Coaching just got a whole lot more scalable Hi there, We all say coaching matters. But most contact centers only review 1–3% of calls. Not because they don’t want to do more—but because they can’t. Fred Stacey sees a way forward. And yes, it involves AI. “Typically, you're at a one to 15 ratio, where one supervisor to 15 [agents]… The first thing that [AI] does is it scales it to 100%.” On CX Passport, Fred talks about AI not as a buzzword—but as a tool that can finally help CX leaders do the...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Something New Happened Hi there, This one felt different. Not just because of the guest (though Jessica “JP” Posey is always electric), but because we were sitting together, in person, recording the very first episode ever at the brand-new Kit Studios in Chicago! There’s something about a fresh space. New mics. The buzz of being somewhere built with intention. And that intention? It’s not just about soundproof walls or camera angles. This is all about experience. JP explains how this isn’t an...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Even if it is Wednesday Finding your voice in customer experience isn’t always easy. Especially when it feels like the industry already has a “cool kids’ table” you’re supposed to sit at. Beth Karawan shares what it’s like to feel that way…to question the “plastics”. She also shares what happens when you stop chasing the clique—and start building your own tribe instead. “Slowly but surely, I found my tribe, as it were, of people who were also questioning the status quo.” Beth and I first...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
What Is Southwest Thinking? Hi there Gonna take a little break here. Just a couple of weeks. There's some great new CX Passport episodes coming up later in May. This week, just wanted to share a LinkedIn live I did with Sam Stern several weeks ago all about the changes Southwest Airlines announced. It was impromptu and a quick reaction to the news of the day. I think it still holds true today. Put those tray tables up and buckle those seat belts. Let’s go! -Rick P.S. If you know someone who...
2 months ago • 1 min read
That’s a Pretty Long Call for a Wrong Number Hi What happens when your data tells one story, but reality says something different? On this week’s CX Passport, Ian Storm, from episode sponsor Aspect Software, tells a story about spotting something a little odd in the call logs: “You dispositioned it as a wrong number, but it looks like you talked to somebody. That's a pretty good conversation for a wrong number, yeah. What’d y’all talk about?” In the episode, Ian talks about how flawed call...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there If you want to be a VP of CX, or the Chief Customer Officer, or any leader of CX, Tabitha Dunn has advice you may not want to hear. “Most senior leaders own multiple functions. They don’t just own one single, smaller function. They have a larger footprint.” In this episode of CX Passport, Tabitha pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to lead in CX today. Spoiler alert: It’s not just empathy and feedback scores. It’s business acumen, operational range, and the ability to...
3 months ago • 1 min read
This skill separates good CX leaders from great ones… Customer experience isn’t just about metrics and feedback loops. Sometimes, it requires one of the world’s oldest professions. No, not THAT one, you cheeky reader. 🫢 I’m talking about… Diplomacy Deanna Stearns explains it this way: “I feel…like a diplomat, understanding each party's needs and each party's objectives that they have, and then trying to help craft a win-win situation out of that.” This week on CX Passport, Deanna shares why...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Customers LOVE dashboards Hi Reader Well, it finally happened. After years of debate, companies everywhere have agreed that SLAs are all customers ever wanted. Forget about empathy. Forget about ease. Forget about whether the customer’s problem was actually solved. If the system shows “resolved,” that’s all that matters! APRIL FOOLS! Fear not…Doug Rabold wasn’t fooled in this week’s CX Passport… “What we've measured in the past is based on the things that help us to be better providers, but...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Something is missing from CX… Hi there, You can design the best customer experience strategy in the world, but if no one is there to serve your customers, it doesn’t matter. Irina Mateeva puts it bluntly: “I always say there's no customer experience if there's no one there for your customers.” In this week’s CX Passport, Irina shares why workforce management isn’t just about schedules. WFM is a strategic tool…to ensure great customer experiences actually happen. We talk a lot about improving...
3 months ago • 1 min read