Learn in this episode:

• How the role of CX is shifting from ticket closure toward data curation and strategic storytelling.
• Why learning a little code might be the highest-leverage thing a CX leader can do right now.
• What the music industry's democratization moment tells us about AI, mediocrity, and the people who will actually stand out.
• The difference between what customers ask for and what they need — and why that gap is where great CX leaders earn their keep.

Colin Flanigan is a senior CX leader currently at Networks, with a background spanning HR tech, fintech, and cybersecurity software. He's spent years thinking about the intersection of customer experience, organizational design, and what it actually means to lead support in an era where the tools keep moving faster than the teams using them.

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Want an AI support agent that's insanely reliable without setup headaches?

Save time and delight customers with Helpfeel's done-for-you deployment and seamless VoC-based knowledge optimization.

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Learn in this episode:

• How internal company culture directly impacts customer retention.
• Why asking difficult questions early is better than a surprise at renewal.
• The way Culture Amp uses the clear is kind philosophy to manage risk.
• Strategies for building a team that feels safe reporting bad news.

Lilli Gordon is the Global Director of Customer Experience for Scaled Commercial at Culture Amp. Over the past two years, she grew retention by 15 percent through scalable programs. She has a background in building successful teams at Nextdoor and Presence Learning and currently manages a massive portfolio of accounts.

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Want an AI support agent that is insanely reliable without setup headaches?

Save time and delight customers with Helpfeel's done-for-you deployment and seamless VoC-based optimization.

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

Learn more: https://en.helpfeel.com

Learn in this episode:

• Why clean data is the only foundation for a successful AI rollout.
• The jewelry store effect and why AI looks different in a demo than in production.
• How to use AI for real-time sentiment analysis to prevent executive escalations.
• Why transparency with your customers is more valuable than perfect automation.

Will Christacakos is a global customer support and post-sale experience leader with over two decades of experience. He currently serves as the VP of Client Services at Operative, where he manages global support, CX, and major incident management. Will brings a unique perspective to leadership, having started his career as a cryptologist in the US Navy.

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Want an AI support agent that's insanely reliable without setup headaches?

Save time and delight customers with Helpfeel's done-for-you deployment and seamless VoC-based optimization.

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

Learn more: https://en.helpfeel.com

Learn in this episode:
- Why unclear expectations cause AI deployments to fail to reach CX goals.
- The importance of implementing technology within a specific business context and use case
- How to view AI as a tool for efficiency rather than a change in business purpose
- The shifting landscape of human-machine partnerships in the workplace

Eytan Hattem is a seasoned CX expert, CCO at Prodware Group, and the CEO of Cemantica, a CX consultancy. Eytan brings a unique triple perspective to the world of journey management: vendor, practitioner, and consultant. He is also the founder of the Nonprofit Institute for Journey Management and a prominent leader in the CX Professionals Association.

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Want reliable AI support without the setup and optimization headaches?

Save time and delight customers with Helpfeel's done-for-you deployment including seamless VoC-based optimization.

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

Learn more: https://en.helpfeel.com

Learn in this episode:

• Why the lump of labor fallacy is fueling unnecessary fear around AI.
• How to shift your perspective from cost-saving to value-creation in support.
• The difference between official employment stats and the reality of the shadow economy.
• Why technology should never be used as a moat to block human connection.
• How to prepare your team for the inevitable transition into an AI-integrated workplace.

Dennis Wakabayashi is a global authority on customer experience and a seasoned agency strategist. Known as The Global Voice of CX, he has spent years traveling the world to understand the intersection of human behavior and the systems we use to transact while working for companies from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises and government.

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Want an AI support agent that's insanely reliable without setup headaches?

Save time and delight customers with Helpfeel's done-for-you deployment and seamless VoC-based optimization.

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

Learn more: https://en.helpfeel.com

Learn in this episode:

• Why the term deflection rate is actually harmful to long-term brand health.
• How to replace biased, low-response surveys with AI-driven sentiment analysis.
• The shift from reactive support to proactive AI that identifies problems before the customer does.
• Why "outsourcing your thinking" to an LLM is the biggest risk for knowledge workers today.

Ryan Klausner is a veteran CX leader with over 15 years of experience scaling mission-driven brands. From his early days saving millions for the city of Vancouver to leading global teams at Who Gives a Crap, Ryan specializes in combining human innovation with high-scale technology to drive mid-nine-figure growth.

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Give your customers AI self-service with 95% first response accuracy. Your team gets optimal results and gains time with VoC and knowledge based improvement that is done for you. Visit https://helpfeel.com/en-us to learn more.

Learn in this episode:

• Why AI is a tool for agility rather than just a replacement for headcount.
• How to transition junior associates into AI maintenance and optimization roles.
• The reality of implementing AI and the hidden work required to keep it running.
• Strategies for retaining talent by offering new technical career paths within CX.

Andrea Townsend is the Manager of Customer Support at Human Interest. With a career spanning leadership roles at 1-800-CONTACTS, Purple, and Gabb Wireless, Andrea specializes in team autonomy and process improvement. She is a vocal advocate for the frontline associate and focuses on driving results like CSAT and SLA improvements through better training and empowerment.

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Give your customers AI self-service with 95% first response accuracy. Your team gets optimal results and gains time with VoC and knowledge based improvement that is done for you. Visit https://en.helpfeel.com to learn more.

Learn in this episode:
- The math of margin: How to keep your support team at 15 people while your sales volume doubles.
- The Dog Food shampoo story: A real-world example of why AI still fails at complex human nuance.
- How to transition your support team into a proactive customer success-like function.
- Advice for junior CX leaders on how to solve problems the business hasn't identified yet.

Justin McDonnell is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Illuminator Technology Group. With a background in the US Navy and 20 years of experience in field service and operations, Justin specializes in turning fragmented departments into high-performing, data-driven teams.

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Get done-for-you AI self-service with extreme accuracy, safety, and satisfaction. And in the process, free your team to save the day.

Visit https://en.helpfeel.com to learn more.

#AI #CX #CustomerSupport #TheCXFiles

Learn in this episode:
- Why AI is often a "hindrance" rather than a "help" in customer workflows.
- How to build and train internal AI agents (like Software’s Coralline) on brand voice.
- The specific tasks AI is great at (summarization) vs. what it fails at (empathy and nuance).
- Why "prompt engineering" is a mandatory skill for 2026 leaders.
- Strategies for maintaining quality control in an automated world.

About Laura Dolan: Laura is the former Director of Digital Marketing at Loftware, with a rich background at Optimizely, Autura, and Keap (formerly Infusionsoft). With two decades of experience spanning print journalism to digital UX, she brings a unique, editorial-first perspective to the world of B2B marketing and customer experience.

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Get done-for-you AI self-service results with extreme accuracy, safety, and satisfaction. 

Visit https://en.helpfeel.com to learn more.

#AI #CX #CustomerSupport #TheCXFiles

Learn in this episode:
- How to debug root causes of CX problems like the $50 million one Zack found
- How to start speaking the language of the C-suite.
- The reason NPS is an advocacy metric and why you need a revenue metric instead.
- How the friction economy is costing brands millions.
- The reality of Agentic CX and why 85 percent of AI strategies fail.

Zack Hamilton is the creator of the Experience Performance System and author of the book by the same name. With a background leading retail experience strategy at Medallia and serving as CXO at Aaron’s, Zack specializes in eliminating insight theater and aligning CX to P&L outcomes. He is also the host of the popular podcast Unf*cking Your CX.

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Give your customers AI self-service with insanely high accuracy. You get optimal results and save time with VoC and knowledge-based improvement that is done-for-you. 

Learn more: https://en.helpfeel.com