Amazing Business Radio

How Intentional Leadership Creates Customer Experience Alignment 

Shep interviews Jeannie Walters, Founder of Experience Investigators. She talks about why intentional leadership and a clear customer experience mission are essential for building proactive customer experiences in today's AI-driven world. 

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

Why is it essential for companies to define their customer experience mission statement? 

How can organizations align their mindset and strategies to improve the customer journey? 

How can artificial intelligence amplify both positive and negative customer experiences? 

Why is every customer complaint considered a cost center for businesses? 

How does proactive customer experience lead to profitability? 

Top Takeaways:   


Experience is everything in today’s competitive environment. By defining a clear customer experience mission, leading with intention, using proactive strategies, and thoughtfully utilizing technology, organizations can create memorable experiences that keep customers coming back. 


Organizations often have good intentions around customer experience, but real results come from intentional leadership. It's not enough to simply want to serve customers well. The mindset, strategy, and discipline of leadership must be aligned to drive consistent outcomes. 


You can't deliver what you don't define. Every organization needs a customer experience mission statement. Because if we are not aligned, we will rely on judgment calls based on individual values and backgrounds, leading to inconsistent customer experiences. 


The customer experience mission statement is all about the heart of the organization. It is not about the products, but about what we are doing with them to improve our customers' lives and businesses. It should answer two questions: Who are we to our customers, and how do we show up for them, no matter what? 


Many companies operate in a reactive mode, resolving issues only when customers complain or ask for help. This is costly and inefficient. Proactive customer experience is intentional and designed to help prevent problems before they happen, turning customer experience into a growth driver rather than just a cost center. 


Failing to address recurring customer complaints costs organizations time and money. Customer support teams should use complaints as signals on what elements of the customer's journey need improvement. 


Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but it’s not a strategy in itself. It amplifies whatever processes and experiences are already in place. If organizations automate bad processes, they simply amplify customer frustration. AI should be thoughtfully integrated to enhance the customer journey, not just to reduce costs. 


Jeannie offers early buyers an exclusive invitation to her book club, a companion booklet, and advance access to chapters of Experience is Everything. Check it out at experienceiseverythingbook.com. 


Plus, Jeannie and Shep treat listeners to more insights from Experience Is Everything. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"Every complaint is a cost center because it could mean extra resources are spent on problem-solving instead of growth." 

 

About:   

Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP, is the Founder of Experience Investigators, an award-winning customer experience expert, author, and keynote speaker. 

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

The Impact of AI Voice Technology on Customer Engagement 

Shep interviews Alex Levin, CEO and co-founder of Regal. He talks about how AI-driven voice technology is transforming customer experience by making brand interactions more personal, efficient, and human-like. 

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

How is AI revolutionizing voice-based customer interactions in modern contact centers? 

What are the advantages of using voice over text for customer engagement? 

How can AI-powered agents improve customer satisfaction and retention rates? 

What role does personalization play in building a strong customer experience? 

How are businesses leveraging new technology to proactively reach out to customers? 

Top Takeaways:   

AI-powered voice technology is creating customer experiences so lifelike that they're almost indistinguishable from human agents. This is not created to deceive customers but to provide great experiences, and with the transparency that should come with interacting with AI. 

Despite all the advancements in texting, chatbots, and automation, the majority of customers still prefer to interact by voice, especially when they have complex or urgent issues. Since humans often think and speak faster than they type, voice interactions allow customers to have richer, more nuanced interactions with the brands they do business with. 

AI-powered agents can remember every detail of a customer's history and use that to solve real-time problems. They can predict needs and personalize conversations at scale. This level of personalization is reminiscent of the “good old days” when support and sales agents knew their customers personally, but at a scale that wasn’t possible before. 

Building trust with AI often happens within the first ten seconds. Transparency about when customers are interacting with AI is important. The most successful AI experiences are those that match or exceed human-level service, especially in building trust and rapport. 

The cost for businesses using AI for customer support has drastically decreased. This opens new opportunities for businesses to reach customers they were unable to serve before. More than just a cost-cutting tool, AI is a tool for growth. 

Current AI agents can independently handle about 97% of customer interactions across complex industries such as banking, insurance, and healthcare. Customers are already responding to positive AI experiences by becoming more loyal and trusting of those brands.  

Plus, Shep and Alex discuss how brands that are early adopters of advanced AI voice agents will set a new benchmark for customer expectations. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"The easiest way to engage with a brand when you're in the moment of need is voice. You talk faster than you type. When you have an issue, like your credit card being used incorrectly or a missed delivery, you want to talk on the phone, not type it out.” 

About:   

Alex Levin is the CEO and co-founder of Regal, a company that helps enterprise brands reconnect with customers through AI-driven voice and text experiences. His approach centers on building trust and improving outreach, enabling brands to drive revenue through more timely, personal engagement. 

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

Elevating Customer Support Teams with Smart AI Integration 

Shep interviews Sam Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of 8x8. He talks about the evolving role of AI in business communications and why customer experience professionals should be recognized as revenue generators rather than cost centers.  

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What impact does self-service technology have on customer satisfaction? 

How can AI self-service and human support work together effectively?  

What drives customers to switch companies due to poor self-service? 

What makes customers more forgiving of mistakes by human agents than AI systems? 

Why should businesses view customer service as a revenue center rather than a cost center? 

Top Takeaways:   

Relying exclusively on self-service or automation is not enough. Customers should always have a way to speak to a real person when technology can’t meet their needs. AI-powered solutions work well for routine requests, but there must be a seamless failover to a human agent when things get complicated or the customer is dissatisfied. 

California has enacted a law requiring companies to offer a quick, clear option for customers to connect with a human representative if their self-service solutions, often powered by AI, don’t deliver satisfactory results. 

AI and automation in customer service are growing, reducing the volume of easy, repetitive cases handled by humans. More complex and sensitive issues are go to human agents and as a result, today’s customer support agents are required to handle more complex issues and provide a higher level of expertise and empathy, making them specialists rather than agents. 

The customer support department is a revenue center. Delivering consistently excellent experiences leads to higher retention rates, repeat business, and positive reviews.  

Customers of different ages have distinct preferences for how they interact with support. Older customers lean towards phone support, while younger generations prefer chat or digital channels. But both demographics still want the assurance of being able to call a support agent if their problem isn’t resolved online. 

Leading companies like Amazon have set the standard for customer support by combining AI for routine tasks with proactive escalation to human agents when needed. They have created a seamless customer experience by enabling quick, easy connection with knowledgeable support agents and avoiding the need to repeat themselves to get their issue resolved.  

Regular customers sustain and grow a company. Regular customers drive steady revenue and are typically the brand's biggest advocates. 

The future of customer service lies in integrating effective technology with empowered employees. Companies that invest in effective digital solutions and well-trained customer specialists are best positioned to create positive experiences, adapt to customer preferences, and succeed in a competitive marketplace. 

Effective customer support isn’t rocket science. The technology exists today to empower both businesses and consumers with choice and flexibility, and it is more affordable than it was five or ten years ago. The real differentiator is the willingness to implement these solutions and put the customer’s needs first.  

Quote:  

"One of the great mistakes tech companies make is we talk too much about features and don't talk enough about our customers."  

 

About:   

Sam Wilson is the Chief Executive Officer of 8x8, with over 25 years of experience in finance, investment, and sales. He has held several key leadership roles at 8x8, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Customer Officer. 

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 the Customer Journey Evolves with AI Integration 

 

Shep interviews Megan Glasow, Vice President of Salesforce at Perficient. She talks about how companies can use AI to enhance the customer experience by blending technology with human touch, updating outdated processes, and measuring value. 

 

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

What role does AI play in transforming modern customer service processes? 

How can companies effectively balance automation and human interaction? 

What are the risks of automating outdated or inefficient business processes? 

Why is a proactive approach important in delivering excellent customer experiences? 

How can organizations measure the value of new customer experience technologies? 

Top Takeaways:   

Don't automate what Glasow calls “crap processes.” Before layering in AI and other digital tools, organizations must simplify and improve their existing processes. If a workflow is confusing or inefficient to handle manually, automating it will only spread the frustration to employees and customers more quickly. 

Transformation is not just about buying new technology. It means sitting down with your customers to understand where they are and where they want to be. It is partnering with your customers to create the vision, the process, and the outcomes together. 

Frontline employees are frequently blamed for poor service. But the real issue is often the outdated infrastructure and processes behind them. 

In adopting an AI-first strategy, look across the organization and identify where intelligence, automation, and augmentation can improve efficiency, and customer interactions. Successful companies are not replacing people with AI. They are combining smart, AI-powered systems with capable, empathetic employees.  

Customers will choose the simplest path every time, whether that’s self-service or talking with a real person. If you make it easy for your customers, they will keep coming back. 

Use AI as a tool to become more proactive, not just more efficient. Use it to anticipate what customers might need next, so you’re ready with solutions before they even ask. This allows human agents to focus on moments that require empathy, creativity, and understanding.  

Align your team, from the leadership to the frontlines, around a clear vision for the customer experience you want to deliver. Decide on the experiences you want to create, then mobilize your people and AI to make that a reality. 

Plus, Shep and Megan discuss why organizations need to be "customer zero" for new platforms they want to implement for their customers. Tune in! 

Quotes:  

"When designing your customer journey, consider what should be handled by AI, what should be handled by humans, and how they should work together to enable your employees to provide a more empathetic customer experience."  

 

About:   

Megan Glasow is the Vice President of Salesforce at Perficient. With deep experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, she helps organizations drive AI-first transformation initiatives. 

 

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 Engaged Employees and Loyal Customers  

Shep interviews Stephen Baer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Engagency. He talks about his new book,  Stickology, and how building strong emotional connections and engaging both employees and customers leads to lasting loyalty. 

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions and more:   

How does internal employee engagement influence external customer experience? 

Why is it important for organizations to go beyond surface-level personalization in delivering customer experiences? 

How can companies strike the right balance between friendly service and convenience to create lasting loyalty? 

How can organizations move from transactional interactions to building relationships with their customers? 

Why is it essential to invest in employee experience to drive customer satisfaction? 

Top Takeaways:   

Internal engagement is the foundation of strong customer loyalty. What happens inside your organization is always felt by your customers on the outside. If your employees are engaged, respected, and motivated, customers feel that in every interaction with your brand.  

When organizations invest in their people, the result is better service and stronger customer relationships because empowered employees have the confidence to go above and beyond for customers.  

Engagement isn’t just good for workplace culture. It’s good for business. Companies that focus on both employee and customer engagement see more revenue, higher employee and customer retention, and outpace their competitors.  

It’s easy to form a connection, but lasting loyalty requires deeper engagement. Connections made quickly can fall apart just as fast if the next interactions are inconsistent. Genuine engagement takes time and is operationalized so it ingrained in the culture and felt in every interaction. 

Personalization by itself, even when powered by advanced technology, is not enough to build lasting loyalty. Relying on algorithms alone will expose a brand to being outgrown by its customers or out-innovated by its competitors. Customers stick with brands that make them feel emotionally connected and valued. Human elements, not just algorithms, are what creates long-term fans.  

Convenience is no longer a unique advantage. It is an expectation. Today’s customers want easy, seamless interactions everywhere they shop. To stand out, businesses need to pair convenience with authentic, memorable service.  

Customers are going to talk about their experience with a company. When employees are engaged, they create advocates, customers who often spend more, and are more likely to recommend the business to others.  

Plus, Stephen shares more insights from his book, Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"It's not just about connecting. It's about building a relationship. It's about making that person feel seen, heard, valued, and empowered, whether they are a customer or an employee. It takes time, but the bond holds together stronger." 

About:   

Stephen Baer is the author of Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life, and the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Engagency.  He has 30 years of experience in behavioral science and engagement from leadership roles at companies such as The Game Agency, Atari, and GE. 

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