Amazing Business Radio

Creating a Company Identity That Transforms Customer Experience 

Shep Hyken interviews Laura Richard, Principal at Level5 Strategy and one of the 2023 Woman Leaders in Consulting. She talks about the essence of branding and its role in customer experience, employee engagement, and business growth. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• A brand promise is a company's commitment to its customers, defining what they can expect every time they interact with the brand. It is the guiding principle that all the decisions of an organization are centered on.  

• A brand true to its promise creates value, builds trust, and fosters long-lasting relationships that benefit the customer and bring financial success to the business over time. 

• Understand what matters most to the customers you want to build a relationship with. Know what they want to get and how they want to feel as a result of engaging with the brand.  

• In a competitive market, a strong brand sets a company apart from competitors and creates an emotional connection with customers. For example, Nike empowers its customers with the motto "Just Do It," and Patagonia focuses on sustainability. 

• Employees are essential in upholding the brand promise. When a company clearly defines its brand promise and values, it can attract employees who naturally resonate with those principles. 

• Companies should identify which touchpoints are "table stakes," meaning basic expectations that must be met, but not necessarily exceeded. They should also focus their resources on the "moments of truth," the interactions that emotionally impact customers and can significantly deepen relationships.  

• Plus, Shep and Laura discuss how convenience and consistency drive loyalty. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"When people hear the word brand, they think of the logo, tagline, or marketing campaigns. But a brand truly is the company's identity, the common set of truths the organization needs to deliver to create value for its customers and employees." 

About:   

Laura Richard is a Principal at Level5 Strategy and one of the 2023 Woman Leaders in Consulting. She is Chair of the Board of ParticipACTION, Canada's leading advocate for physical activity. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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Building a Brand Customers Love 

Shep Hyken interviews Joanne Chan, CEO of Turner Duckworth, a world-class branding agency with studios in San Francisco, London, and New York. She talks about how brands like Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Levi Strauss & Co. infuse a clear vision and emotional connection in their branding to communicate a customer-focused experience. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• Branding is crucial for any company because it defines how customers perceive the business. A strong logo and brand identity can create emotional connections with customers, making them more loyal and engaged.  

• Successful branding involves creativity and an understanding of what the brand represents. A great logo or brand can stand the test of time while still resonating with new customers, like Amazon's smile logo, which emotionally connects the customer to a happy experience and communicates that Amazon sells everything from A to Z.   

• In any business relationship, listening is vital to understanding client needs and expectations. Listening helps you create solutions that cater to the client's specific requirements. Listening with empathy throughout the partnership can nurture long-lasting relationships and repeat business. 

• Everyone makes mistakes, and in business, you must handle them well. When a mistake happens, take responsibility, listen to your customers, and work to solve the problem together. Owning and handling mistakes well shows your customers that you are reliable and committed to delivering an amazing experience. 

• Creating a brand involves more than just a name or logo. It's about evoking emotions. This involves using design to speak to the heart of what the consumer cares about. That’s part of the customer experience. 

• The new generation of customers interacts with brands differently. They expect personalized and engaging experiences. Brands must be flexible and adaptable while maintaining consistency. 

• Plus, Joanne shares how her team came up with the Amazon logo and how they purpose-built it for the future. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"To infuse a brand with personality, marketers need to understand that brands are a way to communicate with their customers. The more emotion you infuse into a visual identity system, the more connection you can have with your customers." 

About:   

Joanne Chan is the CEO of Turner Duckworth. They managed packaging and brand identity projects for clients like Amazon, Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss & Co., and Samsung. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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Leveraging Technology to Create Personalized Experiences 

Shep Hyken interviews Anurag Dhingra, SVP and General Manager of Cisco Collaboration. He talks about using AI to bridge the gap between consumer expectations and satisfaction by enhancing both customer and employee experiences. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• There is still a huge gap between what people expect from their customer experience and what they are getting. If you ask a someone if they are happy with their previous customer experiences, the answer will likely be no. Fortunately, we now have the technology to elevate the experiences we can deliver to our customers.  

• Technological advancements, especially in AI, present many opportunities for organizations to enhance customer service and experience. AI can help streamline processes, provide real-time insights, and assist agents in answering customer inquiries more effectively. 

• Companies need to be thoughtful when implementing AI solutions. While cost optimization is important, it should not overshadow the goal of enhancing customer experience. Businesses should prioritize strategies that directly impact customer satisfaction, such as reducing wait times, creating personalized experiences, and anticipating customer needs.  

• Personalization is crucial in creating amazing customer experiences. Customers now expect companies to recognize their preferences and past interactions. Delivering a personalized service can make customers feel valued and understood, strengthening brand loyalty. 

• In addition to traditional methods of communications, like phone calls, modern consumers also communicate across various platforms like social media and text messages. Companies need to meet their customers in the channels where they prefer to interact. Offering multiple communication options allows customers to reach out in their preferred way, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.  

• Today, the best use case for AI is helping customer support agents, acting as a co-pilot providing real-time assistance and recommendations. AI can enhance agent efficiency by summarizing interactions and handling routine tasks, freeing agents to focus on complex issues. Technology should empower humans, not replace them. 

• Plus, Anurag and Shep discuss why it is important to always let customers know when they are talking to AI. Tune in! 

Quote: 

"Anyone in the organization can be a customer service representative. Because there are now multiple ways to engage with a brand, anyone has the opportunity to do a job that delights the customer." 

About:   

Anurag Dhingra is the SVP and General Manager of Cisco Collaboration. He leads the technology vision, strategy, and direction for the Cisco Collaboration. He is also on Cisco's Human Rights Advisory Council and the founder of Cisco's Responsible AI initiative. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   

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Exploring AI's Role in Revolutionizing Customer and Employee Experiences in Contact Centers 

Shep Hyken interviews Jonathan Rosenberg, Chief Technology Officer and head of AI at Five9. He talks about how contact centers can use generative AI to deliver customer experiences that people love. 

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

Top Takeaways:    

• AI is changing the way that contact centers operate. AI-driven tools can handle simple queries and support human employees in answering complex questions. It allows businesses to offer quick, precise help that reduces call and hold times while keeping human agents available for tasks requiring empathy and complex problem-solving. 

• Self-service options are growing more advanced and popular. Although AI can tackle straightforward and repetitive tasks, humans are necessary for high-stakes or complicated situations due to their ability to understand emotions and contexts more deeply.  

• AI isn't about replacing human employees but empowering them. It provides agents with insights and recommendations in real time so they can focus on building stronger relationships with customers. With AI tools, agents can support customers more effectively, easily handle complex queries, and even seize upsell opportunities.  

• Great customer experiences can lead to loyal customers. With AI tools, employees can easily access customer's history of interactions with the brand and get information from a broad knowledge base that can help them offer personalized solutions. When customers feel understood and valued, they are more likely to return and tell others about their positive experiences.  

• AI is quicker and more cost-effective to implement than ever, and the return on investment from AI in customer service is significant. AI can shorten call handling times and make each interaction more efficient, saving money for the business.  

• Plus, Shep and Jonathan discuss what happens to companies that are laggards when it comes to adopting AI. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"Setting up and implementing AI has historically been expensive and prohibitive for businesses. Now, with generative AI, it is quick and easy to get started, and the cost of maintaining it is low." 

About:   

Jonathan Rosenberg is the Chief Technology Officer and head of AI at Five9. He is responsible for the engineering and operational teams building Five9's Genius AI portfolio. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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Transforming Customer Support with Technology and Empathy 

Shep Hyken interviews Derek Allgood, VP of Global Customer Experience (GCX) at eBay. He discusses the importance of nurturing a supportive culture and harnessing innovative tools like AI to enhance employee and customer service. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• Listening is critical to building strong relationships in business and life. When interacting with customers or clients, it is essential to fully comprehend their needs and concerns before taking action. Active listening involves paying attention, asking clarifying questions, and genuinely showing empathy.  

• High employee turnover leads to increased costs and decreased customer satisfaction. Focus on creating a fulfilling and supportive work environment for your team members. Employees who feel valued and engaged become more committed to their roles and deliver exceptional service. 

• Today, more people are working remotely, which requires new ways of maintaining communication and culture. Effectively using technology to communicate improves work efficiency and connectivity. Communication technology helps ensure that employees remain connected and well-informed and can support one another in real time. 

• Self-service technology helps streamline interactions and solve issues quickly. By implementing self-service options, businesses can empower customers to find the answers they need without waiting to speak with a representative. This reduces wait times and allows customer support teams to focus on more complex issues. It also leads to cost savings for businesses and a more satisfying experience for both customers and employees. 

• A great business also thinks about how it can contribute positively to the world. This involves supporting causes that align with the company's values and making a meaningful impact on communities. By having a purpose beyond making money, businesses can connect with people on a more personal level. This builds trust and loyalty among consumers and employees alike. 

• Plus, Derek talks about eBay's innovative AI solutions to support employees and customers. Tune in! 

Quotes:  

"The first thing that we have to do in any relationship is to listen. As a business with a buyer and seller relationship, listen and try to understand where the customers are in their journey, what's gone wrong, and how you can support the employees helping them." 

About:   

Derek Allgood is the VP of Global Customer Experience (GCX) at eBay. He has over 20 years of experience leading customer support teams for global companies such as Citiphone, Global Consumer Bank, and Barclays. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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Aligning Business Goals with Customer Needs  

Shep Hyken interviews Jeff Gothelf, author of Who Does What By How Much?: A Practical Guide to Customer-Centric OKRs. He talks about how aligning objectives and key results with customer needs can transform business success. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• OKR is an acronym meaning Objectives and Key Results. They are a strategic framework for setting clear goals and measuring outcomes. By having clear goals and knowing what results are expected, everyone in the organization moves in the right direction. When these OKRs are focused on the customer, they help companies make decisions that make their customers happy and loyal to the brand.  

• Objectives are qualitative goals describing the end state you want your customers to experience. For example, you want to offer the best product or be the easiest to do business with. The key results are the quantitative measures of human behavior that tell us we've achieved that state. It answers: What will your customers do differently, and by how much?  

• Customer satisfaction is important, but understanding customer behaviors is crucial. Often, dissatisfied customers stop using the product. They show up less often. They spend less money. They stop telling their friends about it. If you can understand these patterns of your customer's behavior, you can proactively take action before it becomes a problem. 

• Determine which behaviors (trying out products, asking more questions, etc.) will deliver the results that your company is looking for. Then, create an environment, a system, a service, or a store that positively amplifies those behaviors for the customer. 

• Providing your team with the objectives and allowing them to figure out the best way to achieve them communicates that you trust your employees to use their skills to meet customer needs.  

• Not all strategies will work from the start. Organizations need to develop a culture of learning. It allows teams to learn from mistakes and objectively measure the success of an idea. Then, businesses can make informed adjustments and improve with each attempt.  

• Plus, Jeff explains why some employees end up working on the wrong tasks  and how organizations can avoid that. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"Customer centricity puts the customer at the center of all our decisions. Every time we make a decision, the critical question is—What impact do we think this will have on the customer? And, is that something that we want to do?" 

About:   

Jeff Gothelf is a business strategy and customer-centricity expert, speaker, and author. He is the co-author of Lean UX, Sense & Respond, and Who Does What By How Much?: A Practical Guide to Customer-Centric OKRs. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   

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How Personalized Customer Experiences Can Drive Business Growth  

Shep Hyken interviews Mark Abraham, Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group and author of Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. He talks about AI's potential to enhance personalization and the impact of tailored customer experiences on business growth.  

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

Top Takeaways:   

• Personalization means using what you've learned about the customer from their past interactions to improve their future experiences.  

• True personalization is not just about using a customer's name or offering customized products. True personalization involves using customer data at scale to make their next experience smoother, faster, and more convenient.  

• There are some concerns among customers about data privacy and personalization. Businesses must first get the opt-in from their customers. Second, it is important to ensure personalized experiences are contextually appropriate to the customer's journey. 

• Respecting customer privacy can make or break a personalized experience. Businesses should collect first-party data (data from transactions) and zero-party data (data directly shared by customers) to create a more accurate and respectful personalization strategy.  

• Artificial Intelligence has the potential to significantly enhance personalization. It can analyze vast amounts of data to predict and suggest the next best actions for customers, recommend products or services, and tailor customer service interactions. 

• Starting with personalization doesn't have to be complicated. Start by identifying one area where personalization can have the most impact and using available tools and technologies to implement it. 

• Mark also shares The Five Promises of Personalization, a practical way to think about how you deliver great personalization. 

• Plus, Mark answers the question—Is true personalization an expensive thing to do? Tune in! 

Quote:  

"Personalization isn't just customization. Personalization is taking what you've learned about a customer in an interaction and making their next interaction better, faster, or more convenient." 

About:   

Mark Abraham is a Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group and the founder of the company's Global Personalization business. He co-authored Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI with David C. Edelman. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.

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AI's Growing Impact on Employee and Customer Experience 

Shep Hyken interviews Jim Payne, Director of Product Marketing, Customer Engagement at RingCentral. He talks about how AI is transforming both customer and employee interactions by enhancing productivity and efficiency. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• Artificial Intelligence is significantly impacting both customer and employee experiences. The latest research by RingCentral and Metrigy has uncovered that over 80% of companies are using or planning to use AI to enhance customer and employee interactions this year.  

• The cost of using AI for business has dramatically decreased. In the past, deploying AI would mean a considerable investment needing data scientists and experts to implement. Today, it has become more accessible to even small and medium-sized businesses. The benefits of AI, such as increased productivity and efficiency, are no longer exclusive to large organizations. 

• AI will not replace human employees. Instead, it will augment their capabilities, make their jobs easier, and empower them to serve more customers. 

• By automating repetitive, mundane tasks, AI allows employees to focus on more meaningful work. In customer support,  AI can manage routine inquiries and free agents to tackle more complex issues that need human-to-human interaction. This boosts productivity and reduces stress and burnout, leading to a happier workforce.  

• Inconsistent experiences with digital tools may cause customers to hesitate to choose self-service options. Companies must ensure their AI systems are reliable and user-friendly to encourage more customers to embrace them.  

• AI creates seamless experiences for both customers and employees. Whether a customer is talking to a chatbot or a human agent, all relevant information can be retained and accessible. This prevents customers from having to repeat themselves. It also empowers employees with the information they need to resolve issues quickly. 

• By integrating AI solutions, businesses can enhance their existing workforce. AI helps shorten the time an agent needs to solve problems. In their recent study, RingCentral and Metrigy found that AI helps reduce the time to complete a call by 39% on average. This allows contact centers to handle higher volumes of inquiries with fewer agents, bridging staffing gaps and improving the overall service quality. 

• Plus, Shep and Jim share innovative ways AI is being used to support customer service agents. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"AI supercharges people. It doesn't replace human-to-human interaction. It just makes everything better, faster, and easier." 

About:   

Jim Payne is the Director of Product Marketing, Customer Engagement at RingCentral. He specializes in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and how they can be applied to improve customer experiences. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. 

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The Impact of the Employee Experience on the Client Experience 

Shep Hyken interviews Terry Turner, president and CEO of Pinnacle Financial Partners. He talks about how investing in employee experience can create loyal customers, strong relationships, and higher shareholder returns. 

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

Top Takeaways:   

• The way a company treats its employees impacts how they treat customers. What is happening inside the organization is felt outside by the customers. Happy and motivated employees are more likely to go above and beyond to meet client needs.  

• Using the word "clients" instead of "customers" can convey a deeper, more lasting relationship. While "customers" might imply a transactional relationship, "clients" suggests a collaborative partnership. This shift in terminology can change how employees perceive and interact with the customers they serve. 

• Empowering employees can help reduce bureaucracy. Less bureaucracy means faster decision-making and the ability to respond more quickly to customer needs. Building a reputation for being efficient and easy to do business with can set you apart from the competition, no matter the industry. 

• Personalized interactions can create advocates and promoters out of your customers. Knowing your clients well helps provide better advice and services tailored to their needs. It can be as simple as knowing clients' names and remembering previous interactions.  

• Trust can transform your customer relationships from a vendor-customer connection to a partnership. Clients need to know they can rely on you for solid, honest advice and consistent service.  

• The balance of high-tech and high-touch can significantly enhance the customer experience. It is not always about the newest technology. It is about how your technology matches your business process, employee mindset, and customer needs. 

• Plus, Terry shares how Pinnacle Financial Partners continues to grow without having to advertise. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"The number one inhibitor of great service is turnover. If you can't stabilize your workforce, there's no chance you'll give great service."  

About:   

Terry Turner has been the president and CEO of Pinnacle Financial Partners since it was founded in 2000. He is an active member of his community, serving  on the boards of the Nashville Sports Council, Salvation Army, Belmont University, Nashville Chamber of Commerce, and the Nashville branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. 

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio.   

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Effectively Integrating AI into Customer Service 

Shep Hyken interviews Laura Burgess, senior research analyst at Capterra (a division of Gartner), a trusted software and services marketplace that offers a wide range of solutions to help organizations meet many of their business needs. She talks about how AI is transforming customer service and how organizations can balance digital interactions with the human touch to enhance customer satisfaction.  

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

Top Takeaways:   

• Over the last two years, customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores have increased. A study by Capterra found that 63% of U.S. businesses have shown a marked improvement in customer satisfaction.  

• Customer expectations have risen due to the availability of multiple communication channels like the phone, email, chat, and social media. Today, customers expect quick, efficient, and instant responses. Technology plays  a significant role in meeting these expectations by providing faster service across multiple channels. 

• Transparency is key when it comes to customer interaction. Letting customers know that they are interacting with AI through notifications before the engagement and during interactions can build trust, comfort, and acceptance. 

• To optimize customer service, companies should leverage the strengths of both AI and human support. While human support is crucial to personalized interactions, AI excels in faster response times, handling repetitive tasks, providing 24/7 availability, and offering multilingual support.  

• AI will not eliminate jobs. It will disrupt job roles. Employees believe that, in the next five years, 52% of customer queries will be handled exclusively by AI. Customer service roles will evolve, with humans focusing more on strategic, empathetic, and more complex tasks.  

• Integrating AI into customer service isn't just about getting the latest technology. It requires training employees to use AI tools and understand AI insights effectively. This training also benefits employees by boosting their technical skills, making them more versatile and valuable to the organizations they work for. 

• As businesses continue to invest in AI, it's essential to continuously measure its impact on customer experience. Companies should focus on fine-tuning these technologies to deliver accurate and helpful responses while maintaining the availability of human agents for more sensitive or complex issues.  

• Plus, Shep and Laura discuss more stats from Capterra's 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey and how it shapes the future of customer service. Tune in! 

Quote:  

"Consumers are more demanding than ever when it comes to their interactions with companies, thanks to multi-channels of communication which enable faster services and instant responses."    

About:  

Laura Burgess is a senior research analyst at Capterra with specialized knowledge of sales and customer experience (CX). Capterra offers businesses over 90,000 solutions across 1,300 software types and 50,000+ service providers to choose from.  

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and host of Amazing Business Radio. 

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