Businesses are continually seeking innovative ways to enhance customer experiences. One of the most significant game-changers in this quest is Artificial Intelligence (AI). As Cristina Fonseca, Zendesk’s Head of AI aptly puts it: “The most interesting aspect of this AI revolution is the democratization of AI. Until now, only companies with big budgets, time, and either in-house expertise or the ability to hire outside experts were able to deploy and implement AI”.

We’ve gathered insights from CX experts to explore how AI is transforming and improving customer experience. Here is what we found: 

Increasing Personalization 

AI analyzes vast amounts of customer data, from past interactions to browsing history, purchase behavior, and even social media activity. It uses this information to create a nuanced understanding of each customer’s preferences, needs, and expectations. With this deep insight, AI can deliver personalized experiences that go beyond generic interactions. 

For example, AI can suggest products, services, or content based on an individual’s interests and past behavior. This level of personalization not only enhances customer satisfaction but also boosts sales. When customers feel understood and catered to, they are more likely to return for future purchases. 

Providing Real-time Insights and Recommendations 

AI’s ability to process, analyze, and act on customer experience data in real time provides businesses with timely insights and recommendations. This not only enhances the customer experience but also enables businesses to be agile and responsive in meeting customer needs and expectations. As AI technology continues to advance, the potential for real-time customer insights and recommendations will only grow, further elevating the customer experience. 

By providing real-time insights into agent performance and customer interactions. AI-driven metrics like CSAT and response times enable immediate identification of areas for improvement. This helps maintain high-quality service levels even in a distributed workforce.  

Enhancing Human Interaction 

Most CX experts agree that the biggest potential of AI lies in augmenting rather than replacing human agents. AI can handle repetitive tasks, reducing the burden on human representatives. This allows agents to focus on more complex and meaningful interactions, ultimately deepening the human touch in customer service. 

To better serve customers, businesses need to find the right balance between technology and humanity. AI should be used to enhance, not replace, the human experience. As AI tools become more integrated into CX processes, it’s essential to ensure they contribute to meaningful connections and co-creation rather than diminishing them. 

Understanding Customer Feedback 

Customer feedback is everywhere scattered across a multitude of channels, from social media and online reviews to emails and customer service interactions. This vast and often unstructured feedback can be overwhelming for businesses to collect, analyze, and extract meaningful insights from, especially as traditional survey response rates continue to decline. 

This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a crucial ally. AI can be harnessed to better collect, predict, and ultimately understand the significance of this mix of structured and unstructured data. In essence, AI transforms the challenge of managing scattered feedback into a strategic advantage for businesses aiming to stay in tune with their customers. 

Providing Stellar Customer Service 

When customers seek assistance, AI can access their historical data to provide context-aware support. This means agents have access to a customer’s previous interactions and can offer more informed and personalized solutions.  

AI-powered chatbots, for instance, can handle common queries and provide immediate responses 24/7, ensuring customers receive timely assistance. This efficiency leads to faster issue resolution and improved customer satisfaction. 

AI elevates customer service by combining efficiency with personalization, creating a seamless and satisfying customer experience. 

Anticipating Customer Needs 

AI can predict what a customer might need before they even realize it. For example, it can anticipate a recurring order or recommend complementary products, creating a sense of convenience and foresight that customers appreciate. 

By analyzing historical data and customer behavior patterns, AI algorithms can identify trends, preferences, and buying habits to proactively offer personalized recommendations and suggestions in real time. In this way, AI enables businesses to not only meet but exceed customer expectations by anticipating their needs and providing relevant solutions even before customers express them. 

This enables businesses to prepare and adjust their strategies accordingly, ensuring they are always one step ahead. 

These examples underscore the transformative impact of AI in customer experience management, helping businesses deliver efficient, personalized, and consistent support while gaining valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. As AI technology continues to evolve, these advantages will become even more pronounced, driving improvements in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In this insightful interview, we dive deep into the world of customer experience transformation with the exceptional CX specialist, Kiki Chocklett. Kiki’s journey from a service worker at the age of 15 to a seasoned CX advocate is a testament to the power of passion and continuous growth. With a keen focus on the intersection of technology and humanity, Kiki shares her thoughts on the role of AI and machine learning in CX and offers valuable advice for aspiring CX practitioners.

How was your journey toward CX? How did you end up working in CX? 

I was a service worker, starting at the young age of 15. Back then, I was more focused on my passion for music and art, and never really imagined myself in the world of business. However, things took a turn when I landed an assistant job for a CEO of a successful small business. 

The CEO was very focused on customer-centricity as a means to improve the product and grow the business. As I went about my tasks like folding socks and hanging pictures, he would often explain his thought processes to me. Eventually, I started taking on direct work for his business. 

Over time, I became a full-time customer experience (CX) advocate. My days were divided between talking to customers, resolving their issues, and collaborating with the entire team to enhance the overall experience. My focus grew from frontlines work to knowledge base development, customer journey improvement, and coaching new team members. Successfully resolving challenging cases and transforming detractors into raving promotors became my specialty. I used this skill to help target improvement t efforts and was promoted to being a specialist who worked closely with product development, PR, campaigns, and new product releases. 

Little did I know at the time how much value this experience would bring me later in life, but that’s how I got started in the world of CX. 

What process do you follow when you start working with a new client to improve their customer experience?  

I am currently a freelancer specializing in CX strategy and building top-tier customer success departments. I prefer working with small businesses or smaller brands that value a “customer service culture” and have the potential to be truly cross-functional in their operations. Each day in my work is different, and I embrace the freedom to follow my own process, prioritizing holistic wellness in every aspect of my life.  

Customer experience innovation is a process that involves making many small improvements in various areas to achieve better long-term results. With a strong data-driven environment, we can connect our efforts to amazing business outcomes – but we also must look at the big picture and accept that foundational improvements are always worth it and take time to fruit. 

My approach is to create structure where there is none, find clarity where there is confusion, simplify where things are complex, and build a sustainable customer-centered culture. It’s a continuous journey of mastering the basics. Plus, optimizing for efficiency is one of the keys to making innovation efforts “self-funding.” (Have to thank “Chief Customer Officer 2.0” by Jeanne Bliss for many of these insightful truths.) 

I’ve worked with firms in a variety of phases. Some are investing in growth, others are drowning in volume, and some are ready to delegate leadership and move on to new ventures. Occasionally, I help build a customer success environment from scratch – which is a real treat. 

For clients who are already established, there is usually something that was neglected in order to grow. In my initial assessment, I search for poorly performing metrics and significant pain points that build detractors and cause attrition. We then examine how to mitigate or resolve these issues swiftly before we move on to innovation. 

Once we address urgent issues, our priority is to establish a shared understanding of the current customer journey and the overall current state. We may need to build a journey map, clean up analytics, uncover customer feedback, and align executives on priorities before that happens. 

To build our improvement plan, we evoke a shared vision of the world we want to create, and how we want people to feel, and define how to build an environment that will facilitate our desired outcomes. We enhance the environment with clear intentions, KPIs, and tracking systems, and begin building momentum through execution. There are many pivots, tweaks, and unknowns along the way – that’s just the work. 

As a creative person, how do you balance your creative side with the business demands including the need to report the results you’re achieving for your clients? 

As a CX practitioner, I see my unique job as bridging the gap between the intangible and the tangible. True CX work, in its highest form, is a cross-functional role that collaborates with C-suite executives and all other stakeholders. Part of the CX practitioner’s role is taking vision and transforming it into reality, which is a recurring theme in our work. When it comes to creativity, I believe we should invite CX practitioners to embrace their ability to explore the intangible, the non-linear, and the subjective experiential space. It is in this realm that the catalyst for our work lies. However, we also have a responsibility to ground these concepts, build structure, and bring them to life. Nurturing that aspect of ourselves, perhaps reconnecting with our inner child, is essential. 

Developing a sense of creativity and play can be difficult, especially when the cultural environment around us does not necessarily foster it. Therefore, I encourage anyone involved in this line of work to examine their environment and approach to life, identifying what needs to change in order to tap into that space of creativity and inspiration. 

In reporting results to clients – being reliable, pragmatic, objective, and structured is key to engaging them in the process. Customer experience innovation is gritty – oftentimes shame-inducing when we consider working with detractors, criticism, and disappointment. If we effectively build trust – we can invite everyone along into a higher sense of play and creativity within the work. 

You work as an external consultant for your clients, offering a different perspective than those involved in daily work. How do you help translate the leadership vision to the rest of the organization while maintaining a focus on customer experience? 

I believe that one of the main challenges in the CX field is the presence of power hierarchies within organizations. It’s difficult to engage stakeholders who are already overwhelmed and struggling to prioritize their tasks in caring about a larger vision. However, as practitioners, we must work within and navigate these systems because that’s the reality of how things currently operate.  

If I’m to consider myself from a possible outside-in perspective, I am most effective when I engage awareness, acceptance, sensitivity, compassion, accountability and have a willingness to anchor my beliefs, values, and point of view. This path doesn’t always attract swaths of high-ticket clients – but it’s honest. I am a transparent person and work hard to build authentic relationships with the people I do business with and collaborate with.  

To answer your question – the key to translating a vision effectively and engaging people in customer-centricity is in building authentic relationships. Do I understand the people I’m engaging with? Do I understand what unites them as a group? Do I know their individual values and drivers? Do I help people connect their own dreams and goals to the bigger picture? Do I build pathways that make it possible for them to enhance their lives and their work, alongside the customer? We don’t always get it 100% right here – but this is the way.  

The work we do in customer experience innovation impacts lives. We should move with this knowing. 

What do you see as the main challenges for CX professionals? 

One of the main challenges in CX is the lack of shared definitions and understandings. Not everyone has the time or space to explore methodologies and concepts related to CX. Access to power plays a significant role in truly understanding the impact of CX on a holistic level. I had the opportunity to be mentored by executives in my early days, which allowed me to engage with the C-Suite more easily and connect efforts to high-level performance. However, not everyone has such access, and many CX workers find themselves in silos within large enterprise systems. 

The range of talent and function within the CX space contribute to the challenges of establishing shared definitions and points of view. Furthermore, the rise of professional thought leaders in the field has led to the fragmentation of concepts and the constant rebranding of CX-related terms. Whose brand do we trust? Are they just saying the same thing 100 million different ways? 

This lack of cohesion and shared understanding prevents the CX community from becoming a unified force in the marketplace. I’m honestly moving away from the language myself – maintaining the principles while getting back to my roots in customer service and operations.  

As a community of practitioners, we need to address these challenges. Efforts have been made to create a shared definition and knowledge base, but it remains dense and inaccessible to newcomers. Additionally, while the work itself is endlessly complex, the concepts of customer-centricity should be simple. It’s simply doing business the smart way. Lastly, the term “CX” has also been adopted by firms in different ways, leading to confusion about the hiring and placement of CX functions. It’s a mess.  

Customer-centricity is vital for business survival, and it should be taken seriously. However, putting it into practice often remains misunderstood and undervalued. To drive change in CX, we need cohesion within the community. Fractured efforts with good intentions are likely to fail. As practitioners with varying degrees of power, we have a responsibility to come together, support each other, and play to our strengths. I have faith in the CX community and its potential to overcome these challenges. We are a resilient group of change-makers who can drive meaningful transformation.  

How does technology support your work and benefit CX professionals? What excites you the most about artificial intelligence and its potential to revolutionize the world of CX and the work of professionals in the field? 

Technology is always a double-edged sword. It can be a great partner in analysis, innovation, and expansion. However, if we pour all our work and reliance into technology, we sever our connection to our immediate environment, even straining our most intimate relationships at times. And when disaster strikes and our entire livelihoods depend on this technology functioning flawlessly, well, that’s a problem. I say this while gleefully staring into a Zoom call. I’m not going to be doing too well without these cool tools. 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are wild. Trust me when I say – it’s fun to explore. And its potential is beyond my comprehension. I’m also reminded of Marie Kondo’s question: “Does this spark joy?”  

In my view, the true potential of customer experience (CX) work lies in deepening the human experience, fostering meaningful connections, building more accessible systems, repairing wrongs, and co-creating our evolving world. So, when we evaluate AI and machine learning tools to deepen our work, we should ask: “Does this spark humanity? Does this help us co-create? Does it improve accessibility? Does it enable repair? Does it enhance depth and connection, or does it strip them away?” 

Personally, I am not a fan of the CX sentiment analysis tools available to the (non-technical) masses. I have not seen any trained well enough to be insightful or valuable. I suppose the potential is there for deepened connections, however. If it were 100% accurate – could it help us read between the lines? But how would we react to that? Would we honor it? Would we exploit it somehow?  

In the CX world, AI and machine learning also have the potential to automate processes and workflows, freeing us up for more meaningful work. They come in handy for tracking trends within ticketing systems and resolving basic problems that customers don’t want to interact over.  

I think any issue I have lies more with humanity. What will those in embedded in power do when workers have more capacity? Improve lives? What about those new to power via these tools? What will they do? 

I’d love to see a world where we use this technology in a harmonious way. Our priority should aim towards bridging connections, improving society, and tapping into our co-creative power. If our reliance on these tools starts stripping away that depth and diminishing our humanity, it’s crucial that we critically examine their impact and reassess their usage.  

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in customer experience? 

Every business, in some way or another, has customers, whether it’s B2C, or B2B. So, regardless of where you find yourself today, whether it’s at a fast-food joint or an office job at a dentist’s office, it’s essential to develop a curiosity about customer experiences and cultivate an outside-in perspective. Try to see how everything is interconnected and be curious about your role within that system. 

While there are emerging higher education programs focused on the art of CX, it’s important to remember that many of us practicing CX today came from various backgrounds and pathways. For instance, I don’t have a college degree. I started as a fast-food manager, played in rock’n’roll bands, and ventured into entrepreneurship. Yet, here I am. So, if you feel drawn to this field, know that our community of CX practitioners is here to embrace you, help you develop principles, skills, methodologies, connections, and most importantly – your own unique CX blueprint. 

Lastly, remember that CX can be practiced in a variety of roles. You don’t need to have “CX” in your job title to make a difference in the customer experience realm. You can decide for yourself, today, that you want your actions to align with making things better for people. And I hope you include yourself in that. 

Kiki Chocklett

Kiki Chocklett is a creative and versatile customer experience specialist with a passion for building remarkable experiences and streamlined operations. Her extensive industry knowledge and expertise span direct-to-consumer goods, wholesale commerce, perishables, lifestyle products, gadgets, gear, software, hospitality, service businesses, community programs, and more – all of which have helped foster growth and innovation for many small and dynamic teams. Kiki is dedicated to creating nurturing environments where people can be present and come together for unique and enriching human experiences. She strives to develop cultures, systems, products, services, and touchpoints that bring out the best in everyone.

What can Gandalf and Pepper Potts teach us about customer experience? In this insightful interview with Nate Brown, co-founder of CX Accelerator and a renowned CX expert, he takes us on a journey through his career and shares valuable insights into the world of CX.

You’ve worked with customer experience in various capacities over the years. Could you please share a bit about your journey and how you ended up in CX? 

I started my career selling postage meters on the streets, but I quickly realized I wasn’t very good at it. However, I discovered that I had a passion for serving customers and finding ways to improve their experience. After a year, I transitioned to a customer service role at a startup where I had the opportunity to help hundreds of people every day with their safety training. This experience ignited my interest in customer service and led me to become the leader of the customer service team. 

With time, I started to notice that there was a lot of friction in the customer service process, with customers facing the same issues repeatedly. I realized there must be a way to reduce this friction and enhance the customer experience. That’s when I discovered the concept of customer experience (CX) through mentorship and the guidance of industry experts like Jeff Toister, Annette Franz, and Jeanne Bliss. 

With this newfound knowledge, I started integrating CX principles into our business. I formed a cross-functional coalition, where leaders from various departments came together to focus on CX. Eventually, I took on the role of CX director, which was my first true CX job. It was a tremendous learning experience, and I had the opportunity to work with organizations from various industries, helping them with their CX challenges and customer-centric transformations. 

Throughout this journey, I also engaged in speaking, writing, and participating in conferences and associations. It became clear to me that CX has a profound impact on people’s lives, making them better and easier. When we collectively excel in CX, it benefits both customers and businesses, leading to sustainable growth, customer loyalty, and business success. 

In parallel to my career, I started CX Accelerator, a nonprofit community dedicated to equipping and connecting CX professionals and accelerating their careers. It has been a labor of love, and I’ve gained invaluable knowledge and personal growth through this initiative. Community advocacy has become a significant focus for me because I believe that community is essential to CX work. Brands are inviting customers to co-create and engage in meaningful experiences together. It’s not just about CX professionals interacting in isolation; it’s about modeling the power of community and building strong brand communities. 

How do you manage your time between the community and your full-time job? With numerous initiatives, what does a typical day at work look like for you?  

In my role at Arise, I’ve been fortunate to have the freedom to pursue various exciting projects, knowing that thought leadership brings positive outcomes to the organization. However, it can be challenging to navigate everything. CX Accelerator is my passion project on the side. I contribute to it as much as I can, but Arise is where most of my focus lies.  

We’re exploring how to create relevant, valuable content that highlights the incredible power of our service partners who are the backbone of what we do at Arise. They offer exceptional service and have found a remarkable work-life balance through remote work. Our goal is to facilitate the right connections between these talented individuals and the brands that need their expertise. It’s an exciting time to be in the gig economy space as more people embrace this flexible work model. 

What do you see as the main challenges in CX nowadays? 

There is a prevalent issue of short-term thinking in many businesses, driven by the quarterly revenue shareholder model. Unfortunately, customer experience does not neatly fit into that framework. CX is about cultivating long-term relationships, and while it offers a tremendous return on investment (ROI), it requires time to achieve. Often, CX leaders face the challenge of limited runway and patience from senior leadership, as well as insufficient investment. 

Many CX leaders struggle to prove the meaningful ROI of their initiatives. This struggle puts their impact and influence at risk, and there is a pressing need to demonstrate the value of their work clearly. The primary challenge is to connect the dots effectively and showcase the impact on loyalty in terms of employee experience and customer loyalty. This, in turn, affects crucial metrics such as share of wallet and customer lifetime value, ultimately driving business value. 

To overcome these challenges, CX leaders must undertake the task of connecting various dots. This could involve expanding their scope of control, upskilling themselves, or addressing organizational friction and resistance. It requires time and the cultivation of allies within the organization. Rather than forcefully pushing everyone into the CX mindset, it’s more effective to plant seeds of customer-centricity and gradually shape the culture. Even if not explicitly labeled as CX, getting people to think in a customer-centric way and prioritize the voice of the customer can make a significant impact. 

Why is there such a big resistance to change and why is it so difficult for CX leaders to drive organizational change? 

Change fatigue is a significant challenge in organizations. Every department and leader has their own agenda and priorities, creating a landscape of competing initiatives. Unfortunately, most of these change management endeavors, including digital transformations and cultural change initiatives, have a high failure rate. Demonstrating meaningful outcomes for the business is a daunting task. 

However, CX is not alone in this struggle. We must find a way to leverage CX as a Trojan horse and align it with other change initiatives that show promise. The goal is to simplify the process and identify areas of positive momentum where CX can be integrated. Rather than adding another item to people’s to-do lists, we should focus on unlocking their existing desires and guiding them to become ambassadors and guides for customers. 

The work of CX revolves around empowering people to be more capable of delivering exceptional experiences, instead of burdening them with additional tasks. It’s about tapping into their innate motivation and providing them with the tools and support they need. Simultaneously, it’s crucial to hire individuals who align with the values, culture, and mission of the business, individuals who genuinely want to do the right thing. By combining these elements, we can bring about transformative change while reducing friction and complexity in the organization. 

How do you see the use of technology in customer experience? What are the biggest opportunities for CX professionals leveraging their work through technology? 

I must admit that I’m not well-versed in generative AI and the buzz surrounding it. However, I find it intriguing and have been contemplating its implications. Jonathan Schroer, the Chief Innovation Officer at Arise, used a metaphor that resonated with me when discussing the future of customer service. He mentioned Jarvis from Iron Man, a helper who takes in various variables and guides the hero, in this case, the customer, toward their definition of success.  

As I delve deeper into the metaphor, I’ve been contemplating the true guide to Iron Man, which turns out to be Pepper Potts. Pepper provides the conscience and impetus behind Iron Man’s actions, emphasizing not just what he does but why he does it. Ultimately, Pepper’s influence leads to Iron Man’s sacrificial acts for the greater good. Brands can learn from this combination, harnessing the technological capabilities of Jarvis alongside the human touch represented by Pepper. It’s through this synergy that brands can be effective guides, amplifying co-creation possibilities with customers and making a significant impact. 

The opportunity to listen more effectively to customers is enormous right now. Traditional structured channels like surveys and customer interviews are becoming less effective. Instead, we need to tap into the unstructured customer feedback available in the world. Gathering valuable insights from unstructured data, which comprises the majority of customer feedback, is crucial. 

With advancements in VoC capabilities, we can combine unstructured data with structured data, enabling us to gain a more intelligent and holistic view of our customers’ thoughts and feelings. This comprehensive understanding empowers CX professionals to make a real difference in customers’ lives, enhancing their experience, and fostering loyalty. By proving the ROI of our work through VoC, we can demonstrate the value we bring to the organization. The power of VoC technology is truly exciting, and I believe we should celebrate it more. 

What is the secret of companies that excel in the Voice of the Customer? What are they doing differently from the rest? 

I’ve learned that being a great CX professional is not just about listening to the angry or happy customers. It’s about being present where the customers are talking. Take GoPro, for example. They understood the importance of engaging with their customers in third-party communities where people dissect brands and their value propositions, sometimes leading to a loss of credibility for those brands. 

GoPro took a different approach and started to actively participate in these communities, validating its members, and taking their feedback seriously. They made adjustments to their products, services, and messaging based on the insights they gained. They became heroes within that community by authentically listening and responding to their customers. It’s a testament to their maturity and ability to be where their customers are and actively engage with them. 

It’s essential for companies to learn from different industries and adopt best practices to improve their CX strategies. However, it’s not just about the companies; it’s also about individuals starting their careers in CX. My advice to them is not to make the same mistake I did. I used to approach CX with a confrontational attitude, trying to force people to care about it. It was ineffective, demotivating, and self-centered. 

Instead, CX professionals should adopt the Gandalf model rather than the Moses model. Like Gandalf, they should create a fellowship, bringing people together around a shared purpose and helping reduce friction across the business. They need to identify the brand’s core promise, unify employees around it, and work towards a more seamless customer journey. It’s about making the customer the hero and guiding the business to understand and support that journey. 

CX professionals shouldn’t focus solely on growing the CX function for its own sake. It’s about cultivating a customer-centric mentality across the entire organization. It’s about empowering others to serve customers better, providing the necessary context and guidelines. It’s not about the CX leader but about enabling others to do the right thing for the community of customers the business serves.  

How do you envision the future for your role within your organization and what are you looking forward to in the next five years? 

I believe we’re currently facing a significant epidemic of loneliness in our society. People are searching for meaningful connections and a sense of identity. In the realm of customer experience, I think the focus will increasingly be on fostering genuine connections and uniting individuals around a purposeful brand promise. 

I’m passionate about being a voice in this movement and driving positive change. I want to support and equip community moderators and cultivators, as that’s where my heart lies. Arise is an incredible community of service partners and businesses, and I strive to serve them in the best way possible. I want to enhance the experience for service partners, making it the very best it can be. My intention is to dedicate more of my energy to this area. 

My goal is to empower the next generation of customer experience professionals, both through Arise and CX Accelerator. I want to ensure that this work takes root and flourishes within the organizations we have the privilege to serve. Its importance cannot be overstated. If our work can improve and simplify people’s lives while fostering meaningful connections, it is our duty to succeed. In today’s disconnected and overwhelmed world, the need for customer experience leaders to make a genuine impact is greater than ever. 

Simultaneously, our efforts in customer experience are instrumental in driving business growth. It’s not just an altruistic endeavor; it’s how we earn the right to expand our businesses. The field of customer experience should be thriving, and professionals within it should feel fulfilled, happy, and excited about the work we do.  

To wrap up, what would you say is an essential skill that CX professionals should cultivate?  

One aspect that I believe is undervalued in the CX profession is curiosity. Cultivating a sense of curiosity and excitement about our work can be a powerful tool. Developing curiosity about how we can better serve our customers and fulfill our brand promise is crucial. Instead of simply instructing others, we should intentionally foster curiosity and develop capable thinkers who genuinely want to serve. 

Let me share a funny example that stuck with me. Two young guys were discussing how positioning a product on a particular shelf would improve the shopping experience. They observed that customers often had to search for it, and they brainstormed ways to make it more accessible. These guys were both cashiers at Trader Joe’s, not executives or managers. Yet, they were deeply invested in creating a better retail environment. 

This story highlights the impact of cultivating curiosity. Trader Joe’s had instilled in its frontline employees a sense of excitement about the positive difference they could make in customers’ lives. By empowering their employees to dream and encouraging innovative thinking, Trader Joe’s fostered a culture where great ideas could emerge from the frontline. The best innovations often come from those directly interacting with customers. Unfortunately, without developing curiosity, such opportunities can be missed. 

If we can inspire people to dream about serving customers better, we’ll be in an excellent position as CX leaders. Encouraging curiosity and empowering employees to think innovatively is vital. Ultimately, it leads to a more fulfilling and impactful customer experience. 

Nate Brown

Nate Brown is a sought-after speaker, author, and influencer in the CX community. With a passion for all things customer-related, Nate has dedicated his career to helping organizations understand and improve the customer journey. As the Senior Director of Customer Experience at Arise Virtual Solutions, Nate plays a vital role in accelerating CX transformations for diverse types of organizations. Nate is also the co-founder of CX Accelerator, a non-profit community that supports and connects CX professionals. Through his commitment to customer-centricity and his dedication to building a strong CX community, Nate continues to make a significant impact on the world of customer experience. His work and contributions have helped organizations and professionals alike in their pursuit of exceptional customer experiences.

The logistics industry is renowned for its fast-paced and complex operations and can provide valuable lessons and best practices for delivering exceptional customer experiences. In this interview, we delve into the valuable perspectives of Taylor Cannon on the importance of customer-centricity and the strategies that drive success in the logistics world and beyond.

Can you tell us about your journey? How did you end up working with CX? 

My exposure to customer success and CX started back in 2018 when I was working at UPS. At that time, customer experience was a new concept for our organization. I was part of a team of four people, pioneering the concept of customer experience within our entity at UPS.  

Our team’s sole focus was on improving customer experience within our organization. We worked on various initiatives and efforts to enhance CX in different areas of the company. Although concepts like CX, NPS, and Agile methodology were new to me, I grew to love working on them through our team’s accomplishments. Within a year and a half, we made significant improvements using Agile methodology and a small team. 

Evangelizing the concept of customer experience and its importance became our mission. We aimed to show how everyone, even if not directly interacting with customers, could impact their experience. These conversations and challenges shaped my understanding of customer experience while being new to the organization. 

Last year, I took a leap of faith and left UPS to join my current organization. My primary challenge was kickstarting a voice-of-customer program. This involved learning about the new organization, selecting an experience management vendor, integrating the vendor platform, and establishing surveys and feedback loops across different business units. It was an intense period of establishing the importance and significance of these initiatives to various teams. 

What does your day-to-day work look like in your current role? 

This year our focus is to maintain the feedback loop programs we’ve established and involve more business units in our voice of customer program. Our main goal now is to emphasize and spread the customer-centric mentality throughout the organization. 

On a typical day, my responsibilities include managing the distribution of surveys for different business units across the organization. I follow up with leadership in each business unit regarding feedback loop efforts, initiatives, and the insights we receive related to themes, trends, and pain points. Collaboration with other teams is crucial, particularly in terms of educating them about the voice of the customer program and conducting training sessions.  

Additionally, I prioritize my own continuous education to stay updated on the latest developments in the field of customer experience. Keeping up with industry trends and best practices allows me to represent that knowledge and engage in meaningful conversations with my internal teams. 

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges for CX nowadays that you see in your work but that other companies and other CX leaders might also be facing? 

One of the significant challenges I’ve encountered is navigating the different silos within our organization. This is a common issue that has been acknowledged by other CX groups I’m involved with. Breaking down these business unit silos has proven to be quite challenging, especially given the nature of our business and the structure of our organization. 

Due to multiple mergers and acquisitions, our organization is like a puzzle with many pieces. It has been a struggle to create structured programs that can effectively work across all types of business units. This has created roadblocks and hindered the efficient utilization of our customer information and operational data. 

A particular frustration arises from the difficulty in aligning the valuable customer data and sentiment information we receive from our vendor. Unfortunately, our vendor has not been integrated into our internal systems due to internal issues. As a result, a lot of manual work is required, including manual data uploading and contact management. We don’t have real-time data access and are dependent on the last uploaded information. 

The combination of business unit silos and the lack of effective use of customer information and operations data poses significant challenges that need to be addressed to improve our overall CX efforts. 

Why do you think it is so hard to drive change and make the voice of customer heard? Why are organizations so resistant to change from a CX point of view? 

There are several challenges that I believe contribute to the difficulties we face in managing customer experience (CX) effectively. One significant piece of the puzzle is the lack of education and knowledge surrounding CX, both among internal stakeholders and business leaders. 

When I first embarked on my journey with CX at UPS, I encountered resistance from internal stakeholders who struggled to grasp the concept and differentiate it from customer service. This lack of knowledge extends to business leaders, especially at the C-suite and executive level, who play a crucial role in making financial decisions. If they don’t understand or buy into the importance of CX and the voice of the customer, it becomes challenging to secure the necessary resources for our initiatives. 

Education, therefore, emerges as a crucial aspect of addressing these challenges. Another obstacle I’ve noticed is the lack of immediate return on investment (ROI) for business leaders. CX initiatives require time and sustained effort to yield significant changes. One survey or a round of qualitative responses won’t bring about instant transformations. This becomes particularly challenging in a slower economy like 2023, where cost-cutting is a priority. 

Furthermore, there’s a lack of resources and company investment in CX, which ties back to the difficulty in gaining buy-in from employees. This lack of employee engagement is directly connected to the earlier-mentioned education gap. When employees don’t understand the “why” and the importance of CX, it becomes an uphill battle, as they are the ones interacting with clients and customers, crucial for building long-term relationships. 

Even minor actions, such as being rude to a customer or failing to follow up promptly, can have a multiplied negative effect on the change management efforts we’re trying to implement. These challenges highlight the interconnected nature of education, resource allocation, employee buy-in, and the need for immediate ROI to drive effective CX management. 

How does technology help you daily in your work? And what do you see as the trends in technology specifically for your function in CX? 

When we selected our current solution, the reasons were its position as a top player in the industry and its potential for growth. We initially started small, focusing on core experience management such as survey sending and feedback loops. However, what excited me was the possibility of expanding and using other more advanced CX features.  

I envisioned the ability to connect external feedback with how our employees and internal stakeholders feel, allowing us to make necessary changes, provide training and coaching, and drive improvements. This internal transformation would then reflect in the experience we offer to our clients. 

Our current solution provides me insights into the voice of the customer, customer loyalty, and how we are perceived based on the surveys we send out. As we roll out self-service options to our clients, I hope to gather feedback on their experiences and strategically align it with our overall strategy. This creates a feedback loop environment where insights from both external and internal sources contribute to our continuous improvement efforts. 

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in customer experience? 

My advice is to embrace that initial excitement. It’s important not to get overwhelmed by the vast amount of work that needs to be done. Starting small and focusing on the basics is key. It’s crucial to educate yourself continuously, stay up to date with the latest trends, and understand key concepts, like net promoter score (NPS) and customer satisfaction (CSAT). 

Remember, this is still a relatively new concept, and it can be tempting to compare yourself to others who seem far ahead. But each company is unique, and what works for others may not work for yours. Give yourself some grace and understand that progress takes time, especially in organizations with thousands of people. 

Stay focused on the ultimate goal and keep your eye on the prize. Show the importance of CX and the return on investment (ROI) over time. If you can get buy-in from your business leaders and executive teams early on, it will alleviate the pressure of proving yourself constantly. Celebrate your wins and share them with others in the organization. This will not only ignite more excitement within yourself but also inspire others to join the journey. 

How do you see your department’s role in relation to your company’s goals for the next five years? 

I believe there will be a greater focus on customer experience, voice of the customer, and the importance of long-term customer relationships. In my company, there has already been positive progress in these areas. Moving away from short-term relationships to prioritizing long-term customer satisfaction will ultimately lead to more financial success for the organization. 

I feel fortunate that our President truly believes in the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and understands that it goes beyond just those three letters. NPS encompasses a broader scope, and I can see the organization’s knowledge and recognition of the importance of overall customer experience and customer satisfaction grow. 

As we continue to emphasize the value and return on investment (ROI) that comes with focusing on these aspects, I envision opportunities for team growth. Although I currently have one direct report, I foresee the potential for expansion as we demonstrate the significance of our work and its positive impact on the organization. 

Specifically for our company, as our objective is customer and carrier satisfaction in the logistics industry, there is a strong alignment and support for the efforts I’m undertaking. By emphasizing and showcasing the ROI we achieve through these initiatives, we can gain more support and resources for our ongoing work. 

To wrap up, what are you looking forward to regarding the future of CX? 
 
I believe there is still so much more to come in the immediate years and even in the next 5 to 10 years. Personally, I am most excited about the technological advancements in customer experience. 

Currently, our organization is in the early stages, and much of the work I do is manual. However, I anticipate that with team growth and increased knowledge, we will have more individuals to support these initiatives. This will enable us to fully leverage the analysis tools and resources provided by our software provider, allowing us to be more real-time in our actions and feedback loop. Ultimately, I hope that our customers and clients will recognize the efforts we put into these areas and become loyal returning customers. 

In the supply chain world, where interactions are often transactional, it is crucial to emphasize long-term relationships. As the logistics industry evolves, especially post-COVID, we need to prioritize building these lasting connections. While my perspective may be specific to logistics, I am optimistic that there is still so much untapped potential and room for growth in our approach to customer experience. We have only scratched the surface of what is possible. 

Taylor Cannon

Taylor Cannon is an accomplished professional currently serving as the Director of Customer Advocacy at Transportation Insight. With a strong background in customer-focused roles, she has made significant contributions throughout her career. Taylor’s experience includes managing digital solutions at UPS, where she provided consulting and insights to customers and led implementation efforts. She also played a key role in enhancing customer experience and streamlining processes. With a diverse background in account management, customer service, and international cultural exchange, Taylor brings a unique perspective to her role.

Andrea Penta’s journey from community organizer to Quality Program Lead at FCP Euro has provided her with unique insights and a passion for enhancing customer satisfaction. In this interview, we delve into the world of customer-centricity. Discover Andrea’s perspectives on the importance of empathy, data-driven innovation, and proactive problem-solving in customer experience transformation.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey and how you ended up working in CX? 

During my time in college, my first job was as a community organizer. I would go door-to-door, encouraging people to contribute to campaigns and write letters to their senators. After one of the campaigns, I found myself in need of a job, and that’s when I learned about a call center opportunity. This particular call center focused on selling car parts for German and Swedish cars. Having transferable skills from my community organizing experience, such as confidence in conveying information and ensuring customers understood, I decided to give it a try. I worked at that call center for about 5-6 years before moving on to a different company in a similar role. 

At the new company, FCP Euro, I work in the service department. I have been with the company for four years. My first position was a frontline role, answering phone calls and dealing with various customer issues. This was a transition from a sales-oriented job to a more service-oriented one. Instead of solely closing deals, I focused on ensuring customer satisfaction and problem-solving any issues the customer might be experiencing. This shift in perspective was refreshing, and it made me realize the need for a quality program in the call center. In my previous call center, success was measured by sales, but here, we needed a way to objectively measure performance. 

That’s when I moved into a quality assurance role on the customer service side. I developed a rubric for quality audits to ensure a more objective assessment of performance. It was important to quantify excellence in a way that went beyond subjective opinions. My expertise lies in transforming aspects of customer service into measurable numbers, providing valuable insights for improvement. 

What are the aspects of your job that you find most appealing and have motivated you to remain in this career? Specifically, what do you enjoy the most about working in the service industry? 

The nature of my job is what I find most captivating. Each interaction is unique, like a puzzle waiting to be solved. There’s an element of unpredictability, not knowing what each call will entail or what challenges I may encounter. This sense of excitement drives me, and I genuinely enjoy the opportunity to solve problems and provide assistance. It may sound cliché, but it’s true – I derive satisfaction from helping people. In every service-oriented role, there’s that spark of fulfillment when the problem is resolved. 

What do you perceive as the primary challenges in the CX industry, particularly in terms of service? 

Maintaining a human element is a significant challenge in this industry. Sometimes, with the pressure to handle more tasks or manage high call volumes, it’s easy to forget that there are real people on the other end of the line. It’s crucial to constantly remind ourselves of this fact and prioritize empathy, understanding, and conveying a human touch across various communication channels, which include email and chat. Balancing the need for efficiency and volume while meeting people’s high expectations for exceptional service presents additional difficulties. We must strive to fulfil all these demands while still being authentic humans ourselves and maintaining professionalism in our interactions. 

What does your day-to-day work look like? Could you provide insights into your work routine, including the metrics you monitor and how you collaborate with your team? 

I work closely with the team leads in our customer service department which consists of five teams divided based on different channels. We have three phone teams, a ticket team, and a chat team. Each channel has its own quality rubric for assessment. Every week, the team leads manually audit 10 reviews per customer service agent. It’s my responsibility to analyze the data and schedule one-on-one sessions with team members to identify areas for improvement.  

Additionally, I handle service recovery. When we receive reviews rated one to three, I reach out to the customer to address their concerns, provide explanations, and assure them that we’re rectifying the situation. Mistakes happen, and it’s crucial to demonstrate accountability and show customers how we’re resolving their issues. This feedback loop not only helps the customers but also aids in educating the customer service agents on what should have been done differently.  

It can be cringe-worthy to listen to calls at times, but it’s also endearing because it fosters a supportive environment where agents can learn from their mistakes. Building rapport with the team and letting them know that making mistakes is okay is essential. After all, I once accidentally said “I love you” to a customer before hanging up, so if anyone understands making mistakes, it’s me. 

How does technology assist you in your work and make your life easier? Could you share the tools you utilize and elaborate on how you ensure increased efficiency and productivity through the use of technology? 

Our CRM system allows us to handle tickets, phone calls, and emails. It provides us with valuable data on the performance of customer service agents. We can track metrics such as the number of tickets resolved, the number of interactions needed to solve an issue, missed calls, and answered calls. 

Using this technology, I gain a comprehensive understanding of each customer service agent. For example, if I see that an agent wasn’t online for the required hours during the week, it explains why they may have answered fewer calls and missed their targets. Similarly, if the average handle time is high, it alerts us to potential issues in call control and conversation management that could impact performance. 

Overall, technology makes my job easier by providing real-time insights into how agents are performing. While we don’t use invasive technologies like screen capture, we focus on metrics such as customer satisfaction (CSAT), average handle time, first response time for chats, and overall interaction duration. These numbers help us identify areas for improvement and understand customer interactions more deeply. 

Technology also helps us maintain a high-quality level of service with a distributed workforce. It’s amazing how we can streamline and maintain service quality by collaborating with outsourced companies and partners across the world. Working with people from different parts of the globe and still delivering consistent information and a human touch to our customers is impressive. It’s intriguing to see the human element maintained in our company, even with the use of technology. 

How is the visibility of metrics provided to the agents regarding their own performance? Do they have access to these metrics themselves, or is it managed by someone else? How does this system work? 

At the beginning of each week, the agents receive an automated email from the data team. This email provides them with all their performance statistics and compares them to the team’s targets and top performers. For example, if an agent sees that they answered 150 calls in a week while the best performer answered 205, it is our hope that it motivates them to improve their performance. The email also adds a fun competitive aspect to the metrics. They become motivated to catch up to their friends and surpass their performance. It’s important to note that these emails are sent weekly, so it’s not overwhelming for agents to receive daily reminders. It’s also taken into account if an agent had PTO or other factors that may affect their performance. The purpose of providing this visibility is to ensure that agents are aware of their performance and that their reviews become a constructive conversation rather than a surprise. 

What advice would you give to someone who is just getting started and wants to pursue a career in this field for the long term? 

I believe one of the initial things to mention is the importance of regulating your emotions when starting out in this field. While it’s essential to grasp the technical aspects of the job, such as navigating systems and locating information, it’s equally crucial to learn how to de-escalate customer interactions and recognize when your stress levels are rising. Taking a moment between calls to breathe and compose yourself can make a significant difference in navigating through challenging situations. 

Another piece of advice is to be mindful of time management. If you find yourself overwhelmed and unable to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously, it’s beneficial to prioritize and address the most urgent matters first. By pausing other tasks temporarily and focusing on what requires immediate attention, you can maintain a more effective workflow. 

AI is advancing rapidly, and its impact on customer service is significant. How has it already assisted you in your work, and what do you believe are the most promising opportunities for further AI development that would enhance your productivity and efficiency? 

We have a bot on our website that directs customers to self-service options. It’s been quite helpful for us. We’ve also been exploring the use of artificial intelligence to guide customers to relevant knowledge base articles and FAQs on our web pages. I haven’t delved deep into AI specifically for quality assurance, but I know there are ways to analyze different types of interactions. There are AI tools available that can automate quality assurance evaluations based on specific parameters and decision trees. 

Implementing AI in my role would greatly assist in handling more complex and human-centric issues, such as addressing problematic orders or situations where emotions come into play. It would be valuable for coaching purposes and enhancing the work of our quality assurance professionals. I’ve even come across instances where IT prompters provide real-time assistance during calls. They can discreetly whisper suggestions or reminders, which I find amazing.  

Considering your role and department, how does it align with the future objectives of your company? Are you gaining or losing priority or space? 

So, the vision of our company is to become the world’s most trusted source for European vehicle ownership, maintenance, and repair. For us, customer service and experience are at the heart of this vision. When you reach out to us, you can be confident that you’re speaking to enthusiasts who truly understand cars, your vehicle, and share your passion. We pay attention to who we’re talking to and strive to create personalized interactions. 

It’s really exciting to work for a company that values the importance of customer experience. By ensuring a positive customer experience and making sure that every interaction, whether it’s through phone, email, or chat, we reflect the fact that we are real people is crucial. Our goal is to provide the right answers to our customers, even if we don’t have them at the tip of our tongues. We are committed to finding the information they need and delivering it promptly.  

To answer your question about gaining or losing space, investing in our people is a fundamental aspect of our company’s approach. I am maintaining my space, continuing to work with our customer service team, reminding them to remain cool, calm and collected, and most importantly, human. 

Andrea Penta

Andrea Penta is a dedicated Quality Program Lead with a strong background in the automotive industry. With experience in nonprofit organizations, event planning, customer service, public speaking, and fundraising, Andrea brings a diverse skill set to her role. After working on the frontline, Andrea transitioned to a quality assurance role, devising a comprehensive rubric for conducting performance audits. Andrea’s passion lies in transforming the customer service experience into tangible numbers. With her expertise, she continuously strives to enhance operational performance and exceed customer expectations.

What’s the secret to creating frictionless and delightful customer experiences? In this interview with Sandip Gupta, a self-proclaimed “Accidental Customer Experience Professional,” he shares insights, experiences, and talks about the importance of empathy, innovation, creativity, and problem-solving in customer experience transformation.

Can you tell us about your journey? How did you start working with CX? 

I have had quite a journey in my professional career. It started back in 2014 when I joined a consulting organization as a business analyst and consultant. At that time, I was pursuing my master’s and had a keen interest in business analysis and analytics. BA is a discipline focused on identifying business needs, and problem-solving and it is a means to bridge the gap between the development team and business, facilitating effective communication. 

When I landed this opportunity, I was ecstatic. It felt like the perfect fit for me, and I enjoyed helping clients understand the product and deliver applications tailored to their needs. We had a process in place to capture clients’ feedback and suggestions in an agile ecosystem. 

Initially, it was just a job for me, something I liked but didn’t fully comprehend as a whole industry. It was only later that I realized the significance of continuous feedback and its impact on customer experience. After about 1.5 years, I transitioned to a company that focused solely on customer experience. I often refer to myself as an “Accidental Customer Experience Professional” because I hadn’t initially intended to enter this field. However, joining that company marked the beginning of my journey in the CX  space, solidifying my belief in its importance. 

Now, after nine years, I find myself working as a customer experience transformation specialist in a senior management role within a tech organization. Since the beginning of my CX journey, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Fortune 500 companies, explore the CX space, learn new skill sets, and fully understand the human experience. This journey has been truly enriching, allowing me to make a positive impact on customers’ lives by addressing their needs and making their interactions with brands more seamless and delightful. 

What do you see as the main challenges for CX nowadays from your experience working with customers but also from your research as a “CX nerd”? 

One common challenge is finding the right balance between digital experiences and human interaction. In today’s digital age, brands are focused on creating seamless digital experiences, but they often overlook the importance of human touch and interactions. While we can implement various processes and tools to assist customers, human interaction is irreplaceable. Brands sometimes fail to strike the right balance between digital and human elements, which affects the overall customer experience. 

Moreover, having effective channels of communication with customers is crucial. Customers no longer want to be limited to phone calls; they expect options like SMS, WhatsApp, and other digital platforms. Brands should offer multiple channels for interaction based on customers’ preferences. Unfortunately, some brands struggle to deliver a consistent and seamless experience across different platforms, creating inconsistencies that impact customer satisfaction. 

Additionally, the concept of employee experience has gained importance lately. Organizations are realizing the value of the employee experience. Employees play a crucial role in brand promise, and t should be valued as we focus on our customers. Acknowledging and prioritizing employee experience is a critical aspect that many organizations are still grappling with.  

“Employee Experience ∝ Customer Experience “ 

Employee experience is directly connected to customer experience, so if. brands can keep their employees happy, they will go above and beyond to keep customers happy.

Furthermore, data management has become a significant challenge. The amount of data available today is staggering compared to a few years ago. With various channels and interactions, data has exploded exponentially. However, it is not enough for brands to collect vast amounts of data through surveys and other means. The real challenge lies in taking meaningful action based on that data. Many brands struggle to effectively utilize the data they possess, hindering their ability to improve and meet customer expectations.

You mentioned data management and analysis as one of the main challenges for CX nowadays. In your opinion, what would be the best approach for companies to utilize their existing data to better understand and deliver increased value to their customers? 

Many companies focus on data collection but fail to leverage it effectively. My suggestion is to start by “analyzing the data you already have”. By understanding customer sentiments and pain points, companies can revamp their processes, and create personas, empathy maps, and journey maps to enhance the customer experience. 

However, I acknowledge that implementing change and transforming the organization’s mindset can be a significant challenge. Overcoming resistance to change and making process improvements are key steps in utilizing the ample amount of data collected. It is crucial to take action rather than just collecting data without any tangible results. When organizations have already vast amounts of data, I strongly recommend that they stop collecting feedback and reassess their approach, seeking guidance from CX leaders and conducting workshops to inject a customer-centric mindset and strategize action plans throughout the organization. 

What do you see as the biggest technology trends in CX? What kinds of tools CX leaders can use to effectively gather data for implementing strategies that drive ROI? 

Customer experience is a process that involves various elements, such as customer interactions, data, and outcomes. When it comes to technology trends in CX, there are several key areas, including data management, survey building, communication channels, and reporting. They all come together to provide a comprehensive view of the customer journey. They allow businesses to understand their performance, track metrics, and make informed decisions at different levels, from the CEO seeking an overview of the entire business to regional managers assessing regional performance. The ultimate goal is to holistically support the end-to-end customer journey and deliver the brand promise. 

What is your typical workflow when you start working with a new client? 

When starting with a new client, the process usually begins with workshops and meetings involving the point of contact or C-suite executives. If the client already recognizes that they have a problem, so it’s important for us to understand their specific challenges. I typically engage in conversations with these individuals to gain insight into their perspectives and the challenges they are facing. This level of understanding is crucial because it helps us delve deeper into the actual problem. 

To fully comprehend the challenges and pain points, we also talk to frontline agents. Sometimes, if we don’t gather enough information initially, we communicate with these individuals to gain a more comprehensive understanding and build a problem statement. 

The challenges can vary, but it’s essential to determine which challenge is most critical for the client, particularly one that may be affecting their brand promise. Therefore, we first need to understand their brand promise and then prioritize addressing the challenge that is hindering the customer experience. 

After identifying the key challenge, we begin the process of creating or digging deeper to develop suitable solutions. However, it’s important to note that there are rarely definitive, one-size-fits-all solutions in the field of customer experience. Each industry and brand have their own ecosystem and variables that impact their business. Due to their unique circumstances, what works for one brand may not necessarily work for another. Therefore, we create multiple solutions and test them to find the optimal one. 

What opportunities do you perceive in the rapidly evolving field of AI? Specifically in CX, can you share any ideas or concepts that you believe will undergo significant changes with the advancement of AI in the future? 

I have mixed feelings about AI. The reason behind my ambivalence is because of how organizations are currently envisioning and using it. I believe that AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact, but it cannot fully replace human touch and interactions. Human interaction is an essential element that cannot be removed from any process. 

In my understanding, AI should serve as a support system to enhance our processes and interactions with customers. While there are areas where automation can be beneficial, such as quickly analyzing and responding to customer queries based on historical context, human involvement is still necessary. Approximately 40% of people may be content connecting with chatbots, but 50% prefer human interaction. No technology can entirely replace or replicate the value of human connection, feeling, and empathy 

There are ways AI can assist us in this industry, such as personalization and predictive analysis for future trends. Additionally, voice-based interactions can play a role. For instance, I attended an RFP where a tool accurately predicted customer sentiment in real time through chat-based communication. This allowed for adjusting the tone and delivering a better customer experience. It was an impressive customer sentiment-driven solution. 

Other AI applications, like natural language fraud detection, can contribute to process accuracy and quality. However, these remain secondary and supportive of our ultimate goal of delivering on our brand promise. Human interaction is irreplaceable, so I firmly believe in its importance. 

What advice would you give to your younger self or someone starting their career in CX, knowing what you know now? How can they make the most of their career in CX? 

The crux of CX and customer service is empathy. Many young professionals are drawn to CX because it’s a trending field with high pay, on average. However, people often fail to understand the true essence of CX, which is having empathy for customers. 

To excel in this career, it is crucial to value empathy and to develop it as a natural part of your interactions with customers. Understanding customers’ needs and emotions is paramount to serving them effectively. Additionally, active listening and comprehension are essential skills for CX professionals. Many fail to meet customer expectations because they don’t truly listen to them. Patience, attentive listening, and understanding their pain points are crucial aspects of the role. 

Another important aspect is being open to feedback. This can be challenging for many professionals, including myself when I was starting out. Learning to value feedback as a “gift” is essential for personal growth and improvement. 

Lastly, always strive to improve yourself by embracing feedback and learning from others. Openness to change is very important in this field as it leads to personal and professional development. 

Mastering these skills and principles will enhance your understanding of customers, enable you to deliver on brand promises, and build trust. Ultimately, the goal of CX is to create moments of joy and satisfaction for customers, where they feel happy with the product or service provided. Remember as a Customer Experience practitioner, you have a great responsibility, playing the role of a navigator or guide for your organizing helping them to build strong relationships with people around you and deliver great experiences. 

Sandip Gupta

Sandip Gupta is a seasoned professional with over 9 years of experience in Customer Experience (CX), CX Transformation, Customer Journey Mapping, and Business Analytics. With a passion for experience management and a belief in the power of employee and customer-centricity, Sandip strives to make human experiences frictionless and delightful. Having successfully delivered high-quality CEM and BI solutions for Fortune 100 companies across diverse industries such as B2B, Healthcare, Financial, Telecom, and Retail, Sandip is well-versed in furnishing decision-makers with informed, factual, and accurate insights for making strategic business decisions.

In the ever-evolving landscape of the B2B market, customer retention is a paramount challenge for businesses striving to maintain a competitive edge. Enter Tarja Lähdemäki, an esteemed consultant from Finland with a wealth of experience in guiding B2B companies towards customer-centricity and deeper understanding of their clients’ needs. In this interview, we delve into her expertise and she speaks about the strategies she employs to help businesses forge lasting connections with their customers.

Can you tell us about your journey? How did you end up working in CX? 

I have been in this field for a long time, tracing back to the 90s. As a young professional with a master’s degree in international marketing, I joined a telecom company called Telecom Finland, today known as Telia. Early on, I was tasked with creating target groups for a large-scale campaign targeting around 200,000 small and medium-sized companies. Despite not having learned this skill in school, I took on the challenge, learning to use the necessary tools within two days. 

From that point forward, I immersed myself in customer data, market research, and segmentation, primarily in the B2B sector. Over a span of 14 years, I specialized in developing target groups for sales and marketing purposes. Even back then, we embraced marketing automation, albeit with different tools than what we have today. I invested in CRM and marketing automation technologies, expanding my knowledge of the field. 

After leaving TeliaSonera in 2008, I transitioned into consulting as a business customer experience professional. My work extended to both B2B and B2C contexts, collaborating with agencies and digital service design firms. However, my primary focus remained on customer research and delivering exceptional customer experiences. 

How does a typical day look like for you at work? When you start a project, what steps do you go through when working with your clients? 

There is no typical day for me because our B2B customers are quite diverse. Most of our clients are in the technology sector, including IT and cloud companies. When it comes to working with our clients, we primarily focus on developing customer insight and experience including also (CX) measuring modules. We also conduct a lot of customer voice sessions, deep interviews, and market studies through research and surveys. 

When starting a project, we request background information from our clients about their customers. We want to know what kind of surveys or studies they have conducted and what they already know about their customers. This serves as the foundation for our work. Gathering this information varies from case to case. Sometimes the client has limited knowledge, while other times they possess a wealth of customer insights. 

You work with clients at various stages of maturity in their customer experience journey. What are the key challenges these clients encounter and why do they turn to you for help? 

Our clients usually reach out to us when they realize that they are no longer experiencing growth. They often struggle with understanding why this is happening and how to attract new customers. The main reason they contact us is that they believe gaining a better understanding of their customers can help address these challenges. 

When clients approach us, they are looking for guidance on what they should know about their customers, how to start gathering that information, and what steps to take. They feel puzzled and uncertain about how to create customer value, which happens to be my favourite topic. Customer value refers to the value that customers perceive when they interact with a company. It can encompass emotional, social, economic, and functional value. Companies need to understand that by creating value for their customers, they can eventually generate revenue. It’s important to note that money follows the creation of value, not the other way around. 

One of the biggest challenges for directors in B2B companies is recognizing that customers are no longer just objects to sell and market to. Customers want to co-create with companies, be involved, and have their voices heard. This is especially true for younger generations. They ask questions such as, “Why should I buy from you? Do you care about the environment? Do you share our values?” Emotional value also plays a significant role in both B2C and B2B contexts. 

Even in B2B interactions, it’s crucial to remember that it’s always human to human. Employees of organizations are human beings outside of their professional roles. When making purchasing decisions, they consider their employers’ goals, the organization’s purpose, and the services they need to succeed. Understanding these dynamics is essential for effective sales and marketing in the B2B sphere. It’s a complex process that requires a deep understanding of customer value and the human aspect of business interactions.  

When companies are seeking to comprehend the reasons behind declining sales or customer attrition, they frequently resort to market research. However, these organizations often fail to effective leverage data about their existing customers. In your opinion, what are the opportunities that arise from utilizing this existing customer data?  

Having a clear understanding of the customer value promise is crucial. Many customer promises tend to be vague, but it’s important to have a specific value promise that aligns with the organization’s purpose, target audience, and how it serves them. 

To succeed, a company must know its target customers and their perception of the business. By tailoring the value promise accordingly and measuring the customer experience, the company can fulfil its promise. Without measuring, the company remains unaware of how customers perceive its value and service. 

Surprisingly, many companies lack clear value promises. When engaging with potential clients, I often check their website for a customer value promise. If it’s missing, it indicates that they don’t have one. A value promise should be understandable, meaningful, and differentiate the organization from its competitors. 

A clear value promise sets the company apart from the competition. When customers can’t perceive any difference between organizations, price becomes the only factor. Engaging in a price competition leads to choosing the lowest price, perpetuating a race to the bottom. Winning in a price competition is challenging because constantly lowering prices doesn’t typically yield favourable outcomes for the company. 

You mentioned the importance of measuring the customer experience to avoid being in the dark. Once a company has established a proper value proposition, they may want to measure the customer experience to identify any gaps or issues. What would be the best approach to gather data on the customer experience? 

I recommend using various methods for measuring the customer experience, including customer voice and deep diving into customer motives and expectations. After conducting customer listening sessions, it is important to validate the insights gathered through service questionnaires or surveys. This helps ensure consistency and provides a broader perspective by including a larger number of customers. 

Oftentimes, conducting in-depth interviews with a large number of customers is not feasible due to time constraints. One option is to start with a quantitative survey to obtain initial insights. However, people are often reluctant to provide detailed feedback and prefer quick checkbox responses. You can include open-ended questions in surveys but acknowledge that most respondents may be too lazy to write extensive responses. And the ones who do respond tend to be motivated by strong emotions, whether positive or negative.  

Both research methods are needed as they serve different purposes. Qualitative research allows for a deep dive into specific experiences, while quantitative research validates findings among a larger customer base. Both approaches are necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer experience. 

What advice would you give to someone starting in Customer Experience? 

As a young professional, I would ask the employer about our value promise to customers. I would challenge the Board of Directors, my boss, and everyone involved in customer interactions to clarify what exactly we are promising. What value are we creating for our customers? What kind of value do we commit to delivering? 

I would suggest striving to follow that path, as I mentioned earlier, and demanding answers regarding value creation. We should focus on differentiated and meaningful value and how we differentiate ourselves from other service providers. 

Additionally, we should aim for a specific customer experience. We need to ask for permission to start measuring and create a model to track it. Without these elements, it is difficult to work as a CX (Customer Experience) professional. 

I understand that this poses a significant challenge because many companies do not have these practices in place. 

It’s important to note that my experience, spanning over 30 years, primarily lies in the B2B (business-to-business) domain. 

How do you perceive the role of your business in relation to your clients’ objectives for the future? How can companies become more proactive and anticipate their retention challenges before it becomes an issue? 

Companies need to be more interested in their customers. It’s not enough to just tell them that you are interested. The realization I often have during customer interviews, is that the service provider I work for should already know what this customer is telling me. 

It’s important to engage with your customers beyond just discussions around our own products or solutions. This is the greatest challenge in B2B sales. Salespeople should think more thoroughly what could be interesting to their customers and aim to have a real understanding of their customers’ businesses and the specific challenges they aim to solve.  

To be able to solve your customers’ business challenges, you must first understand their businesses well enough. Then, you have to offer solutions to those problems. But it’s not about simply cobbling together products A, B, and C and claiming it solves their problems. The customer might ask, ‘What problem?’ 

To succeed, you not only need to understand, but you also need to be understandable. You have to listen to your customers and be eager to dig deeper. You should strive to create solutions and provide value. Because if you fail to do that, someone else will step in and create value for your customers.  

What is the difference between a company that genuinely listens to its customers and one that is solely focused on its own product?  

So, the companies that don’t listen to their customers end up engaging in a price fight. They constantly lower their prices, but ultimately, they may face failure because it’s not sustainable to keep reducing prices and remain profitable. It’s as simple as that. However, if you listen to your customers and understand the value they seek, you can strive to develop more value for them, leading to better pricing for your products or services. You can grow together with your customers by creating value in collaboration. In fact, some companies excel at this and go beyond by creating entirely new value that wouldn’t exist without their efforts. This is what we call innovation. Such companies do exist today, and they are able to grasp the importance of understanding and responding to customer needs. 

Tarja Lähdemäki

Tarja Lähdemäki has more than 20 years of experience promoting customer-oriented business at both a strategic and hands-on level in marketing, sales and as a consultant. With a remarkable track record in leveraging research to drive meaningful insights, Tarja has revolutionized the way organizations in Finland approach customer retention. From her unique perspective on the power of research to her practical insights on nurturing customer relationships, Tarja Lähdemäki sheds light on the transformative potential of adopting a customer-centric approach to business strategy.

How can customer experience leaders justify their investments and drive meaningful change within organizations? In this interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Sally Mildren, CEO and Managing Partner of Boss Lady Consulting, to explore the key metrics that CX leaders must understand to align their initiatives with primary business drivers, as well as the vital role of cultural buy-in in successful customer experience transformation.

Can you start by telling a bit about your journey, how did you end up working in customer experience? 

As the marketing director for a large health insurance company, I began to notice consistent feedback from our customers and partners about the same friction points. The customer experience was divided into six different divisions, and each division would handle a different aspect of the customer journey. However, I noticed that people were fixing the same issues without ever collaborating or understanding the root cause. This lack of coordination led to a fragmented approach to problem-solving that failed to address the bigger picture. 

To address the issue, I proposed a pilot program for customer experience that would bring all the divisions under one leader – myself. I was then appointed Vice President of Customer Experience, and my responsibilities expanded from marketing outreach to managing over 100 staff members and being responsible for call centre, member and provider services, complaints, and even employee engagement. It was a challenging transition, but I was excited to have the opportunity to identify disconnected and disparate solutions that were not moving the needle for the staff or clients. 

As a result of our efforts, we were able to improve our customer experience scores by an average of about 35% in two years. The key to our success was that we could engage the culture, brand, and communication to members and staff. By having a holistic approach to customer experience, we could address the root causes of the problems, leading to long-term solutions that benefitted the staff and clients. The experience of leading the customer experience program was enriching for me as a leader, and I learned the importance of collaboration and understanding the bigger picture to achieve sustainable success. 

You mentioned an increase of 35% in your customer experience scores, how did you measure that? 

In the US, there are certain regulatory standards that a health insurance company must meet in order to obtain better reimbursements. In our case, we conducted studies on employee engagement, member satisfaction, and provider satisfaction. We looked at questions related to likelihood to recommend, intention to defect, customer service satisfaction, and overall experience satisfaction. We found about four or five questions that showed a strong correlation across all three measurement tools. We then focused on addressing these areas to improve the experience for all three groups. To make progress quickly, we used surveys and implemented internal processes in our call center, such as tracking average handle time, first call resolution, and conducting quality spot checks. We also monitored the number of complaints and whether they decreased. As a result, our retention rate increased from around 40% to 80% in two years generating millions of dollars in revenue.  

How did you transition from leading an internal CX team to becoming a consultant? Why did you decide to make that move, and what does your day-to-day work look like now? 

Through my experiences, particularly in healthcare, I began to realize that it’s challenging to bring about genuine insights, transitions, and operational changes from within an organization. There are many leaders who, for various reasons, trust external perspectives more than they value and elevate the voices of their own teams.  

This realization was one of the driving factors behind my decision to transition. You can only affect internal change to a certain extent. I recognized that when you’re in a role, you often find yourself fighting for your own survival and longevity. It is easier to have an impact and lead teams through a transformative journey from an external standpoint.  

Being in consultancy is a markedly different experience. Unlike when you represent a single organization, you don’t solely concentrate on their specific needs, changes, experiences, and marketing. Instead, you need to be nimble and quick, constantly assessing, strategizing, and adapting. Each client has different topics, focuses, stakeholders, and target audiences. It’s an exciting and enjoyable endeavor, but it contrasts significantly with being the representative of a single organization. 

Why do you believe implementing changes from a CX perspective is so difficult? What factors contribute to this resistance to change, and how can we effectively overcome them? 

Overall, I believe that CX has not effectively aligned itself with the primary business drivers of organizations. When it comes to measurement, one crucial metric that CX leaders need to understand in order to justify investment in CX is the lifetime value of a customer. If you don’t know the financial value that a customer brings to your organization, anything you say won’t have a significant impact on driving change. 

Many CX leaders either don’t know or struggle to engage in conversations about financial matters. To truly make a difference, you need to be passionate about tying your CX initiatives to what keeps the CEO up at night. It can’t just be about receiving positive reviews or building a good reputation. That’s why I believe CX doesn’t receive the respect, budget, and traction it deserves. We’re simply not aligning ourselves with the most critical measures of the organization. 

Another challenge is the high turnover rate of CX and Chief Marketing Officer positions. People in those positions come in with the intention of effecting change. However, if there isn’t a genuine cultural buy-in from top to bottom, it becomes extremely difficult to drive change within the organization.  

Often, CX is assigned to a single person or division, trying to implement CX initiatives within an operating system and culture that aren’t customer-centric. It becomes a mere distraction, something easily dismissed because the organization isn’t mature enough, ready enough, or lacking the necessary buy-in to truly prioritize the customer in every aspect. While you may slowly affect change over time, without the CEO, the board, and HR fully on board, progress will be sluggish. 

In terms of technology, how does it support improving CX, and what opportunities do you see for using AI in customer experience? 

I see a common mistake among businesses of choosing technology first and then trying to fit it into their customer experience. However, technology should be selected based on what it can do to enhance the human experience for both staff and customers. While technology can be exciting, some people get too caught up in chasing the latest trends. However, what matters is whether it’s the right fit for a particular business and whether it truly serves the needs of customers. 

Let me give you an example. We had a client who wanted to double their revenue without increasing their staff. To help them achieve their goal, we created a membership structure for their customers and automated about 80% of their work. As a result, the same staff could double their revenue by serving twice as many customers. This was made possible by removing repetitive tasks through automation, which not only improved efficiency but also ensured consistency. This is how technology can truly make a difference. 

When it comes to AI, having a chat feature on a website is a significant advantage, especially when it’s fueled by frequently asked questions. It reduces the burden on human representatives who would otherwise be answering repetitive queries. In call centers, self-service options through chatbots are preferred by many customers. So, I believe there’s a healthy balance to be struck. Overall, while there are concerns and potential misuses, I see AI as a tool that can provide support and enhance various aspects of our work. 

Working with various clients and dealing with CX from different perspectives, what have you learned? What are the best organizations doing to prioritize the voice of the customer and foster a culture that values and understands its importance? 

The number one secret to successful customer experience is cultural and collective buy-in. For CX to thrive, there must be buy-in from top-level management. Without that, the necessary operational and organizational shifts won’t occur.  

I co-authored an article about how to determine an organization’s commitment to CX. There are warning signs that indicate whether they’re truly invested or not. One crucial factor is the investment in customer research. It doesn’t always require heavy investment in tools or data collection. Customer data exists within the organization; it’s a matter of finding and evaluating it. 

I’ve encountered CEOs who dismiss feedback from social media, considering it anecdotal. However, I believe it’s some of the most authentic feedback we receive because it’s the exact words of the customers. Formal structured surveys often lag behind, whereas social media feedback provides real-time insights.  

Moreover, organizations that excel in CX have a mindset of continuous improvement. Sometimes, there’s a tendency to try and tackle too much at once, wanting to make a significant impact. However, it’s more effective to identify one friction point and fix it to demonstrate the value of CX. Then, move on to the next friction point, rather than attempting to address multiple issues simultaneously, which often leads to stagnation. 

What advice would you offer to individuals who are beginning their career in CX? How can they effectively make an impact and bring about positive change in their role? 

First, you need to understand that CX is not a solo sport. As a CX leader, I often observe young leaders striving to prove themselves on their own. However, the key to real success in CX lies in collaboration. It’s about building and leveraging relationships with various stakeholders, including the CFO, research and insights teams, customer service managers, and individuals along the customer journey. Being a leader in CX requires focusing on relationship-building and collaboration just as much as smart strategy.  

Once you’ve earned trust and demonstrated your value organization-wide, that’s when you’ll see the real magic happening. People will seek your input on initiatives and involve you in budget allocation and decision-making. Connecting your work to key business drivers is crucial. If you can’t demonstrate how your CX efforts impact the bottom line, your job may be at risk. 

Having held a vice president position at a Fortune 50 company, I understand the pressure surrounding quarterly earnings and financial performance. It ultimately boils down to money. Failing to show how CX directly contributes to the bottom line leaves you vulnerable to being sidelined. CX must make business sense and align with organizational goals to secure the necessary funding and support. 

Lastly, I believe it’s vital for CX not to exist in an echo chamber. Remarkable customer experience initiatives thrive in diverse industries. Innovative approaches often stem from outside inspiration. By looking beyond our own industry and studying successful case studies in sectors like cell phones, banks, and retail, we gain valuable insights and become more adaptable and relevant in meeting customer expectations. 

Sally Mildren

Sally Mildren is a seasoned CEO and Managing Partner of Boss Lady Consulting, specializing in enhancing patient experience, brand impact, and organizational culture in healthcare. With over 20 years of experience in CX, branding, and leadership roles, she has delivered strong ROI and growth for Fortune 50 companies and non-profits. Sally’s human-centered approach and empathy drive her success, and she founded Clarity PX to support businesses in implementing CX strategies aligned with branding and culture. Her agencies provide comprehensive marketing support for growth and strategic guidance to embed CX successfully. 

In this interesting discussion, CoinSwitch’s contact center manager, Pankaj Jaiswal, shared his journey and learnings from his 10 years of experience in customer support. He also shared his perspectives on what makes a good support leader and how to keep support agents motivated.

Tell us about your journey. How did you end up working in customer service?

In the corporate world, it’s important to be open to opportunities and remain flexible. We should also continue learning in order to enhance our skills to succeed in any field. This has been my mindset throughout my more than a decade of experience in the service industry. I started my journey in a call center and it has since been a rollercoaster ride of growth, from becoming a team leader to an assistant manager, then a senior manager in a multinational company and eventually moving to the other side of the table to become a client and manage multiple outsource partners (OSP). I have initiated multiple projects and shared my expertise with these partners, which eventually helped them to improve the deliverables, optimizing resources utilization and also enhancing the user experience.

How does your day-to-day look like as a contact center manager? 

At CoinSwitch, I was hired as an Account Manager and initially assigned to manage outsource partners being responsible for end-to-end business operations from hiring to training, setting up operational KPIs, customer experience and compliance delivery of partners. Due to global market slowdown, we had to explore new opportunities to enhance the users’ experience and ensure optimal utilization of resources. For example, we introduced a separate queue (Premium queue), differentiating customer handling for high-value users, video call support and regional language support. We also introduced bots to handle basic queries. These experiments were not only cost-effective and optimized user experience, but they also prevented our advisors from getting burned out, giving them enough time for learning, training, and skill enhancement.

Currently, my role involves working on the launch of new products. Which comprise preparing FAQs, help and support and liaison with other departments in order to fix any obstacles / bugs found in the product to ensure a smooth launch.

When it comes to new products, how do you prepare your support team for the launch? 

First of all, it’s very important that the advisors who will handle user queries get the complete training about the product and the industry, before the launch of a new product. Creating SOPs and FAQs are equally important but a complete knowledge about the product enables the advisors to relate to the users’ pain points and provide appropriate and satisfactory resolutions.

To ensure that advisors are well-equipped to handle users’ queries, we provide them training before the launch. This includes training on the Industrial module, query-request-complaint (QRC) handling, tagging, resolution and close looping. After that, we carry out an internal launch to check the app flow and vet all the SOPs internally before offering the product to external users.

We introduce new support channels depending on users’ needs, such as email, chat or call and cross-train our advisors accordingly. This helps to optimize the utilization of our manpower and ensures timely resolution for the users. In case there is a queue in emails, we can easily switch agents from chats to emails to ensure that all queries are addressed in a timely manner.

You mentioned agent burnout previously, what steps do you take to prevent employee burnout? 

As someone with over a decade of experience and more than eight years as a leader, I truly believe that being a good people manager is essential to be a great leader.

There are some preventive measures that can help us to improve our employee satisfaction and avoid agent burnout:

• Respect for individuals: Regardless of their designation, respect for every individual should be the primary value of every organization.
• Open door policy: Agents should have easy access to the leadership team and leaders should be willing to address their issues.
• Skip sessions or FGD (focus ground discussions): Senior leaders should directly connect with all agents to understand the pulse of the ground level and listen to the VOA.
• One-on-ones: Many people hesitate to voice out and share their issues in front of a wider audience. Hence, it’s important to conduct one-on-one meetings with agents and give them a platform to share their concerns.
• Workforce planning: Most of the call centers take 85-90% occupancy into consideration while determining their workforce needs. However, if there’s a sudden increase in volume, this can have an adverse impact on the agents’ mindset, leading to burnout and a decline in conversation quality. I believe that if the overall occupancy is trending at 60 to 70%, your advisors will never feel burned out. Adequate manpower should be kept in a buffer to a certain extent to prevent an extra cost burden while ensuring that advisors do not feel overburdened. Also, incorporating agents’ leave preferences whenever possible and following break schedules help advisors to balance their personal life along with work.

And how do you measure employee satisfaction in your organization?  

We have several measures in place to gauge employee satisfaction.

• NPS Survey: We conduct quarterly NPS (Net Promoter Score) surveys to determine the inter department level satisfaction, feedbacks and workarounds. 
• Span Feedback Survey: This survey is being conducted on monthly basis, wherein employees share the feedback about their immediate manager/team leader.
• Manager Feedback Survey: This survey is being rolled out by the HR team on quarterly basis to check the ESAT and get feedback from employees about their managers.

Those managers who receive 100% in the ‘Span Feedback Survey’ are recognized and rewarded. This has three outcomes: first, we receive feedback from employees on how managers are performing; second, good managers are recognized and appreciated, encouraging them to continue doing good work; third, we identify areas of concern for managers who are not scoring well and provide them training on how to become better people managers. This approach helps to improve overall employee satisfaction and helps to create more effective leaders in the organization. 

How do you approach learning and coaching in your department?  

Continuous learning and improvement are an integral part of our professional journey, and we often receive coaching and feedback from our colleagues, subordinates, and seniors. Acting upon constructive feedback and working on areas of improvement is key to our professional growth. When it comes to employee feedback, we prefer closed-room one-on-one discussions and follow the principle of appreciating in public and reprimanding in private. We give feedback on both the areas of strength and areas of improvement, acknowledging the good work and effort put in while also highlighting the areas of concern that may have affected user experience.

Furthermore, we have a defined performance management programme BQM (Bottom Quartile Management), where we train and empower employees falling under the bottom quartile to improve their performance and move up the quartile. 

You’ve been a customer support leader for over 8 years. What are the qualities of a good support leader in your opinion? 

Every leader has their own style of managing a team. But I believe we should adapt our leadership style considering the situation. For example, I’ll become a visionary leader when I have to share a business or process goal with the team and on the other hand, I will become a democratic leader to value people’s input and get commitment through participation.

When it comes to customer support, these are 3 important qualities of a great support leader:

Communication: It’s important for a leader to communicate in a positive and effective manner so that the team understands it well and gets aligned to the thought process or expectation of the leader.

People management: Being a good people manager is crucial because we work with people, so we should primarily focus on taking care of our people to ensure a balance between employee and customer satisfaction.

Analytical thinking: A leader shouldn’t make a decision looking at the problem. They should analyze the problem to get the root cause behind it and think strategically to prepare an effective action plan.

Can you give an example of using root cause analysis to improve your support operations? 

The process for conducting a root cause analysis varies depending on the KPI being analyzed. There are multiple tools available to analyze the root cause of any problem such as Pareto, IFD, 5 Whys and lots more. But, to conduct a successful root cause analysis, it is important to deep dive into the issue, examining it at all levels and identifying where the problem lies. Once the root cause is identified, the necessary steps can be taken to fix it and achieve the desired outcome

While working on a recent project to improve efficiency metrics, I began by identifying the AHT (average handling time) for each line of business (email, chat, and call support). Then we conducted a deeper analysis by examining issue sub-types and identifying areas where advisors were struggling and witnessed that 2 top drivers were impacting the overall AHT.

By analyzing interactions at the granular level, we were able to identify areas where process amendments could be made and one issue type, wherein agents using long holds were reaching out to subject matter experts (SME) for help due to knowledge gaps. As an action, a simple SOP amendment and quick refresher for agents helped to bring down the AHT and improve the process efficiency.

With all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained over the years, what advice would you give to somebody starting their career in customer support? 

My primary piece of advice for all aspiring support leaders is to always be a good people manager. CSAT is one of the most important metrics of the industry, but so is ESAT. Our agents are our internal customers, we need to take care of our internal customers so that they will take care of our external customers. “Happy agents = Happy customers”.

Secondarily, we should continue learning and enhancing our skills. This might not help you immediately/quickly but will help to accomplish our professional goals in the longer run. “Be competent, success will run after you”.

Pankaj Jaiswal

Pankaj Jaiswal is the Contact Center Manager at CoinSwitch, India’s largest Crypto trading platform. Pankaj is a delivery-oriented leader with over 10 years of experience in the service industry across all strategic business models and channels. He has hands-on knowledge of inbound and outbound contact centres, outsourcing, operations, transition, sales, e-commerce, telecom, and fintech. As a support leader, Pankaj prioritizes both internal and external customers, recognizing that a happy and engaged employee is critical to delivering exceptional customer service.

Discover the story of Melanie Diamond, the Voice of the Customer Manager at Remote.com. Melanie’s expertise and innovative approach have been instrumental in shaping her organization’s deep understanding of their customers’ needs and expectations, driving them towards becoming more customer-centric.

Can you share your story with us? How was your journey towards working in customer experience? 

My journey began at Microsoft, where I started as a support engineer in the advertising department. This experience allowed me to develop a deep understanding of what it takes to create successful CX strategies and execute them effectively. Managing outsourced teams supporting Microsoft advertising products and tools taught me how to be empathetic and understand the customer’s perspective. This has been invaluable in my career because without understanding what the customer wants, you are left in limbo. 

Being empathetic is important to me personally, and it has become even more relevant now that I work at Remote, which is an HRIS company, where I deal with employees and their livelihoods. It’s crucial to use empathy and understand the customer and client’s needs, especially when it affects their livelihoods, such as incorrect provision or payment of benefits. Having a clear understanding of what the customer wants, planning effectively, and having empathy from the get-go can lead to great CX outcomes and customer satisfaction. 

How do you balance data-driven decision making with empathy when communicating insights and improvements? 

At the moment, my focus at Remote is related to CSAT and NPS. As the Voice of the Customer Manager, I gather feedback from our clients and customers, who are typically contractors and businesses with employees, as we act as their employer of record. If our customers have a negative experience with our support or if their employees face challenges with our product, it impacts their business. Our goal is to help our customers grow their businesses, and to achieve that, I use metrics like NPS to figure out how to turn detractors into product fans. 

To improve and measure customer satisfaction, I connect with our users and conduct a set number of interviews with different user types every month, such as customers, employees, and contractors. I compare last month’s detractor numbers to this month’s and analyze the changes made to the product. I also look at emotional triggers such as payroll time, and then I work with the product team to identify ways to decrease detractor numbers by introducing notifications and links to help articles. I also use data tools like Mixpanel to understand where the product could be improved and why people are spending more time on certain pages. 

We’re revising our metrics and considering incorporating customer effort and service satisfaction metrics to see if there are other levers to help improve what we do. It’s essential to capture all the different sentiments and touchpoints within a customer’s user journey. By doing this, I hope to gain valuable insights to bring back to the product team and continue to improve our already excellent product. 

What would you say are your biggest challenges now, and what do you think are the main challenges for CX in general? 

One challenge I’m currently grappling with is the AI output quality in various tools due to the lack of a dedicated sentiment tool. To tackle this, I’m using ChatGPT and Notion’s AI to assist with sentiment analysis. However, incorrect predictions or irrelevant results are occasional hurdles, and I’m always reviewing the AI’s results to ensure its relevance. 

There are always going to be some challenges when you first start using AI. I often question the output that AI provides now, but at the same time, there are so many pros with it. It’s helped me do lots of trending analysis for hundreds of different pieces of contextual feedback that we get and has saved me a great amount of time in understanding trends and themes within our customer feedback. 

Another challenge I’m facing is keeping up to date with all the different changes in technology as well as keeping up to date with what our competitors are doing. I use LinkedIn to see how well our competitors are doing and see what other interesting new things they’re doing. You have to stay ahead of the competition or at least understand why certain companies are doing what they do. 

One final challenge is getting consensus whenever I have an idea of how we should do something from a CX perspective. It’s getting consensus and buy-in from everybody else, which can be challenging because it does require understanding what other work priorities are involved. I do find that data is king and ensuring that you present the data to tell a compelling story of why changes need to be made almost always ends up in the consensus agreeing to at least investigate into making changes. 

It all boils down to understanding the best ways to deal with different customers and different personas. Trying to get internal teams to buy into CX, to buy into their customer experience, can be challenging, especially when working remotely.  

What inspires and drives you to stay committed to your role? What aspects of your job do you find most fulfilling and enjoyable? 

What I like most about my job is gaining insights into different CX “scenarios”. In CX, it’s easy to think that you’ve seen it all and that you understand everything. However, working with different talented and skilled people and in different countries has helped me to realize, for example, that what works in one country doesn’t necessarily work in another from a customer experience standpoint. 

I find the nuances and differences between cultures and regions fascinating. For instance, the speed of response is crucial everywhere, but in certain places and cultures, people might be more understanding if you do things a certain way, as long as you give them a clear explanation of why this is happening. 

In customer service, people are quick to tell you the answer to a problem, but they often fail to explain why that is the answer. As an example, in my current job, whenever an agent gives a customer the answer but fails to explain why, they often receive a bad CSAT rating. I try to encourage people to understand that a good customer experience is about not just giving the answer, but also explaining why it is the answer and what we’re doing to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future. I like mentoring and helping people understand how they can turn an unpleasant experience into a good one. 

I believe that technology can help us make things better. We’re currently using Zendesk, and in some cases it automatically provides customers with the answer to their support issue based on what we have in our knowledge base. However, people still crave the human touch and want to understand that the solution provided is the right one for them. Technology often misses the empathetic bit, and I hear that a lot during my customer calls. Some people just want to speak to someone on the phone, and I think that is a challenge when it comes to remote work and using technology. 

Previously, you mentioned that AI is a challenge for you at work. In light of this, what are your thoughts on the current state of AI and its potential to improve your work? Additionally, what do you perceive as the greatest opportunities for implementing AI in CX? 

In some cases now, AI within customer support, can predict what resolution is needed based on the questions customers ask, which reduces ticket volume and allows support teams to focus on driving other metrics and performance. AI can also predict business trends, such as the types of queries we receive and what works at certain times of the year. This could help us improve our product by making us understand what we need to be doing or looking at to make something better. 

Having AI do all the data crunching is a significant help for us as well, especially for the CX specialists. It cuts down all the analysis and simplifies things from an AI perspective. Predicting potential metrics like CSAT and NPS can help us see how changes we make will affect our metrics. For example, if we add a new feature, how will it affect our NPS score? I’m hoping to start doing all of this, and it will be great to see what we need to do specifically to make improvements. 

I’m always a fan of piloting ideas, and since we work with many different countries, we can use one of them to pilot a change. For instance, I have an idea to change the NPS question based on what users are doing in the product at that time. Sometimes when you look at data differently or answer different questions, it gives you a unique perspective.

How would you describe the role of customer experience and the voice of the customer in the long-term plans for Remote.com? How do you envision your department’s role in relation to the company’s objectives? 

The role I am in is going to evolve. I believe that we need to step up our game when it comes to data and analytics or at least always make it top of all CX-related agendas. We have had many challenges, and not just in our company but in the tech world in general. But we are consistently working hard to stay true to our values and our overarching goal of making it easy for any company, regardless of size, to hire anyone in the world. 

My current area of focus is on reviewing contractor feedback on how they are using Remote, specifically understanding how we can increase product adoption among them. To achieve this so far, I have been generating monthly reports on the customer feedback, as well as working with our internal contractor team engineers and stakeholders.  While I intend to continue with this, I am also exploring other metrics that can effectively measure our progress towards this goal. 

Product is our most important department, and anything we implement needs to be seamless and easy for users to understand. I want to ensure that we always have visibility into how our product is affecting our customers. To achieve this, together with our customer advocacy teams, I have been sharing more with our internal teams about all the things we can be doing better. I want to make sure that we never forget that we are not yet 100% there, and we always have room for improvement. 

I think having a voice of the customer in any company is crucial. It helps with innovation, growth, and ultimately improving the customer experience. Currently, I am the only one in my team, but I hope to expand it in the future! 

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in customer experience? 

When it comes to customer experience, I believe that it’s crucial to put oneself in the shoes of a customer and think about what a good customer experience means to us, and how we can help deliver and promote that experience. Listening to customers and being empathetic are also key components of CX. It’s essential to show that we are taking in what they’re saying and understanding their needs. Building strong relationships with customers and peers is also vital, as CX is not just about customers, but also about the internal teams we work with. 

Regular collaboration and cross-group collaboration are also essential in embedding CX in different teams. It’s necessary to jump in on product meetings and notify the right people if there are any issues that need to be addressed. Understanding the customer journey and identifying the right point of contact is also crucial. 

Working at Microsoft has taught me the importance of finding the right people to speak to and understanding the customer journey. Every touchpoint in the customer journey is critical, and we need to make sure that we are providing a great experience throughout. It’s not just about fixing customer issues, but also about understanding what makes them tick and what annoys them. 

When it comes to working in CX, having an open mind is essential. There are many different facets to CX, and we need to be open to all of them. Having a good mentor who has been in the business for a long time is also helpful in learning the ropes as have likely encountered many of the challenges that one may face in a CX role and can offer guidance on how to navigate them. Having a mentor can provide a sense of support and encouragement, particularly when facing complex or daunting tasks. 

Melanie Diamond

Melanie Diamond is the Voice of the Customer Manager at Remote.com, a leading provider of global payroll, benefits, and compliance services for distributed teams. Melanie has over ten years of experience in customer experience management, having worked for several multinational companies in various industries. Melanie keenly understands the importance of listening to and empathizing with customers to drive better CX outcomes. She has developed several innovative approaches to customer feedback analysis and reporting that have been instrumental in driving improvements in Remote.com’s customer satisfaction scores.