The Digital CX Podcast: Driving digital customer success and outcomes in the age of A.I. – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to episode 100! I’m joined by Chuck Ganapathi, Gainsight’s new CEO, for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about where customer success is headed and what leaders should do right now.

We start with Chuck’s career through four platform eras: mainframe to client/server to cloud to AI - and how those shifts shape strategy. He shares the little-known origin story of “Customer Success” at Salesforce, Gainsight’s early days, and why integrations (Salesforce, SAP CX, Microsoft Dynamics) are never “done”—they’re living systems that demand clean data and constant tuning.

Then we dig into Chuck’s concept of Retention-as-a-Service. In a world where retention is existential, the 80/20 mindset breaks. Every dollar matters, which means every customer matters. We talk agentic AI (augmentation vs autonomy), how a “renewal agent” can cover the long tail, and why the magic is orchestration—letting agents handle the repeatable while humans lean into judgment, relationships, and value.

We close with practical automation stories, a few resources Chuck follows, and a reminder that the human-to-human piece isn’t going anywhere.

Links in Today's Episode:

• Ethan Mollik: One Useful Thing
• Saanya Ojha
• Jamin Ball: Clouded Judgement
• Andrej Karpathy on the Dwarkesh Podcast: AGI is still a decade away

Support the show

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Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

In Episode 99, I do something a little different: I take you behind the scenes as I use ChatGPT in voice mode to design a real automation from start to finish. The goal? Build an internal chatbot for product and engineering that’s trained on CX call transcripts stored in Gong, so teams can ask targeted questions (“What’s frustrating customers in Module X?”) and get instant, concise answers with deep links back to the exact call moments.

You’ll hear how I frame the problem, push the model to avoid hallucinations, and pick a stack that balances speed, privacy, and scale: Gong → Airtable as the searchable store → a Zapier-hosted chatbot for querying. We also cover transcript hygiene (auto-removing small talk and personal details), vendor privacy considerations, and a simple habit hack: having AI remind you later to actually implement the ideas you generated while walking the dog.

I’ll link the step-by-step PDF I asked ChatGPT to generate in the show notes so you can follow along and adapt it to your environment.

If this sparks ideas for your own digital CX programs, follow/subscribe and drop a review—it really helps more practitioners find the show.

Support the show

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Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

In this solo episode of the podcast, I address some recent questions I've gotten specifically about A.I. in CS. A few tangents are included as per usual:

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
02:42 - When is your program ready for A.I.?
04:10 - Data readiness for installing A.I.
08:14 - Using AI for content generation 
11:05 - Staying current or getting up to speed on A.I. 
13:25 - Ticket deflection with A.I.
16:00 - Utilizing A.I. in establishing integrations and configurations
17:03 - A.I. Chatbots
18:03 - Google’s NotebookLM use cases
20:35 - What to watch out for in adopting A.I.
23:10 - Start with the Simple Things!

Enjoy! I know I sure did...

Special shoutouts in this episode go out to Ariglad, Clueso, HeyGen, QueryPal and Vitally!

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

In this first episode of The Digital Customer Success Podcast I introduce what we are trying to do here, which is to create community around digital CS and to pull you in on conversations we'll be having with industry innovators.

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

Customer Success Summit in Austin on February 11th & 12th: https://events.customersuccesscollective.com/location/austin

This is an episode of "MondAI CS", a new podcast by our CS friend Michael Forney that we recorded last week.

I felt that the content would be fantastic to post here as well.

This episode delves into the intersection of AI and customer success, discussing how technology can both enhance and disrupt customer relationships. We explore the balance between automation and personal interaction, the guilt associated with not using AI, and practical applications for CSMs, illustrating a balanced approach that integrates AI while emphasizing the necessity of human connection.

• The importance of balancing automation with human interaction
• Guilt surrounding the adoption of AI tools
• Practical AI applications in customer success
• The value of combining technology with personalized engagement
• The need for checks and balances in automation strategies
• Future considerations for integrating AI in customer journeys

Enjoy! I know I sure did...

Follow Michael's Podcast MondAI CS here: https://open.spotify.com/show/497aLePSmsVJs1mMwn5dSL
Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-forney/

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

Dillon Young, founder of Lifetime Value Media, RETURNS to the show to discuss building a media company, the evolving role of the word "digital" in customer success and what it takes to win in this job market. He and Alex explore actionable strategies for creating empathetic customer experiences, leveraging digital tools to drive value, and the importance of authentic networking in career growth.

Chapters:
- Intro
- Crafting value with micro-content  
- The rise of digital in customer success  
- What even is "digital" in CS?  
- Overzealous tracking gone wrong  
- Insightful secret shopping for empathy  
- Building a media empire: small wins, big vision  
- The emotional toll of job hunting  
- Why networking is your secret weapon  
- Building trust and connections in CS  
- Acknowledging the champions behind the scenes  
- Where to find Dillon and Lifetime Value Media

Enjoy! I know I sure did…

Dillon's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin/com/in/dillonryoung

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

Ed Powers, Principal Consultant at Service Excellence Partners, discusses in depth the measurable impact of digital customer success on revenue retention and long-term loyalty. He and Alex discuss lessons from B2C industries, the importance of viewing the full customer journey, and how companies can embrace constant innovation to scale effectively while avoiding common mistakes in digital CX strategies.

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Intro
• 03:01 - Early career lessons at HP  
• 04:01 - Transitioning from hospitality to tech  
• 05:20 - The bridge between B2C and B2B CX  
• 10:53 - CS impact on revenue retention  
• 16:15 - Why exit interviews matter  
• 20:50 - Seeing the customer's true journey  
• 34:37 - Simplifying scale: Peloton and Ben & Jerry's  
• 40:49 - Root causes vs. symptoms in digital motions  
• 43:28 - Constant innovation and experimentation  

Enjoy! I know I sure did…

Ed's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-powers-ab5315/

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

To participate in Irwin's research project, go to https://repetitos.com/research. The first 20 respondents will get a free one-hour session with Irwin!

Irwin Hipsman, Founder at Repetitos, chats with Alex about the importance of data hygiene and how tracking customer movement impacts digital customer success initiatives. The two discuss the challenges of maintaining accurate account health scores, managing segmentation errors, and fostering alignment across teams to optimize customer experiences in an evolving digital landscape.

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 04:11 - Digital CS maturity and predictive insights  
• 05:11 - Account vs. individual health scores  
• 06:12 - The basics of customer database health  
• 08:03 - Challenges in tracking customer movement  
• 09:26 - Irwin’s path from radio to digital  
• 12:54 - Misaligned languages among teams  
• 15:57 - What digital CS should strive for
• 21:47 - Prioritizing data cleanup  
• 28:16 - Tracking champions who leave  
• 32:12 - Keeping data hygiene ongoing  
• 36:11 - Segmentation errors and blunders

Enjoy! I know I sure did…

Irwin's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irwinhipsman/
Repetitos: https://repetitos.com/

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com 

Link to this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/23MrFuVuMmg

In this episode, I give you an "over-the-shoulder" peek into using Google's NotebookLM to produce next week's podcast episode!

That is perhaps the most surprising feature of this amazing free tool. Besides that, it's great at summarizing documents or web pages for easy consumption and can be a great resource for you to have in your digital back pocket!

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
07:21 - Using Google's NotebookLM

Shoutout to Marley Wagner and Bob London who did this LIVE at ChurnZero.

Support the show

+++++++++++++++++

Like/Subscribe/Review:
If you are getting value  from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. 

Website:
For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com.

Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:
This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcsp

Thank you for all of your support!

The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.
Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com