The CX Pod

With the CX job market, technology and workplace trends evolving , it may be time for customer experience leaders to take a new look at an often overlooked segment of the contact center job market: Part-time workers. TTEC experts Dr. Trent Salvaggio and James Bednar talk to Liz Glagowski about what makes part-time work an attractive option for businesses and employees, and how to make it happen with a flexible contact center workforce model.

Retailers and e-commerce brands are struggling to keep up with fraudsters who keep finding innovative ways to commit fraud. Get tips from Eyal Elazar, head of product marketing at Riskified about how to fight conventional and unconventional fraud to create better customer experiences.

Shelly Swanback, new CEO of TTEC Engage. shares her perspectives on digital transformation, innovative culture, the future of CX, and "embracing the mess."

In the first of our series exploring the people behind amazing customer experience delivery, we delve into the role of healthcare licensed agents. Liz Glagowski interviews TTEC vice presidents Ebony Langston and Shelley Larrick about what licensed agents do and how important they are to create a good impression with health insurance members and prospects.

Though it's been celebrated since the 1860s, Juneteenth became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021. The holiday commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States and has become a celebration of African-American culture and heritage. In honor of the day, Liz Glagowski partnered with TTEC’s Leesha Bush on a LinkedIn Live event to discuss the holiday and what it means for employees and business. Here is an excerpt of their conversation with Mita Antoine and Nisa Hill, members of TTEC’s Champions of Color employee resource group.

Retail is an industry in constant evolution. Liz Glagowski and TTEC Head of Retail Jon Stough discuss challenges and opportunities for retailers to improve the customer experience and engage employees to shine as valuable brand ambassadors.

In the era of the Great Resignation, businesses across industries are struggling to retain employees. Organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Bandelli explains how relational intelligence shapes employee and employer relationships and what leaders can do to strengthen those connections to improve employee engagement and retention.

TTEC writers Liz Glagowski and Dylan Haviland got together to chat about nearly a decade of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. They looked at past predictions, the future of technology, and what the Metaverse will bring to the table.

Join the editors of the Customer Strategist Journal as they discuss their favorite trends, stories and facts from the newest issue, "The Great Re-Engagement."

Retail stores underwent dramatic changes in the last two years. Jeff Bradbury, Senior Marketing Director at Hughes Network Systems, discusses next steps in the increased digitalization of retail stores and trends that are reshaping the shopper experience.

The editors of the Customer Strategist Journal came together to discuss their favorite CX stories, trends, and insights from 2021.

Now is the perfect time to reflect and improve on your customer experiences. We asked CEOs, business leaders, and CX experts to share their plans on how to make 2022 the best year ever for customer (and employee) experience.

Over the past few months, conventional notions of what drives brand loyalty have been upended by new consumer expectations and needs. Robert Passikoff, founder and president of the research consultancy Brand Keys, offers insight into the new loyalty paradigm, including surprising results from his firm’s latest Loyalty Leaders survey.

CX BanterCast is back and this time we are exploring the dark side of customer experience —poor digital experiences. But not all is lost. TTEC’s Tim Keefe and Andreas Wieman are back to explore how your CX organization can recognize, act, and improve on the digital channels your customers crave.

Customer experience in the contact center industry has always been a one-to-one conversation, but the DNA of these conversations has changed. The prevalence of self-service capabilities, AI, and digital channels is rewriting how customers tackle everyday issues, and contact centers are evolving to match these expectations. Recently, TTEC’s Mary Nelson sat down with Sharon Jones, the Senior Director of Workforce Optimization Strategy and Planning for Cigna, to discuss the latest innovations and changes in the contact center landscape.

Clear the way for the newest series on the block, CX BanterCast! TTEC’s own Tim Keefe and Andreas Wieman are partnering up to deliver their takes on what’s paving the way for amazing leadership, innovations, and technologies all in the CX world. In their pilot episode we’ll explore how customer and employee experience is evolving in a post-pandemic world.

Marketers are resetting their strategies and adapting to new customer expectations but what does that look like at a time marked with so much uncertainty? Judith Aquino spoke with Donovan Neale-May, founder and executive director of the Chief Marketing Officer Council, about the biggest challenges—and opportunities—facing marketers today.

As a record number of employees leave their positions in search of more fulfilling work, better pay, or other reasons, employee retention is more important than ever. Heather Younger, CEO and founder of Employee Fanatix, an employee engagement, leadership development, and consulting firm explains what employers can do to drive employee loyalty—and what pushes workers away.

Business leaders and customers alike know how we do business has changed, but are we truly acting on it or merely observing? In the second episode of TTEC’s “Redefining Value” podcast series, Mary Nelson sits down with Matt Benjamin, US & Canada Operations & Technology Customer Engagement Leader at Mercer, to learn more about what customers value and how to meet these expectations head on.

Customer experience is fluid. Social factors, environments, and technology shape people’s expectations and the interactions they expect from the brands they shop with. As a part of the CX Pod’s newest series, TTEC’s own Mary Nelson guest-hosts conversations with the world’s top CX professionals to explore the evolving nature of business. To kick off the series Nelson spoke with renowned CX guru Don Peppers on the idea of defining value in a post-covid world.

The retail landscape is transforming faster than ever in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To find out what’s next, Judith Aquino speaks with Steve Rowen, managing partner at Retail Systems Research, about the technology trends that have been accelerated, retailers’ customer experience priorities, and emerging innovations.

Audio apps and social media networks like Clubhouse are taking off for personal and professional development. Liz Glagowski speaks to business strategist Rita Goodroe about the opportunities in Clubhouse and other audio apps to increase customer engagement, drive sales, and provide great experiences.

Zain Jaffer, an entrepreneur and investor focused on startups and property tech, provides insights into the startups that are not only surviving, but thriving during the pandemic, and predicts which innovations and trends will reshape the customer experience.

State and local healthcare organizations are facing multiple challenges in getting COVID-19 vaccines to communities. Andy Martin, group vice president at TTEC, shares insights and best practices that he and his team have gathered from their work helping public and private sector health organizations address those very challenges as the vaccine rollout continues.

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout begins across the country, patient experiences vary. Hear what some people had to say in their efforts to receive some of the first doses of vaccine, and how what they’ve experienced can help improve future vaccine distribution.

In part 1 of our series on the role customer experience plays in accelerating COVID-19 vaccine efforts, Ann Marie Muñana, a nursing and healthcare leader at Chamberlain University and member of the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Scientific COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group, shares strategies for earning the trust of vaccine skeptics, ideas for maximizing vaccine resources, and other insights.

As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, prevention guidelines and restrictions can feel incredibly challenging. Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, knows firsthand what it is like to be stricken with the coronavirus while leading a company. He shared key insights and lessons for helping employees combat COVID-19 fatigue.

What's next for mobile commerce in a world transformed by COVID-19? What new expectations do customers have and how can brands be prepared? Bill Bloom, founder and CEO of the mobile market research firm Fast Focus, shares insights on the mobile commerce trends that he and his firm are watching for in 2021 and beyond.

In today's climate, companies have a unique opportunity to utilize digital channels to enhance customer conversations and deepen customer relationships. We recently sat down with Sam Rosendorf, senior manager of global enterprise solutions at LivePerson, to learn how organizations can use digital-first technologies like AI and messaging to better serve their customers. No more forcing consumers to wait on hold or navigate complex websites to get answers to questions or to buy products and services. Instead, consumers can get their inquiries resolved using natural language, on the same messaging apps they use to talk to friends and friends and family.

Evan Horowitz, CEO of the creative firm Movers+Shakers, takes us behind the scenes of some of his firm’s most viral TikTok campaigns, explaining how e.l.f Cosmetics’ #eyeslipsface generated over 6 billion views on the video app and millions of user-generated videos. Horowitz also shares tips on telling authentic stories on TikTok and where he sees opportunities for brands to best engage users.

Over past few months, we had the opportunity to speak to some of the most revered CX experts and influencers on what it takes to meet and exceed customer expectations at a time where it’s needed most. Customer Strategist Journal Editor Liz Glagowski rounded up the best insights from our first ever live LinkedIn event, “CX Bites: Influencer Insights into the Future of CX,” to highlight the top tips needed for succeed. Here is a quick preview of the webinar.

Prior to the pandemic, most companies entered 2020 with modest to high growth goals. How have CEOs’ goals and priorities shifted in today’s new reality? Pete Hayes, CMO and principal at the consulting firm Chief Outsiders, shared insights from a recent survey his company conducted on where CEOs expect their businesses to be 6 months from now.

Digital transformation is a critical business strategy a and companies are looking to leaders to help them transform. In an interview on Regalix TV’s Center Stage show, TTEC Digital President Jonathan Lerner discussed the importance of leadership to to help brands forge ahead with a digital-first approach.

How will healthcare CX evolve in a world that’s been changed by the coronavirus? TTEC’s healthcare CX experts Sheila Curr and Tim Keefe share insights on opportunities for healthcare organizations to better meet their members’ and patients’ needs from a digital-first approach. They also discuss strategies for quickly scaling contact tracing and testing efforts as well as combatting healthcare fraud.

As customer expectations rise, even direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands need to continuously evolve. Kate Nowlan, vice president of experience at DTC apparel company Hylete, weighs in on the future state of customer experience in retail and shares her company’s strategy for staying in touch with the customer.

The collections business unit is vital to the overall experience full of potential for increased revenue if managed with a customer-centric focus. Lester Estonina, TTEC’s executive director in charge of collections, discusses how empathy and compassion during collections interactions have proven to increase promises to pay and result in higher revenue.

Our team visited the 2020 National Retail Federation (NRF) “Big Show” in New York City to report on the latest thought leadership and technology reshaping the retail industry. To create a better picture of what work will look like this decade, we spoke to Rachel Kreuter, a communications specialist at Ceridian, about the company’s recently published “2020 Future of Work” report.

Ryan Hollenbeck, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Verint Systems, shares results of new research showing how much information customers are willing to part with to get great experiences in return, as well brands can successfully strike the right balance between privacy and personalization.

How does the customer experience affect delivery routes? What are the low-hanging fruits of making deliveries and where can companies differentiate? George Shchegolev, co-founder and VP of operations at Route4Me, answers these questions and more as he shares what happens behind the scenes to make fast deliveries possible.

Everyone has that friend that clicks with them, someone who always knows what you need but still manages to surprise you in wonderful ways. According to author Jeff Fromm, those are the brands that are winning in today’s customer experience. His newest book, The Purpose Advantage, gets to the heart what is needed to meet what customers value most, connections. We had an opportunity to call him and chat about what it takes to understand today’s consumer mindset.

Whether it’s answering a simple question or tackling a technical problem, customer service representatives are at the front lines of meeting customer needs. Stephanie Finnell, a customer service representative at WebMD Health Services, sheds light on what it’s like to work in a role that’s quickly evolving in the era of the customer and the interactions that make her job rewarding.

Customer support is rarely the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Dow Jones, parent company to the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and Marketwatch. Yet it’s an important part of the news and publishing firm’s success. Thom San Filippo, vice president of customer service and experience design at Dow Jones, explains what it takes to deliver frictionless support to a global, tech-savvy audience and why the company is doubling down on contact center training and development in a digital-first era.

As Generation Z heads off to college, Lisa Malet, COO of Barnes & Noble College, shares lessons and insights on what works—and doesn’t work—when to comes to staying top-of-mind with today’s students. Lesson one: If you’re chasing purely digital interactions, you’re already behind the curve. Read more about Barnes & Noble College’s approach to Gen Z in the Fall 2019 issue of the Customer Strategist Journal.

Have you ever wondered what business lessons you could pull from Tyrion Lannister’s exploits in Game of Thrones? Or perhaps you are looking to the future and wondering about AI’s place in your organization? We recently reached out to customer experience leaders and experts to hear what business books are grabbing their attention this summer. Listen in as Shep Hyken, Jeannie Walters, Megan Burns, Adam Toporek, and Paul Ignasinski all give their take on what should be the best book you’ll enjoy on the porch this season.

New research from Forrester points to an emerging trend: consumers increasingly expect brands to take a stance on moral, social, and political issues. However, values-based marketing isn’t something that brands should just switch on. Join us as we sit down with Harley Manning, VP and research director of customer experience at Forrester, to learn how brands can take a thoughtful and strategic approach to making values part of the customer experience.

Nonprofit organizations are increasingly struggling to meet financial objectives in a more competitive marketplace. Donor retention and longevity are falling, forcing nonprofits to rethink their donor development strategies. Don Ryan, a longtime analytic consultant and strategist who works with organizations in the private, nonprofit, and government sectors, explains why an emphasis on experiences could be a way for charities to build trust, commitment, and long-term loyalty.

In the age of the customer, consumers have more information and choices than ever before. What they don’t have is more time. That’s why it’s imperative for organizations to have a deep understanding of the customer journey. Martyn R. Lewis, author of “How Customers Buy…& Why They Don’t,” sat down with TTEC’s Judith Aquino to discuss strategies for doing exactly that by mapping and managing the buying journey DNA.

Customer journey mapping isn’t new, but are companies using it correctly? More and more leaders are recognizing the need to ditch the white board and are diving deeper into understanding just how customers use their brand. Join us as we talk to Mark Smith, the president at Kitewheel, a technology company that’s aiming to redefine the value of journey orchestration.

Fast-growing financial tech companies like Ant Financial, Robinhood, and TransferWise are not only disrupting the financial industry, they’re reshaping consumer behavior and expectations. But while hypergrowth companies may be experts at disruption, retaining and supporting customers is another story. Ray Klostermann, chief rocketeer at TTEC Agility, identifies the key issues fast-growing companies often overlook about the customer experience.

We all know customer loyalty is important to a business but where do brands tend to make mistakes when it comes to inspiring loyalty? And what’s the best way to foster loyalty among your employees and customers? Sandy Rogers, co-author of Leading Loyalty: Cracking the Code to Customer Devotion, explores these questions with TTEC’s Judith Aquino.

Whether screaming from the rafters or cheering at their TV, fans are the lifeblood of any sport. That’s why it’s essential for brands to utilize audience’s social media to create the ultimate digital engagement platform for sports teams. Nathan Peterson of Tagboard recently chatted with TTEC’s Jeff Marcoux about how sports crowdsourcing can be transformed into the a powerful CX resource.

Customer centricity has been the talk of the town for years, but do we practice what we preach? Do leaders understand what it takes to drive a meaningful relationship with our most valued customers? Liz Glagowski sat down with Peter Fader, professor of marketing at The Wharton School of Business and co-author of The Customer Centricity Playbook to go back to school on the good, the bad, and the ugly of customer centricity in today’s marketplace.

In an era of disruption, conventional marketing wisdom isn’t enough. Marketers need innovative insight, agility, and high-speed execution to meet today’s customer and business demands. Simple, right? In her new book, Marketing Flexology: How to Outsmart Change and Future-proof Your Career, marketing veteran Engelina Jaspers shares strategies, insights, and tips for transforming challenges into opportunities. Judith Aquino sits down with Jaspers to learn more in the latest CX Pod episode.

Customer care leaders are challenged with finding, keeping, and engaging employees during this tumultuous employment climate. Human Resources can be the secret weapon to help stand out among competitors. Data-focused strategies and a commitment to new ways of engaging employees help firms get, keep, and grow the best customer support talent, which leads to the best customer experiences. Liz Glagowski interviews HR and data leaders from TTEC about their experiences tackling such issues in the latest CX Pod episode.

Bad deals, no help, and rude employees can make for a terrible holiday shopping experience. So what do customers actually want? Hear from shoppers in Stamford, Connecticut as they share what’s on their customer experience wish lists this holiday season. Music: Jingle Bells by Scott Holmes Snowman by Jahzzar

In a world where consumers demand service when they want, where they want, social media rules. So why do so many organizations have trouble using it effectively for support needs? To explore why social care counts more than ever, we talked to Joshua March, author of book “Message Me” and founder and CEO of Conversocial, to get his take on mastering the platform. Music: Siesta by Jahzzar

Recent CX award winners Heidi Rote from Jenny Craig USA and Michelle Williams from Dorel Juvenile give an insider’s view of why they believe AI will enhance-rather than replace-the work of associates, and where they see opportunities to further evolve the customer experience. Music: Siesta by Jahzzar; As Colorful as Ever by Broke for Free

It’s hard to create seamless interactions without truly understanding what customers are going through. How can companies make data collection and customer feedback frictionless? Mike Soylu and Nazli Chamlibel of customer feedback firm Pisano share their insights from the field.

What does customer experience success look like, how do you measure it, and why is it so darn hard? Those are some of the questions we posed to customer experience experts Kevin Shields, vice president of employer services at ADP, and Tim Keefe, and strategy consulting partner at TTEC. What they have to say may surprise you. Music credits: Siesta by Jahzzar; Something Elated by Broke for Free

Digital transformation is everywhere, and companies are desperate for it. Emerson College is launching a new program in Digital Marketing and Data Analytics to meet demands for marketing professionals who can combine both the art and science of the discipline in the digital age. Executive-in-Residence and Graduate Program Director Mike McGuirk explains what prospective students should expect and how we as consumers will all benefit from data marketing transformation.

Who are you going to call when you want to deliver a great customer experience with chat? Meet TTEC’s “Chat Avengers” – a super force of experts whose mission is to create amazing chat sales and service interactions for consumers and brands. Customer Strategist Editor Liz Glagowski talks with everyday chat heroes Kevin Barry, Brittany Bell, and Andrew Meissbach.

Great customer relationships happen when brands authentically connect with customers to create a community. Diversity and inclusion must be part of the mix; it’s not an option. Anthony Larrisey of Industria Creative talks to TTEC’s Jeff Marcoux about the evolution of multicultural marketing and how to create authentic, collaborative experiences that fuel strong emotional bonds.

The employee experience is as important, if not more, than the customer experience. TTEC’s Jeff Marcoux sits down with resident employee Learning & Performance Rockstar Lamont Exeter to learn about three employee engagement tips that will drive impact to employee morale, customer satisfaction, and your business.

When contacting Sling TV’s customer service, customers may interact with a bot or a human, or both. Seth Van Sickel, director of operations at Sling TV, and Richard Smullen, founder and CEO of Pypestream, spoke with Senior Writer Judith Aquino about the AI-powered bots that are teaming up with associates and the new personalized recommendations that customers will soon receive.

What does it mean for enterprise organizations to personalize experiences? At Enterprise Connect 2018, Customer Strategist Senior Writer Judith Aquino sat down with Verizon’s Alla Reznik to discuss the value of knowing your customer, Verizon’s approach to creating AI-enabled personalization tools, and the limits of automated services.

We’ve got the data to prove it. Emotional analytics is an emerging area that ties customer emotion and sentiment to tangible business outcomes. TTEC data science expert Peter Dorrington talks with Jeff Marcoux about how brands can influence positive customer emotion now and in the future by prioritizing interactions with individuals based on emotional attributes that have the most impact on business.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, and it’s much easier to build relationships and make sales. That’s why storytelling is so important these days. Content marketing expert Josh Ritchie sits down with Jeff Marcoux to share insights on how empathy and relatability through storytelling are amazingly effective CX drivers.

We spotted Kris Kringle hiking around our Denver headquarters, and persuaded him to answer some probing questions to get a glimpse into what makes St. Nick so jolly.

Creating the perfect customer experience is a lot like the holidays. It’s busy, stressful, and can always use a bit of magic. That’s why we wanted to hear from “Santa” Ed Taylor to hear how a professional Santa delivers a magical experience for children big and small.

Your employees are your best asset and could be your most important marketing tool. Jeanniey Mullen, global CMO of professional services firm Mercer, details how to leverage employee passion and creativity through “people marketing” to inspire customers and one another. She and Jeff Marcoux also discuss the role of CX in the gig economy.

Artificial intelligence is being applied in the B2B world so that business outreach moves from "pitches" to valuable conversations that prospects actually want to have. Everstring CEO JJ Kardwell and Jeff Marcoux discuss how to create these magic moments in the B2B customer journey.

Executives often talk about the importance and value of front-line employees. But does the talk translate into action? We talked to men and woman who work face-to-face with customers every day to find out what they think about their role in the company and their value to the rest of the business.

All the MarCom tools in the world will be worthless unless you first understand your customers. Digital marketing expert Kevin Urie, founder of agency 47Harmonic, chats with Jeff Marcoux about balancing the promise of exciting marketing innovations with what customers are really looking for.