What happens when you, and the rest of the world, are forced to shut the doors to all your retail shops with a day’s notice? According to Kate Showalter, Senior Director of Customer Service at Crate & Barrel Holdings, “when you take away what you have deemed impossible, you realize what you can really do.” 

In this episode, my conversation with Kate spanned across tons of interesting and though-provoking topics—from turning your contact center into a revenue center, customer service innovation and most notably, how COVID-19 has impacted their business and accelerated their digital transformation. 

"We believe that if you focus really strongly on the top three pillars, if you really focus on the customer, and the associate, and the brand, that the financial strength pillar will take care of itself."– Kate Showalter, Senior Director of Customer Service, Crate & Barrel

We’ve got a treat for you! Allbirds is back with bonus episode and this time Joey Zwillinger, Co-Founder and CEO of Allbirds is spilling the beans on their greater mission to combat climate change and why Joey himself got where he is today. Hear Joey’s thoughts on entrepreneurship and why he became an entrepreneur himself, Allbird's approach to promoting sustainability while still making more great products and so much more.  

What does it mean to be more like a tree than a business? According to Allbirds CEO, Joey Zwillinger, it’s all about giving back more to the environment than you take from it. And that is the premise that drives a lot of the decision-making behind what the sustainable, eco-conscious brand creates, from the sugar cane-based shoe soles to t-shirts made from discarded crab shells. In this episode, Joey shares the principles and driving force behind Allbirds, and the investments the brand makes into ensuring their customers have the best experience no matter the medium they use to meet the brand.

"To make better things in a better way. That sums up what we do as a company. We try and aspire, first of all, to be more like a tree than a company, giving back more than we extract. Secondly, we want to do that by making great products"– Joey Zwillinger, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Allbirds

Julie Bornstein is passionate about creating the ultimate personalized shopping experience. It’s been her focus at iconic brands like Nordstrom and Sephora—and now at her new venture The Yes. Julie joins us to share the details behind how the disruptive e-commerce brand creates the best recommendation engine in fashion. She talks about how customer service fits into her mission to make the answer “yes” and how she gives her support team tools instead of rules.  

“It's all about how you get to the yes and make the customer happy.  That is a deep belief of mine”  – Julie Bornstein, Co-founder and CEO of The Yes

Periods of transformation often result in some of the most exciting leaps forward for a brand.

“When your work is aligned with your values, it's a happier place to be working from." -- Bec Boxall, VP of Marketing, Channels and Customer Experience at Native Shoes

The evolution of fabric and craft retailer JOANN is a masterclass in putting the customer first.  JOANN reimagined their in-store experience and embraced digital innovation to become a destination for their customers. Director of Operations and Customer Experiences, Drew Chamberlain joins us to share how JOANN turned its retail outlets and digital platforms into a “creative happy place” for curious creatives and makers.  Drew talks about how the entire customer experience begins with their approach to customer service team member recruitment and ends with dedicated, engaged, lifelong fans.

“We’re always looking at how we can make the experience better for the retail customer and how we can make it better for our team members, too.” – Drew Chamberlain, Director of Operations and Customer Experience at JOANN

For many women, buying a swimsuit has always been an uncomfortable experience. Andie Founder and CEO Melanie Travis knew it was time to change the swimwear shopping experience forever. On this episode, Melanie shares how the Andie team has created a thriving brand and a team of Fit Experts that connect with their customers like a trusted friend. And how, as a result, Andie has increased repeat business, created a deeply engaged social community, and is growing more than 600% year over year.

“When a customer reaches out to customer support, that’s such an opportunity to create an evangelist, not just make a sale.” - Melanie Travis

Porsche has been an aspirational brand for decades not only because of its iconic cars, but also due to its innovative customer service. Customer Care Manager Jeff Newman will give you an inside look at their “Excite” program and how it drives a company-wide commitment to fostering intense brand loyalty. You’ll also learn how improv comedy could be the best management training tool you never knew about.

"I'm talking about the whole buying cycle. How do you make that whole experience something customers want to go and tell people about?" - Jeff Newman

JetBlue Co-Founder Frankie Littleford has been in the airline industry her entire career, and has reinvented the way an airline treats its customers. In this episode, Frankie explains how the “crazy” idea of establishing 100% remote call centers changed everything for the company, and how empowering agents is more important than managing them. 

“Our mission is to inspire humanity, and what we’ve really recognized and focused on is that it starts with your people.” - Frankie Littleford