CX Passport

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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/

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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

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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).

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B2B customer experience is often treated like B2C with bigger contracts and longer sales cycles. That shortcut causes real problems. In this episode, Rick talks with Kári Thor Runarsson about why B2B CX needs its own thinking, its own metrics, and far more attention to relationships that quietly drift long before renewal.

Kári has spent his career in B2B, including startups and non-tech industries, questioning borrowed frameworks and shallow measurements. The result is a grounded conversation about silence, contracts, commoditization, and why experience is often the only real differentiator left.

Key Takeaways

• B2B decisions involve multiple stakeholders with competing success metrics
• Silence is one of the strongest churn signals in B2B relationships
• Net Promoter Score breaks down quickly in complex B2B environments
• Customer experience becomes decisive as industries commoditize
• Startups often overestimate how well they understand customer dissatisfaction

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and first Iceland-based CX Passport guest
 02:00 Marketing and CX are more fluid than organizations admit
 04:50 What B2B leaders misunderstand about customer experience
 07:45 Silence, contracts, and how churn really starts
 10:40 Stakeholders, misaligned objectives, and missed signals
 14:20 CX maturity across regions and markets
 16:00 First Class Lounge
 20:30 Why CX matters most outside of tech and SaaS
 24:20 Where B2C thinking hurts B2B CX efforts
 27:00 CX advice for B2B startups
 28:50 Where to find Kári and closing thoughts

Guest Links

Kári Thor Runarsson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karithor/
Cliezen: https://www.cliezen.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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Customer experience doesn’t need to be complicated to work.
In this CX Open To Work episode, Luis Carrillo shares why simpler CX creates immediate impact…for customers, teams, and the business. From removing friction to building trust, this conversation focuses on CX that actually works.

5 CX Insights from the Episode

• Simpler CX delivers results customers, employees, and leaders can feel
 • Listening to customers beats guessing every time
 • Returns are a trust moment…not a policy problem
 • Training and QA quietly power great experiences
 • CX drives revenue when effort is reduced

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome + CX Open To Work
01:32 Why simpler CX creates immediate impact
04:18 Reducing friction without punishing good customers
07:24 CX as a revenue engine
10:52 Recovery, trust, and loyalty
12:03 First Class Lounge
16:17 What companies still miss in CX
19:15 What’s next for Luis

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luiscarrillo-21a70520/

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 if customer experience isn’t fast, frictionless, or flashy…but deliberate, long-term, and built over years? Sarah Kinard talks about why CX in architecture, engineering, and construction is inherently slow CX…and why that perspective may be exactly what other industries need.

5 Insights from the Episode

• CX in AEC unfolds over years…not moments, journeys, or transactions.
• Clients aren’t just buying outcomes anymore…they’re buying clarity, foresight, and shared accountability.
• The post-2009 talent gap created a “missing middle,” weakening CX instincts across firms.
• CX struggled to scale because it relied on heroic individuals instead of systems.
• Primary research focused on intent, not opinion, leads to smarter growth decisions.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to CX Passport
02:00 CX in AEC…from toilets to symphony halls
05:20 Risk, confidence, and defensible decisions
06:45 The generational talent gap and CX instincts
09:40 Why “soft skills” are essential business skills
10:55 The role of the SMPS Foundation
12:30 Growth, research, and the Flamingo Project
15:25 Intent vs opinion in customer research
17:20 First Class Lounge ✈️
20:45 Peak-end rule in a 10-year experience
23:30 Why CX lagged…and why it’s catching up
28:15 AEC as the ultimate team sport

Guest Links:

SMPS Foundation - https://www.smps.org/
The Flamingo Project - https://theflamingoproject.com/
LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkinard/

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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Welcome to part 2 of the annual CX Passport First Class Lounge Holiday Special. As the year wraps up and I look ahead with excitement to 2026, I’m sharing even more of my favorite First Class Lounge moments from earlier this year.

This round features Doug Rabold, Irina Mateeva, Michel Stevens, and Tori Signorelli. Travel surprises, food loves, childhood “no thanks” dishes, and the must-have items they keep in their travel kits… it’s a fun way to ease out of the holidays and step into the new year.

I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season… and I wish you a very happy New Year. Here’s to an amazing 2026 ahead.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to the second week of the 1st Class Lounge Holiday Special
 00:47 Doug Rabold enters the First Class Lounge
 05:15 Irina Mateeva enters the First Class Lounge
 09:06 Michel Stevens enters the First Class Lounge
 13:55 Tori Signorelli enters the First Class Lounge

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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Welcome to part 1 of the annual CX Passport holiday tradition… the 1st Class Lounge Holiday Special. I take a little break during the holidays, and while I do, I love sharing some of the most fun First Class Lounge moments from earlier in the year.

This episode brings back lively lounge moments from Michelle Pascoe, Sean Cherry, Rachel Sheriff, and Vinay Parmar. Travel dreams, favorite foods, quirky dislikes, and simple joys… it’s a festive, easy listen for your own downtime.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic New Year. Enjoy part 1… part 2 arrives next week.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome to the 2025 1st Class Lounge Holiday Special
 00:47 Michelle Pascoe enters the First Class Lounge
 04:46 Sean Cherry enters the First Class Lounge
 09:20 Rachel Sheriff enters the First Class Lounge
 14:32 Vinay Parmar enters the First Class Lounge

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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When you think “endowment foundation,” customer experience probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet Dr. Liz Okuma, Director of Client Experience at the American Endowment Foundation, is reshaping how donor advised funds deliver trust, responsiveness, and ease… even when nearly all interactions happen without ever seeing a client face to face. This conversation reveals how listening, collaboration, and design thinking translate into real business impact.

5 Insights From the Episode
-DAFs are booming… and CX is becoming a differentiator
-Two customer groups, one experience mission
-Internal listening is gold
-Journey mapping unlocked cross-functional momentum
-Culture changes when employees own CX

CHAPTERS
00:00 What is a donor advised fund… and why CX matters
02:50 Serving donors vs. serving financial advisors
05:30 Looking out the window… not the mirror
07:54 Listening to frontline teams
09:33 Making best in class tangible
11:05 Journey mapping and quick wins
13:24 Cutting a process from 3.5 months to six weeks
15:58 Measuring what matters
17:10 First Class Lounge
21:56 Getting non-client-facing teams invested in CX
24:29 The power of stories and internal visibility
26:53 Cross-functional influence in action
29:33 Where to find Liz

Guest Links
AEF Website: https://www.aef.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-okuma/

Mentioned in the Episode
Bose QuietComfort Headphones https://amzn.to/44e3hCT Affiliate Link

Your Next Steps
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).