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Love him or hate him, Drake’s 2013 hit, Started from the Bottom, is unforgettable. It resonates, not only because of its musical simplicity, but also because it celebrates the rise from scrappy beginnings to success. It’s the epitome of “The American Dream.”

Most of us will not realize the kind of success that Drake has, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start from the bottom and reach heights we didn’t expect. A consistent theme I hear from leaders in Customer Support and Customer Service is exactly that – they started from the bottom as an agent and then realized the “job” could be a successful career. Alisha Joseph started from the bottom, and she joined the show to talk about how support roles can be transformational for people.

• The Importance of Customer Support Opportunities• The Impact of Support Roles on Personal Growth• The Value of Diverse Backgrounds in Customer Service• Second Chances and Success Stories in Support Roles• Leadership and Empathy in Action• Building Future LeadersConnect with Ali on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alijoseph/

Savvy Service Pro Learning Solutions – bit.ly/SavvyServicePro

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Ridley Scott’s 2007 film, American Gangster, told the story of Harlem drug lord, Frank Lucas. Frank, played by Denzel Washington, confronts Nicky Barnes about the quality of the product he’s distributing in this scene. Nicky isn’t exactly receptive to this feedback. His focus is on short-term profits while Frank takes a longer-term view of the business and customer perception of the brand. Quality, be it the quality of a product, or the quality of service are huge components of brand reputation.

For any product or service, ensuring consistent, high-level quality comes at a cost. This is also true of contact centers. New advancements in technology are changing the financial cost of an effective quality assurance program, while also presenting new value to the businesses who care about how customers perceive their brand. ApexCX Sr. Consultant, JD Fairweather, brings his expertise to this conversation about the evolution of QA in contact centers.

We discuss: • Introduction to Quality in Contact Centers• The Evolution of QA Processes• Challenges in Quality Assurance and Agent Evaluation• The Emerging Role of AI in QA• Transforming Quality Assurance for Better Insights• The Future of QA in Contact CentersConnect with JD on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdfairweather/

ApexCX – https://apexcx.com/

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

During the first season of The Bear, Sydney talks to Marcus about his vision for making donuts for the restaurant, The Original Beef. Sydney, too, has visions for how to improve the restaurant, among them having online takeout orders to increase revenue. Both find themselves distracted from the nuts and bolts of running a restaurant by their desires to make dramatic improvements.

Beth Karawan knows a little something both about the nuts and bolts of restaurants and the challenge of making donuts. She also knows that there are no quick fixes to CX and being distracted by your desires to make dramatic changes can backfire spectacularly, just like they did for The Original Beef.

We discuss: • The Sweet Start: Donuts and Life Changes• The Reality of Customer Experience• Women in CX: Recognition and Representation• Behavior Change in Customer Experience• The Measurement Dilemma• The Human Element in Customer Experience• The Value of Experience Over PriceConnect with Beth on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethkarawan/

ImprintCX – https://imprintcx.com/

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

There are cult classics and then there are cult classics that simply become classics. First airing In 1993, Chris Carter’s The X-Files falls into the latter category. With a mix of sci-fi and paranormal phenomena, The X-Files pioneered the true-believer vs. skeptic formula while exploring the unknown.

Although evidence of aliens may still be elusive, there are many other unknowns we’re all exploring as AI creeps into our everyday lives. I asked Chris Carter to help explore the impacts on employee and customer experience. No, this Chris Carter didn’t create The X-Files, but we still dig into the unknown.

We discuss: • Understanding Employee Experience in Customer Service• Strategies for Listening to Employees• The Role of AI in Employee Support• Balancing Efficiency and Employee Experience• Customer Choice and AI Interaction• Building Personal Connections in Customer Service• Rethinking Employee Experience in Contact CentersConnect with Chris on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cartertx/

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Not every song is a hit. This Elvis cut titled, “There’s a Story in Your Voice,” was not. No, not that Elvis. Elvis Costello is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite modest commercial success. His range, both in performing and writing, spans rock, jazz, R&B, country, Tin Pan Alley, and even classical music. This duet with Lucinda Williams, off the 2004 album, The Delivery Man, explores truths only revealed when we really listen to and/or share experiences with another person.

There’s a story in every customer’s voice as well, if we’re ready to listen and/or share experiences with them. VOC (Voice of the Customer) programs have existed for decades, but much like Elvis Costello’s music, they are ever evolving. Today’s guest, Mike Kendall, is pioneer in Customer Experience and Product Innovation with work spotlighted in Harvard Business Review, Fred Reichheld’s The Ultimate Question 2.0, and CustomerThink, and together, we explore the evolution of VOC.

We discuss: • Navigating Customer Feedback• The Role of Net Promoter Score• Human Factors in Customer Experience• Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Insights• Operationalizing Voice of Customer• Understanding Customer Feedback Systems• Learning From Failures in VOC Implementations

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekendall/

The Customer Lab – https://www.thecustomerlab.com/

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Despite barely touching the top 40 charts in the US, I’m willing to bet you’ve heard this debut single of the British duo, the Ting Tings. Over the past decade and a half, it’s been used in TV episodes, fashion shows, movies, viral TikTok videos, and commercials. It evokes the feeling of invisibility when your name is forgotten or mispronounced.

While Afshan Kinder and I set out to have a conversation about the next generation of skills required for successfully leading in contact centers, we also touched on a conversation about cultural identity, what’s in a name, and the desire to feel accepted.

We discuss:

• What’s in a Name?

• The role of AI in Customer Service

• Building Critical Thinking Skills

• Ensuring the Emotional Well-Being of Agents

• The Future of Contact Centers

• Investing in Leadership Development

• Community Engagement

Connect with Afshan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ank7555/

Agent Performance KPIs article – https://www.callcentrehelper.com/agent-performance-metrics-excellence-232117.htm

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Being memorable as a business doesn’t mean you need an Oscar-winning song associated with you. But it certainly doesn’t hurt. It’s hard not to think of Dick Van Dyke as a chimney sweep when you hear him singing along with Julie Andrews in the 1964 musical, Mary Poppins.

Van Dyke sets an awfully high bar for a memorable home services experience but my guest today, Vance Morris, says that not only can home services businesses create “rave-worthy” experiences, but that in doing so, they drive loyalty and revenue. And he’s not just pontificating – he creates a little bit of memorable magic with his own successful home services businesses.

We discuss: • Lessons from Disney: The Importance of Systems• Customer Retention vs. Acquisition• Building Customer Connections• Creating Memorable Experiences in Home Services• Service Recovery: Turning Mistakes into Opportunities• Proactive Customer Service Solutions• Understanding Three Types of Loyalty

Connect with Vance on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorris/

Deliver Service Now – https://yes.deliverservicenow.com/dsninstitute

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

The 1942 film, Casablanca, is one of the most loved films in history. Humphrey Bogart’s character, Rick is a cynical American expat and club owner, while Claude Rains is the corrupt Captain Louis Renault. Cooperation is not what either had in mind in this scene, but when the police arrive after Rick shoots Major Strasser dead, Louis decides to be of service to Rick by telling the arriving policemen to “round up the usual suspects.” What was so important to Rick that he would resort to murdering a Nazi officer in the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca? Only overcoming his own bitterness and helping his ex-lover and her husband escape the Nazis. As the movie closes, it seems both Rick and Louis may be headed toward friendship and even greater service in rebelling against the Nazis.

Helping people is part of our nature, despite what some narratives would have you think, says Neal Woodson. His most recent book explores compassion, the true nature of service, and how they are critical to building great businesses.

We discuss: • Reframing Human Nature• The Science of Helping Others• Understanding Compassion vs. Empathy• The Purpose of Business• The Power of Modeling Behavior• Influencing Change from the Ground Up• A Call to ActionConnect with Neal on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealwoodson/

Neal’s Books – https://nealwoodson.net/books-2/

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

While Detroit claimed “Hitsville, USA” at Motown Records, Memphis claimed “Soulsville, USA” at Stax Records. Stax was a scrappy startup that set up shop in an old movie theater and blended emerging R&B styles into the “Memphis Sound” of soul music. And the story of Stax Records can’t be told without Otis Redding. “Security” was the last of four successful singles off his first album, Pain in My Heart. It’s a tight, upbeat departure from the more famous ballads he’s known for like “These Arms of Mine” and “Sittin’ On (The Dock of the Bay)”.

Otis was singing about personal security, but lyrics like, “without it, I had a great loss” will resonate with the scrappy startups in the SaaS world for very different reasons. For startups in the healthcare space, that security is even more critical. Memphis native Jordan Hooker has led support through Series A to Series D, with exponential growth in customers and ticket volume. He joins to discuss the unique aspects of Support in startups, especially those focused on healthcare technology.

We discuss: • The Startup Landscape• The Role of Technology in Healthcare• Challenges of Technology Reliance• Data Protection and Security• Navigating Challenges in Startup Support• Innovative Transformations in Patient CareConnect with Jordan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanhooker/

Table Service Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@Table_Service_Podcast

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/

Have you ever misheard something in a song or maybe a movie only to later learn what was actually being said? While Pooh and Eeyore aren’t typically hard of hearing, they certainly mistook Owl’s intent in this scene from the 2011 animated film, Winnie the Pooh. Today, you can watch this film with captions and in doing so, it’s very obvious that Owl says “issue” rather than “achoo” because you can read it in the captions. Captions are an example of one way to make media more accessible.

Digital accessibility features like captions are no longer a “nice to have” for businesses. Between legislation efforts and the sheer spending power of potential customers identifying as having a disability, creating content that’s accessible is a key component of customer experience and customer-centric design. Kelly Thibodeau, founder of Squarely Accessible, joins from Winnipeg, Manitoba to discuss how and why accessibility should be part of your company’s DNA.

We discuss: • Understanding Digital Accessibility• The Importance of Accessibility in Everyday Life• Legislation and Standards for Digital Accessibility• Common Misconceptions About Accessibility• The Business Case for Accessibility• The Intersection of CX and Accessibility Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kthibodeau/

Squarely Accessible – https://squarelyaccessible.com/

Music courtesy of Big Red Horse – https://bigredhorseband.com/

Brought to you by Happitu – https://happitu.com/