The Delighted Customers Podcast with Mark Slatin

Michael shares his impressive career journey that spans over 20 years in customer-facing roles, from the banking sector to an energy startup, and his impactful time as the SVP of Customer Experience at Figs, a notable direct-to-consumer e-commerce company specializing in medical apparel.

Michael shares the impressive story behind Figs—a company founded by two women who revolutionized the medical apparel industry and took the business public on the NYSE, all while growing to a $500 million enterprise paralleling athleisure brands like Lululemon.

We discuss the necessity for CX to be a unique differentiator in competitive markets, emphasizing the value of a superior customer experience in driving retention, referrals, and overall business growth. The discussion also touches on strategic planning for 2025, with a focus on justifying investments in technology and human resources in CX.

Michael offers practical advice on managing customer expectations, delivering consistent service, and creating memorable interactions through low-cost "surprise and delight" programs. He also dives into the challenges of subscription-based models and stresses the importance of educational opportunities for customer retention.

Listeners will also appreciate Michael’s personal anecdotes and wisdom, including financial strategies and life perspectives.

Tune in to this episode for a blend of professional expertise, actionable insights, and personal reflections that can help elevate your approach to customer experience and business growth.

Meet Michael:

Michael is a customer experience executive who cares deeply about wowing customers, exceeding goals, and developing future leaders. He is the Founder of Bair Consulting. He helps e-commerce and SaaS founders build customer experiences they are proud of and their customers love. Before starting his consultancy, he worked at diverse organizations from startups to Fortune 50 companies, including B2B SaaS, B2C subscription, and DTC e-commerce. He has been a senior leader on 3 exits including a 2021 IPO. He has managed customer success, inside sales, customer support/service, and quality assurance teams. He has built teams from scratch to 100-plus people. He loves leading organizations with a customer-centric mentality and has been consistently recognized as a leader of people, culture, and values.

Meet Alek

Alek Catlett is a manager in EY's AI & Data consulting practice, where he has worked for the past 4 years. Alek helps his clients solve complex problems where the customer and data meet. Prior to EY, Alek spent 6 years at Tailored Brands, parent company to Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, and Moores. Alek is also a graduate of the first Masters of Science in Customer Experience Management in North America from Michigan State University.

Tom Shimko, a seasoned expert in customer experience (CX) and marketing, to discuss the ROI of CX. Tom highlights the necessity of treating CX as a strategic imperative rather than a mere nicety. He unpacks the IDIC framework by Peppers and Rogers, emphasizing identification, differentiation, interaction, and customization as key steps.

Tom shares insightful case studies, including work with 1800 Flowers, AIG, and Prudential, demonstrating how targeted CX improvements can significantly enhance customer value and reduce attrition. He underscores the importance of aligning CX initiatives with senior leadership’s goals and understanding customer needs at every lifecycle stage to justify continued investment in CX efforts.

• Real-world examples and use cases provide practical insights and a blueprint for CX leaders. Tom's examples from 1-800-Flowers, AIG, and Prudential show how specific strategies can have a significant impact on business metrics like customer retention, revenue, and cancellation rates. These use cases offer actionable steps for leaders to follow and adapt to their unique contexts.

Meet Tom!

Tom Shimko brings a background of 20+ years of experience leading marketing, customer experience, and strategic planning in both senior management and consulting roles. 

These have included building and leading the consulting division as a Senior Managing Partner at Peppers & Rogers Group, Director of International Marketing at Prudential, Head of Marketing Intelligence and Customer Experience at GE Capital, SVP, Customer Retention and Loyalty at AIG, and as the Chief Marketing Officer at Pitney Bowes, Danbury Health Systems, and the DMA. 

His consulting clients cross B2B, B2C and Nonprofit sectors, and include organizations such as Acxiom, Oracle, 1800Flowers, Space.com, Jaguar, Wolters Kluwer, Rodale Publishing, the American Cancer Society, and the Young President’s Organization. 

Tom currently leads Shimko1to1.com, where he helps organizations to increase customer acquisition, improve retention, and grow customer value, by focusing on customer needs, potential value, and by improving the customer experience. 

Known for driving transformative growth, Tom excels in crafting innovative customer-centric strategies and leveraging data-driven insights, with a focus on action, impact and results. 

On the latest episode of The Delighted Customers Podcast, Roxie Strohmenger, CCXP, an acclaimed CX strategist and Board Chair-Elect of CXPA, shares valuable insights on the power of data in customer experience. Roxie has shaped industry standards, from co-defining Forrester's CX Index to leading award-winning CX initiatives at UKG, and is now a principal strategist at Heart of the Customer.

In this episode, Roxie introduces the “web of data,” a groundbreaking concept for accessing and integrating diverse data sources to accelerate decision-making. She explains how CX leaders can leverage this approach to give executives real-time, actionable insights supporting strategic business goals.

Roxie also examines the repercussions of limited data access, which often results in CX being seen as a cost center rather than a strategic partner. She offers practical strategies for CX professionals to foster collaboration with IT and data teams and overcome technical and regulatory barriers to streamline data integration.

Finally, Roxie highlights the importance of aligning CX metrics with key operational and financial metrics. This alignment helps CX professionals communicate their value effectively to executives, fostering buy-in and elevating CX as a strategic asset.

• Listen in to discover actionable strategies to navigate data challenges and make a compelling case for CX at the executive level!

Meet Roxie

Roxie Strohmenger is an innovative, determined, and passionate award-winning CX Change Maker who believes great things don't happen in your comfort zone. With over 20+ years of experience, Roxie has a passion for designing and executing innovative CX transformation initiatives that are linked to operational metrics and financials to create differentiated, high-quality emotion-focused experiences that create, sustain, and expand customer loyalty. Roxie is currently a Principal Strategist at Heart of the Customer partnering with CX Leaders to deliver solid ROI and also serves as the Vice Chair on the board of directors for the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). Her expertise has also been featured in podcasts, webinars, and in the book, “Do B2B Better: Drive Growth through Game-Changing Customer Experience."

Seth is a legendary thinker and marketer known for challenging conventional wisdom. In this episode, he dives into his latest book, This is Strategy, offering fresh perspectives on how to craft and execute a powerful strategy in today’s fast-changing world.

Beyond just strategy, Seth explores the crucial connection between strategy and customer experience (CX), helping listeners understand why aligning these two elements is key to driving sustainable business growth. Whether you're a business leader, CX professional, or strategist, this episode offers actionable insights you can put into practice immediately.

Meet Seth!

Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 21 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn). His book, This is Marketing, was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. His latest books are The Song of Significance and The Practice, and creatives everywhere have made it a bestseller.

Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Seth also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!).

By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Seth has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.

In 2013, Seth was one of just three professionals inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame. In an astonishing turn of events, in May 2018, he was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame as well. He might be the only person in both.

Raj Sivasubramanian has served as a CX leader in great brands like AirBnB, eBay, Verint, and Bain and now leads the journey management practice at QuestionPro. He's a Professor of Practice at Michigan State University in the CXM Masters of Science Degree program. He’s worked with some of the most successful brands and joined us to share insights about how great companies differentiate on customer experience.

In this episode:

1. What do we do about the metric trap?

This question is essential because many organizations fall into the trap of over-focusing on metrics like NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) without necessarily improving the customer experience. Raj provides strategies and insights to avoid this trap, which can help organizations focus on actionable insights rather than just numbers.

1. How does operational data play into customer sentiment data?

Understanding how to integrate operational data with customer sentiment data is crucial for gaining a holistic view of the customer experience. Raj's explanation helps organizations realize that customer feedback alone isn't enough; it should be supplemented with operational metrics to drive meaningful actions that improve the customer experience.

1. What approach works best for making organizational change happen from a CX leader's standpoint?

This question is critical for anyone trying to drive customer-centric changes within their organization. Raj discusses different strategies like looking for quick wins, connecting insights to key corporate initiatives, and the importance of having allies. His advice provides a roadmap for CX leaders to effectively influence and implement changes that can significantly enhance customer experiences.

Join us for an engaging conversation as Raj shares practical tips and actionable insights.

Customer Experience Management takes on an entirely different context when you or a loved one gets a cancer diagnosis. As you'll hear from my guest on this episode, the healthcare system is broken in many ways. UNC is starting with a better way to listen.

Loretta Muss, coordinator of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) at the North Carolina Basnight Cancer Hospital, recently retired after advocating for patients, families, hospital staff and administration for the past 14 years.

Muss started in her role with the PFAC in 2009 with the hope of strengthening the relationship between patients, caregivers and their cancer care teams.

On this episode of The Delighted Customers Podcast, Loretta talks about some of the realities stressing our healthcare system and the impact on patients. She shares the immensely successful PFAC she launched for UNC's Cancer Hospital and we talk about how the model can be used to help businesses inside and outside of healthcare.

Here are three pivotal questions she answered, which we believe can reshape how we view healthcare:

1. How can caregivers' inclusion in advisory councils transform patient care?

Caregivers play a crucial role in the patient journey, often providing the most consistent care. Understanding their perspectives can lead to more holistic and effective healthcare solutions.

1. What strategies can be employed to prevent burnout among healthcare providers while maintaining high standards of compassionate care?

Burnout is a critical issue affecting healthcare providers worldwide. Addressing it is essential to ensure that providers can continue delivering the high-quality, compassionate care that patients need.

1. In what ways can personalized patient interactions improve overall healthcare outcomes?

Personalization in healthcare can bridge the gap between clinical efficiency and patient satisfaction. Exploring this can lead to better health outcomes and a more humane healthcare experience.

Curious about Loretta's insightful answers? Tune in to our latest podcast episode and discover how these questions and their answers can drive significant improvements in the healthcare sector. 

Cyndi Lyon is the VP of Customer Experience and Strategy at Otava. She's a Certified Customer Experience Professional and earned her Master of Science in Customer Experience Management from Michigan State University. In this episode, she broke down some of the key barriers that get in the way of building a successful customer experience management practice and offered some actionable ways to overcome them.

In this episode Cyndi answered these questions and more:

Meet Cyndi!

CYNDI LYON, CCXP

With nearly 30 years of industry experience, Cyndi Lyon is a trailblazer in the realm of customer

experience (CX). As the Vice President of Customer Experience Strategy at OTAVA, she is

leading a transformative shift towards a customer-centric model, ensuring that the customer is

always at the heart of every strategy through relentless focus on continuous improvement and

operational excellence.

Cyndi's dedication to CX is unparalleled. Recently, she earned her Master’s in Customer

Experience Management from Michigan State University, marking her as a pioneer in this

evolving field. Her expertise spans creating exceptional customer experiences, operationalizing

CX strategies, drive continuous improvement and fostering a customer-centric culture that

permeates every aspect of business operations. For Cyndi, the cornerstone of every successful

business is a deep understanding and genuine appreciation of the customer.

Cyndi's career spans product management, technology operations, professional services,

marketing, and more. This breadth of experience fuels her passion for delivering top-notch

customer experiences. Her drive for enriching product and service delivery is realized through

innovation, collaboration, process improvement, and organizational development.

Since joining OTAVA in 2018, Cyndi has built a legacy of success, leading the company’s

product, marketing, and business strategy, and heading the operations team to streamline

processes and systems. Her ability to build and inspire teams, coupled with her strategic

foresight, has been instrumental in OTAVA’s growth and customer satisfaction.

Outside of her professional life, Cyndi is a proud wife and mother of two teenage daughters. She

holds the prestigious CCXP certification and enjoys regularly participating in half marathons and

spending quality time with her family in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

One of the major problems that data visualization solves is the need for quick and clear communication of complex insights, particularly to time-constrained executives. 

It’s about storytelling with data…but how?

With her extensive expertise in data analytics and digital transformation, Katie Manty, a professor at Michigan State University’s Customer Experience Management Master’s program and a leader at Omnicom Health Group, offers unparalleled insights into this crucial aspect of business strategy. 

In this episode of "Delighted Customers Podcast," Katie shares compelling strategies and best practices for utilizing data visualization to enhance customer experience and drive executive buy-in.

Key Takeaways:

1. Customer Experience Improvements:

   - Pain Points in Banking: Katie highlighted how customers in banking and investment sectors often struggle with mobile check deposits and managing dormant 401(k) accounts. The complexity and inaccessibility of instructions lead to dissatisfaction. She shares best practices on how to solve for that.

2. Data Storytelling:

   - Katie's personal advice: Focusing on data storytelling and understanding audience incentives can significantly improve your professional influence. She walks through several illustrations of how to effectively tell stories with data.

3. Effective Data Visualization:

   - Importance for Executives: Visualizing data is essential for conveying insights quickly and clearly to senior leadership, facilitating swift decision-making. Katie shares common missteps and how to overcome them.

Meet Katie:

Katie has a passion for building highly-prized customer experiences. Throughout her marketing technology enablement career, she gathers multiple perspectives, analyzes data sets, forges a business vision and puts the initial concept into production using a test and learn mindset for continuous improvement of the product or process. Katie has been with Omnicom Health Group for three years as a leader in digital transformation and data analytics capabilities in the health care sector primarily supporting biotech and pharmaceutical marketing teams. 

Katie services clients with Omnichannel marketing solutions based on a framework and capabilities that she derived from years of marketing and data strategy experience. She is a Thought Leader enabling colleagues to upskill and speak marketing acumen underscored by data, data visualization and technology integration concepts. She shares a regular Data Coffee Talk with colleagues on all topics data in marketing including how AI is changing the advertising business.

She began her career at Ernst & Young leading application development, business analysis, roadmap visioning and emerging technology teams. Katie earned an MS degree from MIT in the Management of Technology. Her undergraduate degree is from Smith College with a BA in Computer Science and Economics double major. 

Katie is an active alum with both of her alma maters. She spends her free time soaking up the sun as an avid beachgoer, consuming fiction and shuttling her teenage daughter to activities. 

Additionally, Katie is a Faculty Instructor for MSU’s MS in CXM degree. She teaches Data Analysis, Data Integration and Data Visualization as part of the program.

A 34-year-old man fighting for his life in the intensive care unit is on an artificial respirator for over a month. Could it be that his chance of getting off the respirator is not how much his nurses know, but rather how much they care?

A 75-year-old woman is heroically saved by a major trauma center, only to be discharged and fatally struck by a car while walking home from the hospital. Could a lack of compassion from the hospital staff have been a factor in her death?

Compelling new research shows that health care is in the midst of a compassion crisis. But the pivotal question is this: Does compassion really matter?

In Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference, physician scientists Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli uncover the eye-opening data that compassion could be a wonder drug for the 21st century.

This episode is packed with practical insights and ROI evidence for customer experience investment.

Join me and my guest, Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, author, Ted Talk speaker, and, oh yeah, Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Healthcare.

In this episode:

Meet Dr. T

Stephen Trzeciak, MD, MPH is a physician scientist, the Edward D. Viner Endowed

Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Health Care, and Professor and Chair of

Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. Dr.

Trzeciak is a practicing intensivist (specialist in intensive care medicine), and a clinical

researcher with more than 100 publications in the scientific literature. His scientific

program has been supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health

and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, with Dr. Trzeciak serving as

Principal Investigator. Dr. Trzeciak is the co-author of two books, Compassionomics:

The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference (2019), and

Wonder Drug: 7 Scientifically Proven Ways That Serving Others Is the Best Medicine

for Yourself (2022). Broadly, Dr. Trzeciak’s mission is to raise compassion globally,

through science.