Amazing Business Radio – Details, episodes & analysis

Exploring AI's Role in Revolutionizing Customer and Employee Experiences in Contact Centers  Shep Hyken interviews Jonathan Rosenberg, Chief Technology Officer and head of AI at Five9. He talks about how contact centers can use generative AI to deliver customer experiences that people love.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How can companies effectively balance customer self-service with personal interactions in high-stakes situations?  How does AI contribute to transforming contact center agents into brand ambassadors?  Why is empathy important in customer service interactions, and how can AI complement this human trait?  How does the implementation of AI tools impact companies' return on investment?  How does generative AI reduce labor costs in contact centers while maintaining human involvement?   Top Takeaways:     AI is changing the way that contact centers operate. AI-driven tools can handle simple queries and support human employees in answering complex questions. It allows businesses to offer quick, precise help that reduces call and hold times while keeping human agents available for tasks requiring empathy and complex problem-solving.    Self-service options are growing more advanced and popular. Although AI can tackle straightforward and repetitive tasks, humans are necessary for high-stakes or complicated situations due to their ability to understand emotions and contexts more deeply.     AI isn't about replacing human employees but empowering them. It provides agents with insights and recommendations in real time so they can focus on building stronger relationships with customers. With AI tools, agents can support customers more effectively, easily handle complex queries, and even seize upsell opportunities.     Great customer experiences can lead to loyal customers. With AI tools, employees can easily access customer's history of interactions with the brand and get information from a broad knowledge base that can help them offer personalized solutions. When customers feel understood and valued, they are more likely to return and tell others about their positive experiences.     AI is quicker and more cost-effective to implement than ever, and the return on investment from AI in customer service is significant. AI can shorten call handling times and make each interaction more efficient, saving money for the business.     Plus, Shep and Jonathan discuss what happens to companies that are laggards when it comes to adopting AI. Tune in!  Quote:   "Setting up and implementing AI has historically been expensive and prohibitive for businesses. Now, with generative AI, it is quick and easy to get started, and the cost of maintaining it is low."    About:    Jonathan Rosenberg is the Chief Technology Officer and head of AI at Five9. He is responsible for the engineering and operational teams building Five9's Genius AI portfolio.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transforming Customer Support with Technology and Empathy  Shep Hyken interviews Derek Allgood, VP of Global Customer Experience (GCX) at eBay. He discusses the importance of nurturing a supportive culture and harnessing innovative tools like AI to enhance employee and customer service.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    How does enhancing the employee experience contribute to a better customer service experience?  How can businesses balance automated customer service solutions with human interactions?  What strategies can support remote customer service employees in delivering consistent experiences?  How do self-service solutions impact the overall efficiency of customer service operations?  How essential is a strong company purpose in driving customer satisfaction?  Top Takeaways:    Listening is critical to building strong relationships in business and life. When interacting with customers or clients, it is essential to fully comprehend their needs and concerns before taking action. Active listening involves paying attention, asking clarifying questions, and genuinely showing empathy.     High employee turnover leads to increased costs and decreased customer satisfaction. Focus on creating a fulfilling and supportive work environment for your team members. Employees who feel valued and engaged become more committed to their roles and deliver exceptional service.    Today, more people are working remotely, which requires new ways of maintaining communication and culture. Effectively using technology to communicate improves work efficiency and connectivity. Communication technology helps ensure that employees remain connected and well-informed and can support one another in real time.    Self-service technology helps streamline interactions and solve issues quickly. By implementing self-service options, businesses can empower customers to find the answers they need without waiting to speak with a representative. This reduces wait times and allows customer support teams to focus on more complex issues. It also leads to cost savings for businesses and a more satisfying experience for both customers and employees.    A great business also thinks about how it can contribute positively to the world. This involves supporting causes that align with the company's values and making a meaningful impact on communities. By having a purpose beyond making money, businesses can connect with people on a more personal level. This builds trust and loyalty among consumers and employees alike.    Plus, Derek talks about eBay's innovative AI solutions to support employees and customers. Tune in!  Quotes:   "The first thing that we have to do in any relationship is to listen. As a business with a buyer and seller relationship, listen and try to understand where the customers are in their journey, what's gone wrong, and how you can support the employees helping them."    About:    Derek Allgood is the VP of Global Customer Experience (GCX) at eBay. He has over 20 years of experience leading customer support teams for global companies such as Citiphone, Global Consumer Bank, and Barclays.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empowering Teams through Embracing AI-Driven Solutions and Customer-Centricity  Shep Hyken interviews Rony Vexelman, Vice President of Marketing at Optimove. He discusses  why broken customer journeys create poor customer experiences and how brands can avoid them by leveraging AI, personalization, and customer-centricity at every step of the journey.  This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:    Why is it essential for brands to understand and orchestrate the customer journey?  What are some common pitfalls that lead to broken customer journeys?  How has technology changed the approach to customer journey mapping?  How can AI tools empower professionals to expand their roles?  Why is it essential for brands to break down silos within their organization?  Top Takeaways:    Broken customer journeys result from multiple departments working in silos without integrated communication. Each department may have its automation system, which may lead to conflicting or uncoordinated customer experiences. By breaking down these silos and working towards a centralized system, your company can ensure a unified and smooth customer journey.    Businesses need to prioritize customer needs and experiences over pushing products or campaigns. When making decisions, even the tough ones, it's important to consider how these changes will impact customers and how to communicate them effectively.     You will not always make decisions that will make your customers happy. For example, raising prices is not an easy topic to discuss with customers, but it is, at times, necessary. Acknowledge how it impacts your customers and communicate it with them.    Traditional journey mapping focuses on creating an ideal journey for most customers, often neglecting outliers. With today’s technology, businesses can personalize the customer experience at scale, catering to individual preferences and needs.    AI can empower “positionless professionals”, encouraging individuals to expand their skills beyond their specializations. With AI tools, employees can take on tasks outside their usual roles, becoming more versatile and adaptable. This adaptability can result in faster execution, better employee experiences, and better customer experiences.    Extending personalized experiences beyond physical interactions, such as at a reception desk, to online platforms can significantly enhance the customer's perception of the brand.    Plus, Shep and Rony discuss why "breaking down silos" is still a hot topic for organizations after decades. Tune in!  Quote:   "Do your marketing from a customer point of view, not from a product point of view. "  About:    Rony Vexelman is the Vice President of Marketing at Optimove. He is a seasoned professional in multichannel marketing and customer engagement platforms.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Amazing Experiences that Make Customers Come Back (Again and Again)  Shep Hyken interviews Dominic Constandi, client services and customer success leader and Chief Customer Officer at ZoomInfo. He shares what customer service professionals can learn from their own experiences and use to create lasting value at every point of their customer's journey.  Top Takeaways:  The first impression is not necessarily the first time you meet somebody or do business with a company. It's what sets the tone for what's to follow. The last impression is what you remember that hopefully brings you back.    The Moments of Truth concept goes all the way back to the 1980’s when Jan Carlzon, former president of Scandinavian Airlines, came up with the idea to help his employees create a better customer experience. He defined it as whenever a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, they have an opportunity to form an impression. That impression can make or break the experience.    First impressions are Moments of Truth that set the tone for the customer's journey. For example:    Hotels spend a lot of money on their lobbies to create a great first impression. They spend resources to train staff on how to make customers feel welcome the moment they walk in.    How a salesperson answers the first few questions a customer has often determines if they would do business with that company or not.    There is a window of opportunity when customers are ready to purchase a product or invest in a service. It is up to the companies to use data to know the who, what, and when. Who are we talking to? With what message? When is the best time to deliver that message?    Customer experience is more important than ever. Customers are more critical, in this economy, in evaluating what's giving them the most value when making purchases and investments.     You have heard of FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. In this episode, Shep and Dominic discuss FUMU, or Fear of Messing Up, and how it affects customer success. Tune in!  Quote:  "Good decisions made from bad data are just bad decisions you don't know about yet."    About:  Dominic Constandi is the Chief Customer Officer at ZoomInfo, overseeing client service that ensures a seamless experience for his customers.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating Loyalty through Customer-Obsession Shep Hyken interviews Marbue Brown, an accomplished customer experience executive who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including JP Morgan Chase, Amazon.com, Microsoft Corporation, and Cisco Systems. He is the author of Blueprint for Customer Obsession. He shares what differentiates customer-obsessed companies from the rest and the amazing business results that come with it. Top Takeaways:   ·      There is a distinction between customer-obsessed companies and others. Customer-obsessed companies go to extremes and may do counterintuitive things from the perspective of their customer-focused peers. For example:   o  Costco is known for its extreme return policy that exceeds what other companies in the industry are willing to do. As a result, customers have total confidence that if they buy something from Costco and encounter an issue with the product, they can return it. Costco has over 100 million paid memberships, and its renewal rates are over 90%.   o  Amazon does not take negative reviews down. They leave it up so the customer can make the decision that is right for them.   o  Zappos has the largest selection of shoes, but if they don't have the pair you are looking for, they will direct you to competitor websites to help you find them. As a result, 75% of Zappos sales come from existing customers, and 40% of their new customers come from recommendations.   ·      Customer-obsession creates customer preference. Customer-obsessed companies’ customers are not just casual customers. They think of these companies and brands first.   ·      Customer-obsessed companies have deeply ingrained, pervasive cultures. Their customer service principles are non-negotiable and lived throughout the entire organization.   ·      And does every employee that works at Amazon know the 16 Amazon Leadership Principles? Tune in to find out! Quote:  "Customer-obsessed companies know how to give customers what they want before they know they need it. They understand what the inherent needs of the customers are even when they don't articulate it."     About:   Marbue Brown is a customer experience executive, sought-after keynote speaker, and author on CX, business strategy, and economic policy. His latest book, Blueprint for Customer Obsession, is available now on Amazon. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Companies Can Provide Outstanding CX From Sign-Up to Cancellation  Shep Hyken interviews Tony Sternberg, CEO and co-founder at ProsperStack, a platform that helps companies reduce customer churn and increase their lifetime value. He shares how companies can differentiate themselves by providing an excellent customer experience from the beginning to the end of their journey.  Top Takeaways:    Companies put a lot of focus into their onboarding process, but the end of the customer's lifecycle tends to get ignored. What looks like the end is actually a point where you can provide a great experience that retains the customers.    We are in a digital world, and there are plenty of automated opportunities to make customers feel they are personally taken care of. Differentiate yourself from others by utilizing your data to create automated yet scalable experiences for your customers that still have a personalized touch.    Big companies like Netflix and Amazon have the resources to provide a world-class automated experience for their customers. The challenge of small to midsize companies is that they do not have the resources to create that same level of automated process on their own.     Data points, such as how long customers have been doing business with you or how frequently they use your services, determine whether customers will be long-term subscribers/customers or are ready to unsubscribe or churn. These data points can be leveraged to escalate offers or provide incentives to keep them as paying customers.    Customers disproportionately judge their experiences based on how they felt at the peak (whether this is the most positive or negative experience) and at the end of their experience.     The best companies can track their customers' cadence to determine whether they're making the most use of your products and services. Using this information correctly can help keep the customer coming back again and again.      No matter what, end strong and positive. The customer doesn't have to be right but let them be wrong with dignity and respect.  Quotes:   "Customers remember the end of their experience with a company to a higher degree. If you leave a bad taste in their mouth, you not only negatively impact the customer's experience, but also impact what that customer tells their friends and their network."  About:    Tony Sternberg is the CEO and co-founder at ProsperStack, a platform that helps subscription businesses optimize their customer cancellation experience through automation. Prior to ProsperStack, Tony was President at CATS Software, playing key customer-facing, product, and operations roles.    Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Businesses Should Invest in EX (Employee Experience) as Much as CX Shep Hyken interviews Liza Smyth, senior vice president of customer experience at Formstack, a company that helps organizations create workflows that enhance productivity. She shares how to make your internal and external customers feel seen and heard throughout their entire journey with your brand. Top Takeaways:   ·      A defining moment for the employee or the customer is an event that truly matters to them. Even if they started with a bad experience, at the point you turn it around (the defining moment) is what shapes their perception of you.   ·      Every employee in your organization impacts a customer's overall experience. Employees need to understand how they fit into the customer experience, even if they don't directly interact with them.   ·      When you hire brilliant people but ask them to do menial tasks, they will feel like they are not bringing their best selves to work. They become process-driven instead of utilizing their talents effectively.   ·      When an employee interacts with a customer, the employee doesn’t represent themselves or their department. They represent your entire organization. You have to decide what your company's voice is and what you want your customers to experience when they engage with you. This experience needs to be consistent across the board.   ·      Employees are your biggest assets at the company. Create an environment where there is a sense of belonging, their perspective is valued, and they can be their authentic selves.   ·      Determine your company's "true north metric" (your mission, vision, mantra, etc.) and be sure that every employee understands how they influence it. Allow employees to feel like the job they do matters and that they impact the customers, their colleagues, and the organization.   ·      Formstack's State of Digital Maturity report identified that 51% of surveyed workers report spending at least two hours per day on repetitive tasks, and 72% of employees felt that inefficient processes impacted their job.   ·      Plus, Shep and Liza share how to create an environment of belongingness with employees and colleagues who are outliers of the group. Quote:  "A great employee experience delivers a great customer experience."   About:   Liza Smyth is the senior vice president of customer experience at Formstack. She leads customer care for the company's more than 25,000 customers. Before joining Formstack, Smyth worked for top tech companies, including Apple and LinkedIn. Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating the Digital Experience That Builds Trust with Your Customers Shep Hyken interviews Tim Hughes, co-Founder and CEO of DLA Ignite, and co-author of Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers. He shares how organizations can establish a strong digital brand identity, share knowledge, and create lasting relationships with their customers through social media platforms. Top Takeaways:   ·      The modern customer is empowered. They now have access to an infinite amount of content at their fingertips. They can look up products and services online before making a purchase. They can look people up on social media before doing business with them.   ·      Like the modern customer, job hunters have changed within the last few years. They are now empowered to evaluate the companies that they want to work for based on what is valuable to them. Through social media, they can see if an organization has the same values as them, whether it is on diversity, inclusion, sustainability, etc.   ·      Social media has become a form of digital theatre for people to see how companies respond to their customers' positive or negative comments.   ·      The three things that brands need to do to excel at social selling and digital CX:   1.    Create a buyer-centric profile that looks good to your customers and positions your organization as the expert that can help them.   2.    Have a wide and varied network that allows you to influence as many people as you can.   3.    Create content that provides your customers with help and advice. Customers respect brands that share knowledge and are helpful to people. Providing informative and easy-to-digest content will get your customers to know, like, and trust you.   ·      Plus, Tim Hughes shares how companies can completely own their brand's narrative through digital dominance. Tune in! Quote:  "Your customers are searching for information and assistance online. Your employees need to be empowered on social because that is where your buyers are"   About:   Tim Hughes is the Co-Founder and CEO of DLA Ignite and co-author of the bestselling books, Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers and Smarketing: How to Achieve Competitive Advantage through Blended Sales and Marketing. He is currently ranked Number 1 by Onalytica as the “Most Influential Social Selling Person in the World.”   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Leverage AI to Reduce Customer Experience Gaps Shep Hyken interviews Gadi Shamia, CEO and co-founder of Replicant, a leader in Contact Center Automation. He shares how contact centers can automate the most common customer service calls and empower human agents to focus on empathy and more complex customer issues. Top Takeaways:   ·      When you design your product, you plan for it to work perfectly. Customer service comes when there is a gap between how your product works and the way it was designed. Effective customer service closes the gap quickly and efficiently.   ·      Not every call can be automated. You don't want to automate calls that are highly emotional and complex. An example of this type of call is when a customer is planning their travels with an agent. The agent is involved in an advisory type of discussion, and the flexibility of the human brain is needed when the customer needs to move around different topics.   ·      The calls that can be easily automated are transactional calls where the goal is clear, like rescheduling appointments or requesting roadside assistance. In these types of calls, we can leverage technology to get to a resolution faster.   ·      Wasting time creates friction for the customer. If we can cut down the time it takes from when a customer calls to having their issues resolved successfully, it would significantly improve their experience.   ·      A company must understand the balance between digital experience and human experience. It's fair to push customers to a digital option first as long as a human agent is ready to take on the call as a backup when needed.   ·      Plus, Gadi shares some highlights from Replicant's first Contact Center Automation Benchmark Report and answers the question, Will AI eventually eliminate contact center calls?  Quote:  "Often leaders in customer service or CMOs think that when a customer calls, they really want the human touch. But most often what people want is for their issue to go away."   About:   Gadi Shamia is the CEO & Co-Founder at Replicant, a leader in AI-powered contact center automation. They offer a platform that automates issue resolution through phone, text, and chat.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Memories, Experiences, and Patterns Impact Leadership Style Shep Hyken interviews Susan Drumm, CEO & Chief Empowerment Officer of Meritage Leadership Development and the author of The Leader's Playlist: Unleash the Power of Music and Neuroscience to Transform Your Leadership and Your Life. She shares how to use music to improve your leadership style and make the changes that no longer serve you. Top Takeaways:   ·      Our childhood “wounds” show up in the way we lead others. Leaders don't just react based on what is happening at the moment. Some reactions are triggered by old patterns and experiences.   ·      Old memories and experiences are deep-seated patterns that trigger different reactions in different leaders, even when they face a similar situation. These patterns become the leader's "internal playlist."   ·      A leader's internal playlist is the “music” playing in the background. It sets up how leaders see themselves and the world. It shows up in their leadership styles and how they work with their employees.   ·      The leader's playlist affects the employee experience. This playlist, based on past experiences, impacts the way a leader acts toward people (employees), which eventually trickles down to the customer experience.   ·      How you retain and engage your employees, how your company is doing, how you show up for your family, and how you feel about yourself are all symptoms of an underlying playlist of how you view the world.   ·      Plus, Susan Drumm reveals the top song on her internal playlist. Tune in! Quotes:  "How music impacts a person is very personal. It is not about the genre of music that you listen to or include in your internal playlist. It is about what emotional state that music puts you in."   About:    Susan Drumm is a keynote speaker, CEO, and Leadership Coach. She is the host of The Enlightened Executive, Chief Empowerment Office of Meritage Leadership Development, and the author of The Leader's Playlist: Unleash the Power of Music and Neuroscience to Transform Your Leadership and Your Life.   Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices