CX Heroes

Learn in this episode:
- How to move from a manual support model to an automated, intelligent self-service ecosystem.
- Why democratizing knowledge creation is a powerful tool for agent retention and cultural change.
- The reality of implementing KCS (Knowledge Centered Service) and how to get executive buy-in.
- Why a support agent's job is to create a lasting improvement, not just close tickets.

Joel Sandi is the Director of Self-Service and Content Strategy at Outreach, where he leads the transformation of technical data into seamless customer journeys. With a background in journalism and strategic support roles at 8x8, Joel is an expert in architecting unified support portals that deliver high-impact ROI and ticket deflection.

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Want an AI support agent that is insanely reliable without all the 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

The CX Files has a new name: CX Heroes.

Learn in this episode:

• Why AI tools should be managed with the same rigor as a BPO partner.
• The importance of a neutral arbiter to audit AI performance and quality.
• How to identify which customer use cases are ready for AI and which require a human touch.
• Why most AI implementations fail due to vertical silos rather than technical issues.

Alex Schaeffer is a veteran CX executive with two decades of experience driving global transformation. Having held leadership roles at Ford Motor Company and serving as VP of Customer Experience at Avis Budget Group, Alex specializes in connecting operational data with real-world customer outcomes.

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Want an AI support agent that outperforms? And want it deployed and optimized, ready to go for you, without the setup headaches?

Save time and delight customers with Helpfeel's self-service AI agents with done-for-you VoC-based optimization.

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

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

Learn in this episode:

• Why CSMs stay silent on churn risk in strategic accounts and what is actually driving that silence.
• How to build executive relationships with customers before there is a problem to solve.
• Why bringing CS into the final sales meeting is the one move that changes how customers feel about choosing you.
• How Silverfort uses AI sentiment monitoring across Gong, Zendesk, and email to surface churn signals before they reach the renewal conversation.
• Why one AI voice agent demo made a three-time CCO draw a hard line around customer-facing deployment.

Michelle Wideman is the Chief Customer Officer at Silverfort and a three-time CCO, previously at Dell Boomi and Oona. She built her career on the sales side before transitioning into customer success leadership and has spent the last several years running CS and support for organizations in hypergrowth. She is known for turning CS teams that feel like an afterthought into functions that win company-wide recognition.

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Want AI self-service without AI headaches?

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

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

Learn more: https://en.helpfeel.com 

Learn in this episode:
- Why mapping the happy path is the biggest mistake in CX design.
- How to identify break points in a customer journey before they cause a crisis.
- The secret to building executive trust by presenting mitigation plans upfront.
- Practical ways to shift your team from building processes to building experiences.
- How T-Mobile uses AI to translate complex engineer-speak into human-friendly support.

Kimberly Wyman is the Vice President and Strategic Advisor at T-Mobile for Business. With over 20 years of experience leading global organizations, she has mastered the art of empowering frontline teams and scalable customer operations.

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Want AI support that's insanely reliable without the usual setup time and operation overhead?

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:
- How to launch a new sub-brand to shift customer perception without losing legacy trust.
- The process for mapping a 70-year-old customer journey to find hidden friction points.
- Why shifting from reactive service to proactive strategy is the key to B2B growth.
- How to get buy-in for innovation in a culture that is used to doing things the old way.

Kamron Kunce is the Chief Marketing Officer at RJ Young and their new service Velocity One. He has a unique background in the music industry and e-commerce which he uses to lead brand strategy and customer experience for the premier business technology provider in the Southeast.

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Want a reliable way to save support costs and increase revenue from your department? 

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

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel's ultra-reliable AI chat, search, and knowledge base.

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

Learn in this episode:

• Naisan's secret sauce: Using emotional empathy as a business heuristic to align CX, product, and finance teams.
• Why understanding the emotional angle of a customer journey leads to better business decisions.
• Strategies for navigating the gap between tactical execution and economic buyer needs.

This guy knows his stuff *and* knows how to communicate it extremely well. Fantastic guest.

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Naisan Geula is the Senior Vice President of Field Services at Retool and founder of Pre-sales Advisors. With a career spanning massive exits at Tableau and leadership roles at Salesforce and CloudBees, Naisan specializes in scaling high-growth SaaS companies by keeping a relentless focus on the human element of technology.


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Want an AI support agent that's prepared for you, instead of making you get ready?

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 and deliver marvelous experiences.

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

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.

Join 625 leading businesses using Helpfeel to boost margin.

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

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