in this issue
Learn how leading brands are turning CX outsourcing into a loyalty-driving strategy through strategic partnerships, human-centered design, and AI-powered support.
by Execs In The Know
Outsourcing in customer experience (CX) is undergoing a quiet but powerful transformation. Once viewed largely as a cost-reduction lever or a reactive support model, outsourcing is emerging as a strategic growth enabler, particularly when it comes to customer loyalty. The narrative is shifting from transactional to transformational, from offloading volume to building value.
In an era where customer expectations are rising and CX teams are being asked to do more with less, outsourcing is an opportunity to build trust, deepen relationships, and deliver the kind of seamless service that keeps customers coming back.
But this transformation raises a few important questions:
- What does a loyalty-driven outsourcing strategy look like?
- How can brands ensure their BPO (business process outsourcing) partners are delivering on more than just service level agreements (SLAs)?
- As generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) rewrite the rules of support, what role will human-centered outsourcing play in the loyalty equation?
Let’s explore the forces driving this shift and what CX leaders should focus on next.
The Case for Loyalty-Driven CX Outsourcing
Loyalty isn’t earned through one moment. It’s the result of many moments consistently delivered, thoughtfully designed, and deeply human. According to McKinsey, 71 percent of customers expect personalized interactions, and 76 percent get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.1 Loyalty hinges on delivering high-quality, emotionally intelligent support that meets customers in the moment, something frontline BPO agents are uniquely positioned to do.
Here’s why that matters.
Today’s outsourced customer care is often the front door to the brand, not a back-office function. It’s where first impressions are formed, trust is built (or broken), and loyalty is either earned or eroded. In many industries, it’s the most frequent and personal point of contact between companies and customers.
When executed with intention, outsourced CX becomes more than just a support function. It becomes a loyalty engine. When mismanaged, it becomes a churn risk, and the stakes are high. According to recent data cited by Harvard Business School Online, a modest 5 percent increase in customer retention can boost profitability by as much as 75 percent.2 This a striking reminder of how powerful every customer interaction can be.
The takeaway is clear: your BPO partners aren’t just resolving tickets, they’re shaping customer perception in real-time. When they’re embedded in your mission, equipped with context, and empowered to act as true brand extensions, they’re not just handling volume, they’re driving value. In a business landscape where retention is the new growth, strategic outsourcing is about customer connection.
The Timeliness of the CX Outsourcing Shift
Several forces are converging to make this transformation urgent and inevitable.
1. Economic Pressure Meets Rising Expectations
The dual mandate of reducing costs while increasing customer satisfaction is nothing new. But in today’s economic environment, the pressure is more acute.
Sustaining high service quality during financially challenging times isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive advantage. According to a report by Harvard Business Review, 88 percent of business leaders agree that customer engagement significantly impacts the bottom line, especially when brands maintain consistency and reliability in their service experience.3 Even amid budget constraints, brands that continue to deliver strong customer support foster trust, strengthen loyalty, and reduce the likelihood of churn. Cutting costs at the expense of service can erode long-term customer value, while investing in the experience, even modestly, can yield lasting returns.
CX leaders are being asked to reimagine operating models that can flex with demand, scale quality, and deliver personalized, human-centric care without ballooning budgets. Outsourcing, when done right, becomes a lever not of cost-cutting, but of value creation.
2. AI Is Redefining the Role of Humans
The rise of AI, particularly agentic and generative models, is automating a significant portion of routine support. Gartner predicts that by 2029, 80 percent of common customer service inquiries will be resolved by AI without human intervention.4
That doesn’t eliminate the need for BPO agents; it elevates it. As AI handles easy tasks, the complexity and emotional nuances of customer interactions will increase. Outsourcing partners will be responsible for the hardest, most high-impact moments. That demands a new kind of agent: one with empathy, critical thinking, product fluency, and brand alignment.
3. The Human Connection Is a Differentiator
In a world where automation is the norm, genuine human interaction becomes a competitive edge. A recent PwC Customer Loyalty Survey found that 59 percent of consumers say a single bad experience would cause them to switch brands but 73 percent say a single excellent human interaction can restore trust after a problem.5
The opportunity for loyalty is not just in resolving issues but in how those issues are handled. That means equipping BPO partners to act with context, care, and brand voice.
Timely Challenges Facing CX Leaders
This moment isn’t without friction. Many CX leaders are facing the following dilemmas when it comes to outsourcing and loyalty.
- Can we trust our partners to represent the brand like our internal teams do?
- How do we ensure consistent quality when BPO teams are spread across the globe?
- How do we balance efficiency and empathy, especially with increasing AI integration?
- What does success look like beyond average handle time (AHT) or cost per contact (CPC)?
- How do we elevate the agent experience to deliver a better customer experience?
These are not just operational questions; they’re strategic ones. And they require rethinking the entire relationship between brand and partner.
Rethinking BPO Relationships
Here’s what separates loyalty-driven outsourcing models from legacy ones.
Metrics like customer satisfaction score (CSAT), net promoter score (NPS), and AHT are necessary, but they’re no longer sufficient on their own. Leaders are increasingly layering in loyalty-focused key performance indicators (KPIs) like:
- First Contact Resolution (FCR)
- Customer Effort Score (CES)
- Sentiment analysis
- Retention post-service
- Agent satisfaction and turnover
Embedded Training and Brand Fluency
Outsourced agents need more than scripts. They need immersion in your brand story, customer personas, tone of voice, and escalation philosophy. Regular alignment, shadowing internal teams, and co-created training sessions are becoming best practices.
Employee Experience Focus
A growing body of research shows that frontline agent engagement directly correlates with customer loyalty. Outsourced teams must be included in engagement initiatives, feedback loops, and career development pathways.
Strategic Co-Creation
The best BPO relationships are co-created. Quarterly business reviews should include innovation sessions, voice of the customer data reviews, and forward-looking planning. Brands are beginning to treat BPOs as strategic advisors in the CX journey.
The Role of AI in Human-First Outsourcing Models
AI is enabling better human-led support when used wisely. Agentic AI, which operates autonomously with goal-directed behavior, is increasingly being paired with BPO teams. Tasks like post-call summaries, refund eligibility checks, and even sentiment prediction are being handled by AI to free up human agents for high-empathy, high-impact work.
This shift calls for new operating models:
- AI Assist: AI surfaces relevant data to agents in real-time.
- AI Lead + Human Review: AI completes a task and humans verify.
- AI Complete: AI handles low-risk cases; humans focus on relationship-building.
BPOs who embrace hybrid models are already seeing increased performance and agent satisfaction. In Cisco’s 2025 global survey of nearly 8,000 decision-makers, 68 percent predicted that agentic AI would handle customer support interactions by 2028, while 89 percent emphasized that human connection must remain integrated alongside AI to deliver optimal results.6
At the Customer Response Summit in 2024, Amanda Wiltshire-Craine, former Senior Vice President of Global Customer Services at PayPal, shared how her team is reimagining the support experience through a proactive, loyalty-first lens.7 Rather than viewing contact volume as something to reduce, they reframed every interaction as a symptom of a larger customer need, a “defect in the experience” worth resolving at the root.
By equipping BPO teams with unified data, generative AI workflows, and clearer visibility into customer journeys, PayPal shifted its service model from reactive resolution to strategic prevention. “Generative AI enables scale,” Amanda noted, “but only when it’s humanized.” That belief now underpins the brand’s outsourcing approach, where empowered agents, consistent coaching, and outcome-based KPIs work together to drive trust, retention, and long-term loyalty.
A Loyalty-First CX Outsourcing Roadmap
BPOs adopting a loyalty-first CX outsourcing roadmap should integrate CX into their operating model, aligning structure, processes, and governance with end-to-end customer journeys. McKinsey found that companies that reorganize around CX, often leveraging outsourced or hybrid delivery models, achieve a 20 percent lift in customer satisfaction, 15 percent higher conversion, 30 percent lower cost-to-serve, and 30 percent better employee engagement.8
If you’re a CX leader rethinking your outsourcing strategy, here’s a loyalty-first framework to consider:
1. Define the “Why”
Align internally on the purpose of outsourcing. Is it to scale personalization? To extend hours of service? To offer multilingual support? Ground the partnership in shared goals beyond cost savings.
2. Choose Partners Strategically
Vet your partners not just on volume-handling capacity, but on their ability to demonstrate:
- Culture fit
- Agent empowerment practices
- Tech agility (especially with AI)
- Track record in driving CX outcomes
3. Redesign KPIs
Layer loyalty-linked metrics into performance reviews. Reward problem prevention, not just resolution. Build feedback loops that include customer and agent sentiment.
4. Invest in Agent Enablement
Extend your brand training and customer data access to outsourced agents. Invite them to internal town halls or customer journey mapping sessions to build belonging.
5. Pilot and Scale Intentionally
Start with a strategic use case, co-design the experience, and evaluate rigorously. Look at customer behavior over time, not just satisfaction scores in the moment.
Loyalty Is Earned
Loyalty is built where customers meet agents, where emotion meets resolution, and where expectations meet experience. CX outsourcing has evolved. It’s about delivering value. Brands that invest in strategic partnerships rooted in shared purpose, AI transformation, and human-first design won’t just retain customers — they’ll earn their lasting loyalty.
What’s Next for CX Outsourcing
As the line between technology and humanity continues to blur, the future of CX outsourcing won’t be defined by who answers the call but by how intelligently, empathetically, and consistently that interaction delivers value. Outsourcing will no longer be a reactive function or operational expense.
It will be a growth lever that blends AI precision with human intuition, unlocking a more adaptive, connected, and loyalty-driven customer experience. The next frontier for CX leaders? Co-creating ecosystems where BPOs, bots, and brand values work in lockstep to turn service into a strategic differentiator.
This is exactly the conversation we’ll be having at our upcoming CX Outsourcing Briefing on August 7. This one-day executive gathering is designed for leaders who are rethinking the role of outsourcing in a rapidly evolving landscape. Hosted at American Airlines headquarters, this event brings together senior CX executives for honest dialogue on modern partnership models, AI integration, and loyalty-first strategies that drive meaningful results. If you’re ready to move beyond transactional outsourcing toward something more strategic, more human, and more future-ready, learn more and join us.
Article Links
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/where-is-customer-care-in-2024
https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/how-to-retain-customers?
https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/consumer-markets/library/brand-loyalty.html
https://execsintheknow.com/how-paypal-is-redefining-service-delivery/
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CX Livewire: Polling, Predictions, and Instant Feedback This fast-paced session brings together a panel of CX leaders who are deeply immersed in the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds and day-to-day leadership, panelists will explore what’s driving progress, what’s standing in the way, and how leading organizations are turning insight into impact. Attendees will walk away with a clearer view of the CX landscape, real-time benchmarking from peer responses, and fresh strategies they can apply within their own teams. By pairing live polling with Execs In The Know’s latest research report’s core findings, we’ll use the session to test predictions, validate (or challenge) existing data points, and capture what’s changed in real-time. This approach gives attendees a rare opportunity to see how their organization stacks up, where their peers are headed, and what strategies are gaining traction across industries right now.
Thanks to Our Partner |
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RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of AI-driven cloud business communications, contact center, video and hybrid event solutions. RingCentral empowers businesses with conversation intelligence, and unlocks rich customer and employee interactions to provide insights and improved business outcomes. For more information, visit: ringcentral.com . |
Sierra is the platform that helps businesses build better, more human customer experiences with AI. Founded by industry veterans Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor, Sierra enables companies to deploy autonomous AI agents that provide fast, personalized, always-on support across channels. Trusted by brands like SiriusXM, Sonos, and ADT, Sierra’s flexible model meets customers where they are—offering everything from enterprise-ready, fully supported deployments to build-your-own no-code journeys. Both CX and Engineering teams can move fast, choosing the right approach to fit their evolving needs. For more information, visit: sierra.ai |
 ibex delivers innovative BPO, smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain customers. ibex leverages its diverse global team and industry-leading technology, including its AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to drive superior CX for top brands across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.For more information, visit: www.ibex.co |
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Powered by purpose, TELUS Digital leverages technology, human ingenuity and compassion to fuel remarkable outcomes and create inclusive, thriving communities in the regions where we operate around the world. Guided by our Humanity-in-the-loop principles, we take a responsible approach to the transformational technologies we develop and deploy by proactively considering and addressing the broader impacts of our work. Learn more at: telusdigital.com |
TELUS Digital|
Flip It Live: Experience Launching Voice AI In Real-Time Why talk about launching AI when you can watch it be deployed in minutes? In this live, hands-on session, you’ll experience what most vendors would call “impossible”: setting up a real retailer on Flip’s Voice AI, from scratch to fully operational. Come see how its possible to fully launch a brand in minutes, delivering instant results for the phone channel in less time than it takes to get through a support queue.
Thanks to Our Partner
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Unlocking Call Center Revenue: How Princess Cruises is Driving Growth Most call center agents spend more time figuring out who to call or what to say than actually talking to guests. Princess Cruises is flipping that model — using AI and real-time data to put the right leads, the right insights, and the right timing directly into agents’ hands, making their jobs easier and more rewarding. Join Alvin Stokes, VP of Global Reservation and Guest Services at Princess Cruises, and Scott Sahadi, CEO of harpin AI, as they reveal how new tools are helping agents close more bookings with less guesswork. You’ll learn how Princess Cruises is:
This isn’t about more calls. It’s about smarter calls that convert — faster. If you want to see what significant MoM revenue growth looks like in action, don’t miss this.
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Designing the Modern Contact Center Experience: Human + AI Collaboration, Omnichannel Orchestration, and Voice Platform Transformation As customer expectations evolve and AI continues to reshape service delivery, contact centers must transform into agile, intelligent experience hubs. This forward-looking workshop explores how to design the modern contact center by integrating the best of human empathy, agentic AI, and omnichannel strategy. Participants will dive into how to orchestrate seamless journeys across voice, chat, email, and social, creating consistent experiences regardless of channel. We’ll explore how to modernize legacy systems and elevate voice platforms through next-generation IVR (NGIVR) and agentic AI that empowers agents and streamlines customer interactions. A key focus will be on Human + AI collaboration: learning how to optimize handoffs between bots and humans, design emotionally intelligent experiences, and deploy next-gen agent assist tools that elevate frontline performance. Through practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and collaborative exercises, attendees will leave with a better understanding of:
A must-attend session for contact center leaders focused on delivering measurable, strategic value through every customer interaction. Thanks to Our Partner
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Transforming Your Contact Center into a Modern Resolution Engine For too long, themes in CX have been focused on deflection, asking, “How many customers can we avoid?” The more meaningful question is: “How can we resolve their issues?” Customers don’t care how many steps you eliminated in your workflow or how much faster your team completed their post-call dispositions. They care about one thing: Was my problem solved quickly and effectively? As CCaaS continues to evolve, contact-center leaders must meet ever-higher demands for efficiency, personalization, and seamless omnichannel service. Teams can no longer tolerate half-baked channels, siloed agents, or reporting nightmares. Today, they’re embracing AI-powered, unified workspaces that weave rich contextual data with intelligent, empathy-driven tools so every interaction becomes fast, personal, and on-brand at scale. In this session led by Zendesk, you’ll explore real-world examples of contact centers around the world that have:
You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to transform your contact center into a modern resolution engine by:
Thanks to Our Partner
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More Than a Game: Creating Legendary CX One Fan at a Time Sports have a unique superpower: they unite generations through a shared passion for players, teams, and events. They break down barriers, find common ground, build connections, and create memories that last a lifetime. In today’s CX landscape, increasingly dominated by AI, automation, and efficiency, how can brands still harness those emotional connections to fuel the future of customer experience? Keynote Maureen Barnett, Vice President of Global Fan Experience at Fanatics, will discuss how leading brands can transform traditional service centers into vibrant experience hubs. She’ll also share how Fanatics redefined the role of customer service agents as true brand ambassadors, empowered to create delight through meaningful, personal connections. From designing a “full-circle” connection model that will boost performance to blending innovative technology with human warmth, Barnett offers practical strategies for delivering experiences far beyond the transaction. Attendees will walk away with a decisive shift in perspective that will challenge what’s possible and inspire them to reignite frontline engagement and delight customers. The real magic happens when your customers and employees don’t just engage with your brand but also believe in its experience.
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Board Panel: The Signals We’re Missing In a world flooded with dashboards and metrics, the loudest signals often steal the spotlight—while the most powerful insights go unheard. This panel explores what it means to truly listen to the silent majority of customers: those whose feedback isn’t captured in traditional surveys, whose experiences are filtered through cultural bias, or whose voices are lost in outdated listening systems. Join the EITK Advisory Board as they challenge the current state of customer listening by asking hard questions:
We’ll also explore how AI-powered sentiment detection can help uncover unspoken truths and emerging emotions—if applied with intention and ethics. From tuning into passive signals to reshaping how and where we listen, this conversation will open new possibilities for creating a listening culture that is inclusive, intelligent, and alive. If we want to meet customers where they are, we must hear even what they don’t say. The future of customer experience depends not just on collecting more data—but on listening differently.
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Elevating the Ride: The Journey to Best-in-Class Peloton Member Services Get ready for an exclusive look behind the scenes of Peloton’s journey. The highs, the pivots, and the powerhouse moves that keep Peloton’s Members cheering. Join keynote speaker Dawn Spring, Senior Vice President of Global Member Services at Peloton as she shares her journey over the last two years streamlining operations and elevating every touchpoint. Dawn has led with heart, hustle, and a relentless focus on connection. This session offers a candid look at Peloton’s transformation. You’ll hear how bold shifts have helped Peloton reimagine Member support. From connecting with game-changing partners, integrating new tech, and tapping into the power of AI, Dawn has helped catapult Member experiences to the next level. With a Member base as passionate as Peloton’s, it required leadership that could match their enthusiasm! Energetic and enthusiastic, Dawn brings a contagious passion for people to her role. It’s been a wild ride of transformation for Peloton’s Member Support Team — and they’ve emerged stronger than ever. It took some serious grit and a whole lot of heart, but they remain laser-focused on delivering an exceptional Member journey. This keynote promises to be an exciting deep dive into how Peloton has leveled up to deliver Member services that are just as legendary as its content and rockstar instructors, all for its incredible Peloton family.
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The Power of Perspective: Leading with Clarity and Courage in a Distracted World We live in an age of constant noise, where information overload and endless distractions threaten our ability to focus. In times like these, effective leadership hinges on one critical skill: controlling perspective. This high-energy, insightful talk explores how leaders can rise above the chaos, define what matters, and guide their teams with clarity and courage. Drawing from personal stories of playing quarterback in the NFL and leading one of the largest churches in the country, Travis Brown unpacks practical strategies for filtering information, identifying wise voices, and adjusting leadership altitude to see the bigger picture. His message is a call to courageous leadership, where clarity isn’t just a skill, but a choice leaders must make in the face of complexity. Attendees will leave equipped to simplify the noise, stay grounded in purpose, and create environments where teams focus on what truly matters. Travis is a former NFL quarterback and a pastor at one of the largest churches in the country. He is also the founder of 180 Sports, a nonprofit committed to transforming the culture of sports through training, scholarships, and equipment. With a unique blend of high-performance leadership and grounded wisdom, Travis speaks to both teams and individuals seeking to lead with purpose. With years of experience leading both on and off the field, he now inspires, challenges, and equips leaders to navigate high-stakes environments with clarity, resilience, and intention.
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A Masterclass in CX Technology Sourcing Choosing the right customer experience (CX) technology partners isn’t just a procurement decision—it’s a strategic one. From discovery to delivery, the way you source, evaluate, and manage technology solution providers can make or break your ability to deliver seamless, high-impact customer experiences. In this expert-led panel, seasoned CX leaders will guide you on techniques to find and evaluate the best providers to deliver on your business requirements. You’ll hear real-world examples and gain practical tools for maximizing value from your technology partnerships while staying agile in a fast-evolving digital landscape.
Whether you’re looking to optimize current vendors or source new technology, this panel will offer a blueprint for smarter, more strategic CX technology decisions.
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Mark McKercher
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The Talent Shift: Hiring, Training, and Compensation in an AI World Customer expectations aren’t the only thing evolving, so are the people behind every interaction. As AI and automation continue to reshape the contact center, they’re not just enhancing tools and workflows; they’re fundamentally transforming the agent role itself. In this new era, agents are expected to do more than follow a script. They’re problem solvers, brand ambassadors, and emotional first responders—navigating increasingly complex issues that require both high-tech fluency and high-EQ finesse. These changes are pushing organizations to rethink everything: how we recruit and train, how we compensate and support, and what skills matter most in the modern CX workforce. This panel brings together CX leaders to unpack how AI is reshaping the future of work: redefining the skills we hire for, influencing compensation models, and transforming how training is delivered and absorbed. As the role of the agent evolves, so must the strategies for building and supporting a workforce prepared to meet the demands of a more complex, tech-integrated customer experience. The future is faster, smarter, and more connected but success depends on leading with intention, investing in emotional intelligence, and designing roles that elevate both technology and humanity.
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Reality Check: Are AI & Automation Living Up to Their Promise in CX? AI and automation are no longer emerging tools; they’re embedded in the DNA of today’s CX strategies. From transforming contact centers to driving operational efficiency and delivering more seamless customer interactions, they’ve promised smarter, more seamless customer experiences. But are they delivering? This panel takes a clear-eyed look at what’s really happening after implementation. What gains have proven sustainable? Where are expectations falling short? And how are CX leaders rethinking their approach as they face the hard truths of integration, training, measurement, and impact? You’ll hear from leading brands on navigating the evolving balance between humans and machines, including how they’re redefining agent roles, capturing the right metrics, and translating the voice of the customer into iterative, AI-fueled improvements. Whether you’re scaling automation or just beginning to integrate AI pilots, this session offers grounded insights, honest lessons, and forward-looking guidance for building the intelligent contact center of tomorrow.
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The Human Advantage: Why People Still Power Great CX in the Age of AI In an era dominated by AI and automation, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s most critical in delivering standout customer experiences: the people making them happen. Amid the tech-driven transformation of CX, one truth remains—companies that thrive are those where agents, and the teams supporting them, are engaged, empowered, and equipped to deliver at a high level. In this dynamic session, Lisa Patterson of Stellantis—the global powerhouse behind Dodge, Ram, and Jeep—and Amy Bouthilet, VP of Global Talent at Alta Resources, a leading end-to-end CX BPO, discuss what it truly takes to build and sustain an employee-first culture. Drawing from real-world examples, they’ll share the challenges and breakthroughs of scaling engagement across complex enterprises, and how placing people at the core of CX operations leads to measurable impact—from improved customer satisfaction scores to stronger revenue performance. With a 9-year partnership with Gallup, Alta’s proven approach to employee engagement and leadership development has redefined how to embed culture into the everyday fabric of CX delivery. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to overcome barriers, develop engaged teams, and elevate both employee and customer outcomes in a world increasingly shaped by technology. Key Takeaways:
Join us to discover why, amid rapid technological change, people still drive CX success.
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From Contact Center to Experience Center: The Truist Transformation What happens when a leading financial institution elevates care to the core of its service model? At Truist, that shift is redefining how the organization designs customer and employee experiences across its contact centers. Kimberly Dorsett, Executive Vice President and Head of Truist Care Centers, will share how the company is applying a care-first mindset, powered by AI and innovation, to reshape frontline engagement and reduce complexity for customers and employees. From a patented client summary tool that provides instant insight into the full customer journey, to intelligent channel optimization that removes friction, Truist is investing in solutions that fuel personalization and empathy. This keynote explores how the brand is designing operational frameworks around trust, connection, and purpose, and why that matters more than ever in a digital-first world. Attendees will walk away with inspiration to bring clarity, care, and human value into their own transformation efforts.
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