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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/