Everyday CX-ISM

What happens when the people who are supposed to help you... can't?In this episode, Katie Stabler is joined by Xander Freeman, Call Director at Contact Centre Helper, to unpack a frustrating first-hand experience with a telecom provider. From outsourced teams with no real authority, to IVR systems that lead nowhere, this is a story that will feel painfully familiar.This isn't a rant — it's a masterclass in what happens when organisations design systems for themselves rather than their customers, and what it actually takes to fix it.Find Xander here and sign up to Call Centre Helper!Like and subscribe!To join in the conversation and connect with Katie, connect!🔗 ⁠⁠LINKEDIN⁠⁠🔗 ⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠🔗 ⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠[email protected]

Not every great customer experience is about fixing something broken. Sometimes it's about getting everything quietly, consistently right.In this episode, Katie Stabler shares how a chance search for bone broth led her to Hunter and Gatherer — a small brand she'd never heard of — and how they turned a first-time purchase into a genuinely memorable experience. From a founders' email that felt human in an AI-saturated world, to a beautifully boxed delivery that confirmed every expectation, this is a story about what good looks like when small businesses lean into what the giants can't replicate.If you're building a brand, leading a team, or just wondering why some businesses earn loyalty and others don't — this one's for you.Like and subscribe!To join in the conversation and connect with Katie, connect!🔗 ⁠⁠LINKEDIN⁠⁠🔗 ⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠🔗 ⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠[email protected] and Gatherer

Not every bad experience is a disaster. Sometimes it's a hundred small things that quietly add up.In this episode, Katie Stabler unpacks a real hotel stay that had genuine highs — a beautiful suite, digital check-in, delicious shortbread — but left her unlikely to return. Hidden charges, a broken QR code, no complimentary water at a five-star rate, a closed restaurant, and feedback that disappeared into silence.This one's for anyone in hospitality, or any business where the details matter. Because they always do.Like and subscribe!To join in the conversation and connect with Katie, connect!🔗 ⁠LINKEDIN⁠🔗 ⁠INSTAGRAM⁠🔗 ⁠Website ⁠[email protected]

In this episode of Everyday CX-ISM, Katie Stabler unpacks a deceptively simple customer experience failure — a cinema that refused a straightforward request for a standard cup — and reveals what it exposes about the hidden costs of rigid policy, frontline disempowerment, and the missed revenue opportunities hiding in plain sight.It sounds trivial. It wasn't.Using behavioural psychology and real-world CX strategy, Katie breaks down why rule-bound service culture frustrates customers, drives churn, and quietly bleeds businesses dry — and what leaders can do about it.In this episode:Why inflexible policies destroy customer trust — and revenueHow frontline empowerment transforms complaints into commercial winsThe psychology behind customer frustration when rules override common senseWhat a rock, a cup, and Ryan Gosling have to do with exceptional customer experiencePerfect for: CX leaders, operations managers, business owners, and anyone responsible for customer retention, service design, or employee empowerment.To join in the conversation and connect with Katie, connect!🔗 LINKEDIN🔗 INSTAGRAM🔗 Website - Find the links to the Zoom and Global Female Founders events [email protected]

In this episode of "Everyday CXism," Katie Stabler recounts a remarkable customer service experience with Tesco that transformed frustration into loyalty. After facing repeated issues with grocery substitutions, Katie's complaint was met with a creative, empathetic and ridiculously funny response from a Tesco representative, who used humour and a personal touch to address her concerns. This episode explores the customer experience recovery paradox, showcasing how a well-handled complaint can turn a dissatisfied customer into a devoted advocate. Tune in to discover how personality and empathy can elevate customer service and create lasting positive impressions.To join in the conversation and connect with Katie, connect!LINKEDININSTAGRAMWEBSITEEMAIL

When a simple second guest charge at a hotel spirals into frustration, Katie Stabler — founder of award-winning CX agency Cultivate — unpacks what really went wrong. Despite understanding business policies, a combination of unanticipated charges, unempathetic staff, and robotic responses left her questioning how organisations so often let rigid rules override real human experience. In this episode, Katie explores the crucial difference between reactive and proactive communication, why scripted responses and static training leave both employees and customers feeling helpless, and how empowering frontline teams to make judgment calls can turn friction into loyalty. This isn't just a hotel story — it's a case study in what happens when policies take precedence over people, and what CX professionals, managers, and leaders can do differently.

Most customer experience advice focuses on metrics and frameworks — but what truly shapes memorable experiences?In the inaugural episode of Everyday CX-ISM, Katie Stabler explores how a simple joke from airport security transformed a routine moment into a lasting memory — and what that reveals about the real human impact of CX.She breaks down the peak-end rule, the psychology of surprise and connection, and the risks of feedback practices that skew data and miss the point.Because the customers you're not talking to are the ones most likely to be talking about you.This episode is perfect for customer experience professionals, leaders, business owners or anyone eager to move beyond superficial metrics and truly understand what makes customers come back eager to tell their friends.