Often Imitated: CX Stories from History

When Joe Sutter was faced with a difficult problem, he got to do what all of us dream of doing...he got to assign his problem to someone else. He was approached by his bosses to create the world’s first jumbo jet, and he was stumped. So he went against his basic instincts and approached his fellow Boeing engineers, customers, and stakeholders, and asked for help.

Joe put trust in others, and innovation ensued. And that’s what we need to facilitate with our customers as well. Danielle Harris, Managing Director of Engagement & Innovation at Elemental Excelerator, is doing just that. She and her team work with climate startups to address climate change—which automatically demands a high level of trust. Let’s find out how she does it. 

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"The reality is climate change is coming and we need climate solutions." - Danielle Harris

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) What it took to get the first jumbo jet off the ground

* (5:46) What is Elemental Excelerator?

* (9:04) Who are their cohorts?

* (13:08) The nuances of customer relationships

* (16:18) The technological valley of death

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn

Check out Elemental Excelerator

Telethons are an iconic part of the TV experience. Seeing the donation total rise while a whole variety show plays out for hours on end is a unique form of entertainment. But putting the gimmicks aside, telethons do a great job of depicting the delicate balance of chaos and order when it comes to managing multiple calls at the same time. And that’s a balance CX leaders work to navigate every day in their contact centers.

Today, we’re doing a deep dive into contact centers. We’re going to find out what the biggest pain points are in managing one, and how to successfully run yours. Tim McDougal, Managing Director of Deloitte Consulting, and Contact Center Offering Leader at Deloitte Digital, shares how they’re leading the way in creating the best contact centers in the industry. And luckily for us, he shares all his insights in today’s episode.

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"Contact centers are the face of your organization." - Tim McDougal

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Stage lights and turkey legs

* (6:54) Deloitte’s view of contact centers

* (10:26) The Global Contact Center Survey

* (13:42) Personalizing your contact center CX

* (17:59) How to have the best customer experience at your contact center

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn

Check out Deloitte

Returning a purchase can be incredibly frustrating. Whether it’s printing off a return slip or driving back to the store—it’s just annoying. But in a remote locale like Fairbanks, Alaska, returns are even more of a pain. So, in 1975, when the not-so-local Nordstrom was faced with a bizarre return, they had to decide what to do: refuse the absurd request, or go above and beyond for the customer?

Today we’re learning about what makes a great return policy, and the impact it has on CX. We’ll hear from Nathan Hecht, Founder and CEO of Rodo, who shares his philosophy on refunds and why your return policy can make or break the sale. 

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"The vocal customers are the customers that you're going to learn the most from. Whether they're telling you good or bad news—listen to them." - Nathan Hecht

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Nordstrom: the ultimate Arctic Circle fashion retailer

* (4:55) The Rodo experience

* (14:32) Creating stress-free CX

* (16:45) The value of a robust return policy

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn

Check out Rodo

Is there any better feeling than trying on a new pair of jeans and finding the perfect fit? Of course not. We have a whole movie franchise based on how great of a sensation that is (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, for those looking for a movie recommendation)! When it comes to staple wardrobe items—a good pair of jeans is at the top of the list. And surprisingly, we have the Gold Rush to thank for that.

When Levi Strauss moved to California in the 1850s, he found a community of men bonding over the hard labor of mining for gold and the constant chafing of their thighs. Though gold could be found in the river, Levi realized that an empire could be built on land. He started a general store and his blue jeans took off. Strauss provided a service that supported the community of miners, and he created something that could bring them even closer together. Our guest today is doing much the same.

Michael Gasiorek is the Head of Marketing at TrustToken, where he’s created an entire community that’s bonded over the only thing more powerful than chafing: cryptocurrency. He’s mastered how to foster a close-knit community between CX leaders and their customers, and he’s sharing how we can do the same. 

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"Change is coming and it's going to ripple out through every possible financial sector. Money as we know it is going to change...I think it's going to increase accessibility to financial opportunity for all. It's going to chip away a little bit at the calcified centers of power. And it's going to really create more of a meritocracy around money.” - Michael Gasiorek

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Eureka!

* (7:16) Understanding crypto

* (8:54) How to build a digital community

* (11:22) Navigating the customer flywheel

* (15:46) Crypto is eating finance

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn

Check out TrustToken

Check out Truth Cartel

Unfortunately, less-than-stellar CX is commonplace. It’s a problem as old as time. Even back in 1750 AD, merchants were scamming their peers out of quality goods and running off with their money. Artifacts still exist today that show shipping merchant Ea-Nasir was notorious for some of the worst customer experiences in Mesopotamia. His reviews are in...and they’re abysmal.

As CX leaders, we’d rather not have our legacy be 3,000 years of terrible reviews. So it’s important to hear what our customers are saying and act accordingly to correct our course. To learn more about how to value customer feedback, we talked with Craig Walker, Founder and CEO of Dialpad. He’ll share how to incorporate feedback into your product and improve your CX across the board. 

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"At the end of the day, you're not just selling to a business customer—you're selling to a person." - Craig Walker, Founder and CEO, Dialpad

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) The hottest gossip of 1750 BC

* (5:10) The inspiration behind Dialpad

* (10:27) Prioritizing user feedback

* (12:37) What Dialpad does today

* (16:10) How AI can help improve your CX

* (19:08) Turning hold music into a delightful experience

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Craig on LinkedIn

Check out Dialpad

Picture a winter vacation in the mountains. You’re probably imagining a wood cabin, sitting by a fire in a cozy blanket, skiing, and a deep denial of hypothermia. You’re probably not picturing bunches of bananas and trains to Omaha. And yet, that’s the exact *ahem* train of thought that led James Curran to the invention of the chairlift at America’s first-ever destination ski resort in 1936. 

James challenged the industry standard when it came to skiing transportation. He pushed technology so far that people had to confront how they’d done things in the past. And, as often happens, he encountered some serious resistance. What can we do when our products put us in a similar position? That’s what we asked Ian Andrews, Principal & Co-Founder of Power Pro iPad Leasing. He shares how to address your customers' fear of change, get them on board with revolutionary technology, and make their life a breeze. 

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"A huge part of customer experience is really identifying what works for the person that you're interacting with." - Ian Andrews

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) How bananas saved your winter vacation

* (7:48) What is Power Pro iPad Leasing?

* (13:30) Traditions worth breaking  

* (17:31) How to show your customer the ropes...or should we say...slopes

* (21:51) Letting your customer explore the mountain 

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Ian on LinkedIn

Check out Power Pro iPad Leasing

There’s a lot of lore surrounding the invention of the lightbulb. But regardless of who’s side of history you’re on, Edison’s legacy is staggering. His contribution to bringing electricity to the masses is unmatched. What can CX leaders today learn from his story? Let’s find out.

Today, we’re talking with Shawn Olds, Co-Founder, and CEO of boodleAI on usage-based pricing and how it can revolutionize your entire customer experience. Edison adopted it back in the day. Should you?

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"It's easy to build something and be convinced everybody's gonna love it, but you need to make sure that you're not putting your own bias over what customers are saying." - Shawn Olds, Co-Founder, and CEO, boodleAI

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Can someone turn on the light, please?

* (6:21) What’s boodleAI?

* (11:57) Lamborghinis and lightbulbs

* (14:14) The pros of usage-based pricing

* (16:44) How to listen to your customers

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn

Check out boodleAI

When it comes to products being endorsed by celebrities, we don’t often think of tea sets. Pottery as a whole doesn’t tend to get a lot of time in the spotlight. But in the late 1770s, the world was a different place, and Josiah Wedgwood was a household name. His tea sets were so exquisite that Queen Charlotte’s love for them skyrocketed his career. Even today, the influences of his work can be seen in tea sets around the world. 

But how does someone like Josiah get recognized by Queen Charlotte? How do we get our products in the hands of the right people to get noticed? Today’s guest, Krishna Subramanian, has the answers. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Captiv8, Krishna knows how to get the right influencers connected to your brand and give your customers an aspirational CX because of it. And fortunately for us, he shares all the tricks of the trade.

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"Every brand that is looking to reach millennials and Gen Z should definitely be working with influencers." - Krishna Subramanian, Co-Founder and CEO of Captiv8

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Why the Queen of England is the ultimate influencer

* (4:53) What is Captiv8?

* (12:59) Finding the right influencer for your brand

* (17:40) How to figure out if your campaign is successful

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Krishna on LinkedIn

Check out Captiv8

When you think of the comedy greats, who comes to mind? Dave Chappelle? Tina Fey? The producers of Often Imitated? Well, there’s someone else you should be adding to that list, someone who paved the way for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community: Moms Mabley.

Moms started doing stand-up comedy in the late 1910s and her career lasted nearly 60 years. She had a specific style of dressing and speaking that kept people enamored with her. In her unassuming day dresses and sun hats, people were shocked when she shared her edgy jokes about love, race, and politics. She knew how to communicate and keep her audience engaged. Which is all that most of us want when it comes to good CX. So we set out to find an expert who could help us learn how to communicate well with our customers. And that’s Grad Conn, Chief Experience Officer at Sprinklr. He knows what it takes to have successful communication as a brand, and a comedian. Let’s find out how he does it.

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"Shift from thinking your product is the center of the universe to thinking about your customers as the center of the universe." - Grad Conn

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Your mom: the queen of comedy

* (8:40) What is Sprinklr?

* (10:16) Who’s a better communicator, your marketing exec or a stand-up comedian?

* (14:25) Is being an online troll worth it?

* (17:25) Prioritize your customers over your product

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with Grad on LinkedIn

Check out Sprinklr

Baking soda has been a key background character in most of our lives. It’s the ingredient you forget that ruins a batch of cookies, or you accidentally knock it over in your fridge, and you might even brush your teeth with it. And when it’s not being googled over whether or not it’s interchangeable with baking powder, it’s doing the work to keep our lives clean and odorless. Baking soda...kind of does it all? And the thing is, when we learn it does something new—we believe it. How on Earth did Arm & Hammer figure that out?

Well, it’s because they mastered positioning. From cooking to laundry, baking soda is infinitely useful. And once that was discovered, Arm & Hammer went into full force dominating several industries. But how can the rest of us do the same with our products? April Dunford, Founder and CEO of Ambient Strategy, knows how. And lucky for us, she’s sharing the secrets of how to become champions at positioning and getting customers to obsess over our products.

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"Customer experience is not the thing that brings you through the door. But it is absolutely the thing that keeps you there." - April Dunford

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Time Stamps

* (0:00) Wait...what even is baking soda?

* (7:11) What is positioning, and why does it matter?

* (10:05) Your customers are changing, and so should your positioning

* (15:40) The differences between strategy and positioning 

* (16:51) Lawyers—they’re just like us!

* (19:39) Branding’s role in positioning

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Sponsor

This podcast is presented by Oracle CX. 

Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives

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Links

Connect with April on LinkedIn

Check out April's book "Obviously Awesome"