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What happens when a pensions company decides to fight regulatory complexity with game shows, cartoons, and podcasts? Claire Bristowe made it work ... and has 30,000 hours of employee participation, six gold awards, and a two-month waitlist for live call listening to show for it.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How regulation in financial services became a CX asset, not a barrier
• Why fun was the only strategy that could reach the disengaged
• What 53 research sessions taught Claire before she launched anything
• How live call listening creates accountability that outlasts the session
• Why one sentence in a letter was worth 1.3 FTE

CHAPTERS

00:00 Regulation as a CX asset in financial services

02:53 Bringing customers into legal document design

05:42 64 customers applied to review three documents

08:35 Why fun became the strategy ... and how it was chosen

11:55 Where Claire actually started: 53 research sessions

13:51 Live call listening: the highest-engaged initiative

16:00 First Class Lounge

19:08 Targeting the disengaged ... not just the willing

22:10 Balancing immediate reaction with long-term roadmap

23:21 The promoter team: 34 colleagues across the business

25:48 Accountability after the session ends

28:20 Small changes, real financial results

30:14 Connectivity as a CX team's hidden value

Connect with Claire Bristowe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-bristowe-ccxp-102026135/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com 

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport 

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I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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Greg Wasserman has spent his career in media and relationships ... not in CX. But listen to how he talks about community, humanization, and audience connection and you'll hear customer experience thinking at every turn. As head of relationships at RSS.com, Greg is helping podcasters grow and think strategically about their shows. The lessons reach well beyond podcasting.

• Audience vs. community: a community talks back and helps each other ... an audience just consumes
• Silos exist at every company size ... what changes is whether the mindset does
• Humanizing software means giving customers access to real people, not just good UI
• Greg went from churn-and-burn sales to taping chocolate bars to his business card ... the relationship era of his career
• A podcast is the greatest relationship engine available ... and downloads are not the point

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:35 Every role has a customer ... even if the title doesn't say so
03:21 Silos, startups, and losing the customer in the noise
05:59 Audience vs. community ... what's the real difference
08:13 Building community at RSS.com and why humanization matters
12:47 Balancing raw customer input with product roadmap decisions
14:41 First Class Lounge
19:44 How Greg's sales approach broke and what replaced it
22:47 The chocolate bar strategy and customer lifetime value
23:55 Where software companies get experience right ... and where they miss
27:05 Everyone should have a podcast
30:19 Podcasting as a relationship engine, not a download game
31:38 Where to find Greg

Greg Wasserman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregwasserman/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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Mohamed Isa has been the CFO. He’s built businesses. He’s written 20 books. And yet his most powerful lesson is simple… stop chasing numbers and start understanding customers.

In this episode of CX Passport, Mohamed breaks down what changes when finance leaders truly see customer experience from the inside… and why organizations lose revenue when they treat CX as someone else’s job.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why CFOs must think beyond numbers to drive real growth
• How a single sentence sold more product… and changed internal strategy
• The hidden cost of under-communicating with customers
• Why bad service spreads faster than good service
• How service culture determines whether CX succeeds or fails

CHAPTERS
00:00 CFO perspective on customer experience
03:00 The “50 showers” lesson in customer language
05:00 Why organizations ignore obvious CX truths
06:30 Travel, expectations, and human experience
09:00 How CX drives revenue at a country level
11:00 The bad bank experience that became a book
15:30 First Class Lounge
19:00 The danger of under-communicating
23:00 Everest Base Camp and accountability in CX
26:30 Why service culture is everything
28:00 Bahrain’s CX leadership and government experience

Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohdisa
Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40660063-chai-karak
Bahrain CX example: https://bahrain.bh/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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Why would customer experience matter during a war?

This week’s CX Passport is a Greatest Hits episode from earlier in the show’s history.

A scheduled guest from Israel needed to postpone recording due to the current conflict in the region. That moment prompted a return to this conversation with Ukrainian CX consultant Anastasia Vladychynska about what customer experience looks like during war.

It’s a difficult topic... but an important one.

In this episode, Anastasia shares how Ukrainian companies continued serving customers during the war and why the organizations that survived were the ones that had already built strong cultures and real relationships with employees, customers, and vendors. 

Moments of extreme crisis reveal what companies truly believe about their people and their customers.

Insights From This Episode

• A crisis exposes a company’s true values
• Strong employee relationships help companies survive
• Vendor relationships can determine whether a business continues operating
• Respect and culture create resilience in crisis
• “Stop doing CX until you change your company”

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why this Greatest Hits episode is being shared
01:42 Welcome to CX Passport
02:06 Introducing Anastasia Vladychynska
04:11 Does CX matter during war?
05:58 Culture as the foundation for resilience
09:22 How to “war-proof” your company
15:30 The resilience of Ukrainian businesses
18:31 The beauty and culture of Ukraine
22:08 First Class Lounge
25:18 “Stop doing CX until you change your company”

Guest Links

LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-vladychynska-622443a/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nastya.vladychynska
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXXOYKyGpkngUYvn1hqyXKQ

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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What does it really take to build customer experience when there is no real system, no polished playbook, and no office hallway to lean on? In this episode of CX Passport, Lisa Guzman shares what she has learned from building CX in remote startup environments, leading without micromanaging, and creating the kind of intentional culture that helps people grow. From understanding global customers to turning messy support operations into something scalable, Lisa offers a practical look at what strong CX leadership really requires.

• Remote leadership requires intentional connection because teams do not have the natural culture, casual conversations, or shared rhythms that happen in person.
• Great CX starts with understanding the customer, especially when serving people across countries, cultures, and expectations.
• Startup leaders often think they know what support needs until someone experienced shows them the gaps in tools, metrics, and workflow design.
• Managing remote teams well means setting clear expectations, avoiding micromanagement, and giving people room to take ownership.
• Mentorship builds stronger teams, creates cross-functional influence, and makes it possible for leaders to actually step away with confidence.

CHAPTERS
00:23 Introduction to Lisa Guzman
01:23 Building CX in remote startup environments
05:07 Understanding global customers and cultural humility
10:34 Turning startup hay into CX gold
15:40 First Class Lounge
22:41 The real pros and cons of remote leadership
26:26 How leaders let go without losing control
30:47 Why mentorship matters in CX
34:00 Where to connect with Lisa
34:53 Closing

Guest links
Lisa Guzman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-guzman-bb81b653/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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In this week’s CX Passport, The One With Leading Neurodivergence CX – Stine Marsal E253, Stine challenges how we think about customer experience results. From airport security to inclusive design, she makes the case that CX only works when it serves the business strategy… and when it reduces real barriers for real people.

Stine Marsal, the first CX Passport guest from Denmark, shares how her work at Copenhagen Airport reshaped her thinking. Stop centering only the customer. Start centering the people delivering the experience. And always tie experience to measurable business outcomes.

Here are five key insights from the episode:

• CX delivers results when it removes employee barriers, not when it adds fluffy expectations
• Designing for neurodivergence and hidden disabilities improves experience for everyone
• One in four people may have a hidden disability… and that has real business impact
• NPS without context can mislead strategy and frustrate customers
• The comments matter more than the score… eliminate recurring pain points and results follow

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcoming the First Guest from Denmark
01:55 From Tivoli to Copenhagen Airport
03:24 Stop Centering Only the Customer
06:29 Why Stine Built a Practitioner Community
10:06 The CX Industry’s Results Problem
11:55 Mapping Disability Barriers in Airports
14:45 One in Four Have Hidden Disabilities
17:50 Designing for Cognitive Load
21:52 First Class Lounge
25:22 Rethinking NPS and Metrics
29:40 Why Comments Matter More Than Scores
31:10 The Customers Who Never Come

Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stinemarsal/
Website: https://www.stinemarsal.dk/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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Gloria Gupta leads CX transformation at the American Medical Association.
Not a small lift. Not a short-term initiative.

A 200-year-old institution.
450 million in revenue.
Physicians as customers.
Patients as the ultimate impact.

In this episode, Gloria shares what it really takes to unify service, build enterprise CX, and make customer experience a measurable attribute of brand and culture.

5 Key Insights
• The AMA’s primary customer is the physician … but the physician’s customer is the patient
• CX transformation began by unifying service into one omnichannel team serving 98% of AMA service interactions
• More than 900 improvements have been implemented across the enterprise, many of them significant
• 400 employees are directly involved in CX … one in four across the organization
• The shared mission: identify and remove customer friction

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro and Rick’s personal AMA connection
02:00 Who is the AMA customer?
04:00 Why CX matters at a 200-year-old institution
08:00 Healthcare evolution … EHRs, COVID, telehealth, and AI
13:30 Unifying service across the enterprise
17:00 Authentication friction and enterprise CX launch
20:00 Building trust through measurable wins
22:30 First Class Lounge
26:50 900 improvements and aftercare strategy
30:30 AI, policy, and the future of healthcare CX
33:00 Real data, real outcomes, real collaboration

Connect with Gloria
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloria-gupta-rdh-ms-fcxp-4760939/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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Technology is loud. Agentic AI. Automation. Platforms. Dashboards.

Meanwhile, the person who greets the customer at the door still determines whether that experience succeeds.

April Sabral spent more than 30 years leading over 350 physical retail stores. In this episode, she explains why the answers to better customer experience aren’t sitting in a conference room … they’re already in the field.

And y'all will not want to miss the Starbucks name-on-the-cup story … including how it started in a Miami Beach store and solved a real operational problem overnight.

What You’ll Learn
Why frontline managers … not technology … determine store performance
How the Starbucks “name on the cup” idea started as a simple operational fix
The danger of promoting high performers without leadership training
Why skill-building beats “just be friendly” every time
The leadership test: If you left your job … would your team follow you?

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction to April Sabral
02:00 Where the CX conversation misses reality
05:00 The Starbucks name-on-the-cup origin story
08:20 Why simple solutions outperform complex tech
10:40 Bridging the gap between field and head office
14:15 What actually makes in-store CX work
19:40 Process discipline vs. customer experience
23:40 Would your team follow you?
26:00 Why retail promotes too fast
29:00 The future of physical retail in an AI world
31:00 How to connect with April

Guest Links
Website: https://www.aprilsabral.com/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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CX to sin. Peak-end to forgiveness. Episode 250 won’t be what you’re used to.

This milestone episode examines how experiences actually end, and why organizations avoid designing that moment. In a wide-ranging conversation with Joe Macleod, CX Passport connects customer experience to religion, environmental responsibility, shame, and the circular economy. The conversation challenges the idea that endings are merely operational details rather than emotional and moral ones. Joe also becomes the show’s first guest from Sweden, adding a perspective shaped by consensus, systems thinking, and responsibility.

5 Key Insights from the Episode

• Most organizations never ask “How does this end?” as an experience, only as an operational handoff
• The customer journey builds empowerment and agency, then abandons customers at the moment of exit
• Shame appears when responsibility for disposal, data, or materials is shifted entirely to the customer
• Religious and cultural frameworks offer richer language for endings than modern consumer systems
• Poorly designed endings damage brand memory and trust long after the relationship is over

Chapters

00:00 Intro
02:00 Designing beginnings while ignoring endings
05:20 Shame vs guilt at the end of the customer journey
08:40 Dark patterns, abandonment, and off-boarding
11:30 Consumption and environmental responsibility
13:10 Sweden, the UK, and systems thinking
16:45 First Class Lounge
21:30 Religion, forgiveness, and consumer psychology
24:50 Buddhism, Shinto, and product endings
28:00 Brand damage caused by poor endings

Guest Links

Andend website  https://www.andend.co
LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmacleod/
Ends (book, affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3M3zDKL
Endineering (book, affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4atZWmy 

Ends ebook — https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/744267
25% off discount code: NCKEV

Endineering ebook — https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1116883
25% off discount code: NCKEV

Introduction to Endineering course — https://www.andend.co/introductionendineering-1
25% off discount code: 7D7AQF5

Continue the Journey

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

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Metrics are useful. Until they become the destination instead of the signal.

In this episode, Frances Chapireau joins CX Passport to talk about what happens after measurement. The conversation focuses on turning market research into insight and insight into decisions that actually influence the business.

This is a practical discussion about dashboards, interpretation, and the discipline required to move beyond reporting. It is about understanding customers well enough to act, not just measure.

Key Insights

• Metrics describe outcomes, not underlying need
• Market research only matters if it informs decisions
• Dashboards can distance teams from customer reality
• Insight comes from synthesis, not volume
• CX maturity shows up in how organizations act on what they learn

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome and episode framing
02:34 Frances’ background and path into CX
06:12 Market research versus performance metrics
11:05 Where dashboards help and where they fall short
17:48 Turning data into usable insight
19:33 First Class Lounge
24:30 What organizations miss when they chase numbers
31:10 Making insight relevant to decision makers
38:22 Practical advice for CX teams trying to go deeper
43:55 Closing thoughts

Guest Links

Frances Chapireau on LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-chapireau-62644b38/

Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport
Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).