The energy at the Customer Response Summit (CRS) in Clearwater Beach, FL, was unmistakable. Customer experience (CX) leaders weren’t just there to listen; they were there to tackle evolving CX together.
Coming off the heels of the conference, one thing is clear: the pace of customer expectations is outstripping the speed of operational change. Businesses that don’t adapt will fall behind. The discussions at CRS weren’t about abstract trends; they were about execution. How to scale artificial intelligence (AI) without losing the human touch, how to build resilient service models, and how to drive meaningful CX transformation in a rapidly shifting market.
For three days, executives from some of the world’s top brands came together for relationship-building and to challenge conventional thinking, exchange hard-earned insights, and collaborate on the future of CX.
The Power of Leaders Learning from Leaders
At CRS, knowledge isn’t just shared. It’s tested, debated, and sharpened. Leaders walked into sessions with big questions: How do we ensure AI doesn’t erode customer trust? What’s the right way to measure CX impact beyond standard KPIs? How do we balance cost efficiency with experience excellence?
Christie Sandoval, SVP of Customer Experience at T-Mobile, opened the conference with the challenge of rethinking innovation. She didn’t just talk about AI; she demonstrated how T-Mobile is using it to enhance, rather than replace, human connection. It’s a tension every CX leader is managing, including when to lean into AI, when to reinforce human touchpoints, and how to make them work together.
Frid Edmond, Senior VP of Global Customer Engagement Centers at Marriott International, opened Day 2 with a powerful keynote on navigating large-scale transformation in the hospitality industry. Drawing from her experience integrating loyalty programs after a major merger and spearheading technological advancements, she underscored the importance of adaptability, resilience, and courageous leadership.
Her insights reinforced a key theme of CRS: CX isn’t static; it requires continuous evolution. Organizations that embrace a growth mindset, prioritize bold decision-making, and cultivate resilience will be the ones that lead the industry forward.
Turning Customer Insights Into Action
Customer experience leaders often struggle with turning insights into real, meaningful change. Era Ziroe, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Client & Employee Experience at KeyBank, tackled this challenge head-on in her keynote, Reaching Beyond Surveys: Mobilizing CX Insights Into Empathy-Driven Action.
She shared how KeyBank’s CX+EX team is pioneering a data-driven approach to customer experience, ensuring that customer insights aren’t just gathered but acted upon. The takeaway? CX’s success depends on embedding customer feedback into every layer of the business, from frontline operations to executive decision-making.
Personalization at Scale with AI
Alvin Stokes, Vice President of Global Reservations & Service Operations at Princess Cruises, took attendees inside the cruise industry’s digital transformation. His keynote explored how Princess Cruises leverages machine learning, real-time data, and wearable technology to create hyper-personalized customer experiences.
With a 20 percent improvement in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, Princess Cruises is proving that when technology is used strategically, it doesn’t replace the human touch. It enhances it.
CX as a Business Strategy, Not a Department
Across sessions, one theme was impossible to ignore: CX leaders can’t afford to operate in a silo. Customer experience doesn’t live in one department; it cuts across every function, from
marketing to operations to technology. And the organizations winning in this space are those that treat CX as a business strategy, not a department.
Case in point: Spirit Airlines’ AI transformation. Vanessa Hardy-Bowen, Director of Guest Care & Contact Centers at Spirit Airlines, walked attendees through the brand’s journey in redesigning their guest experience. The lessons weren’t just about AI; they were about collaboration. About getting buy-in from stakeholders who don’t live and breathe CX every day. About making decisions that put the customer, not just technology, at the center.
Hands-On Learning: Tech Forums, Practitioner Pop-Ups, and Workshops
Beyond keynotes, CRS delivered interactive sessions designed to help CX leaders apply insights in real-time.
- Tech Forums: These sessions explored AI, automation, and customer engagement technologies reshaping CX. In Experience Live: Launch Voice AI for a Retailer in Real-Time, attendees witnessed a live deployment of Voice AI, demonstrating how automation can be implemented instantly. Another session, Record-Setting Speed to High Performance with Generative AI Training, showcased AI-powered coaching and training that reduces onboarding time, lowers attrition rates, and improves customer interactions.
- Practitioner Pop-Up: Problems and Possibilities: This interactive think tank allowed corporate brand attendees to take the stage, discussing their biggest CX challenges and brainstorming solutions alongside peers. Topics ranged from navigating AI adoption roadblocks to rethinking customer service structures in an omnichannel world.
- People & Process Workshops: Focused on aligning people, processes, and technology, these sessions bridged operational efficiency with CX excellence. Curating the Next Operational Evolution explored how emotional intelligence and AI-powered analytics can work together to enhance customer interactions. Meanwhile, From Static Surveys to Living Customer Stories introduced new methods for capturing customer feedback beyond traditional surveys—through AI-driven ethnographic research and continuous customer listening programs.
Customer Shop Talks and Moments of Brilliance
Smaller, expert-led discussions offered deep dives into CX strategies and AI implementation. In Practical AI Deployment in Contact Centers, Turo shared its structured walk-run-fly methodology for gradually integrating AI into customer support. Meanwhile, Automation in Action: Rethinking QA for Exceptional Customer Experiences tackled how brands can use AI-powered quality assurance to analyze customer interactions, reduce churn, and improve agent training.
The Moments of Brilliances session showcased real-world CX transformations from Google, Sony PlayStation, Princess Cruises, and Bank OZK. Attendees learned how companies leverage AI, data, and digital tools to drive efficiency and enhance customer experiences.
Innovation, Networking, and Relationships That Shape the Future
CRS wasn’t just about sessions; it was about relationships. The Innovations Lab & Cocktail Hour brought CX innovation to life, allowing attendees to test AI-powered tools, automation solutions, and customer engagement platforms in a hands-on environment.
However, some of the most valuable moments happened outside of scheduled programming, including over dinner, in one-on-one meetings, and during networking events. These weren’t just conversations; they were the foundation of strategic partnerships, shared insights, and ongoing collaboration.
At the end of the day, that’s what makes CX leadership different from other industries. It’s all about community.
What’s Next for CX?
The brands redefining customer experience are the ones willing to challenge old playbooks, embrace bold thinking, and, most importantly, learn from one another. So, as we look ahead, let’s ask ourselves: Are we making the right investments in CX or just the most convenient ones? Are we designing experiences for efficiency or impact? Are we evolving fast enough or waiting for disruption to force our hand?
The conversations that started at CRS Clearwater don’t end here. They’re just beginning. And if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: The future of CX isn’t something that happens to us. It’s something we create together.
A heartfelt thank you to our business partners, speakers, panelists, and attendees for making CRS Clearwater such an impactful and inspiring event. Your insights, collaboration, and passion for customer experience innovation continue to drive this community forward. We appreciate your time, energy, and commitment to shaping the future of CX.
See you at the next summit! Join us in San Diego, CA, September 17-19, 2025.
