The secret? It’s not just about perks and paychecks. It involves a deeper, more strategic approach. Organizations are employing various strategies designed to elevate employee engagement to new heights. From how agents are enabled to employees’ opportunities to grow and feel recognized, each aspect plays a vital role in shaping a workplace where everyone can thrive.

Check out the infographic below for five key ways to improve employee engagement.

Curious about how you can transform your company’s culture and boost employee engagement?

Join us on June 20, 2024 (11:30 AM to 1:30 PM ET) to unlock the secrets to this transformative environment at our CX Leaders Executive Briefing on The Power of People: Enhancing CX Through Employee Engagement. Discover how the heart of your organization—your team—can do more than show up. Learn how to ignite a passion in your employees that not only enhances their approach to work but also drives your key performance indicators, from productivity and retention to innovation.

The post 5 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement in the Workplace appeared first on Execs In The Know.

The post How to Improve Contact Center Agent Retention appeared first on Execs In The Know.

This article will focus on generational diversity for your frontline agents and self-help – the point of contact for many customers. The five generations in the workforce today are listed below, but, at least in the U.S., the Silent Generation accounts for only one percent of the total workforce. Our survey would indicate even less so within contact center frontline positions. So, we’ll focus on the more recent four generations even though five technically exist.

The Five Generations in the Current U.S. Workforce

It is important to be aware that the years listed for each generation are not universally accepted. Sociologists, such as those researching the workplace, have different criteria for defining when one generation ends and another begins, and because there is no universal standard, different interpretations exist.  Hence, take these as guidelines rather than absolutes since individual traits are also valid.

We can glean knowledge from the qualities of the four generations typically employed in customer-facing roles. Then, we can use this to inform our management style and promote collaboration between them, considering their respective motivations.

While this is different from the intention of the focus, we can also apply this knowledge to how our customers might wish to interact with us in the future.

Predominant workplace traits by generation

Let’s look at the traits of the most recent four generations and what we can learn from them:

Baby Boomers (~ 59 to 77 years): Boomers are dreamers with high hopes, both independently competitive and team-success oriented. Of all generations, they understand the most how their work contributes to organizational success. Baby Boomers excel at adapting to any communication style since they’ve seen them all, with no bias toward one method like the Silent Generation. They embrace loyalty, responsibility and success.

Boomers are the generation most likely to tend towards the term “workaholic.”  In the past, this would have been seen as a strong trait. Current managers tend to encourage Boomers to achieve a better work-life balance to prevent burnout.

Baby Boomers are adaptable to technology and eager to learn new skills. While there is a perception by younger generations that Boomers are less oriented to computer work, they invented the modern-day PC and the internet. Hence, those still working are much more computer savvy than common perception. This generation had to learn to connect to the internet through multiple methods, from phone lines to cables to routers.

As far as their role in a frontline team, Boomers are becoming a popular choice as they are far more likely to work beyond retirement age, part-time or full-time. Reasons for their drive to continue in work can vary – anything from lack of savings to needing more comprehensive and cost-effective healthcare choices. Younger, more educated Boomers, in particular, welcome working with younger and more diverse workers than older Boomers and are likewise more accepting of diversity of all types.

Boomer employees can be outstanding mentors for younger staff and love learning from them. Boomers want to do their best for the company and appreciate any endeavors that pave the way for team and organizational success.

Generation X (~ 43 to 58 years): Generation X (GenX or GenXers) are adaptable, professional and self-directed. They are also more skeptical than the idealistic Boomers before them. They communicate directly, candidly and often. While some say GenX is less likely to want face-to-face interaction, no data supports this perception.

Because of their flexibility, GenXers will divert to whatever is most efficient as a default, no matter the channel.  If they realize one communication channel is ineffective, they will resort to the most effective channel to improve their overall efficiency.

GenXers value work-life balance, autonomy and constructive feedback. They are motivated by results and rewards but more so by flexibility. GenX is considered the “sandwich” generation who have always valued work-life balance, even as young adults.  By the early 2020s, they value this balance even more.

Because people live much longer, adult children often provide care and support for their older parents. Simultaneously, they are providing care or support for their children in the subsequent two generations who are either still in school or young adult workers.

They are proficient in technology. If Boomers invented the internet, it would be fair to say that GenX gave rise to the dot-com boom.

Motivators for GenX include diversity, change and staying engaged (they are quick to move if an employer fails to meet their needs). And while they like work change, they decidedly often do not like if change at work negatively impacts their personal lives. As a manager, you can benefit most by giving GenXers immediate feedback and remote or flexible work arrangements that they choose based on their level of work-life balance desires. Like Boomers, GenX can make great mentors to younger generations. In fact, of all the generations, they are the most likely to bridge the gap between the two generations by mentoring Millennials and reverse-mentoring Boomers.

Millennials: (~ 27 to 42 years): Like their younger Boomer parents, Millennials can be more competitive and achievement oriented. They are among the most civic-minded generation, which sociologists believe to be shaped by the vast exposure to their surroundings and events because it is all at their fingertips and has been since their youth or teen years.

Social media platforms and websites have enabled new forms of involvement in civic activities, e.g., online petitions, crowdfunding and digital activism. But not all Millennials share the same views on any given civic matter, so leaders should keep that in mind.

They show trust in each other, work together and think innovatively. Conversations often occur through digital platforms like social media or messaging apps.

Millennials are the most diverse and inclusive work generation in U.S. history, with high racial, ethnic, religious and sexual diversity. They value diversity and inclusion as societal virtues and are more likely to support causes that promote equality and justice for marginalized groups.

Millennials were given a bad rap as the “boomerang” generation, given that they, compared to previous generations, boomeranged back to their parental home by their early to mid-20s. The term “boomerang” fails to account for the fact that the early Millennials were caught up in the Great Recession that started in 2006 and did not end until nearly 2010 – the most significant and prolonged economic downturn since World War II. Millennials were 18–28-year-olds during the Great Recession period.

Millennials are motivated by challenges and opportunities for growth. They are also inspired by having a purpose. They are modern technology-raised and expect to use it in every aspect of their work.

As a leader, get to know your Millennials personally, manage by results, be flexible with their schedule and work assignments, and provide immediate feedback. Millennials are significantly impacted by the quality of their manager, meaning they are likely to leave a boss who does not measure up. They like unique work experiences, so leverage that to give them the challenges and opportunities for growth that they seek.

Generation Z (~ 18 to 26 years as of 2023): Gen Z (GenZ or GenZs) represents the most diverse cohort in the U.S. workforce, bringing a unique blend of realism, entrepreneurship, social consciousness and financial ambition. They have developed their values, tastes and habits influenced by modern technology, social media and world events.

GenZs are fluent in technology and use multiple devices simultaneously. They expect to work with modern, efficient tools that enhance their productivity and creativity. They also prefer to work remotely or flexibly as long as they have access to reliable platforms to do their work, or they will go elsewhere. (They will usually ensure they have reliable internet, even if they want their company to reimburse them).

They communicate visually and succinctly, readily using emojis or videos instead of text. They value authenticity, flexibility and impact. They are motivated by personalization and acknowledgement.

Gen Zs are independent, capable of seeking new knowledge, adept at taking chances, and eager to try out novel ideas. They are resourceful, courageous, and open to experimentation. They value autonomy and flexibility in their work and are more likely to pursue freelance or gig opportunities than previous generations.  They are more entrepreneurial, so a GenZer is okay not being “an employee” at all. Their entrepreneurial tendency could be useful to Gig Customer Centers and could be a strategy for future bright workers in tech support.

Unlike the generation before them, GenZs want to be more fiscally sound, so they are less idealistic and more money-motivated. Generation Z also endured the economic hardship of the Great Recession. They are all too familiar with the effects of job losses, home repossessions and economic woes, and are thus more aware of the financial problems they may face in the future. This awareness has made them prioritize stability, safety and savings over consumption.

Leaders should offer opportunities to work on multiple projects simultaneously, allowing them to be self-directed and independent. Leaders should bear in mind that as GenZ comes of age, their tolerance for inefficient tools that impede job performance is low; thus, informed decision-making is necessary to ensure maximum productivity and minimal waste of time.

Since they are money-motivated, they will leave a job for a different job if it means they can improve their income in a way that is stable and minimal risk to their overall financial plan.

In Summary

Today’s workforce is multigenerational, each with its own values, communication styles, work preferences and even technology habits. Comprehending the disparities and likenesses among these generations can help administrators and employers construct a positive and effective workspace that takes advantage of the abilities of each generation.

At CRS Nashville, COPC Inc. is hosting an engaging workshop about transforming leadership approaches to get the most from your work relationships. This research-based workshop will provide attendees with:

1. 2023 research on generational preferences of global contact center agents
2. Opportunity to create a leadership enhancement plan utilizing your own data
3. Methods for leading different generations using individualized strategies for each team member

Guest blog post written by COPC.

Join their panel at Customer Response Summit (CRS) Nashville on Wednesday, September 20th at 4:00 pm, led by Rick Zayas, Vice President at COPC

The post Understanding and Using the Potential Power of Generational Divides in Frontline Agents and Customers appeared first on Execs In The Know.

As technology capabilities advance, business strategies evolve. This paradigm has never been more evident than right now. Brands are looking to harness AI for many different use cases and applications. AI is rapidly reshaping environments and even industries. The unbridled possibilities that AI brings are very appealing, and the desire to implement AI quickly and reap its benefits sooner rather than later is understandable. However, rushed initiatives to leverage the power of AI do not usually deliver the change businesses are expecting. The reason that this approach falls short is because it tends to focus on solving for technology needs rather than business needs. Consequently, many AI initiatives fail to get completed, or fail to have lasting and holistic impact. Modern technology, including AI, is a business enabler, not a business solution.

Five Reasons AI Projects Often Fail

AI efforts usually fail due to numerous issues collectively working against them.

1. Unrealistic Expectations
   Many AI projects start off overly ambitious, creating a discrepancy between expected and actual performance, resulting in disappointment when outcomes don’t live up to expectations. This is often the case when AI initiatives are not aligned to business objectives and designed to generate value. The goal should be to use AI to generate value by enabling your people, processes, or products to deliver value.
2. Unclean Data
   Unstructured and outdated data produces unclean data. The power of AI is harnessed from the data the technology can access. No matter how you plan to use AI, its intelligence is artificial, and it will only ever be as good as the data it pulls from. Producing clean and reliable data can seem like an unbearable task, and many brands try to bypass this step without realizing its significance. This is an essential step and needs to be one of the highest priorities for any organization looking to deploy AI solutions.
3. Lack of Experience
   Limited experience with the different types of AI and their use cases, coupled with unfamiliarity around the complexities of AI, often produce incomplete project plans, unobtainable timelines, and unpredictable costs, undermining its chances of success.
4. Integration into Legacy Systems
   Many legacy systems are not built to work with the latest AI technologies. This causes compatibility issues that often lead to ill-constructed integrations resulting in a faulty or fragmented solution delivering subpar performance. Knowing what is and isn’t capable with legacy systems and how to integrate is imperative, otherwise you may limit AI’s ability to be revolutionary for your business.
5. Inadequate Day 2 Support
   AI solutions need to be tweaked and monitored continuously. Brands that have continued success with their AI solutions have an entire teams dedicated to maintaining and correcting the various solutions, or they have a strategic partnership with a service provider to manage it collaboratively with them.

The DIY or SI Crossroad

Businesses frequently debate whether to use a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) strategy or to work with an AI solutions integrator (SI) provider. Each option carries a unique set of hurdles that can have an impact on how AI implementations are delivered and continued.

The choice of whether to take a DIY approach or work with an AI solutions integrator is complicated and depends on an organization’s willingness to take on risk, level of knowledge, and long-term objectives.

DIY choices provide flexibility, but they also carry a high chance of failure and underperformance. Working with a trustworthy AI solutions integrator (particularly an SI that provides managed services and offers bundled solutions) reduces risk and produces a smoother, more fruitful AI deployment process.

Benefits of the SI Route

Here are some of the top reasons why you should choose to partner with a solution integrator firm rather than going for DIY:

Access to Cutting-Edge Technology and Specialized Knowledge

When you work with a solutions integrator, you have access to a group of skilled AI experts who have a thorough understanding of the technology and its uses.

Industry Knowledge

A partner who is an expert in the technology and knowledgeable about your industry will be aware of specific nuances to consider and is better equipped to deliver AI solutions that are in line with CX requirements unique to your company and industry.

Faster Deployment and Implementation

Solutions integrators can streamline project execution with their existing procedures and methods. Their expertise shortens the time to market and speeds up the realization of AI-driven CX value.

Scalability and Adaptive Flexibility

Scalable solutions are available from SIs and are integrated to meet your company’s current demands while enabling you to quickly adapt for future needs and expansion. Good integrators operate under Change Management best practices and governance, so upgrades and tweaks to your solution are as seamless as possible. This is especially important as your business strategies change with technology evolutions.

Collaborative Approach

Select a partner who appreciates candid communication and teamwork to make sure your company’s objectives are at the center of the AI strategy.

Anticipated Costs

DIY ventures necessitate hefty upfront recruiting, training, and infrastructure setup costs. AI tools may require continuous costs to operate and maintain that outweigh any immediate benefits.

Customization

DIY methods frequently fall short of being able to deliver the same level of customization that is possible through specialized partners. Customization is often needed to address specific CX needs, enhance agent experiences, and increase customer satisfaction.

Day 2 and Continuous Evolution

After implementation, working together with an AI managed services provider materializes immediate value. Security, billing, customer experience, and marketing issues are quickly and expertly handled by their diverse staff. An AI partner’s involvement becomes crucial in the post-implementation and support period as the initial excitement of new AI functionality wanes. They maintain success by keeping an eye on systems, responding quickly to problems, and maximizing algorithms for a higher level of efficiency.

Cornerstones of their services include smooth scalability, strong security measures, and flexibility to react to shifting business needs. A trusted AI partner delivers efficiency and alignment of evolving objectives with dedicated teams for troubleshooting and customized assistance. This stage establishes the partnership’s value, allowing continuous AI improvement and a simple path to innovation.

Overall, working with a solution integrator to incorporate AI in your CX practice offers several benefits over a do-it-yourself strategy. The disadvantages of DIY, such as unplanned cost structures, time-to-value, and less customization, highlight the strategic benefits of working with knowledgeable solution integrators.

This kind of trusted partnership removes the need for specialized employees, assists in optimizing business processes, and produces seamless AI integrations with proactive issue resolution and thorough optimization. The result is enhanced productivity and long-term growth.

Choosing the Right AI Services Partner

A thorough assessment is necessary when choosing the right AI services partner for your organization. The following aspects should be considered when choosing the best agency to partner with for your business:

A Direct Path to Value

When it comes to the field of artificial intelligence, the decision between a DIY approach and working with an AI partner is a complex one that greatly impacts an organization’s progress. This decision is influenced by several factors, such as risk, current competency levels, and strategic goals.

Collaborating with a reputable AI solution integrator offers numerous benefits that reduce risks and improve outcomes. Solution integration specialists, especially those offering managed services, can streamline implementations, overcome obstacles, and optimize AI solutions for a smoother journey that delivers maximum business value.

Guest blog post written by Black Box.

The post Navigating the AI Journey: DIY or Partner-Led Crossroad appeared first on Execs In The Know.

This skill is a critical component of a well-rounded well-being strategy, as it empowers individuals to navigate stress, build resilience, and foster healthy relationships – both personally and professionally.

Value and Work Efficiency

When employees feel valued and supported, and their well-being is prioritized, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed to their roles. This translates to reduced turnover rates, saving organizations both time and resources that would otherwise be spent on recruitment and onboarding. A well-balanced workforce is a productive workforce. Employees who are physically and mentally well are better equipped to focus on their tasks, make sound decisions, and collaborate effectively with colleagues.

In their 2022 global Work Trend Index, Microsoft found that 53% of over 31,000 global employees said they’re more likely to prioritize health and well-being over work than before the pandemic [Forbes].

By investing in well-being, organizations create an environment where employees thrive, leading to improved job satisfaction and enhanced performance.

The Path to Emotional Intelligence

Cultivating emotional intelligence requires intentional learning and development strategies that focus on mindfulness and self-awareness. As CX  leaders, fostering these skills in your workforce can drive substantial well-being improvements.

Here are some effective strategies:

• Mindfulness Practices: Integrate mindfulness practices into the workplace. Encourage short mindfulness breaks, meditation sessions, or even dedicated spaces for relaxation. Mindfulness enhances self-awareness and self-regulation, leading to reduced stress and improved decision-making.
• Emotional Literacy Training: Offer training sessions that teach employees to identify and label emotions accurately. Emotional literacy enhances empathy and communication skills, creating a more emotionally intelligent workforce.
• Feedback Culture: Promote a culture of constructive feedback. Encourage employees to give and receive feedback with empathy and openness. This practice fosters self-regulation and social skills while promoting continuous growth.

Leveraging AI Technology to Amplify Well-Being Strategies

The integration of AI technology into well-being strategies offers unprecedented opportunities for personalization and effectiveness. AI-powered platforms can analyze employee data, behavior patterns, and emotional responses to offer tailored interventions and support. Here’s how AI technology complements emotional intelligence and mindfulness strategies:

• Personalized Well-Being Interventions: AI algorithms can analyze employee data to recommend personalized well-being interventions. This could include mindfulness exercises, stress-reduction techniques, or resources for developing emotional intelligence.
• Real-Time Feedback: AI-driven tools can provide real-time feedback on emotional states and stress levels. This enables employees to become more self-aware and take proactive steps to manage their emotions.
• Learning Enhancements: AI can adapt learning materials based on individual preferences and emotional responses, enhancing the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training programs.

Shaping a Well-Being-Centric Future

As leaders, your role in shaping a well-being-centric corporate culture is pivotal. By intentionally cultivating emotional intelligence through mindfulness practices and leveraging the power of dynamic neuroinsights and AI technology, you’re equipping your workforce with essential skills to thrive. Empathy-driven leaders, emotionally intelligent employees, and AI-enhanced strategies collectively contribute to a resilient, empowered, and thriving corporate environment.

This approach transcends traditional isolated initiatives, weaving well-being into the fabric of company culture and systems. From onboarding processes that instill well-being values to ongoing training programs that develop emotional intelligence and stress management skills, holistic system design ensures that well-being is ingrained at every stage of an employee’s journey. By offering ongoing education, resources, and a supportive environment, organizations empower employees to consistently prioritize their well-being. This not only enhances individual lives but also contributes to a harmonious and engaged workforce that drives sustainable business success.

Guest blog post written by IntouchCX.

Join their panel at Customer Response Summit (CRS) Nashville on Wednesday, September 20th at 2:15pm, led by Chris Harrison SVP, Well-Being and Organizational Development at IntouchCX

The post Cultivating a Culture of Employee Well-Being appeared first on Execs In The Know.

It’s no secret that the hardest parts of the pandemic had everyone – from CEOS and business executives to teachers and stay-at-home parents, to the full-time working parent, turned teacher and the in-between, feeling burned out and out-of-balance. As the working world has shifted focus to trying to return to somewhat a new normalcy, organizations are honing in – answering the question, how do we get our business and our employees thriving again?

Employee Experience a Top Priority

In 2022, there was a drastic change in percentage of employees willing to support organizational changes, dropping to just 38%, down from 2016’s 74% of employees willing to support. In turn, this change fatigue is now a top priority with 47% of HR leaders emphasizing the need for a refocused emphasis on employee experience in 2023.

Burnout and a sense of imbalance have become pervasive issues, leading to the trend of quiet quitting and general dissatisfaction and disengagement at work, and employers are taking notice – shifting their strategies from just retaining employees to ensuring their genuine well-being and ability to thrive within the organization. Yes, there’s a renewed sense of employee empowerment and creating an environment where employees can flourish both personally and professionally, but what does this next step in cultivating the ultimate employee experience begin and more importantly, how?

Reimagining the Employee Experience

Gone are the days of an organizational promise of an every so often pizza lunch or the occasional work from home keeping employees satisfied. Today’s thriving work cultures are at the core of empowering employees. This starts with open communication and genuine concern for well-being. Organizations must actively listen to their employees, acknowledge their challenges, and support their aspirations. Regular check-ins, employee surveys, and focus groups can provide valuable insights to what employees truly need, but it’s up to the company to improve their experience.

How to Empower Employees

Empowering employees to thrive requires more than just listening – it requires a comprehensive approach, rooted in a deep understanding of the physical, emotional, and professional well-being of the employee. Key strategies to cultivate the ultimate employee experience can include:

• Flexibility – Providing remote work options, flexible working hours and accommodating personal needs demonstrates trust, and respect for employees’ constant juggling act of work versus personal life. Flexibility allows employees to manage their responsibilities more effectively, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.
• Simplifying – There’s an unspoken truth to many jobs – there’s just not enough hours in the day to do it well. But imagine a scenario where you are able to simplify the employee experience – accelerate training, embrace self-service opportunities, increase efficiency, and ensure consistency. Complexity, technology, and employee happiness can co-exist and do not have to be mutually exclusive.
• Embracing Technology – We live in a world where technology can revolutionize the way an organization does business with its customers. It’s time we utilize technology to enhance all experiences – from the customer to the employee. In a true human plus digital experience, processes improve, while people become empowered and satisfied.
• Prioritizing Professional/Personal Development – Investing in employee growth and development not only enhances skills, but also showcases the organization values their career and personal advancement. Open up the lines of communication, offer opportunities for upskilling and nurture the potential of each employee and see the organizational culture really flourish.

Moving from burnout to balance and empowering employees to thrive requires a concerted effort from organizations and leadership. Organizations now find themselves at the cusp of a spectacular comeback story – implementing a strategy that requires due-diligence, embracing of technology, prioritization, and flexibility to come back in a post-pandemic world stronger than ever. Imagine a scenario where quiet quitting quietly went away, and employees went from burnout to balance with the help of their employer, rather an alternative variant? While it may seem too far off, with the right strategy and help, it can be achieved.

Guest blog post written by HGS.

Want to learn more about how to improve the employee experience throughout the agent life cycle? Join HGS on Wednesday September 20^th at 12:30 pm during CRS Nashville to hear Akilah Hodge speak on Improving EX in a Remote Workforce.

The post From Burnout to Balance: Tips on How to Empower Employees to Thrive appeared first on Execs In The Know.

There’s a good chance you’ve stayed at a Marriott hotel. Marriott is the world’s largest hospitality company, with a powerful portfolio of 8,000+ hotels in 139 countries. It is also consistently voted one of the world’s top employers. Eighty-eight percent of employees say it’s a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.

With 20 contact centers, 6,500 associates, 18 languages spoken, and 46 million contacts, throughout its growth, the brand has remained steadfast in its mission to put its people first.

Here’s the thing: Companies don’t deliver customer experiences — people do. More specifically, the employees do.

“Success comes down to the people who wear the badges,” Shannon explained during her keynote. These words echo what founder J. Willard Marriott said, “Take care of your associates and they’ll take care of your customers.” It’s a deeply held belief that remains the cornerstone of the company’s culture today.

“Last year, we hired 5,000 associates. We train our associates to take care of the customer but in the end, they take care of each other,” she added.

When thinking about what your associates truly want, perhaps it’s time to take a different approach to look for those moments that matter and follow Marriott International’s model of practicing employee hospitality.

5 Things You Can Learn from Marriott International About Taking Care of Employees

1. Make everyone feel part of the culture.

2. Align employees around your brand’s purpose and core business objectives.

3. Embrace change.

4. Improve the hiring process from beginning to end. Fill the funnel, simplify the application process, revisit wages and benefits, and enhance the new hire experience program to get people excited and energized to come back.

5. Take a people-first approach to service. Treat your employees exactly how you want them to treat customers.

Leaders are pulled in every direction by every aspect of a business but are especially called upon to improve employee engagement. By focusing heavily on the employee experience and CEC transformation, Marriott has continued to maintain its status as a brand that customers love.

A big thank you to Shannon for joining Execs In The Know in Austin and sharing her thought leadership with our community of CX leaders.

You can learn more about Marriott International and its unparalleled collection of brands here.

The post Marriott International’s Shannon Patterson Talks About the Power of Putting People First appeared first on Execs In The Know.

Our Leaders Learning from Leaders mantra came to life as we tackled topics that provided ideas for navigating CX transformation success, thinking and planning differently in today’s business environment, adoption of innovation across the organization, and so much more.

Attendees had the opportunity to discover the latest industry trends, learn from leading brands, make purposeful connections, and gain valuable insights, tools, and techniques for CX across a wide-ranging set of tracks and topics.

And, like always, there was plenty of time to connect with colleagues and make new friends in CX.

Here are some of the highlights from last week’s Summit in Austin.

The Imminent Chatbot Transformation: A New Era to Succeed a Disappointing History

Why do most chatbots disappoint? During our first-ever Tech Forum, Matt Taylor, Co-Founder & Head of Product at Knowbl, and Jay Wolcott, CEO at Knowbl, break down why limitations of previous technology yielded expensive and underwhelming conversational self-service and how the new generation of technology can bring 10x the conversational self-service capabilities with 10% of the expense in just 10% of the time.

Pre-Conference Workshops

Real-World Lessons on Leveling Up Your Customer Experience with Generative AI

Chris Wallace, Senior Vice President of Global Growth at IntouchCX, and Jeff Fettes, Founder, and CEO at Laivly, explored real-world examples of leading brands they partner with that have successfully integrated Generative AI into their contact center programs.

How to Create Legendary Social Media Customer Experiences

While social media management tools have advanced to keep pace with rising expectations, many organizations have not. Lauren Kindzierski, Consultant and CX Advisory Leader at VXI, and Lucia Albero, Senior Community Manager at LG, connected with a packed room of CX leaders to workshop how to achieve legendary social care in 2023. A big topic of discussion? How to amplify your brand by being human.

Passion on Purpose: Why Great Leadership Is Driven by Passion

Jasmine Green, Vice President Enterprise Customer Solutions and Enablement at Nationwide, kicked off the Summit with an inspiring keynote on why passion doesn’t end with your customers. She wrapped up by asking the audience, “How will you make a difference in the time that you have with what you have?”

Delighting Across the Digital Experience

How do you deliver personalization across multiple, sometimes intersecting, customer personas? Panel moderator Sid Victor, Head of Support Services at Movate, sat down with Bit Rambusch, Vice President, Professional Services and Delivery at Phillips; Monte Tomasino, Vice President, Digital Enablement & Engagement at Dell Technologies, and Carlos Castano, Senior Director, Customer Experience and Success at Microsoft to discuss bringing employees along on the transformation journey, personalization strategies, and driving collaboration to converse on a common architecture.

Customer Shop Talks

Customer Shop Talk sessions are small, industry-expert-led discussions on a laser-focused topic.

In Austin, Greg Petersen, Global Connect Sales Specialist at AWS; Dima Cichi, Senior Principal Customer Success Manager at Nuance; Andrea Salerno, Director of Content and Research at Kustomer; and Karen Inbar, Product Marketing Director at NICE, addressed a variety of CX hot topics, including AI-ML-powered customer experience improvements, CX best practices, the modern age of social messaging, and the intelligent tools that should be in your tech stack.

Creating a Culture Ready for Innovation

Panel moderator Connie Workman, Head of CXE Sales, AMER at AWS, spoke with Melissa Archambault, Executive Director, Customer Experience Advocacy & Strategy at CVS Health; Kimberly Masters, Senior Director, Contact Center at Sam’s Club; and Lori Stewart, Director of International Reservations at American Airlines, about the biggest challenges their teams face with CX transformation today. This powerhouse panel dug its heels into that question — among many others.

“You have to find a way to make experiences across disparate brands consistent, which isn’t easy,” said Archambault.

Roku Demonstrates How to Minimize Friction and Maximize Happiness Efficiency Through Knowledge

Cheryll Aganda, Vice President for Customer Experience Advisory for VXI, and Mark McKercher, Director of Customer Care, Commerce at Roku, took center stage to speak about navigating the process and what worked (and what didn’t) when it came to improving Roku’s customer experience with knowledgeable, efficient service interactions at scale.

Leveraging Customer Data and Insights to Design, Build, and Run a Winning CX Program

Many organizations have a lot of data but are constrained by limited access to it and the inability to turn it into intelligence with speed and at scale. Panel moderator Reagan Miller, Global Vice President of Analytics and Voice of the Customer at Concentrix, sat down with Douglas McCann Director – Contact Center Partner Strategy at United Airlines; Jeff Ellis, Senior Director of Customer Experience Services at Vistra; and Peter Gregg, Director, Customer Care Operations at iRobot to talk about getting organized, analyzing the data, and the reasons why what you measure matters.

Leading from Any Seat: How a Culture of Empowerment and Engagement Paves the Way for Operational Excellence

Having a competitive edge begins with your people. Because happier teams equal happier customers. Keynote Wilfred Busby, Senior Vice President, Employee Experience at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shared how his organization took HR and transformed it into employee experience (EX). “People need to feel valued, appreciated, and respected for them to be motivated,” he explained.

The Power of Putting People First: Take Care of Your People, and They’ll Take Care of Business

Shannon Patterson, SVP of Customer Engagement Centers at Marriott International, the world’s largest hospitality company, dove into what it means to engage associates and how that translates to seamless guest experiences, happier customers, and brand loyalty. “Success comes down to the people who wear the badges,” she said.

Moments of Brilliance

Moments of Brilliance are mini case-study sessions.

How Zenni Embraced a Customer-Centric Strategy to Build Loyalty and Deliver an Exceptional Service Experience

Mike McCarron, Chief Customer Officer at Gladly, and Brian Kershon, Director, Global Customer Service at Zenni, shared how they have embraced a corporate-wide customer-centered service strategy, and the successes they have seen.

Building a Resilient Contact Center with AI-Driven Performance Intelligence

Lauren England, Director of Customer Success at Pathlight and Stephane Grossi, Senior Manager – Strategy & Analytics – Member Services at Ancestry.com discussed staying ahead of agent performance, optimizing operational efficiency, and driving business outcomes with AI-driven insights.

The 7 X 24 X 365 Relay Team: Getting the Best Out of Your Digital and Live Agents

What makes up today’s best-in-class customer experiences and how can brands get the best out of their hybrid teams? Dennis Hernandez, Vice President at Inspiro, and Cosimo Trapani, Senior Director at 1-800-Flowers.com, share why live agents are still critical to success, putting agents in positions where they’ll thrive, and the need to leverage trends to be ready with solutions to solve customer needs.

Improving CX in the Face of Reduced Resources

Is your organization, like many others, already on a recession footing? Panel Moderator Monica Gupta, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Nuance, shares the stage with April Obersteller, Director of Global Experience: EX + CX at woom; Gerald Hastie, Senior Director, Trust & Safety at Roblox; Dinesh Chand, Vice President Global Client Care at Visa; and Ian Schmehl, Operations Vice President Enterprise Operations at State Farm to discuss how to start breaking down silos, the voice of the customer, and redefining the use of personalization.

The Power of Customer Obsession – It’s Beyond Being Customer Centric

Julie Weingardt, Chief Operations Officer at Turo, the world’s largest car sharing marketplace, as she puts customer obsession under the microscope and explains why building a customer-obsessed culture only happens when the customer is a key consideration in every aspect of the business. “Feedback is a driving element of our customer experience,” explained Weingardt.

Thank You to Our Community of CX Leaders

We are proud to have had the opportunity of gathering such an incredible group of CX leaders for three days of focusing on the PASSION for Customers, the POWER of Technology, and PURPOSE-Driven Leadership.

Stay tuned for more coverage on all things CRS Austin!

The post Customer Response Summit (CRS) Austin Recap and Event Highlights appeared first on Execs In The Know.

This is your resource for some of the most discussed topics and pressing challenges that have not only made their way around the industry but have made a real impact.

With something for everyone – go ahead and do some browsing, and make sure to subscribe to receive notifications for our upcoming CX webinars in the year ahead.

Here’s a look back at everything we covered in 2022. We hope these webinars with insightful CX insights provide you with actionable takeaways.

The 2023 CX Leader’s Roadmap: A Focus on Human-Digital Experiences

With the new year fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to re-evaluate how to overcome the digital divide to connect with customers and employees in a more personal way.

Find out how Faherty, a sustainable clothing brand, has struck a winning balance between the uniquely human factors and its digital journey to drive brand preference and loyalty.

Watch On-Demand

Improving Customer Experience Through the Use of Digital Transformation Technologies

The world of customer experience is changing rapidly. According to SmartKarrot, artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to drive 95% of customer experience by 2025. However, it’s more than just applying technology throughout the customer journey. Understanding customer insights while keeping the human element can create a more personalized experience and help drive brand loyalty.

Watch On-Demand

7 Tips for Optimizing Operations Using Contact Center Automation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a replacement for people. Instead, AI allows individuals and companies to leverage technology in a way that takes their quality, production, and performance to levels never seen in servicing customers. Don’t fall behind the technology curve. This session will break down the steps you can take today to further transform your organization with AI.

Watch On-Demand

Using RPA & Desktop Analytics to Enhance Both the Employee and Customer Experience

The employee experience (EX) has a profound influence on the customer experience (CX), especially when it comes to customer service agents. Now that agents work from anywhere, it is especially hard to keep them informed and engaged. And when they are feeling disengaged, your customer experience tends to suffer.

Learn how the largest and most successful enterprises in the world are already benefitting from advanced automation solutions.     

Watch On-Demand

The Value of Done: Rapid Customer Experience for Rapid ROI; Yellow Case Study

Customers now expect best-in-class services across all devices, browsers, and channels, and building digital experiences to meet these expectations requires development resources that not all organizations have. In the world of low-code solutions, there is much to be said about the advantages of being able to deploy customer applications faster than ever before.

Greg Rupp, VP of Applications, Enterprise at Yellow, and Jeff Whitehead, CIO at Airkit, come together for a deep dive conversation on the advantages of low code.

Watch On-Demand

Busting Silos and Delivering Outcomes: How Leading Brands Break Down Data, Operational, and Technology Silos

Companies have long struggled to break down silos and boost cross-functional collaboration, but the challenge is getting more acute, particularly in the contact center. While most executives recognize the importance of breaking down organizational silos, it’s often a struggle. Part of the challenge is effectively ending silos while fulfilling on both business objectives and an improved customer experience. For those that successfully navigate an end to silos, the rewards are many, including better CX, greater customer loyalty, and greater operational efficiency.

Watch On-Demand

Why Omnichannel, Digital Self-Service Is the Future for Customer Engagement

Customer expectations are rising faster than companies can keep up. While companies have spent time and money to increase the number of available channels, the experience remains highly fragmented or entirely broken. According to Gartner, while 70% of customers are using self-service channels, only 9% resolve their issues completely via self-service — leaving call centers bogged down and customers unhappy. 

Watch On-Demand

Time & Motion Studies Are Dead: A BETTER Way to Improve the Agent Journey

Have you ever wondered what agents encounter all day and how you can make their lives easier? For decades, companies have used time and motion studies or shadowing to understand agent workflows and identify improvements. These techniques are expensive, paint a biased picture, and are increasingly outdated in an era of remote teams and customer complexity.

Hear from experts at FIN and learn about a better way to gain visibility into the agent journey and improve the agent experience.

Watch On-Demand

It’s Time to Modernize Your Call Center’s Security

As a CX leader, you understand the importance of security in your contact center. But is your current authentication experience a burden for customers, agents, and your bottom line?

Our expert partner, Nuance, conducted a special interview with author Matt Smallman about his new book, “Unlock Your Call Centre”. This book was written especially for CX leaders and call center decision-makers — providing a deeper understanding as to why security matters, as well as the pros and cons of current methods and how to implement efficient, modern solutions.

Watch On-Demand

The Year’s Biggest CX Hurdles and How Brands Can Overcome Them

Supply chain woes, pandemic restrictions, labor shortages—in the race to deliver standout customer experiences, brands have recently been faced with hurdle after hurdle. Our expert partner, Nuance, and CX leaders from Nordstrom and Microsoft, discuss a retailer’s perspective on not only the biggest CX challenges of 2022, but the biggest opportunities.

Watch On-Demand

Striking the Right Balance Between Delighting Customers and Stopping Fraudsters

According to 451 Research, 69% of business leaders feel that their organizations have over-emphasized fraud prevention at the expense of customer experience. How do you find the balance of reducing fraud losses without introducing unnecessary friction into the eCommerce funnel?

In this webinar, Jim Gallagher, VP of Customer Care & Fraud at Nordstrom, shares how the company has worked with advanced technology from Forter to shift from manual reviews to automation to enable operation at scale, leverage a global network of businesses to make more accurate transaction decisions, and much more.

Watch On-Demand

The Rise of the CCO

Customers are the lifeblood of a company, but why is customer experience at scale not prioritized in so many businesses? Recently, we’ve seen a monumental shift that has organizations reevaluating their priorities to maximize the lifetime value of each customer. Cue the rise of the Chief Customer Officer (CCO), and the task of transforming experience into loyalty and increased revenue.

Hear from Gladly for an engaging panel discussion about “the what” and “the why” of the CCO role, a position historically underestimated and often added to “fix” the issues that create unhappy customers.

Watch On-Demand

In Summary

Great CX is vital for business success. It can also be a moving target, creating barriers to effective CX initiatives, such as heightened expectations from customers, new technology being introduced, employee disengagement, and the like. For brands that can get it right, there are high-growth opportunities abound.

As we look toward 2023, there are many ways for companies to differentiate themselves when it comes to how they delight their customers and deliver on consumer demands, leverage technology, and elevate their employee experiences (EX) to create memorable moments that keep customers coming back for more.

So, what’s next for CX in the year ahead? To discover key CX trends, the most widely discussed topics, and the pressing challenges facing the industry, subscribe to receive notifications for our 2023 CX webinars.

The post Webinar Wrap-Up of 2022: The Most Discussed Customer Experience (CX) Topics and Pressing Challenges Across the Industry appeared first on Execs In The Know.

The following is a guest post by West Corporation, a leader in CX solutions. To learn more about West Corporation, visit their website.

Exceptional customer experiences don’t just happen. They don’t happen when someone finds their favorite movie on cable or gets a good deal on a blender. Those moments excite us, sure. But they’re just touch points in the relationship.

Real customer experience is not defined by a single moment. It’s made up of the person’s view of the total sum of interactions with a brand. The good, the bad and the utterly forgettable.

A top customer experience can’t be found with the flip of a switch. It must be earned. And there are five key customer experience factors to fix to make that happen. These factors already exist in your organization. But with a few tweaks, these customer experience factors will become a source of loyalty and ROI for years to come.

Building Customer Experience from the Inside

So where do great experiences come from? They’re not defined by one moment, purchase or conversation. Although if you’re not careful and your first interaction is poor, that may be the only chance that customer gives you. Instead, customer experience is made up of all interactions someone has with your brand.

Across all channels, people refine their impression of you. On billboards, TV ads, in-store chats, service calls – all of these represent a chance to connect and build on that specific person’s customer experience life cycle.

With so many touch points to consider, customer experience must be built from the inside with all aspects of your business pointed toward the same goal: earning their loyalty. When brands successfully earn loyalty, it’s a sign of maturity in managing the relationship across the life cycle.

Slowly, your business moves from disconnected pieces to a connected unit, focused in the end on prescribing the best options for your customers. That’s no easy task, but here are the five customer experience factors to fix to start transforming from the inside out:

• Organizational Structure
• Interaction Strategy
• Technology
• Data and Analytics
• Success Measures

1. Organizational Structure

The first of the customer experience factors, your organizational structure includes staff, stakeholders, processes and key functions within your company. Align your organization to your experience goals at every opportunity. Do your staff and functions work in tandem to build trust and exceed expectations? Or do you have distinct methods for different groups focused on their own immediate problems?

To reach the connected level, emphasize customer-centric operations. Focus on raising efficiency and decreasing effort for customers and employees. And assign customer experience roles to people throughout your business, too, to deeply embed your new goals.

2. Interaction Strategy

Because every interaction affects the total experience, create a plan to make every interaction the best it can be. Know what channels you use and what you want to say in each one. Are you being proactive and viewing the process through your customers’ eyes? Or are you just serving them by reacting to their calls?

To reach the connected level, focus on new ways you can use technology. Maintain a customer-first mission with cross-channel engagement strategies, self-service and proactive support. Then make it easy to hand off customer service from one channel to another.

3. Technology

Hardware and software is more important in customer service today than ever before. Boosting your service with an IVR or contact center software makes it simple to provide personal customer service using individual data and preferences. Is your technology easy to use and meeting your customers’ needs? Does it allow your staff to provide the human touch your customers crave?

To reach the connected level, maintain a scalable ecosystem of platforms and tools that is easy to access across the enterprise. Keep data and solutions out of silos. And always consider new options that can make people even more satisfied.

4. Data and Analytics

Technology feeds off the data you put into it. Customers want to feel like you know them, so keep track of your interactions with each customer and their personal preferences. Are you bringing all of your data points into one place and making that data visible across the enterprise? Are you using it to predict what customers want from current and future interactions?

To reach the connected level, have processes in place to continually collect, maintain and update customer data. Then house this data in one place, accessible across the enterprise. And use business intelligence to learn how to make the most of this data when making decisions.

5. Success Measures

The last of the customer experience factors, success measures help you see your success in making changes to the other four factors. These key performance indicators define detailed metrics that show how much your business has grown and how far you still have to go to meet your goals. Do you have a clear road map to emphasize the value in every person? Or do you focus inwardly on business metrics without considering the customer journey?

To reach the connected level, set metrics for financial, operational and experiential goals. Focus on problem resolution and sanctification, especially in customer-initiated exchanges. Lastly, set metrics that lead to enterprise-wide efficiency. Read more about these five customer experience factors and see where your company fits in our Customer Experience Lifecycle Management Maturity Model.

Customer Experience Factors in Your Business

Strategically differentiating your customer experiences can’t be done by buying the latest technology or even by just visualizing the customers’ journey. Exceptional customer experiences are built by aligning all the customer experience factors – including people, processes, technology and data – to make your vision a reality.

All businesses have different levels of maturity, from disconnected to prescriptive. So view your current interactions through the lens of your customers. Be 100 percent honest in your capabilities and shortcomings, and you’ll be well on your way to building a differentiated customer experience that will set you apart and convince your customers to stay for life.

For guidance on how to start changing these five customer experience factors in your business, check out this next blog post, 30 Customer Experience Questions to Guide You Through the Jungle.

Exceptional experiences rest within your organization, ready to wake. By understanding your customers’ views and looking beyond one-off interactions, customers will rave about your customer experience and become long-term, loyal advocates for your brand.

The post 5 Key Customer Experience Factors to Fix within your Business appeared first on Execs In The Know.