees Without Debt? Yes, Please!Diwali Delights in RetailGood Vibes to Go: Bernadette's Good Vibe to Go: It's almost Halloween, a time when cultural appropriation can go very badly. Check out these tips for an inclusive Halloween, from our friends at The Diversity Movement. John and Dave's Good Vibe to go: Lead with humility! It's a skill you can develop and it goes a long way towards being an inclusive leader.Read the Stories.Connect with John R. DiJulius III and David D. Murray. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

In this exciting episode of Beyond Bricks, we are honored to welcome the renowned customer service expert, keynote speaker, and best-selling author, John DiJulius! John shares his invaluable insights on creating world-class customer experiences, the art of building a service culture, and the powerful impact of leadership in today's fast-paced business world. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, John's wisdom will inspire you to elevate your brand and foster deeper connections with your customers. John DiJulius is a globally recognized authority on customer service and the founder of The DiJulius Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping companies revolutionize their customer experience. With over two decades of experience, John has worked with world-renowned brands like Starbucks, The Ritz-Carlton, and Chick-fil-A, guiding them in creating and sustaining a customer-first culture. A dynamic keynote speaker and best-selling author, John has penned several influential books, including The Customer Service Revolution and The Relationship Economy. His thought leadership has made him a sought-after expert in the realms of business strategy, customer loyalty, and employee engagement. John's mission is simple: to change the world by helping companies raise the bar in customer service, ultimately creating a better experience for everyone. His insights have empowered countless leaders to transform their organizations, turning ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. When he's not consulting or speaking, John is a passionate advocate for personal development and a dedicated mentor to the next generation of business leaders.

A Good CX Starts With a Good EX - How to Create a Fulfilling and Meaningful Employee Experience  Shep Hyken interviews John DiJulius III, Founder and Chief Revolution Officer of The DiJulius Group and bestselling author. He talks about the role of leadership and company culture in shaping a positive work environment.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How can every employee contribute to a better customer experience?  How can company leaders support successful customer experience investments?  What role does employee training play in improving customer satisfaction?  What are common staffing mistakes that companies should avoid for better customer service?  How are customer retention and employee retention similar?  Top Takeaways:    A Good customer experience starts with a good employee experience. The CX will never be better than the EX.    An employee experience revolution is where great companies have leaders who help people live extraordinary lives with meaning and purpose.    The culture of a company is a major driver of the customer experience. As leaders, we set the tone for what the culture is supposed to be. A positive employee experience contributes to a healthy company culture, which affects their motivation and satisfaction. Ensuring a positive employee experience is as essential for your business's success as delivering outstanding customer experience.    There is a quote that says, "You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with." However, in the workplace, your employees cannot choose their five. When a superstar employee is surrounded by underperformers, it can be challenging for them to maintain excellence. Making the right hiring decisions sets the stage for a positive work environment and facilitates the company's and its employees' success. As leaders, we are responsible for creating a team that helps each other excel.    Every employee plays a role in customer experience. Regardless of their position, from the front desk to the C-suite, each employee contributes to customer perception and the company's success.    Prioritizing employee satisfaction and fulfillment is essential for business success. Just as companies strive to fulfill their customers' needs, they must also address the needs of their employees. Companies can boost productivity and morale by providing a work environment that supports employees' growth and fulfillment.    Executive sponsorship is crucial for a successful investment in customer experience. Leaders must empower and support training and customer-centric initiatives. By providing the necessary resources and guidance, executives can drive the company's commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.    Plus, Shep and John discuss what "hire's remorse" is and how to avoid it. Tune in!    Quote:   "The two biggest mistakes companies make in staffing are hiring just anyone to replace turnover and looking the other way on poor performers."     About:     John DiJulius III is the founder and chief revolution officer of The DiJulius Group and the best-selling author of six books, including his latest, The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, and Drive Business Growth.    Shep Hyken a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with John DiJulius.John is the founder and Chief Revolution Officer of The DiJulius Group, a customer experience consulting firm that helps clients build customer care strategies that lead to happy customers, employees, and shareholders. John has spent decades becoming the authority on building world-class customer and employee experiences. John is the bestselling author of six books, including his newest, The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, and Drive Business Growth.John and I talk about the little-known secret of how to become a more profitable company in both the short and long term: happy employees. Here's what we discuss:How we got to the point of “quiet quitting”Why the power of purpose trumps the paycheckThe importance of storytelling in vision-casting a careerHow to make your employees feel as cared for as your customersHow to avoid creating accidental managersWhy onboarding needs to be more than a training classHow to design an employee-specific career journeyThe importance of focusing on the whole person, not just the jobHow the employee experience starts during recruitmentThe “Columbo method” of interviewingRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:John's websiteThe Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, and Drive Business GrowthJohn on LinkedIn

Since we all know that employee unhappiness impacts customer happiness, why do we often overlook employee morale, retention, and job satisfaction? In this episode, Bill and his guest, John DiJulius, get into the nitty-gritty of employee experience and customer satisfaction. Their discussion underscores the need for leaders to set the tone and create a workplace where employees feel valued and supported, leading to increased profitability and employee retention.John DiJulius is a rock star in the worlds of customer service and employee experience. He is also the author of The Employee Experience Revolution and the host of the Customer Service Revolution Podcast. Key topics that Bill and John explore in this episode: - How the customer experience and employee experience are intertwined. - The frustration of platitudes related to customer service, such as “Take really good care of your customers” and “Treat your customers the way you want to be treated.” - John's obsession with improving customer and employee experiences.- Providing a unique and memorable experience for guests. - How John's research led to the development of customer experience methodology. - The following question, that business leaders and owners often ask themselves: Why do we hang on to employees who don't improve?- Knowing when it's time to move on from a job or employee.- Prioritizing employee well-being for business growth.- The importance of painting a clear picture of career growth opportunities for your employees.- Connecting with employees through understanding their goals and personal lives. - Understanding employees' personal goals to create meaningful incentives.- The five F's of personal planning: financial, fitness, family, faith, and future.- Observing how job candidates behave during job interviews, rather than just focusing on their answers.- Why do major companies often hire people who fit their values and empower them to resolve issues- Why great customer service starts with happy, engaged employees.Thanks to John DiJulius for being on the show! Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dijulius/ Get John's book: The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, Drive Business Growth: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/product/the-employee-experience-revolution-pre-sale/Subscribe to John's podcast: The Customer Service Revolution: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/the-customer-service-revolution-podcast/ Learn about the DiJulius Group's Customer Experience Executive Academy: http://thedijuliusgroup.com/project/exea/Bill Gallagher, Scaling Coach and host of the Scaling Up Business podcast, is an international business coach who works with C-Suite leaders to achieve breakthrough growth. Join Bill in the Growth Navigator Coaching Program: https://ScalingCoach.com/workshop Bill on LinkedIn:

Capturing an audience's attention can be tricky, particularly in a corporate setting. If you can master the art of storytelling, delivering your message becomes more enjoyable for everyone. If you're a fan of movies or TV shows, you'll recognize good storytelling as soon as you hear it. They're captivating. In a corporate setting, as a leader or speaker, you can borrow some of Hollywood's methods to tell your own stories to craft a memorable message that resonates with your audience. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of The DiJulius Group talks with LaQuita Cleare, CEO of Clear Communication Academy, a highly sought-after international speaker and storytelling expert who believes in the power of communication to create change. Her degree in psychology enables her work to be science and research-based, while her theatre degree helps her clients' executive presence, delivery skills, and ability to connect. LaQuita believes in the power of words to create change, and she is on a mission to help audiences use stories to create tangible business impact. She shares with John how her Hollywood background taught her what a good story is, the importance of vulnerability to your storytelling, and why a good story always includes a journey with change and conflict. Here are just a few takeaways: LaQuita's background in theatre and how she became a storytelling guru who teaches others how to clarify the direction of their visions Why storytelling is critical to becoming a successful leader Where people can find stories to implement into their presentations and why every story should have a journey with a change and a conflict The common mistakes leaders make when they try to be storytellers What you can learn from comedians and TED Talks about being a good storyteller The role of vulnerability in storytelling and how it can connect you to your audience When the details are important to a story and when they're unnecessary Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The 2023 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy Customer Experience Executive Online Academy LaQuita Cleare's website Storytelling Summit Follow LaQuita on Linkedln Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

Millennials and Gen Z often get a bad rap, but they may be the best generation to hire. As they've watched their parents and grandparents steeped in hustle culture to stay ahead, it's given them insight into what they don't want for their own careers. Their mantra seems to be, “Work smarter, not harder.” While they may not believe in hustling to get where they want to be, millennials and Gen Z value purpose and relationships. They want meaning behind the work they're doing. And they don't want their personal relationships to be collateral damage from hustling too much. They've experienced a professional awakening Matthew Kennedy Stewart is co-founder and CEO of National Service Group (NSG), which operates College Works Painting, Empire Community Construction, Home Genius Exteriors, and SMJJ Investments. In addition to his role at NSG, Matt serves on the board of directors for multiple organizations and is consistently recognized for his leadership and management expertise. In particular, Matt is passionate about mentoring millennials and generation Z.  He is the host of “The Edge of Excellence” Podcast and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur magazine, Inc. magazine, and Fox Business News and on ABC, CBS, and more. Matt is a University of California, Santa Barbara graduate, living in Laguna Niguel, California, with his wife, Jill, and their two children. In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of the DiJulius Group talks with Matthew about how he built numerous successful brands from the ground up, incorporating his unique leadership philosophies. More importantly, all his businesses depend on millennials and generation Z. Hear how Matthew helps keep them inspired and motivated. Here are just a few takeaways: Matthew Stewart's first exposure to entrepreneurship, how that led to his career as a business owner, and what a typical week looks like for him What Human Service means to him How millennials and Gen Z approach work ethic and why meaning and purpose play a significant role in what they want from work The Five Factors of Success for college students How Matthew nurtures his relationships at home and maintains life balance The hardest things about being an entrepreneur and leader What he finds most challenging about being a father and husband The accomplishments he's most proud of Why millennials and Gen Z are the best generations to hire Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com The Family Economy EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

Creating a customer service revolution doesn't have to be complicated. It's actually pretty simple. It requires effort and a willingness to view your company and employees from the customer's perspective. The number-one thing to remember about customer service excellence is that you're in the customer perception business. It doesn't matter what you think about your customer service policies and procedures if the customers aren't in agreement. Why do so many of us overrate the experiences we provide? In this episode of The Customer Service Revolution podcast, you'll hear John DiJulius, Chief Revolution Officer of The DiJulius Group, present a keynote at the Customer Service Revolution Conference in Cleveland on Nov 7th, 2022. The presentation was based on John's bestselling, ground-breaking book, The Customer Service Revolution. John explains why you have to understand that price, convenience, and other factors are irrelevant because they want the experience you offer. He also breaks down the three pillars of the customer experience action statement, what it means to be a duck during customer interactions, and why a smile should be part of the uniform. Here are just a few takeaways: Why you're in the customer perception business How to make price, convenience, etc., irrelevant to your customers because they want the experience you offer The need for a customer experience action statement and what it does for employees What TOMA and ATOM stand for and how to implement them What the three pillars of the customer experience action statement are What a Customer Bill of Rights is and why you need it How to be a duck when it comes to customer interactions Never make the customer wrong and instead make it right Never criticize team members, competitors, or make excuses A smile is part of the uniform Creating a shortlist of nevers and always propels the customer experience Building instant rapport with people has a huge impact on your professional and personal lives The greatest give you can give is your attention Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com The Customer Service Revolution Podcast Order John's books The 2023 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.  

Today we are Talking with Danny Ozment about how you can use podcasting or even podcast guesting to grow your tribe and influence. If you have ever wondered how to start or utilize a podcast or guesting, you will want to catch this episode. Danny Ozment is a business strategist and podcast consultant for busy professionals and solopreneurs who want to create podcasts that build brand loyalty and make their marketing efforts more effective. His goal is to help you clarify your message and publish engaging content that creates customers who trust you before they buy and can't wait to tell the world about you. Danny's refreshing approach as the owner of Emerald City Productions has made him a sought-after speaker, online educator, and consultant for major corporations and thought leaders. His clients include Salesforce, LinkedIn, the John Maxwell Team, Mike Kim, and The Dijulius Group. He hosts the highly-rated podcast, Podcast Strategies for Growing Your Business, Community, and Influence. He has spoken at industry-leading events including Podcast Movement and Mediavine. My Top 3 Take Aways From The Episode: 1) How can podcasting (starting a podcast) and podcast guesting help grow your tribe and influence? 2) What does it take to start a podcast?    3) What are some of the ways we can monetize our podcast? Connect with Danny Ozment on Social Media! Website: https://emeraldcitypro.com/ Instagram: @dannyozment Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmeraldCityProductions Twitter: https://twitter.com/dannyozment LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyozment/ Connect with Sean Osborn at Thinking Big Coaching http://www.thinkingbigcoaching.com https://www.instagram.com/thinkingbigcoaching/ https://www.facebook.com/thinkingbigcoaching/ Be sure to check out your free 6 Human Needs Assessment https://www.thinkingbigcoaching.com/6needsassessment Why is understanding your DRIVING FORCE so important to understand? It is important to understand they are not goals nor merely desires, but profound needs that underlie and motivate every choice, every belief, and every decision we make. Because they are the driving force behind any person's behavior, understanding the needs and the vehicles used to meet them, we will have a better understanding of why life is the way it is currently and more importantly, how to facilitate change. If you enjoyed listening then please take a second to rate the show on iTunes.  Every podcaster will tell you that iTunes reviews drive listeners to our shows so please let me know what you thought and make sure you subscribe using your favorite podcast player. It means a lot to me and to the guests.  

According to Forbes, the CXE, or Customer eXperience Executive, is one of the fastest-growing roles. The DiJulius Group even offers a 12-month master's course in customer experience called Customer eXperience Executive Academy. Its graduates have many success stories but have been through some of the same challenges and roadblocks your organization may be going through as it attempts to improve the customer experience. Rolling out new training to a team can be a tremendous undertaking. The customer experience that Chick-fil-A has today didn't happen overnight. Instead, it improved incrementally over time, and they constantly strive to improve further. Jess Pischel, a Customer Experience Consultant and Speaker with The DiJulius Group, spends her time helping clients generate ideas, turn them into systems, and implement them enterprise-wide. Jess has a Master's in Business Administration and has worked directly with world-class brands like LUSH Cosmetics, Celebrity Cruises, and Lexus. She has a passion for working on meaningful projects and growth while creating leaders that move results through their people, leading to culture shifts, which bring new initiatives and successful project plans with measurable results. This episode is from Jess's presentation at the Customer Service Revolution Conference in Cleveland on Nov 7th, 2022. In this tell-all session, the top Customer Experience Executives from multiple industries unveil how to overcome roadblocks and hurdles while avoiding costly mistakes. Find out what it takes to lead an organization's entire customer and employee experience from those who have mastered it. Here are just a few takeaways: What the CXE role is, and why it's one of the fastest-growing positions What the Customer eXperience Executive Academy is and the methodology behind it How to roll out new training material and implement change management best practices Some examples of internal communications practices and how to implement them Why you should weave training and reinforcement into your organization's culture The challenges you may face when you're communicating to different locations and the importance of consistency How certification can increase learning retention from training workshops What the keys are to measuring success How to gain buy-in from the critics and cynics Why you should be consistent with the teaching so that it's consistent in practice How to ensure that your program doesn't become “flavor of the month” How to gain executive sponsorship Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The 2023 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy Customer Experience Executive Online Academy EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.  

We often don't consider that the internal culture directly inside our organizations impacts our external culture. Building teams that work together allows us to focus on the customer. Departments operating in silos, poor internal handoffs, and miscommunication are all employee dissatisfiers and negatively impact customers. Some of the same tools we use externally can also be used internally to evaluate what we can improve internally. Roleplay exercises, using negative cues to identify the tone of your messaging, and team-building activities are just some ways you can begin to improve your organization's culture. In this episode, Dave Murray will present how you can build a world-class internal culture. As VP of Consulting with The DiJulius Group, Dave strives to make all participants feel comfortable--creating an ideal environment for idea generation and sharing. Dave has more than 25 years of experience in customer service, marketing, and sales. Learn how to fix the common pitfalls of internal culture and get all team members focused on your customer's experience. You'll hear some of Dave's tricks for transforming your company's internal culture. This presentation is from the Customer Service Revolution Conference held in Cleveland on November 7th, 2022. Here are just a few takeaways: Communication is the most frequently reported problem in company cultures How internal communication impacts the external customer experience Creating internal culture with a focus on the employee experience has to be purposeful Empathy is important for internal and external culture Roleplay exercises can help you achieve results Use negative cues to identify the tone of your message Consider performing an internal negative cue audit Evaluate your internal communication best practices and create non-negotiable standards Identify the communication gaps and develop standards around that Don't deliver bad news in writing--call first Who are the invisible service providers in the organization? Internal culture serves people in the organization who serve external customers How team building can strengthen an organization's internal culture Build a process for internal handoffs Consider internal journey mapping Build in experiential standards Create a culture that instills pride Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The 2023 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy Customer Experience Executive Online Academy EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

Complaints to any organization are a gift, especially today since consumers have so many options. Are your teams handling these important interactions consistently well? Are you tracking the issues and outcomes to monitor trends and bigger issues?   Many organizations have implemented acronyms to help frontline workers deal with conflict when customers complain about their service or products. One common thread in these acronyms is the ability to listen, apologize, solve the issue, and thank the customer for bringing it to your attention. This simple methodology has proven effective over and over.   As VP of Consulting with The DiJulius Group with more than 25 years of experience in customer service marketing, and sales, Dave Murray strives to make all participants feel comfortable--creating an ideal environment for idea generation and sharing. Dave is also an accomplished keynote speaker who can bring energy and passion to a room, all while connecting with audience members and delivering motivational and actionable content.   This episode is from Dave's breakout session at the Customer Service Revolution Conference in Cleveland on November 7th, 2022. Learn some easy-to-implement standards and how to create a service recovery playbook as he shares the essential lessons he's learned about customer service during his career. Here are just a few takeaways:   What the term zero risk means, and how it applies from a customer service standpoint Customers are 80% more likely to go somewhere else after a bad experience Employees don't have the training to deal with conflict LATTE: Listen, Acknowledge, Take Action, Thank, and Encouragement BLAST: Believe, Listen, Apologize, Solve, and Thank LEAST: Listen, Empathize, Apologize, Solve, and Thank GATE: Gather all information, Assess the situation, Thank and empathize, and Explain the solution Leap to Action: Listen completely, Empathize, Apologize and clarify, Provide next steps, Thank, and Own it How you can develop your own tool for frontline workers and design it for your needs A-1 Care: A blameless apology, Own the situation, Clarify and assess, Action, Reassure and resolve, and End with a follow-up FORD: Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams FORD is the information that's most important to us as humans, and focusing on that allows you to build a relationship Create your own acronym for handling difficult conversations Don't punish 98% of your customers for what 2% are trying to do Complaints often come from a company's own policies Assume positive intent and train for consistency Why it should be easy for customers to provide feedback When the experience should override the policy, and the policies should become guidelines How to solve the problems that aren't your fault but harm the customer experience Why you should be tracking your organization's complaints and compliments   Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The 2023 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy Customer Experience Executive Online Academy   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

We all have different answers to the question, “What is company culture?” Some say values. Others say purpose. However you define it, it encompasses behavior, knowledge, beliefs, and habits. Great coaches motivate teams and maximize their performance - both on the field and in the workplace. Learn how to cultivate a coaching culture in your organization by changing the leadership playbook to one that empowers and engages coaches and their teams. Brittni Walker is a Certified Customer eXperience Executive and is the Director of Customer and Employee Experience at Advance Financial, where she's worked for the last ten years. She began her tenure as a Customer and Employee Affairs Coordinator and quickly advanced to the management level. In 2018, she took her skills to the next level by earning her Customer eXperience Certification from the Customer eXperience Executive Academy. She is also a Customer Experience Consultant for The DiJulius Group. This episode is from a presentation presented by Brittni at the Customer Service Revolution Conference in Cleveland on November 7th, 2022. She explains why leadership means having a coaching culture. It all begins with building rapport with your team. You'll hear the four main takeaways she wants you to remember from this session, along with some recommended reading. Here are just a few takeaways: How to define company culture Why 47% of employees leave companies because of engagement and culture Why culture reflects leadership Losing an employee costs a company about 33% of the employee's salary Why company surveys may do more harm than good Energy givers are coaches, while energy suckers are bad managers Why you should be cheering for your team members and helping them achieve their goals How building rapport with your team creates trust and engagement Why listening is the key to communication Asking questions help shape conversations to create an outcome Guidance can lead your employees to success Brittni's recommended reading Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? Book The Energy Bus book The High 5 Habit book The Relationship Economy book The Customer Service Revolution Podcast The 2023 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy Customer Experience Executive Online Academy *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know I sent you.

On this episode of The Customer Service Revolution, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of The DiJulius Group talks with Jason Reid. Jason is a serial entrepreneur, author, ironman athlete, and, most of all, a great family man. In 2018, life couldn't get much better until he and his wife received the devasting news that their youngest son Ryan had taken his own life. Today, Jay is on a mission to reach every parent and every family about the conversations they need to have with their kids. Jason Reid is the founder of ChooseLife.org, a leading youth mental health advocate, and a father who lost his teenage son to suicide. That became the catalyst for releasing his documentary, “Tell My Story,” in 2021. He's on a quest to prevent teen suicide and help parents take ownership of their kids' mental health. This interview was one of the hardest John has conducted, but it could be the most important as Jason shares information about teen depression, suicide, and how you can help prevent it. Here are just a few takeaways: Depression in children and teenagers is at an all-time high Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death in kids ages 10-14 Teen depression isn't prejudiced Mental health is an unknown — and to help our kids, we need more support than Google can provide What signs we should be looking for if a child is struggling with depression The questions we should be asking How you can help your teens struggling with depression Resources mentioned: www.thedijuliusgroup.com  Tell My Story | Documentary Jason Reid's Ted Talk https://www.tellmystory.org/  https://www.tellmystory.org/documentary The Customer Service Revolution Podcast *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.  Let them know I sent you.

Live from the 2022 Transformer's Summit, keynote speaker John Dijulius categorizes the automotive industry as a 'grudge buy' for customers when they are at their most vulnerable. How is this an opportunity for your business to be the 'hero?' How do you make price irrelevant? John Dijulius, John Robert's Spa, The DiJulius Group. John's had the privilege of working with world class companies like the Ritz-Carlton, Lexus, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Nestle, Marriott Hotel, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Cheesecake Factory, Bausch & Lomb, Progressive Insurance, Harley Davidson, State Farm, Chick-fil-A, Entrepreneurs Organization, YPO, Aveda, and many more. Listen to John's previous episodes HERE Show Notes Drove for UPS- his wife was a hairdresser, and they opened a salon. John started getting involved in the business. “We aren't going to be the best salon, we will be the best experience of your day.” Chambers of commerce businesses started asking John for business consulting.  20 years ago John's first book came out and took him to the next level Business and Artistry Pengeleum   Making price irrelevant- based on the experience your brand consistently delivers, your customers shouldn't have an idea what your competitors charge because they aren't window shoppers. Who is more expensive? Why are they?  “We do $10 haircuts” vs “We fix $10 haircuts.” Give the experience before you charge for it and justify it -“What does a $1,000 haircut look like? What is that greeting like? How is the massage during shampoo? What does a $1,000,000 keynote speech look and sound like?”  Grudge buy and losing time- automotive repairs. When you can come to the rescue when a customer is at their most vulnerable, there is an emotional connection and memory made. Customers asking about price- opportunity The biggest cause of anxiety is uncertainty- no update update for customers   Level 1 through 10 hairdressers based on expertise  “Discounting is the tax you pay for being average.” Things that make a brand something customers can't live without- the quality of work, consistency, employee evangelism (educate vs sell), how do you make me feel, Capitalize the ‘C' in Customer to show the emphasis in your policies and procedures  Building relationships with FORD- family, occupation, recreation, dreams Disney- know your role and be ‘on' when you're on, leave your problems at the door

Podcasts are the name of the game today! We sit down with Danny Ozment to have a conversation about using podcasts to promote your video business. You'll even get a little insight into why this podcast exists.  A podcast has the potential to be a complete game changer for your business, but it needs to be done right. Danny explains just how to structure and market your podcast so that it will be found, build trust between you and future clients, and act as a launching pad for loads of social media content. A podcast can be your door into creating the lasting, long term client base that you want and help you impact the world more than you ever dreamed possible.  Key Takeaways  Podcasting is the long form version of content marketing. Utilize this and repurpose it to create other forms of social content with little extra effort. Use your podcast to build trust with prospective clients and set your business apart from the competition. Structure your podcast for the specific goal that you have for it. Market your podcast effectively so that the correct people find it. About Danny Ozment  Danny Ozment is a business strategist and podcast consultant for busy professionals and solopreneurs who want to create podcasts that build brand loyalty and make their marketing efforts more effective. His goal is to help you clarify your message and publish engaging content that creates customers who trust you before they buy and can't wait to tell the world about you. Danny's refreshing approach as the owner of Emerald City Productions has made him a sought-after speaker, online educator, and consultant for major corporations and thought leaders. His clients include Salesforce, LinkedIn, the John Maxwell Team, Mike Kim, and The Dijulius Group. He is the host of the highly-rated podcast, Podcast Strategies for Growing Your Business, Community, and Influence. He has spoken at industry-leading events including Podcast Movement and Mediavine. Right now, Danny is wearing out his Walt Disney World annual pass with his wife and 2 kids. When he's not on Pirates of the Caribbean, he spends his days on a mission helping podcasters change the world one download at a time. The free tips he provides at dannyozment.com, guarantee you'll launch and grow a podcast that will impact the world. In This Episode [0:00] Welcome to the show! [3:01] Meet Danny Ozment [5:10] Danny's most rewarding experiences with podcasting [12:08] Using a podcast to market your video business [20:38] How to efficiently and successfully produce a podcast [35:29] How a podcast influences future clients to trust you [38:12] Structuring your podcast to meet your specific goals [44:58] Marketing your podcast [48:06] Connect with Dan [51:00] Outro Quotes “By helping people get these stories out, get these conversations out, that I was reaching now thousands, tens of thousands, millions of people.” - Danny Ozment [7:03] “Often the listeners to a podcast build a relationship that is similar to a friendship with the host.” - Danny Ozment [18:38] “It is the disease that entrepreneurs all have, it would just be quicker if I do it myself. That's a lie.” - Ryan Koral [31:50] “That is the way: being an expert, borrowing audiences and bringing them back to your podcast, and then also working with your current audience.” - Danny Ozment [47:00] Links FREE Workshop Available "How to Consistently Earn Over $100k Per Year in Video Production While Working Less Than 40 Hours Per Week" Get the ASCEND Method Cheat Sheet Join the Grow Your Video Business Facebook Group  Find Danny Ozment online  Danny's Company: Emerald City Productions Download “Your podcast Roadmap” Follow Danny Ozment on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Connect with Danny Ozment on LinkedIn Follow Ryan Koral on Instagram Follow Grow Your Video Business on Instagram What's your question for the podcast? Share a video or audio response! Check out the full show notes page If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!

Your host Bryce Henson interviews today's guest, David Murray, VP of Consulting at The DiJulius Group.  David shares his 20 years of experience in customer service, marketing, and sales, mainly in the sports and entertainment industry, with us on today's show.  Learn how David helps organizations create a positive work environment with standards that help them create a better customer experience all around.  Tune in to gain insight into the reasons companies reach out for consulting, how it can impact their customer engagement, and grow their business to new heights.  01:20 - Your host, Bryce, introduces today's guest David Murray. 01:40 - David shares his backstory from working for his hometown baseball team, the Cleveland Guardians, and his journey into consulting. 04:00 - Bryce asks David to share what are the top reasons companies reach out to him. 06:30 - Hear what some of the common oversights and opportunities are that clients have to get better. 08:45 - Get insight into the High-level client engagement techniques David teaches.  12:05 - David breaks down the difference between communicating policy and guidelines. 14:05 - Learn about negative cues and how to navigate them. 12:30 - David explains what F.O.R.D. is and what some of the strategies are that you can apply in your business today.  22:00 - Hear about some of the ways client engagement and retention have shifted since navigating covid.  30:10 - Bryce's famous lightning round Q&A. Q: What are the most challenging and fulfilling parts of your role in your company? A: Travel and experience many different company cultures. Q: What is your zone of genius? A: being able to systematize and simplify systems.  36:45 - Find and connect with David online at www.thedijuliusgroup.com. “They know there's room to raise the bar” - David Murray

Robin Robins is the IT industry's most in-demand marketing consultant, sales trainer, and direct response marketing consultant. As the CEO & President of Technology Marketing Toolkit, she specializes in developing strategic marketing, sales, and lead generation systems. For the past 20 years, Robin and her team have had one singular focus: to develop highly effective marketing and sales-generating systems specifically for MSPs, VARs, and IT services firms.  Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of The DiJulius Group talks with Robin today about the amazing journey she has been on in her life. Not only is she a serial entrepreneur but she also has an incredible story of going from a difficult past to building the empire in the IT industry that she has today.  You Will Learn: Robin's incredible back story, including when she was homeless as a teenager. How she got into the MSP niche and has dominated it ever since. Her vision for Technology Marketing Toolkit when it first began. How she built TMT into the #1 marketing firm in the IT industry. The benefits of specializing and niching down. Why every business should figure out how to get in the Monthly Reoccurring Revenue business. Why Robin puts on so many events for her clients. How she has created incredible value for her members (clients). Why we need to stop telling women they're disadvantaged. Resources mentioned: The Customer Service Revolution Podcast  Technology Marketing Toolkit website Robin Robins website The 2022 Customer Service Revolution Conference Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

John Ruhlin is the world's leading authority in maximizing customer loyalty through radical generosity. He is the founder and author of Gift·ology and has been featured in Fox News, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc, and New York Times.  However, during his early years, John found himself selling knives. It was through this experience that he learned how to build relationships, qualify leads, and handle objections. He developed a system of using generosity to gain access to elite clients and generate thousands of referrals. This is what eventually led him to become the #1 performer out of 1.5 million sales reps for his company, one of the world's most recognizable brands.  Today, John and his firm help other individuals and organizations do just the same. They help people turn their clients into their own personal sales force to drive exponential growth.  In this episode, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of the DiJulius Group talks with John about his process and mindset around generosity and referrals. Tune in to learn from John's powerful mindset and incredible success. You Will Learn: How an Ohio farm boy became the #1 greatest salesman in Cutco history. How John became a referral expert. How gifting can be your greatest referral tool. What most companies get wrong with sending gifts. Why vendor experience is just as important as customer experience. The Gift·ology Recipe. Why so many companies don't get referrals. What John will be sharing in his keynote at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference. Resources mentioned: The Customer Service Revolution Podcast  Register to see John Ruhlin speak at The 2022 Customer Service Revolution Conference Order John's book Giftology Giftology Playbook  Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

Joel Sylvester has an unsurpassable passion for customer service. His career spans hundreds of companies, working with brands like Mayo Clinic, Wells Fargo, South Carolina Parks, Ohio Parks, and Fellowes. He has over 20 years of crafting exceptional customer experiences under his belt. Today, Joel lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with his family. He acts as the Chief Client Officer at Five Star Call Centers. In this episode, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of The DiJulius Group talks with Joel about AI and contact centers. Joel brings a level of expertise to the show and the world at large that is so critical today. The evolution of contact centers is of the utmost importance, especially amidst the great resignation going on right now. Tune in to hear from Joel on this topic in which he's a genuine expert and learn how to apply his expertise to your organization. You Will Learn: Joel's career background. The evolution of contact centers over the past two decades. What Five Star Call Centers does. How AI can help your company be more efficient, especially during The Great Resignation era. Why every company has to be successfully managing their Omni channels. Why outsourcing isn't so dangerous nowadays. What A.C.T. is and why every customer service employee should be delivering it. What you will learn from Joel's presentation at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution Conference. Resources mentioned: Register to see Joel speak at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference Five Star Call Centers  Five Star 2022 State of Customer Service  Connect with Joel on Linkedin  Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy The Customer Service Revolution Podcast  *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

Jess Pettitt is an author and keynote speaker. She believes to thrive in this world you have to ride two horses at once: one of humility and one of ego. This is why, while hosting and performing stand-up in NYC, she also worked as a diversity and inclusion specialist.  After a decade, Jess quit her day job but she still uses humor today to deliver actionable content related to everything you ever wanted to know about where leadership and diversity collide. Though often referred to as a thought leader, Jess responds that she just makes leaders think.  Jess works with toxic workplaces to help them build up the skills they already have. For example, we all have challenging conversations with the people we like and respect but we don't have these same challenging conversations with the people we don't like or respect. We have the skills but need to learn how to discern the two different buckets.  Today, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of the DiJulius Group talks with Jess about this process and the work she does within organizations. They also get into her background and what led her to do what she does today. Tune in to learn what “good enough now” means and benefit from all of Jess' incredible insights. You Will Learn: All about Jess' background in performing stand-up in NYC and working as a diversity and inclusion expert. Why she got into diversity and inclusion in organizations. What it means to ride the two horses of humility and ego at once. Why you need to have a conversation about what you don't know you don't know for diversity, equity, and inclusion work to stick.  How to do the best you can with what you have without getting sued, losing talent, or failing customers. How to avoid your blind spots. What “Good Enough Now” means. What you will learn from Jess' keynote at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution Conference. Resources mentioned: Register to see Jess speak at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference Everything Jess Pettitt Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy The Customer Service Revolution Podcast  *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

As a college freshman, Marcus Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. This incident changed the trajectory of his life forever.  After recovering from the accident, Marcus decided to pursue Narrative Medicine. His training and personal outlook on life gave him an amazing message to share with the world. Today, he is a sought-after motivational speaker and author who teaches his audiences the art of compassion and being present. In this episode, Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of the DiJulius Group talks with Marcus. They discuss his inspirational story, how he made the most of his tragic circumstances, and what he is doing to encourage thousands of people today.   You Will Learn: How Marcus went through two years of rehab, over 350 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and adaptation through a multitude of life changes.  Why he decided to continue his education after the accident. What Narrative Medicine is. Why Marcus believes life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you. What a compassion expert is. What the two most compassionate words any human being can hear are. What the greatest gift we can give to another person is. What you will learn from Marcus' presentation at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference. Resources mentioned: Register to see Marcus speak at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference https://marcusengel.com/ Marcus' book I'm Here - Compassionate Communication in Patient Care  Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy The Customer Service Revolution Podcast  *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

Chief Revolution Officer John DiJulius of the DiJulius Group talks with Judson Laipply, who has been featured on the Today Show, Ellen, Oprah, GMA, and more.  Judson is the world's first YouTube Celebrity. His finale, “The Evolution of Dance” has over one billion impressions and was the first video ever to hit 100 million views. At the time, however, going viral wasn't a thing and there weren't opportunities to grow as a personal brand when you went viral.  Still, Judson is so grateful to have had this experience. He has now been speaking and performing for over 20 years and has been all around the globe. In this episode, Judson joins us to talk about his many experiences. We discuss the very video of his that went viral and what the experience was like. We also talk all about everything Judson is doing now and why he is called the “evolution guru.” Tune in to hear from the very first social media influencer, Judson Laipply. You Will Learn: Some background on Judson's childhood. When he knew he wanted to be a professional speaker. How he became the first YouTube Celebrity, receiving over 300 million views. The philosophical concept of Schroeder's cat. Why there is no such thing as “the status quo.” How Judson teaches audiences worldwide the difference between change and evolution while teaching them to embrace struggle, engage choice, and ultimately evolve. How to not fall into the trap of complacency. What Judson's upcoming book will be about. What you will learn from Judson's presentation at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference. Resources mentioned: The Customer Service Revolution Podcast  www.judsonlaipply.com The Evolution of Dance Register to see Judson speak at the 2022 Customer Service Revolution conference Customer Experience Executive Academy  Customer Experience Executive Online Academy *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.

[Replay] The Importance of CX to the Business - John DiJulius - President - The Dijulius Group [Customer Service]Welcome to another throwback episode! I hope you enjoy it! ABOUT NICK GLIMSDAHLSubscribe to my bi-weekly newsletterFind me on TwitterFind me on LinkedInLISTENER SUPPORTPurchase Nick's books: Reasons NOT to Focus on Employee Experience: A Comprehensive GuideApparel: https://www.teepublic.com/user/press-1-for-nick Support this show through Buy Me A CoffeeBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:Learn about all the guests' book recommendations here: https://press1fornick.com/books/ BROUGHT TO YOU BY:VDS: They are a client-first consulting firm focused on strategy, business outcomes, and technology. They provide holistic consulting services to optimize your customer contact center, inspiring and designing transformational change to modernize and prepare your business for the future. Learn more: https://www.govds.com/ This podcast is under the umbrella of CX of M Radio: https://cxofm.org/Podcast-Shows/ SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES:Interested in partnering with the Press 1 For Nick podcast? Click here: https://press1fornick.com/lets-talk/ 

Last week, guest John DiJulius of The DiJulius Group talked with us about the customer experience, word of mouth marketing, and how he found success without having a lot of money. This episode is our recap of the discussion we had with John. The DiJulius Group Website: https://thedijuliusgroup.com/ John DiJulius LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dijulius John DiJulius Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/customer-service-revolution/id1508030596 If you are looking to purchase or refinance a home, please email us at elevateclepod@gmail.com with the subject line “Looking to purchase/Refinance a home”. To listen on Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/30InmDv To listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3nv3L2y Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevateclev... Chris Doyle, NMLS #1738201 Dominic DiFranco, Jr., NMLS #1714628 Liberty Home Mortgage NMLS #1114762